by Desirée Aquino
César Chávez
California first lady Maria Shriver joined numerous volunteers in building a playground for the Watts Labor Community Action Committee Center in Los Angeles as the kickoff of an initiative to build 10 safe playspaces across California honoring the life and legacy of Cesar E. Chávez.
More than 2,500 volunteers are constructing playgrounds and a skate park in California communities in partnership with KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization that envisions a place to play within walking distance of every child in America. In Northern California, playgrounds are being built Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School in San Francisco, Romain Park (skate park) in Fresno, La Union del Pueblo Entero in Salinas and Mayfair Head Start in San Jose.
The César Chávez Day holiday was established in 2000 to honor the life and legacy of labor leader Cesar E. Chávez. CaliforniaVolunteers administers the Cesar Chávez Day of Service and Learning program which includes the playground initiative, as well as the formation of afterschool service clubs for middle school students and curriculum development to integrate lessons regarding Chávez’s life into school day activities.
New teen pregnancy prevention initiative targeting Latinas launched
\The National Council of La Raza and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy have launched a new education and outreach initiative aimed at Latino teens and young adults. The launch was announced on Capitol Hill on March 28 by Representative Hilda Solis (D-CA).
According to NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía, nearly half of Latinas become pregnant before age 20. The initiative will focus on specific themes, messages and approaches to reach Hispanic young people, especially those overlooked by mainstream media. The NCLR is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S.
DMV improves web pages for seniors
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has revised and reformatted its website pages aimed at senior drivers, drivers who are about to become seniors, and any Californian who has relatives who are seniors. The pages have been simplified to help drivers who want to take an active role in maintaining mobility and traffic safety. According to DMV, California now has almost 65 million drivers who are 65 or older. Contrary to popular belief, the DMV cannot by law base any of its licensing decisions on age alone.
The Senior Driver Information web pages are accessible on the DMV Internet site at www.dmv.ca.gov and are listed in the homepage box titled “Driver License and I-D Card.” There are eight major categories: Your Driver License, Your Health, Identification Cards, Your Safety, Getting Around, Information for Disabled Customers, Senior Driver Assessment and Other Information (links to other related sites).
