The Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF) and the National Park Service are working to spread the word to Latinos about the natural beauty of the nation's national park system. In a blog from HAF, National Park Service Director Jonathon Jarvis said: “one approach to building a stronger connection with the Latino community, particularly young people, is telling the story of the Latino historical and cultural heritage preserved by the parks.”' In an effort to get more Latinos to national parks, Maite Arce, president of HAF and her family (the Arglebens) embarked on a four stop tour of some of the nation's finest parks. During the tour which took place in July of 2013, the family created a video blog and used social media to speak about national parks in Colorado, Utah, and New ...
Construction is underway for a new 62-acre park in New Braunfels, TX, a 35% Latino city just north of San Antonio.
According to the San Antonio Express News, the new park will provide a much needed resource for locals, especially those living east of Interstate 35 (I-35). Once complete, the park will be the largest in the New Braunfels park system.
Amenities for the park will include: hike and bike trails, fishing ponds, playgrounds, a splash-pad, picnic facilities and an amphitheater.
At an October 2013 groundbreaking ceremony, members of the Fisher family, for who the park is named after, expressed satisfaction with seeing the land where they grew up be used for something positive.
The park is scheduled to open in October 2014.
See the full news article here.
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Northgate González Market has come a long way since its humble beginnings. The family-owned and operated California-based grocery store chain, originally founded by immigrants from Jalisco in 1980, went from one 2,500-square-foot store to now 42 stores located throughout Southern California. Despite Northgate’s success, its owners have not forgotten their roots or culture. They seek to offer high-quality products and improve the quality of life for Latinos through their Viva la Salud! Program, which includes bilingual healthy food labels and an entire marketing program aimed at helping customers make wise food- purchasing decisions as part of a healthy lifestyle. EMERGENCE Awareness: Victor González, Senior VP of Marketing at González Northgate Markets, a chain of ...
A demand for walkable communities is on the rise in Texas, the second fastest growing state between 2010-2013, according to a March 2014 article from the Texas Tribune. Recently, investments in pedestrian friendly projects have found their way to some of Texas' largest cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso. Even suburbs are trying to incorporate mixed-use town centers to get residents outside. As reported in the Tribune article, urban planners like Patrick Kennedy of Dallas, believe that this increased demand for walkability comes partially as a result of the growing millennial population in Texas. Kennedy said: "millennials are very interested in urbanism and walkable communities as well as being active in trying to create ...
Starting in the 2011-12 school year, schools participating in the federally-funded National School Lunch Program were required to provide students with access to free drinking water during school meals, in the location where meals are served. New research by Bridging the Gap describes how schools are meeting this requirement and provides insight about the cleanliness of drinking fountains. The report found that most participating schools met the water requirements, but that there is still work to be done to improve water quality and access. Check out the full research ...
Citizens in Miami are ready for more open spaces according to an op-ed piece from the Miami Herald, written by Ken Bryan, Florida's state director of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. In this article, Bryan speaks about the rise of active transportation, especially biking, occurring in Miami. Despite this shift in transportation modes, and the increase of recreational activities in downtown Miami, Bryan reports that traffic congestion has gotten worse. With new transportation initiatives underway like All Aboard Florida (AAF)---a high speed passenger rail way service that will connect South and Central Florida---Bryan claims that enhanced connectivity through the development of hike and bike trails is important. He said: "the city should seize the opportunity to create more ...
Great news for Latinos in Washington County! The County has set aside funds specifically for engaging Latinos in conversations about the development of two local initiatives, including the Council Creek Regional Trail and the Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Project. According to a news story from the Hillsboro Tribune, the county's planners and local governing body are developing plans for a 15-mile trail which will connect four cities: Cornelius, Forest Grove, Banks and Hillsboro. A total of $8,500 will be put towards translators and developing culturally relevant,bilingual materials to be handed out to Latinos during community events and open houses.The two non-profits which will be working with Latinos are Adelante Mujeres and the Centro Cultural in Cornelius. Because the ...
The mostly Latino southern area of Santa Ana, Calif., had limited places to be active—and not a single park. Desperate for more active spaces to give them more chances to get fit and avoid disease and obesity, residents pushed for and received a new park, Corazones Verdes Park. While park construction remained underway, members of Latino Health Access sought alternative active spaces. That’s when they came up with the idea of creating a Wellness Corridor through downtown Santa Ana. Now partners from across the city are discussing ways to make the community more walkable, and residents of all ages are learning to effectively voice the need for healthy options.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: America Bracho, a Venezuelan-born physician and public health advocate for the Latino community of south ...
The new Trail Link App, created by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy allows you to locate walking and biking trails throughout the nation. Just enter a city, state, zip code and find the nearest trails near you! You can also add new trails, upload photos, and create a new map with the app. Download the free Trail Link App to get started. ...
