Beatta Dire, Owner of Master’s Touch Salon in the Valley works on a customer at Health Woman

For Beatta Dire, The Healthy Woman Expo at Vallley Hospital and Medical Center was a perfect fit.

“Any time we can do something that makes women feel better about themselves I’m all for it,” says Dire, who owns Master’s Touch Salon in the Spokane Valley.

Dire’s staff from the salon along with several other businesses set up shop in the hospital with beauty products, make up and free advice Thursday night as part of Valley Hospital’s Healthy Woman initiative.

Healthy Woman - a entirely free program - is designed to empower women with the knowledge and confidence to make informed health care and well-being decisions for themselves and their loved ones. Free seminars, health fairs, educational programs and fun interactive events are hosted once each month. Monthly Healthy Woman events are designed to improve the emotional, physical and fiscal well-being of women and their families

The hospital say the goal is to empower women with the knowledge and confidence to make informed health care and well-being decisions for themselves and their loved ones.

“Women are truly the “healthcare managers” of their families - making over 80% of all family healthcare decisions. For women, balancing a career, family, home and still managing to find time for oneself is difficult. Valley Hospital and Medical Center and Deaconess Medical Center launched the Healthy Woman program in November 2009 to help women find ways to be healthier and happier, at no cost. The Healthy Woman program gives women of all ages access to free resources to help them nurture a healthy mind, body and spirit so that they can best take care of themselves and their loved ones. Our goal is to enrich local women in a variety of ways to improve their overall quality of life,” says Sasha Jackowich, Director of Public Relations at Valley Hospital.

Master’s Touch Massage Therapist Chris Kalinowski works on a client

“This event was designed to provide a fun, relaxing and free environment for women to explore ways to feel better about themselves in the new year. At Valley, we believe that taking care of yourself is a process that flows from the inside out and the outside in and our event tonight gave women the opportunity to indulge in ways to feel better about themselves - without guilt (because the services were free!).

Women face so much stress in their day to day lives and getting together to have fun, bond and try new things in a low-key pressure-free environment is important. Future monthly Healthy Woman events will focus on topics including heart disease, breast cancer, nutrition, stress management and life-balance issues,” added Jackowich

“The turn out was amazing and we had the chance to touch base wit a lot woman who had questions about some of the things we do at our shop like permanent eyeliner, pedicures and make up. This is a great opportunity to talk with our customers. I was so excited when the hospital asked me to take part in the event,” said Dire.

Any woman can join the Healthy Woman program…there are no age requirements or membership requirements. All you have to do is sign up!

If women wish to join, they can visit www.spokanevalleyhospital.com and click on the Healthy Woman icon. We’ll send monthly emails or postcards detailing upcoming events and networking opportunities.

For Azra Grudic fighting human trafficking is a full-time job. Azra says the hardest part of her job may be convincing people that human trafficking is going on right in front their eyes” The biggest misconception is that it happens at some other location and other countries not here in Spokane, when I first started working and doing my job I would have to explain what human trafficking is and then they’d recognize that they have clients that are victims,” said Grudic, an Anti Trafficking Specialist for Lutheran Community Services.

Human trafficking is considered any force, fraud or abuse used to control people, usually with a financial benefit for the one using that force. The coercion can come about through physical or psychological intimidation.

“Any type of commercialized sex with a person under the age of 18 is trafficking,” Grudic says. “If you have a 17-year-old girl on the street doing prostitution, she is a victim of trafficking. “That’s why it’s so it’s important for the community to recognize it’s happening here,” added Grudic.

Monday night, Grudic led vigil for victims of human trafficking that started out at city hall. The council read a proclamation decrying human trafficking. About 30 people then carried candles from city hall to the Women’s Hearth Center. About 100 people packed  the Hearth to remember, pray and honor victims of human trafficking.

“An event like tonight we want to pay respect to the victims, we want them to know that we care and that programs like ours can help them. And to let them know there are resources for them but also to have the community to come together to raise awareness about the issue,” says Grudic.

Grudic says most of the time victims of human trafficking are found by members of the community. “Because the chances are it’s a person from the community that will see something strange and recognize a victim of human trafficking and will contact us because can’t be all over the place,” said Grudic.

If you think you may be a victim of human trafficking contact Lutheran Community Services 24 hour hot line 24 Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Line: (509) 624-7273
24 Hour Crime Victim Crisis Line: (866) 751-7119

Rani Hong pictured above with her husband Trong is a human trafficking survivor.

She and her husband formed the Tronie foundation to combat the problem.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE TRONIE FOUNDATION’S WEBSITE

At seven years old, Rani Hong’s life took a dramatic turn. While living in southern India her father became sick and her parents couldn’t support her, so they gave her up to a woman who said she would take care of her, that woman eventually sold Rani into slavery.

Rani spent almost a year with a man who beat and starved her. Eventually that man sold her to an international adoption agency. Fortunately Rani ended up in the United States with a family who loved and cared for her. Rani says the experience has made her stronger. “As a survivor now, I look at the future. My past had a lot of devistation a lot of pain and emotion but today I have to focus on the future. What am I going to do with my life? I have chosen to be that voice and not to only be that voice but to give restoration. We need to give victims like me healing, a place to live but we’ve got to make them fully functional like someone did to me,” said Hong.

Rani along with her husband, also a human trafficking survivor, formed the Tronie Foundation. Its mission is to reach to survivors and raise awarness about the practice.

Hong was recently in Spokane talking about her experiences with service providers and outreach specialists at Lutheran Community Services. She says human trafficking is a big problem across Washington and Idaho.

” So it’s not a problem in just foreign countries, it’s right here in Spokane. Right here in Washington state..because we have a port and we’re a border area with Canada. So as an individual person we do need to care because we’re facing it in our businesses and in our schools and the different places where we are at,” says Hong.

Hong, who now works full-time with the Tronie Foundation says 17,500 victims are brought into the United States every year to be sold into slavery. Washington State is hub for this activity. 16 counties in Washington have been identified as places where human trafficking goes on, including Spokane County.

“Human trafficking is today’s modern form of slavery. We are finding victims working 12 hour days, 14 hour days with no pay. That means they’re forced to work through coercian, threats on their life and many times their visas are taken and their passports are taken. To be in slavery they are being controlled by another person and they can’t escape and that is why we need to help them,” says Hong.

One of the most common forms of human slavery in Washington and Idaho is Mexican migrant workers forced to work long hours with no pay. Many have debts to land owners who won’t let the workers leave. Many are threatened with jail time and deportation if they don’t do the work. Hong says that’s the reason it’s so hard for victims to simply walk away. “They can’t just walk away, usually because the people they work for have power, money or influence. Often times victims are threatened with their lives,” says Hong.

Currently Hong is working with the Washington Department of Labor on legislation to help stop human trafficking. Hong believes training and education is the key for people to be able to identify victims.

“There’s a lot of education and a lot of awareness but we’re seeing a gap in restoration, so we’re trying to create this movement in restoration; partnering with other organizations such as Lutheran Community Services and asking how we can come together and build restoration and healing to the victim. So I see that as I a gap and I’m working hard to fill that gap,” says Hong.

The Tronie Foundation relies solely on donations and grants for funding. If you would like to make a donation please contact them at The Tronie Foundation
P.O. Box 1308 Olympia, WA 98507-1308 Phone: (360) 705-1230

Email: info@troniefoundation.org

Story by Mike Gonzalez

Call it a good marriage, a great partnership, whatever you call it the story of Sergio’s Tortillas is one of sustainability.

A flour toritlla on display at DeLeon’s in Spokane

The birth of Sergio’s Tortillas start in Dr. Kim Kidwell’s lab at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Dr. Kidwell designed the Red Tara seed that is used to grow the wheat that’s used in Sergio’s Tortillas. Dr. Kidwell and her team of scientist use DNA marking technology to create seeds that can grow in almost any environment.

Dr. Kim Kidwell In a greenhouse at WSU

Seeds used in Sergio’s Tortillas are engineered in petri dishes in the WSU lab

“The front end is about precision, trying to make sure the plants have the genes we want and that we’re getting enough seed that we want to do in the field. And that we can actually get it to the environments like Fred’s,” says Kidwell.

Fred…is Fred Fleming, owner of Shepherd’s Grain in Reardon, Washington. Fred’s farm was the test site for the WSU Red Tara wheat seed that’s used in Sergio’s Tortillas. Fleming pitched his wheat to Sergio DeLeon three years ago.

Fred Fleming of Shepherd’s Grain talks with Mike Gonzalez about growing the wheat used in Sergio’s Tortillas

“Initially we walked in with a bag of flour and tried to convince Sergio it was the right thing to do, so I gave him a bag to try it out,” said Fleming.

From Shepherd’s Grain the wheat is sent to ADM in Spokane to be processed into flour.

Once at DeLeon’s the flour is turned into Sergio’s Tortillas.

“Our tortillas are the best, we make homemade tortillas daily. We make 500 dozen of the floured, and 1,800 dozen of the corned tortillas per week. They’re just fresh and people love them,” says DeLeon with a sense of pride.

Sergio DeLeon takes a look at his tortillas that include wheat, flour, corn and jalapeño.

Billy Joe Bailes helps to oversee production of the tortillas, she says the process is quite complex. “ The flour goes through a tortilla making machine. Part of the machine cooks the tortillas and the other cools it. Sometimes they don’t come out completely flat so the guys have to pull them apart. They’ll sort them out, put them in bags and get the tortillas ready to ship,” said Bailes.

A tortilla is carfully placed into the tortilla making machine

The circle of the tortilla is completed on the Washington State University campus at Carlita’s, a Mexican restaurant owned and operated by WSU inside the campus CUB (Compton Union Building). Carlita’s uses almost 6,000 of Sergio’s burrito’s a week. WSU Executive Chef Greg Blanchard says it’s gratifying to know what started on campus returns.

Mike Gonzalez waits in line and orders at burrito at Carlita’s on the WSU Campus

“As being part of the university and the actual teaching process it feels really good to be able to utilize things that were started and developed here,” said Blanchard.

Dr. Kidwell says she feels an extreme sense of pride when she sees someone enjoying a burrito at Carlita’s. “It’s my favorite story of all the things I’ve done professionally. Farmers are growing the wheat in our state, it’s being milled into flour in our state, Sergio is using it to make his tortillas and people in our state our eating them. I can actually go to Carlita’s and a take a look at that every day. If I want to have a good day I can just watch people go in and out of there and eat Tortillas and think I’ve at least made a difference, at least in their world,” said Dr. Kidwell.

As for Sergio DeLeon, he says the partnership has been a dream come true. “It’s great teamwork and what has happened is we have a product that’s fresher, more tasty and truly home grown,” says DeLeon with a big smile.

Who ever thought sustainability could taste so good.

YOU CAN PURCHASE SERGIO’S TORTILLAS IN OUR WEB STORE AT www.hispanicfoodnetwork.com OR BY VISITING THEIR STORE NEAR JUST EAST OF DIVISION ON FRANCIS.

Cañon de Sol is a 45 acre winery in the heart of Wine Country just west of Kennewick, Washington Cañon de Sol is owned by Victor Cruz, he’s the only Hispanic winery owner in the entire state.

WATCH THE STORY OF Cañon de Sol ON OUR YOUTUBE SITE

In the heart of wine country, in the little town of Benton, Washington sits the 100 year old Badger Canyon, home to Cañon de Sol, the Northwest’s only Hispanic owned winery. Owner Victor Cruz, a Yakima Valley native, bought the property in 1999, leaving a successful career in engineering. Cruz says a good friend, and a leap of faith got him into the wine industry.

“ I think my wife thought I was crazy. Life was good and we couldn’t complain about anything, and she was questioning what I was going to do but we’ve been very fortunate up to this point,” said Cruz.

Good Luck and hard work have distinguished Cruz from the rest of the pack. Cañon de Sol is one of more that 600 wineries in the state of Washington. Cruz says being the only Latino owner of a vineyard has helped the label.

Victor with his wife and children

“I never realized it until I got into the wine industry about my Hispanic background, but being interviewed a reporter asked me if I knew I was the only Hispanic winery which I didn’t know at the time. It seems like since then it brought a lot of publicity to the winery and you know for me… I’m proud and it’s helped marketing,” said Cruz

Marketing aside, Cruz says the taste of the wine speaks for itself “ We’ve just had so much luck for this little winery,” says Cruz proudly.

“In 2002 and 2004 Cañon de Sol’s Red Syrah Wine won best in show at the Northwest Wine Summit. “It’s probably the biggest competition. Because all the big wine makers from Oregon, Washington and Idaho come to compete,” said Cruz.

Not only does Cañon de Sol cater to wine lovers but to people trying to get away. The vineyard boasts an 1800 square foot, fully furnished lodge, where people can relax and enjoy the beautiful canyon.

The winery also rents out its facilities for functions and wine tastings throughout the year.

Cañon de Sol recently opened a 2300 square foot wine tasting room in Woodinville, Washington

“ For me it’s a big decision, it’s also an adventure, it’ll be a big leap because for the first time somebody will represent my wine instead of me because we will have to hire people,” said Cruz.

Despite all the success Cañon de Sol wine has had in the past 10 years, Victor says he wants to remain relatively small, at least for now. “There’s that fine line if you do explode. I like to have my hands in everything at this point and I think Woodinville will test our case load,” said Cruz

“I feel proud, like I said, I wouldn’t trade anything I’ve done for the world and what I’ve experienced,” says Cruz

An experience that wine lovers are taking notice of.

You can find all of Cañon de Sol wine on our website Hispanic Food Network.com just go to our webstore section to buy it.

Victor and the winery will be the focus of “En La Cocina” check your locals listings for air dates or click on the In The Kitchen Tab on our website.

Here’s what’s coming up on En La Cocina (In The Kitchen) on Channel 4 this weekend. Mike Gonzalez will talk with DeLeon’s Food about how to do this Mexican tradition.  In The Kitchen is a production of The Hispanic Food Network www.hispanicfoodnetwork.com

Episode 3 airs on KXLY 4

January 10th (Sunday) at 1pm & January 16th (Saturday) at 1:30pm

November 10, 2009

En La Cocina (In The Kitchen) a Hispanic cultural and cooking show will begin airing on KXLY TV on November 29th. KXLY 4 morning anchor Mike Gonzalez will be the host. “The show is a great opportunity for people to see a different side to Spokane and Eastern Washington. The show will be centered around the kitchen and delicious Latin food but we’ll also highlight many cultural aspects of the Hispanic community,” says Gonzalez.

The show is being produced by The Hispanic Food Network www.hispanicfoodnetwork.com is the brain child of Gonzalez. “I really designed the Hispanic Food Network with everyone in mind. I don’t want it to be exclusive to Latinos. The idea behind it is for everyone to learn about Hispanic culture and the food involved.  Because food and culture and so connected in the Latin world I wanted to share it with everyone,” said Gonzalez

The website features recipes and food articles as well as a section where you can buy Hispanic food products.

The Hispanic Food Network’s “En La Cocina” will air on KXLY 4 in the Spokane/Coeur d’ Alene market and KAPP/KVEW in the Tri Cities and Yakima market. “For the network, it’s a major accomplishment. When I went to station managers with the idea they said that sounds wonderful but we can’t give you the resources to do it. But if you come back with a good product we’ll put it on,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez managed to convince volunteers and 3 partners that the Hispanic Food Network was a good idea. “It’s been a challenge but I have good partners involved and we think we have a great show that’s local that people will like.  We plan to travel throughout the state to bring people great stories and that’s the key, if it’s a great story, the culture won’t matter,” says Gonzalez.

SCHEDULE OF THE SHOW

KXLY: Sunday, 11/29 @ 4p (Show #1)
Sunday, 12/06 @ 4p (Show #1)

Saturday, 12/12 @ 4p     (Show #2)
Sunday, 12/20 @ 3:30p (Show #2)

KXMN: Sunday, 11/22 @ 6p        (Show #1)
Saturday, 12/05 @ 12p    (Show #1)

Saturday, 12/19 @ 1p     (Show #2)
Sunday, 01/03 @ 4:30p (Show #2)

KAPP/KVEW-ABC
Saturday, 12/5 @ 4pm Show #1
Saturday, 12/12 @ 2:30pm Show #1
Saturday, 12/19 @ 3:30pm Show #2
Saturday, 12/26 @ 3:00pm Show #2

KAPP/KVEW-D (MNTV)
Sunday, 11/22 @ 3pm Show #1
Saturday, 12/05 @ 4pm Show #1
Sunday, 12/20 @ 3pm Show #2
Saturday, 01/02 @ 12:30pm Show #2

The Mexican Consulate in Seattle will make its second annual visit to

Spokane the weekend of September 26-27, 2009. The consular team will be

here to issue passports and consular ID cards to Mexican citizens residing

in this consular district. The event will be held at 35 W. Main Avenue in

the Community Building at the corner of Main and Browne in downtown Spokane,

one block from Chili’s restaurant and across the street from Goodyear.

Starting Tuesday, September 15, 2009, those with a need for such documents

may call 1-877-MEX-ITEL or 1-877-639-4835 to schedule an appointment. Only

those with appointments scheduled in advance will be seen by the consular

staff on their visit to Spokane. Spanish-speaking volunteers are needed.

The coordinator for the Spokane event can be reached by calling 509-329-9518

and asking for David.

For general information, please visit http://portal.sre.gob.mx/seattle/El Consulado de Mexico en Seattle hará su segunda visita anual a Spokane los

días sábado 26 y domingo 27 de septiembre de 2009. El equipo consular

estará aquí para expedir pasaportes y matriculas consulares a los ciudadanos

mexicanos quienes radican en este distrito consular. El evento se llevará

acabo en el Edificio de la Comunidad, 35 West Main Avenue, en el mero centro

de Spokane, esquina de Main y Browne, una cuadra al sur del restaurante

Chili’s del downtown y frente al Goodyear. Solamente se atenderán a

personas con citas hechas previamente llamando al número 1-877-MEX-ITEL o

1-877-639-4835. Se necesita voluntarios. Se puede poner en contacto con el

coordinador del evento llamando al número 509-329-9518 y preguntando por

David. Para más información general, favor de visitar

http://portal.sre.gob.mx/seattle/

Hi everyone, thanks for logging onto my blog. Wanted to let you know about an exciting new project I’m involved in that will hopefully shed some light on the amazing Hispanic food and restaurants we have in the Inland Northwest. It’s called the Hispanic Food Network. You can check it out at www.hfntv.com. It offers recipe ideas, inside looks at local restaurants and the abilit to purchase products online. It’s a very exciting project because we feel like there’s a real need for it. I think of it as the Food Network Latino Style! So check it out, let me know what you think and email me with any suggestions at mikeg@kxly.com. The Hispanic Food Network, it’s food for the world.

DeLeon’s Food and Deli has imported several hundred pounds of Hatch Peppers.

So why bring in peppers all the way from Hatch New Mexico to Spokane? “Because they pop and they taste like no other pepper in the world,” says Sergio DeLeon, owner of DeLeon’s Food & Deli In Spokane. DeLeon and his crew will be roasting the peppers all weekend at their store on Francis just East of Division for the third year in a row at the ‘Hatch Chile Roasting’.

DeLeon says the tradition started because of customer demand. “People kept coming into the store asking me about the Hatch Pepper, it has a very unique taste because of the soil in New Mexico they’re grown in,”says DeLeon.

The popular peppers are cooked in a spinning roaster. DeLeon says cooking them isn’t an exact science but you need to have some experience. “It’s takes about three minutes to cook a batch, you have to watch them closely or they’ll burn,” says DeLeon.

DeLeon says he’s flown in several hundred pounds of fresh Hatch Chilies and he doesn’t expect them too last long. “Last year we sold out very quickly so I ordered enough to hopefully last through Sunday,” said DeLeon.

DeLeon says they’ll use the Hatch pepper in their authentic salsa they make at the store. “Our salsa is the best in Spokane but the Hatch makes it that much better,” said DeLeon.

The event runs through Sunday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. “That’s if they last,” said DeLeon with a smile