The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 19

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR B5 progress THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2000 Latino Expo promotes economic, social By Jenny Labalme STAFF WRITER Sylvia Bernal, her daughter and a friend spent 15 days walking across the desert from Mexico to Arizona. "It wasn't just a little dangerous, it was very dangerous," Bernal said in Spanish. "And oh, my feet." The trio's odyssey ended four months ago in Indianapolis, where they have been living with friends and working odd jobs. With no English-speaking skills and few contacts, the three women have had difficulty finding more permanent work. They were about to leave town Wednesday when they heard about the second annual Latino Expo at the Hyatt Regency.

Bernal, 46, her daughter, Jennifer Bernal, 23, and their friend Angelas Estamia, 45, walked among the 66 exhibitors, talked to employers and filled out applications. Exhibitors included a wide range of employers, from the Indianapolis Police Department to Kroger and several hotels. The more you help share information, the more we'll grow together," said Maria Tapia, one of the event's organizers and coordinator of Hispanic Hoosiers, a newly formed group that promotes economic development for Hispanics. Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson and Gov. Frank O'Bannon would agree with Tapia.

Both made appearances at the event, each speaking briefly to the crowd. This expo is helping Latinos to be a big part of the economy in Indiana," O'Bannon said. He addressed about 250 people at the expo's luncheon where table centerpieces included 2-liter bottles of Coca-Cola, Sprite, Diet Coke and Cherry Coke. Coca-Cola was the expo's sponsor. Indiana's low unemployment rate has geared toward all foreigners with little English-speaking skills.

While the number of Hispanics balloons in the state, so do their businesses. In 1990, there were 2,454 Hispanic-owned businesses in Indiana, according to Jan Wolfe, district director for the Small Business Administration in Indiana. She estimates there are more than 5,000 in the state and will know more once the Census 2000 numbers are tallied. The Bemals and Estamia all from Valle de Bravo, Mexico know a lot about economic hard times. They each owe $1,800 to the person who helped them cross the border.

And Sylvia Bernal has eight children, ranging from age 12 to 30. still living in Mexico, to whom she needs to send money. "It's difficult right now trying to find work," she said. "I'd take anything, like making doughnuts or tortillas or work as a maid." made the state attractive for Hispanics seeking work. A recent study by the Indiana University Public Opinion Laboratory estimates there are 65.000 to 80,000 Hispanics living in Indianapolis.

"It's Important to show we're a welcoming community," Peterson said. Part of that welcome includes education. And Cesar R. Jimenez was doing just that at his Flanner Buchanan Mortuary booth. "Some Mexicans came by here a few minutes ago and thought if they die here that they'd have to ship the body back to Mexico, and that's not true," said Jimenez, manager of the mortuary's multicultural division.

Bridging the cultural divide isn't always easy. And language barriers are among the toughest many Hispanics face. In his speech to the crowd, Peterson mentioned that in two weeks, the city would launch an English as Second Language class on Channel 16. The program will be Late High! i 'V rfr- II VI 1 .1 Staff Photo Nikki Kahn He didn't make them wait: Ricky Martin opens his concert for 7,859 fans at Conseco with Livin' La Vida Loca. Ricky Martin proves his talent has depth Briefly CityState FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Off-road vehicle wreck kills Middletown teen ANDERSON A Middletown teen-ager was killed Wednesday when a small off-road vehicle rolled on top of him.

Tyler Atkinson, 17, was pronounced dead at Anderson Community Hospital, said Madison County sheriffs deputies. Tyler was riding a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle on the off-road trails at the Timberline Ranch, east of Anderson. At 4:25 p.m., the ATV overturned when Tyler tried to climb a steep hill. He was running down the hill when the ATV rolled on top of him and pinned him against a tree, deputies said. Man charged in slaying of Porter businessman VALPARAISO A man brought to Indiana from Arizona for questioning about the slaying of a Porter businessman was formally charged with murder Wednesday and was being held without bail.

Porter County authorities say they believe Christopher Matson, 35, used a gun to shoot Rick Pinkerton, 56, co-owner of Pinkerton Fuels Lubricants. Pinkerton was shot May 28 at the front door of his home, apparently by someone posing as a pizza delivery driver. Cause of fatal fire has not been determined K0K0M0 Investigators still haven't determined what caused a fire Tuesday that killed an 85-year-old home-bound woman. Luella Martin was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire, which was reported by neighbors at 5:27 p.m. She lived on East Alto Road on the city's southside.

The state fire marshal's office is assisting the Taylor Township Fire Department's investigation. DNA database leads to charges in 1996 rape SOUTH BEND The state's DNA database has led to charges in a rape case nearly four years after the attack occurred. Mark Williams, 25, of South Bend appeared this week in St. Joseph Superior Court on charges connected to the July 1996 rape of a South Bend woman. He is accused of sexually assaulting the then-21 -year-old woman.

Williams, who was convicted and imprisoned for a prior sexual assault, allegedly threatened to kill the woman and her fiance before raping her at gunpoint in a wooded area, said Deputy Prosecutor John Maciejczyk. Williams faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted. He was charged with the rape after his DNA matched the DNA of semen found on the woman's clothing. Indiana's DNA database of criminal offenders was created by a 1996 law that allows blood samples to be taken from every inmate convicted of a crime against a person, such as homicide, sexual assault and battery. The genetic profiles are compared with DNA samples from unsolved violent crimes.

Police are investigating slaying of Northside man INDIANAPOLIS Police are investigating the shooting death of a Northside man. Kevin Richey, 19, was shot several times about 1:30 a.m. Monday in the 4200 block of North Guilford Avenue. Police said Richey's attacker ran south in an alley west of where Richey was shot. The man reportedly was wearing a dark plaid shirt and shorts that extended to the knees.

Richey, of the 800 block of East 42nd Street, was transported to Methodist Hospital, where he died later Monday. POST OFFICE Continued from Page 1 Ohio River, but the larger stores are found along the highway. The new site is within the city limits. That seemed to be enough. Melvin Gabbard, who was Law-renceburg mayor at the time, wrote the Postal Service a letter praising the new location.

Skip forward to this spring. Gabbard's out of office, and Paul Tremain is the new mayor, leading a fight to save the downtown post office, which has served the city since 1936. The three-story brick building is a block and a half from High Street, where the city is hoping to entice developers into building a theater, restaurant, conference center and more. Tremain could not be reached Wednesday for comment. Closing the downtown post office would add another empty building to the mix.

"That's sort of the worst of our fears," Zerbe said. A meeting was held April 25. Among those In attendance were Mayor Tremain, a Chamber of Commerce representative, a Postal Service building facilities manager and representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Richard G.

Lugar, and Evan Bayh, D-Ind and U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind. The legislative aides mediated. And when the meeting was over, an agreement was hammered out, so they thought.

The Postal Service would keep a contract office a post office run by a business in downtown Law-renceburg for five years. Manies said city officials had raised concerns only about the possible razing of a historic building and the effects on senior citizens who no longer could walk to the new post office and would face traffic along U.S. 50. Manies said the Postal Service only planned to sell the old build- CRASH Continued from Page 1 trucks. The last time he tried was in 1998.

He says he'll try again in the next session in January because of the truck accident. The small Chevy pickup was so mangled that the Marshall County Sheriffs Department had difficulty determining its make or year, said Sheriffs Sgt. Rex Gilliland. "It was absolute total devastation," said Gilliland, who was at the scene of the accident. The pickup was headed south about 2 a.m.

on an unlighted county road about six miles east of Plymouth. It ran a stop sign at the intersection with U.S. 30 and hit the side of the second of two 28-foot trailers being pulled by the semitrailer truck. Both the semi, which had the right of way, and the first trailer had already passed the intersection. The speed limit on the county road is 55 mph.

A Marshall County Sheriffs Department spokesman said Tuesday that the pickup was going so fast it knocked an aide off the second trailer. At the accident scene, officers found dead Andrew Hickey, 16, of Bremen, in the back of the truck, and Joe Castelucci, 19, of Bremen and Jared Brandl, 22, of Nappanee in the cab. Jerry Boyer, 17, and Josh Castelucci, 16, both of Bremen, were thrown from the truck and killed. Authorities aren't sure whether For the Ricky Martin house Star ratings: 4 excellent, 3 good, 2 fair, 1 poor By David Llndqulst STAFF WRITER Ricky Martin showed much more than a pretty face and bionic hips during his Indianapolis debut Wednesday night at Conseco Field-house. An enthusiastic if slightly undersized crowd of 7,859 hung with Martin through superficial radio hits and meatier material that reflected his respect for what came before Latin music's mainstream explosion.

Martin is not an amateur who lucked into a La Vida Loca pot of gold. A former member of Menudo, who sold 15 million albums throughout the world before last year's Ricky Martin album, the 28-year-old vocalist is a seasoned and knowledgeable performer. It's pretty much an insult to American tastes that Martin needed to resort to lowest-common-denominator tracks Livin' La Vida Loca and Shake Your Bon-Bon to break through in the States. Deeper than the hype are songs such as Bombon de Azucar a 1995 recording that Martin astutely Greenwood sweetens its bid for warehouse By Vic Ryckaert STAFF WRITER GREENWOOD, Ind. State and Greenwood leaders promise to chip in $400,000 to entice Kohl's Corp.

to bring its e-commerce headquarters to Indiana rather than Ohio. Competition for the new warehouse is stiff as Greenwood tries to outbid a city in Ohio. The City Council in Monroe, Ohio, last week approved a 75 percent tax abatement over 10 years for Kohl's. The building the retailer is considering in Greenwood has a 50 percent tax abatement, the maximum allowed by state law. To sweeten the deal, Greenwood's Redevelopment Commission voted 5-0 Wednesday to give Kohl's $400,000 for moving into the building in the Precedent South Business Center near 1-65.

That business park is already home to another national e-tailer: Pets.com. Terry Rowinski, Kohl's e-commerce director, said the planned warehouse would be the distribution hub of Kohl's future online business. He said the new facility would employ 400 to 600 people within three years, no matter where it is built. He said the company should decide by the end of the month. No strings were attached to the $400,000 that Greenwood would give to Kohl's.

Rowinski said it would be folded into the overall investment the company, based in Menomonee Falls, would make in Greenwood. The Indiana Department of Commerce promised to give the $400,000 back to the city in the form of a road improvement grant, Greenwood Mayor Charles Henderson said. "We will get our money as quick as we give it up," Henderson said. "It's not really our $400,000. If it was our money, I don't think we'd do It.

We have to put that money into infrastructure." The Greenwood structure was built by Robert Pattillo Properties in the Precedent business park at 1-65 and Main Street. But the building is expandable to more than 1 million square feet. Greenwood approved a $3.3 million abatement for it in September. City officials in Monroe, which lies between Cincinnati and Dayton, approved their abatement June 27. The warehouse, proposed on a site along Ohio 63, has not been built yet.

Having the Greenwood building already constructed is a key advantage for Greenwood, Henderson said, because Kohl's wants to open its warehouse by January. Kohl's likes to build its distribution centers in places like Greenwood, Rowinski said. "We love the Midwest," he said. The people in the Midwest have the same values that Kohl's does." that he will help you and your teammates to do your best, and to conduct yourselves in a sportsmanlike way that honors him. The Bible gives us an important principle that I hope you will memorize and follow: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians Remember: We can't expect God to help us if we haven't prepared ourselves properly (whether it's for a test or a game, or in anything else), or if we cheat or allow anger to control us.

Stop and thank God for. the abilities he has given you, then commit them to him. Write to Rev. Graham in care of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Associatipn, P.O. Box 779, Minneapolis, Minn.

55440, call (877) 2-GRAHAM (247-2426) or visit his Web site at www.billygraham.org. THbun Media SwvIcm City unnerved over post office location Ending a protest over the location of a new post office, Lawrenceburg officials have agreed in a tentative federal court settlement to provide water and electricity to the U.S. Postal Service construction site. "Franklin Co. Lawrenceburg Aurora' Kent Mcky Ohio Co.

Staff Graphic ing, not destroy it. And a contract office, which would be somewhere downtown, would serve the elderly. "We thought everything was a. go," she said. But postal officials read in a Lawrenceburg-area newspaper that Tremain had refused to sign the agreement.

The Postal Service proceeded to solicit bids for a downtown contract office, Manies said, but the effort was halted after the city disconnected water and utility service- to the construction site. Zerbe said the city has abandoned that tactic but might 'consider some other way to force the Postal Service to come up with a plan for the downtown building. they and Justin Quenan. 16, of Plymouth, who was critically Injured, were also in the bed of the truck at the time of the accident. Justin was in critical condition at Memorial Hospital in South Bend.

The driver of the semi, whose name was not released, was not injured. The Sheriffs Department has not yet determined who was driving the pickup. The department will not know until Friday whether any of the passengers were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Gilliland said that riding in the back of a pickup, even though It is unsafe, is common for people from the Plymouth area. "I see dogs, I see children and I see people on lawn chairs in the backs of pickup trucks," he said, "It makes me shudder, but the bottom line is, it's not illegal." Every year, an average of 300 people are killed and 6,000 are injured while riding in the open beds of pickups, said Clarence Dttlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety in Washington.

And that's why Cook is determined to get the law changed when the Indiana General Assembly convenes in January. Such legislation has passed with bipartisan support in the Indiana House of Representatives but was rejected by the Senate. Said Cook: "I would have liked to take the entire membership of the Senate to the accident scene to see what can happened if you're in an accident when you're riding In the back of the pickup truck." Record Girls BRITTON, Myeshla; ESTEP, Johnny and Melanie, ESTHER, Aldonls and Susanna; GLEN, Conlsha; NAPIER, Ni-chole; STONE, Kalisha, SIEGEL, Dionne, Twin boys OLDHAM. Tamlka ST. VINCENT HOSPITAL Boys BANKSTON, Kamara; OAHL, Jason end JE LARS-GARD.

Thore and Gro, STEPP. Lachelle, VOGT Aawrence and Marianne, WHITEHEAD, Kenneth and Lisa, WITTER. Jgilhan and Sheun. Girls HUGHES. Chad, and BAKER-HUGHES.

Heether; MAZELIN, Shannon, SMOCK. Mark, and HENRY-SMOCK. Jessica, a-. WISHARO MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Boy HESTER, Chnstina Girts MANN Dawn; RAMIREZ Marie WOMEN'S HOSPITAL OF INDIANAPOLIS Boys AUSTIN. John, and HAGADONE.

Jeni. HUSTON. Sam and Dana. LEISING, Joseph end Robin, McDONOUGH, Mar and Lori, NEVILLE, Scott and Peggy, SWEET, Bradley and Heidi Girls HALL, Mark and Nancy, HOWARD Carlton and Roselyn; JENKINS, Alan and Angela, LEWIS Warren, and LOVE-LAND. Joella.

SAXE, James and Julie, WARNOCK, Joseph and Angela Twin girls REDMOND, Justin, and RANNEY, Deborah Vessd -m 4.1 Dearborn Co. 'i i I 5 Miles introduced as "the best of my music." A fascinatingly huge composition, Azucar melds smooth jazz and classic rock flavors to become greater than the sum of its parts. While La Vida Loca and Bon-Bon are one-dimensional sledgehammers, renditions of Spanish EyesLola, Lola and Marcia Bai-la celebrated the percussion, horns and keyboards at the core of immortal Afro-Cuban music. Martin also showed off some true vocal skills during Private Emotion. This song isn't the best ballad ever written, but Martin's tight harmony with a female co-vocalist relayed an understated genius.

As one might expect, there was nothing understated about the concert's visual presentation. Martin travels with a triangular playground stage, with moving sidewalks, firehouse poles, video screens and a hide-and-seek bandstand. The evening's only heavy-handed effect arrived with Martin's "spiritual" song, I Am Made of You. The vocalist took some whacks at the bongos and timbales during this stretch, giving the impression that he really would like to be the next Tito Puente. After a stoic encore delivery of She's All I Ever Had, Martin brought down the house with the soccer-tournament anthem that made him the darling of the 1999 Grammy Awards: Trie Cup of Life.

To deal with the medical waste, the city is considering amending its contract with Ogden. But officials had been waiting to see whether Watson would appeal, said Greta Hawvermale, director of the city's Public Works and Capital Asset Management departments. At an informal meeting between the city and incinerator operators last week, questions were raised about mercury emissions, adequate combustion of hospital waste and out-of-state importation of infectious medical waste. Ogden officials said there are no plans to burn out-of-state medical waste but would not rule it out. They said it would take about three months to Install equipment and train employees once the city renews Its contract.

Because of tougher new federal rules on burning infectious waste, about 30 hospitals in Indiana still using their own Incinerators must pay for costly upgrades or find other disposal means. Spencer Grover heads a group of hospitals in 32 central Indiana counties that are mulling their options. They believe the Ogden incinerator is their cheapest alternative, Grover said. Monica Scandlen contributed to this Woman still trying to avert burning of hospital waste MY ANSWER By David Rohn STAFF WRITER An Indianapolis woman went to court Wednesday in her ongoing battle to keep the city incinerator from burning Infectious hospital waste. Cathy Watson already had challenged the Incinerator operator's permit to burn the medical waste.

That challenge was dismissed, and she has appealed. Now, attorneys for Watson have filed a petition in Marion Superior Court seeking a stay to prevent any medical waste from being burned until a court can review the dismissal of her challenge. Watson claims the Southside incinerator operated by Ogden Martin Systems was not properly designed to burn medical waste, Last month, an environmental law Judge dismissed her challenge to Ogden's permit. The Judge, Stephen L. Lucas, said it was improper for Watson to use air pollution issues as the basis for challenging Ogden's solid waste permit.

Watson's attorney Richard S. VanRheenen asked Marion Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Carroll to review Lucas' ruling. VanRheenen said Lucas improperly dismissed Watson's challenge without hearing evidence. Dear Billy Graham: I will be on my high school football team this coming year, and I have a question: Would it be wrong for me to pray that God will help us win? Will he actually help us win? Billy Graham Dear Reader: God wants us to bring all our concerns to him, so no, it isn't wrong for you to pray even about this.

The Bible says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter At the same time, God hasn't promised to give us success in every venture, and you shouldn't make winning the focus of your yprayers. Instead pray especially BIRTHS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL EAST Bovs GOODMAN. Valerie; HAMILTON. Jennifer; LONG, DaAiidraa RIL EY Jctfery and Jan; TAHA, Laytha and Trade CARSON, Sirlette; ESKEW, Rachel; MACV. Phillip and Amu, MARIIN Alex and Jennifer; ROBERTS, Scott and Kelly ROWE, Doris COMMUNITY HOSPITAL NORTH Boy RUPP, Joseph and Esther Girls RENiPE.

William and Holty. PRICE, Timothy and LeM INDIANA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL Boy, C0N1EV Patrick and Angela. COVINGTON. Philip and Cheresa MASSIE. Michael and SHOBE.

Phyllis, SCANLON. Larry and WOODS Kaici UNSELD. Chris and Tosha BARNETT Bradley and Michelle. BENSON. Ivan and Shorae KEFNtR.

Adam and HAWES, Kay. LEWIS, Kanetla, PAYNTfR Edwin and Sua Twins olds NUSRAUM. Sion and Theresa. METHODIST HOSPITAL Roys BELL Ruston, ENGLAND, Marvin and Danna; HACKER Amanda HARRIS Nikita. PAGET, Douglas, and MAN-GO-PAGET Cheryl McCLFNDON, Coroty and Zanetla.

RICHEY, Mark and Ellanya STEWART Krishna, SHUPE, Brandon and Amber, TUBBS, Rickey and Renita..