Featured Articles from the Imperial Valley Press Online

MEXICALI ? At least a couple thousand people gathered under the canvas of night and drank beer until the early morning hours as the 2008 Chevefest got under way here Friday night. The two-day festival attracted Mexicali?s middle-class residents and featured seven brands, including that of Mexicali brewery Cerveza Cucapá. Cucapá, named for the Mexicali and Imperial Valley?s native peoples, is four years in the making. But clearly, Bud Light was the most popular beer Friday as the large crowd gathered at that manufacturer?

"From ancient ages to the modern present times, the solving of cranium straining conundrums has been one of the ways in which we have created harmony out of chaos, and brought some semblance of order, however transitory or illusional, to our lives. " If you need a translator for the foregoing statement, (1) you are not overly erudite and (2) neither are you obsessed by the crossword puzzle craze that besets millions of people in our nation. One of my earliest childhood memories was of trying to get the crossword puzzle in our local newspaper worked before my brother Charlie could locate the paper.

One of the chants to come from the Vietnam anti-war movement was the memorable ?make love, not war.? That sentiment has resurfaced in a different but equally stimulating context, thanks to some creative people within U.S. intelligence. Government is famous for the ways in which it wastes our tax money, but this one expenditure appears to be well spent. Officers with the Central Intelligence Agency have been handing out little blue Viagra pills to Afghan tribal leaders, some of whom have more than one wife.

A soon-to-be-illegal group of designer drugs has popped up at an El Centro high school and is in demand in the city with young adults. That is the story given by various local sources about a drug known as “Spice.” What is Spice? Spice is part of a group of herbal blends sometimes mistakenly identified as synthetic marijuana due to similar effects on those who use it. Spice — along with “K2,” “Blaze,” and “Red X Dawn” — are plants sprayed with illicit chemicals that mimic the effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, according to an article by The Associated Press.

Consumers are advised not to eat Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend of frozen berries sold through Costco stores as they may be linked to a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A infections, the California Department of Public Health said Friday.  To date at least 30 cases are being investigated nationwide while in California six confirmed illnesses in people who consumed this product have been reported in Humboldt, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, according to a press release.

Dalia Rodriguez-McAuliffe, Owner, Fitness Oasis Health Club and Day Spa 504 W. Aten Road, Imperial, CA 92251 760-355-8888 www.fitnessoasisiv.com Tell us how you ended up in this line of work. I have always felt that being fit and healthy should be a priority in everyone’s life. I recognized that many health clubs or gyms were intimidating to women. Therefore I decided to build a full-service health club and spa with a motivating and inviting atmosphere, friendly trainers, great customer service and a highly specialized workout environment designed for the unique needs of women.

Could you please give your readers more information on the recently formed Mothers Against Gangs Coalition? Is it supposed to be a scholarship and anti-gang nonprofit or is it simply a memorial fund? I heard the founder paid for the cost of her second wedding and honeymoon with the proceeds. I went to the website and saw lots of fundraisers scheduled, but have no idea where the money goes. I checked with the California registry of nonprofits, but this organization was not listed. Any reason why?

Melissa Ann Greer, Owner, Melissa Michaels Spa, Salon, and Make-up Studio 311 S. Imperial Ave., Imperial CA 92251 760-355-4777 www.mmdayspa.com Tell us how you ended up in this line of work. I grew up in the beauty business. My mother was pregnant with me when she finished cosmetology school in 1969, and I have three aunts who also have been in the business. So, I guess you could say it’s in my blood. What are memories from your career that stick out with you the most?

On the northwest of El Centro, right across Carlos Aguilera Park stands the Sister Evelyn Mourey Center, a missionary association that every month helps hundreds of residents in need of food, education and overall support. El Centro resident Connie Villa is one of the 350 or so residents that get services from this center every month. For the past 18 years she's received food donations and during the summer, when the center has funds, she gets help to pay her electricity bill.

Nearly 30 students celebrated their passing into the dental community during the Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program's Dental Assistant Recognition ceremony at Southwest High School on Tuesday. This is the program's fifth graduating class, which included a number of high school students and adults from various cities in the Imperial Valley. The class met five times a week for four-hour periods over the course of a school year, which Monseratt Sanchez said was difficult at times.

CALIPATRIA - A few dozen students gathered in front of Calipatria High School on Wednesday in protest of the district Board of Trustees' recent decision to reassign the school principal. The demonstration had originally called for students to sit out classes, but the assembled crowd quickly dispersed toward class after the morning bell rang at 8 a.m. The demonstration was prompted by the board's decision to replace Principal Virginia Calsada-Medina with Joe Derma, who is currently principal of Bill E. Young Jr. Middle School.

CALEXICO - Students beamed with pride as they became the 100th class to become Bulldogs for life during Calexico High School's commencement ceremony Friday evening. The graduating class of 2013 totals 516 students, and after Friday, they will spread out to study at schools such as New York University, University of California, Los Angeles, and Grossmont College. “This has been an extremely united class of students,” Principal Sergio Pesqueira said. “In hard times as well as in good times, these students have been there to support each other.” He advises the graduating seniors to continue their dreams to succeed, adding that they have “proven to be resilient for 13 years of schooling so the next few will be icing on the cake.” While students and their families were all smiles Friday, it was a bittersweet experience for most.

BRAWLEY - For Paige Babb passing on the knowledge she gained while walking the halls of her school is something she hoped to impart on her younger schoolmates. “First off, if you want to avoid getting dress code you have two options - to make friends with 'the dress code ladies' or to run fast,” Babb said. “These ladies literally pop out of nowhere and chase you down with their carts.” Babb, the valedictorian of this year's graduating class at Brawley Union High School, went on to offer other comical words of advice to the delight of her classmates and hundreds of community members present for the school's 101st commencement ceremony at Warne Field here Thursday evening.

IMPERIAL - Rafaela Sanchez was visibly overwhelmed with pride and emotion as she watched daughter Andrea Sanchez walk into the Imperial Valley College commencement ceremony Saturday morning. “I'm very proud. She's done a lot of work. I love her,” she said while fighting back tears and holding a large poster that read, “Congrats Andrea.” The IVC class of 2012 was a sea of 268 smiling graduates Saturday morning. IVC Superintendent/President Victor M. Jaime said about 50 percent of the graduating class had a 3.0 or above grade-point average and about 18 percent of the class had a GPA of 3.5 or above this year.