Bashas y Food City se Declaran en Bancarrota

Pie de foto: Eddie Basha Jr., director y CEO de Supermercados Bashas y Food City, con tres de sus empleadas

Por Leonardo Reichel
Phoenix, Arizona.- La cadena de supermercados Bashas, se acogió al capítulo 11 de la Ley de Bancarrota la tarde del domingo 12 de julio, con el objetivo de ganar tiempo y tratar de sobrevivir al período de recesión.
Funcionarios de la cadena comercial, al declararse en bancarrota, anunciaron el pasado domingo que para el próximo 21 de julio cerrarán 10 de las tiendas, tanto Bashas como Food City, las cuales unitariamente emplean a un promedio de 100 personas, por lo que los cierres podrían dejar a un millar de trabajadores en el desempleo.
La cadena que agrupa 158 tiendas, tanto Bashas, como Food City y AJ’s Fine Food Market, es presidida por Eddie Basha Jr. Y tiene su base en la ciudad de Chandler.
Las causas que obligaron a la corporación a acogerse a la Ley de Bancarrota son el desplome de las ventas de sus mercaderías y abarrotes, el cual comenzó a sentirse desde finales de 2007, cuando millares de familias latinas comenzaron a abandonar a Arizona; situación que hizo explosión en 2008, al entrar en vigor la Ley de Sanciones a Empleadores.
Supermercados Bashas es una corporación creada en 1932, por Ike y Eddie Basha Sr.; y desde entonces ha sido propiedad de la misma familia. Cabe destacar que desde 1995, Bashas adquirió la primera tienda de Food City, entonces ubicada en Mohave y 16th Calle, iniciando una cadena básicamente enfocada al mercado hispano.
El crecimiento de Food City fue circunstancial y se vió favorecido por la quiebra de la cadena de Southwest Supermarkets, hasta entonces líder de ese mercado.
Las cadenas Bashas y Food City, que durante el año 2008 recortó a millares de sus trabajadores de origen mexicano, no obstante que la Ley de Sanciones a Empleadores no era aplicable a la mayoría de ellos, ha estado enfrentando numerosas batallas laborales contra la United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
La empresa presentó una fianza de 45 millones de dólares, para tratar de sortear las prioridades con sus acreedores.
Las deudas de la empresa ascienden a 249 millones de dólares, de los cuales 55 millones corresponden a deuda no garantizada, 84 millones en deuda a largo plazo a uun grupo financiero encabezado por Prudential securities y 100 millones en prestamos rotatorios a un grupo bancario encabezado por Wells Fargo.

19 undocumented immigrants found in Valley drop house

Nineteen suspected undocumented immigrants were taken into custody during a drop house bust in Phoenix on Tuesday night.

The drop house was discovered near 57th Avenue and Baseline Road sometime before 9:30 p.m.

According to a police officer on scene, 19 suspected undocumented immigrants were taken into custody.

Neighbors claim they saw people running from the home.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now investigating the incident.

Nominees for Arizona Supreme Court Announced

The Commission on Appellate Court Appointments has recommended three candidates to Governor Jan Brewer for an opening on the Arizona Supreme Court created by the retirement of Chief Justice Ruth V. McGregor.

The nominees are Diane M. Johnsen, Democrat, of Scottsdale, a Judge in Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals; A. John Pelander III, Republican, of Tucson, Chief Judge of Division Two of the Arizona Court of Appeals; and Ann A. Scott Timmer, Republican, of Scottsdale, Chief Judge of Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Governor Brewer was first able to select the new judge on July 1.

Kyrsten Sinema celebrates her birthday presenting a book

Leonardo Reichel
An important event will be taking place on Friday July 17, state representative Kyrsten Sinema, will be hosting and autographing her book United and Conque.
The aim is to raise funds that will be donated to the organization COAR, a nonprofit agency, serving the refugees in Maricopa County.
The event starts on Friday 17 at 5:30 PM and will end two hours later, at the bookstore "Changing Hands Bookstore" which is located on the southwest corner of Guadalupe Road and McClintock Road in Tempe.
The young Arizonan legislator will be celebrating her birthday in this positive and philanthropic way.
This book, which has a prologue written by exgovernor Janet Napolitano is the first literary work of Kyrsten Sinema, who was identified as a leftist and who appeared on the political scene in 2005 as a strong activist group opposing the Minuteman and advocate for undocumented immigrants.
To confirm attendance contact phone (602) 570-7217 or email ksinema@cox.net.

Military man arrested after arson kills Phoenix firefighter

PHOENIX -- A military man from Texas has been arrested in connection with the deadly fire that killed a Phoenix firefighter in March of 2001.

Phoenix Fire Investigator Jack Valentine confirmed that 24-year-old Christopher Benitez, who had been considered an investigative lead in the case for the last year, was arrested in Fort Hood on July 4th.

The victim, 40-year-old Bret Tarver, was inside the burning Phoenix grocery store near 35th Avenue and McDowell Road when he ran out of oxygen.He was pulled out before the building collapsed, but didn't make it.

Now, Deputy Fire Chief Frank Saloman remembers being inside the burning building with Tarver when he heard him yell for help.

"It just sounded like he was right there that you could just reach out and grab him," said Saloman.

As Salomon kept looking for Tarver, he said he came close to death because he lost his hose line.

Salomon's said his breathing apparatus vibrated, which indicated he had just five minutes of air left.

That's when he said he literally bumped into two other lost firefighters inside the dark, smoke-filled grocery store filled with produce all over the floor.

Then, a third firefighter came by and gave Salomon a hose to lead him outside.Saloman said it's a miracle the building kept burning as long as it did, because had the roof collapsed sooner, he believes he and numerous other firefighters could have died.

Valentine said Ft. Hood military police brought Benitez home from a tour of duty in Iraq so he could be arrested for the arson.Firefighters have said Benitez's cousin, Michael Torrez, also admitted to being at the scene the night of the arson.

Valentine said it is up to the Maricopa County Attorney's office to determine whether hey will pursue charges against Torrez as well.The fire began in some trash boxes outside the store, but quickly spread to the supermarket.

Investigators said the arson may have been an act of revenge since Benitez had been arrested for shoplifting at the same store."Bringing him to justice, it's a good feeling," said Salomon.

Descubren 13 indocumentados dentro de casa de seguridad en Arizona

Phoenix, 6 de julio.- Un total de 13 inmigrantes indocumentados, entre ellos cuatro menores de edad, fueron rescatados hoy de una casa de seguridad en Phoenix.
Bart Graves, vocero del Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Arizona (DPS), dijo que el grupo fue descubierto luego de que una mujer contactara el domingo al Departamento de Policía de Phoenix asegurándoles que su novio se encontraba retenido en contra de su voluntad.
La mujer contó a los agentes que desde el pasado 27 de junio había estado recibiendo llamadas en las que los "coyotes" le exigían dinero por liberar al hombre.
"Inclusive la amenazaron con cortarle la cabeza a su novio si no pagaba el dinero", explicó el oficial.
Agregó que ayer la mujer recibió una llamada en la que le advertían que se había vencido el tiempo para que pagara los 3,000 dólares del rescate, por lo que decidió contactar a las autoridades.
Agentes del orden que integran el grupo IMPACT en Arizona, junto con oficiales de inmigración, llegaron a la vivienda donde encontraron a los indocumentados, entre ellos cuatro menores de 2, 3, 7 y 12 años de edad que viajaban con sus madres.
Los inmigrantes dijeron ser originarios de México y que habían estado en la casa de seguridad por ocho días.
El grupo fue puesto a la orden de la Oficina de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) para su deportación.
Después de este descubrimiento, en un cuarto de hotel cercano se arrestaron a seis presuntos traficantes de humanos. (Con información de EFE/GCE)

Arizona State offers identity theft protection service

Arizona State University in Phoenix is providing the identity theft protection services of LifeLock to its campus community. The service is not free but, according to the school’s Web site, the fee is half the normal rate.
LifeLock, based in Tempe, Ariz., performs follow-up services with credit bureaus and related companies after the subscriber reports a suspicion that he or she may be the victim of identity theft. The company also sets fraud alerts with the credit bureaus and requests free credit reports with them, and more.