Latin

SPECIAL thanks to Gloria Endres for her op-ed of June 6 on "Preserving English Through Latin. " I was so happy to hear that Latin may be returning to the Philadelphia educational system. It is absolutely the best way to learn English. Many English words have their roots in Latin. This is especially noticed when kids are taking their comparison, antonym and synonym testing. I do hope Latin will grow throughout the elementary and high schools. What a difference it will make!

Detroit Tigers star Gary Sheffield insists he meant "nothing derogatory" toward Latin players when he said Major League Baseball found it easier to "control them" than blacks. Sheffield said he was surprised his comments in the current issue of GQ magazine created such a stir. The slugger said he merely answered a question about why there were so many Latin players, as opposed to blacks. "When you see a black face on TV and they start talking, English comes out," he said. "That's what I said.

When a band gets together after three years of not performing - without rehearsals - the possibilities for good and evil are unlimited. Such was the case for a group of four Cuban exiles and one New Yorker who came together at the Painted Bride on Saturday night. A good omen was the appearance of Andy Gonzalez. Despite his gaunt appearance and dependence on a cane, Gonzalez's presence was important; the seminal Latin jazz bassist had almost died of complications of diabetes last year.

Jon Lucien made what was quite possibly the most important decision of his life nine years ago after 15 years of battling American record companies and, ultimately, himself. He returned to his native Virgin Islands. "I realized it was time to settle under a coconut tree," Lucien said with the infectious laughter that punctuates much of his conversation. "I had to go back to my parents. Sure, I was a grown man, but I needed some nursing. " At the time, little of this was known to his fans.

Before Thomas M. Lauderdale's Pink Martini played one note of its sold-out show Tuesday night at World Cafe Live, the 11-piece orchestra had the crowd eating out its 22 hands. During its decade-plus tenure, the band had never played Philadelphia, so the audience eagerly anticipated the ensemble's seamless movements between multilingual, multi-genre moods. The blending of all manner of big band, chamber classicism and Latin music with the oceanic pop of Les Baxter, all done without kitsch, was some spectacle.

A revised English translation of the Mass will soon replace some of the prayers and music Catholics have heard in church for the last 40 years. Some might find the new language inspiring, confusing or off-putting, as not all changes include familiar vocabulary. In the creed, for example, the line about Jesus being one with the Father becomes "consubstantial with the Father. " Currently, when the priest says, "The lord be with you," congregants respond, "And also with you. " The new reply is, "And with your spirit.

Mmm, "Mojito. " Like the minty, rum-and-lime-juice concoction, the jam of the same name will loosen inhibitions Saturday. The monthly party at Marathon Grill's courtyard (20th and Market) will intoxicate with its outdoor setting and Latin-house serenades from the turntables of Ivan Lopez, Lucas Rivera and Groove. Indulge from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and bring instruments (congas, triangles, heck - two spoons) so you, too, can jam with the live percussionists. You drop $20 at the door to shake what your mama gave you at Delaware Valley First Fridays, so why not Thursday at Denim Lounge, too?

"Salvete discupuli!" Mary Riisen greets a class full of 6- and 7-year-olds who someday will learn to respond, "Salve magistra. " The Latin/Greek Reading Program at Villanova University, now celebrating its 15th year, teaches rudimentary Latin to children as young as 3. Fifty-five students ranging in age from 4 through 14 gather every Saturday morning at 7:45 to attend classes at the school's chemical engineering building, with most of their parents...

The sun-starved refugees of winter poured into the Pennsylvania Convention Center yesterday, seeking a respite from dreary skies and dirty snow in the embrace of an exotic bloom. Thousands of members of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society went to preview the world-renowned Philadelphia Flower Show and its Latin-theme "Festival de las Flores," which opens its eight-day run to the public today. Organizers expect 285,000 visitors by the show's end. For the members who attended, the display of lilting palm trees, Spanish-style building replicas, and pulsing salsa beats was a welcome change of scenery from a season of unrelenting winter blues.

Despite petitions from parents, a court battle, and plenty of prayers, the tiny St. James the Less School is closing today after only four years. Located in the city's West Allegheny section, the private elementary school is one of a handful of schools in the region that offers students a classical education that focuses on Latin, grammar, logic and rhetoric. It's shutting down at the end of this school year because the small, breakaway Episcopal parish that operates it is mired in a legal dispute with the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania over ownership of parish property, including the building housing the school.

Chuck Brown, 75, who styled a unique mix of funk, soul, and Latin party sounds to create go-go music in the nation's capital, has died after suffering from pneumonia. Mr. Brown, widely acclaimed as the "Godfather of go-go" for his pioneering sound, died Wednesday at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore after a hospital stay that began April 18. Thanks to Mr. Brown and his deep, gravelly voice, go-go music was uniquely identified with Washington. That's where he continued to play the city's club circuit to a loyal audience late in life.

UPON FIRST GLANCE, there's a strong temptation to think Oumar Diawara is cool only because he has participated in five sports this school year for Boys' Latin Charter. And, indeed, that's an amazing accomplishment. But Diawara, a 6-foot, 150-pound senior, also deserves praise for his classroom feats (cumulative 3.2 GPA through 4 years), especially with one very important variable in mind. As recently as 7 years ago, English was mostly a rumor to Diawara. Though he was born in Philly, at age 5 he'd been sent to Bamako, Mali, in Africa, to live with his grandfather/namesake, Oumar Diakara.

Freshman catcher Manny Fernandez hit a three-run triple in the eighth inning, and Boys' Latin held on to top host Germantown, 11-9, on Thursday in a Public League baseball game. Asa James posted the win with five innings of relief. Khary Redmond started for Germantown and received a no-decision with 14 strikeouts and a walk. Also in the Public League, Buddy Dessus fanned 10 in five innings and Shafeeq Coleman slammed a two-run homer in the third as host Overbrook topped Dobbins, 10-0.

Freshman catcher Manny Fernandez hit a three-run triple in the eighth inning, and Boys' Latin held on to top host Germantown, 11-9, on Thursday in a Public League baseball game. Asa James posted the win with five innings of relief. Khary Redmond started for Germantown and received a no-decision with 14 strikeouts and one walk. Also in the Public League, Buddy Dessus fanned 10 in five innings and Shafeeq Coleman slammed a two-run homer in the third as host Overbrook topped Dobbins, 10-0.

Latin American countries are rightfully fed up with fighting Washington's war on drugs. In the four decades since President Richard Nixon declared the war on drugs, its battles have been fought predominantly in Latin American nations, leaving behind a trail of death and corruption while failing to achieve any of its goals. After a bloody, decades-long war in Colombia, the epicenter of drug trafficking simply moved north, to Mexico. Upon taking office five years ago, Mexican President Felipe Calderón fully embraced the war on drugs, and the country quickly entered a downward spiral of violence that has left tens of thousands dead, even as the cartels remain as strong as ever.

Husband-wife veterans Guy Shapiro and Luli Canuso have been around the block a time or two after meeting at the once-trendy Mirabelle on Callowhill Street in the 1980s. She was a pastry chef at Le Bec-Fin. He cooked for Russian mobsters, among other employers. Now they have set up on a sunny corner near their Fairmount house with BlueCat (1921 Fairmount Ave., 267-519-2911). Named in homage to the couple's pussycat - who Canuso says "is a domestic gray but thinks he is a Russian blue" - the BYOB features modern Latin fare at modest prices.

LA'QUAN COAXUM would not mind being a footnote in city basketball history. As in, The Guy Who Kept Maurice "Doo-Wop" Watson From Going Berserk in His Final Game. Yes, the wonderful career of Watson, a 4-year star at guard for Boys' Latin Charter, is over and the end came last night at Southern High, in a sauna disguised as a gym, as the Warriors dropped a 74-43 verdict to Ss. Neumann-Goretti in the semifinal round of the PIAA Class AAA state playoffs. Watson departed with 3:30 remaining and the score at 62-40.

A 28-year-old Allentown man described as a founding member of the Latin Kings gang was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison Wednesday for his part in running a violent drug ring. Luis Colon, founder of the Latin Kings' "Bethlehem Sun Tribe," pleaded guilty July 9 to racketeering conspiracy and related offenses. Federal prosecutors said the gang also kidnapped, assaulted, and killed its own members for violating tribe rules. Colon was among two dozen gang members charged in 2010. Among the crimes attributed to Colon was a plot to kill New Jersey Latin Kings members.

Boys' Latin put two straight defeats - and three years of state-playoff frustration - behind it on Friday night. Coming off losses in the Public League final and District 12 championship, the Warriors gained their first PIAA Class AAA state victory in four tries with a 70-49 romp over undermanned Pope John Paul II at Southern High. Maurice Watson (23 points), Carlos Taylor (20), and Yahmir Greenlee (15) sparked the historic victory. "We beat them with our speed, fast-break points, and defense," said Greenlee, a 5-foot-9, 150-pound junior point guard.