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The Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States
Serving our Community for 26 Years!
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HAPPY NEW YEAR! FELIZ ANO NOVO!
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The Online Newsletter of PALCUS
News from the end of 2017
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Table of Contents
PALCUS NEWS
- Congressional Reception
- Secretary of Tourism visit
- 50 year Gala for Luis Pires
- Departure of Odete Amarelo and Onesimo Almeida
- Featured Gateway Business: ALDEA
COMMUNITY NEWS
- Making History: Tina Goncalves sworn in as Pawtucket's first female police chief
- Lisbon in 100 bites
- Joao Caixinha promoted to Coordinator of Portuguese in the United States
- Portuguese Writers series
- Rep. Rebimbas named 2017 Capitol Caregiver by AARP
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CONGRESSIONAL RECEPTION
PALCUS hosted a congressional Reception on Wednesday, October 25 on Capitol Hill. The reception, held in the John D. Dingell Room of the Rayburn House Office Building was attended by several members of the Portuguese-American Caucus in House of Representatives as well as member of the Friends of Portugal in the Senate. Attendees included: Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island, Congressmen Jim Costa and David Valadão from California, Congressmen David Cicilline and Jim Langevin from Rhode Island, Congressman Leonard Lance from New Jersey and Congressmen Joe Kennedy III and Bill Keating from Massachusetts, among others. The reception was also attended by PALCUS Directors, Katherine Soares (Vice-Chair, NY), Marie Fraley (Secretary and Managing Director, RI), Fernando Rosa (Past-Chair, CT), Anabela DaCruz-Melo (NJ), Manuel Geraldo (Asst. Treasurer, MD), Cynthia Marques Russo (NJ) and Manuel Geraldo II (DC). The reception was sponsored by Anchor Construction, Potomac Concrete, Virginia Contractors Supply Inc., Ft. Myers Construction, Ferguson Waterworks and LUNAER Media.
As a result of the Congressional Reception we had two new members join the Portuguese-American Caucus:
Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA 9)
Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA 52)
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SECRETARY OF TOURISM VISIT
On October 16th the Consulate of Portugal in Newark and the Consul General Dr. Pedro Soares de Oliveira hosted a luncheon to commemorate the visit of Ana Mendes Godinho, Secretary of State for Tourism of Portugal.
During the luncheon, the topics of discussion included: the recent exponential growth in tourism to Portugal; how Portuguese American communities are best suited to be ambassadors to further the Portugal brand from afar; and the impact and benefits this new exposure provides Portugal from an economic standpoint.
PALCUS Vice-Chair, Katherine Soares was in attendance along with representatives from AICEP, TAP Air Portugal, local elected officials and various community leaders representing Portuguese clubs and associations.
Pictured L-R: Katherine Soares, Ana Mendes Godinho, Pedro Soares de Oliveira.
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Fernando Rosa (CT) and Luis Pires |
50 YEAR GALA FOR LUIS PIRES
Luis Pires, the Editor of the Portuguese American newspaper Luso Americano and a reporter for SIC Network was honored for his 50 years of services to the communication world by the Centro Cultural os Serranos.
The event attracted a capacity crowd to Casa Seabra in Newark with many of the communities organization being present. From Portugal came Jose Figueira, who served as the Master as of Ceremonies and Augusto Canario and his group for the entertainment.
PALCUS presented Mr. Pires with a plaque and the organization was represented by Katherine Soares, Vice Chairman and Fernando G. Rosa, the Past Chairman.
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PALCUS Gateway Featured Business - ALDEA
T
his month's feat
ured business is Aldea of New York City, New York. Aldea is a Portuguese-inspired restaurant from Chef George Mendes, combining the rustic dishes and flavors of his heritage with Michelin-starred refinement To learn more about Aldea, visit their
website
, Facebook or Instagram.
To look for more Portuguese businesses and organizations throughout the US (or add your own), please visit the Gateway
online.
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What's New at PALCUS?
 PALCUS announces that we are now using
memberplanet, a user-friendly platform that will help us to serve you better. It is an interactive service that will allow you to update your PALCUS member profile, track donations and dues and join PALCUS circles with members of similar interests all with the click of a mouse.
When you become a PALCUS member, you will be prompted to join us on
memberplanet. As always your information is confidential and will never be shared without your permission. Questions? Contact Graci for more information!
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MAKING HISTORY: Tina Gonçalves sworn in as Pawtucket's first female police chief
Mayor Donald R. Grebien swore in Tina Goncalves as Police Chief of Pawtucket at a ceremony at Lyman B. Goff Middle School. Chief Goncalves is Pawtucket's first female chief and the first female municipal police chief in Rhode Island. State leaders, representatives, senators, city councilors, police chiefs and officers from around the state attended the ceremony.
Chief Goncalves began her career with the Pawtucket Police Department nineteen years ago, and served in the Patrol, Narcotics, Detective, and Major Crimes Divisions, as well as the Sex Offender Law Enforcement Multidisciplinary Network. She rose through the ranks as Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain and Major.
Chief Goncalves holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Roger Williams University and a Juris Doctorate from Roger Williams University School of Law. She is a licensed attorney in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
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Lisbon in 100 Bites is your guide to the best eats in and around Lisbon!
Instead of telling you what restaurants you should visit, it'll introduce you to the typical Portuguese dishes you are likely to come across all around Lisbon.
Food recommendations, tempting photos, insider tips and more... Lisbon in 100 Bites contains everything you need to know to make the most of your foodie time in Portugal!
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João Caixinha appointed Deputy Coordinator for the Portuguese Language Program and Education Affairs in the USA
A well-known and deservedly acclaimed promoter of the Portuguese language and culture in the United States, Dr. Caixinha was recently promoted by the Portuguese government to the position of Coordinator of Portuguese in the United States, with the official notice published in the Diary of the Republic
[Diário da República] in Lisbon on August 4.
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PORTUGUESE WRITERS SERIES
Miguel Torga:
The Portuguese writer Miguel Torga, pseudonym of Adolfo Correia da Rocha, was born in São Martinho de Anta on August 12, 1907 and died in Coimbra on January 17, 1995.
His very own unique style and the powerful themes that he touched upon in his poetry, narrative fiction and his diaries made him one of the most important voices in Portuguese literature in the 20
th century.
Torga published his first book of poetry in 1928, titled Ansiedades (Anxieties). His Diaries, a total of 16 published between 1941 and 1994, for which he is mostly known, are truly remarkable. Some of Torga's works are translated to English. In 1991 Ivana Carlsen translated to English Tales from the Mountain (Contos da Montanha,1941) and in 1995 Tales and More Tales from the Mountain (Novos Contos da Montanha, 1944).
His poetry is also translated by the Portuguese-American writer and renowned academic Professor George Monteiro, in a magnificent collection titled Iberian Poems published in paperback in 2004.
Portuguese-Americans of all generations will certainly gain many insights into their culture, identity and history by reading Miguel Torga.
On January 20th of 1995 the Independent newspaper had a very thorough obituary that detailed many aspects of Miguel Torga's life and his enormous contributions to Portuguese literature.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-miguel-torga-1568842.html
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Rep. Rosa Rebimbas Selected as 2017 Capitol Caregiver Honoree by AARP
HARTFORD -
State Representative Rosa Rebimbas (R-70)
has been recognized by AARP as a 2017 Capitol Caregiver, an award she also received in 2015.
The award is given to legislators who have advocated on behalf of caregivers, understand the obstacles faced by professionals and family members, and those who have provided them with the support they need.
Rep. Rebimbas was selected because of her passion for helping those caring for elderly family members and for her cosponsoring of S.B. 976, An Act Concerning Conservator Accountability, which eventually became Public Act 17-7. This legislation provides court appointed caregivers with the power to manage a loved one's healthcare and financial affairs, while subjecting such accounts to random audits to increase transparency and protect the patient.
"I am honored and humbled to receive this award, and greatly appreciate the recognition from AARP," said Rep. Rebimbas. "As the elderly population grows, the need for quality nurses, in-home aides and family caregivers will increase. Our advocacy for these dedicated individuals must continue as well. They provide an invaluable service to our aging population and those needing special assistance."
Rep. Rebimbas and her fellow honorees will be recognized by AARP via a blog on the company's website during November for National Caregivers Month, and through an advertisement in the January issue of State Legislature Magazine.
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Help strengthen PALCUS as we continue working for the community!
Please consider including PALCUS in your giving plans in 2017.
Does your employer have a matching funds program? Check with your Human Resources office to double your contribution.
PALCUS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law and will be acknowledged.
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There are more ways than ever to donate to PALCUS!
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Paid advertisement. Does not imply an endorsement or recommendation by PALCUS.
Getting Your Portuguese Citizenship Service with 25% Discount
Portugal ReConnect is offering PALCUS members* a 25% discount on their service to obtain your Portuguese citizenship. If you didn't have a chance to watch PALCUS' webinar, "Getting Your Portuguese Citizenship: Benefits and Advantages" live, you can still watch it by following
this link. In the webinar, Portugal ReConnect's attorneys guide you through the criteria to help you find out whether you're eligible for the citizenship program.
*PALCUS Member in good standing, who has paid his/her 2016 or 2017 dues
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Did you enjoy this newsletter? Do you know about all the programs PALCUS offers our community? Please visit our website and become a member today!
We can't do what we do without your support!
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Jobs for Portuguese Speakers
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PALCUS Mission
In order to create a singular voice to advocate for the Portuguese-American and Luso-American communities at large, the Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States Inc. (PALCUS) was founded in 1991 as a 501(c)3 non-partisan, non-profit, organization headquartered in Washington D.C.
The PALCUS mission is to address domestic and international concerns of the Portuguese-American Community.
The Council conducts an expanding program of educational and public affairs activities on issues of interest to the Portuguese-American community and of salience to the Luso-American Relationship.
PALCUS is committed to serving the community through increasingly active government relations efforts, the promotion of a greater awareness of ethnic accomplishments and encouraging stronger ties between Portugal and the United States. In this role PALCUS advances the community professionally, politically and culturally while working to ensure that issues directly affecting our community are addressed through our network of government and community leaders.
PALCUS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia. Donations are tax deductible to extent allowed by law.
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