A black belt was just another beginning for Dona Leslie


Black belt graduates on November 8. Leslie Banegas, Rafael Rivera, Enrique Palacios, Sensei Miguel A. Rojas, Tony Ramos, Fuad Hasbun, Lerena Herrera, Luis Ordonez, Alicia Chirinos, Gracia Barahona, Ana Lucia Funez

By ROSIBEL P. DE GUTIERREZ

It’s 5:30 a.m. on any given weekday in Tegucigalpa. A very uncommon woman is parking her car, a black and white, German Volkswagen. She gets out off her car and proceeds to open the doors of the Ken Chin Kan Karate Do Academy. Her classmates in this martial art (class begins at six a.m.) Soon begin to arrive.

They begin warming up and joking around, a climate of camaraderie as well as of discipline arises. Training is hard, katas must be performed impeccably and in perfect time, as well as sai’s (fist movements), nunchacos and sticks (yo, bo), amongst others.

This special student is Leslie Banegas de Samayoa, a 68-year-old woman, and an agreeable presence with a penetrating look. It was just over 20 years ago when she began practicing Karato Do (The Endless Path of the Empty Hand). She has trained inexhaustibly during this time. “I have never heard her say she can’t do something. Leslie is an admirable person, the symbol of our school,” says her Sensei, Miguel Angel Rojas. When Dona Leslie took the exam for her Black Belt (First Dan) this writer remembers being impressed by the way she was attacked, and the way her opponents threw themselves at her and climbed on her legs. She was the first woman I ever saw break boards with her hands, elbows and feet. However, she didn’t allow herself to remain on the same level, but continued training and recently obtained her Fourth Dan.

A couple of years ago, her daughters were worried about a knee injury that Dona Leslie had suffered, but nothing could stop her. Through her perseverance and with the support of her six a.m. class and her Sensei, she achieved her goal. On November 8 of this year she received her diploma as a Fourth Dan Black Belt and her special black clothing (HACAMA), together with her classmate Fuad Hasbun. It was a very emotional ceremony, others graduated as Black Belts (First, Second and Third Dan). It had been a very busy week, full of tests and exams, they had all been under pressure, but they made it.

A special recognition plaque was given to Dona Leslie that says “.... For being among us an admirable example of the development of a strong spirit, based on her strength, discipline, perseverance and tenacity, that shows the new generations that a strong spirit can overcome the body’s physical limitations and reach the ideals of a true martial artist.”

On Monday, November 11, the special student of Ken Shin Kan once again opened the gym doors, and her classmates arrived at 6 a.m.
They are now a little more relaxed, they are together, they graduated on Friday, but life goes on and there is still much to learn and perfect. The next Friday, November 15, Dona Leslie celebrated her sixty-eighth birthday; she works as an insurance agent, is the mother of three, the grandmother of six children, and the great grandmother of three children.

The day when Dona Leslie made the decision to learn to defend herself is long gone. “I was walking down the street in Comayaguela, close to the Ministry of Education, when all of a sudden a demented man hit me with his fist in the stomach for no reason at all. No one helped me, I was out of breath and in pain, leaning against a wall.” remembers Dona Leslie. As soon as she recovered from the pain she decided to enroll in the Karate school where her son Rogelio went.

Many people tried to discourage her, they said she was almost fifty years only, that she wouldn’t be to do it. Now Dona Leslie dreams of competing in a Karate tournament, “I would love to fight, but to do so, another person of my same age and weight would have to compete also.”

I can write with propriety concerning the above, I am Dona Leslie’s oldest daughter, and have the privilege of walking together with her down the endless path of life.



Ark of Hopes, reaching out to children

Ark of Hope´s main purpose is to assist children from Honduras that have been affected during fetal formation, birth or by accidents after birth.

By JEANINE PADILLA

TEGUCIGALPA – Through the unified effort of parents with brain damaged children, the Ark of Hopes Foundation was born from the search for an alternative rehabilitation process that would provide positive and successful results. Formally legalized in May 2002, the foundation’s main purpose is to assist children from Honduras that have been affected during fetal formation, birth or by accidents after birth.

Damage in one or more areas of the brain can be identified as Downs Syndrome, cerebral paralysis, learning difficulties or mental retardation. Brain lesions produce very specific symptoms. A brain can be severely damaged, depending on the size and the location of the lesion in the brain. The lesion may affect the senses, motor skills and language abilities. It is important to understand that an injured brain is not an inferior one.

Target services provided by the foundation focus mainly on integral therapy, water therapy, craneo-sacral therapy, equine therapy, recreation and sports. Ark of Hopes longs to become a nationwide pilot center that offers permanent, efficient service.

The foundation’s philosophy of rehabilitation and the principle of natural medicine are applied by implementing homeopathy, chiropractic, and craneo-sacral therapies, amongst others. Parents are trained in the different therapies in order to create multipliers among rural and low-income communities.

It is hoped that the step-by-step support of children and adults that at some point have been the victims of cerebral lesions, will allow them to integrate into a family environment as well as society and become independent elements in accordance with their potential. This year the first enterprise for children was established in which they are involved in packaging and commercializing organic fertilizer.

If you wish to contribute in away or would like to know more please contact Arks of Hopes at (504) 225-1718 or email them at nellyga@yahoo.com




Examining antibiotic resistance in respiratory tract infections

By ANGELA MISSAGGIA, RNNP, CV-CNS, MSN

Respiratory tract infections are a group of infectious processes that affect the ears, nose, throat, tracheo-bronchial tree, and lungs. These illnesses are referred to as otitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, and community acquired pneumonia respectively. Respiratory tract infections account for the largest number of clinic visits and are the most frequent cause of antibiotic prescriptions.

What most patients don’t appreciate is that these illnesses most often have a viral etiology, and antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections. Yet, 32% of all antibiotic prescriptions are for the treatment of respiratory tract infections.

Antibiotic resistance, what is it?
Antibiotic resistance refers to the inefficacy of antibiotics against certain strains of bacterial infections due to that organism’s ability to survive the effects of the drug.

Antibiotic therapy is appropriate for susceptible strains of bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance is a critical concern in the treatment of respiratory tract infections. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics varies by region, drug class, patient population and site of infection, and is highest in areas of high antibiotic use. Resistance patterns may also differ within countries.

Causes for antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance has several causes. First of all, inappropriate prescribing is the most significant. Recent research shows that only 49% of antibiotic prescriptions are appropriate, and antibiotics are often prescribed for viral infections, like the common cold, and the flu.

Second, antibiotics are often prescribed in doses too low, or for periods too short to completely eradicate a bacterial cause for infections. Third, our more potent antibiotics, such as Cipro, are used by clinicians for less serious infections. This practice encourages organisms to become resistant to our more potent treatment options, potentially resulting in an ineffective drug for more severe infections. This practice also increases the cost of care, since newer antibiotics, like Cipro, are generally more expensive. Fourth, our more potent antibiotics (like Cipro), which should be reserved for treatment failures, are used as first line therapy. Treatment failure means having taken a prescribed antibiotic correctly, yet the illness persists. First line therapy refers to our first selection for antibiotic prescribing.

Yet, medical practitioners aren’t only to blame. Patients need to accept a lot of the responsibility also. Patients frequently insist on receiving antibiotics, even where not indicated (i.e. viral infections, like the common cold). They oft en fail to finish or take as directed their prescription (skipped doses). Most concerning is patients self medicating without consulting a medical provider first. This practice is more common here in Honduras, where most antibiotics are over-the-counter and don’t require a medical practitioner’s prescription. In addition, pharmacy staffs aren’t necessarily trained in pharmacology, and are therefore unable to correctly advise patients on the appropriateness of antibiotic therapy.

Antibiotics used for Respiratory Tract Infections
The major classes of antibiotics used for a bacterial etiology in Respiratory Tract Infections are penicillin’s (Amoxicillin, Augmentin), cephalosporins (Ceftin, Ceclor, Lorabid), quinolones (Cipro, Zagam), and macrolides (Erythromycin, Zithromax, and Biaxin).

The site of infection is an important consideration regarding appropriate use of antibiotics. Generally, an antibiotic will reach a higher concentration in the alveoli (within the lung tissue), than in the middle ear, or sinuses. As a result, longer periods of antibiotic treatment are generally indicated for ear (otitis) and sinus infections (sinusitis). Frequently, patients will be given a short course of treatment, when 10-14 days may be indicated.

Patient compliance
Patient compliance is a key component in preventing the rise in antibiotic resistance, and the development of more convenient dosing regimens is a priority for clinicians. For example Biaxin (clarithromycin) now comes in a once daily, extended release form. This newer version has an improved side effect profile (less incidence of stomach upset and unpleasant taste) and a once daily dosing schedule is much more convenient for patients. Augmentin can now be taken twice a day, at higher doses, rather than the customary three times a day scheduling. This also provides more convenience for patients, and subsequently greater compliance rates.

Viral versus bacterial
Distinguishing between a viral versus bacterial etiology for Respiratory Tract Infections can be challenging for both patient and medical provider. Typically, the signs and symptoms suggestive of a viral cause are: low-grade fever; thin, clear sputum; clear nasal drainage; mild to moderate nasal congestion; scratchy throat with minimal to moderate discomfort; sneezing with post-nasal drip; mild headache with general aches and pains; mild dry cough with minimal chest wall discomfort. Typically, viral infections last 7-10 days. When viral, patients generally start feeling better by the end of the first week. If, however, the trend is for persistent/worsening symptoms, then a bacterial etiology needs to be considered.

Bacterial infections, on the other hand, present with: high fever and chills; more severe pain (ear, sinus pressure, throat); purulent nasal discharge or sputum production; painful throat with significant redness and exudes on the tonsils and posterior pharynx; more pronounced chest wall pain with coughing; chest tightness with difficulty breathing.

Certain patient populations are more susceptible to bacterial infections and include: smokers, advanced age, infants, immuno-compromised state (history of HIV/Aids, cancer), those with chronic diseases (diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease), and substance abusers.

When to seek medical attention
It is advisable to seek medical attention whenever symptoms persist or become worse; whenever underlying chronic illness is present; when bacterial infection is suggested; if symptoms persist beyond 7-10 days.

Conclusion
Antibiotic resistance in Respiratory Tract Infections is a concern for the medical practitioner and the patient. With improved prescribing practices, and patient understanding, this potentially serious problem can be prevented. Salient points for the patient to remember are: Seek medical attention when necessary; Respect the clinical judgement of the practitioner (don’t pressure the clinician to prescribe antibiotics if not clinically indicated); Take as prescribed your medication, in particular avoid skipping doses, and finish the treatment as indicated; and Don’t self medicate. This practice is unsafe since the potential also exists for untoward effects of the medication when taken incorrectly.

For additional information, please feel free to contact me, Angela, at Tel: 991-0474, Email: angela@hondusoft.com

Erika Ramirez and the ugly side of beauty pageants

Miss Honduras, Erika Ramirez

By SUYAPA CARIAS

More than one year after she was elected Miss Honduras Universe, 19 year-old Erika Ramirez is living one of the darkest episodes of her young life, as she became the main character of a scandalous, painful and million lempira legal battle against the pageant’s concessionaire, Eduardo Zablah.

For several weeks since last August, the story made it to the front pages of the main local newspapers. It all began when Ramirez decided to go public and file a complaint of abuse, racial discrimination and attempted rape against Zablah, a well-known fashion designer and businessman from La Ceiba. He has run the pageant for seven years now.

Broken promises?

After earning the title appearing as Miss Trujillo, Ramirez signed a contract that promised her a scholarship, jewelry, endorsements and a cash prize. However, according to a press release issued by the Organization for Ethnic Community Development (ODECO), she received none of the above, but instead was “financially exploited, racially denigrated, drugged, taken ill with pneumonia and sexually molested.” ODECO has supported Ramirez throughout her ordeal. The report states that Zablah’s reaction was to claim that Ramirez and her family were suffering from a mental disorder.

“It would have been easy for me just to let everything pass by, give up my crown and go home, but then I remembered all the girls who have gone through similar experiences but are too afraid to talk”, said Ramirez during a visit to New York, where she held a press conference in an attempt to catch the attention of the American media and presumably the Miss Universe contest directors, as it is a U.S. based private corporation owned by Donald Trump.

Humiliating experience

On November 2001, says the Garifuna beauty, she was sent on her first trip to New York, to participate in Fashion Week. Not only was she not paid for the three-week job, but she didn’t even have any winter clothes to wear, no money for transportation, food or hotel. Consequently, she caught pneumonia.

Following this, she traveled to Miami to produce her modeling portfolio and stayed at the home of a Peruvian friend of Zablah’s, who made her sleep on the floor, molested her and deprived her of calling her family in Honduras. Then she flew to the island of St. Martin to participate in the “Miss Flor del Pacifico” beauty pageant, whose owner, also a friend of Zablah “attempted to rape me”.

In the eyes of these serious accusations, Zablah faced the media to deny all of it, and filed a lawsuit against her for Lps. 8.5 million for calumny and defamation, followed by a precautionary embargo of all of the Ramirez family personal belongings.

A few days after this action took place, Ramirez and her mother, Erika Marin Palmer, sued Zablah back for more than Lps. 15.9 million and requested an embargo of Lps. 20 million against him.

Failed settlement attempt

Long before, the case had already been presented to the Embassy of the United States, the United Nations women’s forum, the National Women Institute (INAM), the National Commission of Human Rights and even the National Congress. Alvarez Casildo, ODECO’s president and Ramirez’ legal representative, explained that it is based on abuse of women’s rights, racial discrimination, irregularities in operating the contest, as well as damages, fraud, physical injuries and intimidation.

The Commission of Human Rights of the National Congress has to present a detailed investigative report on the case in the next few days. In late October, the members of the commission arranged a meeting between the parts involved in an effort to reach an out of court settlement, but they failed in their purpose.

“If Miss Ramirez retracts her accusation, I will withdraw the judicial embargo; otherwise, we will go on until we prove who is telling the truth,” said Zablah to a print media after the failed encounter.

For Erika, the first dark skin colored Miss Honduras, the problem in Zablah’s attitude has a lot to do with her race. “He said he didn’t want a black queen. I remember how he used to scream at me, and he even smacked my arm once. I have exposed my story to show people how dirty these beauty pageants really are.”

First piano contest for children, a window of opportunity

By SUYAPA CARIAS  

TEGUCIGALPA – To motivate their spirits and help them value and develop their musical talent; the members of the Cultural Center of Café La Plazuela launched the first piano contest for children in Tegucigalpa this month.

“We wish for the participants to feel motivated and rewarded for their efforts in playing the piano”, explained Jorge Banegas, the center’s director. “ It is important for them to realize they are doing something worthwhile and maintain a good attitude.   This also helps them face other challenge in life”.

According to Banegas, the response to this project has been encouraging, considering the fact that it is the first one of its kind and a good number of Honduran and foreign children aged 8 to 12 participated.  

Although the elimination process already took place, ten candidates are getting ready for their final performances, programmed for next November 23 at Café La Plazuela from 2 to 5 p.m. Each contestant will play two pieces from two different eras and authors. The three best players will receive cash prizes.

“The idea is to take the contest to an institutional level”, said Banegas, a professional musician who graduated from the University of Kentucky.   Currently, he teaches at the National School of Music, directs the Honduran Youth Symphony Orchestra and is a member of the Amadeus Quintet.   For more information, call 237-0501.

Personality of the Week: John Edwards

Peggy Brinkley, builder of one of most unique hotels on the planet

By TOM JOERG
Special to Honduras This Week

(Last of Two Parts)

Peggy Brinkley’s ultimate arrival in 1976 was a bonus for the Honduran people and a treat for the thousands of people from all over the world that have passed the portals of one the most unique hotels on the planet.

What began as a modest venture in 1976 finally culminated in the opening of her major hotel in 1985. She bought a piece of property with a stunning view of the town of Trujillo, the bay, and the lushly vegetated mountains and carved a road up to it in order to begin her project. She describes this period in her life as the “best.”

An unlikely ally helped her in the days before her grand opening. The U.S. military suddenly took over her hotel shortly before she planned to open while they were involved in the Iran-Contra operation. They insured a full house of paying customers and helped tremendously by actually hooking up the various utilities that the Hondurans were unable to figure out!

By comparison to the creation of the original hotel, her building talents have now escalated into a gorgeous, sprawling castle-like hotel of many ornate rooms decorated in native Honduran mahogany, complete with health spa, swimming pools, open air dining facilities overlooking the sea, convention halls, condominiums, etc. constructed totally out of the native stone found in the mountainous location she choose 1,000 feet above the magnificent Trujillo Bay.

She totally designed every aspect of this architectural masterpiece, which has hosted Presidents of the country, DEA operatives, CIA agents, U.S. military from the Contra era of Oliver North days, the Ambassador of Japan (complete with his own sushi chef), US Ambassadors, and every sort of adventurer one could envision in this desolate, but historic area of Central America. Indeed, the European history of Trujillo goes back to a landing by Columbus in the late 1500’s.

Long the battleground of pirates, brigands, Indian natives and Garifuna (Afro-caribbean), this town was actually the possession of an American at one point in the 1850’s until he was beheaded on the beach by English privateers. Because of its desolation, Trujillo and the Mosquitia coast have long harbored the lawless and the violent, and Peggy Brinkley has dealt with them all.

The story of what she will not tell is the making of a movie that will not be believed as truth, however. The CIA-built runway and those people around it on the beach of Trujillo in back of the bar once owned by Peggy’s son-in-law gives just a small inkling of what intrigue she has seen and survived. The tales of her son-in-law, for example, have reinforced what segments aired on “60 Minutes” had said of the drug dealing of the U.S. government in support of the Contras.

In addition to serving as the wizened matriarch to all manner of her workers, friends, relatives, the town’s people and the constant trail of travelers from all over the world, Peggy has immersed herself totally in the politics of developing this region of the world into a Central American showpiece. Often putting her head in a noose and calling the executioner “chicken” in her involvement with the local, regional, and national government, she has been spared retribution because of her sincere quest to uplift the Honduran economy and the Honduran people.

The last time the author tried to interview for this article two years ago, for example, the interview was abruptly cancelled when 20 gruff, swarthy, serious looking Hondurans entered her suite for a meeting.

It turned out she was organizing a major strike of all transportation and shipping on the entire North Coast in order to force the government to help with the “Freedom Ship” that was planned to be built in Trujillo. The ship, which actually was planned as a huge barge, was to be a floating city of condominiums that would float the seas, docking wherever in the world the inhabitants wanted to go.

Peggy admits that the floating city idea is a long shot, but she has always tried to get involved in any plan that would give the local population jobs, and therefore a future, in this poor area of the world.

The plan is still on the books, but the devastation of Hurricane Mitch in the area may well have seriously hurt the chances for its success in the near future. However, that horrific event has not stopped the all-star optimist, Peggy Brinkley, from planning a myriad of major local projects to buttress the area with activities for those wishing to either live on the Freedom Ship, or come to Trujillo to visit.

She has plans, and a location donated, for a complex to build and host regional Olympic swimming events, world-class tennis events, and a professional golf course for a regional gold championship. Added to this, she is entreating promoters, such as the author of this article, to plan major Central American martial arts championships for the area.

Trujillo was one of the most badly hit areas of the North Coast of Honduras during the Hurricane Mitch in 1998. However, it has bounced back with amazing vitality.

For example, thousands died in the coast town close to Trujillo, and it took six weeks before the region had even the most basic of civilities, like electricity, fuel, communications, etc., with 70% of the bridges out in the country and many roads washed out. It now has regained its composure as one of the gems of the North Coast for tourists, with an exotic array of eco-wonders, pristine beaches, inexpensive top quality hotels and efficient transportation to the area.

Peggy, in her usual stoic, heroic approach to the worst hurricane on planet Earth in 200 years, opened her doors free of charge to many of the displaced refugees, rallying many with her strength of character. Since many of her employees came from homes with no electricity, it was very easy for them to cut open a 50-gallon drum, throw wood in it and cook all the meals for everyone on the open fire. Her only problem was a shortage of wood, which was solved when she “donated” her old furniture for the cause, how would you like your eggs, sir, overeasy or over a burning leg?

The tirelessness of Peggy Brinkley is an ongoing wonder to many half her age, but she has building plans that surpass even the most prolific of developers. In addition to her work in putting in a world-class sports complex, she dreams of building a rotating restaurant on top of her hotel (to be the only one in Honduras, and is planning a retirement community of US$5000 homes constructed of adobe. Why so cheap? Aside from the low cost of land and labor in Honduras, Peggy Brinkley owns a company that manufactures adobe bricks, of course!

The saga of Peggy Brinkley can only be summed up in one succinct phrase — Pennsylvania’s loss was Honduras’s gain. She has been, and still is, a motivating force, like a strong northeaster wind, which swept into an area that needed her strength of character, her wisdom, and a guiding light of what can be achieved with vision, combined with hard work.

She is a legend and is still a wonder, after all these years - a wonderful person, a wonder to behold.

Biology Major Program celebrates 35th Anniversary

A biologist registers environmental parameters in Tela, prior to immersion.

By CAROLINA ALDUVIN
Special to Honduras This Week

TEGUCIGALPA -- Back in 1967 the world, our country and our city were quite different than they are now. The National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) had just moved from its old buildings located downtown to its new campus close to the village of Suyapa on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa. Then, students did not have as many options as they do today when it came time to choose a field of study. In an effort to fill this gap and with the goal of preparing human resources in life-science related fields to begin the systematic study of one of the country’s most significant resources, it’s biological diversity, on November 6 the University Council approved the creation of the Biology Major’s Program.

When the Biology Department began there were not enough specialists to provide all the courses to make the project a reality, but with the support of university authorities, it requested from foreign universities and international organizations
—among them the Peace Corps— professors to teach classes in the different branches and levels of the biological sciences.

THE PIONEERS
Omar Gutierrez Oreamuno, from Costa Rica was the first Biology professor; he came to Tegucigalpa when the Department was created in 1961 as a component of University Center for General Studies (CUEG). He set the foundations for the Museum of Natural History located in the Biological Sciences building that is host to more than 5000 visitors each year and for three decades he helped prepare the next generation of biologists. Currently Gutierrez (89) is retired, but he still commemorates his anniversaries in Honduras with his former colleagues. The Histological Techniques Lab, where our students, after his teachings, learn how to prepare microscope slides from both plant and animal tissues, is dedicated to him.

The first Teaching Assistant was Honduran Cyril Hardy Nelson Sutherland currently Doctor Honoris Causa, together with Fred Barkley and Andrew Clewell from United States. Clewell started the plant collections for the National Herbarium (TEFH) and teaches several courses in plant sciences. His research has uncovered many new species, some of them endemic or only found in Honduras.

Sherry Thorn and Becky Myton came as Peace Corps volunteers in 1969 and 1972 respectively, since then they have remained in our country, raised Honduran families and taught every generation of biologists their enthusiasm for knowledge and discovery in animal science. They have helped to create other academic programs and introduced many fellow American colleagues who teach summer courses to our students. Hondurans who formed part of the original set of professors include: Oscar Munguia who teaches anatomy and physiology; Gustavo Rendon, who teaches seed science; Mirna Marin is in charge of sea sciences; Regulo de Jesus Mancia, and Mario Berrios, now retired, who started programs in aquaculture and fish culture.

GRADUATES
In December 1975, Suyapa Villatoro was the first graduate of the program; she migrated to the north coast with her husband, Carlos Martinez, also a biologist. Since then more than 300 students have obtained a university degree and work in a wide variety of activities as: teachers, consultants, government officials, shrimp farm managers, national park directors, water quality scientists, biotechnologists, bio-information experts, conservationists, entrepreneurs and journalists, amongst others.

Currently several classes prepare their way to success in one of the three main branches offered by the program: plant science, animal science and water related technologies. Student options have also grown in comparison with the first students. Every class is complemented with practical activities, as well as campus laboratory facilities. In Honduras, future biologists are lucky to have the whole country as their field laboratory.

Several different types of ecosystems give them a chance to learn about the dynamics of the species that can be found in each, as well as about the actions necessary to preserve endangered species.

CELEBRATION
This month, the Biology Department is celebrating 35 years of constant growth and innovations and wants to share with general public this special occasion. From November 11 to Saturday 16 a program including academic, cultural, sport and recreational activities will be in progress at the Biological Sciences Building. There will be conferences on the role of biologists in our society, debates on environmental and biotechnological issues, selected topics such as plant in vitro culture, chemical weapons and pollution, the Johannesburg Conference, advances of theses in progress by graduating students, poster sessions, scientific photograph displays, a still life exhibit, cartoons and much more.

For recreation there is a beauty queen and ugly king contest for both students and professors, soccer tournaments, parties, food sales, music and surprises, high school seniors are welcome to attend to get a sample of what they can do for the country as life scientists.


 

Wonder what ever happened to Pittsburgh’s “Wonder Woman” of the 70’s

By TOM JOERG
Special to Honduras This Week

First of Two Parts

Peggy Brinkley was named “Wonder Woman” in the Pittsburgh Press in the mid 1970’s, as she battled the FBI for her financial life, her freedom, and her family while simultaneously taking on those in the coal industry who were out to bury her in the coal dust of her profession. Her lengthy struggle, often taking on almost Draconian proportions won her the title, as she kept battling to the bitter end. She won those battles, and went on to become a legendary, and heroic figure in a tropical, but dangerous, third world country unused to strong-willed women with brains and the will to literally build castles out of jungle brush.

The history of this amazing 83 year old is as dramatic, and as filled with adventure as a James Bond movie, and as inspiring as a Helen Keller character. She defies age, and defies the laws of what is possible to be achieved in a 24-hour day. Her story starts, ironically enough, on Adolph Hitler’s birthday, April 20th, 1919, when she entered the world and was taken home to her plush home in a West Chester, NY neighborhood by her Columbian-born mother. Her father, William McCarthy, a stock market broker, and an adventurer born in Tasmania, Australia abruptly abandoned the family when Peggy was eight years old. The family was thrown from wealth to poverty in a painfully swift manner. Peggy had begun to learn internal toughness early.

The subsequent combination of the Depression, and the struggle for survival in a single parent household incited a spirit of a ‘can do/must do’ in Peggy which blossomed into a woman of enormous positive energy and drive. After her mother remarried a statistician who checked sanitation and sewer systems, there was enough money for Peggy to go to college at New Rochelle College in New York state. She graduated in 1938 with a degree in clothing design from Trapp Hagen School of Design, thus giving her intellectual tools to channel her intensity to become a builder of exotic buildings (and dreams) for the rest of her life.

Peggy worked in dress design, using her innovative mind to help create the first maternity clothes line in the country. It was while working in New York that she met her mate for life. Only a swashbuckling Naval Captain could entice this beautiful, independent, ambitious and brilliant woman to marry. She met John Thomas Brinkley in New York during the early days of World War II while he was a midshipman, and she married him shortly before he left as a submarine captain in 1941 for the Pacific theater. Captain Brinkley later was to receive the Bronze Star for his daring raids on Japanese shipping in Tokyo harbor in his submarine the Billfish.

Life took on a more mundane period for a short time when her husband returned. Peggy began having children, but even this time in her life presented challenges, as her first child Marilyn, born in 1943, had cerebral palsy, and had to be constantly cared for. Her other children, Tom, Fennell, and Kim were born in 1948, ’51, and ’53 respectively, but it became evident that Peggy would have to be the driving force in supporting them all, when her husband began showing signs shortly after Marilyn’s birth that he had Parkinson’s disease.

It was during the early fifties that the family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when Peggy secured a job through some influential family friends as a lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Surface Mine Association. She represented 20 companies and would drive over a thousand miles a week from her home in Pittsburgh to her weekday apartment in Harrisburg to represent them.

Her position as a female in a rough and tumble community of hardened mine owners/workers was challenging enough for a woman with a handicapped daughter, an ailing husband out of work, and three other dependent children, but she was tireless and effective enough in her job to be awarded a special plaque citing her as “Queen of the Strippers.” This was in reference to the perception that surface mining was the equivalent of strip mining, a perception of which Peggy was slowly able to change in legislator’s minds through her lobbying. Many cite Mrs. Brinkley as the driving force in making Pennsylvania one of the models of the nation for environmentally friendly surface mining technique through legislation.

Her mettle was tested to the maximum, however, as she faced the vindictiveness of two feuding relatives in the coal industry in western Pennsylvania. Using Peggy as a scapegoat to attack the other, one of the two falsely accused her of influence peddling, bribery and corruption. Claiming that she had bribed inspectors, the relative was successful in putting Peggy through unmitigated hell for over a year. The politically motivated Richard Thornburgh called a Grand Jury, and the FBI was called in to investigate the charges.

The process of interrogation, wire-tapping, scrutiny of her financial affairs, and general news coverage did not break the spirit of an already battle-tested woman, however, because of her principle that “all things work out for the best.” She knew she was innocent of the charges, and fought back in her typical optimistic way, despite the powerful forces lined up against her.

It was during this inquisition that the newspapers named her the “Wonder Woman,” wondering in print how much abuse she could take before she broke. Although the case propelled Thornburgh to the Governor’s mansion, the FBI and the Justice Department eventually had to drop the charges and personally apologize to her for their travesties against her. She had won the war, but the scars of the fight were evident, the government had tainted her sterling reputation in the industry, thus ruining her career, and also she had lost respect for those in power in Pennsylvania.

The loss of her husband shortly after the investigation (1974-1975) sealed her decision to go to a far off land to regroup. She chose the unlikely, and remote, Central American country of Honduras. Not only did she choose one of the poorest countries on the planet to begin a new life, but also she decided to go the last stop before one the largest and wildest regions in Central America, Trujillo, just short of the Mosquitia Coast.

Her ultimate arrival in 1976 was a bonus for the Honduran people and a treat for the thousands of people from all over the world that have passed the portals of one the most unique hotels on the planet.

Honduran Captain receives scholarship from British government


The British government recently granted a one-year post graduate scholarship to Honduran Infantry Captain Jose Roberto Pagoada Santos, who is now pursuing studies in the field of human rights at the University of Lancaster, United Kingdom. His candidature was proposed by the Ministry of Defense at the request of the British Embassy in Honduras, as part of its British Chevening program.

A full time officer and English teacher at the Application School for Officers in Tegucigalpa, Pagoada filled all the requirements of the European government for this scholarship. In the photo, British Business Attaché in Tegucigalpa, Neil Carlin gives Pagoada the scholarship documents prior to his departure.