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lO-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, March 30, 2004 Mitton * ~ A SV z'/Bueno' response to Spanish learning centre Pro gramn ideal f or personal and business use By JASON MISNER The Champion "Cômo estàs el tiemipo?" "It's getting warmer now that spring has arrived." 'Cômo estôs?" 'Pretty gond. The snow melting raises the spirits a bit." Oh, you don't understand. Wel htswhere Juan Carto (JC) Huerta says he can hetp. Since March t, he's been operating the Spanish Leaming Centre in the downtown core. (By the way, the questions, in order. were, bow's the weatber and, bow are you). Me. Huerta. 32, offers courses and pro- grams tu betp peopte teami how to speak Spanisb. He also provides personat and protessionat translations for businesses that encounter the Spanish tanguage. Mr. Huerta also hopes to evolve his busi- ness by introducing dancing and cooking tessons to enhance the Spanish experience. Business. be said. is already boomirtg. He's got 12 individual clients he catis 'domestics" of varying ages, and five cor- porate ctients. Tbey can corne to bis Main Street East officc or he can meet them. Compact discs and videotapcs are used as tcaching tools. G reat response su far Sfeet great." Mr. Huerta said witb an accent -and a wann smnile - n fluent English. "t've had a grcat response from peopte. t get a ncw costumier cvery two days." Mr. Huerta isn't surprised wben asked why Mitton was chosen to open a Spanisb- tanguage testulg centre. What makes the town attractive as a t4 ocation, the two-year resident said, is 14 besides tiving on nearby Mittside Drive, shere ian't a big Spanish-speaking poputa- tion ini town. In Ontario, it's the third most-spoken for- eign tanguage, he said. In Mitton, he said it's nowhere near the top of the foreigoi tan- guage-speaksng tiat. The most comenon are German and Itatian. - That provides aonme business opportuni- lies, Mn. Huerta aaid. Born in a smatt, farming sown in Cuba, with a poputation about 10,000, Mr. Huerta graduated frnm University of Camaguey $i with a Bachetor of Educasion in Engtish and Literature in t996. That's how he tearned Engtish. Through a stringent apptication proceas, he eventuatty carne t0 Canada and setted on Toronto. It was a cutture sbock wben he stepped off tbe ptane. "You've got no idea." Mr. Huerta said. shaking his bead in astonisbment. Be soon got to used it, and loved it. From there, he hooked up with a compa- ny teacbing Spanisb. a job he secured shrough a friend. He did aone work in Houston, Texas and received a Bachetor of Arts in Modem Language from the University of Houston. Me. Huerta asa ended up receiving a Bachetor of Engtish degree tast year froin York University. Based on bis education and working experience, he shought maybe be coutd do this -becomne bis own boss. "I kind of gos tu the point where 1 thought t coutd do this by mysetf," Me. Huerta recatted. "I can do the transtation, t can do tbe tecbnicat writing." He sested on Mitton when he brought a friend for a cbiropractur's appoinsment. "I fett in tove witb it." He moved to Mittaide Drive two years ago wben the urge su open bis own busi- ness reatly started su pump sbrougb bis vemas. A amatter office was chosen, Me. Huerta said, because be shougbs it woutd be easier to manage, given bis first foray into a new business venture. He uses a tanguage prograin accredited in Spain by the Academnia De La Lengua Espafiola. It's an association that addresaes tbe Spanish language in the European country. A main piece Mr. Huerta brougbt witb him to Canada from Cuba was a cbitd's book catted. La Edad De Oro, or Tbe Gotd Age. Totd through ctassic tates, poems, and cominentaries, it teaches chitdren about the history of civitization. He ptans to intro- duce it to bis tbree-year otd son, Johnathon. "&Cuba bas great lterasure," be said. For more information about tbe Spanish Learning Centre, contact Me. Huerta at (905) 878-5402. Jason Misner can he reached at jmis- ner-@miltoncanadianchampion.c-om. Spanish teacher JC H ue rt a shows off Borne of hl& toole of the trade et hi. Spanlsh leernlng centre on Maîn Street. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE 'Milton 's Home Hardware among best Mittonians now bave une more reason to be overatt quatity of the store. pruud of tbeir community. "Att of us as Mitton Home Hardware Building Milton Home Hardware Buitding Centre bas Centre are excited su be recognized among been recognized by Home Hardware Stores Lsd. as Canada's best," said Angeto and Vincenza une of the best tocations in Canada. DeMedicis. The store received tbe cumpany's gutd recogni- "We are proud su, serve our community by prn- lion, acbieving tbe bigbest standards in resaiting, viding great products, setection and expertise in a merchandise peesenlation. staff performance and pteasing sbopping enviroment." To receive Home Hardware's gotd recognition, tbe store must demonstrate excettence in staff per- formance and custumer service; interior presenta- tin inctuding ctear signing, tidiness and mercban- dise presentation and disptays; externer presenta- tin inCludiîsg cleantincss and attractive window displays; staff training and participation in deater network initiatives.