GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE !
Assembly 4: Park ‘n bark
Colonos responding to request
to help develop ‘dog park’
Membership management of park envisioned
By Staff:
The Colonos administration was listening when resident Karla Hinton stood up at the Dec. 12 annual assembly, petition in hand, imploring the community to get behind a request to create a dog park. And, evidently, the Colonos also took notice of a Pelican news article in which resident Inger Bjerre, owner of a plush condo on Caleta Xel Ha, complained about the deplorable condition of a nearby private lot that had been used by various contractors as an unsightly dumping ground.
Both of these requests represented responses by concerned citizens to the efforts by the Colonos administration to control dogs in the wake of several separate dog attacks last year and general dog complaints. Bjerre’s grievance followed requests by health officials to keep surroundings free of standing water and rubbish accumulations to stifle the disease-carrying aedes aegypti mosquito. A run-by by jogger and Colonos board chairman Jorge Kaufer, resulted in clearing the lot of debris.
Planning together
Colonos GM Armando Rincon has met with Hinton to discuss Hinton’s proposal to use “common ground” for the dog park. Of several sites, one is the defunct park property between the main road in the vicinity of the skate park. In a late-breaking development this week, another site under consideration nearer to the main gate may not be available in deference to evolving plans to enlarge the main gate.
Use of common land, said Rincon, is doable, but maintenance will be the responsibility of a planned, private membership drive by users of the park. He said the Colonos doesn’t have the budget for the improvements or maintenance responsibility inside the park.
Hinton said 100 people have signed the petition that was presented at the assembly, indicating a good measure of support for the project envisioned by Hinton and others.
Envisions site development
She envisions a lot surrounded by by a fence and a locked double-gated door accessible only to paying members with the use of a key card. Members also would have to show their pet(s) have been vaccinated and help keep the park clean by tending to their pet(s) and using provided receptacles to discard leavings.
She said evolving development includes separate park areas for small and big dogs, agility toys and other improvements the passage of time and availability of funds may allow. In that regard, there will be a membership fee in addition to possible fund raising and sponsorships, of which there are already three. Sponsor advertising will be placed in the area, Hinton said.
Trial run set for movie project
with ‘Where the Wild Things Are’
By Staff:
Remember when you were young and enjoyed family outings driving to the “outdoor theater” in your town, rolling down the window to attach the speaker, going to the snack shack for popcorn then settling in for a movie?
The “outdoor theater” – without the car – is coming to the Puerto Aventuras Cultural Center at the end of Bahia Akumal at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18, in a trial run that will help determine whether residents of Puerto Aventuras (Akumal and Paamul also invited) will actually attend outdoor movies with family, friends and neighbors on a regular basis, enough so to make the Colonos Arts and Sports project worth doing.
Colonos GM Armando Rincon and the board of directors has been looking for social events that bring the community together in entertaining ways and the movie idea is one of them. Attendance will help the Colonos determine whether and to what degree to continue with the program, showing one or two movies a month, perhaps in different neighborhoods.
Launching the effort is a Warner Brothers animated feature in the English language that was nominated for a Golden Globe award and features the voices of well-known actors such as James Gandolfini of “Sopranos” fame, Paul Dano, Mark Ruffalo and others. They bring voice to the myriad “wild things” discovered in the imagination of headstrong 9-year-old Max who escapes reality via the discovery of an island under his bed populated by monsters. The film was adapted from Maurice Sendak’s classic book of the same name.
Common Sense Media gave the movie four stars but also cautioned that it may not be appropriate for 4-year-olds who might enjoy the book pictures but be frightened by the sight and sounds of the animated wild things. “The movie explores mature themes of loneliness, insecurity and fear of change, both within Max’s human family and the one he finds on his imaginary island.”
The event will be presented by El Cine Club of Playa del Carmen, whose equipment has already been checked for sight and sound by Rincon. The club also has a popcorn machine. An admission charge of 30 pesos($1.63 USD) is charged to help cover expenses.
Trivial pursuits Sunday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. at Latitude 20 with Shannon Rachynski. Proceeds go to the needy. Group Spanish lessons are returning to Puerto Aventuras this year with Maestra Gloria Contreras who has been teaching informal groups here for quite a few years. Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. for beginners and 12:30 p.m. for advanced and intermediate. Contact her at gloriatraducciones@hotmail.com or call cel 984-108-3517 for more information… Workshop for writers will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 20 at the library. A 1,000 pesos donation will benefit the PA Library. More information and reservations at elliecosimano@gmail.com … The International Gastronomical food fest date has been set for March 13 at the Colegio grounds. The popular annual event features foods from many countries representing the cosmopolitan demographics of Puerto Aventuras. Area chefs – professional or otherwise – are asked to participate by offering appetizer portions of food native to their country. Sign up by calling Colonos coordinator Carlos Quinones at 984-873-5116 or 5117. OBSERVANCES: Today, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, is Ash Wednesday. Valentine Day is Sunday, February 14, 2016…
Super socializing…
Students claim development
of Zika mosquito repellent
Citronella candles available at WeRWater
By Staff
Students at the University of Papaloapan in Oaxaca claim to have created a repellent to battle Zika, dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya carried by the aedes aegypti mosquito.
Their formula, of natural ingredients as reported by the National Science and Technology Council, includes essential oils combined with alcohol, distilled water and glycerin that do not cause allergic reactions in the skin.
The key ingredients are orange peel, lavender flowers and lemongrass, from which the essential oils of citronella, limonene and linalool, all of which are strong-smelling, are extracted using hydrodistillation.
The students of biotechnology and chemical engineering say their product uses no toxic chemicals and works for three to six hours and will be 60 percent cheaper than current repellents.
They plan to market the product under the name CitroRepel and say they worked on the product in response to the needs of citizens in Oaxaca, where high temperatures and humidity levels contribute to the proliferation of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
The World Health Organization has warned of Zika’s potentially “explosive” growth in Latin America. Thirty-seven cases of Zika have been identified in Mexico.
Symptoms include mild fever and skin rash along with conjunctivitis, an eye inflammation, and muscle or joint pain, and are felt two to five days after an infected mosquito bites.
While officials in area communities are alerting residents to avoid mosquito bites, four major businesses in Playa del Carmen that reportedly carried citronella candles did not have any last week. Employees at all four were at a lost to say when they would be available. However, a limited supply was found at WeRWater here in Puerto Aventuras Centro. Outdoor diners generally place one candle under the table and two at table level.
Snorkel guide in Akumal faulted
for absence during emergency…
There were three near drownings among snorkelers in Akumal last month, one of which called attention to the lack of oversight of guides and the absence of standard operating procedures for tour companies and their employees, according to Hector Lizaragga-Cubedo, director of Centro Ecologio Akumal (CEA).
The director reported that on Jan. 20, a young British man was brought to shore and although s responsive, exhibited weakness, coughing, shortness of breath, and vomiting — symptoms of a near drowning. First response actions by the lifeguards and paramedics stabilized the patient, who later declined to be taken to the hospital.
Lifeguards say the British man was part of a group of 13 other snorkelers and one guide, who was nowhere to be found during or after the rescue.
Program Coordinator for the Coastal Management Program at CEA, Miguel Lozano Huguenin says, “Each guide that goes into the water has the responsibility for their clients’ safety. Period. The guide leading this group failed. He had no concern or awareness that his guest was in trouble, and, most likely because he wasn’t present, had no water safety or first aid experience. Lack of experience and training is a recipe for disaster.”
In two other incidents, an American male on a guided snorkel tour was brought ashore unconscious and without vital signs. Lifeguards, funded by local hotels and CEA, applied CPR and called for a defibrillator, but were able to revive the man before the defibrillator arrived. Red Cross paramedics also arrived to stabilize the patient and bring him to a hospital.
A German woman suffered a similar incident while snorkeling. She was brought ashore by her guide where lifeguards resuscitated her and Red Cross paramedics took over and transported her to a hospital.
“The efforts and quick actions by the lifeguards with the support of the Red Cross paramedics played a key role in saving these lives,” says Lizarraga-Cubedo, director of Centro Ecologico Akumal.
“It is reassuring to know that despite having specialized lifesaving equipment for situations such as these, the lifeguards are not reliant on it. They are able to apply their training and experience to immediately take action and initiate manual CPR to quickly assist the victims,” he said.
The Round Up…
A waterspout, which is a tornado over water, struck off Cancun last weekend. The event put Playa del Carmen marine businesses and officials on alert to monitor the clouds, although waterspouts here are somewhat uncommon, say officials. The port was also shut down for a while during brisk winds to protect water craft under 40 feet…
High-flying talk, thus far uncorroborated, is making the rounds that the new Puerto Aventuras aerodrome replacing the one in Playa del Carmen has a long-enough runway to handle private jets and that a new bridged retorno a bit north of the current one will replace the one now used by resort residents to get to Chedraui. The airport road, just a few meters out of sync with the current retorno, begs the question of why a bridge?
Two new food businesses are opening up in the Chedraui Plaza across the highway, one called Pollo Boom offering soups, veggies, potatoes, macaroni and cheese and chicken meals to go or eat in. The other business under construction will offer a wide variety of ice cream products. Pollo Boom opened its doors Saturday…
The new trial system that holds an accused person innocent until proven guilty went into effect in Solidaridad last week. The system is also expected to reduce the time waiting for trials down from years to months in handling criminal complaints…
Some Puerto Aventurans were delayed on Highway 307 last Wednesday when a cement mixer truck toppled over in the middle of the northbound lane. The truck driver said he was trying to avoid a motorcyclist who darted out in front of the truck. There were no serious injuries although major gridlock ensued when northbound drivers crossed the dividing island without police help and occupied half the southbound lane. One Aventuran said he missed an appointment after deciding to turn back and avoid the risk of a head-on collision, while some others were delayed by four hours arriving in Cancun. The incident has raised calls for designing alternate routes and hastening police presence to break the gridlock safely …
Quality beaches – Two beaches in Quintana Roo have applied for the first time for a Blue Flag certification and will undergo inspection by a number of federal agencies for water quality, environmental education and management, safety and services. The beaches are Kantenha Bay in Playa del Carmen and Cancun’s Coral Beach…
Does state of Quintana Roo
rhyme with snow or zoo?
By Staff:
What or who is Quintana Roo and Solidaridad?
Every year there are freshly arrived visitors and long-term renters here from elsewhere in the world who ask us about Quintana Roo. Is it some exotic plant, Mayan ruin or ceremony? Or is it somebody’s name?
To begin, Quintana Roo, with a population of about 1.6 million, is the newest of Mexico’s 31 states (plus a federal district in transition to statehood), achieving statehood in 1974. It happens to be the state we live in while in Mexico. Cancun is the state’s largest city approaching an estimated 800,000 population.
Chetumal, 181 driving miles to our south, is the state capital with a population of nearly 220,000. To the north of Puerto Aventuras is Playa del Carmen, the municipal seat of our village/resort, which is part of the municipality of Solidaridad.
Solidaridad was once the mainland section of the island of Cozumel. The two were separated in 1993 to form Solidaridad on the mainland, becoming Q. Roo’s 10th municipality.
Playa del Carmen, 15 miles to the north of Puerto Aventuras on Federal Highway 307, is the rapidly growing seat of Solidaridad’s municipal government. Playa has grown since 1970 from a small fishing village to a sunny vacationland of around 140,000-plus-residents and growing. Puerto Aventuras, has an estimated population of roughly 15,000, including both sides of the highway.
It has three distinct quarters. One is the popular marina/ golf resort community on the east side of the highway along the Caribbean shore. The others are the Poblado, which is the older section on the west side of the highway, and the newer housing development known as Puerto Maya.
In 2008, Solidaridad was detached from the new municipality of Tulum, home to a spectacular and largely undeveloped beach and Mayan ruins.
As to Quintana Roo (pronounced Row), the name belongs to Mexican patriot Andres Quintana Roo, nee Nov. 30, 1787, a native of Merida in the next-door state of Yucatan. He was foremost a man of letters studying early at the Seminary San Lldefonso in Merida then in Mexico City’s Royal and Pontifical University.
His father established the first printing press that produced newspapers on the Yucatan Peninsula so it was not surprising that aside from Andres’ considerable curriculum vitae as poet, lawyer, politician, insurgent in search of independence for Mexico and participant in defining the Mexican declaration of independence, that he was also a journalist.
His forbears settled in Merida from the Canary Islands, which may explain the name. The Canaries, south of Spain in the Atlantic, were named after the large dogs (canes) found there. A sports arena in Cancun is also named after Quintana Roo as is a town in Yucatan state.
Sweet sunset solace…
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