Posting daily!! - The Baja Citizen

May 15th, 2013
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Baja Citizen at
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YEAR: 5
Nº: 106 PUBLISHER: Hally J. Productions S. de R.L. EDITOR: Gari-Ellen Donohoe
La Paz Welcomed 25
Ambassadors to the
City; Wants to Rename Entranceway
TBC
The Municipality of La Paz will
formally solicit from the federal
government through the Secretary of Communication and
Transportation, SCT, permission
to rename the entranceway that
runs from the Marquez de Leon
International Airport to the
Whale Tail monument, or Cola
de la Ballena, at the northern
entrance to the city. The Municipality would like to rename this
part of the highway Boulevard
de la Naciones, in honor the 25
ambassadors who recently visited the city.
The name change of the boulevard was proposed by Mayor Esthela Ponce Beltran to city council, where it was unanimously
received and approved.
Mayor Esthela Ponce Beltran
During the festivities to mark
the 478 anniversary of La Paz,
the city received 25 ambassadors from countries including
Paraguay, Dominican Republic,
Ireland, Bolivia, Argentina, Costa
Rica, Honduras, Uruguay, Portugal, Georgia, Vietnam, Pakistan,
Angola, Ukraine, El Salvador,
Haiti, Nicaragua, Turkey, Ivory
Continues on page 15
Head to the Tianguis
Del Palmar’s on 5 de
Febrero and Rangel
every Saturday
from 9-00 am until
12-00 pm. Enjoy
fresh produce,
fresh cheese, jellies,
sausage, pottery,
clothing, jewelry,
art work and so
much more. Over 20
venders on site.
sand sculptures celebrating La Paz’s 478th birthday. The sand sculptures will be on display the entire month of May
and are part of the Fiestas Culturales de Fundación de La Paz.
What You Can Do to Stop Police Bribes
By Leslie Ann Duncan
Unfortunately, Mexican police are notorious for wanting
bribes. In general, though, most
of the police are helpful, polite
and honest. Approach them as
raise your voice, and they will
generally behave that way.
However, if the Policia Municipal
stops you while you are driving,
you have probably committed
that you will be given a warning,
or a ticket. It is also possible that
you will be asked for money.
For example, two friends of
mine were recently driving back
to Cabo from La Paz and were
the Policia Municipal. They had
just driven past the university, at
dusk. Both blonde and female,
one was holding a map, easily
seen from the side of the road.
asked them if they spoke Spanish. When they said “a little,” he
said in English, “you were going
80 in a 40 speed limit, one hundred dollars, or go to jail.” They
intimidating and they gave him
the money. Pretty shaken, they
drove back to Cabo slowly, fear-
Continues on page 16
INDEX
Letters to the editor 4
Business Spotlight
5
Table Talk
7
A Taste of the Spanish
Language
10
Conservation
Connection
13
Professionals Services
in La Paz
16
Calendar of Events 19
2
May 15th, 2013
N
T
The craziness of May is slowly
coming to an end. We are at the
midway point and I pretty much
know what to expect now for
the rest of the month. Wednesday, the 15th, is Teacher’s Day
and teachers do not work on
their day so I know more than
24 hours in advance whether
or not there is school the next
day. That always helps the
busy moms; knowing if there is
school or not the next day.
Mother’s Day this year fell on
a Friday and I was informed by
the school Thursday afternoon
at pick-up time that there would
be no classes the next day for
students who had teachers who
were moms. So in my children’s
school of 12 classrooms, only 5
groups had classes. For the rest,
The celebration of Teacher’s Day
is a tradition observed in many
but in México, we celebrate it
on May 15th. Yes, it is another
Please note that the Aeromex-
Celebrating Carmelita!
I must say, from the bottom of
my heart, my kid’s teachers deserve their day and some. So I
will just let that one go.
So, now we are in the second
half of the month and things are
pretty much straight forward.
No holidays coming up anytime
May 1st, Worker’s Day was very
quiet in La Paz with many things
closed including schools, banks
and government. 5 de Mayo
was a Sunday this year so some
*
*
*
I have had a few people ask
about the new, direct La Paz –
didn’t. It really isn’t a huge celebration here but it is one that
my mom always remembers. I
wonder why?
Thursdays and Sundays. If you
er day of the week, yes, you will
get options that are non-direct
th
of June,
from LAX will be coming into La
Paz are Thursdays and Sundays.
*
up on June 20th, 2013. Most of
said they have searched on the
Aeromexico webpage and it is
*
*
Another May celebration I need
to add. Congrats to Carmelita
Dodge from her friends Kathy
Bezy and the gang. Carmelita
recently graduated with a degree in psychology from UNAM,
on of Mexico’s most famous universities.
Carmelita is one of a group of
friends who have gathered to
sing together in the home of Elia
several years, just for the fun
of it. A vivacious grandmother,
Carmelita entered the university
to study Geriatric Psychology
in hopes of being able to assist
others as they age. Elia felt it
was a May celebration not to
miss and arranged a luncheon to
celebrate Carmelita’s special ac-
Yours,
Gari-Ellen
Publisher: Hally J. Productions S. de R. L .
La Paz, BCS 23090 Mexico
Editor
Gari-Ellen Donohoe
gari-ellen@bajacitizen.com
Gari-Ellen’s cell (612) 159 13 88
Graphic Design
Gabriela Inzunza Salgado
The Baja Citizen is a free circ ulation community newspaper that is distributed in La Paz and
the communities of Centenario, Todos Santos, Pescadero, El Sargento/La Ventana and Los Barriles every second Monday.
The views of contributers to The Baja Citizen do not necesarily reflect those of the Publishers.
3
New “H” Distinction Instructors
Trained in the State
TBC
With the goal of increasing the
ability to evaluate the competitiveness and productivity of
the gastronomical sector in the
state, which is vital to the experience of tourists, the State
Secretary of Tourism and the
Universidad Autónoma de Baja
California Sur (UABCS) in La Paz
joined forces to train 23 new
instructors to strengthen the
program “Hygienic Handling
of Food “H” Distinction”, explained the State Secretary of
Tourism Ruben Reachi.
CostaBaja receiving the H Distinction from Secretary Reachi
NMX-F-605-NORMEX-2000 must
Working under the “H” Distinccluding a
two “H” Distinctions to the restaurant and bar at the Club de
Playa which belongs to the resort. The award needs to be
renewed annually and amounts
to months of work to meet the
necessary requirements.
The 23 new instructors are the
* Better commitment to the client
of Mexico City. To participate
in the 60 hours of training, candidates must have a degree in
exam was administered where a
passing grade of 90% must have
* Better food control
* Reduction of diseases transmitted by foods
As of today, CostaBaja’s “H” Distinction is the only one granted
in the city of La Paz but the State
tourism department hopes that
with the training of instructors
in the state, the number of tourist destinations awarded the
prestigious title will increase.
* Increase in client and guest
an instructor.
The “H” Distinction refers to hyin food handling. The program
in Mexico began in 1988 and
started operations in 1990 and
is recognized by the Secretary
of Tourism and the Secretary of
Health.
The “H” Distinction requirements are:
* 80% of operational personnel
and 100% of middle commands
must be trained through the
“Hygienic Handling of Food”
course, given by instructors approved by the Secretary of Tourism.
* All food hygiene require-
* Development of discipline in
personnel
* Better control over the actions
of your food suppliers
* Image improvement
* Better position to compete nationally and internationally
Secretary Reachi said, “With
these 23 instructors, we can attend to all of the State of BCS
and we can boost “H” Distinction training and standards to
increase the competitiveness of
BCS among other tourist destinations both nationally and internationally. The State needs
to stay competitive and productive and with more hands
to help train and facilitate better practices for the
handling of food,
the better the entire
sector.”
Just last week, Secretary Reachi presented to CostaBaja’s General Director
Alejandro
Yberri,
New Instructors receive their diplomas from Secretary Reachi
Los Cabos rates third in cities with the largest number of
“H” Distinctions granted in the
country, just behind Cancun and
Mexico City.
May 15th, 2013
May 15th, 2013
4
A Dog-Lover
We’d see him in the late afternoon, his team of small dogs on
their individual leashes, walking
along - in recent years ever more
slowly. A man who had taken
in many homeless animals, cats
and dogs over the years, and
with his wife Eileen, provided a
safe loving home for them. He
fed a multitude of strays, whereever he encountered them; our
neighborhood has its share. He
with visits and countless bags of
dog-food.
Basically, I know Ellis from the
times I’d catch rides to the refuge with him, and from our
chats in the street, when he was
out exercising himself and his
team of furry buddies.
I’ll miss his presence. He embodied a caring quality, a person
who was always ready to help
an animal in need.
Ellis passed away on April 25.
I know there will be an excellent
reception for you somewhere
I along with many others, thank
you for being a special part of
our neighborhood for so many
years.
Hola dear Jean Wise, Gary Batha
and Al Marchand:
In the name of Bernavé, Juana,
my team and I, I thank you for
helping to save a life. Bernavé
Flores Franco was diagnosed
with GBS last week in La Purísima - a very small town in Como-t
ndú, BCS. He was not treatedv
c
when he got to La Paz he wasb
almost completely paralyzedt
so he was intubated in orderI
to keep him alive. Bernavé andB
Juana, his wife, are very, verys
poor and don’t know anybodyt
out of their little community.y
That means that if we have notk
given the medicine, he would bet
dead by now. But he is alive andn
recovering in Intensive Therapyy
in Salvatierra Hospital. It is ter-B
ribly sad and frustrating to hear
the people in the hospital sayingT
that if the patients don’t havei
money they just let them die,t
as if they had no value in ourb
world; in opposite to Juana’sl
words – who is about 60 years
old - talking about her husband
and the life with him as if she
were describing her teenage
here. It is now urgent to collect
another batch of vials or we will
be the lost hope of the next patient. Please share this with the
people who cooperated so they
know that they have become
angels for somebody.
A
Ulla Behn
*
Kisses, hugs and blessings,
*
*
Lucía
5
Business Spotlight
a
,
r
Allende Books
By Jim Donahoe
d
One of the true
-treasures for English-speaking
visitors and residents of La Paz
can be found less than two
blocks from the cathedral, near
dthe corner of Gmo. Prieto on
Independencia (#518). Allende
dBooks is a treasure trove of resources and entertainment in
ythe form of books and guides. If
.you’re serious about wanting to
tknow more about many things
that are La Paz and Baja California Sur, stop by and introduce
yyourself to Kathleen (Kat) and
-Bruce Bennett.
gThis quaint bookstore is housed
ein an over 140-year-old registered historical building that has
rbeen lovingly brought back to
slife by Esther Ammann, owner
s
d
e
e
t
-
e
Allende Books
of El Ángel Azul
B&B Inn, which
occupies a much
larger section of
this hacienda-like
structure.
The
B&B is another
story to come, and
you should check
it out at www.
elangelazul.com.
What I have observed in Allende
Allende Books on Independencia in La Paz
tion continues with recreationEach book and guide is useful
amazing diversity for the space.
This is not a tourist information
center with scores of brochures
on another excursion company,
accommodation, or eatery. Allende is for those who truly
want to know more. A visit to
www.allendebooks.com
will
provide a quick overview of the
guides, bilingual books, Latin
dren’s books, and more. What a
resource and treat.
That’s not all. Allende Books
works of art ranging from handcrafted jewelry, textiles, wall démore. Their stock changes quite
often, so be sure to go back and
check out new items.
One of the “foundation” books
is the Baja California Almanac,
color topographic maps detailing
every inch of Baja
California and offers over 10,000
entries that will
truly help you
explore this region. The selec-
I was able to chat with Kat for
a while to learn more about her
and Bruce, and was not surprised
to hear a familiar story. Bruce
and Kat are from my hometown of Seattle, Washington.
Knowing they wanted to make
a change, they began a journey
that took them down the west
coast of the United States and
into Mexico. They quickly decided that if they were going to
Continues on page 14
May 15th, 2013
May 15th, 2013
6
Business Spotlight Blues Festival returns to La Paz
Who is El Nopal
Spanish Language
School?
on the part of Europeans to travel to
Spanish
speaking
countries to study
By Juan Du Pond
Spanish while at the
same time learning
El Nopal Spanish
more about the wide
Language
School Juan, Martha and family variety of cultures
began as a dream about two and people who speak Spanish.
years ago in Germany, where In Germany, they even have a
my wife, Marta, and I were living word for these types of vacaat the time. We were about to tions, Sprachurlaub; it means
move back to Mexico, our home language vacation. As we precountry, and we were dream- pared to move back to Mexico,
ing about what our dream job we began to dream about what
would be. Marta already had it would look like to open our
several years of experience as
a Spanish teacher in various setWe moved to the city of QueSpanish to foreigners from the retaro, Mexico, where we both
Instituto Hispántico de Murcia grew up, and the idea of a lanin Spain, and she enjoyed her guage school there seemed imteaching job in Germany, where possible. We began to look for
she worked with students from other jobs, and at that point, we
various language backgrounds, found a job in La Paz. I am an
helping them grow in their
Spanish language ability. As we at The Shoppes, here in
lived and worked in Europe, we La Paz.
realized that there was a desire
By Ros Oberlyn
The City of Peace Blues Festival
returns to La Paz Friday, May 31.
The waterfront concert features
a rich lineup of performers from
California, Chicago, Mexico City
and BCS. The show is set to run
from noon till midnight.
The location will be the Muelle
Fiscal, the wide dock beyond the
little lighthouse on the Malecón
(across the street from the La
Fuente ice cream store and its
polka dot tree).
Doors open at noon and music
starts at 1 p.m.. Come prepared
for the sun. There will be food
and drink for sale at the festival.
Admission is $150 pesos. Tickets
are on sale now at Bueycup Coffee Bar on Belisario Dominguez
between 5 de Mayo and Constitución. There will also be tickets available at the gate. For
more information, call 612-1512481.
Mayedo & Wilder
Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen, San
Francisco
Pat Cohen has been surrounded
by music since the age of 6 —
the porch of her uncle’s house.
As a college student in the early
1980s, she was asked by a local
club to perform: “I had three
and put together 30 songs,”
she said. “I’ve been singing the
blues ever since.” For a preview,
watch Mother explode onto the
stage in an eye-popping blue
costume in her YouTube version
of “Wang Dang Doodle”.
Los Swing Breakers, Mexico
City
This new band from Mexico City
plays a fresh mix of blues, swing
and funk. Google “Swing Breakers” on YouTube to meet the
band and sample their sound.
Here’s the line-up, in order of appearance:
Groovetrotters, PescaderoThis
is a family band — father and
four sons — that plays funk,
jazz, reggae, blues and rock fusion. They have a unique sound
with a hard, funky groove that
will make you move. You can
google “Groovetrotters” on
YouTube to hear “Ain’t no Sunshine” and other songs.
as Koko Taylor and Etta James,
but she has her own unique ap-T
proach, and the fans love whate
she does. She’s toured on the
international blues circuit and
has been received with rave reviews. Among her awards: West
Coast Blues Hall Of Fame FemaleM
Blues vocalist, band leader ofo
the year 2008, R&B vocalist ofm
the year 2011 and the Jus Bluesc
Music Foundation’s Traditionalp
Blues Woman Of The Year 2008.t
Learn more by visiting her web-m
site at http://www.tiacarroll.a
com and sample her music on
YouTube, including “If I Didn’t
Know”.
F
Pat Wilder
Tia Carroll, Oakland, CaliforniaTia Carroll has been compared
to great blues vocalists such
Jorge Garciìa Ledesma of Follaje
C
c
b
m
i
b
t
f
p
Follaje, Mexico City
Follaje’s lead singer and harmonica player is Jorge Garcíao
Ledesma. For 40 years, his life
has been immersed in playing
and studying the blues. Along
the way, he’s performed with
many other great blues players
internationally and in Mexico,
among them Betsy Pecanins
and the bands of Javier Bátiz. In
1981, with Eduardo Chico, Adrián
Núñez and Rubén Martínez, he
founded Mexico’s legendary
blues group Follaje. In addition
to his performing credits, Jorge
García is president of the Asociación Mexicana de Blues and
Continues on page 19
7
-Table Talk is brought to you this
tedition by Kathy Bezy – thanks
d
t
eMay is one of the busier months
fof the year in Mexico, with a
fmountain of special days to
sconsider and several events and
lparties to attend. Below is a festive cake recipe that has been in
-my family for years. Whip it up
.and take it with you to your next
n
1 c. sugar and beat until smooth,
add 2 large eggs and beat until
perfectly smooth, then add 1 tsp
on top of crust and bake in preheated oven at 350 25 min. or
until cake appears set. Cool ½
hr.
Topping: gently stir together
1pint sour cream with ¼ c. sugar
and 1 tsp. vanilla. Bake in hot
oven 450 for 5-10 min until set.
Cool at room temperature for
4-6 hrs, and refrigerate for 2
hours before serving.
FESTIVE CHEESE CAKE
Crust: 1 ¼ C. graham cracker
crumbs, 1/3 c. sugar, 1/3 c. soft
butter, dash cinnamon, & nutmeg. Mix together and press
into spring form pan that has
been greased with Crisco or butter and chilled. Replace in refrigerator while making the next
part.
aof cream cheese softened. Add
g
g
s
,
s
n
n
y
n
e
d
Viva Mexico
cheese cake
Because I wanted a taller cheese
cake, I added one more egg and
8 oz. pkg. of cream cheese, increasing the sugar to 1½ c and
min. allowing the cake to continue cooking after the oven
texture turned out perfect. This
will serve 20 people if using a 15”
spring form pan.
May 15th, 2013
May 15th, 2013
8
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9
May 15th, 2013
Helping the Dogs at Huellitas Del Corazon
By Shawn Templeton
Another Day in Paradise....this is
the most common phrase used
and heard in our beautiful Baja
Sur. We are so lucky to live in
safe place with all the amenities
of home. There are plenty of
good people and good friends,
all the good things in life. But
then you drive down the highway and see dead dogs on the
side of the road, or starving skin
and bone dogs hanging around
the streets scrounging for food.
And these are the lucky dogs because they are alive and not at
the dog pound.
Most people I have spoken to always say how much they love it
down here, except for the heartbreaking despair of how the
dogs are treated. For some of
us, this is enough to make us run
home where dogs have a special
place in our family, where parks
are made especially for them,
and where there are special
“Doggie Day Care” where you
can take your beloved pooch
when you have to work. Up
“Doggy Hotels” or “Pet Friendly
Hotels” are common place and
the most common social problem concerning pets is making sure you pick up your doggie poop in order to keep your
neighbours from complaining.
For the rest of us, we just try
to close our eyes and pretend
we don’t see any of this, or we
say it’s Mexico, that’s life here,
or there’s nothing we can do,
we already have our own dogs.
Deep down inside we all know
there is always something that
can be done and now is the time
to do it. Many of us down here
are living in paradise, with lots
of time on ours hands and with
this time there is always a way
to help.
My new Mexican friends,
Joaquin Rodriguez and his wife,
Yolanda, are the perfect example. They are a middle aged Mex-
homes.
They
do what they
do with an easy
going,
lovable
passion.
They
are happy, their
dogs are happy,
the cats are happy and life goes
on. This couple
is not doing this
Yolanda, Joaquin and friends of Huellitas del Corazon
for
the
ican couple who could not turn praise and respect of their
away homeless dogs and are peers, they are not doing this
doing things to make a change,
to make it better. They have es- and cats. They are doing this
tablished Huellitas Del Corazon out of love and compassion,
A.C. (Paws of the Heart) which which is something we all
is a registered charity here in need more of in our lives
La Paz for the rescue of dogs
and cats. They live in a modest In order to help and support
area of La Paz in a small Mexican Huellitas Del Corazon A.C.
style home with 12 small dogs (2 there will be a “Used Clothing,
which are blind) and 4 cats.
Craft and Goods Sale” which
will be held at Pelicano’s in El
Everyday, Joaquin borrows a car Centenario on Saturday, June 1st
or rides his bicycle up to the hill
to the road to Los Planos where
he has a small refuge (600 sq. ft)
which houses 12 large dogs and
16 cats and feeds other stray
dogs in the area.
The dogs are all housed either
individually or in groups that get
along. He does not have any
highend cages or pens. He has
made the dogs safe and comfortable with what he has on
hand; an old chair, seats out of
a car...etc.
Joaquin says the dog problem
will not be solved by building
bigger refuges but by educating
and training the people, and he
does just that. He goes to the
schools, dressed up as a dog,
and educates children on how
to care for dogs, cats and promotes sterilzation. Every weekend Joaquin and Yolanda spend
donated articles to raise enough
money to feed the dogs and
cats. Although life is a struggle
for them, to meet this happy
good natured couple you would
believe that life has been good
to them. They never ask for anything and are most appreciative
for anything that comes their
way.
If they could ask for something,
it would be to please help them
from 10am to 3pm. We will keep
an up-to-date post of goods
available on our facebook page
at www.facebook.com/pages/
HUELLITAS-DEL-CORAZON-A-C.
at this event, please contact
Shawn at shawn.t508@gmail.
com. All funds made from table
purchases will go directly, in full,
to Huellitas Del Corazon AC refuge.
If you are interested in participating in this event by reserving
a table (50 pesos) to sell your
used clothing, crafts, goods or
services, or if you or your group
wish to have representation
community event, with something for everyone, so please
share your unique gift, bring
your family and friends and
share the day with us and make
would be very grateful for
any donations in support of
Huellitas Del Corazon A.C. or
any goods which could be
used to raise funds.
Success is as good as it’s volunteers, so please, if you have
some time or wish to help at
this event, we would love to
hear from you.
Joaquin taking Pucci to her new home with
Donneley.
10
May 15th, 2013
friends already left to their home countries. Those who are still here
Today I am going to share some common expressions that are not
ENGLISH
SPANISH TRANSLATION
This is probably the most common expression that is not used properly. The full expression is
“There is no problem”. In English, it is not necessary to say the full
sentence but in Spanish it is. When you say, ”No problema” Spanish
speakers will understand, because the meaning is clear. However
“No problema” is not correct. The correct/proper way to say this
idea is: “No hay problema”. The full sentence must be expressed.
F
A
R
PROPER EXPRESSION
ENGLISH
SPANISH TRANSLATION
PROPER EXPRESSION
T
Tú estás correcto
I see many people having embarrassing moments because of this
expression. This is because even though the translation is correct,
the meaning is not correct. When you say “Estoy excitado” you are
House for rent
in San Pedro
Semi-furnished.
Large patio with bbq
area and palapa.
4,800.00 a month.
Call 612 141 1779
ENGLISH
SPANISH TRANSLATION
PROPER EXPRESSION
The sauce is very
hot
La salsa está muy caliente
La salsa está muy picante
This is another expression that is not used properly, even though
the translation is correct, the meaning is not correct. In Spanish
the word “hot” has to do with temperature. COLD – WARM - HOT.
When you say in Spanish “La salsa está muy caliente” you are meaning, “The temperature of this sauce is high” HOT. The correct/proper way to express this idea is:
ENGLISH
SPANISH TRANSLATION
PROPER EXPRESSION
No hay problema
O
m
“Tú estás correcto” is another common expression that is not prop-f
erly used. Even though the translation is correct, the meaning is notc
correct. This is because the translation is expressed but not thes
idea. And because of the confusion with verbs “ser and estar” thisL
is also commonly expressed as: “Tú es correcto” both are incorrect.i
a
“
a
we translate this in English it would say: “You have reason” whicht
r
c
Amigos, expressions are very important in our communication,h
therefore it is necessary to learn the meanings. I know we all do ourm
best to communicate, in fact when I was learning English I made aC
lot of mistakes and I still do. This is part of the exciting process ofp
learning, I hope this lesson is helpful and I encourage you to keept
b
t
a
o
Feel free to contact Maestra Graciela Chagoyan at gracielachagoy-c
an@hotmail.com with any questions or comments.
F
M
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o
s
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o
11
FANLAP Celebrates the Ten-Year
Anniversary of their “Comedor”, Dining
Room
TBC
On April 26 2013, at their annual
meeting where accomplishments
for 2012 were presented, FANLAP
celebrated the ten-year-anniversary of the dining room in Colonia
Laguna Azul. Judy Peterson, President of FANLAP, had this to say
about the important milestone
“As we approach the ten-year
anniversary of our dining room, I
think of all those who helped us
realize our dreams of helping the
children of the colonias. We have
had the help of many donors,
mostly through International
Community Foundation (ICF). ICF
provided assistance in handling
the donations, and advising us
before, during and after building
the dining room. But those who
amaze me the most are our team
of cooks, all of whom live in the
colonias we serve and who vol-
unteer their services. Five days
a week during
the school year,
seven
women
exchange the duties (which they
make seem like
fun) to cook the
daily lunch which
is now served at
Kids washing their hands before eating at the
2:30 – 3:15 after
Comedor, 2003
school lets out
for the day. Two days a week, or about 25 dollars, and their chilthey prepare a nutritional break- dren are given uniforms, shoes,
fast to augment the breakfast backpacks and school supplies at
served three days a week in din- the beginning of the school year.”
ing rooms of the Catholic church
in Colonias Marquez de Leon and To access FANLAP’s annual reVista Hermosa. Three of these port 2012, simply enter this link
women have worked the ten into your browser: http://www.
lapazninos.org/Reports/FANLAPare able, we give them a monthly Report-2012-EN.pdf
“despensa” (consisting of various staples including rice, beans, found on the last two pages of
tomato sauce, tuna) which is the report.
worth approximately 300 pesos, For more information, and to
learn how you may volunteer,
contact Judy at jupete49@hotmail.com.
FANLAP Subasta (Auction) 2013
Most of you are familiar with the
FANLAP Subasta which takes
ber of each year. The 25th anniversary of this event will take place
on December 1, 2013. Subasta
was started before the formation
of Club Cruceros de La Paz, by
some of the founders of the Club.
Through the years it has evolved
until 2002, when the event became the major fundraiser to ben-
Jean and Judy at SUBASTA 2012
equipment; whatever is taking
up space in your closets that you
no longer use.
Niños La Paz, A.C.)
You may bring donations to
de La Paz, Legaspy and Topete.
We cordially accept donations
of quality used clothing, articles
We’re happy to announce
Jean Wise, who did such an
excellent job last year, has again
volunteered to organize this
meeting of the Subasta
committees in October.
May 15th, 2013
May 15th, 2013
12
Warm And Cold Water
Species Mix It Up For The
Week!
T
Yellowtail still
biting, especially
north of La Paz
around Espirito
Santo Island. They_
re diminishing as
the waters are
warming but some
of the one_s we_re
getting are still 20-
http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com
but it wasn’t a great week of
tainly a lot of action in terms of
getting rods bent, but just not
up. But, also some of that had
were getting hooked as well.
Like I said, there was some fairly
decent action as we had good
numbers of pargo, cabrilla, sierra, pompano and bonito ripping
around. Great, great fun on light
tackle. Some dorado were also
showing up to 25 pounds. And
pounds plus jack crevalle in the
same area. So, some great vari-
But, in terms of quality, we just
didn’t see much. But then again,
that have a lot going for them…
We did get yellowtail again. Fewer, but many of those busted
showed some in the 20-30 pound
T
t
S
u
a
c
o
t
r
t
P
class. The best area has beenc
the east side of Espirito Santoi
Island north of La Paz. That’sr
an area where there’s still a bigs
body of cooler water accordingw
to the satellite images of the
water temperatures. As well,B
their bruiser cousins, the amber-g
jack also made a great showingB
l
again, it’s a lot harder to put ai
t
o
were hooking them, they mostlym
t
pargo and cabrilla. If you can’tm
get them out of the rocks, thew
a
t
catching.
g
f
o
Waters are in that transitionT
mode and passing through at
warming phase so we’re expecting to go from cooler water to
warmer water species any week
gers of warm water and sargasso is starting to build up in the
channels which bodes well for
That’s our story from Jonathan
and Jilly at Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International.
Toxic Wedding Ring
The controversy surrounding
the proposed gold mines in the
Sierra Mountain Range continues to grow. On March 13, 2013,
a symposium regarding the social, economic, and legal aspects
of the gold mines was sponsored
tal organizations. In a packed
room, spilling out the door, at
the Teatro de La Ciudad in La
Paz, México, academic profes-
nconcerned citizens participated
oin discussions and reviewed horrifying photos of existing mines
gscattered throughout Northgwest México.
Baja California Sur is the next tar-get and we are the next victims.
gBecause our state is one of the
least densely populated states
in the country, the foothills between La Paz and Los Cabos are
on the radar of the largest gold
ymines in Canada, México, and
the U.S. Niparajá, an environtmental organization dedicated
ewith conservation of terrestrial
and marine ecosystems, hosted
the symposium along with a
group of Environmental Defense Attorneys (CEMDA) and
other organizations.
nTo summarize, here are the deatails:
- 1. Explosives – the mining company has to blow up the mountain to get the gold. This will
release tons of carbon stored
in the granite and limestone.
Combined with the oxygen
r in the air (O2), this will create
PLUMES OF CARBON DIOXIDE
(CO2
n lungs.
s
2. Water – the mining companies have to use enormous
volumes of water. They will
take this from the ocean and
freshwater aquifers. The salt
will be put back into the ocean
increasing the salinity and potentially smother the coral
reefs and provoke HARMFUL
ALGAL BLOOMS. The freshwater will be taken from farmers
and ranchers which provide
much of the food we eat. It is
13
possible that the government
will have to SHUT OFF OUR
WATER.
3. Chemicals – The mining companies have to use CYANIDE,
mercury, and heavy metals to
extract the gold. These chemicals, as well as the resulting
SULFURIC ACID, will leech into
the already depleted aquifers
and contaminate the watershed that supplies us with
water. Cyanide mixed with
water creates a chemical reaction, producing a TOXIC GAS.
This gas is odorless, so you
until enough of your cells have
feel fatigued and sore. As the
water evaporates, this will
run the water cycle and produce ACID RAIN.
tection Agency (EPA) had to
fork over millions of taxpayer
dollars to “clean-up”. The mining companies only clean up a
portion of their mess. They will
leave us with a large hole in the
Sierra Mountains for us to enjoy.
The plants that once converted
CO2 into O2 will be gone as well
as archeological sites that are
still in the process of registration by the federal government.
What is the solution? Simple
supply and demand economics:
the demand, the mining groups
won´t need the supply. Spread
the word; tell your families and
friends how much you love the
beauty of BCS and that the ecosystems are in danger of being
destroyed for gold mining and
tell them to stop buying gold.
Yes, it will produce jobs, but
there is no guarantee that the
jobs will be provided to our local communities. Rather, the
jobs will probably be directed
to international contractors.
The irony is that the mining will
remove more jobs than it provides. The damage to the water
and ecosystem will eventually
communities.
The production of one wedding
ring weighing 10 grams of gold
generates 30 tons of toxic materials (Dr. Silvia Gonzalez, University National Patagonia San
Juan Bosco). If you don´t want
to lose our precious beauty that
we all love and the reason we return to this part of the country,
take a stand and do something.
These environmental impacts
are known from other mines
around the world in Spain, U.S.,
Cuba, and Chile. These claims
are not false. For more information, check out a publication
by the US Department of Agriculture: Acid Drainage Impacts
From Mining Activities in National Forests (1993).
10 grams gold = 30 tons toxic
waste
In the U.S. there are mines
where the Environmental Pro-
INTERCAM, your first all inclusive financial resort.
May 15th, 2013
14
May 15th, 2013
Uruapan, Michoacan - a
City of Festivals
Business Spotlight
Continues from page 5
By John K. Glaab, CIPS
During
All year long there are
festivals occurring in Uruapan,
Michoacan. The two most
plaza in Uruapan. This year more
than 1,200 came to display and
sell their work. Representing 73
communities, the artisans came
with 1 million pieces. These
ranged from copper works of
art (Santa Clara del Cobre) to
hotels are; Noche de Muertos
(Night of the Dead) and Semana
is November 1 and the second
takes place during Holy Week,
usually in March or April.
Michoacan is the center of
the part pagan, part Christian
celebration of Noche de
Muertos (Night of the Dead).
Tzintzuntzin, the capital of the
Tarascan empire, is especially
important, but ofrendas (altars)
are also abundant in the streets
of Patzcuaro and Uruapan. For
the past three years, Uruapan
has also had a celebration of
velas (candles). More than
10,000 adorn the Centro
Historica and the main plaza at
this time of year.
Semana
Santa,
the
There are two parades during
the week. One is the parade of
the artesanos and the other is
the parade of the aguadores
(water carriers). The later in
traditional costume carried
water from the Rio Cupatitzio,
to the Inmaculada church
for blessing. Of course, both
had musical groups in their
processions .
Property Specialist and an active
member the Mexican Association of
Real Estate Professionals (AMPI) and
the U.S. National Association of
Realtors®.
live in Mexico, they needed to
learn the language better. They
found a Spanish school in La
Paz, together with a one-month
live-in arrangement with a local
Mexican family. Besides improving their language skills enough
to do a little more than just get
by, they developed a great relationship with the local family
and experienced the wonderful
people that live and work in La
Paz. However, they had a plan
to journey to the mainland and
check out a number of locales
they had researched as a possible place to relocate. Nearly a
year later, having experienced
great people and a variety of locations, they returned to La Paz
with the thought of staying for
a few months for the purpose
of making a decision on which
of the half-a-dozen alternative
Mexican locations they would
choose. La Paz was not one of
Kat began working with Diane
Carmona, the former owner of
Allende’s, designing a database
and updating the shop’s records. Four months after moving to its new location, with the
records updated and everything
organized, Diane decided it was
time to move on and sell the
store. Because they knew the
operation from the inside and
looked at the potential to expand, Bruce and Kat became the
proud owners of Allende Books
early in 2009. I asked about
when they made the decision
to make La Paz their permanent
residence. This is the part about
the familiar story. Kat said, “We
really didn’t. We never had that
conversation. We were really
planning on staying for a few
months, and seven years later
we’re still here.” Gosh, I really
have heard that story before,
numerous times.
In all my interviews I always ask
if there were any interesting or
fun remembrances. Kat thought
for awhile and told me that they
were interviewed by International Living Magazine and following the publication of that
edition, she has had folks from
all over the world come into Allende and ask, “are you Kat?”
and even some that immediately want their picture taken with
her. Kat is very taken back by
her ‘celebrity’. How fun to think
that someone in Europe reads
a magazine article and makes a
point of coming to La Paz and
and Kat. I love the power of the
I asked Kat what message she
and Bruce would like to project
to the reading audience. She
thought for a moment and said,
“We really don’t have a message we want to get out. To us,
it’s simple… we love literature,
and we love to share it with everyone.” That seems like a great
message to me. If you are truly
interested in learning more, be
sure to stop by Allende Books.
Allende Books is opened Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am until
6:00 pm. Call 612 125 9114.
Jim Donahoe is a full-time resident of La Paz and is the owner/
broker for Baja Coast Brokers.L
With more than 35 years experi-C
ence, including 10 years of con-C
sulting in Western Mexico and 6e
years helping shape CostaBaja,T
Jim decided to open his own fullb
service real estate agency. Jimf
loves La Paz. To read all of his ar-4
ticles about La Paz go to: www.o
bajacoastproperties.com unders
Lifestyle Articles. For real estatea
C
on Cinco de Mayo near the cor-T
ner of Revolucion. Or email himm
at: jim@bajacoastbrokers.comt
or call his Mexican cell at (612)o
140-1054 or his US number at:s
(619) 752-8114.
t
w
P
o
d
i
B
e
e
f
r
T
t
M
15
La Paz Welcomed…
Program for the Four Entrances to
Coast, Cuba, Bolivia, Thailand, Palestine, Indonesia and Chile.
The ambassadors were welcomed
by the city to take part in the
founding festivities including the
4th Annual Gastronomical Festival
organized by the restaurant association, CANIRAC, and the reenactment of the arrival of Hernan
Cortes to the waters of La Paz.
The Mayor said it represented a
moment of great pride to share
the culture and tourism aspects
of La Paz to the diplomatic representatives but also an opportunity
to show the various investment
in February of 2102. The program started with the entrance
coming into La Paz from the air-
Continues from front top page the City,” which was announced
world.
Ponce Beltran feels that because
of this historical participation of
diplomats during the cities founding festivities, the naming of
Boulevard de la Naciones will forever symbolize this unprecedented event and be a reminder of the
friendly relations the city has with
representatives of other nations.
The renaming of the boulevard
that enters La Paz from the air-
travelers have of the destination
when they arrive here by air.
At the time, the mayor said that
the program would be dealing
with a multitude of factors in
cleaning up the image of the entranceways into the city including
an integral landscape design proposal that was put forward by the
department of Urban Image within Public Services. It was said that
move along gradually with special
attention given to the condition
of streets and avenues and their
boulevards, the improvement of
curbs, the functionality of public
street lighting and other aspects
that need attention.
The Municipality of La Paz said
it would move immediately on
the steps necessary to be able to
change the name of the entranceway into the city from the
airport.
Mayor Esthela Ponce welcoming 25 embassadors from around the world to La Paz.
May 15th, 2013
May 15th, 2013
16
What You Can Do to ...
Continues from front page bottom
stop them. It was not the kind
of experience to end a vacation
with.
I became upset upon hearing
this news because this is not
the La Paz I am familiar with. I
made an appointment to see
Lic. José Noé Lopez Ramirez,
Director General de Seguridad
Publica, Policia Preventiva y
Transito Municipal La Paz. Lic.
Lopez was extraordinarily supportive and very vocal about
his intolerance of unethical behavior. He has been Director
General for three months here
in La Paz and appears to be very
much in control. While I was telling him the story, he summoned
Comandante Sergio Ceseña, of
ing the remainder of the meeting, very attentive, while taking
notes and adding information.
He provided us with three photos of possible culprits, and we
were later able to make a posithat we would be given a report
of how the investigation went
as soon as it was concluded. In
fact, the very next day Comandante Ceseña contacted us to
As a result of this meeting, I
compiled this information:
Policia Municipal may stop drivers for violations. They can give
tickets, and if the violation is
blatant, it is possible the police
license. If taken, the driver’s license is attached to the ticket,
and the driver may retrieve it
when the ticket is paid. The Postep out of the car, but only if
there is a suspicion of drug or
alcohol use, weapons, or equally
serious threat.
However, Lic. Lopez pronounces, “I have instructed the police
Outboard motors 6
H.P. to 15 H.P. Johnston
excell. cond. - 2 stroke,
low hours from $395.00
- $900.00 15 ft.- 4 passenger Boat Mex. Legal
with trailer $2,900.00
6121696186, 6121221476.
Your ad
can be in
here!
less the violation is really seri-
ber_______________________.
He is asking me for money”
ucate about safety while being
supportive and kind.” Lic. Lopez
was very adamant that the community and the tourists hear his
directive, “We want to be help-
Municipal, con el número de patrulla _____________________.
Me está pidiendo dinero.”
been told this.” He emphasizes
that extortion is unacceptable
and to help stop this behavior,
the public must report it.
The Central de la Policía will dispatch a car to you, so be aware
of your location.
Lic. Lopez directs us to do the
Director General at 122-0477
Take a photo of the police of-
for money:
is from Municipal or Estatal (it
says clearly on the vehicle) and
cation number. The number of
the vehicle is on the rear side.
tion number is the best way to
.
Colima y Mexico. It is housed in
a large building that says “Transito”. The phone number to the
will be able to write up a complaint. Keep a copy of it. This
documentation allows Lic. Lopez and Comandante Ceseña
to appropriately discipline the
occurrences.
Call for support. Take your time.
Call a friend who speaks Spanish, if that is easiest for you. Or,
call directly to the Central de
Policia:
The Central de la Policia 612-1294558
Be prepared to say this:
“I was stopped by a Policia Munic-
I will be asking Lic. Lopez to
endorse an abbreviated copy
of this information and hopefully, place copies in the La Paz
car rental storefronts. Please
pass this information around to
friends in the city and share with
your company when they come
and visit. We all need to do our
part to end police bribes.
17
May 15th, 2013
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Advertise with US for as little as:
$250.00 PESOS
May 15th, 2013
18
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Blues Festival returns ...
Continues from page 6
of the blues in Mexico, El Camino Triste de una Música. You can
hear several of his songs on YouTube by googling “Follaje”.
Wheatbread Johnson, Chicago
Wheatbread Johnson is a guitarist and singer from Chicago
who, in his own words, is from
the “Khnemu School of Getyour-groove-on”. Wheatbread
played in Sheft-Hat’s blues band
in Chicago at the age of 17. Since
then, he has performed his
brand of blues in more than 25
countries. Now in Austin, Texas,
he teaches private classes, online lessons and college courses
in blues guitar. You can hear his
songs on http://www.reverbnation.com/wheatbreadjohnson.
Nina Galindo, Mexico City
Nina Galindo’s style has been
described as a fusion of blues,
rock, trova and bolero. Born in
Los Angeles, she has lived since
childhood in Mexico City and
is a Mexican citizen. She lists
lor, Janis Joplin and Paquita la
del Barrio. Galindo has been described as one of Mexico’s most
important blues singers. Her
voice is husky, yet melodic and
so clear that even a gringa like
me can make out the lyrics. You
can sample three of Galindo’s
songs online at http://www.
soundclick.com/bands/default.
cfm?bandID=79445.
Bluz Explozión, La Paz
Host band for City of Peace
Blues Festival is Blúz Explozión.
The soul of La Paz’s premier
blues band is Sheft-Hãt Khnemu
Ra, bass player and vocalist of
the group. Sheft-Hãt’s family has
to the stage with his siblings
as a two-year-old in Chicago. A
player of reggae, jazz, blues and
ballads, he met his wife Charo
— Rosario Luz de la Fuente —
18 years ago in Mexico City and
ever since has made Mexico his
home. Charo is manager of the
19
band and organizer of the blues
festival. (The writer of this festival preview is the harmonica
player in the band.)
Pat Wilder, San Francisco
Pat Wilder grew up in a home
rich with music. Her siblings
danced and she picked up a guitar to accompany them. Her
mother bought her a plastic
guitar at Woolworth’s when she
was eleven years old but her
family friend Taj Mahal. After
formal musical study, her career
progressed from playing as a
side musician in blues and funk
bands to touring internationally, recording CDs and winning
awards. She is a songwriter and
a guitar sensation. Says one onher personality — earthy and
real. As a vocalist, she holds the
attention of the audience with
lessly shifts from raunchy to a
girlishly sweet delivery.” Pat’s
band includes the classicallytrained violinist Carole Mayedo,
master of blues and several other genres. Carole received a gold
record for her stellar violin and
vocal work with Neil Young on
the album “American Stars and
Bars” and was nominated for a
Grammy in 2012 for her improvisational violin performance on
a children’s album. Google Pat
Wilder on YouTube to sample
her work. Also on YouTube and
on Carole Mayedo’s website,
you’ll see Carole and Pat do a
high-energy version of “Papa
John” that will leave you breathless.
And there’s more
During the festival, you’ll also
hear these talented musicians,
appearing as special invited
guests: Jerry Villar (trumpet)
from Veracruz, Doug Alani (sax)
from Los Angeles, Howie Clifton
(sax) from Los Cabos, Bill “Blue”
Cherry (guitar) from La Paz, Stethe United Kingdom and Javier
Wock (singer) from La Paz.
May 15th, 2013
May 15th, 2013
20
Buyers Ask: “Should I wait
until the fideicomiso law
is passed before I buy?”
By Susan Fogel
The real estate social media is buzzing like a party line, with conjecture, questions, and prognostications about the pending change in
the foreign ownership law.
While the law seeking to set aside
the ban on direct foreign ownership of land near a coast or border, as described in Article 27 of
the Mexican constitution has fasttracked through the Congress, it
still has to pass the Senate, and
states. Of the needed 16 states,
only 11 have coastlines. There may
be some political wrangling to get
some of the interior states to ratify
the new law.
We have not heard anything from
the banks, which stand to lose 25%
of the income of their trust departments. Are they lobbying behind
the scenes? Or are they cooking up
way to get more fees?
The general consensus of real estate professionals is guardedly
optimistic. We hope the proposal
becomes law. But we have also
lived here long enough to know
that these changes do not happen
quickly. The legislative process,
the world over, is rife with party
politics that cause delays. When a
your new life. By waiting, something can happen in your old life
that may stop you from embarking
on your new life. Buy your dream
home in paradise. Let the pressures
of life in the old country slip away,
and enjoy the beach, the birds, and
the wonderful Mexican food and
people and their way of life.
and legal for foreigners to own
property in Mexico’s restricted
zones. (All of the Baja Peninsula is
miso is the law right now and will
be for quite a while. If this proposal
becomes law, you do not have to
miso. You can let the dust settle
and decide to cancel or not at your
pleasure.
Our market has been slow-to-adead-stop for years. Well-priced
properties are now selling, and
buyers are still coming to La Paz to
buy. Here it is mid-May, the weather is still pleasant, but heating up
a little every week. As the heat
builds, the busy real estate season
wanes. That’s the way it has been
for the last few years. While there
ity, we are still touring buyers, with
property. It looks like our recovering market is stable. Buyers seeking good deals are still buying. You
reported on the MLS.
usually phased in over time. What
does that mean to today’s buyers?
Should you wait until the law is
passed and we know what the new
rules will be? While the real estate
community applauds this change
and hopes it will be enacted, it
hasn’t happened yet.
Price USD
Don’t set aside your dreams based
on the hope of a new law.
If you are a buyer, waiting means
that you stand to miss opportunities to buy a well-priced property.
By waiting, you leave the door
open for someone else to snap up
your dream home. By waiting, you
may miss the seller’s market in the
old country and may not be able to
sell your home, thereby leaving you
short of the cash you need to begin
Houses
Condos
Land
0–30,000
–
–
–
40–
50,000
–
–
–
50–
60,000
1
–
–
70–
80,000
–
–
–
100–
200,000
6
5
–
300–
400,000
–
–
–
Total
7
5
0
ing system we have. This does not
take into account private sales and
sales by non-AMPI/MLS agents.
We have properties to show you
and sellers willing to make deals.
What are you waiting for?