Vallarta Tribune Digital 14 by Vallarta Tribune

Dec 14 - 20, 2020 Year 01 Online Issue 014

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

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ALL-INCLUSIVE NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE FOR PUERTO VALLARTA AND RIVIERA NAYARIT

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Welcome

Welcome to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit

t the Vallarta Tribune we want you to have the best experience possible while you explore Puerto Vallarta, the Bay of Banderas and Riviera Nayarit. Here are some helpful tips for traveling. TIME ZONE: The entire state of Jalisco and the southern part Nayarit are on Central time – if you’re heading further north than Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, remember the time change so you don’t miss your flight. BUSES: A system of urban buses can bring you from El Tuito in the south to San Pancho in the north and all the spots in between. Fares vary according to distances travelled, but the base fare is 10 pesos. If you’re going further than San Pancho, head to the main bus terminal to catch a ‘Pacifico’ bus. TAXIS: There are set fares within defined zones of town. Do not enter a taxi without agreeing on the price with the driver. Make a note of the taxi number in case you leave something behind. Drivers typically do not carry change. UBER: New in 2017 to Puerto Vallarta, Uber is still experiencing some growing pains particularly in the state of Nayarit. Uber is cheaper than a taxi usually. GETTING AROUND: In many places such as Centro Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta there are paths for bikes and pedestrians. Please be respectful of these designations. MONEY EXCHANGE: The most hassle-free way to exchange money is to use your debit card in the ATM to withdraw pesos. Exchange houses offer higher rates and banks are remiss to change dollars to pesos if you don’t hold an account with them. Best to use ATM’s that are affiliated with a reputable bank located in well lit secure areas. TIPPING: In general you should tip 10-20% in restaurants and bars. Taxi or Uber drivers – 10-20 pesos. The person who bags your groceries or helps load your car – 10-20 pesos. Don’t forget to tip

CALLING IN MEXICO

your maid, bell boy, masseuse, the band, the entertainment on your tour. And by all means, tip more if you want, wages are extremely low in Mexico. DRINKING WATER: While Puerto Vallarta’s water has been awarded a certification of purity for the past two decades, the quality of the water tested at the source varies greatly from what comes out of the tap at the other end. Don’t wreck your holiday – buy bottle water. EXPORTING PETS: Falling in love with the street dog outside your hotel is easy to do and it’s also easy to bring them home with you. The process is inexpensive and only takes a day or two. You only need a certificate of health from a local vet and check with your airline for additional requirements. COMMON SENSE: Just as you wouldn’t walk around your hometown drunk and belligerent, it is not acceptable to do that here. While Mexico is a tolerant culture, politeness is paramount. Don’t pee in the streets. Don’t flash your money or expensive gadgets. Pay attention to your surroundings. Know where you are going. Pay your bills (and don’t forget to tip). And have fun! DRINKING AND DRIVING: First off – just don’t. The consequences are not worth it. Taxis or Ubers are cheap and plentiful. Fines are very expensive. You can go to jail and your vehicle impounded. There are many checkstops on the weekends, and you will be asked to take a breathalizer test if they suspect you have been drinking. LEGAL SYSTEM: Not knowing the law is not a valid excuse in Mexico, or anywhere. If you find yourself caught in a legal situation, be aware that often guilt is presumed until your innocence can be proven. This is a very difficult lesson to learn if you are visiting from the United States or Canada. Immediately contact your consulate for assistance.

Sept. 21 - 27, 2020 Year 01 Online Issue 002

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ALL-INCLUSIVE NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE FOR PUERTO VALLARTA AND RIVIERA NAYARIT

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Teléfono: (322) 226 3870 Proa #111, Marina Vallarta, C.P. 48335. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México.

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

LOCAL CALLS WITHIN MEXICO All calls within Mexico can now be dialed using the 10-digit telephone number (usually a two- or three-digit area code plus an eight- or seven-digit number) from a landline or cell phone, eliminating the need for prefixes, such as 01, 044 or 045. In Mexico, most cities use a three-digit area code, notable exceptions being CDMX, Guadalajara and Monterrey. LONG DISTANCE CALLS WITHIN MEXICO Same procedure as above applies. LONG DISTANCE CALLS TO MEXICO FROM ABROAD If you are making a long-distance call to Mexico from abroad, simply add the country code (52) to the 10-digit number as described above.

CALLING TOLL-FREE NUMBERS (The following procedure predates the August 2019 update. We are waiting for specific information regarding toll-free calls within Mexico and to numbers elsewhere.) Some toll-free numbers work from Mexico to the US and Canada, but many do not. Those that do work are often not toll-free. You need to dial a different prefix. To call the following toll free prefixes, dial as follows: 800 numbers Dial 001-880-then the number 866 numbers Dial 001-883-then the number 877 numbers Dial 001-882-then the number 888 numbers Dial 001-881-then the number

INTERNATIONAL LONG-DISTANCE CALLS FROM MEXICO US & Canada: Dial 001 + Area Code + Number Elsewhere: Dial 00 + Country Code + Area Code + Number

FIRE DEPARTMENT: 322.223.9476 AMBULANCE: 322.222.1533 IMMIGRATION: 322.224.7719 CONSUMER PROTECTION: 01.800.468.8722

Emergencies: 911 Red Cross: 065

The Vallarta Tribune is an activity and entertainment guide and publishes information as it is provided by the advertiser or event host. We do not assume responsibility in errors or omissions other than to correct them as they are made known to us regarding event schedules, locations and/or prices. In addition, we do not assume any responsibility for erroneous inclusion or exclusion of information except to

TOURISM OFFICES Jalisco: 322.221.2676 Nayarit: 322.297.1006 CONSULATES American Consulate 24 hrs 01-332-268-2100 Canadian Consulate 322.293.0098 322.293.0099 24 hrs: 1.800.706.2900

take reasonable care to ensure accuracy, that permission has been obtained to use it, and to remove it as soon as is practical upon receiving your notification of error. We recommend you always confirm prior to attending or visiting an event or establishment. Weekly publication. * www.vallartatribune.com * www.facebook.com/VtaTribune/

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

News

Local Voices

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

Bucerías Life in the Slow Lane Kelly and Dennis Wilson

buceriaslifeintheslowlane.com

Kelly and Dennis moved from the chilly north to sunny Bucerias in July 2017. Together, they publish Bucerias Life in the Slow Lane, an online news outlet describing community events, eateries and arts, local history, human interest stories and more. They enjoy spending time volunteering for various organizations.

Recycling Plastic in Bucerias – A Dual Purpose

The Amigos de Bucerias Recycling Program The Amigos de Bucerias organization (AdB, or simply, Amigos) is a non-profit umbrella for many valuable local causes, one of them being the recycling of plastic, which in turn pays for replacement lightbulbs for all of the 780 streetlights in our town. http://amigosdebucerias.org You’ve no doubt noticed and used the wire recycling baskets disbursed throughout Bucerias. Those baskets are built, delivered, repaired and emptied by AdB volunteers. Dave advises, “About once a year we have a basket making party.” Interested in finding out a little more about the program, I tagged along with one of the recycling teams as they covered their designated area. On a recent early morning, (I had to set my alarm!), I climbed into the Amigos’ truck at the corner of Javier Mina and Lázaro Cárdenas, and Dick, Dave, Mark, and I headed for the recycling yard. Located just off Estaciones, the trailer is waiting in the yard, ready to be hooked up to the truck. After preparing and stocking up supplies for the morning’s activities, we were ready to roll. Dick drove while Dave and Mark “swept” the route, emptying each basket into large

black plastic bags. I learned much of the story as Dick maneuvered around town and Dave and Mark jumped in and out of the truck. It goes a little like this… The purpose of the recycling program is to keep plastic off the streets and beaches, and out of the ocean and landfill site. Different teams cover different areas, and the entire town’s baskets are emptied weekly. Plastic is dumped from the baskets into large black garbage bags and placed on the trailer for delivery back to the yard. While emptying the baskets, it’s necessary to check for, and separate, aluminum cans and trash. The garbage bags are pricey, so the volunteers empty them into the giant “jumbos” at the yard and reuse the bags for as long as possible. I’m not sure of the exact size of a jumbo but I’m betting you could hold a party in one. Materiales Monroy, a building supply company in Mezcales, shreds the plastic and then sells it. They return 2.8 pesos per kilogram to the AdB. Dick advised, “Monroy goes right to the yard to pick up, and they bring back the empty jumbos. There can be as many as 100 jumbos in the yard waiting to be picked up by Monroy.” Jumbos are the very large white bags you see in the photo above. I asked each of the gentlemen, “Why are you committed to the recycling project?” Dick answered, “There’s a social aspect, and I gotta get off the couch to be perfectly honest with you.” Dick is the

longest standing Amigo member of the three, and has previously held the position of Treasurer with the AdB, but says, “Now I do recycling and streetlight repair. It kind of keeps me off the street…or actually, on the street!” He tells me he knows enough Spanish to get into trouble but not enough to get out of it. Dave and Mark share feelings of giving back. “We all know how lucky we are to be here, I mean, this is paradise.” And, “Its nice to get out in the community.” They both have participated in the recycling project in different capacities for several years. Integral to the overall success of the recycling program is Neil Lamb, a long-time Amigos member. Neil schedules the recycling teams, arranges for sponsored banners on the baskets, and collects monies from Monroy. I’m sure he does much more, but he’s too modest to say. Read some history and see the list of what can and cannot be recycled: http:// a m i g o s d e bu c e r i a s. o rg / vo l u n te e r i n g / recycling Streetlight Repair Pesos received from the recycled plastic go toward covering costs for streetlight replacement. Dick oversees this project with a carefully maintained spreadsheet, receiving messages from anyone who wishes to report a burned out bulb. If that’s you, here’s how to do it:

The AdB have painted a four inch white square with a number on each light post. Dick says, “You’ll find it about eyeball level.” (If you’re my height, look up.) Contact buceriasstreetlights@gmail.com and advise the name of the street and the number on the post. That’s it. Dick describes the process of switching out bulbs. Based on his documentation, “The city sends a (bucket) truck with two or three guys and I go around with them and point out which lights are out.” The city supplies the truck and the men, and the Amigos supply the lightbulbs. The bulbs cost about 120 pesos for sodium vapour, and are being replaced with CFL compact fluorescents at 220 pesos per. Each gives off equal light, but the CFL is high quality and energy-saving. There are also seven light poles in Bucerias that do not have access to electricity, so rechargeable solar lights are installed. How You Can Help Here’s a neat opportunity – you can support the AdB by sponsoring a recycling basket. For just 300 pesos, have your name displayed on a banner attached to the basket. Or, on behalf of a friend or local business, show your gratitude with a banner in their name. What a unique Christmas gift! Of course, cash donations are always accepted through the Amigos de Bucerias website and are well used for the expensive black garbage bags and various supplies. Also, visit their site to learn about their fundraising efforts for truck payments…that story begins with a terrific philanthropic deed. http://amigosdebucerias.org Lovers of Bucerias, can you donate something truly valuable, especially right now? Due to the pandemic, many of the Amigo’s members are understandably not returning this year. Their absence leaves plenty of spaces to fill on the recycling schedule. Please consider becoming a member of the recycling team. I mean, really, have you ever even been to a basket making party? Let’s have a round of applause for all the recycling volunteers! We thank you for your lead in this important environmental commitment, and for enhancing the security on our streets through well maintained lighting. To Volunteer: adbrecycling@gmail.com

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

Local Voices

Charities

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

Non-Profit and Charitable Organizations For visitors to Puerto Vallarta who wish to support the less privileged in our paradise, this is a list of some of the many organizations that could benefit from such kind gestures. If you would like your organization recognized here, please email details to cpsmedia.pv@gmail.com You can find all of our local charities online at vallartatribune.com Amigos de La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, A.C. – contributing to the quality of life in La Cruz through cultural, educational, environmental and charitable assistance programs. Tax Deductible. www. amigosdelacruz.org Contact Amy Welch amywelchpdx@comcast.net Alcoholics Anonymous: In English Puerto Vallarta Alanon Club – Basilio Badillo 329 recoverpv.com Amazing Grace Missions Assisting families in Magisterio & Progreso with necessities and job training and English. slw2014nv@gmail.com American Legion Post 14: raises resources and manpower to improve facilities needing building maintenance americanlegion14.org Amigos del Magisterio – Food delivered directly to workers at the PV dump, their families and schools in Magisterio and Volcanes. Also, food to New Beginnings, Pasitos de Luz, and Caritas. 100% of donations to the people, no overhead. amigosdelmagisterio.com lysephilrioux@ hotmail.com Asilo San Juan Diego Home for the Elderly – Contact: Lupita Sanchez Covarrubias 222-1257 or malupita88@ hotmail.com or mexonline.com\ asilosanjuandiego.htm Asociación Down – Assistance to persons with Down’s Syndrome – Contact: Ana Eisenring at 224-9577. Banderas Bay Women’s Shelter – Safe shelter for women & children victims of domestic violence. compassionforthefamily.org Becas Vallarta, A.C. – Provides scholarships to high school and university students. Tax-deductible in Mexico and USA. Polly Vicars at (322) 223-1371 or Buri Gray at (322) 221-5285. CANICA – Centre for Children with Cancer. Provides aid for treatment and services including transportation to GDL. Contact Director, Evelia Basañes 322-123-5688. Casa Hogar – A shelter for orphaned, abandoned, disadvantaged or vulnerable children. Luz Aurora Arredondo at 221 1908, casahogar_maximocornejo@hotmail. com Centro Comunitario SETAC-GLBT – Services the GLBT community, including treatment and referrals, education, English classes, HIV testing and counseling. Paco Arjona 224-1974

Clinica de Rehabilitación Santa Barbara – Rehabilitation of the handicapped. Contact: Laura Lopez Portillo Rodriguez at 224-2754. COLINA Spay and Neuter Clinic – Free and by-donation sterilization clinic in Old Town. Only open Saturdays, Contact: cez@rogers.com or 322-104-6609 CompassionNet Impact – Transforming the lives of people living in chronic poverty. Job creation, education, emergency & more. Tax-deductible. Cell: (322) 133-7263 or ric@4compassion.org Corazon de Nina A safe, loving, home-environment for 40+ children and youth rescued from high-risk situations. Donations & volunteers always welcome! Totally self-funded. www. fundacioncorazon.mx Cruz Roja (Red Cross) – Handles hospital and emergency service in Vallarta. It is the only facility that is authorized to offer assistance to injured people on the street. Contact: 222-1533, 222-4973 Desayunos para los Niños de Vallarta A.C. Feeding programs, education programs, day care centers for single mothers. 2234311 or 22225 72 Discapacitados de Vallarta, A.C. (DIVAC) association of handicapped individuals dedicated to helping one another. Ivan Applegate at 221-5153. Ecology and Conservation of Whales, AC. National Coordination Network for the Assistance of Entangled Whales. Biol. Astrid Frisch Jordán, Arce #541. Col. La Primavera Puerto Vallarta, Jal. 48325, Mexico, Tel/Fax: (322) 29 37 851

fibbcatalogo@yahoo.com Families At The Dump: Supporting families living in the landfill or garbage dump thru education and sustainable opportunities. familiesatthedump.org Fundacion Punta de Mita LDG. Ana Lilia Medina Varas de Valdés. ana@ fundacionpuntademita.org Tel. (329) 291 5053 Friends of PV Animals Volunteers working to enhance the lives of shelter animals. For info and donations visit friendsofpvanimals.com Grupo Ecológico de Puerto Vallarta: Arq. Luz del Carmen Pérez A cayro_13@ hotmail.com grupoecologico.com Horizonte de Paz: Welcoming shelter for men of all ages who are troubled w/alcohol & drug addiction.In great need of cash or material resources Contact MAYNOR Tel 281 0644 horizontedepaz@live.com International Friendship Club – Provides medical, educational and social services to those in need in Puerto Vallarta. www. ifcvallarta.com La Brigada de la Basura: A weekly meeting of neighborhood children to clean Vallarta Streets. Contact Que?Pasa 223-4006 Mexico Ministries & Mission, Inc. raises funds to the poor in Vallarta. Contact Fr. Jack+ 044 322 229-1129 christchurchbythesea.org Navy League – assists in the transportation of donated medical supplies from the U.S., organizes work groups to paint and repair facilities New Life Mexico – Challenging Child Poverty with health and education

programs. Philippa Vernon pvp@ newlifemexico.com Paraíso Felino AC Refuge and Adoption Centre for cats and kittens in the Bay of Banderas. Luis Donaldo Cel. (322) 120-4092 Pasitos de Luz – substitute home for low income children with any type of handicap, offers rehabilitation services and more. 299-4146. pasitosdeluz.org Purr Project – no-kill feline rescue located near Puerto Vallarta providing homeless cats and kittens a recuperative stay with the ultimate goal of adopting them out to loving homes, sterilized, vaccinated and disease free. www.purrproject.com PEACEAnimals – Free mobile spay/ neuter clinic operating 48 weeks a year, primarily in Puerto Vallarta. Tax-deductible. peaceanimals.org Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza Orphanage for children aged 0-14. www.ccshf.ca SETAC - Effectively reduce the incidence of HIV / AIDS in Puerto Vallarta and promoting respect for human rights of people living with HIV / AIDS www.setac. com.mx SPCA PV – Provides long term no-kill shelter and vet services as well as rehabilitation and adoption to rescued animals. www.spcapv.com Vallarta Botanical Gardens - An award winning botanical garden that offers research & education of native plant life, city beautification programs, bird and butterfly watching, orchid garden and more etc. www.vbgardens.org

News

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

YouTube math and physics teacher Julioprofe.

World’s largest online math class wins a Guinness record

YouTuber Julioprofe attracts 213,000 viewers to his virtual math class

popular Colombian educational YouTuber and Jalisco’s Ministry of Education joined forces and successfully set a new Guinness World Record for an online math class with the most attendants — 213,586 of them.

“Imagine a box or a kit of tools that accompanies us during our lives,” he said. “Some are simple, others are more sophisticated, but all serve some purpose. Logically in the case of mathematics, these tools are going to serve to resolve situations and solve problems in different fields.”

And yes, there was a question-and-answer session afterward. The record to beat was only 1,600 students, but Julio Alberto Ríos Gallego, a civil engineer known online as “Julioprofe” to his 4.39 million subscribers on YouTube, was in it to win. He had already lost a bid for a Guinness record last year when he tried to break the record for the most people attending an in-person math class at Talent Land, an annual conference in Jalisco for inventors and entrepreneurs.

Ríos received congratulations from Jalisco Education Minister Juan Carlos Flores Miramontes, but perhaps the most heartfelt support came from supporters online, many of whom made visual memes expressing congratulations or hopes beforehand that he would be successful.

He failed to reach his goal when over 800 of his participants were disqualified. This year’s online class lasted nearly an hour on the Jalisco Ministry of Education’s virtual forum, Recrea Academy, followed by a period for questions. Ríos, who explains math and physics problems on his channel, spoke during the virtual class about how mathematics applies to other subjects.

“If you complain about the trash content on the internet,” said one Twitter user urging people online to participate in the record-breaking class, “this is the moment to support Julioprofe.” Source: Milenio (sp)

CORRECTION: The word Columbian may refer to a Yukon River paddlewheeler, a type of grouse or a music hall in Kansas but it was not the correct word to describe Julioprofe’s nationality. He is Colombian.

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

Why the Virgin of Guadalupe is more than a religious icon to Catholics in Mexico

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

Why the Virgin of Guadalupe is more than a religious icon to Catholics in Mexico Rebecca Janzen Assistant Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature, University of South Carolina

ach year, as many as 10 million people travel to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, in what is believed to be the largest Catholic pilgrimage in the Americas. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the pilgrimage, which is due to take place on December 12, will instead be held online this year. Normally, multiple pilgrimages take place around this time of the year throughout the country that end at the basilica – a church building specially recognized by the Catholic pope – of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an apparition of the Virgin Mary in Mexico. In fact, images and statues of her are everywhere in Mexico. She is on altars in people’s homes, altars on street corners, posters in mechanic shops and restaurants. Even in the U.S., many Catholic churches with parishioners who have ties to Mexico include a small chapel to her. The first time I went to Mexico City in 2011 as a Ph.D. student, I visited the shrine to the Virgin. Later, I wrote about her importance in novels, short stories and movies – beyond

a religious icon. This pilgrimage is only one part of Mexican people’s connection to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Apparition of the Virgin During the pilgrimage in Mexico, people visit the shrine on a hill near where Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to an Aztec man named Juan Diego who had converted to Christianity in 1531. The legend goes that when Juan Diego told the bishop about it, he demanded proof. Juan Diego then went back to the shrine and the Virgin told him about a place he could pick some roses. Juan Diego went back to the bishop, with his cloak full of roses. But when the bishop looked at the roses, it is said that an image of the Virgin appeared. In the belief that this was a miraculous occurrence, a shrine to the Virgin was built in Tepeyac in the northern part of Mexico City. Today, this shrine is part of a large complex which includes several church buildings, a larger-than-life group of statues that portray the Virgin’s apparition to Juan Diego and a large space for outdoor Mass, a Catholic worship service. Over the years, the shrine has undergone changes. A new basilica constructed in 1974

is now used for most services, although the older church constructed in 1709 still stands. The most important object in the shrine is the miraculous image of the Virgin that appeared on Juan Diego’s cloak, which is displayed in front of a moving sidewalk in the new construction. Combining faith The story about how the Virgin appeared in Mexico has resemblance to reports of her apparitions in Spain. In the 14th century, the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared to a peasant near the river of Guadalupe in western Spain. The Virgin is believed to have told him to dig up an image of her that had allegedly been buried for several centuries. Some of those involved in the Spanish conquest, such as Christopher Columbus and Hernán Cortés, reportedly prayed at her shrine in Spain before setting off for the Americas. When Spaniards colonized the Americas, which included the Aztec empire in central Mexico, in the early 16th century, they brought the image and story of Our Lady of Guadalupe with them. What is noteworthy is that she is said to have appeared to Juan Diego in the same place where the Nahuatl-speaking Aztecs

had worshiped the goddess Tonantzin. The Spanish colonial administration, together with church officials, encouraged people to replace worshiping Tonantzin in Tepeyac with worshiping the Virgin of Guadalupe in Tepeyac. In this way, they could appear to replace Indigenous beliefs with Catholic ones. While a church was built on the site in 1556, the Virgin of Guadalupe did not attract a large following until the mid-17th century, when church leaders collected sworn statements regarding miracles she is said to have performed. Her feast day was moved at the time from September to December. Larger pilgrimages to Tepeyac began in the late 17th century, one of many such pilgrimages in the larger Catholic tradition of thanking a saint or apparition of the Virgin for answering their prayers. Symbolic use Over the centuries, her image has been used in various ways to create a sense of community or to advance specific political goals. For example, during Mexico’s 19th-century independence movement, Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo used her image on his banners. In this way, he successfully united many Mexicans in their

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

fight against Spain. Mexicans commemorate this in their Independence Day celebrations each September. About 40 years later, Catholic Church leaders would use her image to attract Mexican people to their cause, as they fought against the 1857 liberal reforms that encouraged increasing separation of church and state. Similarly, in the early 20th century, Mexico’s government enacted such strict secularism laws that Catholic bishops suspended Mass for three years. Catholic leaders again used images of the Virgin of Guadalupe on their banners to encourage the soldiers fighting against the anti-Catholic laws. Today, her image is as varied as the Mexican experience. One of these is the light-skinned child-like “Virgencita plis” on everything from small statues to face masks. It was designed in 2003 by a gift and toy company, Distroller corporation. In this image, the Virgin does not look Mexican and plays to very traditional and often outdated ideas of femininity: innocent, nonthreatening, almost like children. The statue of the Virgin at the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is dark-skinned, physically imposing and has Mexican features. For each, she has her own meaning and a way of worship. And even if many people are not able to travel to her sanctuary, they will find other ways to honor the Lady of Guadalupe this year. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

News

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

Dec 14 - 20, 2020 By John Pint mexiconewsdaily.com/

kateboarding was invented in Santa Monica, California, in the 1950s when surfers — frustrated on days without good waves — came up with the idea of putting wheels on a board so they could “surf the streets.” It probably reached its peak of popularity around 1963, crashed in 1965 and then, slowly regained popularity during the following decades thanks to the innovative techniques of skateboard pioneers and legends like California’s Tony Hawk. In Mexico, one of the many aficionados of skateboarding in the 1980s was Luis “Luigi” Medina, today director of Guadalajara’s highly innovative and successful IMI College. “Here in Guadalajara,” says Medina, “three skateparks suddenly appeared in those days, all of them private. One of them was called Skatopistas del Sol, and its bowl measured 4 1/2 meters from top to bottom. Now, I was 8 years old then, and I was terrified when I first looked upon that great bowl: it was very, very deep! Sad to say, these three skateparks disappeared as fast they appeared. The skateboard era suddenly evaporated, and come the 90s, you could hardly find a single professional skateboard for sale in Guadalajara.” If Medina wanted to skate, he had to do it in the street. “I’d go to the train station,” he told me, “because the floor was really smooth … but then the police would show up. ‘You are creating a public nuisance!’ they would say, or ‘You are damaging public property!’ And we skaters would reply: ‘Why is there no skate park in Guadalajara? Why can’t we skate in a proper bowl?’” At 18, Medina was hit by a truck, damaging his knees. He decided to stop skating and got involved instead in rock climbing and canyoneering. Medina, in fact, soon excelled at these sports and eventually became the organizer of international rock-climbing events that focused the attention of world experts on Jalisco’s excellent rock-climbing venues. He also ended up representing Mexico at world canyoneering events such as the 2011 International Canyon Rendezvous, held in Annapurna National Park in Nepal. A few years later, unfortunately, Medina fell from a 50-meter high waterfall. Amazingly, he survived, but rehabilitation was slow and painful. It was only after years of physical therapy that he felt ready to become active again. “I thought, ‘My body has lost strength, elasticity, agility and reflexes. What sport should I practice to recover all this? Answer: skateboarding.’” He returned to “street surfing” at 41. “I thought I would look pretty funny,” he says with a smile, “a viejito [an old man] skating among little kids, but it turned out just the opposite. I found myself among lots of very active older people ranging from 40–60 years old, and now I skate with them every

13 Where to exercise when the pandemic has closed gyms? A skatepark! News

Skateboarding offers a way to get germ-free outdoor exercise and make friends “I’d go to the train station,” he told me, “because the floor was really smooth … but then the police would show up. ‘You are creating a public nuisance!’ they would say, or ‘You are damaging public property!’ And we skaters would reply: ‘Why is there no skate park in Guadalajara? Why can’t we skate in a proper bowl?’” week.” Over time, Medina noticed that people like these would head for a skatepark with their children and grandchildren only to discover disreputable characters hanging around. “These people were either drugged or drunk or both,” he told me. “I was worried myself about these characters. Are they going to start pestering me? Was I going to get mugged? There they were, shooting up in the skatepark, and when families would arrive and see this situation, they would turn right around and leave. “That’s when I said to myself, ‘I need to do something to recuperate these public spaces that we’ve lost.’” Doing some research, Medina discovered, to his surprise, that there were 40 skate parks in Guadalajara alone, and another 30 scattered all over the state of Jalisco. He decided to draw the attention of the public and the authorities to these forgotten parks by setting himself a personal challenge: “I’m going to pick 50 of these parks and I’m going to go visit every single one of them during a period of 50 days.” Medina’s challenge brought surprises: “I went to Parque Montenegro in Guadalajara and discovered that it’s truly enormous; the board is gigantic. So I went to see the people who built it and they said, ‘We were inspired by the skate park in Venice, California, which is the biggest in the world.’ The Venice skatepark, however, he explained, has no graffiti, while Montenegro Park is full of it, “just like every other skatepark in Mexico.” Little by little, Medina came to the conclusion that Mexico already has a great collection of skateparks. “All we have to do is rehabilitate them: remove the graffiti, check the soundness of the structures and then take measures to keep vagabonds and delinquents away, something the local police could easily

Luigi Medina rediscovered skateboarding in his 40s. He's now on a mission to popularize Mexico's skateboard parks.

handle.” To accomplish his goal, Medina initiated his 50 Parks in 50 Days Challenge. “I’m saying to the public, ‘¡Mira! ¡Mira! There’s a park here! And there’s another one over there, and another one over there!’” Medina reports that his campaign has already produced results: five municipalities around the state have all responded to his proposals with support, asking him what he needs. Medina says local leaders are especially enthusiastic because the country is in the middle of a pandemic. “Skateparks,” he says, “offer people a way to get exercise without getting the virus, with none of the dangers of infection you might find lurking in gyms.” Near Lake Chapala, he adds, you can find three skateparks. “One is right on the lakefront in the town of Chapala, and it’s now being renovated. In Ajijic, there’s one in excellent condition, also on the Malecon. And there’s another one — in ruins, unfortunately — in Jocotepec, and I’m talking to them right now about renovating it so people can go there to skate and then eat at a restaurant.”

As for the Guadalajara area, Medina has been meeting with the directors of Tourism, Social Communication and Youth in Zapopan, who have agreed to start out by fixing up 16 skateparks and then launching a series of tournaments: for boys and girls and adults and for beginners. “They will be held each time in a different skatepark so that the public will get to know all 16 of them,” he explains. So far, Medina has visited 21 of the 50 on his list. “And I don’t just pop in for a quick look. I go to get exercise and have fun. I skate for two or three hours without taking a break.” Want to meet this one-man show for yourself? If you happen to live near Lake Chapala, Medina will be at the Ajijic skatepark on December 19. If you know nothing about skateboarding but you want to give it a try, Luigi Medina assures me that you will be welcomed with open arms at any skatepark in Mexico. “That’s the nature of this community,” he says. “So if you want to make friends, buy a skateboard!”

News

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

By achieving the first places of the National Championship

Mayor recognizes the Vallarta team of FootGolf • The municipal president congratulated the two-time national champion César Cuauhtémoc Díaz, and stressed that there is great potential in this new discipline

fter an outstanding participation in the 'National FootGolf Championship', whose last date was held recently in the city of Cuernavaca, Morelos, the municipal president Arturo Dávalos Peña, received part of the delegation that represented Puerto Vallarta on this day in the that won valuable triumphs, showing the great talent that this new sport has in our city. The mayor recognized this team that in each tournament has been consolidating its good performance, both as a group and individually, by distinguishing itself among the teams that make up the Mexican FootGolf Federation, managing to raise the name of Puerto Vallarta, of Jalisco and Mexico, as local players have also participated in the specialty World Cup. In this sense, Dávalos Peña recognized César Cuauhtémoc Díaz Santos, who was

crowned two-time national champion in the final of this Mexican circuit, and is the first selected for the world championship of this sport; as well as Jorge Meda, who on his second day of competition won second place; Also to Carlos Rodríguez, who obtained first place in the amateur category, and to the players Héctor Colín, René Madero and Carlos Manuel Joya, who also achieved important results in this match. "The truth is that we are very pleased that they put the name of Puerto Vallarta up high, they have already gone to other countries to represent Mexico and with very good results and today we see that Puerto Vallarta is a power in this," said the first mayor , while acknowledging that it is a little-known sport, but novel, that should be promoted so that more people enjoy it and practice it, since it combines precision, mettle and

concentration, as is done in golf, but with the use of a ball and the accurate shot that the player makes with his foot. “To acknowledge the truth that effort you are making, breaking stone is not easy, you have done very well and there are the trophies already, the championships, the tournaments in which you have participated and that little by little will be made known what this sport is here in our region ”, he pointed out. The athletes from Vallarta, shared with the mayor their experience in this discipline and thanked the support that he has always given to the delegation, who have already held 4 national tournaments in this city, also recognizing the openness that the golf courses of this municipality have had and Bahía de Banderas, to combine in its facilities the space for practicing both

footgolf and traditional golf, making this the only destination that has the possibility of opening up to 4 courses for a high-level event. They indicated that in the last tournament, which took place in November, 73 players participated, which in turn represented an important economic benefit for the destination. The players also raised the proposal so that a sports space can be enabled, so that people know and practice this discipline, so in coordination with the director of the Municipal Sports Council (Comude), José Amador Hernández Madrigal, who was also in this meeting, they will be working on this project. During the meeting, they presented Mayor Arturo Dávalos and the head of Comude with the Vallarta FootGolf team shirt.

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

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Dec 14 - 20, 2020

With the project of the bicycle lanes in the city

Cyclists will be provided with safe spaces and mobility will improve W

ith the aim of providing safe spaces for cyclists and people who make use of this non-motorized means of transport, the municipal government continues with the work of the Mexico avenue bike path, whose section between Politécnico Nacional avenue and Francisco Medina Ascencio avenue, it is very advanced. In recent days, the municipal president Arturo Dávalos Peña, made a tour to supervise these works, with the presence of representatives of different groups of cyclists, and pointed out that these actions are precisely to support this sector of the population, so that they can circulate through safe roads, so signage and spray tires have already been installed throughout the journey. He also said that by the municipal government, a dissemination campaign is being prepared to respect the spaces for the exclusive use of bicycles and respect for cyclists, in addition to informing that there is a cycle path master plan and reinforcing existing ones, creating circuits that will help improve the mobility of Vallartans. He thanked the cyclists for all the support and patience they have had so far so that little by little they can have safe spaces for their mobility, reiterating that he will continue working so that this group has more bicycle lanes until Puerto Vallarta is a more inclusive city. For their part, the representatives of different groups of cyclists made known to the mayor the proposal to create a bike path along Exiquio Corona street, since this road has excellent connectivity not only with El Pitillal but with different educational centers that are located located on this road. They indicated that they too carry out a campaign to promote respect for people who use bicycles as a means of transport.

The municipal government works to support this sector of the population so that they can circulate on safe roads

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

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Dec 14 - 20, 2020 News 18 Photographer’s exhibition reveals an emptier Mexico City in lockdown

Miguel Tovar's photos document a rarely seen view of the metropolis By Rich Tenorio https://mexiconewsdaily.com/

hen the Covid-19 pandemic shut down Mexico City, photographer Miguel Tovar witnessed its unprecedented effects on the metropolis. Tovar, a capital native, saw its buildings, parks and playgrounds empty out while cars vanished from its streets. He decided to capture the unfolding moment with his camera, and his resulting imagery has won recognition from Harvard University. Tovar’s photo of a sprawling twilight cityscape featuring the hashtag #QuedateEnCasa has received second-place honors in the exhibition Documenting the Impact of Covid-19 through Photography: Collective Isolation in Latin America, sponsored by Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. “I feel very honored to receive this award,” Tovar wrote in an email interview. He only learned about the open call for entries from a friend. In his work as a photojournalist, Tovar has captured gripping images of people, from bone searchers — day laborers who search for human remains of the disappeared — to Central American migrants in Tijuana looking to cross the border wall into the United States. Yet the photo that caught Harvard’s attention is part of a series notable for its absence of people. This is a departure from the way Tovar began covering the pandemic when it first reached Mexico. Working in another field of expertise, video, he visited locations where people were working on the pandemic response, from hospitals to crematoriums to cemeteries, shooting footage for media companies. “I had the opportunity to accompany the paramedics who were transporting people with severe [Covid-19] symptoms from their homes to public hospitals, and I saw their family members wait in deep anguish and sadness,” he wrote in an artist statement on the competition website. As might be expected, this collective experience wore away at him. He felt physically and mentally exhausted after several weeks, and highly aware that he ran the risk of contracting Covid-19 himself. He decided that he would record the impact of the pandemic in a different way. Traversing his home city by bicycle, he used a drone to take photos from afar. It was both the ultimate way to socially distance and an evocation of the larger number

Photographer Miguel Tovar recently won recognition from Harvard University for his images of Mexico City shut down in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. of birds that seemed to flock to the city’s cleaner air following the disappearance of humans. “I did it as an escape, as a break from the scenes of illness and death, and looking for another way to show the effects of the pandemic where I live,” he explained. He shot at dusk and in black and white, both of which were conscious decisions. “I use black-and-white photography because it makes it harder to distinguish parts of the city once you cannot see even the colors of the facades of homes,” he said in his artist statement. “While color images of sundown usually depict warmth, black-and-white accentuates the strain and despair that fill our minds during days of quarantine.” He found plenty of despair in the aerial images. He regrets seeing empty public spaces in a once vibrant city. “Sidewalks, parks, and other spaces seemed abandoned in the photographs, without any figures, not even passing shadows,” he said. “This was once unimaginable. Mexico City changed. A children’s park was a synonym for danger.” Yet he also found hope after seeing that life goes on for the capital’s 20 million inhabitants. “[Large] buildings that look like honeycombs give signs of life, one light

at a time,” he wrote. “Every window was a universe: the world of a person or a family that is locked in.” Tovar has extensive experience in using a photograph or a video to express a larger meaning. As a cinematographer, he was part of a New York Times team that won a World Press Photo award earlier this year in the documentary short category for their film It’s Mutilation: The Police in Chile are Blinding Protesters. “I feel great satisfaction because the story in Chile reached many people in many countries, and our work showed, with great impact, the brutal repression of the government of Sebastian Piñera against protest and social discontent, for which it was harshly criticized,” Tovar said. “This makes me think that our work as journalists serves society.” He’s also proud of his contributions in photo and video to the 2019 Netflix documentary The 43, whose title refers to the number of disappeared students at the Raul Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers’ College of Ayotzinapa. “The story of the 43 disappeared students from Ayotzinapa was something that I followed from the beginning,” Tovar said. He covered the story as a photojournalist for three years for various media

organizations after the disappearance was reported in 2014, making key contacts at the college. He thinks his work might have resulted in Anima Films’ interest in bringing him onto the documentary project, which was produced by Sebastian Gamba and directed by Matias Gueilburt. “I went in to photograph and film interviews to complete the project,” Tovar said. “In fact, I made some trips alone to Iguala and Tixtla and other places, accompanied by a great friend and local journalist from Guerrero, Sergio Ocampo, to recreate part of what happened the night of the disappearance.” Tovar’s initiative has helped him rebound from a difficult moment about a decade ago when the Associated Press stated that he had altered a photo that he submitted to them. “About this, I can only say that it was a mistake, a bad decision,” he said. “At that time, many people spoke about the incident as if it had been the worst thing they had ever seen in their life, and it affected me a lot. But I learned a lot from this situation, and now it is completely in the past.” As for the present, he’s going to reflect on his latest award, from Harvard. “[In] these strange days, we have to take advantage of the good news and turn them into special moments to give us an opportunity to feel happiness and share it with the people we love,” Tovar said. Even so, he’s aware that there seems to be no end to the “strange days” of Covid-19 — as his photos suggest. “We’re told that the city will open gradually, but what will that normal life look like?” he asked in his artist statement. “Will our spaces remain as empty as they are now? We’re uncertain if this sense of enclosure, and this sense of dread, will be our new future.” Rich Tenorio is a frequent contributor to Mexico News Daily.

Mexico City’s skyscape at dusk with the Covid slogan, “Quédate en Casa.”

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

Workers are looking for direction from management â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and any map is better than no map

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

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Dec 14 - 20, 2020

Workers are looking for direction from management – and any map is better than no map Scott F. Latham Associate Professor of Strategic Management, University of Massachusetts Lowell Beth Humberd Associate Professor of Management, University of Massachusetts Lowell

ver eight months ago, with haste and necessity, workers and organizations across the globe were thrown into “the great remote work experiment.” What was arguably an adequate short-term solution is now showing signs of wear and tear: Remote workers are burning out, organizational cultures are under threat, and leaders are fretting about the loss of creativity and collaboration. While some companies are beginning to forge ahead with longer-term plans – like proclaiming that remote work will go on indefinitely or bringing at least some employees back to the office in a COVID-19-safe way – most organizations remain in a holding pattern: intent on returning to the physical office in some capacity, but repeatedly kicking the can down the road. This is understandable, given the amount of uncertainty about the pandemic. Although a vaccine seems to be in sight, health officials are warning of a grim winter. As management scholars actively researching and advising companies on their responses to COVID-19, we believe the consequences of just continuing to wing it are piling up. This doesn’t mean the only solution is an immediate return to the office. Based on research in our field and lessons we’ve learned from our work with companies during the pandemic, we believe there’s a

way to make the best of a tough situation. It requires acknowledging the real costs of the remote work experiment – and charting a path forward. Employee burnout The remote work experiment seemed to offer an initial boost in productivity. But sustaining such productivity has been difficult, in part because the home wasn’t designed for work and the consequences of “Zoom” fatigue are real. Indeed, emerging evidence suggests burnout is plaguing remote workers across the board. Yet managing employee burnout is particularly difficult during a pandemic, when people are asked to mostly isolate at home, away from colleagues whose mere presence can often ease work-related stress. Recent research suggests that even small interactions like going out to lunch together and taking a walk can help reduce worker burnout. Even if re-creations of after-work rituals help in the short term, poor communication from company leaders is a primary cause of burnout. Without some sense of direction, burned out employees simply can’t be reengaged via another virtual happy hour. Weakened cultures Another downside of the lack of interaction with colleagues is the impact on organizational culture. We know from research that organizational culture is a key contributor to job satisfaction and organizational performance. Initial hopes of strengthened cultures as employees navigated the unprecedented shift together are dwindling as time wears on without a physical anchor for sustaining shared cultural beliefs. What’s worse, corporate policies meant to monitor and control employee behavior – whether while they work remotely or as

means to make the office safer – risk eroding worker trust and undermining cultural norms. And the impact of these policies will likely endure long after the crisis subsides, making it very important for companies to think carefully about the lasting impact and strategies for dealing with COVID-19. Interrupted innovation A third major cost of this sustained remote period of work is the lack of collaboration and its disruptive impact on innovation. Sure, some collaborations and idea generation can take place via Zoom meetings, but innovation still largely happens in physical spaces: at lab benches, alongside a 3D printer or in unintended office interactions that spark interdisciplinary collaborations. These initial steps become the source of intellectual property, new startups, future commercialization and ultimately consumer value. But when workers can’t get into their labs and research centers, they can’t plant the seeds for future innovations. Overall, patents have fallen almost 10% year to date, with patents in the life sciences down 20%. A purpose-driven plan Though the pandemic is still with us, organizations and workers need a plan now – and can’t wait for a vaccine to allow everyone to come back to the office. To us, this isn’t simply about logistics, such as deciding whether, when and how to return to the office, but starting to address the downsides of this sustained remote work experiment by reengaging workers around a sense of organizational purpose. And honestly, it really doesn’t matter all that much what goes into the plan. A long history of scholarship on organizations emphasizes that even the most imperfect plan can have positive effects on morale and team confidence. When conditions

are uncertain, a plan provides direction, a sense of purpose and foundation for unity. Moreover, it’s a great way to turn a crisis into an opportunity. For example, some companies we’ve worked with have crafted plans that focus on addressing pre-pandemic threats such as how automation and AI are changing the very nature of work. They’ve been conducting a top-to-bottom review of jobs and roles to better understand which ones are providing the most and least value, and adjusting accordingly. Others, such as local health care organizations in the Boston area, are focusing on accelerating their adoption of technologies to improve the level of care they can provide patients. Making a plan doesn’t require certainty about the path of the virus or committing to a return to the office. Rather, it’s about creating a shared sense of purpose to lead workers through one of the toughest periods in world history. The value of having a plan reminds us of an anecdote – frequently shared by management scholars – involving a Hungarian army platoon briefly thought lost in the Alps during a snowstorm during World War I. Gone for two days, the soldiers suddenly showed up on the third. Asked how they survived, the group leader showed his commander the map that led them back. The punchline: It depicted the Pyrenees, not the Alps. While it’s not clear if the story is factually based, the message still rings true: In times of uncertainty, often any map will do – even a wrong one. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

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Dec 14 - 20, 2020

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Dec 14 - 20, 2020

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16. HIDALGO PARK 17. THREE HENS MARKET 18. MARSOL MARKET 19. MUNICIPAL MARKET 20. EMILIANO ZAPATA MARKET 21. CUALE CULTRAL CENTER 22. 5 DE DEC MARKET 23. HUANACAXLE MERCADO

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Dec 14 - 20, 2020

We discovered a 115,000-year-old iguana nest fossil in the Bahamas

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

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Dec 14 - 20, 2020

News

We discovered a 115,000-year-old iguana nest fossil in the Bahamas A

pregnant iguana dug into a vegetated sand dune about 115,000 years ago on a small island in a chain of islands that one day would be called the Bahamas. Once she buried herself and was surrounded by loose sand, she scraped out a chamber and laid her eggs in it. On her way out of this underground nursery, she packed sand behind her, forming distinctive layers that marked her progress to the surface. Once back in the sunshine, she tamped down the top to conceal the nest. Over many centuries, a thin layer of soil developed over the former nesting burrow, and minerals from that soil formed between the sand grains, turning the dune into limestone, which preserved the structure of the nesting burrow. In December 2013, while exploring a roadcut on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas with 19 undergraduate geology students from Emory University, one of us (Anthony) noticed this unusual structure in the rock. It turns out the road excavators had unwittingly exposed a section of ancient sand dune, containing this iguana burrow from long ago. Over the next six years, with contributions from undergraduates and the Emory Center for Digital Scholarship, we were able to conclude that we’d found not only the first known fossil iguana nesting burrow, but also the first trace fossil attributed to an iguana. Based on its geologic setting, we estimate the burrow is about 115,000 years old, placing it in the Late Pleistocene Epoch, which is best known for its ice ages and megafauna, like mammoths and giant ground sloths. Trace fossils A trace fossil is indirect evidence of ancient life made while an organism was alive. The study of this iguana burrow and other trace fossils, such as tracks, nests, tooth impressions and feces, fall under the science of ichnology. Trace fossils are important because they directly reflect ancient behavior. Also, unlike bones or shells, which are often moved after an animal’s death, most trace fossils are found exactly where they were created. Trace fossils offer a unique window to the distant past. When a dinosaur sat down alongside a lake shore in modern-day Utah during the Early Jurassic Period about 200 million years ago, adjusted its stance, stood and walked away, that dinosaur’s behavior was recorded in the sediment beneath it. Similarly, when a fish swam along a lake bottom in modern-day Wyoming more than

50 million years ago, it left not only trails from its fins, but also impressions from its mouth along the lake bottom while feeding. And human footprints from about 12,000 years ago in modern-day New Mexico told of a young adult carrying a child across a foot path shared with mammoths and ground sloths. Trace fossils, unlike shells and bones, provide snapshots – or even short documentary films – of animals living in their original environments. The Bahamas burrow Even though we found no body parts or eggs, there is ample evidence the structure we discovered in the Bahamas was an iguana burrow. The wind-blown layers in the former sand dune were clearly interrupted and mixed, showing the structure was made while the sand was still soft. It matches the width, depth and shape of modern iguana nesting burrows. And nearby, one of us (Melissa) found a fossilized land-crab burrow, insect burrows and root traces preserved in the outcrop, showing it was indeed an inland dune – exactly where an iguana would make a nest. The most convincing clue, however, is the series of compacted sand layers inside the structure. These are the places where the expectant mother packed sand with her legs and head on her way out in order to conceal her eggs and hatchlings from predators. Interestingly, we did not find any evidence that the hatchlings dug their way out, through the layers, to the surface – as iguana hatchlings do. This indicates a failed nest.

Although hatching success in modern iguanas is normally high, nest failures happen, and are most likely when soil moisture is too high, such as after a heavy rain. Iguanas on San Salvador The oldest known iguana body fossils from San Salvador date from less than 12,000 years ago. The discovery of this burrow, from 115,000 years ago, greatly extends the natural history of iguanas in this location. The iguanas that live on San Salvador Island today are among the rarest lizard

species in the world – the San Salvador Island rock iguana (Cyclura riyeli riyeli). This species and others were common throughout the Bahamas before 1492, when Europeans introduced rats, pigs and other invasive species that preyed on eggs and iguanas of all ages. Now, fewer than 500 individuals persist on isolated cays offshore from the main part of San Salvador. We hope our study generates awareness and appreciation of Bahamian iguanas and their long history in this area. We also hope it inspires their continued protection.

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

What you can do to make your pet enjoy the Christmas holidays

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

What you can do to make your pet enjoy the Christmas holidays

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What you can do to make your pet enjoy the Christmas holidays

ave you ever thought that perhaps your pet has not enjoyed this time as you have every year? However, it deserves to do it like any other member of the family, especially since it is a very special family, but in which they are exposed to many different stimuli than usual. With this concern in mind, we set out to find recommendations for them to enjoy as much as we do and we found the Mars Petcare initiative that promotes animal care, in which Ainare Ruiz, Veterinary Zootechnician (MVZ) and Esther Charles, MVZ and Specialist in Animal Behavior, shared some tips thinking about their well-being during this season. Here are three of them: • Decoration: Experts suggest teaching our pets that no element that we use to decorate our home is a toy. In particular, the lights due to having contact with electricity and that when biting them could suffer burns or experience an electrical shock, which would even cause cardiac or respiratory arrest in the case of small or young animals; and the spheres or any other ornament in the case of being made of glass, with which they could be cut. • Food: The recommendation is not to

feed our pets with food leftovers and be careful not to leave the dishes within their reach, since when consuming it they could not only become indigestible but also become intoxicated with ingredients such as carbohydrates which are difficult to digest for cats, or chocolate and onion that can be toxic to dogs. • Visits: Take into account what our pets are used to. That is, most of us have applied social distancing in recent months and our pets are used to receiving few visits at home. In the case of receiving family or very close friends for Christmas or New Year's dinner, for the traditional “reheated” or to split the Rosca de Reyes, you must establish a space away from the hustle and bustle in which they feel calm and safe, especially if it is a shy little animal. Give her a special toy for these dates, give her treats formulated for pets and equip her safe space with everything she might need (water, food, bed, blanket, toys, etc.). In this way your pet will enjoy as much as you. Listen to the entire conversation between our experts, as well as many other podcasts for the benefit of your pet and become a responsible tutor all year long.

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

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Dec 14 - 20, 2020

Governor of Jalisco, IP and civil society present ‘Christmas for superheroes’ program • The objective of the campaign is to deliver 100,000 toys to girls and boys in vulnerable situations • The population will also be able to make their financial donation through a bank account made available by the Chamber of Commerce • The activities of this strategy include the tour of Christmas platforms through different municipalities of Jalisco and more than 145 activities

fter resisting confinement in their homes, the children of Jalisco have become the superheroes of this pandemic, so the Governor of the State, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, in coordination with civil society, municipalities, universities, media, entities governments, civil associations, artists, businessmen and businesswomen, presented the strategy "Christmas for superheroes", a citizen exercise that aims to deliver 100,000 toys for children from Jalisco from the most affected sectors. “Jalisco had real heroes on its medical staff who took care of everyone's life and health. Those who became our superheroes are them, our girls and our boys who endured the health emergency at home, studying at a distance, who have had to face an enormous challenge to continue with their education, to stop seeing their teachers, to his friends, they are ours and our superheroes, "he said. Christmas for the Superheroes will begin a collection that will take place from December 12 to 22 in different collection centers, non-war toys will be received, that do not require batteries, new, unwrapped to bring happiness to the children who have heroically resisted confinement and distance classes during these months. “This year there will not be much of what was part of our idea of Christmas in the city, but what we are going to do is a tour with the intention of taking a gift to the children's house in Guadalajara where more It is needed and we are going to do it with a very close coordination with the municipal governments of the city, we are going to work it of course with a program promoted by the State DIF, by Jalisco Solidario, our state volunteer council and of course under the model and from the perspective that gave rise and that marked the project Jalisco sin Hambre ”, he added. Joanna Santillán, informed that in addition to the collection of toys, the population that so wishes may also make a financial donation

through the bank account made available by the Chamber of Commerce: Santander (Mexico); Account: 92-00124186-4; CLABE: 014320920012418643. “The idea is to launch this signal that we are a family and we could not close the year in a different way if the message that we are a supportive Jalisco is not launched. To understand that the main purpose of this campaign is very simple: to bring happiness to the girls and boys of Jalisco, I think we are indebted to them ”, he mentioned. She reported that there will be more

than 60 points for attracting toys, including CANACO, municipal DIF, Selva Mágica, Black Coffee Gallery and Kidzania. As part of the second stage, explained José Miguel Santos Zepeda, head of the secretariat of the Social Assistance System, the strategy includes the delivery of toys collected from six Christmas platforms that will tour the municipalities of Guadalajara, Zapopan, San Pedro Tlaquepaque, Tonalá, Tlajomulco , El Salto, Juanacatlán and Zapotlanejo with 145 artistic activities and will have special guests that can be observed

by the superheroines and superheroes of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. Santos Zepeda said that the platforms will be visiting 70 colonies in areas identified with social backwardness and the invitation is for people to stay at home, to avoid crowds as a restriction of the pandemic, surprises and gifts will reach girls and boys to their doorstep, who will be given toys, a Christmas skittle, and their first mission as super heroes this holiday season. "All the volunteers who will be joining the delivery of these toys will bring their

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

face masks and will be perfectly identified, a COVID test will be applied to around 130 volunteers, which is the sample that the Ministry of Health tells us what it can help us ensure that door-to-door people don't have the virus, "he added. The closing of the event will be on December 23, where the Christmas platforms will make a final journey through Av. Juárez to La Minerva, where they will remain on display for those who wish to appreciate them from their car.

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THE DATA: Toy donations are requested to be new, not warlike, unwrapped, and that do not require batteries, they can be made at the collection centers that will be located at: • DIF Jalisco (Mayor 1220) 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. With hours from 09:00 to 15:00 hours • DIF Guadalajara (Eulogio Parra 2539) • DIF Zapopan (Av. Laureles 1151) • DIF Tlaquepaque (Santa Rosalía 1040 Colonia Linda Vista) • DIF Tonalá (Av. Cihualpilli 75)

• DIF Tlajomulco (Nicolás Bravo 6-B Tonalá Centro) • DIF El Salto (Josefa Ortiz De Domínguez 769 Colonia Centro) • DIF Zapotlanejo (Vicente Guerrero 184 Colonia Centro) • DIF Juanacatlán (Calle Progreso 107 Colonia Centro) • Home for Women (Manuel Acuña 2560) • CANACO (Ignacio L. Vallarta 4095) With hours from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. • Los charros stadium • Magic Jungle

With hours from 08:00 hours to 21:00 hours • Black Coffee: (branches: Chapultepec, Plaza Patria, San Isidro, Santa Anita, Provenza and Ruben Dario With hours from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. • Kidzania (Avenida Américas and Av. Patria) Or, you can make financial contributions to the account: Santander (Mexico) account: 92-00124186-4 CLABE: 014320920012418643

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SSJ urges not to lower our guard against dengue this winter season

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

The Jalisco Health Secretariat (SSJ) invites the population not to lower their guard in the fight against dengue this winter season, in which it is important to continue with preventive measures, mainly within the home, to avoid the reproduction of the mosquito and contracting dengue.

ith the actions of Lava, Cover, Flip and Strip, the hatcheries that exist within the home can be eliminated. “We invite the population to continue allowing the brigade members to enter their homes, they carry out the pertinent actions to avoid contagion of the disease,” said the state coordinator of the SSJ Dengue Program, Nely Zúñiga Cárdenas. Zúñiga Cárdenas recalled that this year in Jalisco 94 percent of the registered cases of dengue correspond to virus serotype 2 (DEN-2) and six percent correspond to serotype 1 (DEN-1). Serotype two (DEN-2) can produce

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SSJ urges not to lower our guard against dengue this winter season

more serious symptoms and can be fatal “since it is circulating mainly in Jalisco, the population is more susceptible to contracting severe dengue,” said the official. When visiting each home, the health personnel make recommendations to the residents about the identification of dengue symptoms such as: fever, headache and pain behind the eyes. It is important not to self-medicate and go immediately to your nearest Health Center when these symptoms appear.

Likewise, the population is insisted to check the water tanks, drums and cisterns at least once a week, to verify that they are properly sealed to prevent the mosquito from depositing their eggs, as well as to wash vases, sinks and containers that contain clean water. In addition, potential water containers such as: bottle caps, soft drink containers, cans, and throw away any item that has no use such as tires, should be eliminated. The SSJ brigade members are duly identified, they wear beige uniforms,

a credential that contains data of the operational personnel and a telephone number where the population can confirm its authenticity. Symptoms of severe dengue. The patient enters what is called the critical phase, usually three to seven days after the onset of the disease. It is at this time, when the fever subsides (below 38 ° C) in the patient, that the warning signs associated with severe dengue may appear: Intense fever Severe abdominal pain Persistent vomiting Accelerated breathing Bleeding in the gums Fatigue Agitation Presence of blood in vomit. For more information on actions to combat dengue, the SSJ makes available: The microsite https:// aguasconeldengue.jalisco.gob.mx/ The Call Center 33 3823 3220 24 hours a day, seven days a week Dengue Free App Reports to the telephone number 3030-5000 extensions 35065, 35066 and 35067, during office hours and days.

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

States of the Central West Pact for Tourism promote "Short Travel" at the Tianguis de Pueblos Mรกgicos 2020

Dec 14 - 20, 2020 News 40 States of the Central West Pact for Tourism promote "Short Travel" at the Tianguis de Pueblos Mágicos 2020

- The campaign to reactivate intra-regional road trips will be in force on the tianguis platform for one year - The entities that make up this collaboration agreement are Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas - The six states now add 34 Magical Towns, with the incorporation of Ajijic, Jalisco, and Santa María del Río, San Luis Potosí

o continue with the reactivation and promotion of tourism in the states of the Central West Pact for Tourism, the secretaries of tourism of Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas presented the strategy of "Travel in Short", in the first day of the 2020 Tianguis de Pueblos Mágicos Academic Days. The objective of the online conference was to continue the promotion of responsible and gradual tourism in the entities that are part of this first national alliance to contribute to the reactivation of the region, taking advantage of the Tianguis scenario, which has registered more than 20 thousand virtual visitors. In this way the secretaries: Humberto Javier Montero de Alba, from Aguascalientes; Juan José Álvarez Brunel, from Guanajuato; Germán Ernesto Kotsiras Ralis Cumplido, from Jalisco; Hugo Burgos García, from Querétaro; Eduardo Yarto Aponte, from Zacatecas, and the host, Arturo Esper Sulaimán, from San Luis Potosí, shared information about the health protocols implemented by the six entities, the progress of this joint strategy, the attractions of the region, new routes and experiences , microsite details, among other topics. In his speech, the Secretary of Tourism of Jalisco, Germán Kotsiras Ralis Cumplido, highlighted that this regional alliance has a strategic vision when considering the new tourist profile, which has been a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic and prefers road tourism options and destinations. nearby that offer experiences, but also that guarantee health protocols. “We are working in a very clear and very precise way in the implementation of protocols. Selling trust will be one of the elements that it generates in destinations (...) being in the tourist's imagination and they will be the most sought after. We are working on joint strategies to achieve, also regionally, in all these states the Safe Travels seal (...), which allows us to generate a guarantee of trust for those who visit us. " For his part, the head of Tourism of San Luis Potosí, recalled that now there are 34

Magical Towns that are part of the routes of these states, with two more towns joining this appointment: Ajijic, in Jalisco, and Santa María del Río, in San Luis Potosi. Both enrich the offer and extend the range of possibilities for travelers to consider visiting the Central West region of the country. In addition to the presentation made

by the secretaries, on the second day of the tianguis the experience of “Traveling in Short” will be discussed, in Dialogue with tour operators, in the auditorium of the digital event. It is important to note that, additionally, the tianguispueblosmagicos.com platform has a quick access button on the main

screen that directs to the "Travel in Short" campaign, through the microsite that has been implemented for this strategy. The Tianguis de Pueblos Mágicos has the participation of 31 countries, in addition to more than 20 thousand registrations for visitors, which broadens the projection of this alliance.

Dec 14 - 20, 2020

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Dec 14 - 20, 2020