Vallarta Tribune Digital 010 by Vallarta Tribune

Nov 16 - 22, 2020 Year 01 Online Issue 010

Nov 16 - 22, 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

FR EE

GU ID E

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.

Nov 16 - 22, 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

Photo by Nomad Family Photo Group

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/

News

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

In Memoriam

Gretchen DeWitt FOUNDER

t is with sadness that we announce that our founder Gretchen DeWitt passed unexpectedly on Wed, Nov 11. As one of our board members said, “We’ve lost one of the kindest, most caring and overall wonderful people on the planet.” A full-time resident of Puerto Vallarta, Gretchen formerly owned a San Francisco public relations/special events business for 25 years and was active in fundraising for a number of charities. She was a founding member of the board of directors of Planetree, a national health care resource. After moving to Puerto Vallarta in 2006,

Gretchen co-founded the SPCA-PV and served as its first president. In 2009, she joined the board of directors of PeaceMexico for a three-year term, focusing her fundraising efforts primarily on “Ayuda a los Animales,” the free spay/neuter clinics. In June 2013, Gretchen and Amy Welch, former PEACE USA treasurer, founded PEACEAnimals. Gretchen and her husband, Ned, resided in Puerto Vallarta’s Centro, and between them have four children, ten grandchildren, two dogs and six cats, all rescues except for the children and grandchildren.

It will cover the Puerto Vallarta-Mazatlán-Puerto Vallarta route

Vidanta Elegant cruise is in Puerto Vallarta

nly with an essential crew for the operation of the ship will it be docked for three months, from Friday, November 6, it arrived in Puerto Vallarta, it will serve as Home Port when it begins operations. This ship, the first of its kind in Mexico and which belongs to the Vidanta Cruises line, will be making the Puerto Vallarta-Mazatlán-Puerto Vallarta route. Coming from the Port of Mazatlán, the

cruise arrived with only 124 crew members of different nationalities for its operation and operation. While making the last finishes to start operations soon, it will be docked at Pier 2 of the Port, where the main port services will also be provided and will carry out the boarding of crew members to complete its workforce of collaborators. Vidanta Elegant with a capacity for 298 passengers, will enjoy 149 cabins

and suites with ocean view, distributed in six decks. Each cabin will have concierge service, to offer a more personalized attention and will only provide service to adults. With a very exclusive and elegant design, it has 12 magnificent restaurants, a spa, a full-service gym, nightly entertainment, a boutique and a pool on the upper deck. During the arrival and as part of the protocols that are carried out in the ports due

to the covid-19 pandemic, public officials from International Health, Migration, Customs and SENASICA were present, who carried out the “Free Talk ”To verify the health of the crew, issue the corresponding certificates and authorizations, as well as guarantee the safety of the cruise ship and the maritime-port community. The Vidanta Elegant cruise ship is tentatively scheduled to set sail on January 19, 2021 to the Port of Mazatlán.

News 4 Nov 16 - 22, 2020 The transformation of public spaces in the city continues

• The people of Vallarta will have a new Cultural Center in El Pitillal and a completely renovated public park in La Floresta

fter a long time in abandonment, the municipal government carries out the renovation of two important public spaces that will soon allow families to enjoy cultural, artistic, recreational and sports activities, such as the projects to reconversion of the El Pitillal market in a Cultural Center and the rehabilitation of the La Floresta neighborhood park, which together will have an investment of more than 4 million pesos. The mayor supervised the progress of these projects, which are already beginning to transform, as is the case of the El Pitillal Cultural Center, where work is already underway to reinforce its structure, the opening of some spaces, the change of hydraulic and sanitary facilities. and electrical; the renovation of bathrooms, among other actions, which will shortly allow for presentations, artistic training workshops, rescue and dissemination of trades, study rooms and educational training. “It is a very important work that we will be delivering in the month of January, providing facilities that are not only worthy, but also functional, as we remember that this municipal market was underused for many years and now allows us to provide the community with a place that combines the arts, training in trades and that is linked to other spaces that we have in this area; It will undoubtedly be an important facility for our municipality ”, explained the first mayor. He also toured the work of the La Floresta neighborhood park, an area that for many years was in abandonment and that today is undergoing a total transformation, since its basketball court is rehabilitated, new mesh is installed, lighting changes to a led system that will allow the use of this public space also during the afternoon - night; A walker is also built, the soccer field and children’s games will be renovated, so it will be an area

that young and old can enjoy. “It is going to be a very beautiful, attractive area, so that the young people of this neighborhood and others that are around, can come here to exercise, to enjoy a soccer game, basketball or fast soccer and above all, to be able to bring the children, ”said the mayor. The works in this public park will directly benefit 1,480 people who live in the area. 2 million 141 thousand 936 pesos are allocated to this project.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

News

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

To position Vallarta as a ‘Pet Friendly’ destination

They seek to raise awareness about animal abuse, through art

ith the main objective of raising awareness about animal abuse and continuing to advance to position Puerto Vallarta as a ‘Pet Friendly’ destination, in a session of the Environmental Building Commission, the proposal for the creation of artistic murals for the dissemination and awareness of this problem, and the Animal Welfare Sub-Directorate announced the actions that have been carried out from August 2019 to May 2020. The councilor María del Refugio Pulido Cruz, president of this commission, reported that every day the number of reports of animal abuse or cruelty increases, which is why the proposal to develop artistic murals for dissemination and awareness about mistreatment of companion animals is born, with the motto “sterilize, adopt and do not abandon”, which seeks to promote responsible care of animals that have shown affection and loyalty in our environment. Marina de los Santos Álvarez, director of the Vallarta Institute of Culture (IVC), pointed out that what is intended with this proposal is to sensitize people about this problem through art, where four strategic spaces such as the Island are planned from the Cuale river, in the Emiliano Zapata and 5 de Diciembre colonies, Cerro de la Cruz, in addition to other points outside the first square of the city will be analyzed. She indicated that the IVC undertakes to make a formal call in conjunction with the councilors that make up the building commission and the Animal Welfare Sub-Directorate, as well as accompany the

artists throughout the process, provide the necessary material for the realization of the mural. For her part, Silvia Álvarez Bustos, head of the Animal Welfare Sub-Directorate, presented a report on the actions that have been carried out in Puerto Vallarta from August 2019 to May of this year, such as the activities corresponding to the culture program for the protection and care of animals, free itinerant and low-cost sterilizations, the attention of the Green Patrol, a dog and cat adoption program, a free rabies vaccination campaign, among others. He stressed that for the first time in the history of Puerto Vallarta, and due to the health contingency caused by Covid-19, the emergent food support program for dogs and cats was started, with the aim of preventing the abandonment of these animals from company. Also in this session it was announced that Puerto Vallarta will have a sculpture of a dog, made by the artist from Guadalajara, Adrián Reynoso, so details of the place where it will be placed are being refined, thus making progress so that the municipality is recognized as a ‘Pet Friendly’ destination.

They propose to create artistic murals for the dissemination and awareness of this problem in the city

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

News

Everything you need to know about taking care of your pets with diabetes

MSD Animal Health in Mexico

e know that lifestyle changes, overeating with a large caloric intake and sedentary lifestyle are the main causes of diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes or even joint problems that affect society. These diseases also occur with some differences in companion animals (dogs and cats). Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in dogs and cats, for example, is a serious metabolic disease that is increasing and occurs with a higher incidence in elderly animals, although records have also been found in young pets. The causes that trigger this disease are due to alterations in the cells of the pancreas, not producing enough insulin, limiting glucose absorption into the blood. According to some studies, it is estimated that one in every 100 to 200 cats and one in every 100 to 500 dogs have DM and their symptoms can be similar to those of people, such as: increase in quantity and / or number of times when urinating, increased water intake and appetite, sudden weight gain or loss, etc. Fortunately, nowadays advances in veterinary medicine allow to increase the life expectancy of companion animals, so it is very important to see your Veterinarian regularly, who, based on your clinical history, physical and blood tests, ultrasounds and / or X-rays, can confirm any pathology faced by the companion animal. Within the framework of World Diabetes Day that is commemorated on November 14, Adrián Polo Jeréz, Technical Coordinator of the Companion Animals Unit of MSD Animal Health in Mexico, commented that the positive diagnosis of diabetes in companion animals It does not mean that it is the end of your life. Although this disease is lifelong, the first step that should be considered is to

visit the Veterinarian more frequently, have a correct diagnosis, a treatment protocol and, above all, maintain the necessary care to guarantee its quality of life ”. As those responsible for pets, you must be attentive to any change in behavior or symptoms, as they are important indicators that reflect some deterioration in the function of your body. To enjoy your diabetic dogs or cats for a longer time, MSD Animal Health in Mexico highlights 6 important points that, in conjunction with the Veterinarian, pet owners may consider to maintain the health and quality of life of their pets: Insulin administration: the treatment of DM in dogs and cats should always be done with insulin for veterinary use. The pet owner will have to learn how to store, handle and manage it. Measure blood glucose levels. Medical check-ups: schedule appointments with the Veterinarian at least 2 times a year. Discipline: it is necessary for the pet owner, as well as all members of the family, to be disciplined, as it is the key to successful treatment. Weight control: diet is essential and carbohydrates should be restricted and include foods rich in fiber. Exercise: ensure that the pet exercises according to its age and physical abilities. Disease prevention: do not forget to keep your vaccination schedule updated, as well as internal and external deworming. “We must remember that, with this disease, the pet will need much more care, attention and love than before, that is why we invite all pet owners to follow the instructions and advice of the Veterinarian to the letter”, concluded Adrián Polo Jeréz, Technical Coordinator of the Companion Animals Unit of MSD Animal Health in Mexico.

- The pavilion measures 2,832.98 square meters and weighs 824.80 kg - The tissue was manual and 8 months were invested, that is, 24,744 hours - The pavilion was hung at a height of 3.74 meters, in four main streets of the town

News

Etzatlán Sets World Record With The World’s Largest Fabric Pavilion

n october 2020 thanks to the effort and manual skills of 199 women and one man, the municipality of Etzatlán, Jalisco, broke the Guinness record for the largest weaving pavilion in the world, which now stands at 2,832.98 square meters. This world certificate joins the rest of the world records that Jalisco has obtained, which positions the state within the best tourist destinations in the country and in the world. To make the pavilion, 200 residents of Jalisco spent 8 months weaving the pieces by hand, which translates into 24,744 hours. The final work weighs 824.80 kilos, was assembled in 16 hours, and was created with 8,248 hexagonal folders, made with raffia of different colors, of the commercial type, that is, of synthetic fiber. Among the multiple requirements that the organizers had to meet, the distance in which the pavilion should be hung stands out, which in this case was at a height greater than 3.74 meters. According to information from the municipality, the main objective of obtaining the world record is to publicize and attract tourism to Etzatlán, a municipality located in the heart of the Valleys Zone of the state. That is why the project was supported by the municipality and the municipal president Mario Camarena. The original idea came a couple of years ago from Mrs. María Concepción Siordia Godínez, known as “Paloma Ron”, who lives in a corner of the town and came up with knitting with yarn to cover the trees outside her house. She and her daughter Lorena Ron later imagined that they could create a craft in honor of the Lord of Mercy, to whom

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

the festivities are dedicated each October. The municipality also reported that it was difficult for them to register with the Guinness World Records office because a similar record already existed: the largest blanket, the largest number of largest tissue figures, among others. The third attempt was that a special category was opened for Etzatlán. Samuel Díaz and Eduardo Ron also participated in the project, who from the

beginning contributed in the organization, expenses and facilities for the placement of this pavilion in the streets of the town. The work was placed along four blocks from the municipal seat: Av. Juárez, between Mercado and Colón streets, and Escobedo street, between Morelos and Independencia streets, Source: Government of the State Jalisco Etzatlán world record woven pavilion

News

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Puerto Vallarta reinforces its tourism promotion in the Northwest of the country -The work week in two cities of Coahuila was carried out with the support in logistics and support of the wholesaler Check Hotel

nder the message of the new advertising campaign of the destination: “Revive Puerto Vallarta”, the most recent week of work was held in the Northwest of the country, in which the port representatives visited the markets of Saltillo and Torreón, in the state from Coahuila. This intense period of activities, coordinated by the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Promotion and Advertising Trust, was carried out with the support in logistics and support of the wholesaler Check Hotel, an important commercial ally for this destination in that region of the country. There was also the valuable participation of the destination’s hotels. The promotional activation included face-to-face seminars -with strict adherence to healthy distance and current health indications-, during which more than 60 travel advisers were trained; They were informed of the protocols and biosafety and hygiene measures that are followed at the destination; They highlighted the strict actions applied by all the members of the value chain in the city, to provide a safe experience for visitors. In order to promote the desire to travel and rediscover this beach destination during the winter season, the new promotional campaign “Revive Puerto Vallarta” was presented, highlighting the 3 main pillars of the destination: the hospitality and warmth of its people, the

Mario Bros registers with the SAT

authenticity and essence of a destination that mixes the modern with the traditional, and the natural charm of its sea and mountain environment. The advisers were convinced that what is offered here is the perfect mix to offer the Coahuila traveler a great variety of outdoor activities and in contact with nature, which are currently the type of experiences most requested by travelers.

BUILD TRUST The travel consultants were very receptive to the information and updates provided, as well as to the healthy distance and hygiene protocols required in the seminars. They agreed that the common denominator in the behavior of travelers in these markets is the interest in making national trips, placing beach destinations as the most sought after option, highlighting Puerto Vallarta as one of the main destinations in the country, generating confidence and wishes to travel. Puerto Vallarta is connected to these markets with daily flights, via Mexico City, operated by Aeroméxico, in the case of Torreón.

intendo, the North American company known for its Super Mario Bros video game, and 12 other companies registered with the Tax Administration Service (SAT). With this, they joined the list of digital service providers registered in the Federal Taxpayers Registry (RFC) for value added tax purposes. Thus, as of November 10 of this year, there are a total of 48 companies that already have RFCs and are committed to complying with tax obligations in Mexico. Other companies also appear in the new list, such as: Acorn Media from the United States that offers video and streaming services, especially with content from British series. US online course company Courcera has also signed up, as has UK digital book, magazine and information distributor Mcsi Limited. Another video game company is the company Ea Swiss Sari and the sports betting company Sportradar Ag as well as the finance company Vorwerk International & Co Kmg, all based in Switzerland. US anime entertainment company Funimation Global Group and US video game Riot Games, as well as US finance and asset manager S&P Opco. The NFL football game content TV service, Overtier Operations, was also registered in the Cayman Islands. For the Czech Republic, he signed up with the SAT Socialbakers, which helps companies to manage profiles on social networks. Source: El Universal Agency Photo by Milenio

News

The Magic Market and Festival opens its doors again

ue to the response of local consumers, as well as the tourists who come to the site, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Magic Market and Festivalâ&#x20AC;? will change its date and last Thursday, November 12, it will be ready to receive visitors to enjoy their creations. unique, delicious flavors and originality, as well as different fun every week. Puerto MĂĄgico is a place where local artisans can show their products to the inhabitants of the city, as well as to the thousands of tourists who take boat rides, either local or the large transatlantic cruise ships. The artisans who live in Vallarta can display their products in a place that complies with all hygiene standards, since its architecture evokes a hacienda, it has natural ventilation. In the food area we show different regions of Mexico showing a wide range of flavors that exist in the different states of the country; together, international cuisine dishes are prepared, such as Argentine, Indian, Spanish and other latitudes, prepared by people who decided to adopt this region as their place to live.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

News

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

News

Jaime Cuevas receives Resilience Profile and Risk Atlas W

ithin the framework of the 8th. CONACYT National Meeting of Hydrometeorological Phenomena of Climatic Networks, and after a great work of citizens, institutions and Municipal Government, Mayor Jaime Cuevas Tello, received the final document of the Urban Resilience Profile and the Risk Atlas of Bahía de Banderas, which means the possibility of making better decisions to be prepared to face meteorological phenomena and above all, to take care of the lives of citizens. The Mayor commented: “This is the case of the Bahía de Banderas Urban Resilience Profile (PRUBB), with which a diagnosis of the city’s response capacity to a disturbing phenomenon was carried out,” adding that this Profile is the only instrument of its type at the national level, since it was carried out with the participation of more than 10,000 inhabitants of all localities and a chapter on COVID-19 was included. Bahía de Banderas is at the national forefront by approving various instruments such as the Regulation of Ecological Balance, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, being part of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and “we are one of the 5 municipalities elected to national level and the only one in Nayarit, which participates in the International Urban Cooperation Program of the European Union ”.“Because Bahía is always moving

forward, our municipality fills Nayarit with pride, we are taking solid steps to consolidate ourselves as a green municipality, because this paradise is the best inheritance that we will leave to future generations,” concluded Jaime Cuevas, to receive both documents , accompanied by the Council members of the Security Commission and the Civil Protection and IMPLAN teams. They led the start of the works, the mayor of Puerto Vallarta, Engineer Arturo Dávalos Peña; the technical representative of the project, Dr. Julio César Morales Hernández; the representative of the rector of the CUC, Héctor Javier Rendón Contreras and the representative of REDESClim of CONACYT, Dr. Carlos Welsh Rodríguez.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

News

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Riviera Nayarit wins the award Smart Meetings Platinum Choice 2020

he leading magazine in the MICE segment recognizes OCV’s, hotels and places for their high standards and excellence in service and amenities. Riviera Nayarit, through its Visitors and Conventions Office, obtained the 2020 Platinum Choice award from Smart Meetings magazine - a world leader in the MICE segment - for being an example of excellence in meeting tourism. The Platinum Choice Awards honor the highest ranked hotels, venues and OCV’s, which display the highest standards in service and amenities; since 2003 they have become a prestigious point of reference among event planners in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. To present these awards, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) professionals and Smart

Meetings readers cast their votes based on the environment, amenities, breadth of resources, quality of facilities, dining options, and technical assistance. among others, and each nomination receives a careful review by the magazine’s editorial team to select the final winners.

Commitment to excellence Eric Haase, founder and CEO of Smart Meetings, highlighted the leadership and contribution to the tourism industry by the Office of Visitors and Conventions of Riviera Nayarit (OVC), during what has been one of the most challenging years for tourism usually. “Riviera Nayarit rose to the occasion and supported its partners; They are a shining example of leadership and can be proud of the contribution they have

made. Their commitment to excellence is commendable, so I encourage them to continue setting the bar very high. “ Marc Murphy, general director of the OVC Riviera Nayarit, commented the following regarding the award: “We are very pleased to obtain this recognition from one of the most important specialized magazines in tourism of meetings in the world, which indicates that something we are doing well in Riviera Nayarit, a destination that continues to position itself among the most exclusive in Mexico; preferred for the

high quality of its services, the first-class infrastructure it has and the warmth of its people ”.

TO KNOW: The 2020 Platinum Choice winners will be announced in the December digital edition of Smart Meetings Magazine, featuring a special section exclusively for the winners, who will be viewed by more than 65,000 committed meeting professionals.

5 Weekend Getaways in Riviera Nayarit From exploring an underground beach to a full day of shopping, these getaways will allow you to discover the wide range of places, culture, nature, gastronomy and Magical Towns found in the region. When you yearn to breathe fresh beach or mountain air, or just an escape from the monotony of the workweek, all it takes is making up your mind. You will be able to travel a few miles away and return in time for work. In this case, Riviera Nayarit will always be an excellent option, since it is a destination that has the ideal conditions to detoxify from the stress that this pandemic has generated. People who live in Guadalajara, Tepic or even in the Bajío, have the great advantage of being able to escape for a weekend, and in a few hours be in paradise, where they can discover a wide range of places, culture, nature, gastronomy and Magical Towns. Rincon de Guayabitos, close to everything Rincón de Guayabitos is known as “The Heart of the Riviera Nayarit”, as it is a place full of life, which vibrates to the rhythm of the thousands of visitors it receives mainly on weekends. Walking on the beach on a Saturday or Sunday is like having a panorama of the different regions of Mexico. Stay in one of the hotels or bungalows of the destination, there are them for all tastes and budgets. There is no doubt that “in the sea life is tastier” and if it is the sea of Rincón de Guayabitos, it is much better! The tip: Coral Island is a must. The boats depart from Rincón de Guayabitos to take you to this fantastic island of white sand, turquoise waters and a coral seabed. Bathing

in the transparent waters while watching the goldfish is a pleasure. Ecotourism Ranches in Sayulita-Higuera Blanca In Riviera Nayarit not everything is sun and beach; There are other alternatives, such as the mountains and the jungle, with ecotourism ranches located in rural areas that offer fun activities for all lovers of outdoor life. One of them is Rancho Vista Paraíso located in a natural reserve of tropical forest within the lands of La Montalbeña, very close to the town of Higuera Blanca. There is also Rancho Mi Chaparrita in Sayulita Pueblo Mágico, where the main attraction is the Canopy Tour, which has 13 lines and three suspension bridges that descend from the top of the mountain into the jungle. Rancho Mi Chaparrita is located on the highway to Punta de Mita, via Sayulita-Higuera Blanca, just 5 minutes from downtown Sayulita. The tip: Pack your swimsuit because at the ranch you can also use the pool. A Sunday at La Cruz Market Do you want to spend a super fun day, shopping and at the same time enjoy a day at the beach? Visiting La Cruz Market will be

an excellent option. This traditional market is located within the Marina Riviera Nayarit, in the coastal town of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, and is one of the most popular in the region due to the wide variety of products that it offers each season (in winter). We are sure that you are going to love it, since there is also live music and delicious typical Mexican food and from other parts of the world. The market is installed every Sunday from November to April, from 9 a.m. at 2 p.m. The tip: After touring the market, enjoy a good dip in La Cruz beach, a few meters from the marina. Marine Safari to the Marietas Islands A walk to the Islas Marietas National Park and its Escondida Beach continues to be one of the must-see activities in Riviera Nayarit. The winter season is excellent to do so, since it coincides with the arrival of the humpback whales to the Bay of Banderas and it is very possible that on the way you will meet these wonderful mammals. To live this experience to the fullest, it is important to choose a qualified company to do any of the various tours to the islands. Punta Mita Expeditions and Vallarta Adventures, for example, are

certified tour providers that will guide you in this experience. The tip: There is a boat service, yacht or guided tours from Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, El Anclote, Sayulita or Lo de Marcos. Cacao Tour in Planeta Cacao Very close to Bucerías, in the town of Tondoroque, is Planeta Cacao, the original Cacao Demonstration Garden, where you can learn in an interactive way about the history of this ancestral seed, the cultural uses, cultivation and transformation into chocolate and drinks traditional. In front of Planeta Cacao are the choco-artisans Laura Aguilar and Mina Ibarra, who will guide you in this magnificent experience. Tour hours: 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. The tip: Didn’t you know that chocolate comes from a tree? Participate in an artisan chocolate workshop in which you will learn how to do it yourself, you will taste ancestral drinks and corn and cocoa gorditas. Remember, Riviera Nayarit is a safe destination, all hotels, restaurants and other tourist establishments are following all the health protocols established by the Federal Government’s Health Secretariat. Hotels are only operating at 30% of capacity and access to the beaches is limited. Be a responsible tourist, use the mask and watch your distance. We are ready!

News

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Winners of the Jalisco 2020 Award in eight areas

xemplary Jaliscienses will receive an economic stimulus and a medal for raising the name of the state with their work in culture, civics, humanism, labor, literature, science, sports and the environment The Jalisco 2020 Prize already has winners in the Humanistic, Labor, Literary, Cultural, Civic, Scientific, Sports and Environmental spheres, an award that the State Government gives to personalities who transcend and are role models by improving their environment and putting up the name of the entity. This October 27, 2020, the names of the winners were published in the Official Newspaper El Estado de Jalisco, who will be awarded an economic stimulus and a medal. The list was as follows: In the Humanistic field, the award goes to Rubén Anguiano Estrella, founder and director of the “Los Alamitos” Equine Health Center, who since 1980 has provided educational and academic support to the teaching of medicine, surgery and equine reproduction at the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) and other higher education institutions. In Literature, this year the recognition goes to Raúl Aceves Lozano, who since the 1980s has been a member of the Assembly of Young Poets of Mexico and who has participated since then in INBA Young Poetry anthologies and yearbooks. He is an academic at UdeG, a day laborer poet and an expert on topics such as contemporary Korean poetry, Wixárica culture, among others. In the Cultural field, Isaac Hernández Fernández is the recipient of the Jalisco 2020 Prize, a dancer who in 2004 was named Pride of Mexico by the National Council for Culture and the Arts. At the age of 15, he stood on the podium of the winners of Moscow and at the age of 16 he won the gold medal at the International Ballet Competition. As a principal dancer he has stepped on the floor of the Paris Opera, the Mariinsky Theater and the Vienna Opera. Alan López Ramírez and Andrés Gómez Flores are recognized in the civic sphere, for risking their lives by helping to rescue people during the tropical storm “Hernán” in Cihuatlán, Jalisco. These young fishermen collaborated with State Civil Protection authorities to save the lives of just over 20 people. In the Labor field, María Isabel Lazo Corvera, founder and director of Pastelerías Marisa, is recognized in this edition of the Award. Since she founded this business in 1992, Marisa has opened nearly 900 work spaces. Its business philosophy is to conceive of its workers as collaborators, which is why it supports them in different aspects to improve their lives and that of their families. José Francisco Muñoz Valle is the owner of recognition in the Scientific environment

for his work as a researcher, which on many occasions has been recognized for issues such as autoimmunity and genetic immunity, at the University of Guadalajara. With the arrival of COVID-19, Muñoz Valle is the one who has led the work of the health room in the face of this pandemic in civil hospitals. In Sports, Nuria Diosdado García receives the award. She has an exemplary track record in swimming. It is considered one of the 10 best in the world, since since the age of 11 it has been part of national teams in this field and is now preparing to represent the country in the 2021 Olympic Games. In the environmental field, Tania Vázquez Mendoza wins the award for being a founding member of “Salvemos al Bosque”, the group that she has presided over for 9 years. Tania was a strategist for the Cerro del Tajo decree, issued in 2018, which protected many hectares in the La Primavera area from urbanization. The winners in these 8 areas in the coming days will be awarded by the state authorities. To know more: The Government Secretariat of Jalisco, through the Consultative Council for the Granting of Awards, delivers the Jalisco Award, which seeks to make visible figures of success who have marked the past, the present and who will be of great importance in the future development of the state . The Award recognizes and encourages people who have distinguished themselves in an outstanding degree, in a relevant way for their acts, works, projects or for an exemplary career in favor of the state, the country or humanity. The winners of this edition will be part of a group that includes Juan Rulfo, Luis Barragán, Consuelo Velázquez, Juan José Arreola, Agustín Yáñez, Raúl Anguiano, Leonor Montijo and Jorge Matute Remus. All of them exemplary in their profession and ambassadors of our state worldwide. Since 1950, the Jalisco Prize has awarded around 250 recognitions.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

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18 - On November 19 and 20, the La Primavera Forest Knowledge and Conservation Forum will be held in virtual mode. - Registration is through forobosquelaprimavera. mx

News

They will hold a Forum for the conservation of La Primavera Forest

his forum is held with the purpose of favoring spaces for discussion and analysis between the academy, citizens and the State Government. The University of Guadalajara, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Territorial Development (Semadet) and the Decentralized Public Organization (OPD) Bosque La Primavera; invites to this forum that has within its objectives to explore and analyze the necessary actions for an environmental management model with the harmonious participation between forest owners, civil organizations, federal, state and municipal institutions and research. “The generation of scientific information that allows us managers of protected areas to make decisions based on

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

scientific information, rigorous information; It is a fundamental element so that the management actions derived there in favor of the conservation of the area go with a very

clear direction. The Government of Jalisco recognizes the environmental biological importance it has for citizens; I want to highlight the importance of

these forums so that we understand why the need to open these spaces for discussion and how this generated can be translated into more accurate and more strategic management actions, not only within the 30 thousand 500 hectares that are decreed under a federal decree but in the entire area of influence that La Primavera has towards the entire protected polygon, ”said Marciano Valtierra, director of the OPD Bosque La Primavera. In the forum there will be 6 work tables, there will be 20 speakers from 17 institutions and 2 keynote conferences. During this meeting, the state of knowledge of the La Primavera Forest will be addressed to identify the research needs; forest fires and environmental health; adaptation to climate change; citizen participation, as well as environmental management and territorial governance. It should be noted that La Primavera Forest is a vital natural space that provides ecosystem services to those who inhabit the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (AMG), so the conservation of this Protected Natural Area (ANP) is strategic to confront local phenomena and such as mitigation of climate change and the environmental viability of the city.

Governor of Jalisco meets with businessmen from Los Angeles California

In order to strengthen the relationship of the Government of the State of Jalisco with the Jalisco community in the United States, Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez held a working meeting with representatives of Mexican businessmen in the neighboring country. The delegation that visited the Governor from Los Angeles California, raised the interest of strengthening the commercial relationship between businessmen from

both countries, with the intention of strengthening the collaboration ties of Jalisco with the world, which lead to more and better opportunities to position to the entity as a state at the forefront in the country and internationally. The meeting was attended by California Senator Benjamin Hueso, Pico Rivera Mayor Gustavo Vidal, Norwalk City Manager Jesús Gómez, and Jalisco businessmen Raymundo Romo and Vicente Ortiz.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

News

Jalisco Civil Protection elements will support rescue and damage assessment tasks in TW

fter receiving the request for support from the National Coordination of Civil Protection, dependent on the Government of the Republic, a total of 35 elements of Civil Protection Jalisco will travel to the states of Tabasco and Chiapas to help with rescue and damage assessment tasks. , after a month of intense rains, which caused the overflow of the Grijalva River and which brought with it various effects for the entity. The so-called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Southeast Operationâ&#x20AC;? will be attended by 35 officers, including specialists in water rescue. According to data provided by the National Civil Protection Coordination, so far there is a record of just over 48,000 affected in addition to 35,982 homes flooded, just in Tabasco. It should be noted that the Center, Macuspana and Tlacotalpan are the most affected. The 35 rescue officers who will come to support from Jalisco correspond to the following commandments: Central Ciudad Guzman Cihuatlan

El Grullo Talpa de Allende San Juan de Los Lagos Villa Guerrero Regarding the material equipment, it will be supported by: Diving equipment boats jet sky logistics team radio communication equipment vertical rescue team ATVs off-road trucks Who, in addition to rescue equipment, will carry more than 150 mats, 10 wheelbarrows, and a manual tool, which will be delivered to part of the affected population. The instructions of the State Governor, Enrique Alfaro to the State Civil Protection Unit is to show solidarity with the population and governments of the affected states, coordinating with the institutions of the three levels of Government to support the population affected by natural disasters. .

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

The malleability of light D

urango, Durango.- Gilberto Lastra Guerrero, artist and reporter, in December will exhibit collectively in France, part of the series “Una Luz Más”, of electronic painting with the organizer of international exhibitions, Thierry Singer. Lastra Guerrero has dedicated himself not only to writing or to give creative writing workshops to people with disabilities or conditions such as autism or Down syndrome. On this occasion, the painting is an electronic format. From a stroke he captures emotions on a canvas through light. Light as a malleable matter at the same time becomes the substance where color takes root. For Lastra, the value of painting is not only the technique but also the intensity of the strokes. In his work, “ El Movimiento y la Refracción de la Luz” (The Movement and Refraction of Light) he creates images, color systems. “I always try to disaggregate concepts, light, it seems to me the most interesting, because it is not only to reveal the darkness, the absence of color, and bring it back to the world: to materialize it. It is also a human and natural symbol. Light is in a certain way, food of life, of the spirit. From the body ”, commented the artist. In art, light is a preponderant factor, and in Lastra’s words, it is a malleable material, despite the very nature of this element, elusive.

“That is the phenomenon that is sought, to make light an ordinary substance. Make light an emotional line. I think that’s the difficulty. The connection between the moment and the luminous phenomenon. Despite the apparent static, it moves. Something similar to the river of Heraclitus. The art of the materialization of the being outside his body. It is interesting to know how a line detaches itself from one and becomes an abstraction ”, he said. The pieces that will be exhibited are Continuidad, OR para Alejandra, El Reverso del Horizonte, Horizontes a Través de un Pájaro and Víspera de las Hojas (Continuity, OR for Alejandra, The Reverse of the Horizon, Horizons Through a Bird and Eve of the Leaves). Lastra expresses intimacy, events in his life with the work. “It is a way of exploring those moments in life that marked you as a human being. For me these paintings are like stitched wounds in the soul. Light is seen by humanity as knowledge, as a plane beyond ours, but it is also a living, expressive element. In a way, the root of life ”. He considered that the series is a form of creative freedom, a new language to which he was not used, purely sensory.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Art & Culture 24 Nov 16 - 22, 2020 Remembrance Day: How a Canadian painter broke boundaries on the First World War battlefields Irene Gammel Professor & Director, MLC Research Centre and Gallery, Ryerson University “I cannot talk, I can only paint.” This is how Canadian battlefield painter Mary Riter Hamilton (1867-1954) summarized her urgent response to witnessing the large-scale destruction of the First World War. The 51-year-old artist began painting the devastated regions of Northern France and Flanders in late April 1919 and continued until November 1921. During this period, she often rushed from one battlefield to the next to paint the scenes in oil before the war detritus was cleared or the dead were buried. Hamilton first sought work with the Canadian War Memorials Fund in 1917, and again in 1918 as an official artist, but was rejected because she was a woman. After this, she embraced alternate means to gain permission and financial support for her expedition. Fuelling her unprecedented expedition through the trenches of the Vimy Ridge, the Somme and the ruins of Ypres was her patriotic desire to create a memorial in paintings for her country. My forthcoming book, I Can Only Paint: The Story of Battlefield Painter Mary Riter Hamilton, features her letters and the first exhaustive account of her vast, under-explored oeuvre and her powerful visual rhetoric as a battlefield artist. Painter and witness As a witness of mass graves and human remains, Hamilton responded with a painting style that made viewers see and feel her deeply felt and ultimately traumatic encounters, rendered in vivid colours, spontaneous brushstrokes and tumultuous landscapes. Hamilton transgressed the rules of both gender and art in her day. Hamilton first embraced her artistic vocation after her husband’s sudden death when she was 26. In early 1919, she was commissioned by the war amputees club of British Columbia, who paid for Hamilton’s trip overseas, and likely for two shipments of her paintings back to Vancouver. The club reproduced her paintings in colour in their magazine but discontinued their support after one year. Hamilton continued while using up her personal resources and relying on sporadic support from a female patron in Victoria, B.C. When Hamilton left Canada, she was at the height of a brilliant career, at that time much more recognized than painter Emily Carr. Non-official scenes Artists with the Canadian War Memorial Fund made brief sketching trips to battlefields and then prepared polished and monumental paintings in their London and Paris studios. As art historian Laura Brandon

has shown, artists such as Arthur Lismer and Frederick Varley used photographs, which they combined with their own experience to compose war paintings as amalgamated scenes. The most famous of these Canadian War Memorial-commissioned paintings, Richard Jack’s The Second Battle of Ypres, reconstructed dramatic combat by using unrealistic 19th-century war art conventions, although the artist had visited the battlefield after the fight. Hamilton, by contrast, transgressed official war painting norms to pioneer her own visceral style that blurred boundaries between documentary realism and esthetic urgency. Many of her works exhibit a haunting blankness, recalling the missing soldiers. She also painted individual soldiers’ marked graves, as well as mass graves where entire regiments had perished. In so doing, she insisted on remembering and mourning each individual loss. She painted on small canvases or pieces of plywood or paper while trekking through collapsing trenches and swamps en route to remote areas. Her work can be seen as a part of what political theorist Michal Givoni has identified as a 20th-century shift towards mobilizing acts of witnessing as a vocation by showing difficult truths in public. Among the handful of women who painted the First World War, Hamilton stands out for the magnitude of her work, the length of her stay in the battlefields and her empathic esthetic achievements. Today, we have witnessed disturbing images of mass graves during the COVID-19 pandemic in the same time that our society is reckoning with what it means to make ethical choices as we confront connections between systemic inequities, violence and historical trauma. How we think about and understand Hamilton’s courageous, determined and perilous engagement of mass death is more important than ever. Startling perspective In Memorial for the Second Canadian

Division in a Mine Crater Near Neuville St. Vaast (circa 1920) Hamilton visualizes the shocking decimation of an entire regiment with an alarmingly deep hole, whose cutaway view gives viewers a startling, open perspective. Also concerned with survivors, she recorded scenes of reconstruction, as in Cloth Hall, Ypres – Market Day (1920). This showed grieving family members at a distance and depicted signs of hope and new life. On her expedition, Hamilton overnighted in war-torn Nissen huts erected for military shelter and storage or other makeshift shelters. By 1920, her war studios included a bombed-out attic in Arras, France. She often ground her colours on the battlefield. She lived in extreme poverty, often starving and putting her life in danger. Recognizing her work Art historians Robert Amos and Ash Prakash have begun to document Hamilton’s important pre-war contributions to Canadian

impressionism. Beginning in 1989, historian Angela Davis, with art historian Sarah McKinnon, curated exhibitions of Hamilton’s battlefield work, and scholars have begun to honour her legacy. In recent years, The War Amps produced a video about Hamilton. For Remembrance Day this year, Canada Post has dedicated a stamp to Hamilton’s memory, featuring her 1919 painting Trenches on the Somme in which scarlet poppies grow along white chalk walls of the trench. The painting exhibits her trademark style, which often puts the viewer inside a trench. Hamilton brought home more than 320 battlefield works painted in oil, or drawn in pencil, charcoal or pastel, along with etchings. She donated 227 to the Dominion Archives (today Library and Archives Canada). In 1922, Hamilton was awarded one of France’s highest honours, the Ordre des Palmes académiques.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Life and legacy Hamilton’s life and legacy leaves us much to reflect on today. As an artist who embraced witnessing as a vocation, she broke barriers and insisted upon artistically rendering what she saw with candour. Her perception and embodied art practice also left a unique record of the physical and moral devastation of war, both in her art and in her own life. As a woman artist travelling through battlefields, she experienced mobility, articulated a vision of empathy and contributed to a public record of the war. Yet how she engaged with her craft and

Art & Culture

what she saw took a toll on her health and ultimately curtailed her career as a painter. She suffered from post-traumatic stress and a major mental breakdown and other health problems following her expedition. War painting would mark her for life. Hamilton summed up her achievement with understatement: “Yes, it was like living in a graveyard … but I felt this was a duty that someone must do, and I thought I would try to do it.” This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Art & Culture 26 Nov 16 - 22, 2020 Dr. Anthony Fauci, Opal Tometi, Ricky Martin, Amazonian Chief Raoni Metuktire, Vint Cerf and Ricardo Montaner to be Recognized by the Inaugural International Peace Honors Presented by Peacetech Lab

A ceremony of inspiration, recognizing global influencers whose efforts are helping to build a more just and peaceful world

ashington D.C., - As much of our world endures natural, political and social upheaval, we are also witnessing unparalleled movements of change, as leaders from many disciplines work to advance humanity and our planet. The International Peace Honors (IPH) created by PeaceTech Lab, an award-winning non-profit organization founded by the United States Institute of Peace, will recognize some of the most outstanding global leaders and change-agents of our time. The event will be virtually hosted on Sunday, December 6, at 8:00 pm, EST. “We live on a planet where cell phones outnumber people and 1 million new Internet users come online every day. As we continue to celebrate the International Day of Peace, we must recognize our collective responsibility as peacebuilders to do more to enlist these modern tools in solving the world’s biggest challenges. This year’s International Peace Honorees are innovating daily to prevent conflict, cure disease, save vulnerable children, protect the planet, and promote stability. These are the people we want to recognize; these are the people who inspire us,” said Sheldon Himelfarb, President & CEO, PeaceTech Lab. The International Peace Honors will recognize people from different backgrounds who have determinedly championed a fundamental social cause. The honorees’ achievements include inspiring millions to help prevent the spread of disease, defending human rights, nature and the rights of indigenous people, using technology for the betterment of humankind, as well as leading the largest international movement to fight for equality and justice. As we continue to commemorate International Day of Peace, declared by the United Nations as a day to strengthen the ideals of peace, and whose motto this year is “Shaping Peace Together,” the announcement of the first honorees of the International Peace Honors serves as a reminder that we are global citizens and what happens in one part of the world can affect people everywhere.

This year’s honorees, two of which are recognized on TIME’S 2020 list of the 100 Most Influential People, are exceptional representatives of the current fight against global events that have threatened racial justice, economic prosperity, the conservation of nature, and our collective health and safety. Among the honorees is the Director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci. As a specialist in immunology, Dr. Fauci has had an impeccable career as a pioneer in the fight against HIV and other public health crises, advising every U.S. President since 1984. In addition, his clear communication, guided by science and explained simply, has made him an undisputed and highly respected world leader during the COVID-19 pandemic. As an internationally lauded human rights champion, and one of the three women co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, digital platform, and chapter-based network, Opal Tometi will also be recognized. She is respected for her thought leadership on race, immigration, and gender. She has received an honorary PhD, and was also named among the most influential women of the century by TIME and USA Today, and one the 50 most influential People by Fortune, Marie Claire, and Cosmopolitan magazines. As a result of her tireless service, Tometi’s name is etched in history. She spent nearly a decade serving as the first woman Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), the premier immigrant rights organization for people of African descent in the United States. The daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Tometi has set her sights on an even bigger struggle: uplifting Black lives worldwide. In 2020 she founded Diaspora Rising, a digital digest focused on Black narratives and experiences around the globe. She is also focused on other social enterprises. With nearly two decades as a human rights champion, Tometi still feels her work has only just begun. Chief Raoni Metuktire, leader of the

Kayapó people, who inhabit a protected reserve in the Amazon region of Brazil, is another award recipient. Chief Raoni has become one of the most powerful environmental voices in the world through his diligent commitment to preserve the Amazon rainforest and protect indigenous cultures. His message echoes greater than ever today, in part due to increased visibility through documentaries, narrative films, and tours with great personalities such as the singer Sting, all in pursuit of raising awareness around and protecting indigenous peoples and their environments. He epitomizes PeaceTech Lab’s unrelenting focus on local solutions. Also on the list of personalities who make a difference in the world is legendary American technologist Vint Cerf, known as one of the fathers of the Internet. A visionary computer scientist and philanthropist, Cerf has dedicated himself to advancing the Web as a tool to serve humanity and increasing Internet accessibility throughout the world. He is a tireless and admired fighter for progress on issues like the digital divide, the online gender gap, and internet safety, always advocating for an ethical and socially impactful use of technology and science. The international superstar Ricky Martin, a philanthropist and activist, who is also a singer, songwriter, EMMY® Award-nominated actor, two-time GRAMMY® award winner, four-time Latin GRAMMY® award winner, and New York Times bestselling author. As Founder and President of the Ricky Martin Foundation, over the past two decades, Martin has been a leading force in the fight against human trafficking and is recognized for protecting children and vulnerable communities, as well as upholding human rights. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his Foundation acquired and delivered Personal Protective Equipment to health professionals in 50+ hospitals in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the United States. The Foundation continues to serve communities at risk with much-needed humanitarian aid and mental health services during this time of crisis. Legendary singer-songwriter and humanitarian Ricardo Montaner will be officially appointed as an Ambassador for Peace, for his commitment to social impact and support of the PTL’s peacebuilding mission. He will be recognized during the International Peace Honors, alongside a group of important influencers, all of whom are working boldly to positively shape our

VINT CERF society and environment. “It is an honor to designate Ricardo Montaner as our Ambassador for Peace for his lifelong humanitarian work as an advocate for children, migrants, and other vulnerable groups, and for his unwavering commitment to PeaceTech Lab’s mission, particularly his use of social media and technology as tools to build peace,” said Sheldon Himelfarb, President and CEO of PeaceTech Lab. The appointment will be made during the inaugural ceremony of the International Peace Honors (IPH), which will be broadcast digitally on Sunday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. EST, through various social media platforms, including those of IPH, PeaceTech Lab, the host, honorees, performers, media partners, and others, reaching 50 million people internationally. The ceremony will recognize some of today’s most innovative global leaders, including Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, both on TIME’S 2020 list of 100 Most Influential People of the Year. Also recognized will be Amazonian Chief Raoni of the Kayapó tribe, singersongwriter and activist Ricky Martin, and the ‘Father of the Internet,’ Vint Cerf. “All my life I have tried to make use of my music and my work as a tool to deliver messages of unity, peace and love. That’s my personal commitment to humanity. And today, when practically all of us have the power to generate change in the palm of our hand, through the technology of our phones and the use of social networks, we cannot miss the great opportunity to harness that power to become builders of change, agents of peace! And so, I am humbled by this distinction; I see it as a renewal of my commitment to continue using my platforms and networks to serve this mission of transforming, building and impacting in favor of a safer and more peaceful world for all,” said Ricardo Montaner.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Art & Culture

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI

AMAZONIAN CHIEF RAONI METUKTIRE

RICARDO MONTANER

OPAL TOMETI

RICKY MARTIN BY OMAR CRUZ

Art & Culture

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

CUCosta Library

There are 78 thousand volumes to meet the demand of the community

he Webinar “The Future of Libraries: Transformations and Possible Scenarios” was recently held The Library of the University Center of the Coast, of the University of Guadalajara, has 78 thousand volumes and 35 thousand book titles, classified by the universal system and that satisfy the needs of the academic programs in the 19 careers that are currently offered. Elvira Gisela Carrillo Arriaga, Head of the Library Unit of the University Center of the Coast, assured that there is a collection by areas of knowledge, to which the university community and the general public have access. “Our library is open to the public and graduates can also visit us. Due to the pandemic, CUC students are loaned books for two weeks. We are more flexible in delivery times because the classes are from home, ”he said. Attention is Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm. Pending, the opening of the “Central Library” Dr. Francisco Gómez Chávez, Coordinator of Academic Services of the CUCosta, of the University of Guadalajara, recently participated in the Webinar “The Future of Libraries: Transformations and Possible Scenarios”, where he recognized that the opening of the “Central Library of CUCosta”, which has 5 thousand square meters; project that is still pending, and that can help to increase the training library services in this center; increase activities to extend culture to the community. She said that the current library is beginning to be insufficient to meet the demand of users, that is, students, teachers, administrators, managers; a university community of 7 thousand people. In the current facilities it is no longer possible to accumulate more physical library resources, due to space needs, diversity, and all these amenities and comforts that libraries must have today. Health care to avoid contagion • Due to the pandemic, access is restricted to 5 people. It is possible to request books and they are delivered as soon as possible, in order to comply with the health prevention protocols. • To avoid infections by COVID-19, when the books are returned, they are quarantined for 10 days. The capacity in the library is five people maximum. • The greatest demand during the pandemic are literature books; they are followed by science fiction, comics. And it has been evident, the interest of the novel and personal improvement.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

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1. GALERIAS VALLARTA 2. WALMART/SAMS CLUB 3. COSTCO 4. LA ISLA 5. PLAZA CARACOL 6. MEGA/ LA COMER BUCERIAS 7. WALMART NUEVO VALLARTA

1. PACI 2. BAHI 3. LITIB 4. FLAM 5. EL TI 6. & 7 V 8. MAR 9. VISTA

Nov 16 - 22, 2020 9

STATE OF JALISCO

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1. TURTLE RESCUE CAMP 2. WHALE OF A TALE HOLE 3. PLAYA ESCONDIDO 4. KISSING BRIDGE 5. EL CORA CROCODILE SANCTUARY 6. PUERTO VALLARTA SIGN 7. ESTERO EL SALADO 8. PITILLAL PLAZA

‘OLD TOWN’

9. 5 DE DEC. CEMETARY 10. MIRADOR CERRO DE LA CRUZ 11. MALECON 12. VIRGIN DE LA GUADALUPE CHURCH 13. LOS ARCOS AMPITHEATRE 14. ISLA CUALE 15. LAZARO CARDENAS PARK 15. OLAS ALTAS FARMERS MARKET

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

24. FOREVER SPRING MARKET 25. BUCERIAS ARTWALK 26. RIVIERA FARMERS MARKET 27. MARINA ARTISAN MARKET 28. MOVIE + PICNIC 29. RED CROSS 30. LOS ARCOS NATIONAL PARK

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Tavel

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Why some workers are opting to live in their vans Scott B. Rankin Assistant Professor, Human Resources, Thompson Rivers University Angus J Duff Associate Professor, Human Resources, Thompson Rivers University

A growing number of people are redefining what “home” looks like. For many of them, it looks like a van.

he trend to #vanlife is fuelled by the declining affordability of homes, rental shortages in urban centres and resort communities, and by a shift in our definition of “community” from physical neighbourhood to online social networks. Judging from our research, there are very different understandings of this choice of residence depending on which side of the steering wheel you’re on. But understanding the experiences of van dwellers is important not just for those looking to cut their ties to rents and mortgages, but also for community planners and employers. As organization scholars, we believe understanding the shifting definition of home in the work-life balance equation is important. Most research on work-life

balance focuses on finding ways to fit work into our homes and lives. That includes by either changing the way work is done or by providing programs such as daycare, eldercare or telecommuting that help workers better fit their work into their homes. But these adaptations aren’t available for many workers. Construction work can’t take place on a Zoom call and flexible schedules don’t work well when you’re a bus driver. And many companies, for many reasons, are unwilling to invest in the programs that make work more flexible. Redefining homes Our research, based on interviews of working people who live in vans, finds that some workers are redefining their homes rather than relying on employers to redefine their work. They’re enabled by the social media movement #vanlife that provides tips on refitting vehicles with beds, baths and kitchens, on friendly (and unfriendly) places to park overnight and a thriving community of #vanlife commodities. The people known as vanlifers reject traditional notions of home ownership and take their residence on the road. This may sound like mobile home vacationers, but the vanlife phenomenon is not about vacationing. Rather, it’s a choice that people with jobs are making, especially in high-cost markets like Vancouver, San Francisco and Seattle. From the point of view of communities and homeowners, van dwellers occupy a category of homelessness. In the winter of 2019, the resort town of Canmore, Alta., grappled with the growing number of vans parking in community centres and shopping mall parking lots. Local residents complained of noise, mess and the use of recreation centre facilities by the van dwellers. There have been similar stories in

Canada, including in Vancouver, Victoria and Squamish, B.C. Local news narratives tend to paint the van dwellers as a transient group squatting on public space. These are valid concerns for communities, but the communities that complain about non-standard living arrangements are often dependent on the low-wage workers who tend to populate them and provide them with the goods and services they need. Made a different choice We set out to understand the van dweller lifestyle from their perspective and found several common themes. First, van dwellers categorically reject the homeless label. Many respondents made clear they’d simply made a different choice than most when it comes to how they live. They see van dwelling as a source of freedom from mortgages, rent, utilities and the possessions that come with traditional dwelling places. One respondent, a club disc jockey, told us that as a renter, he needed to work more than two weeks every month just to pay his rent. In a van, he says, he has extra time and money to live a lifestyle he otherwise could not afford. A construction worker lived in a van so that he could take half the year off for recreational travel, something that owning or renting would make unaffordable for him. In addition to financial freedom, van dwellers told us it gave them more career freedom, opening up opportunities they couldn’t otherwise have taken. A warehouse worker from California relocated to Washington to take advantage of higher wages. An on-call schoolteacher in Vancouver could take different assignments without suffering two-hour commutes. Instead, he moved his home/van in the evening when traffic was light.

Harmony Finally, van dwellers extolled the harmony between work demands and their lives. They consistently told us they could enjoy their lifestyle regardless of work locations and schedules that would be challenging for many. Like the schoolteacher, a bus driver who works out of three depots scattered across B.C.’s lower mainland talked of how her living arrangements eliminated the stress by ridding her of the morning commute. Van dwellers did report some negatives. Some found the chore of finding parking places where they weren’t targets for ticketing or community frustration to be an ongoing challenge. Others felt their workplaces might stigmatize their choice, requiring them to hide their lifestyle in fear of harming their or their employer’s reputation. On the whole, though, van dwellers rejected typical notions of home. Just as vanlifers have reimagined the definition of home, perhaps it’s time for society and employers to reimagine where workers live. For employers, van living may provide access to workers, particularly in high-cost housing markets or tight employment markets. Providing basic services such as showers or parking spots with power sources, ensuring employees are not discriminated against based on how they’ve chosen to live or simply acknowledging that someone’s choice of residence is no threat to anyone’s livelihood may create better outcomes for van dwellers, their employers and the communities where they work. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Tavel

Golf

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Golfer’s PGA win at Houston Open is first for Mexico in 42 years It was also Carlos Ortiz’s first PGA tour win

fter several close calls, Mexican golfer Carlos Ortiz came from behind to emerge as the victor at the Houston Open on Sunday. The win marked not only Ortiz’s first PGA tour victory but also the first PGA title to go to a native Mexican golfer in 42 years. The 29-year-old Guadalajaran claimed the title with a two-shot victory, blowing past high-ranked golfers Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day, and Sam Burns, who started the tournament’s final day in the lead, one shot ahead of Ortiz. In the end, Ortiz finished the tournament at Houston’s Memorial Park Golf Course 13 under par. “I wasn’t really thinking about the other guys,” he told CNN. “I wasn’t worried. I knew if I played good I was going to be hard

to beat.” However, Ortiz was on the verge of tears at his win, accomplished with a more than 20-foot birdie putt. “I’ve played great this week and it was really hard to hold the emotions all the way to the end,” he said of his tearful reaction. “But I’m really happy the way it played out and the way I played, too.” The win places Ortiz into an elite group of only two other Mexican golfers to earn a PGA win — Victor Regalado, who won in 1978 at the Ed McMahon-Jaycees Quad Cities Open and in 1974 in the Pleasant Valley Classic, and Cesar Sanudo, who won the Azalea Open Invitational in 1970. The win also qualifies Ortiz for an invitation to the prestigious 2021 Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Course next April. The Houston Open, which began Thursday, was the first PGA Tour event in the U.S. to have fans in attendance since March. Sources: CNN (en)

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Golf

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Sea turtles have been around for 150 million years, but todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pace of climate change represents an existential challenge. Regis Duvignau Reuters

Environmental

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

How coyotes and humans can learn to coexist in cities Lauren E. Van Patter PhD Candidate, Queen’s University, Ontario

t’s a common story in many North American cities: a coyote is seen on an urban trail, sports field or schoolyard. Members of the public panic, insisting that the proximity or frequency of these sightings mean the coyote has become bold, aggressive or habituated. Public authorities are pressured to take action and, since relocation is often unfeasible or not permitted, trappers are called in and coyotes are killed, often generating substantial public outcry. If food resources — garbage, pet food, bird feeders — and community behaviours, like intentional feeding or not wildlife proofing property, remain unchanged, it’s only a matter of time before other animals move in to fill the niche and the cycle begins again. It’s past time to accept that lethal methods and relocation are neither effective, sustainable nor humane approaches to human-wildlife conflicts. We need better solutions for coexistence. The question of how to coexist with wildlife in urban environments led to a research collaboration between me, an animal geographer at Queen’s University, and Coyote Watch Canada (CWC). Part of this has involved assessing nonlethal approaches to coyote management, including the use of aversion conditioning, also termed “humane hazing.” Aversion conditioning uses deterrents — such as gestures, voice or a noisemaker — during encounters, safely compelling wildlife to move away from humans. Aversion conditioning Coyote Watch Canada has been working to change the narrative and outcomes of human-coyote interactions. As a recent example, when concerned parents and teachers reported a coyote frequenting a schoolyard in London, Ont., in May 2018, an investigation revealed the coyote was drawn to the site by the abundant groundhog population. After several deployments of aversion conditioning by members of the CWC Canid Response Team (a team of trained volunteers who implement on-the-ground responses such as investigation, rescue and conflict resolution) and trained school staff, the coyote stopped frequenting the schoolyard, and there have been no issues since. This story has two key take-aways. First, coyote behaviour and motivation is often misinterpreted — a situation not helped by pervasive media sensationalism. For instance, although coyotes are often presented as a safety threat, data demonstrate that your chances of being bitten by a coyote are infinitesimal compared with the risks of living around other animals, especially domestic dogs, and that nearly all coyote bites are the result of human feeding

leading to food-conditioned behaviour. Second, aversion conditioning is a safe and effective nonlethal tool to mitigate coyote concerns in urban areas. Although aversion conditioning is increasingly advocated by many organizations and communities, key questions remain, including: How should it be implemented, and by whom? What factors influence its efficacy and outcomes? What results are we trying to achieve, and how can they be measured? Researchers and communities are assessing hazing as a tool for urban coyote management. Members of CWC’s Canid Response

Team had noted that many of the assumptions surrounding aversion conditioning and coyote behaviour lack scientific backing and did not align with their field experiences. In 2019, CWC organized a workshop on aversion conditioning, culminating in a set of best practices that were published in the journal Human Wildlife Interactions. The need for best practices A central question is how aversion conditioning is implemented. For instance, some communities and wildlife managers have suggested organizing members of the public into hazing crews. But these crews may not have sufficient training to assess circumstances and

effectively deploy the methodology. This risks validating anti-coyote vigilantism. Similarly, hazing programs that use dogs or projectiles, such as chalk balls, are questionable. Such strategies pose serious animal welfare concerns. And if aversion conditioning is premised on coyotes associating human encounters with a negative experience, being harassed by a dog or shot from a distance does not foster this learning. Furthermore, aversion conditioning is often implemented and assessed as a lone conflict-mitigation measure, without managing human behaviours and food attractants. Instead, aversion conditioning

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

should be implemented as part of a community-wide wildlife coexistence framework that focuses on prevention, investigation, enforcement (e.g. dog leashing and wildlife feeding bylaws) and education. This involves dispelling myths, for instance letting people know that coyotes do not stalk people, but that they may shadow or escort dogs near a den to make sure they leave the area and are no longer a threat. In fact, off-leash dogs approaching den sites are one of the key sources of dog-coyote conflict. Some jurisdictions, such Presidio, Calif., and Guelph, Ont., have chosen to temporarily restrict dogs from coyote denning areas.

Environmental

Finally, there is a commonly held assumption that if an animal has become â&#x20AC;&#x153;habituatedâ&#x20AC;? to humans (no longer afraid of them), the only option is lethal removal. But the behaviour of individual coyotes that are very persistent in accessing resources and willing to tolerate human proximity can still be effectively reshaped. Along with managing anthropogenic food attractants, like intentional feeding, pet food, compost, fruit trees or bird feeders, our team has been successful in re-educating coyotes through aversion conditioning to mitigate conflict scenarios. Paths to coexistence Living alongside wildlife, especially larger

animals, in cities is complex and multifaceted, as diverse public understandings, values and preferences intersect with animals. Mainstream wildlife management has for too long been steeped in a paradigm of instrumental use, human convenience and animal expendability. Communities increasingly value wild animals, preferring that they be managed in a nonlethal and compassionate fashion. By recognizing humans and other species as cohabitants of a shared world, our work is part of a growing trend that focuses on paths to coexistence. Communities need tangible tools in working towards this end. Aversion conditioning is one such tool. It reshapes

relationships based on misinformation, fear and too often animal death, into those of community empowerment, compassion and healthy human-wildlife boundaries. Viewing animals like coyotes as legitimate and essential urban inhabitants compels us to consider our responsibilities to other species and how we can foster coexistence in the more-than-human city. Lesley Sampson, the founding executive director of Coyote Watch Canada, co-authored this article. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Environmental

Cats: the best actors when they get sick By Royal canin

t is a fact that a cat, like any other living being, can get sick. There is this belief that being “more independent” than, for example, a dog, they are not usually so sick and require certain care such as periodic medical check-ups, however, this is not the case. The probability that a feral cat (the one that is usually outside) has ill is greater than that of a domestic cat, however, this does not mean that they are not vulnerable to acquiring certain diseases because the fact of staying at home does not exempt them from being exposed to factors that can weaken your body. It is important to know that the domestication of cats is much more current than that of dogs, therefore, cats have a much more active survival instinct, so that, even being in a home environment, they avoid showing their weaknesses This can make detecting symptoms or discomforts difficult for those who have a cat. The causes of the most common feline diseases are infectious, food poisoning, genetics, parasitic, among others. Although many acquire them with age, others appear intermittently and suddenly, this being another factor that prevents a timely diagnosis. The MVZ Armin Frehoff, shares with us which are the most common feline diseases and how to detect them. • Urinary problems or Lower Urinary Tract Disease (ETUI). If your cat when urinating shows signs such as pain, excessive vocalizations, urinates outside her litter box, in amounts less than normal or does not urinate at all, it is very likely that she has a urinary problem and it is best to take her to. the doctor. Watch carefully their behavior, but also the sandbox. If you notice that your urine is a different color, this may indicate Hematuria (blood in the urine). Sometimes it can be almost imperceptible, so it is essential to be vigilant. • Renal insufficiency. It is common for your pet’s kidneys to decrease their ability to function with age, however, falls from very high surfaces, fractures, dehydration or recurrent urinary disorders can cause felines to develop this condition, even when they are young. Kidney malfunction can be chronic or acute, this means that it can develop gradually, or it can appear from one day to the next. • Periodontal diseases (inflammation of the gums). According to various studies, periodontal diseases occur in up to seventy percent of felines. Although breeds such as the Siamese and Somali tend to be more prone to these problems, if there is no proper care, any feline can present related conditions. Halitosis, gum irritation, mouth swelling, and difficulty chewing are clear symptoms of periodontitis. These signs usually appear gradually, so the problem can

progress and worsen to the point where the feline stops eating, and even where other organs such as kidneys, lungs or heart are compromised. • Obesity. You need to know that there are certain breeds of felines that are more prone to gaining weight, as well as life stages in which their activity decreases and if they have been sterilized or not, so feeding them adequate portions to their routine and needs is essential . Being overweight and obese can lead to cardiovascular problems, depression and mental exhaustion, because they are natural hunters, losing their agility stresses them and makes them feel vulnerable in situations that they detect as dangerous. There are many things you can do to get to know, care for and protect your cat, however, it will always be important to prevent any illness to keep it healthy and happy. This can be achieved by taking your cat periodically to the vet. Take your cat to the vet at least every six months as a preventive measure, this will give you many tools to take care of your kitten and give him the quality of life he deserves.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Environmental

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Cuisine 46 Arroz con leche varies with each Mexican grandmother who makes it

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Finding the “best” recipe for Mexico’s take on rice pudding all depends on whom you ask By Janet Blaser In Mexico, arroz con leche is a longstanding traditional dessert, and there are as many ways to make it as there are grandmothers willing to share their recipe.

hile it’s a simple enough dish, there are secrets to success that involve the ingredients, cooking methods and level of patience (ahem). Traditionally arroz con leche, or rice pudding, is made by slowly, slowly cooking rice in sweetened whole milk until the rice is soft and the milk has thickened. Cinnamon, vanilla and sometimes nutmeg can be added before serving. Some people like an arroz con leche that’s more soupy; others prefer it firm. That’s just a matter of cooking time, the ratio of rice to milk and, to some degree, about the type of rice you’re using. What’s the best kind of rice to use? Some say long-grain rice is best, some swear by short-grain for a creamier result. Some believe in arborio rice. Who knows? But don’t use “Minute Rice” or any kind of arroz precocido (precooked rice); it defeats the purpose of the rice starch cooking into the pudding.

Sugar is the time-honored sweetener, and for good reason: using granulated sugar or piloncillo (unrefined whole cane sugar) helps the milk caramelize as it cooks down, creating a complex depth of flavor. But time-saving versions in some recipes use sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar, and/or use leftover or precooked rice rather than cooking it slowly in the milk. Can you do this? Sure. Will it taste the same? Well, I don’t think so, although I’ll still happily eat it at my favorite taco stand. Rice pudding is a favorite all over the world, where it’s called by different names and baked, boiled and simmered in a variety of ways. Legend tells us a big bowl of kheer was the Buddha’s final meal before his enlightenment. In Chinese cuisine we find ba bao fan, made with eight kinds of fruits or nuts and eaten at the New Year. The Lebanese serve meghli to celebrate the birth of a child. The Philippines’ tsamporado, a chocolate rice pudding, traces its history to early trade with Mexico; innovative Filipino cooks revised the Mexican champurrado by substituting sticky rice for masa. If you’re going to make arroz con leche at

home, I’ve included different versions of the traditional recipe. You be the judge, and see what you think. If you’re a dairy-free person, other types of milk may work, albeit with slightly different final textures. First, let’s start with a video of YouTuber Doña Angelita making her very traditional arroz con leche over a wood fire. The written recipe follows. Doña Angelita’s Arroz con Leche 5 liters whole milk

½ kilo rice, washed 1 big cinnamon stick 5 small piloncillo cones ½ cup white sugar 1 cup raisins Put 1 liter of the milk, plus the rice and the cinnamon stick in a large pot. Cook uncovered until rice is soft. Add the remaining milk, piloncillo, sugar and raisins. Cook, stirring constantly to make sure it doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom, for about 30 minutes or until thickened. Source: Mexican News Daily

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Cuisine

Gastronomy

n attraction in any part of the world is gastronomy, because you can go from the traditional to the Gourmet, and Puerto Vallarta has a great variety of places from north to south, since you arrive, the gastronomic offer is everywhere. In Marina Vallarta you can find restaurants with traditional, Gourmet and international cuisine for grand tourism, on the main avenue and the bay, as well as the delicious buffet bar at the resorts. Continuing through the north of Puerto Vallarta, on the main avenue, the restaurant offer is wide and with a great atmosphere, either by day or night. When you go to the downtown area, along the boardwalk, there are places of tradition, from their drinks to the food they will make you feel the tropical atmosphere or some typical snack, the kind that they sell in street stalls or traditional markets. In the romantic zone, they go from cozy places to open with tables on the sidewalks, with a more bohemian atmosphere and a traditional Mexican town, but also the Gourmet and international take place in this area. The combination of the bay and an exquisite dish on the shore of the beach, make a special moment at any time of day with the excellent panoramic view at the beach level or in a roof garden. The gastronomic offer of the southern area reaches to the last of the beaches of Banderas Bay, with its restaurants, arches, neighborhood cuisine, palapas or grilled seafood skewers. Such is the passion for gastronomy that great Gourmet festivals take place throughout the year, where famous chefs with Michelin stars are part of them. Throughout Puerto Vallarta there are restaurants that offer the best of the menu of the sea and other specialties, within reach of any pocket. Gastronomic festivals Puerto Vallarta conquers the palates of its visitors, so much so that it is known as a world-class gourmet destination, for having a great gastronomic offer, and restaurants of all kinds that have a range of flavors that go from traditional to traditional. international.

On several occasions the Food and Travel Reader Awards, awards that recognize the chefs, restaurants, destinations, hotels, spas, airlines, cruises, travel agencies and loyalty programs preferred by their readers, have positioned Puerto Vallarta in various types of nominations. In addition, the International Gourmet Festival, an event of culinary excellence that takes place in this beautiful destination at the end of November and the beginning of December, year after year delights the palates of its attendees with the creations of the top chefs who collaborate. Vallarta Nayarit Gastronomica, is another great event on a world scale that takes place at the end of October and beginning of November, where chefs awarded with Michelin stars expose their talent, leaving their mark and further enriching the culinary range of the Port.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

History 50 Nov 16 - 22, 2020 The complicated legacy of the Pilgrims is finally coming to light 400 years after they landed in Plymouth Peter C. Mancall Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

he 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ voyage to Plymouth will be celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic with a “remembrance ceremony” with state and local officials and a museum exhibit in Plymouth, England. An autonomous marine research ship named “The Mayflower” has been equipped with an AI navigating system that will allow the ship to trace the course of the original journey without any humans on board. Yet as a scholar of early 17th-century New England, I’ve always been puzzled by the glory heaped on the Pilgrims and their settlement in Plymouth. Native Americans had met Europeans in scores of places before 1620, so yet another encounter was hardly unique. Relative to other settlements, the colony attracted few migrants. And it lasted only 70 years. So why does it have such a prominent place in the story of America? And why, until recently, did the more troubling aspects to Plymouth and its founding document, the Mayflower Compact, go ignored? Prophets and profits The establishment of Plymouth did not occur in a vacuum. The Pilgrims’ decision to go to North America – and their deep attachment to their faith – was an outcome of the intense religious conflict roiling Europe after the Protestant Reformation. Shortly before the travelers’ arrival, the Wampanoag residents of Patuxet – the area in and around modern day Plymouth – had suffered a devastating, three-year epidemic, possibly caused by leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that can lead to meningitis, respiratory distress and liver failure.

It was during these two crises that the histories of western Europe and Indigenous North America collided on the shores of Massachusetts Bay. Despite a number of advantages, including less competition for local resources because of the epidemic, Plymouth attracted far fewer English migrants than Virginia, which was settled in 1607, and Massachusetts, which was established in 1630. The Pilgrims, as they told their story traveled so they could practice their religion free from persecution. But other English joined them, including some migrants seeking profits instead of heeding prophets. Unfortunately for those hoping to earn a quick buck, the colony never became an economic dynamo. A shaky compact Plymouth nonetheless went on to attain a prominent place in the history of America, primarily due to two phenomena: It was the alleged site of the first Thanksgiving, and its founders drafted the Mayflower Compact, a 200-word document written and signed by 41 men on the ship. Generations of American students have learned that the Compact was a stepping stone towards self-government, the

defining feature of American constitutional democracy. But did Plymouth really inspire democracy? After all, self-governing communities existed across Indigenous New England long before European migrants arrived. And a year earlier, in 1619, English colonists in Virginia had created the House of Burgesses to advance self-rule in North America for subjects of King James I. So American self-government, however one defines it, was not born in Plymouth. The Mayflower Compact nonetheless contained lofty ideals. The plan signed by many of the Mayflower’s male passengers demanded that colonists “Covenant & Combine ourselves into a Civil body politic, for our better ordering, & preservation.” They promised to work together to write “laws, ordinances, Acts, constitutions.” The signers pledged to work for the “advancement of the Christian faith.” Yet as the years after 1620 bore out, the migrants did not adhere to such principles when dealing with their Wampanoag and other Algonquian-speaking neighbors. Gov. William Bradford, who began writing his history of Plymouth in 1630, wrote about the Pilgrims arriving in “a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men” even though Patuxet looked more like a settled European farmland. The Pilgrims exiled an English lawyer named Thomas Morton, in part because he believed that Indigenous and colonists could peacefully coexist. And in 1637, Plymouth’s authorities joined a bloody campaign against the Pequots, which led to the massacre of Indigenous people on the banks of the Mystic River, followed by the sale of prisoners into slavery. The Compact was even used by loyalists to the British crown to argue against independence. Thomas Hutchinson, the last royal governor of Massachusetts, pointed to the Pilgrims as proof that colonists should not rebel, highlighting the passage that defined the signers as “loyal subjects” of the English king.

History told by the victors After the American Revolution, politicians and historians, especially those descended from Pilgrims and Puritans, were keen to trace the origins of the United States back to Plymouth. In the process, they glossed over the Pilgrims’ complicated legacy. In 1802, the future President John Quincy Adams spoke at Plymouth about the unique genius of the colony’s founders and their governing contract. He announced that the Pilgrims would arrive at the biblical day of judgment “in the whiteness of innocence” for having shown “kindness and equity toward the savages.” In the mid-19th century, the historian George Bancroft claimed that it was in “the cabin of the Mayflower” where “humanity recovered its rights, and instituted government on the basis of ‘equal laws’ for ‘the general good.’” Nineteenth-century anniversary celebrations focused on the colonists, their written Compact, and their contribution to what became the United States. In 1870, on the 250th anniversary, celebrants struck a commemorative coin: one side featured an open Bible, the other a group of Pilgrims praying on the shoreline. Missing, not surprisingly, were the Wampanoags. A more nuanced view of the past By 1970, the cultural tide had turned. Representatives of the Wampanoag nation walked out of Plymouth’s public celebration of Thanksgiving that year to announce that the fourth Thursday in November should instead be known as the National Day of Mourning. To these protesters, 1620 represented violent conquest and dispossession, the twinned legacies of exclusion. The organizers of an international group called “Plymouth 400” have stressed that they want to tell a “historically accurate and culturally inclusive history.” They’ve promoted both the General Society of Mayflower Descendants and an exhibit featuring 400 years of Wampanoag History. Unlike earlier generations of celebrants, the organizers have acknowledged the continued presence of Native residents. Prior celebrations of Plymouth’s founding focused on the Pilgrims’ role in the creation of the United States. By doing so, these commemorations sustained an exclusionary narrative for over two centuries. Perhaps this year a different story will take hold, replacing ancestor worship with a more clear-eyed view of the past. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Mexico’s second-biggest pilgrimage site has its own indigenous origin story The annual Catholic pilgrimage from San Gregorio to Chalma is about faith and gratitude, but also the bonds formed in suffering By Joseph Sorrentino

antiago was talking to me about the pilgrimage to Chalma when he became adamant about one thing. “You must ride a horse,” he said. I was born and raised on Staten Island, a borough of New York City, and my family didn’t have many opportunities for horseback riding. Actually, we had none. I told him it was a bad idea, but he kept insisting. “You will be fine,” he said. I had my doubts. I was working on a book chronicling a year in San Gregorio Atlapulco, a town in Xochimilco, Mexico City, and that meant going on pilgrimages. Chalma, which is located in México state, is the secondmost-important pilgrimage site in Mexico after the Villa Guadalupe. “The pilgrimage is Catholic,” said Javier Márquez Juárez, who goes every year, “but it is also indigenous.” The origin of the pilgrimage is this: one of the gods worshipped by the Mexicas was Tezcatlipoca, the Smoking Mirror or Dark Lord. There was a life-sized statue of the god in a cave in Chalma, and this didn’t sit well with the Augustinian friars who arrived around 1537, determined to convert indigenous communities to Christianity. According to one legend, two friars wanted the idol destroyed, and when it wasn’t, they went to the cave to destroy it themselves. However, when they arrived, they found the idol in pieces on the ground, replaced by a figure of a crucified black Christ. Mexicas supposedly converted on the spot. Pilgrimages are held throughout the year. “The largest pilgrimages are on New Year’s, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday,” said Márquez. “Ones that occur in May and June, like the one from San Gregorio Atlapulco, have pre-Hispanic elements. Those months are when indigenous groups petitioned for rain.” Bowing to Santiago’s gentle, if persistent, pressure, to ride a horse, I figured I should take riding lessons. I told Max, my instructor, and an expert horseman, about Santiago’s insistence. “Sometimes the trails are difficult even for us,” he said, which caused me no end of worry. But when I mentioned this to Javier he said, “You will be fine.” Most from San Gregorio walk or ride horses to Chalma, a challenging two and a half days covering about 45 miles. There

History

are steep climbs on narrow mountain paths, and because it’s the rainy season, there are often severe storms to contend with. Yet the pilgrims go every year. “I go to show the faith I have in the Lord of Chalma,” said Juan Manzanares who has gone on the pilgrimage for 26 years, almost half his life. “To feel the peace and spirituality of the sanctuary, also … to conserve the traditions of our country.” For Raúl Hernandez Serralde, the pilgrimage is a chance to give thanks for a perceived miracle. “When I was three, I was very sick, and the doctor did not know if I would live,” he said. “My grandfather carried me all the way to Chalma. He walked the whole way. He bathed me in the river there … and I did recover. It was a miracle. So I go to Chalma every year to give thanks to God.” Underlying beliefs in indigenous religions and traditions also compel people to go. “We go to ask for rain so that we have a good harvest,” said Márquez. “When we walk through the mountains — mountains represent water — it is to ensure rain.” A little after 5:00 a.m. on June 1, thousands

of people streamed out of San Gregorio on their way to Chalma. Fireworks exploded overhead. The pilgrimage had started. I was relieved that I didn’t ride the horse from the very beginning. But I became less sanguine when the flat road we were on turned into steep mountain paths. As we climbed one particularly challenging stretch, Santiago turned to me several times worriedly. “Do you want to rest?” he asked each time. “No,” I panted. “I’ll rest when we get to the top.” When I finally got there, I decided to take some photos before resting. As soon as I sat down, however, Santiago announced, “Vámonos.” I eventually rode the horse for a mostly uneventful hour, deciding I’d had enough when we stopped for a break and, despite my whispering to the horse, “Whoa, whoa” (I don’t know the Spanish equivalent), she kept going around in small circles. Santiago kindly helped me down. The second day was a six-hour walking marathon during which I’d gotten separated from the group and walked

the last hour alone in a punishing downpour. Whoever had petitioned the gods for rain had had their prayers answered. Finally, after a challenging two days, I was completely soaked and tired, but I’d made it. About 60 of us slept in tents that were set up under a second very large tent, which is also where we ate. It rained almost every day, so the ground was muddy and it was hard to stay dry. But no one complained. I then spent three days in Chalma, going to the church every day and often at night. More pilgrims arrived daily, and thousands crammed into the churchyard, where different Aztec groups danced, pounded out different rhythms and sang. Masses were held continuously inside the church, where the black Christ now hangs. The return trip was arguably even more difficult. I rode the horse for four hours on the second day, over mountain paths that were narrow, slick with mud, and blocked in parts by boulders and fallen trees. It was way beyond my ability but, miraculously I didn’t fall. I wish I could say it was due to my superior skills, but it was due to my clinging to the saddle as if my life depended on it. Which it may have. A huge storm also hit at the end of that day; I’m talking about a storm where you start thinking about building an ark and selecting animals. At one point, three of us reached an intersection where water was so deep and moving so rapidly, we couldn’t cross. We had to detour and jump over a narrow stream. We bedded down the final night in a rodeo arena, sleeping on ground covered with stones, making for a very uncomfortable night. We finally made it back to San Gregorio in the early afternoon and were greeted at the entrance to the pueblo with bottle rockets, toritos (makeshift structures filled with fireworks and carried above a person’s shoulders), other fireworks and, of course, another big meal. All in all, the trek to Chalma took about 16 hours. We crossed mountains and fields under a hot sun. We were rained on. We were exhausted. We suffered — but that’s part of the point. “When a group suffers together, they become much closer,” said Hernández. “Suffering is part of spirituality. We suffer, we make a sacrifice, to show thanks to God, to show our faith. So we walk, we sleep on the ground.” “Suffering in the Catholic religion is payment for sins,” says Márquez. “In pre-Hispanic traditions, it is an expression of stoicism. So in pilgrimages today, there are two visions: Catholic and pre-Hispanic.” Immediately after the pilgrimage ended, I decided that going once was enough, that I only went to take photographs. Now I’m not so sure. I now know what to expect, and that might make it a little easier. But with the pilgrimage canceled this year because of the coronavirus, I have a whole year to decide. Source: Mexico News Daily.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Health

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Can you have too much Botox? Matthew J. Lin Assistant Clinical Professor, Dermatologist and Mohs Surgeon, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

some patients will notice changes after two or three days. Typically, the effect lasts from three to six months. As muscle action gradually returns, lines and wrinkles begin to reappear and they can be retreated. Over time, returning lines and wrinkles often appear less severe; the muscles learn to relax and the overlying skin becomes less creased and folded.

emand for cosmetic treatments, including botox and fillers, has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons are attributing the boom to patients wanting to put their best face forward for online Zoom meetings, as well as increased time to attend appointments and recover from treatments. Botox is now the most popular non-surgical cosmetic treatment in the U.S., with a market size valued at $4.7 billion. Over the past 20 years, the number of cosmetic Botox procedures have increased more than 700 percent, with over six million treatments performed every year. Now trending with millennials, preventative Botox involves stopping wrinkles before they have a chance to form. And although women still use the most Botox, more men are trying it, a trend known as “brotox.” As a board-certified dermatologist who frequently administers Botox treatments, I am often asked how it works, what it achieves, how to avoid “bad Botox” and if a person can have too much. What is Botox? Botox is a brand name of a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Other brand names for similar toxins include Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau. In large amounts, these chemicals can cause botulism, an illness that may produce nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, fatal paralysis of vital muscles. Using small amounts, however, doctors can safely use the toxin to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. In the 1980s, Jean and Alastair Carruthers, a Canadian ophthalmologist and dermatologist, accidentally discovered the toxin’s anti-aging properties when they noticed patients receiving injections for facial spasm were also losing their frown lines. Subsequent studies did not suggest long-term risk. How does it work? Botox is administered with a fine needle to the muscle under the skin. It blocks signals from nerves to muscles. This results in temporary paralysis of those muscles. Because the injected muscle can no longer contract, the wrinkles soften and relax. Over time, the skin becomes smoother with improvements in quality, tone and texture. Botox is most often used for horizontal forehead lines and wrinkles around the eyes – the worry lines – and betweenthe-eyebrow frown lines — the “11s.” It is not FDA-approved for the lips. Wrinkles on the lower face caused by gravity and sun

Things to consider before the injection The safety of Botox for pregnant or breastfeeding women has not been determined, so neither group should use it. Also, people with certain neurological diseases should not use Botox. When an expert performs the procedure, patients generally tolerate Botox well. A recent study found less than 1% of patients experience problems if a board-certified dermatologist administers the treatment. Temporary bruising is the most common side effect. Headaches sometimes occur; they stop within one to two days. A small percentage of patients may develop eyebrow or eyelid drooping, but this usually resolves in a few weeks. Because day spas and other nonmedical offices do Botox treatments, many people think a Botox injection is on the same level as a manicure, facial or haircut. This is not the case. This is a medical procedure requiring specific training and expertise in order to achieve safe and aesthetically pleasing results. Many doctors and medical paraprofessionals advertise Botox treatments after taking a weekend course in injections. But those courses are teaching their students to match a template – and Botox is not a “one-size-fits-all” treatment. An individual’s unique features and muscle patterns must be taken into account. It’s best to choose an experienced provider with extensive knowledge of facial anatomy, an aesthetic eye and well-developed skills. A highly trained board-certified physician is also best able to manage any complications post-treatment.

Six million Botox procedures are performed every year. Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press

More men are using Botox. Getty Images

Botox is not a one-size-fits-all treatment. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

damage don’t respond as well to Botox. There is no “average” cost for Botox. Distributors and practitioners have varying rates. Beyond cosmetic applications, Botox is a treatment for more than 20 medical conditions, including eye spasm, Bell’s palsy, headache, excessive sweating and urinary incontinence. The procedure takes only a few minutes.

Some people prefer to use numbing cream, but no anesthesia is required and discomfort is minor. For four to six hours afterwards, patients must not lay down, manipulate the injected area or exercise vigorously. This keeps the Botox from migrating outside the treatment zones. But it’s OK to immediately return to work or resume normal social activities. Generally it takes one to two weeks for the Botox to take full effect, but

Can you have too much Botox? If you go to an unqualified provider, it may not look right, no matter what the amount. That said, when it comes to Botox, less is more. You want a subtle and natural look, with plenty of movement left in the face. Too much causes that stereotypical frozen appearance. Botox isn’t noticeable if it’s injected in small doses by a skilled practitioner. And when done just right, a good Botox treatment presents a patient who appears more rested, with more defined brows, more open eyes, and skin that takes on a smoother and more youthful appearance. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Health

How to host a safe holiday meal during coronavirus – an epidemiologist explains her personal plans Melissa Hawkins Professor of Public Health, Director of Public Health Scholars Program, American University

ike many people in this unusual year, I am adjusting my family’s holiday plans so that we can all be safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. I am an epidemiologist and mother of four with a large extended family. Given the serious nationwide resurgence of COVID-19 infections, gatherings of family and friends over the upcoming holidays have the potential to amplify the spread of the virus. Several recent studies have further confirmed that indoor socializing at home carries a significantly higher risk of viral transmission than outdoor activities. Health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have warned that much of transmission this fall is happening across all age groups at small indoor gatherings. For the past 15 years my family tradition is to travel from Washington, D.C., along with both grandparents, to sunny Florida to celebrate Thanksgiving with cousins. This year we decided to skip the travel and will have fall and winter celebrations at home. We are not canceling the holidays, but to keep ourselves and others safe, we are keeping plans small and flexible and remembering that the health of those we love is most important as we enter the season of gratitude. Before you gather First, it is important that everyone who will be attending any holiday celebration is on the same page about how to take precautions before getting together. The idea is to lower infection risk in the weeks leading up to the holidays and then test to confirm. In general, everyone should plan to be vigilant in their public health practices beforehand, especially since grandparents are at higher risk. In my family, we have agreed to limit contact with other people as much as possible the week before Thanksgiving. We have also agreed that everyone needs to be extra cautious around the few close people we see regularly. In conjunction with quarantining, testing is the second strategy. Research has consistently shown that people are most contagious a day or two before they show symptoms, so everyone plans to get tested with an RT-PCR test within 72 hours of Thanksgiving, while still being able to get results in hand before we gather. If the demand for tests is high and wait times are long, we will get rapid tests. But these are a second choice, as they are less reliable and can be expensive.

Where and how to eat and socialize No matter how careful you and your family are, there is some risk that someone will be infected. With that in mind, the goal is to reduce the conditions that lead to viral spread. The biggest risks are indoor spaces with poor ventilation, large groups and close contact. So we are planning the opposite: a short outdoor Thanksgiving with a small group and plenty of space between everyone. To reduce the risk of infection from flying and to keep the gathering small, the only people coming to Thanksgiving at my family’s home in D.C. are my mother, my aunt and my uncle – all of whom live within driving distance. This is in addition to myself, my husband and our kids. When deciding how many people will come to the holidays, keep it small and consider the amount of space you have to maintain social distancing. If the weather cooperates, we plan to be outside for trivia games and the turkey meal. Rather than eat around one table, we will have individual tables and place settings spaced far apart and space heaters around. I’ve got a mini care package planned for each guest so that everyone will have their own blanket, hand sanitizer, utensils and a festive mask. My mother won’t be helping out in the kitchen this year and, unfortunately, that goes for cleanup too. We won’t take a group picture but I will be sure to capture some of the special moments. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, Plan B is to be inside in the large family room with as many windows open as possible and with everyone spaced as far apart as possible. Being outside is safer, but if you must be indoors, improve ventilation by opening doors and windows. Consider turning on exhaust fans and using an air purifier. Everyone who lives in the household will be in one section while my mom will have her own individual area, as will my aunt and uncle. Even though we won’t hold hands before sharing the meal, we will still recite

After the event I hope everyone enjoys the meal and quality time spent with one another in this melancholy year, but the work is not done once the dishes are clean and everyone is home safely.

run for Christmas, so a few days after, I plan to call everyone and discuss what worked well and what didn’t. If all goes well, I hope to repeat this quarantine, test and gather process for Christmas. The ending of 2020 deserves to be celebrated, given this difficult year. This Thanksgiving will be different from those of other years, and my kids understand they need to manage their expectations. But we still plan to uphold our tradition of writing all that we are thankful for and reading our messages aloud to one another. We will still share love, some laughs and a good meal while everyone does their part to protect one another.

Everyone is planning to get another COVID–19 test one week after the meal. Additionally, Thanksgiving is our family’s trial

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

that we are “thankful for family, friends and food.” Whether outside or inside, everyone will wear masks when they aren’t eating, maintain 6 feet of distance and use the hand sanitizer that I will place throughout the house. It is also important to be mindful of alcohol consumption, as a pandemic is not the time for lowered inhibitions and bad judgment.

Health

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

The spooky and dangerous side of black licorice

Bill Sullivan Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology; author of Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs, and the Curious Forces That Make Us Who We Are, Indiana University

lack licorice may look and taste like an innocent treat, but this candy has a dark side. On Sept. 23, 2020, it was reported that black licorice was the culprit in the death of a 54-year-old man in Massachusetts. How could this be? Overdosing on licorice sounds more like a twisted tale than a plausible fact. I have a longstanding interest in how chemicals in our food and the environment affect our body and mind. When something seemingly harmless like licorice is implicated in a death, we are reminded of the famous proclamation by Swiss physician Paracelsus, the Father of Toxicology: “All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison.” I am a professor in the department of pharmacology and toxicology and author of the book “Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs, and the Curious Forces That Make Us Who We Are.” The root of the problem The unfortunate man who recently

succumbed to excessive black licorice consumption is not alone. There are a smattering of similar case reports in medical journals, in which patients experience hypertension crisis, muscle breakdown or even death. Adverse reactions are most frequently seen in people over the age of 40 who are eating far more black licorice than the average person. In addition, they are usually consuming the product for prolonged periods of time. In the most recent case, the Massachusetts man had been eating a bag and a half of black licorice every day for three weeks. Licorice is a flowering plant native to parts of Europe and Asia. Its scientific name, Glycyrrhiza, is derived from the Greek words “glykos” (sweet) and “rhiza” (root). The aromatic and sweet extract from its root has long been used as an herbal remedy for a wide variety of health maladies, from heartburn and stomach issues to sore throats and cough. However, there is insufficient evidence to support that licorice is effective in treating any medical condition. Glycyrrhizin (also called glycyrrhizic acid) is the chemical in black licorice that gives the candy its signature flavor, but it also leads to its toxic effects. Glycyrrhizin mimics the hormone aldosterone, which is made by the adrenal

glands when the body needs to retain sodium and excrete potassium. Sodium and potassium work together as a kind of cellular battery that drives communication between nerves and the contraction of muscles. Too much glycyrrhizin upsets the balance of these electrolytes, which can raise blood pressure and disturb the heart’s rhythm. Other symptoms of excessive licorice intake include swelling, muscle pain, numbness and headache. Examination of the man who died from consuming too much licorice revealed that he had dangerously low levels of potassium, consistent with glycyrrhizin toxicity. It should be noted that a number of licorice-based foods do not contain real licorice, but use a flavoring substitute called anise oil, which does not pose the dangers discussed here. In addition, despite its name, red licorice rarely contains licorice extract. Instead, red licorice is infused with chemicals that impart its cherry or strawberry flavor. Products that contain real licorice are usually labeled as such, and list licorice extract or glycyrrhizic acid among the ingredients. Be advised that some products, such as black jelly beans or Good & Plenty, are mixtures of different candies that contain both anise oil and licorice extract. Hidden dangers that increase risk Glycyrrhizin has the distinct licorice flavor and is 50 times sweeter than sugar and has been used in other types of candy, soft drinks, tea, Belgian beers, throat lozenges and tobacco. This can make it challenging to keep track of how much glycyrrhizin has been consumed, and a combination of these products could trigger adverse effects. Some people take dietary or health supplements that already contain licorice, which increases the risk of toxic effects from eating black licorice candy. Certain medications such as hydrochlorothiazide are diuretics that cause increased urination, which can lower potassium levels in the body.

Glycyrrhizin also lowers potassium levels, further disrupting the balance of electrolytes, which can produce muscle cramps and irregular heart rhythms. People with certain preexisting conditions are more susceptible to black licorice overdose. For example, patients who already have low potassium levels (hypokalemia), high blood pressure or heart arrhythmia are likely to have greater sensitivity to the effects of excessive licorice. Those with liver or kidney deficiencies will also retain glycyrrhizin in their bloodstream for longer times, increasing their risk of experiencing its adverse effects. What to do? If you’re a fan of black licorice, there is no need to ban it from your pantry. Eaten in small quantities from time to time, licorice poses no significant threat to otherwise healthy adults and children. But it is advisable to monitor your intake. With Halloween approaching, be sure to remind your kids that candy is a “sometimes food,” especially the black licorice. The FDA has issued warnings about the rare but serious effects of too much black licorice, advising that people avoid eating more than two ounces of black licorice a day for two weeks or longer. The agency states that if you have been eating a lot of black licorice and experience an irregular heart rhythm or muscle weakness, stop eating it immediately and contact your health care provider. Some scientists have further cautioned against the routine use of licorice in the form of a dietary supplement or tea for its alleged health benefits. A review article from 2012 warned that “the daily consumption of licorice is never justified because its benefits are minor compared to the adverse outcomes of chronic consumption.” This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Health

Jalisco Mobile Unit Recognizes You Begins your tour of the North Zone of the state

he Secretariat of the Social Assistance System (SSAS) in coordination with the 10 municipalities that make up the Northern Zone of the State, began the care brigade through the mobile unit of the Jalisco “Te Reconoce” Program, Support for the Elderly, with the objective of bring the health services and care components that contribute to improving the quality of life as part of the actions towards a Friendly State with this population sector. The director of Strategic Projects of the SSAS, María del Carmen Bayardo Solórzano affirmed that this program is designed in an integral way to promote full and active aging in a prevention sense, to avoid complications or risk of diseases that can generate greater problems such as they are diabetes and hypertension, among others. “Being able to give you the tools so that every day of your life you have fullness, security, confidence and be able to have a safe step with comfortable shoes and food, through a balanced program of a pantry, the food supplement that It is specially designed so that their digestion has the necessary nutrients to be able to have flexibility in their muscles and strength in their joints ”, Bayardo Solórzano told the beneficiaries during the start-up of the mobile unit. The Municipal President of Colotlán,

Jorge Alonso Arellano Gandara on behalf of the municipal authorities of the region, thanked the state government for this effort that consolidates teamwork so that preventive health services (podiatry, nutrition, psychology and physical activation ) In addition to the delivery of assistance components, they are guaranteed for the 479 people over 65 years of age registered as beneficiaries through “this module that will be going to all the municipalities of the Northern Zone and not only to the capitals but to the communities, and that is what must be worthily valued ”. To know more The 01 North region has 479 people registered in the 10 municipalities that comprise it: the headquarters in Colotlán with 62 benefited elderly people, Bolaños (18), Chimaltitán (83), Huejúcar (93) Huejuquilla el Alto (37), Mezquitic ( 11), San Martín de Bolaños (20), Santa María de los Ángeles (55), Totatiche (21) and Villa Guerrero (77). So far this year 2020, the food supplement, winter kit (1 vest and 1 scarf) and a pair of shoes have been delivered, in addition to a total of 958 pantries, 174 functional devices and 161 optometry vouchers for the acquisition of lenses to those who require them.

Health

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Ornament ma- Coronavirus won’t stop Christmas Ornament king in Tlalpu- Fair in Michoacán jahua represents about 60% of the town’s economy

he Michoacán town of Tlalpujahua refuses to let Covid-19 ruin its Christmas spirit: artisans here are preparing to go ahead with a 50-plus year tradition — the Tlalpujahua Ornament Fair, which begins December 13. The fair, well-known throughout Mexico, will operate with some major restrictions: the usual capacity will be reduced by 50% and senior citizens and children will not be allowed to enter. There will be the usual temperature checks and distribution of hand sanitizer and social distancing rules will be in place. In addition, to avoid overcrowded conditions, the 300 artisans expected to participate will only be allowed to set up

shop on alternating days, meaning no more than 150 artisans will be on hand a time. It’s a bit of a blow for the Magical Town that is known the “town of eternal Christmas.” But the more than 400 artisan workshops that make their living manufacturing blown-glass Christmas ornaments here are betting on visitors being willing to put up with the inconveniences to get a much-needed dose of the holiday spirit. It’s a high-stakes bet: ornaments are big, big business here. Between year-round sales and the revenue generated in town from the annual event, Tlalpujahua artisans, directly and indirectly, represent about 60% of the town’s economy, or 180 million pesos annually. In some way or another, nearly all the town’s 27,000-plus inhabitants earn money from the industry — as craftsmen, factory workers, tourism providers, and suppliers and vendors.

Get Directions Christmas tree ornaments in Mexico go back probably to the late 1800s, when Queen Victoria made them a fad in Europe.

Mexico already had Christmas trees, thanks to their introduction in the 1860s by Emperor Maximilian and his wife Carlota, who brought what is believed to be the first Christmas tree to Mexico from Europe and displayed it in Chapultepec Castle, likely using small candles, not ornaments. However, even after the royal couple was ousted, wealthy families who copied their example kept the Christmas tree tradition alive and likely began importing ornaments as they became popular abroad. The Christmas ornaments industry came to Tlalpujahua, located about three hours from Mexico City, in 1960. Resident Joaquín Muñoz and his wife María Elena Ruíz had learned the technique for glass-blowing Christmas ornaments while in the United States and brought the knowledge back to their town with them. Muñoz went into the ornaments business and soon had 1,500 people working for him producing 15 million ornaments per season. Over time, Muñoz’s workshop expanded, becoming an even larger source of local employment. The factory added a “Santa’s

House” and, as of last year, a Bavarian-style Christmas village which, among other things, features craftspeople publicly making Christmas decorations and minstrels that dance and sing Christmas carols. These days, the Muñoz workshop is run by the family’s 10 children, who say their parents trained many of Mexico’s renowned glass artisans, people like Javier Vidal Ramírez, 43, an expert in the technique who has spent the last 20 years working in the Muñoz workshop after learning the craft from Joaquín. He calls his work “the most beautiful job in the world,” and says that from boyhood he wanted to learn how to make ornaments, having grown up in Tlalpujahua, surrounded by the Muñoz workshop’s creations. Joaquín’s son Alfredo Muñoz says he and his brothers attend international conventions each year to learn how to update their technology and innovate their designs. It’s a dedication to their craft that has paid off: Muñoz family ornaments have been on trees in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, and in the United States in the White House. Source: El Universal (sp)

Nov 16 - 22, 2020

Charities

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

Photo by Nomad Family Photo Group

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

Nov 16 - 22, 2020