Cabbies Want Combi Concession & Chat With Cart Agents, Official Expects Hospital Inauguration By Year's End, Diluted Tradition Of Santa Cruz, Sixth Annual Sand Sculpture Contest Scheduled, Puebla Remembered, Long Weekend, Sailors Honored & Beaten Again, Good Turnout At Fair In Isla Mujeres News Saturday May 4 Today's Articles: The Final Edition

..This is the live webcam at North Beach / Playa Norte








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Preventing Dengue House To House
The state program for house to house spraying, "Nebulización Intradomiciliaria”, is being implemented in Isla Mujeres, with new nebulization equipment and a goal of misting  5000 to 5500 homes in five days.  This new equipment, which has a 20 meter hose, allows the Vectors staff to spray between 1000 and 1100 homes daily. The other anti-dengue programs that are taking place in Isla Mujeres are  “Patio Limpio” and “Casa Saludable” (Clean Patio & Healthy House). Source: Diario Q Roo/Manuel Valdez 


Regatta Participants Formally Welcomed

At a  formal City Council session on Thursday evening, the participants in the Regatta Sol al Sol XLV were given a warm welcome and given the designation of official "Distinguished Guests". Twenty eight boats participated in this 45th annual race, which departed from St Petersburg, Florida. This  article says the event began in 1968, previous newspaper articles said 1965, however the Regatta website and their banners say it began in 1969, which seems mathematically correct. At this event they also presented an award to the drawing contest winner,  Juan Carlos Acosta Aguilar, who is a grade school student at Andrés Quintana Roo in Isla Mujeres. Source: Municipal website  


Battle of Puebla Commemorated
 
There was a civic ceremony at the high school Colegio Bachilleres on Friday morning to commemorate the 151st anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, when Mexico defended its territory against the French army in 1862. In the US, this holiday is called "Cinco de Mayo". Source: Municipal website Por Esto reports that ~3736 basic level students are enjoying a long weekend due to the commemoration of the Battle of Puebla, and they will return to school on May 7th.

Sixth Annual Sand Sculpture Contest


The Sixth Annual DIF Sand Sculpture Contest will be held May 19th at the Posada Beach, beginning at 8:30am. There will be two categories, with one for children aged 8-10 and the other for children 11-13. Their parents should register them before May 17, bringing a copy of a birth certificate and a signed letter of permission. The judges will make their decisions based on creativity, originality, size, difficulty, and tidiness. Each child will have an area of 1.5 square meters and an hour an a half to construct their sculpture. Participants should bring their equipment such as buckets, shovels, and ornamental elements of the beaches such as shells, seaplants, stones, etc. There will be prizes awarded to the first three winners in each category.  Source: Municipal website    Last year the first place kids won bikes.

Honoring Construction Workers
-Diario Q Roo/Manuel Valdez reports:  The tradition of crowning buildings with  wooden crosses decorated with colored paper and flowers on the day of "Santa Cruz" / "Holy Cross", is decreasing year by year. There are fewer parties and acts of faith commemorating this day honoring masons and other construction workers, when thanks are given for having work and prayers are made asking for divine protection against the risks of their jobs. Master mason Pablo Jiménez said that until five years ago there were grand celebrations on this day, with the installation of a large wooden cross and food, drink, and even mariachis. He said now things have changed, and only a few of the owners who are Catholic offer a few snacks, but mostly the workers themselves celebrate simply, to keep the faith and to commemorate the discovery of the cross on which Jesus died and to honor this tradition by putting up a cross, without regard to whether the building is large or small. May 3 is Day of The Holy Cross in Mexico and is the festival day of masons. It is also called The Day of The Flowery Cross. It is associated with St.Helena, (Elena  in Spanish), whose teams of construction workers served her obsession with finding the cross by leveling the hill of Calvary, about 1400 years ago.


New Hospital Completion Expected In December
The State Secretary of Health, Rafael Alpuche Delgado, said the new hospital under construction in La Gloria continues to make good progress and its opening is scheduled for the end of this year. The official said the total investment will be around 100 million pesos, and at this point they have invested about 68 million pesos. He said it will have a capacity for 13 beds, specialized equipment, and medical staff including doctors specializing in areas  such as pediatrics, obstetrics, and anesthesia, to name a few. The company "Magibo" intends to complete their work no later than September, and then it will take two months for the equipment. The hospital is expected to be operational by 2014, which will be very good news for the islanders. Source: Quequi/Carlos Gasca 



Cabbies Want To Provide Combi Service & Meet With Cart Agents
    The head of the taxi union, Eduardo Peniche Rodríguez, known as "Wato" said they will hold meetings at the taxi lodge to organize the taxi drivers in a manner to work with the hotels and golf cart rental agencies, since recently there has been some confusion among the drivers, and they have made complaints to the union leadership. The union president said, "We will listen to the concerns of the cabbies, who say their economic situation is still not good; then we will sit down with the golf cart companies to come to an agreement about the way we will work, to avoid possible misunderstandings." He added, "We, as a union, owe it to the people, and it is the people we are thinking of, and in this way there will be efficient transport service on the island; now there is work for everyone and it is only a matter of organization and coming to an agreement."
     Regarding the constant breakdowns of the buses and suspensions of service, he commented, "If we were given that concession, we would propose to have combi service but in this case it would be a question of agreement from the City because they are the ones that could grant permission. We would be more than willing to take over this job and provide the public with the service they require. " (Combis are vans or small buses. The papers have reported that the bus concession is supposed to provide service every twenty minutes. During the construction on main street downtown, there were combis in use, which were popular and more efficient for passengers. When the construction was done, the taxi union leader was in the papers insisting that the agreement be honored that the combis be discontinued when the road reopened., and the buses returned. ) Source: Diario Respuesta/Jesus Molina  


 Good Outlook For Long Weekend
 Despite the winds yesterday, the port was not closed for navigation by small boats, and boat tours were operating normally, or with a slight increase in business, with hopes it will continue to increase during the long weekend. They were offering tours in the lagoon and to el Farito. The Harbor Master advised appropriate precautions and to stay abreast of the weather reports. The beaches were also popular among tourists yesterday. The weather is expected to improve this weekend, which will increase tourism activity and benefit those in the tourism industry in Isla Mujeres. Source Por Esto 


Amigo Regatta For Island Children

Por Esto reports the 44th edition of the Regatta Amigos was held Friday, when young island students enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a race aboard the yachts and sailboats. The youngsters, aged 8-12, who were students recommended by their teachers, participated in the "mini competition" and received awards for winning. The organizers made sure the necessary safety and security precautions were taken, and the children enjoyed the unique opportunity.
    On the Regatta website it says, "A highlight of the event for many is the Regatta Amigos, the post race sail around the "Island of Women," the yachts overloaded with native youngsters having the time of their lives. Many of the children who raced many years ago are now leaders of the Island and all have many wonderful memories of this experience. Over recent years, because of this popularity, concerns with safety of all the participants, sailors and children alike, the island authorities have asked for limitations of the numbers and stipulations such as flotation devices for each person on board and to hold the event on the Isla Mujeres Bay.

"Yacht Men Can't Jump"
 The Regatta website notes that the second most popular event is the annual basketball competition. The local veteran basketball players, aka the "Amigos" beat the participants in the Regatta, aka the "Gringos",  by a score of 29 to 28. The "Gringos" have won twice, while the Islander "Amigos" have been the champions 42 times. At the end of the game they exchanged smiles, sweaty tees, and high fives. Source: Notes From Paradise/Lynda Lock  And I am the source of the recycled headline pun based on a Spike Lee movie.

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View from rooms

Small room

Large room

Fine dining a few steps away at Da Luisa or try the traditional neighborhood eateries a couple blocks farther. Stroll five minutes down the coastal sidewalk to Mango Cafe or Monchi's,shop at Chedraui or visit restaurants, bars, & beach clubs; minutes away by bike or on foot. Our guests recommend the Yoga classes a couple villas away at hotelito Casa Ixchel. Fresh juice, produce & tortillas a few blocks away in the village, as well as a pharmacy and variety of other stores and small local restaurants

Sunrise this morning from MVC B&B

 On the internet in the past 24 hours...

The weather was lovely yesterday for the fair. (On Thursday it rained intermittently for a couple hours in the afternoon, causing the fair to be rescheduled to Friday). A mild 'norte' blew in, making the temperatures very pleasant. It is sunny & breezy, and there are many whitecaps so the small boats are probably staying in the bay and lagoon today. Bruce enjoyed tacos at Mamacitas & we both enjoyed chatting with other 'ex pats' at the fair...and later while at Iguana's while listening to John Cain..An entertaining & pleasant afternoon & evening.

Bruce's photos from the Art Fair On The Square

By Pat Oreskovich

Pat Oreskovich added 4 photos.

Pat's photo of John Cain singing at Iguanas last evening

Tony Garcia

This isn't Isla Mujeres, it is Australia, ... Capt Tony re posted it.The fishermen appear pretty calm. "600lbs of Black Marlin Jumps on board Little Audrey off Cairns 2012 - Official Video.mp4"

Rosa Sirenas  Graffiti in Isla Mujeres — at Colonia Meteorológica Isla Mujeres.

"You are unbeliveveble"

Bruce :  The church in the plaza.

Aqua Adventures Eco Divers Isla Mujeres

Wilbert, Steve, Amy and Kristen, thursday before the wedding! — Manchones April 25 (23 photos)

 "Time Lapse" of Playa Norte Webcam:  LINK  

  Playa Norte now in real time in Isla Mujeres   

  The Early Edition with the newspaper photographs and headlines is usually published around sunrise.
This Final Edition with the translated articles, plus original photos including the sunrise and the "Around the Internet in the Past 24 Hours" section usually publishes around noon.
Both blogs always have links to the original articles.
 Usually if an article is "missing",  it may have been published in another paper recently, and translated.in a previous post.
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