Yucatan News: Clean Energy & 2nd Chances
But When Is Summer Vacation… Really?
Summer vacation in Yucatan has always been the July and August school vacation weeks, which are July 12 through August 19 this year. However, Mexico begins summer vacation on July 1. Yucatan has joined them and summer vacation will now begin on July 1. But what about when summer ends? The end of August is still pretty hot and nobody really wants to give up just a little extra time at the beach or other local cool destinations, so people tend to drag their feet getting back to the city during those last two weeks of August. This means that the 2013 Summer Vacation in Yucatan is really July 12 through September 1… and if we count Yucatan’s slow Mondays, you may be able to extend that through September 2. Whatever the actual dates, there are good times to be had throughout the State of Yucatan in July and August, and we hope that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy them.
From Tzucacab to France
It seems that students are winging their way between Yucatan and France on almost a weekly basis now. This time it is young Alex Ernesto Herrera Chuc, a 20-year old Maya from Tzucacab. Alex is a student at Turismo Alternativo de la Universidad Tecnológica Regional del Sur, and is headed off to Vernet-Les-Bains, France to do what amounts to an internship after staying at the top of his class for the past two years. Fluent in French, Alex is Mexico ’s first student to participate in a national exchange program in the field of tourism. The continuing education Alex receives at VTF Vacances in France will ensure that this young man has a place in the future of luxury tourism for the remainder of his career. Our congratulations to Alex, to his parents, his schools and to Yucatan for a job well done!
High Scoring Students Travel to D.F.
We don’t know what’s in the water down in Pencuyut, Tekax, but the Julian M. Castillo School there is not only at the top of all academic evaluations of schools in Yucatan, but has produced the highest scorer on all those tests. This primary school student, Amaury David Chan Colli, has won himself a spot in a group with 26 more of Yucatan ’s best and brightest and they will be traveling to Mexico City for July 21 through 27, to meet President Peña Nieto and see many of the most famous sites in Mexico. These children are the future of Yucatan, and the future of Mexico. They may not understand their own importance quite yet, but it won’t be long before they do. As is the case with multilingual Alex, our congratulations to Amaury and to the parents and teachers of all of the 27 brilliant young Yucatecos who are headed off to represent our adopted state in Mexico City.
Arts and Crafts Training Program
There is a new arts and crafts training program underway that expects to train as many as 900 people, beginning in the henequen zone. This program has the full support of both the Governor of Yucatan and the President of Mexico, so it is expected to be fully functional and provide much more than just training in arts and crafts. Additional skills will be plumbing, electrical work, tile floors, sewing machine repairs, and more. The best part is that all of the necessary tools for success will be provided to the students. And that isn’t all! This program will also include resources for students with disabilities, so they can become productive members of their own local economies as well. We look forward to seeing the finished products from the students who enroll in this training program. We suspect that Yucatan is going to be the destination of choice for arts and crafts expos far into the future.
Second Chance for Ex-Convicts in Yucatan
When a person comes out of prison (Center for Social Rehabilitation) in Yucatan, they are most often labeled a criminal. From that point forward, obtaining employment and rebuilding their lives is next to impossible. To alleviate this problem, the current administration is implementing a program that will take care of welcoming former prisoners back into society, as well as considering different schemes to get folks working either upon their release or in the months leading up to their release. Of course, potential employers, trade schools, families and friends will all be helping too. This is a second chance that no prisoners in Yucatan have ever had, so it will be interesting to see how it works out.
Yucatan Set to Become a Clean Energy Factory
This story brings new meaning to the concept of making the most of what you have. What does Yucatan have? If the first thought that comes to mind is “loads of wind and water action,” then you would have hit the nail squarely on its head. It seems that Yucatan’s entry into the clean energy market, through Live Energy’s wind farm, has opened the clean energy industry’s eyes to their potential for success on our little peninsula. There is one European country that is interested in exploring tidal power, and an American company interested in a photovoltaic project in Yucatan. It won’t be long before Live Energy is selling electricity to privately owned electricity companies. Taken together, it looks as if the next two decades, at least, will be the best time ever to be in Yucatan.
Lobster Season Begins in Yucatan
The 2013 – 2014 Lobster season runs from July 1 through February 28 and will supply approximately 2,500 jobs at all levels of production through export. Last year, approximately 300 tons of lobster came from Yucatan and, according to recent population studies, this year’s catch should be bigger than last year’s. Fishermen will have to follow minimum catch sizes of 135 mm, and will not be allowed to keep females that are in their reproductive cycle. Other than those requirements, all systems are a "go" on lobster season in Yucatan. As usual, almost all of the lobster catch will be exported to resorts in Quintana Roo and to fine restaurants along the east coast of the United States.
Water Water Everywhere?
JAPAY has announced that, after inspection and maintenance was complete on the pumps, pipes and water treatment systems used to supply water to the entire state, there will be 100% coverage during the holidays. They stressed that they are currently able to supply 100% of the vacation homes with all the water they need throughout the months of July and August. In closing, JAPAY asks that residents call them immediately if anyone sees a leak in pipes or streets.
Progreso Overtaken by …Chess
Evidently, the current Mayor of Progreso and a lovely gentleman by the name of maestro Wilbert Villanueva Castillo, have worked together to create and promote a program called “Chess for All,” on the premise that the family that plays chess together is able to create a better quality of family life, including children who are better disciplined. Since October of 2012, they have proven their claims time after time. Children use chess to improve their grades. Older people use chess to keep their minds sharp. It seems that every age has a good reason for playing chess in Progreso. What this means now is that a significant portion of the population of the entire Municipality of Progreso is taking chess lessons and holding holiday tournaments during summer vacation. Our congratulations to all of the players and to the men who gave them this opportunity.
Dengue Fighting Trash Collection
Across the State of Yucatan, there are currently dump trucks and the trucks of private citizens collecting anything and everything that could provide a place for mosquitoes to breed. In some towns, this amounts to double digit tons of old pots, buckets, and other trash. They are even picking up old, abandoned cars. At first, it looked as if this was only a project in Merida, but it was so successful there that it soon spread to the hard-hit southern cone of Yucatan, then to Valladolid and across the state. This is an all out assault on dengue fever and, with school soon to be out and the streets full of children, it comes none too soon. We hope that everyone has a wonderful – dengue free – summer.
