Yucatan Living

Yucatan News: Fireworks & Wind Farms

News Starting December 06, 2010

New Rules for Fireworks
From now until January 7, there will be no fireworks sold in Centro. Fireworks can only be sold in parks that are outside of Centro and, even then, under strict monitoring and regulations. One of the requirements is that the sellers must all complete training in fire prevention and fire fighting. Every year, this topic comes up and Merida gains a little more ground in dealing with it. Some of the outlying municipalities have had to begin regulating fireworks as well. Gone are the days when, with a wave of the hand, this problem was thrown into the laps of parents, with the admonishment to watch their children. In one small town, large groups of little boys were sneaking out after Mom and Dad went to sleep and were actually dropping fireworks inside of each other's shirts! No one can watch children 24 hours a day, nor should they have to. Congratulations to the City of Merida for making the holidays so much safer with these new laws.

Happy 62nd Birthday: Rotary of Motul
Many of the community service projects in Yucatan would never get off the ground if it were not for the assistance of Rotary Clubs here in Yucatan and through their relationships with other Rotary Clubs in other countries. In the past few years, Rotary Clubs have been very active in health clinics and with providing everything from eyeglasses to NICU equipment. It is not unusual to see them pitch in and help build or remodel homes as well. So – for all you do for the people of Yucatan, many thanks and Happy 62nd Birthday to the Rotary Club of Motul.

There Are Angels in Tizimin and a Bicycle Too
When the Duran Dzib family learned that young Miguel Chan Batun was walking all the way across the city to go to school, they gave him their son's bicycle. That bicycle is the first gift that 12 year old Miguel has ever received. He plans to continue his education and to use the bicycle to help his mother. The child who gave up his bike said it was hard, but he knew that Miguel needed it more than he did. For Miguel, his new bicycle is virtually the gift of life – a new life in which his burdens have been lifted and his opportunities multiplied. The Duran Dzib family are a special family of angels and Yucatan is blessed to have many angels just like them. Thank you to the Duran Dzib family for reminding us all what the true spirit of Christmas really can be.

Progreso: Might as Well Put In a Parking Lot
As Progreso has grown, so has traffic on the Malecon and so has parking on Calle 21. Since the street has traditionally turned into a parking lot during holidays and vacations, the city has finally decided that something should be done about it while renovations are underway on the Malecon. So, Calle 21 is being turned into a better organized parking lot. There will actually be space for 300 cars in the new lot. After the past few years of traffic congestion, as cars constantly circle through the Malecon, looking for a parking place, this is going to be a welcomed addition to the ever improving face of Progreso. Revamping both streets at the same time is quite an undertaking, but we know that everyone who visits Progreso and the Malecon will benefit from these improvements.

Peto: Two Santas in Wheelchairs
Gaspar Huchim Can and Jesus Pablo Zozaya Caamal are both young men in wheelchairs, but that doesn't seem to be an issue. What is a very big issue, with them, is that the poor children in Peto are unable to have a visit from Santa. To remedy this situation, they are dressed as Santa and going from business to business, asking for donations. They will use part of the donations to purchase a bicycle, which they will then raffle off in order to have enough money to buy sweets and games for the children of Peto. If anyone would like to contribute to their cause with money, candy, or games, or purchase a raffle ticket, you can call them at 997 105-1424. These are very special Santas serving the very special children of Peto. We hope they all have a very Merry Christmas and that, just maybe, Santa will bring a Christmas present for Gaspar and Jesus as well.

Tizimin's Bici Ruta
There is something to be said for a good idea and the Bici Ruta is one of the best we have ever seen. Tizimin has taken a page out of Merida's book and now has their own Bici Ruta, with a bit of their own personal stamp on it. Instead of closing entire sections of the city, they simply designate one lane of traffic for bikes and the other for vehicles. They have also limited the range of their Bici Ruta because it was growing to the point where people were riding too far out into the countryside to comfortably return to where they began. Now, they ride in and around the park, where older people are walking for their health and it looks as if the Bici Ruta is a permanent fixture now in Tizimin. They have closed the event for the next few weeks because of the festivities that go along with Christmas, New Years, and the Festival of the Three Kings, but then they will be back on their bikes and on the road again. Congratulations to Tizimin and to all of the municipalities that have made good health a priority for 2011 and beyond.

Neighborhood Watch Program a Success in Only 3 Weeks
The Neighborhood Watch Program began last month and has spread like wildfire. In just one month, an entire gang of swindlers has been captured as they attempted to hide in the interior of the state. The program has been installed in 75 of the 106 municipalities and is expected to cover the entire state by the end of the year. We are pleased to see that the people in charge of the program are taking the time to explain how it works to students in the schools. This gives them a sense of ownership in the program and will go a long way toward helping them participate in the program as they grow up. Crime is not something any Yucateco wants in their state and Neighborhood Watch seems to be just the ticket to stopping anyone from attempting to take advantage of the people when they have just received their Christmas bonuses.

Tekal de Venegas: Jobs to Aid the People
If it is true that every dollar that is spent in any area turns over at least seven times for the benefit of the local economy, then Tekal de Venegas is on the road to success. The Ayuntamiento has put its money where it counts the most – into paychecks for quite a number of local workers, and all for the benefit of the people, plus benefits for the municipality itself. The jobs that are given are in the building trades. Thus far, workers in this new program have installed 250 concrete floors and are currently working to get all of the public buildings painted with a fresh coat of paint. They have also repaired sidewalks and made improvements to the main plaza and to the futbol and beisbol fields. What a wonderful way to not only begin the holiday season, but to end the year in far better financial and physical condition than when they began. We know that just living in an environment where one can be proud of one's part in creating it can have an enormous effect on how people feel about themselves and on how hard they work to move themselves and their community forward. Congratulations to the people who are working on this project in Tekal de Venegas. We wish you happy holidays and a prosperous new year!

Wind Farms in Mexico
Bimbo Mexico has made an 18 year, $200 million dollar commitment to wind power. This is the largest conversion from fossil fuels to renewable energy in the world. What we didn't know is that Cemex, Wal-Mart de Mexico and Soriana have all launched their own wind farm projects in Mexico. And, for those who believe they need a taxpayer handout (aka subsidy) in order to build a wind farm, they need to take a page out of Mexico's book. All of these major wind farms are being developed without one thin peso of subsidy from the government. Way to go Mexico, Bimbo, Cemex, Wal-mart de Mexico and Soriana! We have several wind farm projects in Yucatan, but nothing on this kind of scale. However, we understand that wind power is not far off in Yucatan, so keep watching and we'll let you know of future developments as soon as we hear something.

Something To Think About From Global Environmental Summit
As many are aware, the Global Environmental Summit in Cancun is going on right now. One piece of news that has come out of the meetings is that we can expect food prices to double by 2050. Part of this may be because the planet will increasingly become a hostile environment with respect to agriculture. However, it may also be that there is a “threat factor” here as well. Fear of famine is a powerful thing and it has the ability to raise all sorts of prices long before or even if there is a reason to do so. 2050 is 40 years away. We have time to learn new ways of doing things so that we don't continue to destroy our planet. We also have time to learn to be more self-sufficient and teach those skills to our children and grandchildren. Yucatan is a virtual Garden of Eden with respect to producing food. We need to have as many projects going on that improve an individual's ability to care for themselves as we do projects that serve the general population. There is a reason that there is a saying in Mexico that goes... “When the world is over, I will go to Merida.” If we take care of her, Yucatan will always feed us – and handsomely too, we might add.

The Fair at Xmatkuil Shows Record Numbers
Two million people attended Yucatan's State Fair at Xmatkuil this year! Two million! And all in the space of three weeks! From all accounts, there were times when crowds were shoulder to shoulder and lines to the bigger events were very long ...and still they came. Since the last weekend of the Fair overlapped with the beginning of the Christmas season in Merida, merchants in Centro complained because the Fair was drawing their customers and reducing their sales. But all of that is over now and Centro markets have their customers back until it is time again for the Fair at Xmatkuil next year. We are very proud of our State Fair and recommend it to all of our readers and visitors. The fairgrounds alone are enough of a destination to make it a stop on anybody's tourism circuit. Congratulations to the organizers of the Fair at Xmatkuil. We will see you again next year!