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Headline News

Mexico sets plan to crack down on antibiotic sales

Mexican authorities say they will start cracking down on the sale of antibiotics without a prescription, something that is common in Mexico.

The Health Department says new procedures are being drawn up to ensure that current laws requiring a doctor's prescription for such medications are enforced�.go to original article

Mexico gives new life to ancient sports

Coach Salvador Mercado took a last look at his players, crouched for the face-off with their oak clubs at the ready. Then, he took out a ball soaked with fuel oil, flicked a cigarette lighter and set it ablaze.

The whistle blew and a game of pelota pur�pecha was under way. Players jumped and shouted as the flaming ball whooshed toward them, scorching the grass.

Pelota pur�pecha, a sort of field hockey for pyromaniacs, is one of about 150 pre-Hispanic games that are on the verge of extinction, the Mexican government says, and it has launched a new push to rescue these ancient pastimes. �.go to original article

US to ban wild-harvest shrimp imports from Mexico

Mexico is losing its certification to export wild-harvest shrimp to the United States because its trawls lack required protections for endangered sea turtles, the State Department said.

The department said the certification was withdrawn after the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service determined that Mexico's turtle excluder devices no longer meet U.S. standards. U.S. rules require that exporters use excluders comparable to those used by American shrimpers.

Certification for Mexican shrimpers will be withdrawn on April 20. Mexico's shrimp season will have closed by then for the summer�.go to original article

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Media CEO: Journalist safety a challenge in Mexico

Journalists and other employees of Mexico's largest newspaper chain are changing their driving routes, moving to more secure high-rise apartment buildings and keeping their names off stories. But no one has figured out a good formula for protecting them from Mexican drug violence and threats, the chain's leader said Thursday.

"We have a team of great people we need to protect," said Grupo Reforma Chief Executive Alejandro Junco de la Vega after addressing a World Affairs Council luncheon in San Antonio. "We recently started to offer bulletproof vests." �go to original article

Obama must fulfill Mexican promise

It's time to initiate a new phase in relations with Mexico, based on a more nuanced understanding of life south of the border Tuesday's announcement by US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, that future US aid to Mexico will focus less on military support and more on institution building and community renewal is a step in the right direction. But this new approach is doomed to fail if it is not grounded in a more nuanced understanding of the situation south of the border. Instead of simply reacting to crises as they emerge, President Obama should develop a new forward-looking strategy of engagement�.go to original article

Head offshore in Mexico for strikes

SAYULITA, Mexico � The fly line tightened between the fingers of my left hand and the index finger of my right. It burst through the rod's eyelets and into the blue-green water standing before me like a vast expanse. My reel hissed, the line quickly cleared from the coils on the deck of the boat, and the fish headed south toward Punta Mita.

This time though, the run was different. The bonito we had been casting to earlier in the morning were explosive, but they dived straight down under the boat. This fish was plowing out and away from the single-engine panga. I looked down at my reel and watched the line run into the backing as it melted away�.go to original article

Mexico shows clear signs of recovery: president

Mexico has settled into a pattern of growth that is attracting both tourism and investment to the nation, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon told the Inter American Development Bank (IADB) conference on Monday.

"There are clear signs of economic recovery. A year ago, the most optimistic forecast for 2010 growth was for 1.2 percent. Now most of them are around 4 percent and some have even reached five percent," he said from resort city Cancun on Mexico's Caribbean coast. "Despite the depth of the financial crisis, Mexico's banks did not need a single cent from the government," he added�..go to original article

Oxo-biodegradables debated in Mexico City

The secretary of the Latin American Oxo-Biodegradable Association defended the technology, which has been taking on criticism from recyclers.

The debate is particularly meaningful in Mexico City, where legislators are considering legislation that could require that all plastic packaging contain biodegradable additives�..go to original article

US Scientists Unlock Clues to Mystery of Butterfly Migration

Researchers find circadian clock in Monarch's antenna plays a major role in navigation

Deep in the forests of Michoac�n, several hours drive north of Mexico City, tourists watch millions of Monarch butterflies as they cling to fir trees, gather on bushes, or take off in flight.

The striking black and orange insects winter in these mountains every year, traveling up to 4,800 kilometers to get here, from as far away as Canada. They stay through the winter, then, in the spring, the females leave these fir tree forests and head as far north as Kansas, to lay their eggs on milkweed plants�go to original article

Clinton vows U.S. support for Mexico drug fight
Amid rampant violence and growing doubts over the effectiveness of Mexico's war against drug cartels, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged widened U.S. support for a battle she said must be shouldered by both nations.

Clinton, leading an unusually large delegation of senior Obama administration officials on Tuesday, offered firm endorsement of Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who declared war against drug cartels more than three years ago. More than 18,000 people have died since in drug-related violence�.Go to original article

Cuban Embassy official in Mexico City has defected, according to relatives
A Cuban diplomat based in Mexico and her husband defected last week, but their whereabouts remain unknown, worried relatives said Tuesday.

Yusimil Casa�as, 25, head of the passport section of the Cuban embassy in Mexico City, and her husband, Michel Rojas, 32, disappeared March 17, said her uncle, Esteban Casa�as Lostal, who lives in Canada.

Yusimil's mother, Danay Casneiro, contacted him to report the defections and ask for his help in case they were detained by Mexican authorities, who may refuse them asylum and force them back to Cuba, Casa�as Lostal said. �Go to original article

Rocking and Roughing It at a Festival in Mexico

Just before midnight on Sunday, in front of a stage in an abandoned drive-in movie theater in the southeast part of the city here, a few hundred fans huddled tight around the spasmodic Baltimore electronic musician Dan Deacon, looking for a little healing.

Up until this point, the second night of the first MtyMx festival, this gravel pit had largely been a field of unfulfilled dreams.

An ambitious undertaking that collected small- and medium-size indie-rock bands from the United States, Mexico and elsewhere and planted them on this little-used stretch of land for three days, playing for fans from Brooklyn and Guadalajara, Denver and Mexico City, MtyMx hoped to make an argument about the exportability of the D.I.Y. ethic. �Go to original article

"Virtual Fence" Fiasco Along US-Mexico Border

After years of debates, congressional votes, government studies and political posturing by lawmakers, the so-called "virtual fence" continues to cause more problems than it solves, according to testimony at a session of the House Homeland Security Committee.

In a compromise that met with disappointment by those who advocate tighter border security, instead of walls or chain link fencing, the U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Department created the concept of virtual fence security that includes surveillance cameras, motion or heat sensing detectors, radar, and supposed state-of-the-art control towers designed to detect and prevent illegal immigration and drug smuggling into the United States�.Go to original article

Mexican Cuisine: Keeping Queso Fresco Fresh

Queso fresco, a quintessential ingredient in Mexican cuisine, would retain higher quality in supermarket display cases if stored at a lower temperature. That's the conclusion of a report presented at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Fransisco on March 23.

The study was part of a broader effort to establish so-called "standards of identity" for the Hispanic foods now finding a new home in the United States, where Hispanics and Latinos now constitute 15 percent of the population. Among other things, the standards would permit inclusion of queso fresco and other foods in the National School Lunch Program, according to Michael H. Tunick, Ph.D., who presented the report�..Go to original article

Mexico drug war takes toll on Americans

Mexico City � More Americans in Mexico are falling victim to a wave of drug violence sweeping the country, a change driven home by the recent killing of a U.S. Consulate employee and her husband who were gunned down after leaving a children's birthday party.

The number of U.S. citizens killed in Mexico has more than doubled to 79 in 2009 from 35 in 2007, according to the U.S. State Department's annual count. No figures were available for the first two months of 2010.

While only some of the killings are specifically listed as "executions" or "drug-related," the increase in homicides appears to be related to drug battles. In Ciudad Juarez, the northern border city hardest hit by drug violence and where the consulate employee was killed, homicides of Americans rose to 23 in 2009 from two in 2007��.go here to original article

Jaguar heading back to Mexico after treatment

Lucero the jaguar will return to Sonora, Mexico, on Tuesday after lifesaving dental surgery at the Phoenix Zoo.

The zoo says the jaguar was sent to Phoenix in November 2008 at age 4 after being illegally captured and having his teeth severely damaged. �go here to original article

Breath better, cleaner air in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY - Long famous as one of the world's most polluted megalopolises, gritty Mexico City is beginning to see the fruits of years of clean-up efforts and to breathe somewhat cleaner air, experts say.

"The pollution problem is still there, but it is a fact that we have been fighting pollution for more than 20 years and the improvement is undeniable," said Gustavo Alanis, with the NGO Mexican Center for Environmental Law.

Unusually good air quality in recent weeks has unveiled post card-perfect views of the snowcapped volcanos � Popocatepetl ("mountain that releases smoke" and Iztaccihuatl ("sleeping woman") � that overlook this teeming city of 20 million.�go here to original article

U.S. retirees find home in coastal Mexico

ROSARITO BEACH � Favorite activity: strolls on the beach. Biggest gripe: litter. Primary reasons for retiring in Mexico: the lower cost of living and proximity to the United States.

A newly released study on U.S. retirement trends in Mexico�s coastal communities takes an updated snapshot of Rosarito Beach, Rocky Point, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and other areas where many Americans go to retire. The study�s authors say their survey marks an important first step in meeting the needs of a group that is likely to grow in size as U.S. baby boomers reach retirement age�.go here to original article

Storms threaten butterflies� winter rest in Mexico

LOS SAUCOS, Mexico - Dense clouds of migrating monarch butterflies used to snap branches and cast shadows across the forests of central Mexico, but severe weather is posing a new threat to the annual phenomenon.

The yearly 2,000-mile journey, which takes four generations of butterflies to complete, starts in Canada and ends in the Mexican state of Michoacan, which normally enjoys mild weather from November to March�..go to original article here

Mexico govt eyes tax reform, higher growth

Mexican President Felipe

Calderon plans to hand Congress a fiscal reform proposal this

year, Finance Minister Ernesto Cordero told Reuters on

Thursday, as the country tries to boost public revenues�..go here to original article

Mexico topples North Korea in World Cup tuneup

TORREON, Mexico (AP) -- Javier Hernandez scored the winning goal in the 69th minute, lifting Mexico to a 2-1 victory Wednesday over North Korea in an exhibition game between two teams headed to the World Cup. �go here to original article

Violence in Mexico deters tourists from shopping

After a weekend of deadly violence, the state department is ramping up its warning on travel to Mexico. KGUN9 On Your Side went to Nogales to find out, are you safe?

The violence isn't just in the border communities, but also in popular places where spring breakers and tourists go, like Acapulco, where more than a dozen people were killed over the weekend. four of them were decapitated. The state department has authorized consulate employees in a number of cities, including Nogales, to evacuate their families. Even before this happened, the decision was made to warn Americans to avoid unnecessary travel to six Mexican cities on the border, again including Nogales�.Go to original article

YOU ARE INVITED!

Inauguration of the La Patria Kindergarden

Los Amigos de La Pe�ita would like to invite the community to the Inauguration of the La Patria Kindergarten in La Colmena on Monday, March 29. The festivities are scheduled to commence at 1:00 PM. The construction of the kinder was one of the first projects undertaken by our Education Committee. This is a great opportunity to see how your participation in events like Fiesta 2010 and our last Gran Bazar is helping to make a difference in our community. It is also a chance to show your support for the parents who have worked hard to make this possible.

For more information on the work of the Education Committee, please go to the Los Amigos website (www.losamigosdelapenita.com).

How to get there.: Go to the Pemex in Guayabitos and turn east (away from the beach). (This is the street right after the baseball field if you�re coming from La Pe�ita.) The new school is 3 blocks from the highway. If you run into the current school, you have gone a block too far.

Before Picture...come out Monday and see the after...amazing!

Cell Phone Registration Deadline is Extended
The News
go to original
March 25, 2010

Mexico City � The deadline for millions of cell phone users to register their personal data with carriers has been extended.

Dep. Jos� Ad�n Ignacio Rub�, president of the communications committee in the Chamber of Deputies, said Wednesday that lawmakers are extending the April 10 deadline by six months to allow more than 43 million people to send their data to be added to the National Mobile Phone User Registry (Renaut).

The extension comes after federal Communications and Transportation Secretary (SCT) Juan Molinar Horcasitas� appearance before Congress on Wednesday, 17 days before the original deadline.

�Today we will sign an agreement in response to many people�s worry over the national registry,� said Rub�, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Without the extension, tens of millions of cell phone users were at risk of losing their service, he said.

The Federal Telecommunications Commission (COFETEL) reported on Monday that a total of 709,726 cell phones were registered. This brings the total to 43.2 million registered users up to that date. The Renaut was created to avoid the use of cell phones as tools to aid in crimes such as extortion and kidnappings.

The Federal Telecommunications Law was changed on Feb. 9, 2009, adding a section stipulating that all prepaid mobile users be logged into the Renaut. In it, operators must also store all information on calls, texts, and voice messages associated with each consumer for one year. The information in the database, however, will only be made available with a court order in legal proceedings.

Callers can register via a free text message, directly through their mobile operator, or through Renaut�s website, which requires that the user enter his or her name, address and Individual Population Registration Code (CURP), similar to the U.S.� social security number.

Remember you have a friend in Tequila

by Lilianne Fuller

"Remember, you have a friend in Tequila", said our new acquaintance Arturo Ramos. He was not referring to the alcoholic drink but to the beautiful city that we found ourselves in. He was on hand to greet us when we arrived with Esteban Valdivia, our tour guide and his Albertan compadre Jim. What brought us to Tequila was a quest to find a special type of hand cream made from the blue agave plant. We also wanted to purchase some really good tequila.

I had read a travel story about the Mexican state of Jalisco. One of the cities featured was Tequila; a small city nestled in the Sierra Madre Mountains. The story talked about a Jimador named Izmael. A Jimador is an experienced farmer who harvests the ripe blue agave cactus using a flat bladed knife called a coa. The story described how Izmael made his own therapeutic cream that was purported to improve even the most severely damaged and rough skin.

We had planned a visit to the Rivera Nayarit and decided to include a side trip to find him. Our destination was a three-hour drive from the coastal town of Rincon de Guayabitos. "Guayabitos", as it is known is a popular tourist town located in this rapidly developing region of Mexico.

We realized that without the help of a guide, our hopes of finding this Jimador would be virtually impossible so we decided to seek out Esteban. Esteban is an extraordinary knowledgeable tour guide who works out of his family restaurant, the Pi�a Colada. We ventured over to the restaurant and made plans to leave early the next day.

Our drive took us up into the Sierra Madres. Deep valleys line the road and now dormant volcanoes dot the landscape. Before we knew it, we were in Tequila. We made our way to the City Square for a late breakfast and waited to meet Arturo. When he arrived we showed him the newspaper article that I had brought with me. A rapid conversation in Spanish ensued and we were assured that even in this city of over 26,000 people our guides would find the man we were looking for.

They suggested that we spend some time in the nearby Sauza family museum and return to the square in an hour. Sure enough, true to their word an hour later Esteban came striding across the square and said "We have found him!" We walked the short distance to a nearby factory and after a formal introduction I bought 10 jars of the cream that I had come so far to find.

Having completed our quest we set off to seek the other reason for our trip, tequila. Tequila is made using traditional family recipes. The root of the blue agave cactus is distilled to make this potent drink. Our guides had included a trip to an agricultural college that specialized in using some non-traditional ingredients. There we were treated to a tasting. We sampled some tequilas that were made from blackberries, tamarind and mango. We also enjoyed some of the more customary tequilas that ranged from the young Blanco or silver tequila to the amber coloured very mature Anejo.

After an early dinner it was time to go. We bid farewell to our new friends and made our way back to the coast with fond memories, some delicious tequila and the agave cream that I had come hoping to find. Arturo, while encouraging us to return to his beautiful city also assured me that if I wanted more of Izmael's special cream he would send some to me. "Remember" he said, you have a friend in Tequila.

41 Inmates Break Out of Jail in Mexican Border City
Telegram UK
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March 26, 2010

Police were searching for two prison guards and 41 inmates who disappeared after a pre-dawn jailbreak Thursday in Matamoros, Mexico, across the border from Brownsville.

Prison director Orlando Saucedo Pinto has been put on temporary leave as investigators review how the prisoners broke out, Mexican prison officials said.

Prison staff are also being investigated, they said.

All but three of the prisoners who escaped had been charged under federal law but were being held at the state institution. State leaders in Mexico have complained that their facilities are not secure enough to accommodate more serious, federally charged prisoners.

Last year, guards stood by as more than 50 prisoners walked out of another jail in northern Mexico.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Eddie Perez in Brownsville said the agents at the border are on alert because the prisoners are at large.

"We do have a contingency plan in effect, and we will do anything that we can to ensure the safety of the traveling public and our officers," he said.

Bill: Here are two photos of the Vermillion Flycatcher, surely one of the most vividly coloured birds here. I caught it (him) just as he jumped into flight and the resemblance to the swirl of the skirts in the dance presentations suggests that art took inspiration from Nature. Carl Rogers Photograph

Adios Mexico goodbye Party a fun time for all

Karen and Derek Hahn one of the wonderful hosts

As the season ends and many of the snow birds are ready to depart back to the north, the parties in Rincon de Guayabitos become so much sweeter knowing that many of one�s friends won�t be seen again for another six months or more.

the entertainment...ther rhythm roosters

Click here to view more party pictures

Calidad de Vida is a new bilingual, multicultural nonprofit agency that will provides high quality care to all people in and around Banderas Bay who have a life threatening illness. Calidad de Vida goes to the patient�s home and provides their services in familiar and comfortable surroundings.

Calidad de Vida is committed to providing all individuals access to services that allow living and death with dignity by limiting spiritual, emotional and physical pain through continuous support as needed. We also offer bereavement services to the family members up to a year after a loved one has passed.

CALIDAD de VIDA�s first fundraiser will be hosted by owner Isabel Manore, will be held on Sunday, April 18 from 1pm � 4pm at Casa Isabel, located at 483 Del Bosque in lower Alta Vista. The public is invited to a fabulous cocktail party with food, drink and live music, all with captivating views of Puerto Vallarta and the bay. There will also be a silent auction featuring paintings and home decor, jewelry, restaurant packages, rooms at spectacular hotels, chocolate and wine baskets, beauty and health treatments among so much more. Look for a complete list of items and donors in the coming weeks. Tickets for this inaugural event are $300 Pesos per person in advance and $400 Pesos per person at the door. Tickets are available at Caprichoso's in Plaza Neptune, Casa Isabel, Cafe Roma (at Encino #287 Col. Centro, near the Rio Cuale), Pie in the Sky (both locations � Bucerias and Vallarta), Tuttopronto Restaurant in Nuevo Vallarta�s Paradise Village Plaza, the Twisted Rose Restaurant in Bucerias or at Xocodiva chocolates on the south side of Vallarta, across from the San Marino Hotel. Tickets can also be secured by e-mailing your reservation to Lisa Ozzello at ozzellol@gmail.com or by calling 329 298 6264 or 044 322 141 3255.

Incorporated as Bahia de Banderas A.C.

Aerial Photography of Jaltemba Bay

Click on each photograph to view in larger format courtesy of Marilyn and Derrell

Arial Photography of Jaltemba Bay Riviera Nayarit

Los Amigos Meeting

Los Amigos de La Pe�ita

The next meeting of Los Amigos de La Pe�ita will be on Monday, March 29 at Restaurante La Palapa de Guty, Circuito Libertad #4. There will be a social gathering at 6:30 with the formal meeting starting at 7:00.

Key agenda items will be:

* Status of funds report from Treasurer

* Budget presentations

- Education Committee

- Recycling Committee

- Scholarships

- Retail sales

- 2011 fundraiser

- Beach Committee

- Public Relations

- Executive Committee

* Motion to approve 2011 budget

All are welcome. Since all committees will be providing an update on their plans for next year, this will be an excellent opportunity for you to come and learn what we are up to.

The International Margarita Challenge

Needs your Photos

We are building a Hall of Fame for the Margarita Challenge

If you have any photos of the Challenge, especially those 2007 and earlier, please send them to editor@jaltembasol.com

Mexico Sets Plan to Crack Down on Antibiotic Sales
Associated Press
go to original
March 26, 2010

Counter clerks at Mexican pharmacies frequently supply antibiotics on demand and sometimes even suggest antibiotics for specific ailments.

Mexico City � Mexican authorities say they will start cracking down on the sale of antibiotics without a prescription, something that is common in Mexico.

The Health Department says new procedures are being drawn up to ensure that current laws requiring a doctor's prescription for such medications are enforced.

The department says the plan is aimed at preventing self-medication and the growing problem of drug-resistant infections.

Its Thursday statement did not give details. But local media say the program will start in April and will carry a threat of closure for pharmacies that violate the rule.

Counter clerks at Mexican pharmacies frequently supply antibiotics on demand and sometimes even suggest antibiotics for specific ailments.

Mexico Not Changing Clocks Until April 4
PVNN
March 12, 2010

Click HERE for the Current Time Around the World

While Americans will be turning their clocks ahead for daylight-saving time on Sunday, March 14, 2010, for most of Mexico, daylight saving time does not begin until 2:00 a.m. local time on Sunday April 4th.

Daylight Saving Time in the United States

Daylight Savings Time begins in the United States on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. So this Sunday, March 14, 2010, US clocks will be set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time.

Daylight Saving Time in Mexico

In most of Mexico, daylight saving time begins at 2:00 a.m. local time on the first Sunday in April, which means folks will be turning their clocks ahead one hour. (Some Mexico border communities will observe the U.S. time change. For more information, click HERE.)

Daylight Saving Time in Bah�a de Banderas

On Sunday, April 4th, folks in the Municipality of the Bah�a de Banderas, including Sayulita, Lo de Marcos, San Pancho, Bucer�as and Mescales, will move their clocks ahead two hours when Daylight time begins this spring... never to regain one of those 'lost' hours forever.

According to an official decree posted on the Mexican Federal Government�s website last month, this is because Bah�a de Banderas county will switch from Mountain time to Central Time on the first Sunday in April of this year, when the switch to Daylight Savings Time is made.

This means when the time comes to "spring forward" - or move clocks one hour ahead, local residents will change their clocks 2 hours ahead; this will put the continguous areas of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco and the Bah�a de Banderas, Nayarit, into the same time zone.

According to local officials and information posted on the government�s website, the change was made for economic reasons, due to problems related to missed flights and also with how the time change affects Mexican banks.

On November 7, 2010 areas on daylight saving time fall back to Standard Time at 2:00 a.m. local time.

U.S. Pushing Helicopters to Mexico
UPI
go to original
March 25, 2010

U.S. congressmen have recently alleged that the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Command council have purposely delayed getting the helicopters to Mexico but there was no explanation.

Mexico City - Mexico's spiraling drug-related violence has prompted U.S. defense officials to consider added measures, ahead of a planned helicopter package delivery, to address growing security concerns.

Leading members of U.S. President Barack Obama's Cabinet, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and other senior security advisers, such as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of States U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, were drawn to high-level talks in Mexico this week.

"You don't bring out the big guns like Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen for a delegation like this unless the overriding focus is going to be security, the drug violence and the perception of the impact these have on U.S. national security," says Christopher Sabatini, senior director of policy at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas told The Christian Science Monitor.

During his talks, Gates said initiatives would be taken to expand cooperation with America's troubled southern neighbor under the $1.3 billion Merida Initiative.

The three-year program, begun in 2008, and was designed to help Mexico crack down on swelling drug-related violence that has killed some 18,000 people in the past three years. As part of the program, however, Gates expressed concern over the delay in the delivery of military helicopters to Mexico.

Under the bilateral Merida Initiative, more than $415 million in funds have been appropriated in line with the Foreign Military Financing accounts in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 to purchase "up to eight Bell 412 helicopters, up to five Sikorsky UH-60M helicopters, and also purchase of up to four CASA 235 aircraft, which are fixed-wing naval surveillance and transport aircraft," Pentagon spokesman U.S. Army Lt. Col. Les Melnyk was quoted saying in a Defense News report.

Since that order was placed, however, less than a handful of the platforms have been delivered.

U.S. congressmen have recently alleged that the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Command council have purposely delayed getting the helicopters to Mexico but there was no explanation.

While in Mexico, Gates hinted at increased helicopter demands springing from heightened requirements in Afghanistan.

The increased demand, however, could push the Mexican deliveries to 2012 and 2013.

Given the deteriorating state of the security situation in Mexico, Gates said he would "look at all the possibilities to get (Mexico) some bridge capabilities" until the helicopter delivery is completed.

In addition to providing Mexico with equipment, such as military helicopters and vans with X-ray machines that can scan passing vehicles, the U.S. aid also involves training Mexico's federal police in areas including collecting evidence, giving courses for prison officials and promoting a culture of lawfulness in secondary schools, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Mexico Arrests 'King of Heroin,' with Ties to US
E. Eduardo Castillo - Associated Press
go to original
March 25, 2010

Alleged drug trafficker Jose Antonio Medina, aka "Don Pepe", is escorted by police officers during a press conference in Mexico City on Thursday. Medina delivered an average of 200 kilos (440 pounds) of heroin a month to the United States. (AFP)

Mexico City � Federal police have arrested Mexico's so-called "King of Heroin," a powerful drug trafficker allegedly responsible for running hundreds of pounds of heroin into Southern California each year, authorities said Thursday.

Jose Antonio Medina, nicknamed "Don Pepe," was arrested in the western state of Michoacan on Wednesday and is being held for prosecution, said Ramon Pequeno, head of the anti-narcotics division of Mexico's federal police.

Medina, 36, ran a complex smuggling operation that hauled 440 pounds (200 kilograms) of heroin each month across the Mexican border in Tijuana for La Familia drug cartel, Pequeno said.

The White House National Drug Threat Assessment says that while heroin use is stable or decreasing in the U.S., the source of the drug has shifted in recent years from Colombia � where production and purity are declining � to Mexico, where powerful drug cartels are gaining a foothold in the lucrative market.

Border Patrol agents seized 4.8 million pounds of narcotics at border crossings last year, and heroin seizures saw the most significant increase during that time, with a 316 percent jump over 2008.

Mexico and the U.S. are working together to counter a handful of increasingly violent drug cartels that supply most of the illicit drugs sold in the U.S. each year. The arrest came the day after top U.S. Cabinet officials, led by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, visited Mexico to underscore their shared responsibility for the country's drug-related violence.

Nearly 17,900 people have died in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon launched an assault on cartels after taking office in December 2006.

That violence continued Thursday in Ciudad Juarez, a border city of 1.3 million just south of El Paso, where police on Thursday found a decapitated man lying in a shopping center parking lot, his head inside a black plastic bag nearby.

Killings such as this are believed to be the result of drug cartels fighting among themselves for control of the drug trade, a lucrative business estimated to bring $25 billion in cash into Mexico each year.

Federal police in Mexico City said Thursday they had seized $1.7 million in small bills and arrested four men, two Colombians and two Mexicans, for allegedly running financial operations for cartels.

Thank you community!
On behalf of the Mujeres a Mujeres/Women to Women Annual Fashion Show; the Committee would like to thank the Community of Jaltemba Bay and the Volunteers for their overwhelming support of this Charity Event.
The Success of this Fund Raiser allowed the Community to donate close to 84,000 pesos to the Jaltemba Foundation. You can check out the Jaltemba Foundation website for further detail at jaltembafoundation.com.
Date of the Fashion Show is set for February 8th 2011 and the first Volunteer meeting will be announced in the future.
Thank you!

The Fashion Show Committee

Xaltemba is open every night for dinner

including Mondays

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Saturday and Sundays too

Vallarta Yacht Club Luncheon Seminar Series - Hospice Care in Puerto Vallarta
PVNN
March 15, 2010

On March 31st, the Vallarta Yacht Club Luncheon Seminar Series will feature Lisa Ozzello speaking on Hospice Care in Puerto Vallarta.

On March 31st, the Vallarta Yacht Club Luncheon Seminar Series will feature a special presentation on Hospice Care in Puerto Vallarta by Lisa Ozzello, RN.

Lisa is the founder of Calidad de Vida Hospice/Palliative Care, a new bilingual, bicultural non-profit agency that will provide in home services to people living in Puerto Vallarta and the areas surrounding Banderas Bay.

Hospice/Palliative care will be explained, the history, what is provided, the philosophy and the difference it can make in the lives of people dealing with a life-threatening disease and their families. Lisa will clarify all the services that are provided to patients and families.

The presentation will review the new laws in Mexico that have opened the door for palliative care and respect for end-of-life wishes and what that means. Lisa Ozzello RN from the United States will provide a power point presentation. The presentation will cover all the volunteer opportunities available and the training that will be provided for volunteers. Calidad de Vida is the second hospice in Mexico, the first in San Miguel de Allende.

The Vallata Yacht Club's weekly luncheon seminar series is open to the public and features fun and educational presentations. Topics include almost anything of interest to folks who live and play on the bay.

Lunch service (Regular Menu) starts at 11:45 am
The program begins at 12:45 pm sharp
The program will close no later than 2 pm

The Vallarta Yacht Club is a non-profit, member-owned, private club with social, nautical and community objectives. It has over 500 members and is located in Nuevo Vallarta in the heart of the Riviera Nayarit adjacent to Paradise Village Marina. For more information about the club and upcoming events, go to VallartaYachtClub.org.

Calderon�s Drug War Comes Under Attack as Clinton Visits Mexico
Thomas Black & Viola Gienger - Bloomberg
go to original
March 23, 2010

An outline of a person is painted on the ground in front of federal policemen during a protest in Ciudad Juarez February 17, 2010. (Reuters/Alejandro Bringas)

Mexico�s drug-related violence is sparking demands that President Felipe Calderon drop his war on criminal gangs as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Mexico City to review the countries� anti-drug strategy.

From Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego, who controls broadcaster TV Azteca SAB and retailer Grupo Elektra SAB, to the parents of bystanders killed in shootouts, criticism of Calderon�s U.S.-supported crackdown is growing. Salinas urged Mexico and the U.S. in a March 19 interview to legalize drugs. Soldiers on the streets have exacerbated the violence, he said.

�They are not winning this battle,� said Roderic Camp, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, who has published more than 20 books on Mexico, including two on its army. �At best, they�re maintaining the status quo with many more negative consequences.�

Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano are scheduled to meet with Mexican officials, including Calderon, today to discuss ways break up border gangs and tighten border security, Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico�s ambassador to the U.S., told reporters yesterday.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen will also attend, reviewing the progress of the Merida Initiative, a program providing Mexico with more than $1 billion to help combat trafficking. Mexico will push the U.S. to speed up aid under the plan, Sarukhan said.

Urgency of Violence

The urgency of dealing with violence in Mexico, where 2,213 drug-connected deaths have been recorded since the start of the year according to El Universal newspaper, was heightened for the U.S. on March 13 when gunmen killed three people connected to the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Within the past week in Monterrey, headquarters to companies such as Cemex SAB and Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB, two university students and a mother of three were killed in two separate shootouts. An elderly couple was wounded in a third. All were bystanders. Drug gangs demonstrated their power by blocking major highways with cars and buses seized from motorists.

During her visit last year to Mexico, Clinton praised Calderon�s unprecedented use of more than 50,000 army and navy troops to take on the gangs that ship cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines and heroin to the U.S.

Juarez Murders

After the Juarez murders, Clinton reiterated support for Calderon�s effort to �cripple� the trafficking organizations. Yesterday Calderon�s office said in a statement that President Barack Obama had called to express his backing for Mexico�s efforts.

The offensive has resulted in a record number of arrests and confiscations. At the same time, the death toll has climbed every year since Calderon took office in December 2006. Once popular, the military patrols on the streets of Monterrey, Ciudad Juarez, and Tijuana now stir fears that innocents are getting caught in the cross-fire between gangs and shootouts with the army.

�This isn�t the way to fight it,� Rosa Elvira Alonso, the mother of one of the slain university students in Monterrey, said in an interview aired by Milenio television. �It�s costing the lives of a lot of innocent people.�

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere Arturo Valenzuela has portrayed the surge of violence as a sign Calderon�s tactics are working.

�Quantum Leap�

�As you bring down certain kinds of criminal organizations, you encourage a certain degree of conflict between them,� Valenzuela told a U.S. House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on March 10. Since the 1990s, there has been �a quantum leap� in U.S. cooperation with Mexico, he said.

In his book �Drug Trafficking: The Failed War� published in October, Jorge Castaneda, foreign minister under Calderon�s predecessor, President Vicente Fox, wrote that Calderon�s military offensive on crime was designed to legitimize his presidency after a disputed election.

�I think it�s really dangerous in terms of civil liberties and it�s not going to lead to anything except more violence,� said Salinas Pliego, whose Mexico City-based companies have made him the country�s second-richest person after Carlos Slim according to Forbes magazine. �We should definitely reconsider this mistaken policy.�

Press Ahead

Calderon said he will press ahead with the drug fight. Drug-related killings reached a record 7,724 last year and are on track to surpass that in 2010, according to the Mexico City- based El Universal, which keeps an unofficial tally.

�Because of our duty to preserve liberty and security for every Mexican family, we are not taking, and will not take, even one step backward from those who want to see Mexico on its knees and without a future,� Calderon said in a March 21 speech.

The U.S. hasn�t done enough to support Mexico with materiel or stopping illegal weapons or reducing drug demand, Claremont McKenna�s Camp said. Of the $628.6 million of helicopters, polygraph units and armored vehicles that the U.S. has committed to provide to Mexico, $112.9 million has been delivered, according information provided by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.

�I don�t see any end in sight,� Camp said. �Citing how many drugs they seize or how many drug cartel leaders they kill, it just doesn�t alter the flow of drugs, which only can be altered by us.�

Postering

Photograph by Dianna Belitski

Bribery Study in Mexico Says Police the Problem
Alexandra Olson - Associated Press
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March 26, 2010

Mexico City � Police are the biggest culprits when it comes to demanding bribes in Mexico, a study on corruption says.

The questionnaire and analysis, conducted by the U.S.-based BRIBEline, found that 85 percent of bribe demands came from people associated with Mexico's government. Forty-five percent of total demands came from police, 12 percent from federal government officials and the rest from local officials, the judiciary, the military or ruling party officials.

Published Thursday, the Mexico analysis was based on 151 reports received from July 2007 to January 2010.

"The rate of extortion demands in Mexico is very high, and the level of police extortion is high," said Alexandra Wrage, president of the nonprofit association TRACE International that set up BRIBELINE and helps companies combat bribery. "This is sort of frightening."

The BRIBEline Web site, available in 21 languages, was set up in 2007 and allows people around the world to anonymously report bribe requests, using a multiple choice questionnaire. The goal is to study bribe patterns in countries around the world.

Almost 50 percent of Mexican respondents said extortion was the purpose of bribe demands, including payment to avoid harm to personal or commercial interests. Less than 30 percent said they were asked to pay bribes to get preferential treatments, such as winning business contracts.

BRIBEline does not measure how widespread bribery is any country, but other studies have said it is pervasive in Mexico.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has acknowledged that police corruption is entrenched. Since he took office in late 2006, thousands of police officiers have been arrested or fired for corruption, including ties to drug cartels and other criminal gangs.

About 65 percent of the bribe requests in Mexico were for less than $5,000. Wrage said that would make it difficult for a company to track how much money it loses to bribes.

More than 60 percent of Mexican respondents said they were asked to pay the same bribe repeatedly over the course of a year.

Mexico's Interior and Public Safety departments did not respond to requests for comments on the report.

On the Net: BRIBEline | TRACE International

Wanted one ride for for great puppy
Found!

Mexico Bristles as Some U.S. States Relax Marijuana Laws
Tim Johnson - McClatchy Newspapers
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March 26, 2010


	Mexican laws against marijuana and narcotics remain tough, the result of U.S. pressure dating back more than half a century.

Mexico City � As more U.S. states permit medical marijuana, and California considers legalizing cannabis sales to adults, Mexico is voicing irritation at the gap between drug laws north and south of the border and saying it undercuts the battle against Mexico's violent drug cartels.

Mexico Secretary of the Interior Fernando Gomez Mont said last week the U.S. medical marijuana trend was "worrisome" and "complicates in a grave way" efforts to resolve Mexico's soaring drug-related violence.

The issue came to the fore earlier this week when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led a high-level U.S. delegation to Mexico to discuss counter-drug strategies.

Clinton said law enforcement authorities are keeping close tabs on medical marijuana dispensaries in the 14 states where such sales are permitted. She added that she doesn't believe that the rising number of states that allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes was a major factor in marijuana flows into the U.S. from Mexico .

"We have not changed our laws, and we do not see this as a major contributor to the continuing flow of marijuana, the vast, vast majority of which is used for recreational purposes," Clinton said.

More states are permitting medical marijuana use, and New York may become the 15th to do so. California , which pioneered medical marijuana use in 1996, is moving even faster, setting a November vote on whether to legalize personal marijuana possession and allow regulated sales of marijuana to those over age 21. If approved, the move would be the first of its kind in the U.S.

A Mexican historian and commentator, Lorenzo Meyer Cossio , said the government of President Felipe Calderon "feels offended" by the growing trend of U.S. states to allow medical marijuana, or perhaps go further as California may do. Mexican laws against marijuana and narcotics remain tough, the result of U.S. pressure dating back more than half a century, he said.

Meyer said the California initiative to legalize marijuana sales, if approved, would ripple to Mexico , underscoring the difference in legal treatment and giving impetus to decriminalization efforts.

"It is inevitable that if this occurs in California, a neighboring state that is so important to us, that there will be repercussions here," Meyer said.

Calderon, the head of a center-right party, deployed 50,000 soldiers to the border days after coming to office in late 2006 to combat the cartels, which derive huge profits from marijuana as well as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines.

More Mexicans than ever are dying as drug cartels battle for turf along the busiest border in the world. In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico's most dangerous city, more than 530 people have been slain already this year, including three people connected to the U.S. consulate earlier this month.

Mexican marijuana production is soaring, according to a report issued Thursday by the Justice Department's National Drug Intelligence Center.

Estimated Mexican marijuana production climbed to 21,500 metric tons in 2008 from 10,100 metric tons in 2005, the report said, adding that as the military has turned its attention from illicit crop eradication to combating violence from the cartels, marijuana eradication efforts have fallen by nearly half.

Even advocates of the decriminalization of marijuana in the U.S. said they empathize with Mexican leaders, who are deploying troops in a fierce battle with well-armed drug cartels at the urging of Washington .

"They are caught in the middle of realities of U.S. consumer demands and American political intransigence," said Stephen Gutwillig , the California director of the Drug Policy Alliance , an advocacy group for alternatives to the drug war.

Gutwillig said he thinks the trend toward allowing medical marijuana in U.S. states, and even the outright decriminalization of marijuana, would eventually weaken the Mexican drug cartels.

"Any sort of authorized regulated market for marijuana in the United States cannot be good for the bottom line of criminal cartels," Gutwillig said.

ON THE WEB - National Drug Threat Assessment 2010
Full National Drug Threat Assessment 2010 report

Even in paradise major problems arise such as the ongoing problems of our sewage treatment plant that appeared to not be working at all this week as the river and canal system turned to sludge.

Wednesday March 24, 2010

Last nite after 9:00 pm a truck arrived at the La Penita Waste Water plant, loaded and hauled away 19 aerator motors. Each motor has an approximate value of 130,000 pesos MN or $11,000 USD. The logo on the side of the truck was a private company from Mexico city. When questioned the men on the truck said they were told to come get the motors, load them and take to Mexico city where their company will rebuild the motors. The men from the truck did not say who authorized the removal of the 19 aerator motors or where the motors will go after rebuilding in Mexico city or who is paying for the rebuilds.

Our local SIAPA contador says "The State has taken over the sewer plant."

No chance of treatment or chlorination this Semana Santa y Semana Pasqua.

Enjoy the water.
In truth

Jeff

Nayarit folklorico at the state fair held this past week in Tepic bill Bell Photograph

Nayarit folklorico at the state fair held this past week in Tepic Bill Bell Photograph

lick the ad to go to our s

Mexican Police Turn to Voodoo
Reuters
March 26, 2010

(Reuters)

Police at the forefront of Mexico's drug war turn to bizarre spiritual rituals for protection from violence.

Driving Safely in Mexico

Driving safely in Mexico tips by Bill and Dot Bell

Click here to read more

Click here to read about the orphans of Tepic and how one man fishing dream became a Fishin Mission

Play slideshow

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Bigfoot Truck Camper

2001 Model 3000, Series � Excellent Condition,

Queen size Bed, Dinette which converts to second bed

Range/Oven, Furnace, Double Sink, Full Shower and

Bathroom, Microwave, Air Conditioner, Two Awnings,

TV in Bedroom, Electric Jacks. Immediate possession.

See Tom at Oasis Trailer Park � Phone 322-116-6072

To view more classifieds click here

Speak Spanish - That Should be Your Goal!

Learn Spanish Today Make 2009 the year that you learn Spanish

Can you Speak Spanish? How long have you been studying Spanish? Between high school classes, college classes and you own efforts you could easily have a couple years already under your belt. During this time you have likely built up a good Spanish vocabulary, along with a basic understanding of Spanish verb conjugation. But can you speak Spanish?

Why is speaking Spanish so hard? Would you feel comfortable approaching a native Spanish speaker and starting a conversation? Why not? Why is it so hard to speak Spanish evenBeginning high school and college Spanish classes, as well as most self study Spanish courses start off by teaching vocabulary and verb conjugation. You practice speaking, but the focus is on the individual word or phrase. Lists of words are memorized and tests are given on verb conjugation. So when it comes time to speak, the words and phrases are separate in your mind. It becomes a matter of trying to pull all the pieces together and form them all into a sensible sentence, not just speaking.

The key to becoming more comfortable in speaking situations is to practice and learn the sentences as a whole, not in separate pieces. This way when you are trying to remember what to say, the whole sentence pops in your mind, not just one word. You will speak Spanish more correctly, more fluently and more confidently than ever before.

The Visual Link Spanish Course allows you to utilize this effective way of learning and practice speaking Spanish. In our free online demo lessons, you can see how we utilize these strategies to truly teach you to speak Spanish. You will be able to recall everything you learn and words will come into your mind as a complete sentence not separate individual words. You will already be on your way to speaking Spanish more fluently and more confident

Learn Spanish Today - Learn Spanish on-line for free, using interactive audio/visual lessons.

New with travel guide information added!

Pacific Coast Road, Driving and Travel Guide Log 2010

Driving in Mexico just got a little safer with the release of M�xico Road Logs - A comprehensive compilation of road logs of the Mexican Highway system researched and created by Bill and Dot Bell (www.ontheroadin.com). They have just released the updated version of their successful Nogales to Puerto Vallarta road Log and Travel Guide.

The Mexico Road Log and Driving Guides give details of what to expect along major travel routes when visiting different areas of Mexico. "Far more than a simple map, these road logs detail intersections, driving directions, points of interest, and provide important information on driving hazards that even current GPS systems do not track" said Dot Bell. "The Road Logs are a must for those who are driving throughout the Baja, Pacific, Gulf Coast, and the Interior of Mexico."

According to Insurance Guru Jim Labelle President of Mexpro (the largest insurance supplier to Canadians and Americans entering Mexico ) the Road Logs will make car and RV travel in Mexico less intimidating. "For years, our clients have asked us for updated road logs of Mexico," Labelle said.

"The Mexico Road Logs provide our customers with additional peace of mind and will allow them to have a more enjoyable Mexico travel experience. They may even prevent U-turns and collisions! By using the Mexico Road Logs, our clients will experience less stress and have a more relaxed driving experience, which should also help Mexpro with reduced claims that in the past have resulted from customers getting lost or losing their composure," Labelle said.

The Mexico Road Logs are updated, simple to read, easy to use, and offer the perfect solution to people who want to drive and enjoy Mexico.

The Bell's originally designed the Mexico Road Log for a Caravan they were leading down Mexico's West Coast. "We wanted to list every individual gas station and identifier so folks wouldn't get lost. We wanted to warn them of every turn and hazard along the way," says Bell. "They were such a hit and even the people who have driven Mexican Roads for years were asking for them. They wanted to be reminded where the next gas station was, if it sold diesel or where the next Military checkpoint was likely to be."

The Bell's are experts in Mexico Travel and have led conferences, seminars and special classes about driving and travel in Mexico throughout Canada and the USA. They have the most comprehensive travel website on Mexico Driving, RVing and Camping and are now working with Mexpro to distribute Mexico Road Logs in an easy-to-use interactive download.

Available at http://www.ontheroadin.com.

How to download and buy the Road Log

Click on the buy now button and you will be directed to a merchants page. Once you pay for the road log you will redirected to an easy to use download page where you will be able to receive your product immediately. Now only $9.99