The Akumalian Issue No. 15 –June, 2004

 

AKUMAL COUNCIL

The Consejo de Desarrollo de Akumal A.C. (Akumal Council) continues to grow, as membership now exceeds 70, and the pledged amount is in excess of $70,000USD. The next General Meeting is scheduled for Friday, June 4, 2004, and this would be an excellent opportunity for new members to come on board.

All residents, visitors and guests of Akumal, whether a member or not, have a much higher sense of security with the ‘new’ police presence here. The police are frequently seen, either on motorcycle or in the patrol car, driving through each of the Akumal communities.

Now it has even gotten better. The police have a cell phone, and they can be contacted at 044-984-877-7892.

CEA SYMPOSIUM

On May 19-21, CEA hosted a Symposium with the theme on “The Riviera Maya: Scientific Research and a Sustainable Ecology.” The Symposium, which celebrated the 10th year of Centro Ecológico Akumal, brought together scientists from disciplines who have worked in Akumal and the surrounding region to present their work and offer their insights concerning the potential impact of current economic development plans for the Riviera Maya.

The future development plans call for quadrupling the number of hotel rooms from the present 22,000 to 80,000 and include housing for 1.5 million new workers in six communities of 250,000 people each, spread along the tourist corridor, including one at Akumal. Sustainable environmental criteria need to be part of these plans, and this symposium presented a rare opportunity for the scientific community to bring its expert knowledge to the attention of decision makers and possibly to influence the outcome of pending decisions with broad environmental consequences.

The overall agenda was:

Tuesday May 18, 2004

OPENING GET TOGETHER AT THE LOL HA BEACH BAR - 5:30 – 6:30 PM

Wednesday May 19, 2004

RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS - 9 AM – 1 PM and 2 PM – 6 PM

The MEAT of the Symposium was here. There were 16 or so presentations on the agenda, and most of the presenters were scientists or educators from the likes of University of North Carolina, University of Mississippi, Cornell University, and NOAA.

Thursday May 20, 2004

ROUNDTABLE DECLARATION FOR POET - 9 AM - 1 PM

HOME DEPOT ACQUIRES HOME MART IN MEXICO

Coming to a location near you!!!

THE HOME DEPOT ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF HOME MART, EXPANDS MARKET LEADERSHIP IN MEXICO

ATLANTA, May 13, 2004 -- The Home Depot (NYSE: HD), the world's largest home improvement retailer, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Home Mart, the second largest Mexican home improvement retailer. The transaction is subject to approval by the Mexican regulatory authorities and customary closing conditions; financial terms were not disclosed. When the acquisition is completed, Home Depot will acquire 20 Home Mart locations, bringing its total store count in Mexico to 39 stores.

Home Mart will add significant new locations for Home Depot, including prominence in Mexico City and a store base in seven new markets, and enhance its position in a nearly $15 billion market. "We look forward to offering product innovations, compelling store presentations, and exceptional service to even more customers in Mexico," said Frank Blake, executive vice president of business development and corporate operations. "This acquisition builds on our growth strategy of enhancing the core, extending the business and expanding the market."

Home Mart was established in 1993. Its stores, which average 69,000 square feet, serve customers in the home improvement industry. Home Mart stores will convert to The Home Depot brand following a transition period and training for new associates.

In June 2001, Home Depot entered the Mexican market through the acquisition of Total HOME. The Total HOME stores in Monterrey and Mexico City were converted to Home Depot stores in March 2002. In 2002, the company acquired Del Norte, a four-store home improvement chain formerly based in Ciudad Juarez. Home Depot has opened a total of 11 new stores since 2002 in Mexicali, Culiacan, San Luis Potosi, Monterrey, Tijuana, Leon, Chihuahua, Guadalajara, greater Mexico City (2) and Hermosillo.

Home Depot also said it is raising its new store opening guidance from 175 stores to 185 new stores this year, including the 20 stores added through the Home Mart acquisition and reflecting the company's decision to move 10 stores previously scheduled to open in 2004 into 2005.

Founded in 1978, The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer and the second largest retailer in the United States, with fiscal 2003 sales of $64.8 billion. The company employs approximately 300,000 associates and has 1,741 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, eight Canadian provinces, and Mexico. Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

DID YOU KNOW?

The pin that holds a hinge together is called a pintle.

The back of the human hand is the opisthenar.

The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.

 

NOAA FORECAST ANOTHER ACTIVE HURRICANE SEASON

 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting another above-normal hurricane season this year with 12 to 15 tropical storms forming, six to eight of these becoming hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or faster, and two to four of these becoming major storms with winds of 111 mph or higher. The NOAA forecasters do not give any odds for how likely any of these storms are to hit Akumal, the USA or other land.

But, the forecasters say that the odds are 50% of an above-normal season in terms of number of storms, a 40% chance of a normal season, and only a 10% chance of a below-average season. In the past, such seasons have brought an average of two to three hurricanes that hit the USA, and one to two that hit in the region around the Caribbean Sea.

An average year has 10 tropical storms, with winds from 39 to 73 mph in the Atlantic Basin, which includes the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Six of these storms grow into hurricanes, and two or three into major storms.

The NOAA forecasters rely on several large-scale weather and ocean temperature patterns that are linked to the number of hurricanes which form in the Atlantic Basin. One of the important such patterns is the one known as El Niño, which can affect weather around the world. During an El Niño, the number of Atlantic Basin hurricanes drops.

The NOAA forecast is also based on the likelihood that an upswing in the number of hurricanes that began in 1995 will continue. Every year since then, except 1997 and 2002 — both El Niño years — has seen an above average number of hurricanes. The current period seems to be much like the 1940s into the 1960s, which saw large numbers of Atlantic Basin storms, followed by a lull in hurricanes from the late 1960s through the early 1990s.

The hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

DID YOU KNOW?

In the United States, the Tooth Fairy quietly enters the child’s bedroom during the night, cautiously removes the tooth from under the pillow, and gently replaces it with money.

In Mexico and Spain, the custom is basically the same, but it is the Tooth Mouse, who makes the exchange.

In Japan and a few other Asian nations, the tradition is a little different. A lower tooth is thrown up onto the roof of the house, and an upper tooth is thrown underneath the 'en-no-shita' (the lower portion below the floor of a Japanese house). It is done so that the upper tooth grows healthy downwards, while the lower tooth upwards.

In Vietnam, both the upper and lower teeth are thrown up over the house.

SHREK 2

 

It's a rare sequel that is as good as its predecessor, but DreamWorks' Shrek 2 is just as funny, sweet and engaging as the first film starring the big galoot. Shrek (voiced again by Mike Meyers) finds a new sidekick in the lovable, but scrappy Puss-In-Boots (Antonio Banderas), but in this one, the lovable green giant and his neurotic donkey pal (reprised by Eddie Murphy) are upstaged by the resplendent Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas).Shrek and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are on their honeymoon. The sequences in which they gambol through scenic spots are a great send-up of all the corny montages of live-action movies. The first film had similar moments, but Shrek 2 takes things a step further with an homage to From Here to Eternity. But that nod is then turned on its ear with another cinematic reference that takes a jab at Disney animation. Viewers also will have fun catching Shrek 2's mini-tributes to Spider-Man, The Wizard of Oz, The Lord of the Rings and Charlie's Angels.

Returning from their romantic idyll, Shrek and Princess Fiona are summoned by Fiona's parents, the king and queen of the Kingdom of Far, Far Away (a fairy-tale version of Beverly Hills). Donkey cannot resist tagging along and whining most of the way. John Cleese and Julie Andrews are pitch-perfect as the royal couple who are taken aback when they learn that their princess has married an ogre and become one, too. Andrews' Queen Lillian has a dignified, kindly air, while the curmudgeonly King Harold immediately locks horns with Shrek.

The king had plans for Fiona's future, enlisting the aid of the megalomaniac Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders). She had designs on the royal title herself, involving her foppish son Prince Charming (a very funny Rupert Everett). The king also calls upon famous ogre hunter Puss In Boots, but the courtly feline eventually joins forces with Shrek, much to Donkey's dismay.

The tabby cat with the fancy plumed hat has an exotic Spanish accent — and Banderas parodies his earlier role as Zorro. But Puss is a cute kitty when he wants to get his way in scenes that prompt a theater-full of "awwws." Such manipulation might have seemed cloying if Puss were not equally adept at clawing when the need arises. His funniest bit is a role in a wild take-off of TV's Cops.

As in the original, Shrek 2's musical score is first-rate, with songs by Counting Crows and Tom Waits, as well as retooled old hits. And the computer animation is gorgeous. A high-spirited, fun-filled comedy adventure, Shrek 2 probably will emerge as summer's best family film. (PG for some crude humor, a brief substance reference and some suggestive content.)

 

DID YOU KNOW?

The ear-splitting sound produced by the high notes of a bagpipe is called a skirl.

Someone who uses as few words as possible when speaking is called pauciloquent.

People who chase after rare birds are called twitchers

ABSENTEE VOTING IN THE U.S.

It is absolutely imperative that each and every US citizen gets out and votes in this election year, regardless of where you are. The right to vote is fundamental in a democratic society. Living here in “paradise” is no reason or excuse to shirk your duties to the United States and the world. Even Absentee Ballots count.

The Guidelines for your state are available at www.absentees.org

The following information is about ABSENTEE VOTING IN MASSACHUSETTS, and it probably is very similar in other states and territories. Go to the Internet and check out the requirements for your state of last residence.

You may vote absentee if:

• You will be absent from your city or town on Election Day

• You have a physical disability preventing you from voting at the polling place
• Your religious beliefs prevent you from voting on Election Day.

Registered and unregistered residents of Massachusetts who are outside the state may request an absentee ballot from the city or town in which they legally resided (or where they last legally resided before leaving the U.S.).

How do I apply for an absentee ballot? You must apply in writing to the city or town clerk or election commission, either in a letter or by filling out an application form. Application forms are available at your local election office, or you may download the form from the state election's division.

If you write a letter requesting an absentee ballot, it should include:

• Your name

• Address as registered
• Ward or precinct if you know it
• Address where you want the absentee ballot sent
• Which party ballot you want if the election is a primary (you must be registered to vote in the party you request or you must be unenrolled in any party)
• Your signature

Can someone else apply for me for an absentee ballot? A family member of a person who is registered to vote in Massachusetts may apply to the city or town where that person is registered for an absentee ballot for that voter.

What are the deadlines for voting absentee? The deadline for applying for an absentee ballot is noon on the day before an election, if you are both applying and voting in person. Absentee ballots are generally available three weeks before an election. If you are planning to vote in the clerk's office, you may be able to apply for an absentee ballot and vote in the same visit.

If you will be sending your ballot through the mail, allow enough time for your application to get to your city or town clerk, for the ballot to come to you by mail (at the address you have specified) and for you to return it to the local election office before the close of the polls on Election Day. The ballot must be received in the clerk's office before the close of the polls on Election Day.

 

COMINGS AND GOINGS….

At this time of the year, there are just so many owners, guests, and friends visiting Akumal that it is extremely difficult to keep up with the traffic. Where do we begin? Who will be accidentally overlooked? Actually, there was so much coming and going since the last issue, that this focus is on the permanent “comings and goings.”

Katie & Joel have a double coming up soon. They will be married on Friday, June 25, 2004 at 5:00 in the evening on Akumal Bay. Then not too long afterwards, they also leave Akumal and relocate to Colorado.

Rhett & Kazue Schober, along with their big, friendly dog, have relocated – not just visiting – to Akumal from Colorado, and they are staying in Seven Seas with ‘mom.’

Adrian & Martha Wilkinson have sold their house in South Akumal and have returned to Canada.

Susan Reagan is also packing her bags and relocating back to the states.

Tom & Judy Baxter were married - yes married - on March 26, 2004 in Las Vegas, where also honeymooned.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOL-HA

This may be somewhat of a belated “Happy Birthday” but be aware that the Lol-Ha restaurant is celebrating its 20^th birthday during the month of May. As part of the on-going festivities, there is one complimentary Margarita per person for the month of May, with dinner. And, Laura & David are arranging an open house cocktail reception on the beach in front of Lol-Ha for May 29th, and the formal invitations to this will be distributed later this week. Is this a barefoot black tie affair?

FARENHEIT 9/11 WINS PALME D’OR IN CANNES

Michael Moore displays his Palme d'Or, the top prize at the 57th Cannes Film Festival, which he won for his film Farenheit 9/11. The film lays out an attack on President Bush, starting from the 2000 election through his handling of 9/11, the Iraq war and its aftermath. Fahrenheit was the first documentary to win since the late Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle's The Silent World in 1956.

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2004 Steve Clouther