Las Bóvedas refurbished
Panama City's Mayoralty recently re-inaugurated the "Esteban Huertas Promenade", best known as Las Bóvedas, a colonial-style walkway located on the seafront, in the district of San Felipe. The beautiful bougainvillaea arcade was seriously affected during a thunderstorm last year, which prompted the Mayoralty, the National Institute of Culture (INAC) and Oficina del Casco Antiguo (the entity charged with the administration of the historic San Felipe district) to invest US$20,000 in repair works.

Power companies are profitable
Forced by the mounting public presure, Electra Noreste and EDEMET-EDECHI, Panama's two private-owned power distribution companies, released their accounting books earlier this month, confirming what many already knew: both companies made over US$55 million in profits last year –a fact that clearly destroyed the main argument behind the raise in electricity rates that was originaly scheduled to enter into effect on January 1 of this year. The news, however, is bitter sweet. Although the government requested a 90-day moratorium on the increase, it cannot prevent the eventual raise of the rates, due to technicalities in the original contract signed with both companies in the 1990's.

Late last year, both Electra and EDEMET announced a raise in the cost of electricity which would greatly affect both middle-class customers as well as the commercial sector, but the protest of a number of private organizations prompted the government to halt the increase for the next three months.

La Niña is here!
For Panamanians, thunderstorms in early February are as bizarre as July snow in New York City. But it is surely raining. Weather experts are blaming the strange pattern on La Niña, a decrease of temperature in the Pacific Ocean which has brought warmer-than-usual temperatures in North America and extremely cold weather in Europe.

In a normal year, the dry season in Panama extends from late-December to mid-April, but the intermitent rains the country has witnessed during this period is reportedly making mango trees bloom later than expected. The beautiful guayacán trees, which normally yield yellow, pink or sometimes white flowers around April and May, are reportedly blooming in many parts of the Republic.

Office Depot, Wal-Mart set eyes on Panama
It was recenly announced that Panamá OD, a subsidiary of Office Depot Inc., will open its first branches on the Isthmus in June. Another U.S. Firm, Wal-Mart, successfuly registered a number of trademarks in the Republic –the first step towards opening stores in Panama City. Based in Arkansas, Wal-Mart is considered the world's largest retail chain.

Child labor tackled
A debate to resolve the problem of child labor in coffee areas of Río Sereno and Renacimiento in the province of Chiriquí was carried out recently with the participation of workers and producers under the coordination of the Vice-minister of Labor and Labor Development, Edwin Salamin, and the Inter-institutional Committee of Hygiene and Social Security.

More expensive to fly
To fly from Panama to Changuinola, Bocas del Toro and to David, in Chiriquí, will now cost more. Aeroperlas Regional and Air Panama registerd an increase in their costs, over US$20 (return) subject to the authorization of two resolutions by the Civil Aeronautics Authority (AAC). The new rates authorized will be US$65.99 plus five per cent, plus the fuel charge (at present US$2.50), which varies according to the behavior of the international market. This means that the airline ticket will cost US$71.79 return.

President Torrijos
A year and four months after being elected president, the popularity of Martín Torrijos has fallen faster than that of any other president over the same time period during the past fifteen years. This is deduced by analyzing the recent public opinion survey by CID-Gallup. Not even among his fellow party members of the PRD, does Torrijos gain good points. Only 41% of his party members describe his adminisration as "good", while 57% indicated it was either "regular" or "bad".

Bye, bye old market
The Panama City Municipality started work on the demolition of the old market structures that operated during almost a century in the colonial section of the capital. The Director of the Old City Office, architect Ariel Espino, reported that on the land of the old market a new plaza will be built with a view of the bay and with ample parking, that will permit the renewal of the area.

Water
Drinking water in the capital city does not contain the therapeutic quantity of fluorine established by decree, of 0.7 parts per a million gallons. This was brought to light by the Panamanian Dental Association, after it carried out a sampling in the plants of the Panama Metro area in September, 2005 which was done by experts of the Goragas Commemorative Institute. The study revealed that only the plant of Miraflores administered by the Panama Canal Authority, has fluorine in an acceptable quantity. The IDAAN administers 47 waterworks throughout the country, but in only 21 of them is the water dosed with fluorine.

Foreign nations interested in the Canal
Several diplomatic delegations have visited Panama to express interest in participating economically in the work of enlargement of the Panama Canal. Representatives of the governments of Italy, Holland, Japan, France, and Spain have sent their advance teams.

Spanish citizens lost in the Darién.
Two Spanish citizens, José Vicente Colastra and his son, were presumably kidnapped by Colombian guerrilla groups near the community of Jaqué, deep in the jungles of Darién, 300 kilometers southeast of Panama City. As of this issue, the Spanish and Panamanian governments were working along with their Colombian counterparts to discover the whereabout of the two men.

The largest protected area of Central America, Darién National Park is a "no-man's-land." Both Colombian guerrillas and para-military forces often cross the border searching for food and supplies in remote Native American villages on the Panamanian side of the line.

Nation wide festival of Carnival

Carnival is an excellent time to see the entire nation enjoying itself with colorful parades, dancing and all sorts of entertainment activities. Visitors are always welcome, providing they share the same youthful, wild and adventurous spirit their hosts exhibit during this time of the year.

The color and beauty of the nightly parades in each town, combined with the folklore manifestations of the festival in the provinces, are definitely worth seeing.

The following are a few tips which will help you enjoy or survive this nation-wide festival:

Lodging
If you are planning to visit a Carnival "hot spot" in the country please note that most hotels in the provinces will be full, some with reservations booked a year in advance. Therefore, it is best to plan day-long tours, leaving early in the morning and returning in the evening. Most Carnival locations are within a 3-4 hours’ drive from Panama City.

Traveling by bus/plane
A large percentage of Carnival travelers uses the inter-provincial bus service, provided by large, air-conditioned units. Buses depart from Gran Terminal de Transporte, a large, modern facility featuring waiting rooms, showers, stores, pharmacies and ATMs. Keep an eye on your luggage. The terminal will be crowded 24-hours a day.

The adjacent Marcos A. Gelabert domestic airport is also expected to see an increase in passenger flights during this time.

Traveling by car
Expect heavy traffic on the Pan-American Highway, the Trans-Isthmian Highway and inter-provincial roads. West-bound drivers can now use the Centennial Bridge, which links eastern Panama City with the town of La Chorrera in 25 minutes. Since it is possible to see drivers in "fiesta mode" it is best to travel during daylight hours. Lock your car doors properly and remove all valuable items from sight.

Dress comfortably
Dress in a "tropical" manner (shorts, sandals, T-shirts.) Visitors near Carnival areas can expect to be "showered" at "mojaderas", so bathing suits are also advisable. If you are not into this "play", keep your car windows up at all times. Don't forget your sun screen and shades.

Emergencies
The Civil Protection System and the Red Cross will have tents and special posts all along the Pan-American Highway. Medical facilities are adequate in major towns.

St. Luke's Cathedral to raise $500,000.00

View of the first, wooden chapel that later became the St. Luke's Cathedral.

The congregation of Panama City’s St. Luke’s Episcopal Cathedral are raising money to save their 80-year-old building, a historical landmark, from falling into ruin. They are organizing fund-raising events including music and theater.

Rev. Maiziee Lennan, dean of the cathedral, said that that the first signs of a deterioration were discovered in the roof three years and further investigation uncovered serious problems: holes in columns, water filtration and decaying wooden structures. "This is when our repair project became an urgent restoration process," said Rev. Lennan.

The members of the congregation have hired architect Alvaro González Claire, who has worked on important restoration works in Panama City’s Old Quarter, to supervise the work, starting with the restoration of all roofs, columns, floors and walls.

Sarah Simpson, a British-born member of the congregation who is mine host of an "English pub", the Pavo Real (The Peacock), said the Cathedral serves as headquarters for a number of international social clubs and cultural organizations, ballet troupes and the Polyphonic Chorus of Panama, among other groups. She said that the next planned fund-raising activity will be a musical extravaganza honoring Mozart’s 250th anniversary to be announced in the near future.

View of the present-day St. Luke's Cathedral, in Ancon.

Built in a neo-classic style, St. Luke’s Cathedral is located in the former-Canal Zone township of Ancón, near the former U.S.-managed Gorgas Hospital. The congregation was started with a private chapel in the home of Colonel William C. Gorgas the chief sanitation officer during the construction of the Panama Canal (who successfully eradicated malaria and yellow fever from Panama in the early 20th century.)

What started as a small congregation of doctors and nurses soon grew in number, moving to a larger chapel –a wooden structure adjacent to the old Gorgas Hospital in 1908. The need of a more permanent place of worship prompted Bishop James Craig Morris to start construction of the present Cathedral, the cornerstone of which was laid on April 23, 1923.

St. Luke’s Cathedral is the seat of the Panama Episcopal Diocesis, headed by Bishop Julio E. Murray, one of the most prominent Episcopalians in Latin America. With a nation-wide membership of approximately 6,000, the Episcopal church in Panama is actively involved in education (with private schools in the cities of Panama and Colón), social development programs in Native American communities, among other activities. The Panamanian Episcopal Church is also an important element within the Ecumenical Committee (a religious council encompassing all religious persuations on the Isthmus) and sponsors a girl’s home located in the suburb of Las Cumbres.

The Cathedral offers Sunday services in English and Spanish. Its membership is as varied as Panama’s population, and includes many foreign residents as members. "A Japanese couple placed membership with us last week," said Rev. Lennan.

For more information, call: 262-1280 during office hours.

Panama's Chinese community recently celebrated their New Year the “Year of the Dog” with parades and dragon dances throughout the country.

Panama's Chinese community is strong, representing approximately 6% of the population. Their presence in increasing numbers on the Isthmus date back to the construction of the Panama Railroad in the mid-19th century.

There are two Chinatowns in Panama City: one in San Felipe, and the other in El Dorado.

The governor of the province of Chiriquí, Virgilio Vergara and Mrs. Teresa de Guardia, a representative of Grupo Tesa, are seen during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The city of David, the provincial capital of Chiriquí has a new mall. It is called Plaza Terronal and it is located on the intersection between the Pan-American Highway and the road leading to the mountain community of Boquete.

Built with a US$9 million-investment and covering a 12,000 square-meter area, Plaza Terronal will cater to the growing expat community of the province. It will feature branches of some of the best known supermarket, restaurant, banking and department store branches of Panama City.

New Casino

The new casino at the Gran Hotel Nacional es now open in a large building on the site of the old pizzeria opposite the hotel. The pizzeria is now incorporated with the restaurants on the hotel premises.