Once in a lifetime
Even firefighters and paramedics will tell you that performing a procedure that brings a person back to life is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Norberto (Beto) Mondragon, a Nayarit Proteccion Civil paramedic assigned to the state fire station in La Cruz, recently administered a shock from an AED, or Automatic Electronic Defibrillator, to restart the heart of a construction worker at the Nahui resort located between La Cruz and Punta de Mita.
The worker had come in contact with live electric wires and his heart had stopped. The incident attracted a large crowd. Fortunately for the worker, the commotion also attracted the attention of a doctor on vacation at the resort, who rushed to the scene to start CPR on the victim.
Doing so helped save the young man’s life. With the fire station just down the road, Mondragon’s ambulance was able to respond within minutes. An AED works best within three to four minutes of a heart stopping, so the defibrillator was able to do its job.
The AED been donated by Amigos de La Cruz in the summer, in response to firefighters’ and paramedics’ request for new equipment.
Building boom
New offices, places to eat, somewhere to sleep, a supermarket and a private hospital are going up on the southbound side of Highway 200, the main corridor through Bucerias.
At the north end of the “construction zone” is the CMQ Hospital, scheduled to open next year. Its emergency room may even open before the end of 2016.
Heading southward, only blocks apart, are the new offices of two notarios (notaries public).
Not far away is the Lateral Café and Bistro, which hopes to be open before the end of November. It is managed by two formerly-retired Canadians, Ron and Quenton, who “like good coffee” and will serve “healthy breakfasts and lunch, coffee, expresso and quality wine,” in a newly remodeled building, which includes outdoor sidewalk seating, as well as indoors.
Moving southward, past landmark Minisuper Beto’s, the Riviera Plaza building is now almost full, with a bank, gym, dentist’s clinic, beauty salon and gift store.
Across a side street is the relatively new Mi Lola’s Restaurant, while next door is a new building housing yet another notario.
Nearby is the Hostel Bucerias, scheduled to open in early December. This first hostel in Bucerias replaces two sales offices and vacant office space with an colorful interior design featuring a reception area, “community room” with TV and kitchen/dining room space overlooking a rear garden space, and several multi-person bedrooms. A brightly-colored painted exterior updates the façade.
Southward past another landmark, the popular Delices de France French bakery and café, is the “anchor store” of Bucerias’ southside development, a new Chedraui supermarket, which opened in August.
Santa’s on his way
The Bucerias Children’s Christmas Program is in the final stages of preparation for Santa’s arrival at noon on December 24.
He’ll be giving out gifts at the Colonia Ovanda plaza next to the arroyo from noon until 2 p.m. By now, all the gifts have been purchased and wrapped.
Volunteer Santa Gary Winchester has his suit cleaned and ready.
A fundraiser on December 5 at The Drunken Duck was a success, raising 87,000 pesos. The money generated this year goes toward purchasing toys for next year’s event.
There’s still a need for donations of hotel/travel sized shampoos and soaps for the gift-giving event. Bags of toiletries are given to the moms and grandmas who accompany their kids to see Santa.
Donations can be dropped off at Yo Yo Mo’s Pizza and Sports Bar in Bucerias prior to December 18.
And … Please bring cookies for the Christmas gift handout for “Philo’s Kids.” There is a good supply of gifts and the wrapping happens on December 22 and 23.
The gift hand out is on December 25, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Cookies, coffee and bottles of water will be provided for the volunteers and kids. They will accept donated cookies store-bought or baked. They can be dropped off at Philo’s Real Estate in La Cruz
Gran Fondo
The second Gran Fondo bike race unfolded Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4 under overcast skies and cool temperatures, along a route that passed through La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Punta de Mita, Higuera Blanca and Sayulita.
The 15.2-kilometer time trial on Saturday attracted around 100 cyclists, while some 200 riders participated in the 160K Gran Fondo and the 80K Medio Fondo races on Sunday.
Cyclists came from Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima and Guanajuato, as well as the United States and Canada.
Municipal and state agencies, particularly the traffic police (Transito) and Proteccion Civil, supplied safety and security support for the race.
The sponsors, Specialized Bikes, did a good job of coordinating all aspects of the race, according to a spokesperson.
The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) believes the race will become a major annual event in the Northshore.