Closing time concerns
Mayor Arturo Dávalos Peña says pending legislation in the Jalisco Congress regarding closing hours for bars and night clubs will be damaging to Puerto Vallarta’s economy.
He fears tourism would be affected if bars and clubs are forced to close at 2 or 3 a.m. Many stay open until 4 or 5 a.m., he noted. Governor Aristoteles Sandoval has implied that the early closing measure is a statewide proposal, but has also inferred that the priority is the metropolitan area of Guadalajara.
New flight
Discount Mexican airline Volaris has started a new direct weekly flight between Puerto Vallarta and Los Angeles on Friday, November 17.
The Airbus A319 with a capacity for 144 passengers leaves Los Angeles at 12:04 p.m., arriving in Vallarta at 17:14 p.m. The return flight to Puerto Vallarta leaves at 6:07 p.m., arriving in Los Angeles at 7:35 p.m. The flight time is just over three hours.
Return flight costs this week on volaris.com ranged from 4,521 pesos or $US240 (two carry-on bags only) to 5,616 pesos or $US299 (carry-on on bags and checked bag).
PuRR Luau
The Fifth Annual Luau to benefit the PuRR Project (a no-kill cat shelter located just north of Puerto Vallarta) will be held at the Sea Monkey Restaurant Friday, December 8, 5 p.m.
The 400-peso ticket price includes a delicious buffet meal, two drink tickets and a 50/50 raffle. Entertainment is provided by the Polynesian dancers from the Academia Danza de Moorea. There will also be a slnent auction.
PuRR’s adult cat population roams free within the lush green gardens allowing them to live in a natural un-caged environment. The kittens reside in a open-air kitten nursery – a large structure with a small patio.The PuRR Project also has an on-site clinic with daily veterinarian services.
For more information or to make a donation to PuRR Project, visit PurrProject.com.
Tickets (they usually sell out quickly) are available at Sea Monkey, Purr Project adoption booth outside Daiquiri Dick’s Restaurant on Saturday mornings, Mail Boxes Etc., or from Marilyn Khan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Donations are the only source of funding for food, shelter and veterinary care for these rescued animals and events like this help provide those necessities.
Delta builds new homes
Delta and Aeroméxico volunteers built the 250th home in Mexico, in the Chulavista community near Puerto Vallarta, as a part of the 14th Global Build with its long-standing partner Habitat for Humanity.
A team of 70 volunteers, including 47 Delta employees, two of whom are retirees, 16 Aeroméxico employees and seven SkyMiles customers, traveled to Mexico to help build six more homes in Chulavista. Working with the families, volunteers focused on building the foundation, kitchen and two rooms of the homes in Chulavista. Following an April trip to build six homes, Delta and Aeroméxico volunteers and customers have now built a total of 12 homes in this small community.
A supporter of local Habitat organizations since 1995, Delta became a national partner in 2006. Through the national partnership, Delta volunteers have helped build or rehabilitate a total of 253 homes in 12 countries around the world.
“It has been a monumental year for our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and I am thrilled about all the employees and customers who have donated not only their time and talents, but a piece of their hearts, in helping to build 19 homes with families in need of affordable housing in 2017,” said Tad Hutcheson, managing director of Community Affairs at Delta.
Guadalupe parades
Combining traditional Aztec and Christian motifs, young warriors dance in the streets commemorating the miraculous apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the indigenous peasant Juan Diego on December 12, 1531.
Festivities and processions during the first 12 days of December each year involve tens of thousands of Puerto Vallarta inhabitants and visitors, who pay homage to this miraculous event.
According to tradition, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was imprinted on the cloak of Juan Diego, and to this day it is on display in Mexico City at the Basilica of Guadalupe, which was constructed at the site of the appearance.
Hundreds of local Puerto Vallarta businesses, unions, neighborhoods and organizations and their employees parade from their place of employment through the streets of Puerto Vallarta during the Celebrations of Our Lady of Guadalupe and end up at the local Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (Hidalgo 370).
The candlelight processions generally start from in front of the corner of Juarez and Calle 31 de Octubre and go the 11 blocks down Juárez to the Guadalupe church. They include plenty of banners, music, singing and colorfully decorated floats which usually portray the Virgin Mary and Juan Diego.
A World Without Aids
The Casa Karma Boutique Resort presents the “Red Ribbon Gala - A World Without AIDS for our Children” on Thursday, December 7, 6 p.m., a fundraiser for the SETAC Community Center, a local organization that provides education to encourage responsible sexual health decisions.
The food will be courtesy of a trio of top-class local chefs, while the entertainment will be provided by Argentinian duet Bohemia Viva, jazz singer Spencer Day, and singer Amy Armstrong. There will also be a live auction. Tickets are 1,500 pesos and are available from (322) 224-1974.
Tsunami warning checks
Personnel from Jalisco Civil Protection last week carried out a series of tests on the tsunami warning system located between Marina Vallarta and Boca de Tomatlán. Over a three-day period, alarms sounded and warnings broadcasted in both Spanish and English .
A tsunami warning system usually consists of a network of sensors to detect tsunamis and a communications infrastructure to issue timely alarms to permit evacuation of the coastal areas. Puerto Vallarta has warning “towers” located in Marina Vallarta, Fluvial Vallarta, Unidad Deportiva Agustín Flores Contreras, Río Cuale, Garza Blanca, Punta Negra, Mismaloya and Boca de Tomatlán.