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•  Punta Mita Makes Cover of AD Architectural Digest, one of the world's most prestigious magazines of interior design and architecture, featured Punta Mita on the cover of its July issue. In a magnificent nine-page article, the many luxurious features of the Hotel Four Seasons at Punta Mita are displayed in gorgeous photographs and described in eloquent prose as 'an inviting retreat located on 1700 acres of seductive Pacific Ocean.' The article quotes the hotel's architect, Diego Villaseñor, as effusing over the Punta Mita location. He modestly comments, ' The site is so good that it told us what to put there.'

•  Festival of Arts Continues The weekly festival of the arts at the new Paradise Plaza shopping center in Nuevo Vallarta has been enthusiastically received by the public and continues every Tuesday at 6 pm. A part of the Paradise Village complex, the Plaza opened the festival with an impressive performance of traditional dance from Nayarit by the internationally famous group, Mexcaltitán. Events have been scheduled already for every Tuesday to the beginning of February 2001.

•  Plan for El Salado: Who Cares? he long-awaited plan for development of the newly-declared Natural Protected Area of the El Salado estuary hasn't raised the expected interest here. After being available for public inspection for 5 days, the Plan elicited written comments from only 10 people. Although many locals are concerned, and others are hopeful, that the ecologically-sensitive area will be the site of a convention center, only the PV Ecological Group has expressed specific objections and suggestions. Humberto Jiménez Rosales, the ecology group's advisor, noted that almost all of the area not specifically set aside for protection has been designated as available for private development. He feels that a better plan could be proposed bringing more benefits more quickly to more Vallartenses.

•  Mayor Forbids Cars Downtown The mayor has taken the brave and long-awaited decision to close the center of town to vehicles. All pedestrians are sure to enjoy the new uncluttered views of the downtown area. The air will be fresher, people will be able to stroll arm in arm, and the leisurely elegance of bygone times will be revived. Protests are expected from shopkeepers, restaurants, banks etc. Undoubtedly there are many details to be worked out. What time will garbage trucks collect garbage? How will deliveries be made? Will they plant trees down the center of streets and place benches for quiet contemplation?Ù Excerpted from 'Atención San Miguel,' July 10, 2000, a newspaper in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato.

•  Not Just Puerto Vallarta One of the hottest issues this week throughout the nation has been the proposal by President-elect Vicente Fox to impose a tax on medicines and groceries. Perhaps it was only a "trial balloon" but it has been shot down repeatedly by just about everyone who claims an interest in the welfare of the working class. Fox and his spokespersons have explained that these taxes would in fact benefit the working class, but many members of congress disagree with his reasoning. In any case, after the uproar began, Fox representatives said it was "just an idea" at this point.

•  2 Street Dogs for Every Human According to Region VIII of the Secretariat of Health, for every person in the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta there are 10 dogs; and of those 10, 20% are 'street dogs.' Many of these street dogs have 'owners' who nothing more than feed them and then neglect to provide them with vaccinations and treatment for internal and external parasites. Reporter Noemi Zamora Reynoso of 'Vallarta Opina' expressed her opinion in a recent article on the subject that municipal and health authorities ought to get together with the various animal protection associations here to create an animal shelter. No action has been taken on this proposal at this time.

•  Drove Like Crazy? Report 'em! OThe President of the Union of Urban Bus Company Owners has invited everyone to call in complaints of any kind about bus service to: 223-2498 and 223-2992. These are the phone numbers of Hugo Gomez Mariscal, President of the Union (Unión de Permisionarios de Camiones Urbanos y Suburbanos de Puerto Vallarta). For the present, the complaint will have to be made in Spanish and should include the bus number (usually prominently painted inside and on the rear of the bus for example U-19) and the time of the incident.

•  Faster Service at Immigration The Immigration office in Puerto Vallarta has been granted a higher status and will now have the authority to process many transactions that formerly went to Mexico City. According to Ana Catalina Fennivesy, the Migración delegate for Puerto Vallarta, this office is now a Regional Subdelegation, and with a new quality control process in place, should be able to process many immigration matters in 'only' 35 days.

•  Guess What's Coming-Again By the time you read this, representatives of all intra city bus lines and government officials may have met to discuss route changes and, you guessed it, fare increases.Municipal and state authorities, including the Municipal President and Secretary of Public Security, are meeting with representatives of the Union of Urban and Suburban Transport, the Transport Workers Alliance and Sistecozme to talk about a possible raise in bus fares, better bus routes and improvements to city streets. This might be a good time to make known any ideas you have about improving service to your neighborhood. Try calling the Departamento de Tránsito at 221-2586 or 221-2587.

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