Cozumel News September 12th, 2014

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Cozumel News September 12, 2014:  Cozumel to add Artificial Reefs,  A Possible Cozumel Orchid, Cozumel Medical Fact vs. Medical Fiction,  Reported 1.2 miles of Cozumel beach to be Rescued, Cozumel Events Calendar 2014 and in Aurita’s Corner, Reader Complaints, Corrections, and Questions.

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Cozumel to add Artificial Reefs

In the Gazette of The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) it was disclosed that two hotels in Quintana Roo received approval to place artificial reef off their coast to encourage the activity of diving or snorkeling. In Cozumel, Sabor Cozumel, located at kilometer 4.4 of the north hotel zone of the island, submitted a proposal.  According to unofficial sources, 64 pieces will be called V reefs are to be immersed in the sea off this vacation center. The Cozumeleño hotel has also applied to receive Federal approval to place 64 pieces of artificial reef on the sea front of their property.

Until now the project was kept under extreme secrecy, but it is now known that they were approved last month.  What is unknown is the date that the pieces of reef will get immersed in the northern part of the island.  To date, the beach hotels sell mostly their facilities as beach and sun destinations, diving and snorkeling activities are concentrated on the southern part of the island.

There is interest in placing artificial reefs in other parts of Cozumel, the Foundation of Parks and Museums Cozumel (FPMC) has a project to place such monoliths in the sea, as does Chankanaab Park, where there are natural reefs.  Chankanaab has already submerged rocks on the north coast of the island and anchored them to the seabed for the resistance.  Once installed, it takes a few months in the sea ​​for the staff of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), to verify that it will attract marine life.

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A Possible Cozumel Orchid

Germán García Padilla, a State Government Representative in Cozumel and member of Ejido Villa Cozumel, reported that a flower has been found in the town of El Cedral that might only be found in Cozumel. According to the findings of the residents of the small settlement, it is a single orchid that only grows in Cozumel and / or the Yucatan Peninsula.  When the flower opens a little owl-like figure can be seen inside. Residents want to patent it as a native species of the area.  The state official reported that these orchids have not been found elsewhere in Cozumel or the Yucatan Peninsula, and that they are looking into the possibility of registering the flower with the name “Cozumel.”

Cozumel Medical Fact vs. Medical Fiction

By Deborah Bollag

No matter the financial situation of a patient, a medical facility is duty bound to preserve and, if possible, improve the health of its patients. This is why the facility exists. Everyone inside a facility is on the same page about this. A hospital will never stop doing as much as it can for the patient, as long as that patient is located there and remains alive. Ventilators and supplies of medicinal air, oxygen, or medications required are never shut down (Though sometimes a preferred medication is substituted by another because the first is not available at the necessary hour.) Besides being the truth and the morally-correct conduct, it is also the law in this country. By the same token, a hospital may not be able to afford to provide 100% of the external services (services that it has to bring in or buy from outside providers and specialists) that a destitute patient may require. But it must provide those services if they are necessary to preserve life.

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Reported 1.2 miles of Cozumel beach to be Rescued

A section measuring   1.2 miles of beach will be rescued in Cozumel, from Casitas Beach to the north side of the fiscal pier. This will take an estimated 35 thousand cubic meters of sand. A 40 meter wide strip of sand along the board walk will encourage bathers, tourists and locals alike.

The beach recovery will only reach the north side of the Fiscal Wharf as the south side of this maritime terminal will be covered by other projects. According to announcement by the federal government, the project falls under the Infrastructure Plan 2014, a recovery of the beaches of Cancun, Playa de Carmen, and Cozumel.  It is estimated that the work will be carried out in Cozumel in 2016. The rest of the article once again repeated that they are uncertain where the sand will be extracted from.

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Aurita’s Corner:

Hello everyone! Welcome to my second Aurita’s Corner. Cozumel, that rain was great yesterday! I think if it was not September 11th, I would have gone out and danced in it. It was a wonderful break from the heat spell we have had.  Of course it was still beautiful here,  even in the rain Cozumel rocks! Today I am going to share Correspondence sent to The Cozumel Sun.  I hope you enjoy the topic and maybe get motivated to write in yourself!

Before I start with the correspondence for corrections, questions, and complaints, I want to thank all of my readers that have taken the time to email me with words of encouragement and gratitude for my work in the Sun.  There have been many, some live here in Cozumel, some in the United States, Canada, and even Europe.

I want to thank my sponsors for their financial support that helps make this happen. Some of you do not need the advertising that I offer; you are just helping to support the Cozumel Sun. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart!

On September 6^th, 2014 I received an email from Ellen Roecker:

Message: Your statement in the turtle article about Cozumel being the only island in the Caribbean Sea to have 3 sea turtles nest there is incorrect. St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands also has 3 turtles nest, the hawksbill, green and leatherback.

My Reply and Action:  Thank you very much Ms. Roecker! The St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, also in the Caribbean is home to four turtles species that nest there: Leatherback, Hawksbill, Green, and Loggerhead. I removed that false statement from the article of August 11^th. We appreciate your input.

Hi! We want to share with you this article of a local attorney´s opinion about “Mexican government control on tax payers ” if you would like to read it and take a look on what you have in your web page, it may be helpful to correct some things.  Here is the link: Mexican Government wants more control on tax payers in order to increase tax collection; how will this impact the real estate market? | 08/12/2014  Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any question or concern.

My Reply and Action: I replied immediately and asked what specifically needed to be corrected and never got a reply. I had received the above link myself and posted it under the “Living in Cozumel Guide” section on Real Estate. It is under the Yucalandia Article on the Real Estate Tax. In reviewing the both, one talked about apples, the other pears. While the latter stressed that you CAN BUY REAL ESTATE  in Mexico without being a  citizen, resident, hold any sort of Visa, or CURP. The other dealt with getting around paying the Capital Gains Tax up to $3,500,000 pesos by being a citizen, resident either permanent or temporal. The first article read, “The final decision on real estate tax matters is up to your individual Notario; Rules and Laws change, and there are variations to how they are applied.

I received an Email on September 4th from Mr. Ric Hajovsky

It accused me of  “perpetuating myths and legends regarding Cozumel history”, rather than offering my readers the true story. I quickly scanned the Cozumel Sun to see what in the world I had done, and discovered I had two articles that might fit the statement, The article I translated on San Miguel Archangel Church on August 18^th, 2014, The second article was a small article on the Catholic Mass to be held on May 5^th of this year to celebrate the first (documented) Mass that was held in Cozumel (and all of Mexico) 496 years ago.

The Information in the article on “The History of San Miguel Archangel Church” was credited to Professor Velio Vivas Valdés, who is described as a life-long chronicler of the City, and in other places as the “official historian of Cozumel.” In searching information on-line on Velio Valdés, I discovered that he has written a history book about Cozumel, Travesía Por La Historia De Cozumel. I am assuming this is the source of many articles written on Cozumel History.

I also found an article on the Huffington Post entitled, “How 3 X’s Put Mexico’s Cozumel Island on the Map, which was posted on 07/15/2014, which also credits Professor Vivas Valdes with the information.

I  met Mr. Ric Hajovsky for coffee, as he wished to apologize for the harshness of his initial email to me. I accepted his apology right away, no coffee really necessary, as I know what it is like having a passion for something and I know the older I get the less tolerance I have for things in general.

He was a very interesting person to speak to, very intelligent and a living encyclopedia on names and dates in the history of Cozumel, and its link to Cuba and Spain. He says that all his information come from actual documents written by people present at the time. As an example, what he writes about Juan de Grijalva’s arrival in Cozumel comes from reports written by two expedition members.

His take on “experts” that write Cozumel History is that the first person writes something as a theory or myth, the next person  copies from the first person, but states  it as a fact. He says that in my article, the origin of the statue is wrong as is the part about farmers finding it in the field.

Mr. Hajovsky, questions the validity of all “How 3 x’s that put Cozumel on the Map,” in the Huffington Post (also credited to Professor Vivas Valdes):

The Mayan Sacred Journey: how could it be possible for all Mayan women to come from so far away and cross the channel?

He disputes that Mexico would never give the United States a base in Cozumel, and  the part about  Cozumel becoming the X-rated Capital of the Americas.

Last, but not least, the third X, a Mexican Citizen made an underwater film before Jacques Cousteau that started the tourists coming to the island. Cuban born Rene Cardona made the film “Mundo Nuevo” in 1957, his Mexican born son, Rene Cardona Jr. Acted in the film. Interesting, I also found a grandson, Rene Cardona III, all three credited with acting and directing.

We spoke for a long time and touched on many subjects. According to him, the myths and legends have been repeated over and over again for so long that not even the locals know the actual history of Cozumel. I asked him about El Cedral Festival and the story on how it came to be, he said something like, “you can’t dispute what those Families believe to be true.”

My Reply and Action: I explained that I translate articles to the best of my ability, that I do not make an income by selling anything on my site, the advertising I have is to help offset the costs of publishing What my main focus in The Cozumel Sun is the day to day news (that might be of interest and/or help my readers in some way) and “how to” instructions to help the new residents, or explain new laws and procedures.  I rarely get into Cozumel History, when I do it is part of any article I have translated for my readers.

As far as the criticism that I use the internet to research information for articles, there is only the internet, we are not in New York, where I could hit the public library, or Museum archives. Besides, I can’t change other people’s articles; I just translate them to English.

I asked if he would write the story of San Miguel Archangel, to set the record straight in The Sun, he will not write. I asked if he has such a passion about sharing the “True History of Cozumel” why he does not write books for the public schools, place articles in the local paper, etc. He said, “That is not how things work in Mexico.”

All of his material is copyright so I cannot share it in my publication. So I direct you, my readers to go to his site: www.everythingcosumal.com and check out his articles.  I find them all fascinating and informative. On my second sweep of his site, I realized why he will not write in the papers, he sells the books he writes. Not a criticism! I could use lesson on how to make a living instead of giving everything away! Some day I would love to afford to buy both Velio Vivas Valdés’ book on the history of Cozumel and well as Ric Hajovsky’s literature on Cozumel.

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Cozumel Events Calendar 2014

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