June 2007 Issue 54

INTRODUCTION

May was a very active month on many fronts, but it now looks like we might be in that transitional period where the "locals" head north for holidays, and the tourist trade starts to slow down a bit, and with any luck, we might find that evening when we are the only ones, besides the waiters, at the beach bar.  There are a lot of things on the calendar for June, but at this time there are no scheduled "Events".

Of course, the hurricane season officially starts on June 1^st, and the Atlantic had its first tropical storm, Andrea, in early May.  Those of you without hurricane shutters might want to check out the new Window Film from 3M.

This Friday evening, June 1, is Robin's "Best Shirt Award" at the Lol Ha Beach Bar, so do not let the possibility of inclement weather keep you away.

IMPORTANT JUNE FACTS

Several stories are passed around to show how the month of June was named.  The most widely accepted explanation is that it is named after the Roman goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter and equivalent to the Greek goddess Hera.

Gemini   May 22 - June 21
Cancer   June 22 - July 22

June Birthstone:  Pearl
June Flower:  Rose

JUNE BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays and Anniversaries
4          Betty McElhatten
8          Harry Bittner
20        Demetrio's girls
16        Ingrid Clouther

There must be more than this.  Let's hear about YOUR birthday.

 

Missed May Birthdays and Anniversaries
2          Sandra Titze
5          Susan & Macon Gravlee's Anniversary
14        Lucas Kai Schober Thai (born 2005)
20        Jisou VanderElst
21        Monika Titze
27        Crayton Walker
27        Nance & Crayton Walker's Anniversary
31        Terry Fredette

IBEROSTAR HOSTED CANADIAN GOLF TOUR

Iberostar Hotels & Resorts Caribbean and Canadian Tour Commission recently announced a three-year agreement unveiling the Iberostar Riviera Maya Open as part of the Canadian Tour's international schedule.

Capping off a month-long swing through Mexico this spring, the 2007 Iberostar Riviera Maya Open was held May 14-20 at the Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club on the Riviera Maya.  Fully sanctioned by the Canadian Tour, the starting field featured players from the Mexican PGA and Tour de Las Americas competing for a minimum $125,000 US prize purse.

Opened in 2005, the P.B. Dye Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Course offers a world-class par-72 layout that incorporates the native Mayan jungle and dramatic vertical movement.  The course is located just steps away from the brand new Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso which opened March 2007. 

The Iberostar Riviera Maya Open was the final of four major events held in Mexico, following stops in Mazatlan, Culiacan and Nuevo Vallarta.  The event concluded the 2007 international swing before the Tour moved back to Canada for the summer.  The course also was the host site for the Monday qualifying round for the PGA Tour's Mayakoba Golf Classic.

FULL BLUE MOON, MAY 31st

The Full Flower Moon occurred on May 2^nd, so this one on May 31^st is called a Blue Moon.

There are in fact two definitions for a Blue Moon.  According to the more recent definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month.  For a blue moon to occur, the first of the full moons must appear at or near the beginning of the month, so that the second will fall within the same month (the average span between two moons is 29.5 days). 

Note that the May 31 date applies to most of the Western Hemisphere, including Akumal and the United States.  In the Eastern Hemisphere, the full moon in question will occur on June 1.  For that half of the world, the blue moon will be on June 30, 2007.

The phrase, "once in a blue moon" today has come to mean "every now and then" or "rarely" - whether it gained that meaning through association with the lunar event remains uncertain.

This was not reported in the May issue of The Akumalian.
 

"IT'S A RAINY NIGHT IN AKUMAL"

It has been very overcast and wet here - guessing about 8 inches of rain in the last two days - and the forecast calls for more of the same.  While we needed 'some' rain, but enough is enough, especially when it  hinders the various celestial viewing opportunities, including the Full Blue Moon, we have in the early part of June.

Ten day weather forecast valid for Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Puerto Aventuras, Akumal and Tulum. Weather data collected from the Mexico Meteorological Service.   Weather Forecast 05/31/2007 09:48:AM - Sunrise: 6:05 am Sunset: 19:25 pm Thursday 05/31/07 Friday 06/01/07 Saturday 06/02/07 Sunday 06/03/07 Monday 06/04/07 Scattered T-Storms Hi 89 F°/32 C° Lo 75 F°/24 C° Precipitation chance: 60 %   Scattered T-Storms Hi 86 F°/30 C° Lo 76 F°/24 C° Precipitation chance: 60 %   Scattered T-Storms Hi 88 F°/31 C° Lo 76 F°/24 C° Precipitation chance: 40 %   Scattered T-Storms Hi 89 F°/32 C° Lo 77 F°/25 C° Precipitation chance: 40 %   Scattered T-Storms Hi 90 F°/32 C° Lo 78 F°/26 C° Precipitation chance: 60 %   Tuesday 06/05/07 Wednesday 06/06/07 Thursday 06/07/07 Friday 06/08/07 Saturday 06/09/07 Isolated T-Storms Hi 90 F°/32 C° Lo 78 F°/26 C° Precipitation chance: 60 %   Scattered T-Storms Hi 89 F°/32 C° Lo 77 F°/25 C° Precipitation chance: 60 %   Scattered T-Storms Hi 90 F°/32 C° Lo 78 F°/26 C° Precipitation chance: 60 %   Showers Hi 89 F°/32 C° Lo 78 F°/26 C° Precipitation chance: 60 %   Scattered Showers Hi 88 F°/31 C° Lo 76 F°/24 C° Precipitation chance: 40 %

SPEAKING OF "FULL BLUE MOON(s)"

Mexican throng bares all for record.

About 18,000 naked Mexicans stretched out on the cold flagstones of Mexico City's main plaza on Sunday, May 6, to be photographed by Spencer Tunick, an American artist known for shooting crowds of nudes.  The turnout dwarfed Tunick's previous personal record of 7,000 nudes, set in Spain in 2003.

The shoot had the feel of a rock concert.  Volunteers did "the wave" between poses and chanted "Mexico! Mexico!"  Some participants said they drove four or five hours to participate.

"What a great moment for the Mexican art scene," Tunick, 40, told reporters after the shoot.  "All eyes should look south, from the United States to Mexico City - to see how a country can be free and treat the naked body in art."

After shooting several group shots in Zocalo Square, Tunick photographed the female volunteers separately while the men dressed.  Some women later complained that their male colleagues pulled out cellphone cameras and took some souvenir pictures

Police closed off several blocks of the city's colonial center for the event.  Tunick finished the shoot just in time for the 8:30 a.m. Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral, which overlooks the plaza.

HURRICANE SEASON STARTS JUNE 1st

The Atlantic hurricane season is officially from June 1 to November 30.  There is nothing magical in these dates, and hurricanes have occurred outside of these six months, but these dates were selected to encompass over 97% of tropical activity.  The Atlantic basin shows a very peaked season from August through October, with 78% of the tropical storm days, 87% of the minor (categories 1 and 2) hurricane days, and 96% of the major (categories 3, 4 and 5) hurricane days occurring then.  Maximum activity is in early to mid September.  Once in a few years there may be a tropical cyclone occurring "out of season" - primarily in May or December.

Developing La Nina conditions, not global warming, should make the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season "very active," according to a top U.S. hurricane forecaster.

William Gray of the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University said he expects 17 named storms this year, including 9 hurricanes.  He says there is a 74 percent chance that a category 3, 4, or 5 hurricane will hit the U.S. coastline (the historic average for the past century is 52 percent) and a 49 percent chance that such a storm would hit the Gulf Coast of the United States (versus an average of 30 percent for the past century).

Last year's federal outlook was for 13-16 tropical storms, eight to 10 of them hurricanes and four to six in the major category.  Instead, just 10 storms formed.  Five grew into hurricanes, but none reached land in the USA, and only two weaker storms touched the mainland.

Subtropical Storm Andrea was the first named storm and first subtropical cyclone of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season.  It developed out of a previously non-tropical low on May 9 about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Daytona Beach, Florida, three weeks before the start of the season.  After encountering dry air and increased vertical wind shear, Andrea weakened to a subtropical depression on May 10 while remaining nearly stationary, and early on May 11 the National Hurricane Center discontinued advisories.

3M's NEWEST PRESTIGE SERIES WINDOW FILM

3M, a world leader in window film technology, announced the latest addition to the Prestige Series - an ultra Safety & Security version.  These new films are the first clear, metal-free window films that help hold the glass together to maintain the integrity of windows and help protect against would-be intruders and flying glass during severe weather, while measurably reducing the heat and UV rays that enter homes.  Because the films are clear, they do not change the appearance of the home or building, thus preserving the views from the inside and outside.

These films use patented multilayer technology to create a polymer-based window film that is clear, tear resistant and durable. When applied to the inside of a window, the film helps keep the glass in place should the window shatter.  This helps prevent shards of glass from flying throughout a room, the leading cause of injury during a hurricane, according to the Center for Disease Control.

In addition to weather protection, this new Prestige Series film helps protect homes and buildings from would-be intruders.  An untreated window is easily shattered and displaced by almost any heavy, blunt object, allowing easy access to buildings and homes.  However, because windows treated with the newest version of the Prestige Series help hold glass in place, the film provides an added barrier to entry.

The Prestige Series Ultra blocks up to 60 percent of heat trying to penetrate the window, resulting in less stress on air-conditioning systems, and it lowers overall energy costs in summer months and warmer climates.  This new film also reduces the fading effects of solar heat and visible light on furnishings, and blocks up to 99.9 percent of the sun's harmful UV rays - the single largest contributor to furniture fading.

Prestige Series products are currently available exclusively from the 3M Prestige Dealer Network.  The ultra Safety & Security version is available in two versions, one clear and the other modestly tinted.  3M is backing the new Prestige Series ultra with a limited lifetime residential warranty and a 15-year commercial warranty.  For more information and assistance in locating a 3M Prestige dealer, please visit http://www.3M.com/prestige or call 1-866-499-8857.

ROBIN'S BEST SHIRT AWARD, JUNE 1st

Come one, come all, to the Beach Bar, where we'll have a ball.

It's time for the fifth monthly "Best Shirt Award", which is held on the first Friday of each month during Happy Hour at the Lol Ha Beach Bar.  This award is based on Robin's penchant for good, classy Beach Bar shirts, and his sister, Mary Henderson, is ready to once again be the judge and jury as she selects the "Best Shirt" worn by a male for June.  And, as we go to print the criteria are still somewhat nebulous, but it looks like "coolest", "neatest", and "most colorful" might garner a lot of brownie points.

 The May award for "Best Shirt" went to Jim Power, who must have had some power over the judges to steal this one.  See May Best Shirt for more photos.

NAVY DAY, JUNE 1st

Navy Day is an official Mexican holiday.  The day is held on June 1^st and has been recognized every year since 1942.  It relates to  June 1, 1917 when article 32 of the Constitution of the United Mexican States was applied for the first time.  The article states that any vessel flying the Mexican flag must be crewed by seamen who are Mexican by birth, and thus it is a celebration of national pride and identity.  The day is marked throughout the country with special events taking place in many of the sea ports including Puerto Escondido and Puerto Angel on the Sierra Madre del Sur, and in the Caribbean resort of Playa del Carmen.  Events include navy ceremonies in the harbors followed by traditional singing and dancing.
 

SEE THE ISS AND HST OVER AKUMAL JUNE 3^rd - 6^th

June is a good month for seeing the ISS (International Space Station) and HST (Hubble Space Telescope) as they fly over Akumal, and on June 3^rd, both satellites will be visible, albeit the HST in the morning and the ISS in the evening. 

There are four fly-overs between June 3^rd and 6^th when these should be very visible, depending on the weather.  Because there are so many opportunities, and this is a large issue, the graphical plots are not being published here.  But, you can go to www.heavens-above.com to see the plots of these and other ISS and HST fly-overs.  You can also set your clock with the atomic clocks maintained by the Physikalische Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig, Germany.  Akumal is at 20.417N, 87.300W.

ISS
On Sunday, June 3, at 8:41PM, the ISS flies over Akumal on a SW to NE track just to the west of Akumal.  At 8:41:30 it should be directly west of Akumal; visible from 8:40 to 8:42PM.

On Tuesday, June 5, at 7:48PM ,the ISS will be directly over Akumal flying in a SW to NE track similar to Sunday; visible from 7:47 to 7:49PM

On Wednesday, June 6, at 5:27AM, the ISS will by flying over Akumal in a NW to SE track, and at that time it will be directly west of Akumal.

HST
On Sunday, June 3, at 5:42AM, the HST will be almost directly over Akumal, tracking in a WSW to ENE direction

BELMONT STAKES, LAST JEWEL IN TRIPLE CROWN, JUNE 9th

In the United States the Triple Crown is made up of:
*  the Kentucky Derby, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky;
*  the Preakness Stakes, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland;
*  the Belmont Stakes, at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

 There will be no Triple Crown winner this year!

Street Sense was the winner of the 133rd Kentucky Derby on May 5, 2007 in a time of 2:02.17.  The three-year-old surged to victory in one of the most remarkable performances in Kentucky Derby history.  Street Sense was crowned champion with Hard Spun, Curlin, and I'm a wild and crazy guy rounding out the top four finishers.

Curlin, the inexperienced Thoroughbred who was un-raced as a 2-year-old, battled neck and neck with Street Sense down the stretch before surging ahead at the wire to end the Kentucky Derby winner's Triple Crown hopes in the 132nd running of the $1 million Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 19, at Pimlico Race Course.  Street Sense looked as though he was going to hold on after his second consecutive big rally (he came from 19th place to win the Derby).  Even his trainer, Carl Nafzger, was smiling at the finish, believing his colt, ridden by Calvin Borel, had won the second leg of the Triple Crown.  But a last-second stride by Curlin, who finished third in the Derby for his first career loss, proved to be the difference.

The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978, with Steve Cauthen on board.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

Michael Cerveris, LoveMusik
Raul Esparza, Company
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins
David Hyde Pierce, Curtains

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde The Musical
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade
Debra Monk, Curtains
Donna Murphy, LoveMusik

VIDAS CLINIC IN COZUMEL, JUNE 11 - 15th

VIDAS, Veterinarios Internacionales Dedicados a Animales Sanos, (International Veterinarians Dedicated to Animal Health) is a group comprised of Veterinary students, Veterinarians, and other animal - loving volunteers.  Each year they travel to Quintana Roo, Mexico providing free veterinary care in an effort to fight pet overpopulation.  They are working together with the local community to make a difference that affects not only the animals, but the people.

VIDAS sets up free clinics in some of the fastest growing and poorest areas in the world.  Their goal is prevention of animal suffering due to starvation, disease, and other health problems associated with pet overpopulation, recognizing also that overpopulation of animals also contributes directly to human disease.  The focus is safe sterilization, vaccination and parasite control for the animals and education for the people about safe animal handling, zoonotic disease and general animal husbandry and health care.

VIDAS is pleased to announce its upcoming clinics in Cozumel on June 11-15, Playa del Carmen on August 8-12th, and in Bacalar in the fall (dates TBA).

See  www.vidas-org for more information about VIDAS and the clinics.

FLAG DAY, JUNE 14th

The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America's birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885.  BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as 'Flag Birthday'.  In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as 'Flag Birthday', or 'Flag Day'.

Inspired by three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day - the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson's proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day

HECHIZO IS CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER

On Saturday, May 12^th, Hechizo, the fabulous restaurant in Rancho San Eric, closed for the summer and regular a la' carte dining.  After the 12th, Stefan & Hui will be offering custom made, set menu dinners for groups of 12 adults, minimum.  For more information on this, please contact Stefan & Hui at hechizo@bigfoot.com , or call them on their cell phone at (984) 100-0710.

WHAT'S NEW AROUND TOWN?

Hail Storm
On Saturday, May 12^th, there was a late afternoon thunderstorm in and around Akumal, and it has been reported by credible sources that there was golf-ball size hail - that's right, hail, like icy rain - up around Playa del Carmen and down in Tulum.  This hail storm was responsible for the musical trio being two hours late for the Akumal Villas party at Casa Solymar. 
 

Army Roadblocks Akumal Entrance
On Saturday, May 12th, the Mexican Army had a roadblock set up on the entrance road by the CAPA plant.  They were stopping all vehicles, and many received a very thorough search, including under the hood and in the trunk.  Needless to say, there were many variations of why this was going on, and the two top ones are:

• There was a big drug drop off down by Yal-Ku Lagoon
• It's a sweep looking for would be assassins for either a drug lord or a Municipality official.
   

The Turtles Are Nesting
It is turtle season once again in Akumal - "the Place of the Turtles" - and the nesting has begun.  There are at least two nests on the southern end of the beach at South Akumal.

El's CLAUSURADO
Last month The Akumalian reported that El Moreland had started "something" on his lot in South Akumal, and apparently the Municipality caught wind of it - the taco stand? - and the lot is now taped in with yellow tape and CLAUSURADO signs.
 

Construction Starting on Akumal Point
In the development between South Akumal and OASIS, the building process has started as workers are setting up their base camp.  Other lots have been cleared along the property lines, so we may begin to see some more construction going on over here in the near future.
 

Highway Continuing Past Chemuyil
The basic digging for the 4-lane highway continues its excavation south from Akumal towards Tulum, and they are now down to Chemuyil. They have also started coming northward from Tulum.

Signs in North Akumal
"Avoid to be briefed" by Yal Ku condo development and Playa access through Pablo Bush Memorial Park.

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN
Maya Centro Mall to Charge for Parking
The Maya Centro Mall (Soriana and MMCinemas) in Playa del Carmen is in the process of installing barriers to/from the large parking lot, and there are automat machines in the mall where you pay your fee based on how long you parked in the lot.  This mall always seems so empty, so one wonders why they feel the need to work at keeping more people away.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
This third movie of the trilogy opened on Thursday, May 24^th around the world, including the MMCinemas and Cinepolis in Playa del Carmen; not bad.  Unfortunately, the initial reviews are not good, but The Akumalian enjoyed it.

Two tickets for an early afternoon show cost on $56 pesos, about $5.25USD.

CANCUN

This may not be new "news", but Tony Gonzales recently received the following information from within HNTB Architecture in LA.

 Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, the operator of nine Mexican airports, said it opened a third terminal at its Cancun Airport at a cost of approximately $100 million.  The new terminal will double passenger capacity at Mexico's second-busiest airport, which last year welcomed some 9.8 million air passengers.  The new terminal has 84 check-in counters and 11 departure gates and features state-of-the-art security.  Including the new terminal, Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste has spent $786 million upgrading and expanding its Cancun Airport.  The company is also planning to invest $56 million to build a second runway at the airport.

In other airport news, Mexico Tourism Board CEO, Francisco Lopez Mena, announced plans for an international airport in Tulum.  Lopez Mena said construction rights for the new airport would be awarded to the winner of an "imminent" public bid.

Meanwhile, Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste said it wants to create a light-rail system to connect cities along Mexico's Caribbean coast. The $500 million project would shuttle tourists and residents between resort cities, several of which are served by the company's airports.

DAY LIGHT ROBBERY AT WAL-MART

Earlier in May, an expatriate living in South Akumal was robbed at the entrance of the Playa del Carmen Wal-Mart in broad daylight, and here, in her own words, is "the rest of the story".

 "While I was taking a shopping cart by the entrance to the Wal-Mart store (on top of the moving stairs), someone squirted a lot of mayo-mustard condiment on my shoulder bag and all over my behind.  A nice looking fifty-ish man in a white shirt called my attention to the "spill" and offered me a handful of paper napkins to clean up the mess, and I gratefully complied with his suggestion to move away from the carts and went to the motorcycles stored a few steps away.  Not removing my shoulder bag, I laid it on top of the cycles and started to clean it, while another man handed more napkins to the one helping me.  The first man who was helping me kept saying how dirty the clothes were on my back side, and that I should clean that up too.  I turned my head to look and took a couple of swipes, and when I straightened up a second later, I noticed the zipper of my bag was open and my wallet was gone!!!!

"The two men vaporized.  No one saw anything.  The security guard 3 meters away inside the store did not notice the men, and neither did the maintenance man sweeping the same area where this took place. 

I had a substantial amount of Pesos and Dollars in my wallet along with credit and debit cards, Mexican driver's license, Social Security and Medicare cards, CURP card, Costco and Sam's cards and several insurance cards along with US Medical centers ID cards; i.e. perfect set up for identity theft.

While registering a complaint about store security with the store manager, he told me that the Playa del Carmen Wal-Mart store had the highest rate of robberies of all the Wal-Mart stores in Mexico.  I pointed out that the cart area was totally without security and they should have a monitor there.  While he agreed, I still haven't seen one installed in several weeks, so decided not to shop there anymore.  The nightmare of replacing all the documents and the steps necessary to try to prevent identity theft taught me a valuable lesson: never carry documents you don't need to go shopping, they belong in your safe."

 

US "NEWS"

On Monday, May 14, three months after Valentine's Day, the US Post Office increased the price of a first class stamp from 39 cents to 41 cents.

 On Thursday, May 17, two months after St. Patrick's Day, the U.S. Mint put into circulation the second dollar coin in the new presidential series, hoping it can turn 18th century statesman John Adams into a 21st century marketing phenomenon.  After two famous flops in Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea, the U.S. Mint believes it now has the right strategy for success.  The Mint's new formula has borrowed from the 50-state quarter program, the most popular coin program in history, which has lured millions of Americans into becoming coin collectors.

The series got started in February with the introduction of the first coin in the series - a shiny gold-colored George Washington, slightly larger than a quarter.

FATHER'S DAY, JUNE 17TH

Historians have recorded that there was a tradition to celebrate Father's Day even thousands of years ago.  Their studies say that 4,000 years ago in Babylon, a son called Elmesu carved a father's day message on a clay card.  In his message Elmesu wished his father a long and healthy life.  There is no knowledge as to what happened to this father son duo, but it is believed that several countries retained the custom of celebrating Father's Day.

The tradition of celebrating Father's Day, as seen today, originated in the last century.  Though there are several people who are credited for furthering the cause of Father's Day, there is far greater acceptance for Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd's contribution.  A doting daughter from Spokane, Washington, Ms Dodd is recognized as the Founder, or Mother, of the Father's Day Festival.

Inception of the Father's Day took place in Sonora's mind when she happened to hear a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.  Sonora, who was 27 then, had begun to recognize the hardships her father must have gone through while bringing up his six children alone.  When Sonora was 16, her mother had died during childbirth.  Sonora's father a Civil War veteran by the name of William Jackson Smart raised six children including the newborn on his own.  Sonora questioned that if there is a day to recognize mothers, then why is not there a day to honor fathers?

Many people laughed and joked at Sonora's idea, but her will did not droop.  She began a sincere campaign lobbying for the cause of Father's Day.  Her hard work began to show signs of success when Spokane celebrated its first Father's Day on June 19, 1910 with the support of Spokane Ministerial Association and the local Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA).  To pay tribute to her affectionate father, Sonora wished that Father's Day be celebrated on her father's birthday on June 5, but it so happened that there was not enough time for preparation, and the day came to be celebrated on third Sunday in the month of June.

The noble idea of celebrating Father's Day became quite popular in US, so much so that President Woodrow Wilson approved of the festival in 1916.  President Calvin Coolidge too supported the idea, but it was President Lyndon Johnson who signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day in 1966.  Then in 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June.

SUMMER SOLSTICE, JUNE 21st

Solstice, from the Latin for sun stands still, in astronomy, either of the two points on the ecliptic that lie midway between the equinoxes (separated from them by an angular distance of 90°).

At the solstices the sun's apparent position on the celestial sphere reaches its greatest distance above or below the celestial equator, about 23 1/2 degree of arc.  At the time of summer solstice, about 2:06pm on June 21, the sun is directly overhead at noon at the Tropic of Cancer.

In the Northern Hemisphere the longest day and shortest night of the year occur on this date, marking the beginning of summer.  At winter solstice, about December 22, the sun is overhead at noon at the Tropic of Capricorn; this marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. For several days before and after each solstice the sun appears to stand still in the sky, i.e., its noontime elevation does not seem to change from day to day.

FULL MOON, JUNE 30th

Full Strawberry Moon occurs on June 30th, at 9:49 am.  This name was universal to every Maya tribe.  However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon.  Also because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June, so the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!

COMINGS AND GOINGS

There were only a couple of "events" in May, and the pace seems to be slowing down as we head into June.

 Comings:

• Susan & Macon Gravlee were back for another extended stay.
• Judy & Tom Baxter were back for a very brief stay in mid May.
• Anne & Jack Kennedy took up residence in Las Casitas for a spell in May.
• Karen & Larry Kantor returned and took a side trip to San Cristobal.
• Loretta & Bob Flynn were seen around and about in mid May.
• Don Papa was back in town for the last week or so of May.
• Cheryl Dergins and her friend, Isabel, were back at Casa Milagro.
• David & Nancy Poor were in town to close on Conjunto Romero.
• June & Arturo Pizano recently returned from a vacation in Provence, France.
• Shelley Cope has been back in Akumal with her family.
• Gene & Mary Ellen Langan return on May 31 for two weeks at South Akumal.
• Kelly Coladarci is returning for the VIDA clinics in mid-June
• Monica Mayer Poma and family are in Akumal for June 13 -27.

Goings:

•  Denny & Diane Mahan left for time in Georgia before heading over to Vienna, Austria, where they will defend the 2007 Ryder Cup for Akumal/Atlanta against Austria early in June.

• Jim Farrell & Kathy Farrell Sonheim have returned to Austin, Texas for a spell, and now they are in Yokyo.

• Hurley Hackler has returned to Philadelphia for the Memorial Day holidays.

• Rocio Cue Romero is heading of to Mexico City and Oaxaca for a couple of weeks, leaving June 5th.       

• Ingrid & SteveC leave for MA on the 13^th.

HAVING A HARD TIME LEARNING SPANISH?

And you think English is easy???  Can you read these correctly the first time?

• The bandage was wound around the wound.

• The farm was used to produce produce.

• The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

• We must polish the Polish furniture.

• He could lead if he would get the lead out.

• The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

• Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

• A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

• When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

• I did not object to the object.

• The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

• There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

• They were too close to the door to close it.

• The buck does funny things when the does are present.

• A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

• To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

• The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

• Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.

• I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

• How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

   Thanks to Renne Gower

EVENTS

During the month of May, there were two other "Events" beside the Best Shirt Award, and one was the Kentucky Derby "party" on May 5^th.  For photos, go to Kentucky Derby.

 The other "Event" was the party of the staff at Akumal Villas that Diane & Denny Mahan hosted at Casa Solymar on Saturday, May 12^th.  For photos, go to Akumal Villas.