INTRODUCTION

Thank goodness March and Easter are over!!  It was one very busy and hectic month, and now the evacuations begin.
 

IMPORTANT APRIL FACTS

Aries March 21-April 20
          Taurus April 21-May 20 

April Birthstone: 
April's birthstone, the diamond, is remarkably simple in composition, yet stunning in its unique ability to reflect and refract light into vivid flashes of brilliant color.  The ancient Hindus called the Diamond "Vajra," meaning lightening, both because of the sparks of light thrown off by this gem as well as its invincible strength.  The diamond is harder than any other substance on earth. 

April Flower: 
The month of April is represented by the daisy.  Daisies have long been associated with innocence.  The large vibrant blooms of the gerbera daisy have made it a favorite among flower lovers.

APRIL BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays and Anniversaries    ¡Feliz cumpleanos!

 4          Diane Firth
7          Holly Batting
7          Seddon Wylde
10        Butch
10        Michelle Bliss 
15        Monica Estrada
18        Lucy James
19        Greg Goudy
23        Sharon Wandler
25        Lindsay Firth

There must be more than this.  Let’s hear about YOUR birthday before it happens. 

Missed March Birthdays / Anniversary

9                    Kevin Fredette
19                Sharon Fredette
 

APRIL FOOL'S DAY, APRIL 1st

Unlike most of the other non-foolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear.  There really wasn't a "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar.  Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.

The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France.  Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25.  The celebration culminated on April 1.  With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1.

However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years.  Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1.  These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace.  They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fool’s errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes.

This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April.  The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century.  It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French.  April Fool's Day thus developed into an international fun fest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.

In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days.  The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body.  It is called Taily Day.  The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.

Mexico's counterpart of April Fool's Day is actually observed on December 28.  Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod.  It eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery.
 

CURRENT ELECTRICITY BILL

            This is no April Fool's joke.  I just received the latest bill from CFE for the period of January 22 to March 24, and the rate of pesos per kWh has exceeded 3.0 (3.01) pesos for the very first time in Casa Colibri.  I have plotted the CFE bills from the first period in 2000, and while there has been a general upward trend over that time, the cost per kWh never exceeded 2.91; for the same period in 2007 the rate was 2.69.  The consumption for this period was lower than for the previous period.
 

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, APRIL 4th

On Friday, April 4^th, at exactly 7:09pm, the HST will be directly over Akumal, coming out of the WSW at about 7:07pm, flying in an ENE direction, and it should be very visible, if it is a clear evening.

On April 5, at 7:08 it will be back, going in the same direction, but the track it will be a little to the north of Akumal.
 

ROBIN'S BEST SHIRT AWARD, APRIL 4th

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

It’s time for another "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, is ready to once again be the judge and jury as she selects the "Best Shirt" for April. 

History was made at the March "Best Shirt Award" judging, as Mary and her illustrious panel of judges selected Isabel Schober as the winner; this was the first female winner of the award since its inception a long, long time ago.  You can see the other photos at Best Shirt Award, March.
 

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME (DST), APRIL 6th (MEXICO)

In Mexico, DST is defined as from the First Sunday in April (April 6) to the Last Sunday in October (October 26).  In Akumal, turn your clocks ahead one hour at exactly 2:00 am on April 6th.

During DST, clocks are turned forward an hour, effectively moving an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening.

The main purpose of Daylight Saving Time (called "Summer Time" in many places in the world) is to make better use of daylight.  We change our clocks during the summer months to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. 

In the European Union, Summer Time begins and ends at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time).  It begins the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in October. In the EU, all time zones change at the same moment.  This year it’s March 30 to October 26.

MT WASHINGTON MARKS "THE BIG WIND", APRIL 12th

On April 12, 1934, the highest surface wind measured anywhere on earth was clocked by the staff of the Mount Washington (New Hampshire) Observatory.  This "World Record Wind" of 231 miles per hour has become the stuff of legend, but what is the meaning of that decades-old record today?

First and foremost, the World Record Wind is a testimony of the real extremes that can rule on Mount Washington.  Significant cold, abundant snowfall, dense fog, heavy icing, and exceptional winds are a prominent feature of Mount Washington's environment.  Yes, there are colder places, such as Antarctica, and snowier places, such as some peaks in the Cascade Range. However, Mount Washington, a small peak by global standards, really does have weather that can rival some of the most rugged places on earth.  There are days each winter when the combination of life-threatening weather factors on Mount Washington is remarkably similar to weather extremes which have been recorded in the polar regions and on peaks three or four times Mount Washington's height.  The World Record Wind is one benchmark testifying to the mountain's truly severe weather.

New Hampshire's Presidential Range includes the highest peaks in the Northeast.  Mount Washington, at 6,288 feet, is the highest in the range, and is the only peak in the Northeastern United States which exceeds 6,000 feet in elevation. 

The Presidential Range forms a ridgeline, about twelve miles in length.  Perhaps the Range's most remarkable feature is its extensive area above treeline, the greatest contiguous alpine area in the United States east of the Mississippi.  Treeline here, which averages about 4,500 feet, is significantly lower than in mountains in the west, thanks to the extreme climatic conditions, including cold temperatures, high winds, and frequent atmospheric icing.  The unusual conditions above treeline have led to a fascinating landscape, seemingly barren, but decorated with low spruce and fir scrub and a variety of alpine plants, whose bright blooming usually occurs in a brief period from mid-June to late July.

In New England it is said, "If you can ski here, you can ski anywhere".
 

EMANCIPATION DAY, APRIL 16th

Emancipation Day is celebrated in various locations in observation generally of the emancipation of slaves.

In the United States, the municipality of Washington, D.C. celebrates April 16 as Emancipation Day.  On that day in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia.  The Act freed about 3,100 enslaved persons in the District of Columbia nine months before President Lincoln issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation telegraphing the eventual end of slavery to the rest of the nation.  The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act represents the only example of compensation by the federal government to free enslaved persons.

On January 4, 2005, Mayor Anthony Williams signed legislation making Emancipation Day an official public holiday in the District.  Each year, a series of activities will be held during the public holiday including the traditional Emancipation Day parade celebrating the freedom of enslaved persons in the District of Columbia.  The Emancipation Day celebration was held yearly from 1866 to 1901, and was resumed under the leadership of Councilmember Vincent Orange as a tradition and historic celebration in 2002.

            In 2007, the observance of this holiday in Washington DC had the effect of nationally extending the 2006 income tax filing deadline from the 16th to the 17th of April, a delay that will recur in April of 2011.  This 2007 date change was not discovered until after many forms went to print. 
 

FULL MOON, APRIL 20th

The Full Pink Moon is on Sunday, April 20, at 6:25am EST.

This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring.  Other names for this month's celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the barracuda swam inland to the cenotes to spawn.

PATRIOT’S DAY, APRIL 21st

Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans' Day are four distinctly American tributes to liberties, freedom and democracy, commemorated by a holiday in the United States.

Then there is Patriots' Day.  For New Englanders, Patriots' Day remains the quintessential observance: the anniversary of the beginning of the American Revolutionary War with skirmishes between British troops and the Minute Men of Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts, and preceded by Paul Revere's famous Midnight Ride.

The events of more than two centuries ago in April 1775, now commemorated as the Patriots' Day holiday in Massachusetts and Maine, marked a turning point in the long struggle between England and her American colonies. In a march of protest and petition, which turned into revolution and independence, the fighting on April 19, 1775 foreshadowed the rebellious action of the American colonies in ultimately creating a new nation, the United States of America.  Originally celebrated on April 19, Patriots' Day was moved to the third Monday of April in 1969.

       For runners, Patriots' Day has become synonymous with the Boston Marathon or, as locals often refer to the day, Marathon Monday.   While "the shot heard 'round the world" continues to reverberate in re-enactments of the historic events, the sound of gunfire also will ring clearly in Hopkinton this Patriots' Day to signal the start of the 112th Boston Marathon and to recall the ideals of the American Revolution.  

The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon.  In 2008 more than 20,000 runners are expected to participate as the Boston Marathon celebrates its 112th anniversary.  Registration for the 2008 Boston Marathon is now open.

The Boston area is a uniquely and profoundly American locale; there's no better venue and no better occasion than the Boston Marathon and Patriots' Day to showcase the spirit.  And then there’s the Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox are playing the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park, and the start time is scheduled for 11:05.
  

LYRIDS METEOR SHOWER, APRIL 21st

The Lyrids are a moderate shower at best, but the meteors tend to be bright and often leave trails.  About 10-20 meteors per hour at peak can be expected, under optimum conditions.  Uncommon surges can sometimes bring the rate to 100 per hour.  The radiant is in the constellation Lyra, which rises in the northeast at about 10 p.m.  Unfortunately the moon – only one night past full – will be up all night during this year's Lyrid shower.  Only the most intrepid and stalwart of meteor-watchers will be out there in bright moonlight for the peak of this year's Lyrid shower.

EARTH DAY, APRIL 22nd

By Senator Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day

 What was the purpose of Earth Day? How did it start? These are the questions I am most frequently asked.

Actually, the idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political "limelight" once and for all. The idea was to persuade President Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour. I flew to Washington to discuss the proposal with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who liked the idea. So did the President. The President began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. For many reasons the tour did not succeed in putting the issue onto the national political agenda. However, it was the germ of the idea that ultimately flowered into Earth Day.

I I continued to speak on environmental issues to a variety of audiences in some twenty-five states. All across the country, evidence of environmental degradation was appearing everywhere, and everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation's political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not.

After President Kennedy's tour, I still hoped for some idea that would thrust the environment into the political mainstream. Six years would pass before the idea that became Earth Day occurred to me while on a conservation speaking tour out West in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, called "teach-ins," had spread to college campuses all across the nation. Suddenly, the idea occurred to me - why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment?

            I was satisfied that if we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It was a big gamble, but worth a try.

At a conference in Seattle in September 1969, I announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone to participate. The wire services carried the story from coast to coast. The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters, and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air - and they did so with spectacular exuberance. For the next four months, two members of my Senate staff, Linda Billings and John Heritage, managed Earth Day affairs out of my Senate office.

Five months before Earth Day, on Sunday, November 30, 1969, The New York Times carried a lengthy article by Gladwin Hill reporting on the astonishing proliferation of environmental events: "Rising concern about the environmental crisis is sweeping the nation's campuses with an intensity that may be on its way to eclipsing student discontent over the war in Vietnam...a national day of observance of environmental problems...is being planned for next spring...when a nationwide environmental 'teach-in'...coordinated from the office of Senator Gaylord Nelson is planned...."

      The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million people participated and it is now observed each year by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries. Senator Gaylord Nelson, an environmental activist in the U.S. Senate, took a leading role in organizing the celebration, to demonstrate popular political support for an environmental agenda. He modeled it on the highly effective Vietnam War protests of the time.

       Check out the CEA web site at www.ceakumal.org and watch for the CEA Newsletter for up-to-date information on the Earth Day Programs CEA is organizing.
 

EL DIA DEL NINO, APRIL 30th

Celebrating Young Americans is a gift from the Latino community to all children.  Many nations throughout the world, and especially within the Western hemisphere celebrate "Dia de los Ninos" on April 30th to honor and celebrate children—who represent the hope and dreams of every community.

A growing number of cities, schools, libraries, museums, churches and other community organizations are embracing this celebration by planning activities and events that:

• Are fun and exciting

• Center around children's interests

• Develop skills

• Instill confidence

• Capture children's dreams and hopes

• Involve families and community

• Reflect cultural diversity

• Inspire and empower new generations of achievers

• Create advocacy for children’s issues

• Engage civic leaders, media, sponsors and volunteers

 Maggie McKown reports on the activities at the Hekab Be Biblioteca de Akumal.

"We are planning on celebrating Children's Day at the library by having an essay contest and then a good match of Football (Soccer) over at the campo. Then we will have refreshments and pinatas!"  Drop in at the Hekab Be Biblioteca de Akumal and see what the children are doing.

Check out Maggie’s blogs at http://hekabbe.blogspot.com/ or e-mail Maggie at maggiemk@aol.com for additional information.
 

COMINGS AND GOINGS

            Comings:

• Macon & Susan Gravlee came back after a spell over on Cozumel.
• Terry Turner was seen on the beach early in March.
• Pat & Cheryl Reagan made a short visit to town in early March.
• Dave & Nancy Poor were back with Nancy’s mother.
• Michael Schwartz was also seen on the beach at South Akumal.
• Mary Lou Mulgrew was in town for a short spell.
• There are reports of Wally & Jan Koenst being in Aventuras Akumal.
• Lowell & Jean Iverson were also back at Aventuras Akumal.
• Mike & Linda Mulgrew were here with the kids.
• Creighton & Nancy Walker are back at Seven Seas.
• Jack & Ann Kennedy are here at Las Casitas.
• Oveta Vardell has returned to South Akumal.

 Goings:

• Denny & Diane Mahan skipped over to South Beach, Florida for a golf vacation at Doral.
• Janet Bouten has reportedly returned to Park City.
• Gabriella Herbert is over vacationing in Mississippi.
• Bud & Alice Blatner have taken a short trip over to Atlanta.

 And during the first week of April there is a minor evacuation as:

• Denny & Diane Mahan head back to the Lake House outside Atlanta for en extended stay
• Bob & Diane Mather return to Colorado.
• Steve & Judy Holtz return to Green Bay after an extended stay in Aventuras Akumal.
• Hollis & George, along with Billy, return to Chicago after their long stay at Los Primos.
   

U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX IS DUE APRIL 15th

Save the best for last!  I am sure every U.S. citizen realizes that the Federal Income Taxes are due on April 15^th. 

WHAT’S NEW AROUND TOWN?

AKUMAL

Aktun-Chen Entrance
Bahia Principe has moved the highway entrance to Aktun-Chen to the very southern edge of its developing property across the highway, so the entrance to Aktun-Chen is no longer by the bridge or across the highway from the entrance to DIF.  It’s now further down towards Chemuyil, and it is very well marked.  The older entrance was running right through the middle of the new Bahia Principe development and had to be relocated.

 Bahia Principe Tour
On March 12, Claudia Munoz arranged for a group of prominent citizens from Akumal to be hosted to a tour of the Bahia Principe development across the highway.  This was co-ordinated with, and hosted by, her friend, Maria Oliveira, the Bahia Principe Sales Manager.

After a buffet breakfast in the Bahia Principe Hotel Akumal, Maria took the group to the sales office in Hacienda Dona Isabel, where she used the model to deliver an overview of the development and answer general questions about the properties, development, and management.

Then the group was off on a tour of the development, first stopping at one of the model houses being built.  Then there was a stop at a cenote by one of the golf course greens, and then they were off to meet Jack, the person responsible for building the golf course.  

 Very interesting......

TULUM

Hardware Store
There is a fantabulous Truber hardware store in Tulum.  Years ago this was just a store front like in Akumal, but now it is a large, air conditioned, well lighted, and well stocked store that is the place to go for hardware.  As you enter the town of Tulum, turn right at the first rotary and go down about three blocks; it's on the right hand side of the road and is hard to miss.  They are expanding and opening another section right beside it with more tools, a la' Black & Decker.

 Covi Liquors
There now is a small Covi Liquors store on the left side of the highway as you enter Tulum.  It’s about half way between the entrance to the ruins and the first round-about.  There’s no sign yet, but it is right beside a small rustic furniture store.
 

EVENTS

Once again, Robin's "Best Shirt Award", was the only "Event" of the month, on March 7^th.