Panama City Rising - 2010 Photos by Juliette Passer

SUMMARY

(Based on article from LA PRENSA newspaper dated Decebmer 10,2010)

Panama Canal Suspends Operations

The transit of ships through the Panama Canal was suspended temporarily yesterday from 12: 00 noon because of the record level registered at Gatun and Alajuela lakes after the continuous rains.

Gatun Lake, whose maximum level is 88.5 feet above sea level reached 88.56 feet, forcing the opening of the gates to release the water. The Alajuela Lake with the maximum level 252.0 feet, with the constant rain reached 257.6 feet above sea level.

The Executive Vice President of Operations of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Manuel Benitez said “the measure was adopted because transits through the Canal could have been affected by the current of the Chagres River, which flows into the waterway at Gamboa, in view of the spill at Alajuela.”

After the order of suspending Canal operation, PANAMAX vessels were stranded along the canal until the locks were back in operation. Although the ACP always suspends temporarily operation in some of the locks, be it for some maintenance task or form some incident, yesterday the administration ordered the suspending operation at all the locks.

The last time the canal was paralyzed for more than one day was during December 20, 1989 after the U.S. invasion of Panama.
The alert situation led to a meeting among the top ACP authorities to evaluate the situation and to determine the normalizing of operation during the next few hours
EXPANSION OPERATIONS

The rains also affected the expansion operations especially in the Atlantic sector where the rains have been more persistent. A source linked to the task of design and construction of the third set of locks stated that suction pumps have been placed to extract the water in areas where there are excavations.
EVACUATION

Yesterday, the ACP, coordinating with local authorities, evacuated about 50 residents of the Guayabalito and Santa Rosa communities in the lower part of Madden Dam Lake which feeds Alajuela Lake.


The ACP warned that the communities near the Chagres River, as well as Nuevo Vigía Salamanca, and Boqueron- on the upper part of the dam should be placed on state of alert pending instructions from the authorities.

The ACP said that the preventive spill of water through the Gatun Spillway also affected automobile traffic through the bridge connecting the towns of the South Coast of Colon. It asked residents of the towns in that sector to avoid travel due to the limited use of the bridge.

As part of the actions coordinated with other authorities. A system was devised to move the people in case of an emergency.

Summary by Juliette Passer, Esq.

A bit of Chinese wisdom for all of us!

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.


For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.


After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”


The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?'”

“That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.


SO, to all of my friends and colleagues, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!



Have a great day!
Juliette

Panama City’s Punta Pacifica is growing by leaps and bounds, recent photos by Juliette Passer

During the first six months of this year, tourist activity increased by 9.6% in Panama, summary by Juliette Passer

SUMMARY

(Based on article from PANAMA AMERICA Oct 16, 2010)

Panama Tourism and the Canal

Although the Panama Canal reflected a decrease of 3.3% in revenue during the first six months of the totaled US $871.5 million. The Canal is one of the most important sources of income to the Republic.

According to the Panama Tourist Authority (ATP). The Canal Revenues amounted to US $871.5 million during the first six months of this year. Meanwhile, the Tourist Authority of Panama (ATP) advisor Ernesto Orillac said that new investments in restaurants, malls and others projects have transformed the area into one of the most productive sectors of the country. Purchases by tourists have become an important source of revenues and made tourism an important productive sector. There are two hotels and one condo-hotel being built in the in the Albrook Mall area.

During the first six months of this year, tourist activity increased by 9.6%. The total number of tourists arriving was 652,000, which is 10% more than during the same period last year. Many international fairs are being held in Panama now increasing tourist incentives. Hotels reported 3,847 rooms occupied during this period which is more than the 3,437 rooms during the same period last year.

The ATP is making plans to provide transportation to in-transit tourists to take them to Metro Mall for their purchases. This initiative is not new; it is also being used in Miami.

Angelo Paredes, president of the Panama Association of Tour Operators says there has being an increase in tourism since 2007. The Cruise Ship season started yesterday so these figures will be more attractive in the coming months.

Finally, the Government reports it is planning to offer The Atlapa Convention Center free for events activities. This offer would increase the number of people coming to Panama as well.

Assembly Passes Parts Of Law 30 (Aviation, Environment) suammry by Juliette Passer

Assembly Passes Parts Of Law 30 (Aviation, Environment)

 

The Panama National Assembly passed two parts of Law 30, summarized by Juliette Passer in the prior post, about promoting the development of commercial aviation and general environmental matters.
Mario Wilson of the Commercial Pilots Union said he was pleased with the measure because it upholds the agreements reached at the negotiating table benefitting commercial airline pilots.

Meanwhile, Yessica Young of the MarViva Environmental Foundation said that although some of the articles were not repealed, consensus was reached on the importance of environmental measures to improve the country’s situation.

Summary by Juliette Passer, Esq. and Mario Talavera

Trust experience and knowledge.

www.panamanagement.com

Innovative Trump Ocean Club is nearing completion in Panama City, photos by Juliette Passer

Innovative Trump Ocean Club is nearing completion in Panama City, photos by Juliette Passer - see at http://picasaweb.google.com/jmpasser