This may provide a clue as to how Cristobal Colon's name got changed to Christopher Columbus.

There is no "Serpent River".  The geographical name is the Rio Culebra.

"Typical of many American articles about Panama, it gets the oceans, directions and geographical orientation incorrect, Sloppy,.."

New 'Inspector Citizen' App to Report Traffic Offenders

With some critics against and some in favor of the Application, the Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) shall begin on 1 August to fine the drivers that are reported through the App 'Inspector Citizen'.

The head of minor offenses of the ATTT, Franklin Miranda, reported that with this Application the entity promotes citizen participation.

He explained that the drivers who are observed breaking the Transit regulations and are reported through the APP shall be fined:

Perform public transport insecurely.

Parked in inappropriate places or occupying a space reserved for people with disabilities

According to the Transit regulations, the cost of these sanctions is from $10 to $50.

The lawyer Benito Mojica recommended to the ATTT that before applying fines, they perform the obligatory consultations to avoid being subject to querrellas or constitutional protections on the part of the drivers.

http://elsiglo.com/panama/attt-multara-partir-1-agosto/23952627

Using any variation of a 'buddy' system to keep track of friends and family works well. The advent of social media has made that even easier.

" Health and welfare checks (Yes, that is a rather common term in the US and in the US military) are not a main part of AAC service, but if the checks can be made by phone, we'll be happy to make them.  We are not organized or budgeted for dispatching someone by vehicle for such checks."

These checks are apparently not part of AAC's program so whether the person was calling a wrong number or whether a call went unanswered is a moot  point.

The implication that everyone knows or should know U.S. Police or Military jargon still seems presumptive to me.

$.02 Canadian ..no longer circulating

It seems that the teachers have worked out their grievances and are agreeing to return to work on Monday as requested by President Varela.

There is a heavy Police operation underway at the moment to find some armed assailants who robbed and wounded local Lions Club member and fundraiser Elvis Gonzalez. He is also the Treasurere of the Boquete Feria.

Personally, I'm more concerned about numbers which state that 251 people have died on Panama's roadways and that there have been 241 homicides to date in 2016.

President Varela has asked the teachers to stop their highly unpopular strike and return to classes on Monday for the sake of the students who are losing out, saying there are themes that can be debated without a work stoppage.

The 2017 fiscal budget has now been approved by Cabinet which includes 80 million dollars for the teachers' promised salary increase.

http://www.prensa.com/sociedad/Presidente-hace-llamado-levanten-paro_0_4534796598.html

Bidding low in order to obtain a construction project with an eye to making a profit on the extras is a pretty common tactic at any level.   

It seems that the Canal Authority put a lot of diligence into contract preparation for the expansion so many of these claims will likely be disallowed.

Penny are you sure it's a 10% discount that is offered at some Grocery stores on Check day? Are all items applicable, do you know?

She's a trip and her store's always a fun place to poke around in.

..which prompts the questions... 

Are Health and Welfare checks on the well-being of an individual a service that either Alto Al Crimen or RodnyDirect provide ..or should they be?

38 minutes ago, Jim and Judi said:

.Wouldn't it be a welfare cheque in canada

It could be either.

The point is that if there is some kind of urgent requirement to a situation, using a term which might be confusing or has multiple meanings, is probably unwise.

Still puzzled by the term 'welfare check'. In Canada it is a payment of financial assistance.

Truly sad. Thanks for the update, Allison.

SINAPROC advises that Pacific beaches anywhere near river or estuary outlets become more dangerous following heavy rainfalls.

Almost directly across the road from Mae Lewis. We went by there today in the early afternoon and it was all clear.

Playa Las Lajas - Missing 16 year old North American

The headquarters of MEDUCA, the Ministry of Education, are on the PanAmerican highway in David and striking teachers may disrupt traffic flow in that area during the next few days.

I had the pleasure of meeting the Dietrichs today and hope to visit their lodge soon.

This vehicle has been SOLD

Panama Ranked 22nd in (somebody's) List of World's Safest Countries

Noticeably absent ..the U.S.A.

This is an extensive article from today's LaPrensa about onions, their production and pricing. freetranslation

Onions, Shortages and High Prices

The low local production of onion, registered in the country since 2008 due to imports, climate change and the lack of support to the agricultural sector, has past invoicing and directly affects consumers.

Currently, in the market and in the San Felipe Neri market yellow onions - preferred by Panamanians, were sold at $1.50 per pound, in spite of the fact that their price is regulated at $0.80 per pound.

In the supermarket chains they are offering the imported "Jumbo" size, which is not regulated, and costs $1.43 per pound.

The authorities allege that part of the problem is due to the clandestine "export" of the lower grade local onion that occurred during this time.

And while the precise enough import of the product for the stabilization of the market, price volatility has been felt.

For example, a quintal of onion, that in accordance with the regulation should be $80, is currently being sold in the market between $110 and $130.

Oscar Garcia, general manager of the Authority of consumer protection and defense of the competition (Acodeco), announced that as a result of the violations recorded in the shops, starting this week will double the fines.

"Now, to supermarkets that fails to comply with the price control measures will apply fines of $1,000. In the case of the minisúper, the punishment shall be $500; the abarroterías, $250; and the small local, $100".

Producers claim that onions now entering the country were harvested in October 2015, more than 120 days of storage

The ingredient of conflict

Qne of the favorite ingredients in the bureau of Panamanians is the onion. In the rice with chicken, steak, salad, sancocho and in the ceviche dominguero in the market of seafood. The Panamanians have a fetish with the onion. Especially with the yellow.

This ingredient, that you can not miss in the bag of consumer market, has become in recent days in one of the topics that has captured the attention of the country. The reason is not only due to the absence of the product of the anaqueles- because it has started to arrive the bulb importado- , but the cost that is achieved.

Climate change, imports, abandonment to the agricultural sector, price control and the alleged clandestine exports are some of the reasons that have affected the production and marketing of onion, according to the allegations of producers, traders and representatives of the Government.

For workers in the field, the topic of the onion is a problem of old data. But the Genesis seems to be the same.

The trip began in 2008, the year in which Panama has ceased to be self-sufficient in this production. For that then in the country were planted near thousand 160 hectares of onion, but the plantations were falling down little by little, to such an extent that today hardly occur 300 hectares, which represents a downward variation of 860 hectares.

At the start of the fall in production, are not looked for alternatives, as to inject more capital into the land or support to producers. Salvation is found in imports, ensures Augusto Jimenez, president of the Association of the Community producers of Highlands (Acpta).

"The Panamanian was sold the idea that import food was easier than to produce it, which led to the bankruptcy of the productive sector of the country, which since 2008 has lost nearly 35 thousand hectares in all products ", ensures the worker in the field.

Harvest versus import

in Panama, onion occurs the twelve months of the year.

From January to April is achieved meet the local demand for 200 thousand quintals.

From April to December, manage to produce other 120 thousand quintals. This implies that the country be supplied with nearly 320 thousand quintals per year, when consumers demand 600 thousand quintals. But the problem is much more complex than this mathematical calculation.

In 2014, for example, imported 350 thousand quintals of onion, while in 2015 it bought 325 thousand quintals of this product. The entry of the onion coincided with the period of greater harvest, so that the product is overflowed in the shops.

Was the "era of onion". So much in the country were onion for that time, that the market was saturated and had to discard, says Jimenez.

In October 2014, the Government sacrificed State funds through the Instituto de Mercadeo Agropecuario (IMA) to buy national onion; the bought, but could not sell because the country was overrun with imports.

After seeing that it was losing the national product, were dug graves and were buried near 3 thousand quintals of onions (660 thousand pounds), ensures the producer.

The then director of the IMA Edwin Cárdenas recognized that the market was saturated by imports of onion, which hampered the rapid sale of the local product.

"This brought as a consequence that the national producer is deprimiera and not entrusted to plant more. Now, in the absence of onion or to be found in the unfair price of $1.50 per pound to the consumer, automatically the gaze falls on the producers. However, we were the only ones which we warned that this could happen," said Jiménez.

CONTROL TO THE onion

in July 2014, the president of the Republic, Juan Carlos Varela, signed an executive decree through which regulated the control of price of 22 articles of first necessity, among them, the yellow onion, that you set a price of 60 cents per pound.

Two years after, producers of onion and pope requested an increase of 20 cents a pound of this product, thus leaving the maximum sales price to 80 cents.

The adjustment had its genesis in the fact that the controlled price originally established prevented profits for the producers. And merchants complained of the low profitability of selling below the price at which you bought.

Once you made the change in the control of price a week ago, the Quintal (220 pounds of onions) should be achieved in $80, but is available to consumers between $110 and $130 the quintal, in accordance with market vendors San Felipe Nery.

Before this fact, Oscar Garcia, general manager of the Authority of consumer protection and defense of the competition (Acodeco), ensures that have intensified the operations in recent weeks. "Last Monday we stayed in the central agricultural market where checked 36 posts. Of this total, were placed fines to 9 shops".

Garcia notes that many local authorities have chosen not to put the price of the product, which to the Acodeco represents an anomaly because surely the consumer is is selling the onion above the price ceiling.

Clarified that both the yellow onion jumbo as the dwelling are not within the control of prices. "which is under the control of prices is the yellow, whether local and imported".

For the chairman of the Group King, Nicholas Psychoyos, these anomalies are now with the production and marketing of the onion in the country were due in part to a bad programming of imports and an evil census regarding the amount of onion available in the field.

Explains that, currently, the Group King opted not to sell national onion, due to its price in the market is achieved above that stipulated by the control of prices. "We opted not to sell before violating the law, are decisions that every merchant should take," says.

While adjustments are made eminent for local producers, these seek alternatives "clandestine" outside the borders.

According to Rodrigo Araúz, coordinator of agri-food chains of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MEASURE), the consequences that generated the shortage of onion were the effects of climate change and the output of approximately 45 thousand quintals of onion without control by the border with Costa Rica.

According to the official, in the neighboring country, the price per quintal of onion was $115, while in Panama the regulated price was $60.

Augusto Jimenez says that these allegations are "false". "The sale of onion in highlands has always been to local traders and traditional. This is an excuse to cover the abandonment to the agricultural sector and to cap that now is not good business for importers to bring onion to country by the scarcity that there are in the world today".

http://impresa.prensa.com/panorama/Cebolla-escasez-altos-precios_0_4531046852.html

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