Important Happenings in January!Happy New Year! The team at Beach Area News wishes you and your family a healthy and productive 2019! This edition of Beach Area News covers the following topics:
- An invitation to a meeting to learn more about state and local government services available to expats and snowbirds here in the Yucatan coast
- A message from the United States Consulate regarding services available from their office in Merida during the current partial US government shutdown
- Information on how you can get involved in an expat/snowbird float during this year’s Carnaval parades in Progreso
- One more reminder to stand up and be counted in our Expat Census Survey!
January 15 Presentation by our Local and State Governments
Join us on Tuesday, January 15 at 3 pm to hear presentations from the Yucatan State Office of Foreign Affairs, Yucatan State and Municipal security forces and the City of Progreso about what services they have available for foreign residents and visitors. The meeting will be held in Progreso at the restaurant La Cola del Cocodrilo, Calle 40 x Calle 23 and 25. Please let us know you will be coming by clicking on this evite link: http://evite.me/JKNzPbMUnt
At the meeting, you will hear from the Director of the Yucatan State Office of Foreign Affairs Ariadne Morales Acevedo about the Foreign Service Window, a “one-stop shop” available to help foreign residents interact with the Yucatan State Government. In addition, the Yucatan Chief of Security Comandante Carmago, as well as the Municipal Police Chief Comandante Caamal will be at the meeting. They will provide information on services provided by the state and local police and updates on how to report a crime. Finally, City of Progreso Tourism and Commerce Director Manuel Rosado, our liaison with the Mayor’s office, will provide information on the services provided by his department.
Please note: There will not be time at this meeting to address individual problems or concerns regarding government services. Please write down any specific items you would like the city or state to address–such as garbage pick-up problems, road repair issues or specific security concerns in your neighborhood–and bring them to the meeting along with your contact information. This written information will be provided to the appropriate individual who will follow-up directly with you regarding your individual issue or concern. Thank you for your understanding!
US Consulate Offering Only Essential Services During Partial US Government Shutdown
Unfortunately, the town hall meeting with the US Consulate office that was also scheduled to be held on January 15 has been postponed until further notice. The Consulate staff has informed us that at this time, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico continue to provide routine and emergency consular services during the lapse in appropriations resulting in a partial federal government shutdown. If you are scheduled for passport, visa, or other consular services please keep your appointment. Please see their Website for contact information:
https://mx.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/
Progreso Carnaval Parades
The City of Progreso is offering to help expats and snowbirds organize a float for this year’s Carnaval parades! A number of individuals have already volunteered to help design, build, and decorate a float, and others have volunteered to be on the floats during the parade.
This year’s Carnaval theme is Las Vegas: Show, Magic and Fantasy. The parades will take place on March 1, 2, 3, and 5. If you are interested in being part of a group effort to help build and/or decorate the float, or to be part of the parade itself, please send an email to team@beachareanews.com including your phone number and we will add you to the volunteer list. You will receive information about an organizational meeting to be held later in January to kick-off the float building process.
Carnaval events in Progreso will be starting on February 21 – here is a link to the complete calendar of Carnaval events: http://beachareanews.com/?p=207
Have you been counted in our Census Survey?
We’re still trying to get the best number we can of how many foreign expats and visitors are here at the beach! Even if you are only here for a short time, please take a minute to fill our our very brief online survey! Your responses are absolutely anonymous; we do not ask for your name, Email address or anything else. Please have every adult in your household take the survey separately; it really does take only a minute to complete.
Just click this link, check those little boxes and you’re done:
http://tinyurl.com/expatsurvey2018
Thanks! Enjoy the great weather and all of the many events happening during this glorious winter season!
Your Beach Area News Team:
Bob Rentz, Speranza Avram, Karen Cloutier, Dave Bloch and David Nevers