Letters to the editor

Did you know that there was another gold roll cemetery at Gatun that was located behind the old commissary building on the turnoff to the Gatun locks? I walked up there many years ago and there was still at least one grave stone left. As I recall, it was a youth buried there ca 1950. According to an old friend who worked at grounds maintenance, Richard May, if you remember him, the graves were moved years before he arrived in about 1960.

My wife and I are moving to Panama when I retire at the end of the year. I bought an apartment on Clayton and plan to live there until I get too old to get my dive tanks into my boat.

I am an avid historian of Panama. Perhaps I will contribute some articles when I get there. I am an avid reader of Panama News. I hope to meet you when we arrive.

In regards to your editorial on the fraud in the educational system in Panama, there is only one statement that fits: Bien dicho! And to those who are feeling the heat because of it: Tough!

Eric, you are as low as the people you write about. At least you keep familiar company.

Editor’s note: I take it that Mr. Keipper objects to my inclusion of an email exchange with Deborah Keipper in the last issue's letters, or to my response to the request for deletions from this publication's archives that she made. It speaks for itself and I have no apology to make.

My wife and are excited about our visit to Panama City for our first time in a couple of weeks. We really like Latin jazz and may even consider moving (partially retiring) to Panama next year. I have been tuning into your online newspaper.

Thank you for the Calendar of events in The Panama News. We know where to find Las Bovedas and Take Five in Casco Viejo but where is Guaguanco? That seems like a place that we definitely would not want to miss. Reservations necessary for Guaguanco, Las Bovedas or Take Five?

Addresses or phone numbers for clubs, restaurants, etc. would be a nice addition to your calendar and would help guys like me who have only a few days to learn the layout of the city.

Editor’s note: Except for rare special events, you will get into the clubs mentioned without reservations. Your suggestions for improvements to the calendar, which is already an undertaking that requires more labor than is usually available to do properly, are noted and some day might be acted upon.

I don’t see where the inclusion of articles by Reporters Without Borders improves the opinion section of The Panama News. This group is notoriously funded by the US government and corporate foundations, and aligned with the extremist Miami Cuban exile leadership.

Editor’s note: There is no question that the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders has a right-wing orientation and funding from the Bush administration via the National Endowment for Democracy, nor is there any doubt about where the group stands with respect to Fidel Castro. But even accepting that these folks are of the political right and supported by people and institutions whose democratic credentials are legitimately subject to question, it does not mean that Reporters Without Borders has nothing useful to contribute to the cause of freedom of the press.

Just to introduce myself and be totally clear, I work for PanAmerican Outdoor Advertising, and billboard company in Panama. You have probably seen some of our boards around the city of Panama, including those on the wall of the Wendy’s next to Multicentro. Our company began its investment in Panama over 5 years ago and employees 100% Panamanians (outside of myself in the US). As a US company, we are compelled by US law to not engage in corrupt practices and have generally denounced the activity when we see it occurring. In 2002, we aided Juan Carlos Navarro in the drafting of regulation for the billboard industry in the Municipio de Panama and the outcome was Decree 72, a restrictive document designed to reduce the amount of visual clutter in city. Since that time, another US company has successfully obtained permits in areas that the mayor expressed to us as off-limits (Avenida Balboa). There was also an RFP for bus shelters that had many questioning its fairness (a Mexican firm won). But the most egregious flaunting of the regulation has come from Gigantografía, a Mexican company that began business in Panama in July 2003. Since that time they have operated without permits, using structures deemed illegal by municipal regulation, and not paid taxes on their structures. Additionally, they vigorously contribute to the visual congestion in the city. Despite all of this, the mayor has refused to take serious action against them and has threatened companies who have questioned the status quo. In the face of this, we chose to do a few things; including contacting the Panamanian press and putting up our own billboards reading “La corrupción genera pobreza. Denúncialo! 888.8000” The phone number is the complaint line at the Controlaría of the country. Our results with the press have been mixed; due to the level of corruption there (RCN is particularly bad). The billboards have some people talking and encouraged someone from TVN to do a story. If you are interested in pursuing this story further, please contact me. Hope all is well for you in Panama and that you are enjoying the butterfly migration. Word on the street is that if you stay under 80 km/h on the corridor, the butterflies can get out of the way.

Your website is an invaluable informant in our daily lives, to many a folk from here and abroad, to be sure.

Don't you think it would be a good idea for visitors to see how many visits your site has gotten?

You can do this by putting a hit counter at the bottom of the page. I think it would be helpful. Or is it beneath it?

Editor’s note: We do from time to time publish our download statistics, a simple exercise in transparency that’s not matched by any of this country’s corporate mainstream media. There are pluses and minuses about counters, the largest of the latter the lack of references that detract from the value of the information they provide. If I were a hustler I’d install a hit counter rather than a visit or unique visitor counter because the figures for hits are far higher than those for visits and tend to deceive those who don’t know much about the Internet. But it just seems to me that the way to get past the credibility problems that the dot-com hustlers left behind them for all Internet business is candor rather than hype.

On the first anniversary of the Torrijos administration it seems appropriate for an expatriate to comment on everyday life in Panama and the influence this has on our outlook and opinions, which are inevitably passed to our contacts overseas.

On Tuesday morning the TVN news channel reported a disturbance by local school children who from the footage shown were clearly outraged about an issue and on the verge of losing control, this was followed by footage of heavily armed paramilitary troops in full battle dress firing tear gas at running children. Whilst I accept that the authorities are required to maintain order I cannot accept that the slightest provocation by demonstrators is met by storm troopers and tear gas.

Authority should lead by example, the example that this administration teaches is that violence is the answer to everything.

The Social Security debacle is a prime example of lack of forethought and consideration on behalf of this administration. Fortunately the people were not subdued by storm trooper tactics and eventually won the right to be heard. One would have thought the administration would have learnt a lesson.

During the past year various thieves and ne'er-do-wells have been shown by the news channels in the process of capture and charge. However an alarming number of these show evidence of a severe beating. I do not advocate molly coddling criminals but there are acceptable limits and once again these limits appear to be exceeded and accepted by the authorities.

If this administration is to curb the current wave of public violence then it must lead by tolerance, justice and example.

An issue that has affected many acquaintances, including my own family is the lack of potable water from the mains distribution system within the City of Panama. Coincidentally or not water shortages were first noticed in December of last year, they have worsened progressively so that as of writing we are lucky to have four hours of usable supply each day (La Alameda). Almost daily telephone calls from my household to IDAAN help line reveals an amazing variety of excuses which include:

The excuses go on and on, eventually one of my calls to the director of IDAAN was answered by him (for which I am grateful).

The sum of the conversation told that water supply was limited due to non completion of a secondary storage tank; and the failure of the past administration to implement a new pipeline running along Tumba Muerto, he assured that his administration was in the process of finalizing these items and sufficient pressure would be restored sometime within a two-month period.

He also went into some detail regarding the necessity to supply new housing schemes including the "beautiful houses at Camino Las Cruces" (His term, not mine).

A first year engineering student is taught in regard to water supply that demand must never be allowed to exceed supply. Thus the necessity for learning planning permission law, etc. etc.; however here in Panama it seems that this prime requirement is ignored. The result being that housing expansion surges ahead untroubled by adequate water supplies or sewage disposal systems. It’s a recipe for both environmental and health problems in the near future.

Finally the ugly word heard daily on the newscasts "corruption." Poor little Panama seems overly burdened with this problem, from selling of educational certificates to building apparent private roads from public funds to low level employees driving Ferraris --- an inexhaustible supply of reports of abuses by government officials with surprisingly few reports of prosecution cases.

President Torrijos won election to power with the catch phrase "Sí se puede" or Yes I can. From the past years record there is very little evidence to support the enthusiasm with which this statement was delivered, let us hope that the coming year changes this perception.

This recent article highlights one of the greatest treats Panama has to offer --- Whale Watching. Little known until recently, it stands to be a possible great New Venture for Northern Hemisphere tourists.

However, it also sadly portrays a near indiscriminate disregard for these creatures, not to mention the considerable danger they were in.

The endangered Humpbacks are readily identified as a Baleen feeder. That is, it filters its food from a large mouthful of prey and water. Feedings are in the rich cold waters at high latitudes.

Their acrobatics are legendary and always an inspiring sight to behold. The male's songs are likewise a most unique characteristic --- most always sung during the non-feeding season in the warm waters of their chosen breeding and birthing areas. Their songs stay the same for a season, then the following they year create a new one. Their signature “blow” is caused by the surface exhale via a double blowholes, where the air at over 200 mph causes the water around the hole to be vaporized, giving rise to their “’thar she blows” spouts readily seen miles away in cool air.

The Pacific waters have several groups that appear to use the same locales each year --- Alaska waters in the N Summer for feeding; and these groups return to lower latitudes in the N Winter, Hawaii being one of the largest concentrations --- with over 3,000 counted within the Maui, Molokai, and Lanai basin in the past years. Of the estimated upwards of the possible 15,000 animals World-wide, that's 20 percent of the total! (W2) (W3) (W4) (W6)

The north Pacific groups that make the HI-AK run each year, do that 2,500+ mile (about 4,000 Km) run in about 4-8 weeks. Feeding takes place in the very rich AK waters. Once they depart, their next feeding period is the following year when returning to AK waters again. Notable here, is that the mother, having given birth to a ton plus calf, is feeding her child about 100 pounds of “milk” per day (actually is more like a thick cottage cheese-yogurt mix). The calf gains about 50 lbs per day, as mother Humpback’s milk the richest butterfat milk of all. This continues until they have reached the higher latitudes and feeding is once again the activity at hand --- adults consume more than one million calories per day! But, in four months, they eat enough for a year’s needs. (W4)

As noted, birthing and mating takes place in the warm waters. Once a mother gives birth to a (1500 to 2500-pound) offspring, about a month later she is in estrus. This causes a considerable foray of competing males to join the “escort” for possible mating rights. The calf is often in danger, and the mother must often prod, move, and cajole the calf to safety away from the males who are pushing, shoving and attempting to get closer creating potentially dangerous situations. The author has witnessed a mother physically lift up her calf on her snout and make a 180 degree turn to place her child out of harm’s way. The oblivious males’ only intent of gaining their position next to the female can be a considerable danger to not only the calf, but also to any small boat near this group.

There are specific guidelines established over the past decades for the non-interactive and potentially disruptive and dangerous viewing of these magnificent creatures, which have allowed both close encounters of them and their activities, as well as to maintain the necessary non-molesting viewing of the whales and their activities. The referenced article clearly describes an act of inconsiderate approaching and probable molestation, as well as by International Law, an illegal act of approach. (W5)

The rules are quite explicit and allow for excellent viewing, without the need to either pursue or create a potentially act of molestation. That the 100 yard (call it meters as is within a boat length difference) approach distance is well within range of any camera, should be sufficient. That, as noted in the article “…about 20 yards off our starboard side one of the humpbacks leaped completely out of the sea and splashed back down…” should have been a sign to anyone with a modicum of awareness, that the whales were not receptive to their close presence. That’s just barely a whale’s length away! One can only imagine the outcries that would arise about a “killer Humpback’s leap” if it would have landed on their small craft! And, that situation is not uncommon in whale watching areas where breeching whales have landed on small craft.

The more effective (and legal) means to watch these whales, is to approach their apparent path in such a way as to view their approach. Stop, kill the engine and wait for the whale to approach the boat. Once outside the 100-yard (or meter) distance, one should then slowly depart AWAY from the whale(s) so as not to molest them.

Do the whales approach boats? I can tell you that numerous times while driving boats in BOTH Alaska and Hawaii, as well as few times here in Panama, whales will most often approach boats dead in the water. In March 2002 while driving a whale watch boat with 75 passengers out of Lahaina, Maui, one animal approached us and seemed to be most interested in coming in contact with our large wooden hull. It would come up from the rear, rise until its body was in contact with the hull and tail protruding behind about 5 meters, and stay in that position for about 5 minutes. Then, swam out and around the boat taking several breaths and spraying the delighted passengers with “whale breath”, and then would go under the craft again and settle up against the hull for another five or so minutes. This went on for just over 55 minutes, and when it was finally out of the 100 yard circle, we backed away and headed for port, coming in 30 minutes late from that “two hour” whale watch” --- although there were NO complaints that day from the passengers, only from the bus drivers who were delayed in taking the passengers to their next stops on Maui.

That the Humpbacks have been here in Panama waters for years is well known to those of us who are on the waters, although it has not been so well publicized. The groups that come to Panama, return to Southern Pacific waters, probably off the south coast of Chile, and are not part of the Hawaii-Alaska crowd. Our season seems to start in Late June and end about early October as have noted past few years. In 2000, after my return in late September from Alaska where the whales were nearly 100 percent gone; our first fishing trip out to the Islas Ladronas the first week of October was greeted with views of breeching Humpbacks between Islas Parida and Ladrones. The trips after mid-October, we didn’t see any more. We’ve seen them in July and subsequent months, so suspect there could be some in Panama waters even in June.

As a nation with considerable interactions with the oceans, Panama needs to establish and adopt the necessary guidelines for such protection of mammal viewing. Not just the Humpbacks, but also for all Cetacea, as well as Turtles (which does have some limited regulations with little enforcement) and other endangered species. Without the necessary regulations and their enforcement, these resources will wither away and be lost to the future generations. (W5)

Sadly, too often the expedient kill of a natural resource to supplant one’s diet needs, is not considered within the true insight of today. Wherein that creature is allowed to live and be viewed by paying tourists this country is currently being blessed with an increasing quantity, is worth infinitely more than that single event of being exterminated. Education of this is of paramount import to preserve the natural resources for generations.

Additionally, the necessity to embrace and follow the rules for endangered species, and specific to this discussion, for marine species covered by CITES; it becomes a matter of urgent need if the expectations of the tourism influx Panama is so keenly anticipating is to flourish.

The author is available for discussions, welcomes comments and suggestions, and would be willing to participate in a process to establish the above noted needed guidelines in Panama.

Frequently I'm remembering the words of the founder of The John Birch Society, Robert Welch (see www.jbs.org), who made a profound observation in 1958 when he observed that the greatest tragedy of the 20th century has been the increase in the SIZE of government at all levels worldwide --- tremendously facilitating the spread of the cultural cancer of socialism, government dependency, and subjugation with the resulting moral and economic destruction.

The chaotic world we face today is proof of the validity of Mr. Welch’s 1958 analysis and solution of "Less government, more individual responsibility, and with Gods' help, a better world."

Back in 1958 I never dreamed of our present world, with government agencies, phony "free trade" agreements, United Nations agencies (see www.getusout.org), confiscating rain forests, destroying businesses, dreams, and lives, through oppressive regulation, taxation, corruption, and illegal wars, as in Iraq, undeclared as required by the United States Constitution.

Of course, regard for the US constitution obviously has not been a paramount consideration of US leaders since at least 1941 as WWII was the last war legally declared under the US Constitution. The wars of Korea, Vietnam, Gulf, Iraq, etc., all undeclared, disgracefully, as citizens have a duty to uphold and improve their constitutional protections or they will lose their freedom. As our freedoms are under deceitful attack by the FTAA-UN parasitic agencies, we should greatly reduce the bureaucratic size of our governments and oppose all foreign entanglements, such as the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) which will bring hemispheric regional government, ending national independence, even health care freedom.

We should see: www.thenewamerican.com (search CODEX, FTAA) or 1-800-JBS-USA-1 for free information packet and contact our representatives.

My name is Nelly Grant, and I have been looking for my father over the last 20 years now.

My father name is Fernado Grant and he is from Panama. My father was or is a sailor. He sailed to the Ivory Coast, West Africa and met my mother in the late sixties. He and my mother got married and had me in 1972. He took up another appointment in Liberia, West Africa and went along with my mother. He then got into a relationship with a lady who became my step-mother, and her name was Johnette Nurse. He moved in with her and my mother couldn't stand the sight of losing her husband and she took sick. My mother’s family came and took her back to the Ivory Coast and left me with my father and cruel stepmother.

My stepmother got pregnant and had a girl name Juanita Grant. My father decided to go back Panama, so, he wanted to take me neither with him nor to my mother. My stepmother said no, because she felt that he was never going to come back and he left me with my stepmother and never came back. My stepmother assumed that my father died, because he left and never looked for me or my sister. I have been trying for the past fifteen years to locate him. I don't whether he is alive or dead. I just want to find him, or any brothers and sisters in Panama. I presently live in Liberia, West Africa. This is some infomation that he or any of my brothers and sisters can use to find me.

My name is Nelly Lucian Grant and my sister’s name is Juanita Josian Grant. We still live in Liberia and the same house. I have two kids and Juanita has two kids. My stepmother died 1997 and we are all alone. These are some phone numbers you can use to talk with me (011-2316-536548), (011-2316-408090), or my best friend who is living in the United States and who also is sending this e-mail from the address listed below. Her name is Welma Bailey and here is her number (313-359-0689), if you can't get me through my Liberian number you can call her.

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