Category Archives: Elena Poniatowska

This is What Community Looks Like

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Journal del Pacifico Spring 2020 cover by Kate TurningThe communities of Todos Santos and Pescadero have been working through these trying times, finding ways to adapt to the many changes, figuring out business options, and reaching out to help those in need. These individuals are neither heroes nor saints but are the backbone for real community that we love.

Many local restaurants have found creative ways to stay open by offering takeout and delivery options.

Chill N Grill has curbside pickup for their full menu and pizza, Monday – Friday, 4 – 8 pm, and Taco Tuesday again! Call to order, 6121450014.

Chez Laura and Poke Loco have teamed up to offer daily specials Wednesday – Saturday. You can also order Chez Laura’s delicious bread!

Gallo Azul has pizza and beer to go and offers home delivery, Tuesday – Sunday, 2:30 – 8 pm. Call to order, 6121588457.

Shut Up Frank’s has their full menu and beer available for takeout and delivery, Wednesday – Sunday, 12 – 8 pm. Call to order, 6121450707.

Todos Santos Brewing is providing people with that valuable substance – beer. You can refill your growlers Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 12 – 2 pm. Checkout their Facebook page for brew master, Ted Mitchell, performing his original acoustic tunes for our listening pleasure.

Palmar in Pescadero has their full menu available for takeout, Monday – Saturday, 12 – 7 pm. Order in advance via Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp.

Area grocery and specialty stores have stepped up to the “new norm” by asking customers to wear masks and limiting the number of people in the store at one time.

Pura Vida Health Food and Deli is open Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm. You can shop at the store or place your order for pickup. They offer personal delivery to Pescadero on Thursdays and Las Tunas on Fridays. They are also taking orders for Costco purchases.

Que Rico has recently changed ownership but continues stock the same great local products. They are open Tuesday – Thursday, 11 am – 5 pm. They also have cloth face masks for sale made by Manos Magicas sewing team.

You can order from Mini Super Munchies online, by WhatsApp or Messenger, Monday – Friday, 12 – 4 pm and pickup at their location.

Todos Santos Private Transportation and Todos Santos Eco Adventures have been working with ACTS to distribute food to area families in need. And Mario Surf School has also been helping the group distributing pet food to families in need.

Todos Santos Private Transportation also is offering shopping service to La Paz or Cabo.

Farmacia San Benito and St. Jude’s pharmacy are open regular business hours and stocking hand sanitizer, alcohol, vitamins, and all your needs. Farmacia San Benito can special order medications as well.

St. Jude’s Medical Center is open and seeing patients.

Cuatro Vientos recently offered 5 Days of Fitness Zoom classes as a fundraiser for ACTS.

Cate Thomassen, shardArtist, donated an original mosaic table for a fundraiser raffle for the Biblioteca Elena Poniatowska. Tori Sepulveda was the proud winner.

You can still learn or improve your Spanish from home. Hablando Mexicano is offering online Spanish classes.

Mail Boxes Todos Santos continues to provide their full mail, shipping, and receiving services.

Todos Insurance would like you to know that COVID19 is covered for new and existing clients. Check out their international insurance. Contact Jack Schaub at jack@shoreline.com.mx

How you can help?

The Palapa Society of Todos Santos A.C.‘s students are finishing the school year at home and are receiving help online, via telephone, and WhatsApp.

It is also the time of year when parents and students are working on their applications for the 2020/2021 school year. Although all Palapa students receive tuition help, this is a hard time for parents to pay their portion. Your generous donation can help keep local/ students in school. To make a donation, visit: https://palapasociety.org/donate/

ACTS, Asociacíon de Colonos de Todos Santos A.C., is taking donations to help feed local families in need. You can visit their website to get the link to make a PayPal donation at: www.actsbaja.org  The Palapa Society of Todos Santos is helping with their donations. To donate via PayPal: use the email: tickets@palapasociety.org, Enter your donation amount. Be sure to note FOOD BANK in the memo.

The Pescadero Food Bank has increased their outreach to 200 bags on a biweekly basis. Their goal is to continue to feed more families, including helping those from Grupo Madre Teresa, Pescadero rancheros, and Padrino Children’s Foundation. You can make a
donation via Paypal: paypal.me/pescaderofoodbank

There is also a group distributing pet food to families in need. You can donate via PayPal: coast-paradise@shaw.ca, or through www.raincoastdogrescue.com and click on donate. Be sure to fill in the note section that it is for Todos Santos for this option! Donations via this method are tax deductible in the US.

We at Journal del Pacifico are posting updates on changes, and keeping you informed on when and how things will be reopening. Follow us right here, on Facebook, and remember, you can read all our issues online!

Stay safe!

The Palapa Learning Center Grand Opening

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Elena Poniatowska

Elena Poniatowska

A Dream Becoming a Reality

by Kathy Warnert

November 9 – 11, 2017, marks an historic moment for the Palapa Society of Todos Santos. The Grand Opening for the completed three-building Palapa Learning Center (PLC) campus and a special Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Elena Poniatowska Community Library is the culmination of years of effort by and for many people in this magical community.

GRAND OPENING EVENTS

  • November 9 Conference and Q & A with Elena Poniatowska
  • November 10 Dinner with Elena Poniatowska
  • November 11 PLC Grand Opening and Library Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Please visit www.palapasociety.org for details of each event.

The dream began taking shape in 2014, when local couple David and Cindy Higgins offered a gift to build, staff, and outfit a new school and create a new home for the Palapa’s existing programs. “The opening of the PLC marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the amazing story of the Palapa Society,” say the Higgins. “We are honored to be a part of that story. The PLC will provide an exceptional environment for the education of young and old alike in Todos Santos. Regarding the Palapa School, it gives us great satisfaction to know the school will create new opportunities for its students and will prepare them to lead meaningful, choice-filled lives.”

THE PLC CAMPUS
The Palapa School is situated on the southeast corner of the property and opened in August 2017 to 7th and 8th graders. An additional grade will be added each year through grade 12. According to Director Juan Diego Gonzalez, “Knowledge is the greatest adventure of the human being. It’s a joy to watch students walk in with smiles on their faces and head off to their classrooms. These are our future leaders. Annual cost per student is $2,400 USD. We are hoping to have donations for scholarships so no worthy student is turned away.”

The Bridge to English (Puente) building is the second structure on campus, located on the northwest part of the property, and opened in October 2017. It houses four spacious classrooms for the Puente program serving over 120 students and 60 adults acquiring English. An inviting children and teen library is also found in the Puente building. Donations of books and videos in English, and especially Spanish, are always welcome for this now larger space. Children’s art classes also take place in this building. Jayna Schweitzer, director of the Puente programs observes, “The new Puente building allows more children and adults the opportunity to learn English in a larger, more spacious setting. We are thrilled to be in our new permanent home!”

The Biblioteca Elena Poniatowska is the third building on campus and opens in November 2017. This bilingual community library houses over 9,000 books, videos and periodicals. The opening of this airy, light-filled library will mark its modernization with a scanning system. Head librarian, Donna Schultz says, “Though we are moving to digital checkout and tracking, we will continue to maintain the warm, friendly atmosphere the library brings to the community.”

The library will be formally named for literary legend, Elena Poniatowska, considered the Grande Dame of Mexican literature. Elena Poniatowska graciously accepted saying, “It is a great honor to have my name on the library of the Palapa Learning Center. It is a distinction that deeply honors me, and I welcome that it promotes and supports education in Mexico.” The entire community is encouraged to attend, meet, and honor this amazing woman during the opening.

Elena Poniatowska, of Mexican-French descent, began writing professionally at age 18. Her most famous book, La Noche de Tlatelolco (Massacre in Mexico) was published in 1971 and describes the 1968 murders of up to 300 college students and civilians in Mexico City. This book earned her the prestigious Villaurrutia Award, a prize given in Mexico to a Latin American writer published in Mexico.

In 2013, she was awarded Spain’s El Premio Cervantes, the highest literary award for lifetime achievement. Only the fourth woman to receive this honor, Elena is arguably the most significant living author in all of Mexico, if not the entire Spanish-speaking world.

Palapa President Erick Ochoa says, “Our dream is becoming a reality. We thank Dave and Cindy Higgins for envisioning and supporting this effort. Now that the Palapa Learning Center is up and running, it’s up to the Palapa Society and private donations to fund these programs and keep them moving forward.”

For more information about the grand opening events, to DONATE, volunteer, or enroll a student in the Palapa School, please visit http://palapasociety.org or email: info@palapasociety.org.