Lake Atitlán by (photo by Harris & Goller)

Panajachel unites and digs with defiance

In The Green Felt Jungle, the story is told of a dapper man in pinstripes who rides a Cadillac into Las Vegas one night, seeking the neonized excitement of that gilded city. But he finds little more than a dreary gas station.

“Where is Las Vegas?” he asks the Navajo attendant.

“Right here,” is the answer.

The traveler, it seemed, had pulled into Las Vegas, New Mexico. It would take another nine hours to reach Las Vegas, Nevada.

Two Guatemala lakes, Amatitlán and Atitlán, are similarly confused. Occasionally, a tourist, like the Vegas-bound traveler, goes to the wrong place.

Despite pollution, Lake Amatitlán remained pretty throughout its gradual decline. (see sidebar on page 110)*
Lake Atitlán, a bigger and even prettier lake, would also fall under the threat of pollution. In 2005, Hurricane Stan struck the lakeside town of Panajachel, widening the river channel that cut through town and wreaking significant, but not irreparable, damage to its sewage treatment plant. Entire houses were swept away, carrying a caustic, eclectic debris of everything from tin-laden motherboards to household lye into the lake. But Atitlán was big enough to take a hit. It is 10 times as deep as Amatitlán and has 90 times the volume.
Even today, Atitlán is considered to be largely clean; the annual bass tournament still takes place, and people still swim in the lake, usually without consequence.

Nevertheless, pollution manifested itself at the end of 2008 when an algal carpet suddenly bloomed over vast stretches of the lake. Fed by residues of human coliform, detergent phosphates and other chemicals, the carpet remained for four months. It could return at the end of this year, within weeks after the cessation of the seasonal rains.

For 2009, Atitlán was fatefully named Threatened Lake of the Year by the Global Nature Fund. Though no studies bear it out, there is consensus that Panajachel is the chief polluter. One reason is that, after four years, the treatment plant remains broken. Another is that Pana’s population, already larger than most lakeside towns, is swollen with visitors.

These visitors are Panajachel’s economic mainstay; almost everyone in Pana is dependent, directly or otherwise, on tourism. Indeed, Panajachel is to Las Vegas, Nevada, what the sleepy tourist village at Lake Amatitlán is to Las Vegas, New Mexico. In scale, the potential economic disaster would affect all of Sololá Department and, indeed, all of Guatemala.

“Those visitors may stop coming,” says Californian Sidney Eschenbach, a Pana resident, “unless we rescue the lake, and soon.”

Guatemalan Juan Skinner, who years ago headed one of three governmental agencies responsible for protecting the lake, has asserted that the treatment plant does not need replacing.

“If someone slashes all four tires on your car,” he says, “you can’t drive. But you don’t have to replace the whole car.” Skinner belongs to a grassroots faction that wants to replace the tires, rather than holding out for the estimated Q2.6 million that replacing the plant would cost.

Some of Skinner’s allies, tired of waiting and alarmed by the threat to the lake in terms both economic and aesthetic, took action in September. One morning, a huge earthmover was in the channel, digging a massive, rectangular pit near one of the five effluent pipes emptying into the San Francisco River, which feeds the lake and bisects Panajachel.

Eschenbach, an architect who knew what hiring heavy equipment would cost, began soliciting funds to excavate a shallow trench for phase one of a “constructed wetland” to arrest the eutrophication of the lake. When fully realized, the excavation might become the first of a chain of banana groves in the channel.
Former soldier Félix Churunel, born and raised in Panajachel, joined the effort and urged, with surprising success, many Guatemalans to pony up. When Eschenbach and Churunel linked up with Swiss recycling maven Ursula Bishoff and Guatemalan activist Daniel Salguero, they found themselves leading a movement fed by a latent, widespread impatience over the slow search for a pollution solution.

Coloradan Duncan Aitken, a 26-year resident, was recruited to the movement as a translator for some of the uncounted conferences that took place, post-Stan, to find a remedy. He recalls that advice and material support from Pana’s large expat community were regularly sought.

“There were times when I had to stand up and remind everyone that we [expats] can’t vote.”

Some authorities had balked at constructing an artificial wetland. On the day the digging began, Eschenbach says, one of the officials responsible for protecting the lake showed up and “bizarrely demanded that we stop, and pay for an environmental impact study.”

But it was too late. Support for the project was at critical mass, and the mayor stepped in.
“To his credit,” Eschenbach says, “he saw the wisdom of the project. And he summarily donated Q3,200 of his own money for its continuance.” This was the cost of hiring the equipment for one day. The digging took five days.

Aitken calls this price a bargain. “Proposals have a way of getting expensive over time. And studies, so-called, delay things while the proposals fatten up. Meanwhile, our lake is being trashed.”

Neither Aitken and Eschenbach, nor their Guatemalan allies, apologize for doing something that is technically illegal.

“Better to beg forgiveness after the fact, than beg permission beforehand,” Eschenbach says.

“This is not an expat thing, nor a Guatemalan thing,” Aitken says. “It unites Pana like nothing ever has. Even the poorest of the poor, like the areneros, are solidly behind us, to say nothing of informed tourists.” Areneros make a living removing rocks and sand from the channel. Much of this same sand is now in the constructed wetland, doing filtering duty.

Aitken and Eschenbach insist, however, that the project is a stopgap rather than the ultimate solution. There are five effluent tubes emptying into the river from the west bank alone.

“But one is no longer polluting,” Eschenbach says. “The excavation is cleaning some 70 liters of water a minute through nutrient retention, evaporation and absorption.”

“It’s cleaning every drop it’s getting,” says Felix Churunel, “and putting the phosphates and whatnot to good use.” Two of the other four pipes are upstream. Churunel wants their discharge diverted to the new wetland, since it is “operating under capacity.”

“As a boy,” he adds, “I remember the crystaline streams that crisscrossed the delta where Pana sits. Every house had septic tanks, and there was no contamination to speak of. But then years ago the city talked people into installing drainage. Then they taxed the drainage and never thought of the lake. It’s time to dismantle this useless system, by taking things into our own hands, if we must. And we are, to good effect.”

“We threw in a reverse monkey wrench,” Eschenbach adds. “Atitlán is already cleaner. So there—something’s been done. We’ll keep it clean … .”

* Editor note: Lake Amatitlán, located some 16 km. south of Guatemala City, is the fourth largest lake in the country. A railway track was constructed on the embankment at the narrowest point thus connecting both lakeshores and dividing the lake into two basins with different physical, chemical and biological characteristics. The western basin receives pollution loads from the capital as well as from the whole watershed area via the Villalobos River, which consists of some 75,000 tons of dissolved wastes, including fertilizers. The river also dumps approximately 500,000 tons of sediment into the lake yearly. In 1800 the average depth of the lake measured 33 m, in 1996 the depth was 18 m. The water from this basin is drained by the Michatoya River, which is used for hydroelectric power generation. The most important threats to Lake Amatitlán include nearby high population growth, deforestation for firewood, intensive farming at the shoreline, industrial growth in the catchment area and the wastewater contamination and over fishing.

Still, Lake Amatitlán, with its surrounding valleys, mountains and volcanoes, has a unique landscape that continues to draw visitors as evidenced by its popular recreational areas. There are archaeological remains dating to 2,000 B.C. The town of Amatitlán was founded in 1536 and developed quickly. Since colonial times the lake has been the center for fishing. Its catchment area was the most important site of cochineal production which was the main product for export when industrial chemicals had not yet replaced this natural dye. The lake water was also used for domestic use, irrigation and industrial activities.

For more information about Lake Amatitlán, please contact the Comité del Lago de Amatitlán, hurtado@intelnet.net.gt; jamironm@intelnet.net.gt
This information was based on information obtained from Global Nature Fund (GFD), save the lakes of the world: www.globalnature.org

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Matt Bokor is the content editor

Sister City in Florida gets new online voice

La Antigua Guatemala’s Sister City in Florida has an innovative, new website with news, information and citizen commentary. Launched in October, GablesHomePage.com is packed with content about the Coral Gables community.

A stately suburb of Miami, Coral Gables has been a Sister City of La Antigua for nearly 20 years. The relationship has been quite active since July 2002 when an 18-member delegation from Coral Gables renewed ties with a four-day visit. Numerous exchanges have followed, including a recent visit to Coral Gables by La Antigua officials—and coverage can be found on GablesHomePage.com.

Residents of Coral Gables Sister Cities are welcome to join the dialogue on GablesHomePage.com, along with Coral Gables residents and people who work, go to school or are active there. Just go to GablesHomePage.com and create an account.

Among unique features of GablesHomePage.com is a requirement of civil, courteous dialogue. All users must register to be able to comment, and anonymous postings will not be accepted.

Content is written and compiled by GablesHomePage staff, University of Miami student journalists, bloggers, guest contributors and citizen journalists. Topics include everything from local news to arts and entertainment, business, sports, education and dining. Former Antigua resident Matt Bokor is the content editor.

An initiative of the Coral Gables Community Foundation, GablesHomePage is funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which advances journalism in the digital age and invests in the vitality of communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Knight Foundation focuses on projects that promote community engagement and lead to transformational change. The grant was matched by the Coral Gables Community Foundation.

For more information, visit knightfoundation.org and gablesfoundation.org and be sure to see GablesHomePage.com or email info@gableshomepage.com

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“Iniciativa de Geoturismo en los Bosques Tropicales de Café” will enhance the coffee forests’ geographical character, environment, legacy, aesthetics, culture and people. The program is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Multi-sectoral Investment Bank and the Salvadoran Coffee Council, among others.

El Salvador, for its limited size, unique characteristics and shaded coffee farms, offers excellent conditions to integrate cultural, social, environmental, historical and economic components into a world-class tourist product. With this initiative, coffee becomes more than a crop; the initiative tries to develop a geodestiny surrounding the tropical coffee forest and all its history. Action steps include promoting the attractions of the coffee forests; studying demand among potential markets; developing a tourism product and related services; and creating national and international marketing plans. This program will undoubtedly contribute to the sustainability and diversification of income of Salvadoran coffee growers.

A website is under development:
www.geoturismoenbosquesdecafe.com

(l-r) Nutritionist, María Esmeralda Arriaga; Atitlán Rotary President, Fredy Lara; medical chief, Dr. Irene Quiejú; administrator, Victor García

Until recently, guarding the purity of this water at Sololá’s thirsty public hospital was a bureaucratic proposition for the people who worked there and an expensive proposition for those who visited. Hospital personnel, and patients and their families, all longed for relief. The old system had broken down a year earlier.

One thing had not changed. The water drunk by patients still arrived through a sink in the cramped lunchroom used by the pharmacy, stockroom and kitchen employees. From there it was fed to an old purification unit. This forlorn machine gave up the ghost in 2008 from overuse but still sat in a lunchroom corner.

To replace it, Patricia Armas, the clerk in charge of that part of the hospital, acquired a ramshackle old heating pad and borrowed a 22-liter pot from the kitchen. This was certainly better than nothing; microbios could be eliminated. But there was still no filtration for dirt, organic debris, toxic metals and other contaminants.

But even before the machine broke down, there had been other problems. Drinking water had to be ordered from Armas’ section. Whenever a ward needed more, a requisition had to be written, then signed both by a physician and the shift nurse. Then a nursing assistant had to fetch the water, which was not always ready.

Hospital nutritionist María Esmeralda Arriaga was at wit’s end over the matter.

“Sick people need more water than healthy people,” she says, “and purer water. Without it, they take longer to heal. We’re supposed to make people well here. But we can’t even give them proper hydration.”

In desperation, patients had come to depend on visitors to buy them water. This demand created a land-office business for several small tiendas on the edge of, or within, the hospital premises. But each 1.5-liter bottle cost Q7, which was burdensome for patients and their visitors, almost all of whom are people of limited means. In June, an officer of the Lake Atitlán Rotary Club (CLRA) noticed all this while visiting a friend. Within a week, CLRA had acquired through Maya Familias (a Panajachel charity) 10 donated filters that require no electricity and are gravity-driven. The filters, donated by the Florence Rotary Club of Oregon, have no moving parts. Their elements must be renewed every 18 months.

Hospital administrator Victor García and medical chief Dr. Irene Quiejú were thrilled to learn that relief was on the way. Three Rotarians and a Maya Families representative came to the hospital conference room to assemble the filters and give an orientation in an atmosphere described as “spontaneously ceremonial.”

The CRLA officer returned a week later to monitor the application of the gift. He found that the hospital’s water worries had ended in a single fell swoop. The emergency room, the surgery chamber, the out-clinic and all of the wards—men, women, pediatrics, maternity, quarantine and IGSS— each had its own filter. Not only did they now have clean water on tap, but they no longer had to requisition or, in the words of one nurse, “beg and wait.”

If anyone is as happy with the change as nutritionist Arriaga, it is Patricia Armas. The 10th filter sits in her lunchroom. Now employees, too, can drink their fill of pure water.

“I’m free of this ridiculous paperwork,” she says, “and running back and forth, refilling and heating that old pot. And the patients don’t have to wait any more for water that wasn’t that good, anyway.”

The Atitlán Rotarians have taken on the Sololá hospital as a project. For additional facts and pictures associated with this story, see their website at www.atitlanrotary.org

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One of my clients, living in La Antigua Guatemala, received the following e-mail, supposedly from the IRS.

Sir/Madam,

Our records indicate that you are a non-resident alien. As a result, you are exempted from United States of America Tax reporting and withholdings on interest paid you on your account and other financial dealings to protect your exemption from Tax on your account and other financial benefit in rectifying your exemption status.

Therefore, you are to authenticate the following by completing form W-4100B2 and return to us as soon as possible through the fax number: + 1-913-273-8441

If you are a US Citizen and resident, please complete form W-4100B2 and fax to us. Please indicate “US Citizen/Resident” on the form.

When completing form W-4100B2 please follow steps below:

1. We need you to provide your permanent address if different from the current mailing address on your Form W-4100B2. You must indicate if a non-US resident, your country of origin to support your non-resident status (if your bank account or other financial dealing has a US address for mailing purpose)
2. If any joint account holder are now US residents of Citizens, or in any way subject to US tax reporting laws. Please check the box in this section.
3. Please complete 1 through 19 and have all account holders sign and date the form separately and fax it to the above-mentioned number.

Please complete Form W-4100B2 “attached” and return to us within 1 (one) week from the receipt of this letter by fax to enable us to update your records immediately. If your account or any other financial benefits are not rectified in a timely manner, it will be subject to US tax reporting and back up withholding. (If back up withholding applies, we are required to withhold 30% of the interest paid to you.)

We appreciate your cooperation in helping us protect your exempt status and also update our records. Sincerely, Marlie Parks – IRS. Public Relations

There is no such IRS form W-4100B2; it is, of course, an elaborate phishing exercise and the information requested on the form would be used to drain your bank accounts.

In addition to not being written in American English (we don’t refer to “United States of America tax” – we call it “Federal tax”), we are not considered to be “non-resident aliens” by the IRS. We are “U.S. citizens living abroad.” Still, many ex-pats could be taken in by this scheme. It could also dupe a true non-resident alien (a non-U.S. citizen not living in the States) who has financial accounts in the U.S.

Be aware that the IRS does not request detailed personal information through e-mail.

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by Judith Cohen

An expert’s view on how honey and bees are faring in Guatemala

Alejandro Nicol is an expert in the honey business. After studying beekeeping for two years at Ohio State University, he now advises the Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación (MAGA) on the care, feeding, export, import and preservation of bees. I met him at the scenic and beautiful Vivero La Escalonia, a plant nursery and café, about two blocks south of the Mesón Panza Verde Hotel & Restaurant in La Antigua Guatemala. Nicol explained he no longer owns any hives himself, but supplies honey to stores in Antigua through his contacts. I asked him to fill me in on how honey and bees are faring in Guatemala.

But first, some background: not only is honey an ingredient sometimes used in desserts or to coat the kids’ cornflakes, bees and honey contribute $l5 billion worldwide in added crop value. Without bees to pollinate flowering plants and trees, we wouldn’t have almonds, tomatoes, cherries, apples, nuts of all kinds and many, many other fruits and vegetables. Nicol said research shows that one out of three mouthfuls we eat has something to do with the pollination of plants by bees.

In the United States and Europe bees have recently been hit by a disease known as colony collapse disorder. The disorder causes worker bees and drones to abandon their hives, leaving the queen, honey and young larvae behind. As yet, the exact cause is unknown. Through studies on the few bodies found, experts can’t trace their disappearance and death to any specific cause but rather a variety of possibilities, including bad water, crop fields that didn’t provide enough nourishment, chemicals, parasites and stress.

Last year, the United States managed to pollinate numerous orchards and fields by shipping bees cross-country and renting them to farmers who were victims of colony collapse. Another bad season for the bees could wipe out billions of dollars in unpollinated crops.

So where does this leave us in Guatemala? Besides the larger producers, this is a land of small subsistence farmers, who make a marginal living growing coffee. The price of coffee fluctuates so that some years, the farmers can’t support their families. Nicol explained that beekeeping is a natural sideline for such farmers. It takes very little land for the hives, and startup costs are relatively low. The bees fly in a three-mile radius from the hive, pollinating flowers and crops. This is a plus for everyone. However, many farmers start with too few hives and can’t break even.

Nicol also noted that at least half the population in Guatemala is under 21. He said older farmers cling to their often-outdated ways while younger people are more receptive to learning new methods to raise bees more efficiently.

In Honduras, a large NGO, Heifer International (www.heifer.org) which in conjunction with Cooperativa Apícola Pionera de Honduras Limitada (COAPIHI), a local cooperative, trains the local population in beekeeping. Participants say the program is quite successful.

Editor note: Stay tuned in future issues for more about honey and a first-ever in La Antigua, a Fiesta de la Miel.

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First place team: (l-r) Hugo Cerezo, John Chudy, Diego Cerezo, Nathan Liskey

Last month included the first annual Antigua Invitational Golf Tournament. Played at the spectacular Mayan Golf Club overlooking Lake Amatitlán, the format was “scramble” with four-person teams. The competition was fierce but the lunch gathering afterwards was amiable with prizes for longest drives, closest to the pin, and of course for the lowest scoring team who posted a 65.

If you are looking for a great golf course in Guatemala you can contact the Mayan Golf Club at 6685-5800 or go to www.mayangolfclub.com.

Next year’s event is already shaping up to be a grudge match.

Second place team: (l-r) Bill Harriss, Carl Bloomfield, John Biskovich, Brian Wilson

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http://revuemag.com/go/FirstMapGuatemala/

The Lienzo de Quauhquechollan is considered to be the first map of Guatemala. It is also the only firsthand indigenous account of the conquest of Guatemala and one of the few sources to record the military campaigns of Jorge de Alvarado in 1527–1530. The Lienzo was a forgotten relic that had not yet been deciphered when Dutch archaeologist Florine Asselbergs began research for her doctoral thesis. She determined that it did not refer to the conquest of central Mexico, as many people assumed, but to the conquest of Guatemala. Her findings were published in the book Conquered Conquistadors in 2004. The original Lienzo de Quauhquechollan is in the Museo de Alfeñique in Puebla, Mexico. The Lienzo was digitally restored in 2007 by Universidad Francisco Marroquín under the guidance of experts from different fields, a project co-sponsored by Banco G&T Continental. Source: http://www.ufm.edu

This video, which explains the dynamic web map on the Lienzo de Quauhquechollan website, won first place in the category of Best Virtual Map Presentation at the 2009 ESRI Users Conference in San Diego, California. The Lienzo de Quauhquechollan is an indigenous pictographic map dating from the time of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. It was created by the Quauhquecholteca to record their history, migrations, conquests, legends, and traditions. The dynamic web map was developed to allow users to relate the historical events documented in the Lienzo with geographic locations on a modern map. As modern-day storytellers, web maps can help to revive the stories of a people like the Quauhquecholteca, providing a space where we can approach geography like they did—as living geography.

Universidad Francisco Marroquín — Teléfono (+502) 2338-7876

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Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick (5th from left) welcomes the Sister City delegation from La Antigua; to his right is Felipe Allejos Lorenzama, General Consul of Guatemala in Miami; and to his left is Edgar Francisco Ruiz Paredes, La Antigua Vice Mayor, along with other members from the delegation.

by Rebecca Rodríguez

Coral Gables welcomes delegation from its Sister City, La Antigua for cultural exchange and opportunity to expand business relationships

In an effort to fortify their long-distance bond that dates to 1993, La Antigua Guatemala sent representatives to visit its Sister City, Coral Gables, Florida, recently. “It is a chance for cultural exchange and an opportunity to expand business relationships on a micro and macro level,” said La Antigua Vice Mayor Edgar Francisco Ruiz Paredes, who led the six-member delegation.

Coral Gables honored the group with an official reception at City Hall. Throughout the rest of its three-day visit, the group made numerous stops around the Miami suburb, including a visit to the University of Miami, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and a trolley tour of downtown Coral Gables. During those visits, delegates met with administration from the university and Doctors Hospital—all part of the exchange imperative to a Sister City relationship.

They also enjoyed some of the locals eats, like Sir Pizza and Yard House Restaurant at the Village of Merrick Park, an upscale mall named in honor of the city’s founder, George E. Merrick. Luckily, the occasional rain showers throughout the visit did not interfere with the group’s plans.

“As we visited different locations, we went learning new things about Coral Gables’ history, culture and technology,” said Antigua delegate Carmen Patricia Cuellar. “We can try to implement those things in our own city and offer a better quality of life to our citizens.”

The visit also included a personal reception at the home of Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick. “It’s a matter of pride when you get to show off your city,” he said. “We want them to know we are an outreaching, embracing community and a resource to our Sister Cities.”

The delegation was given an official farewell at Coral Gables Fire Station No. 1 by Chief Walter Reed and the Coral Gables Fire Department, which donated 15 bunker gear fire suits for volunteer firefighters in La Antigua. It was a welcome addition to the retired fire truck Coral Gables donated several years ago.

Felipe Allejos Lorenzama (left), General Consul of Guatemala in Miami, and Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick wecome the Sister Cities delegation from La Antigua Guatemala

“All the knowledge that we acquired, the quality of the people there and the cordial reception we received by the mayor and all of the members of your community left quite an impression on us,” Ms. Cuellar said. “It’s something we’ll always take in our minds and in our hearts.”

Soon after the delegates’ return to La Antigua, they continued communication, ensuring these “sisters” would not be estranged. It was clear from the message Ms. Cuellar sent to Coral Gables representatives that Antigua delegates had enjoyed their stay and the sister-bonding had been a success.

“I wish to thank you with all my heart for such attention that you all had for us,” she wrote. “We really did not expect this. We have learned much and come with much enthusiasm to want to put into action all that has been learned for the good of our city,” wrote Cuellar in a note to Coral Gables representatives.

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l-r: Klay, Wicho and Choko

A collective music project, featuring the diverse songs, sounds and melodies of La Antigua Guatemala, began recently through a serendipitous meeting of one of La Antigua’s much-loved musicians and an Australian engineer.

Antonio Jueves, who recently returned to La Antigua from a year of festivals and tours in Europe, and Corrina Grace, who recently moved to La Antigua to start a nonprofit project on climate change in Guatemala, found they had much in common as they struck up a conversation at Café No Se.

They quickly discovered that they shared the same passion and vision for music—and a dream to take the diverse range of music from La Antigua and share it with the rest of the world.

Their love of music sparked the creation of La Tortilla, not-for-profit collective music project, supporting and promoting the work of Antiguan musicians and providing assistance for new and emerging musical talent in and around La Antigua.

For the past several months, Jueves and Grace have been working on La Tortilla’s first CD—the Antigua All Stars, a compilation of work by featuring the musicians of Antigua. The CD has the potential to spread local music from the Panchoy Valley to elsewhere in Guatemala and beyond.

The vision of the CD, Jueves and Grace said, is to “create a compilation of original music from selected artists that sing in Antigua by which the music, like a seed, will travel to many places and create an exposition, individual and collective, of this musical vortex in which we live: La Antigua.”

The Antigua All Stars is a high-energy, low-budget project. In a living room-turned-studio in the hills of Santa Ana, a small group of enthusiastic people have been gathering each morning to record the artists—many of whom are recording for the first time.

As with any project, this has its challenges, including blocking out the noise of the numerous dogs, chickens and trucks that pass by while artists are recording. However, these sounds are the flavors of Guatemala and an integral part of the “handcrafted” essence that the CD is trying to capture, the producers explained.

The CD launch is soon to be scheduled at a live concert in La Antigua. (For details stay tuned to REVUE NEWS TWEETS, www.revuemag.com) The concert will be a celebration of music, featuring all the artists on the album. A night not to be missed, the event will blend music and dancing, community and friends.

For more information about The Antigua All Stars limited-edition CD, visit the La Tortilla page at www.myspace.com/latortilla

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The first two rounds of the Salvadoran Surf Circuit took place in June and July. The next events will be held at Playa Punta Mango on Sept. 12 and 13 and at the Playa Mizata on Oct. 24 and 25. The 5th National Circuit Competition and the finals for national ranking will be held at the Playa Costa del Sol on Nov. 28 and 29. Nine athletes from the Federation (FESASURF) represent El Salvador in the World Championship ISA (International Surfing Association) in Costa Rica from June 27 to Aug. 8. The Central American Championship will be at Playa El Tunco on Sept. 26 and 27.

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Through the impact of British colonialism in the 18th century and globalization in the 21st century, English has become without a doubt the world’s lingua franca. In 2004, English was reported as “the official or dominant language for two billion people in 75 countries” (Global Vision). The roughly 750 million non-native speakers of English now exceed those who speak it as their native tongue by more than two to one.  It is the official language for more than 70 countries. English is now the dominant language for informing the world community about scientific discoveries, technological advances, academic research and international commerce.  Furthermore, English is the most studied language in the world. “There are more students studying English in China than are studying English in the United States and more speakers of English in India than in Britain” (Altbach). It is predicted that in the next six years, two billion people, a third of the world population, will be learning English (Graddol qtd. in Ives).
—Dr. Jillian Haeseler

A revolution in English instruction coming to Guatemala’s Del Valle University Altiplano

English is recognized as a co-official language even in Guatemala, where it is the first tongue of many inhabitants of Izabal Department. But a movement is afoot to make it the second tongue of all educated Guatemalans.

A private college, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) Altiplano, is a local vanguard of reform in English instruction. The goal, says Helga Knapp Baranyai, dean of the school’s Centro de Idiomas (CEI), is to turn out graduates who are truly conversant, rather than people who have merely studied English for years.

Freshmen, who are typically 13, will be required to study English from day one. As básico university students, they differ from diversificado-level students, who go on to become bookkeepers, nurse’s aides, teachers and the like. University básico compares more to junior high school. We have básico (middle school), bachillerato (high school) and especialidades (first two years of college).

When students are 17 or 18, they may be graduated from bachillerato or enter an especialidades (professional career) major in tourism or agroforestery. Either way, says Knapp, they must by then be conversant in English and pass the ELASH test, a complex 200-point examination, scoring 141 or better when they finish studying at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala Altiplano.

American professor of English, Dr. Jillian S. Haeseler working at the UVG Altiplano as a Fulbright, presented her new model for English instruction at UVG’s Sololá campus in May.

“The instruction,” Haeseler explained, “must do more than ‘teach to the test’. We not only want students to have access to better opportunities, but for them to also feel good about themselves, both as Guatemalans and as global citizens. Studying English should not be self-defeating or deflating, but rather a new means of self-expression.

Dr. Jillian Haeseler during the presentation of the new curriculum

The old, static curriculum has been shelved in favor of those promoting what Haeseler calls “communicative competence.” The new curriculum incorporates role playing, interviewing, group projects and problem solving—all in English. But it does not stop there.

The traditional acquisition skills—reading, writing, speaking and listening—are still emphasized. To become literate in each, students will practice vocabulary holistically, that is, in all four domains. Toward this end, they will read a range of authentic material in periodicals, textbooks and on websites. They will learn to preview, predict, infer, paraphrase and summarize.

“Reading materials will be age-appropriate,” Haeseler says. “Research shows that good readers become good writers if they study reading and writing simultaneously. Thus we will promote such writing processes as brainstorming, outlining, revising and proofreading.”

Finally, since students will practice social situations, they will attain insights into socio-cultural norms in areas like social register and polite speech.

Students finishing bachillerato at UVG-Sololá select a major among agro-forestry, horticulture and tourism. Each will include relevant materials; agro-forestry students, for instance, will read English material in geology classes.

To better teach such “thematically linked content,” CEI staffers themselves took classes in March to learn an instruction model called Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP).

In preparing a SIOP lesson on, say, Lake Atitlan’s volcanoes, the English teacher will address language issues beforehand and consider what background knowledge students already have. Graphic organizers will help students read and discuss scientific texts. Lessons will be student-centered; there will be minimal teacher orientation, but extended student discussion. Students may not give one-word responses to inquiries; they will be asked “Why do you think so?” or “Can you give examples?” Before class ends, the teacher reviews the main concepts and vocabulary under study that day.

At the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala Altiplano, we offer also classes with the same concept to people in the area and they can take the ELASH exam at the end of the English course.

“We have an excellent staff, and we are always seeking trainable teachers,” Dean Knapp says.

For more information contact Helga Knapp Baranyai (CEI), tel: 7762-4154, ext. 139.

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Stacks and stacks of 30,000 books waiting to be looked through at the Steve Skelton Memorial Library

Discovering the Steve Skelton Memorial Library

Five blocks south of el Parque Central in La Antigua, located at 4a avenida sur #2, sits a local treasure: the Steve Skelton Memorial Library, operated under the auspices of the local American Legion post. Behind the vivid blue stucco walls and through the black iron gates lies a reader’s dream, set in two overcrowded rooms stacked from floor to ceiling with over 30,000 volumes and the most unusual assortment of books in town.

The library and the beginnings of the collection began some seven years ago, with the original idea by Steve Skelton, a retired builder from the U.S. He and the local post commander of the Legion decided to create a library for everyone and pass along whatever profits to local charities. Mr. Skelton was tragically killed six years ago in a construction accident. The American Legion then assumed responsibility for the rent and began accepting donations of books, time and money, and has been keeping the dream alive since then.

What was originally intended as a means of providing money for school tuition to local children has been slowly evolving toward profitability (and eventually tuition fees). Volunteers work the front desk, cheerfully rubber-stamping one’s card, depositing it in a file and with one more date-stamp for the back of the book, you’re good to go. With approximately 90 paid-up library patrons and with a few more good men and women, this operation will be close to the original dream and able to fulfill the original mission.

Six and a half years later, the books continue to roll in by the boxfull: There are some 4,000 more books stored off-site, waiting for a larger home. Inside the small, cramped two-room library, lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves, is everything from ‘A’ Abe (the Woman in the Dunes) to ‘W’ Herman Wouk (they were a few Y authors but Wouk rhymed with book). With perhaps 20 percent nonfiction and 80 percent of novels, first editions, long-out-of print obscure writings, this is a trove of the unusual from the 1950s to present.

There are literary gems and writings of a lesser genre: Cramped into the upper shelves in the nonfiction room, with gilded letters adorning the faded brown covers, is a complete set of the Harvard Classics published in 1919. A paperback Mickey Spillane, complete with lurid cover, circa 1952, can be found under S in the fiction room. There is a large section on Guatemalan history, starting with a first edition in 1909 of “Guatemala and Her People of Today,” by Nevin O. Winter. For those who care, there is one Reader’s Digest condensed book in the stacks. Several “Idiots Guides” to an assortment of perceptual problems line part of another upper shelf. The aisles are narrow, and stacks of books lie on every available surface, waiting for love and a temporary adoption.

The library is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week. Volunteers handle the returns, check-outs and restock the shelves.

The cost per year is $10 for individuals and $15 for families, with unlimited use and privileges. And they really like overdue books, because at a quetzal a day in fines, that’s the profit-center. The library is open to all and not just members of the American Legion. There are other libraries in La Antigua but none as large or as extensive in subject matter. The Skelton Memorial Library has over 3,000 volumes in Spanish. The library needs your help, both financially and physically. With a few more volunteers, the hours of operation could be extended. With a few more memberships the goal of providing tuition to local students can be met. There is a very inexpensive trove of literary treasures waiting at the end of 4a avenida sur. Happy hunting, and take a large bag for your finds and be sure to keep them beyond the due date. Marian the Librarian is waiting for you. Or contact Milo at mvuko68@aol.com.

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The hospital board has been hard at work to build a new, permanent hospital, which is slowly taking shape thanks to support from donors around the world and the U.S. non-profit Pueblo a Pueblo.

Hospitalito Atitlán is no longer receiving grant support from Pueblo a Pueblo, Inc., but has been awarded grants from newly formed U.S. non-profit, Amigos Hospitalito Atitlán (www.amigosha.org).

Meanwhile, an anonymous donor has pledged to match, dollar-for-dollar, any gifts up to $750,000.

One of the first contributors was Posada de Santiago, with a donation of $100, which will generate another $100 from the matching gift.

Many visitors to Guatemala have volunteered as medical personnel, worked on construction or served in another vital way. Numerous locals and visitors alike have been treated at the hospital—the only one in a community of 43,000 people.

For information or to make a tax-exempt donation, visit www.HospitalitoAtitlan.org.  To see a slideshow of the construction go to www.tinyurl.com/ha-constructionpics. 

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The auction, which took place last month, ended with the surprising announcement that the buyers from one of the 33 winning lots were donating the projected profits to Ricardo Espitia, Executive Director of the Salvadoran Coffee Council who had suffered a stroke early this year.

Sweet María’s, Tony’s Coffees and Ritual Coffee Roasters wired the funds the very next day to El Salvador. Tom Owen of Sweet María’s explained his rationale: “I had the idea to connect our auction lot to Ricardo’s recovery, and it was terrific that Wendy De Jong (Tony’s Coffees) and Ryan Brown (Ritual Coffee) jumped in immediately. I met Ricardo some years ago and feel he has done more than anyone else to promote and improve the quality of El Salvador specialty coffee. Every time I taste a beautiful cup from this origin, I owe him a debt of gratitude. This is just a little payback. Plus, it was inspiring at the recent competition to see Ricardo dedicated to participating, even though it was extremely challenging for him physically. If this contribution speeds up his recovery, we in the coffee world will all be better for it.”

The auction saw a new record for El Salvador’s first-place coffee. Wataru & Co. Ltd. of Japan, bidding for C&C, purchased the top coffee for $22.25/lb. The previous record was $20.10/lb, set at last year’s auction. A Canadian company, T.A.N. Coffee, placed winning bids on three lots and has already resold nearly half the coffee to other North American roasters who want a taste of extraordinary coffee. The El Salvador auction grossed over $500,000.

While Japanese roasters were the top volume buyer, Salvadoran coffees will also be heading to South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

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