Late December 2021

Introduction

The research vessel Atlantis (R/V Atlantis) was in port for a few days last month. She is an interesting ship and is a current example of a long line of oceanographic research vessels. The United States Navy owns the Atlantis, and she is known officially as the RV Atlantis (AGOR – 25). She is operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for the benefit of the oceanographic commuity.

The Atlantis has three sister ships: the R/V Thomas G Thompson, operated by the University of Washington, and the R/V Roger Revelle, by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Only the Atlantis is equipped to operate the deep submersible Alvin. The third sister, the NOASS Ronald H. Brown, is operated by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

It was an unexpected port call. The Alvin suffered some damage during its 5,075th dive, to a record depth of 17, 513 ft. She came into port to allow the submersible to be evaluated.

By the way, the deepest part of the Atlantic is a bit northeast of San Juan, in the so called Puerto Rico Trench. The deepest part of that feature, the Milwaukee deep, has a depth of 5.373 miles (28,370 ft.)

Details of Current Atlantis

The Atlantis was launched in 1997 and modified to support the Alvin that same year. She has a length of 274 ft, a beam of 52.5 ft, and draws 19 ft. The Atlantis has a crew of 22 and room for a science party of 34 (without Alvin) and 24 (with Alvin). She is equipped with lab spaces, undersea mapping facilities, and precision navigation technologies. The lab spaces include a variery of wet chemcal, computer, and electronic facilities.

The Atlantis performs missions for both the US Navy and research funcded by the National Science Foundation. In the last year or so, Atlantis completed 13 projects funded by the navy, and 14 by the NSF. There are 32 pending NSF projects. The NSF projects included studying and mapping undersea volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean.

The First Atlantis

The sailboat R/V Atlantis served the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution from 1931 to 1996. She was built specifically to support research in marine biology and geology and physical oceanpgraphy. The design of the 460 ton ketch favored stability over a speed. She carried a crew of 17 with room for five scientists. She sailed over 700,000 miles while under the control of the WHOI.

In 1966, she was sold to Argentina. After a refurbishment, she was renamed El Austral and, crewed by the Argentine navy, did oceanogrphic research for CONICET, the Argentine equivalent of the NSF. In 1996, she was transferred to civilian status, refurbished again, and renamed Dr. Bernardo A. Houssay. To date, she has sailed over 1,300,000 miles in support of marine research and is the longest serving research vessel.

She is the namesake for both the current R/V Atlantis, and also the space shuttle Atlantis.

Atlantis II

Built in 1962, the R/V Atlantis II served the WHOI until her retirement in 1996. She supported the Alvin‘s expeditions, including, most famously, Dr. Robert Ballard’s exploration of the HMS Titanic.

The Atlantis II – Alvin combination had other adventures. In 1966, the Alvin found a 1.45 magaton hydrogen bomb. It was at a depth of 2,990 ft and subsequently revovered. A year later, the Alvin, at a depth of 2,000 ft, was attacked by a swordfish which became entangled in the submersible’s skin. After an emergency surface, the crew untangled the fish and ate it for dinner. That happened on July 6, 1967.

The R/V Atlantis II was retired in July, 1996. After sitting idle for a while, she was sold to an advenure company. She is apparently still on the market. Follw this link to see a yacht broker’s description of her. Maybe you can make an offer. If successful, bring me along on one of your trips.

Conclusion

I have a suggstion for the US Navy and the WHOI. I suggest they do a survey of the South China Sea and produce a detailed map the the ocean bottom there. Why? Beacuse last October the USS Connecticut, a nuclear-powered Seawolf – class fast attack submarine, collided with an unknown undersea object in that body of water. Of course, it is possible such maps are readily available. Perhaps that explains why the Commander, Executive Officer and Chief of the Boat were all relieved of duty. I suspect we’ll never know for sure.

Notes and Sources

The image of the Atlantis at port here in San Juan is mine. All the other images were culled from the web and are in the public domain, as far as I know.

I used several Wikipedia articles for the bulk of my information.

Mid December 2021

Introduction

I had occassion to visit the La Perla section of Old San Juan the other day, with a friend of mine. We paid particular attention to the wall art there, as well as a few local beers. Here is some of what I found. I’ll also include some art from other locations, some of which have been painted over. Note: I’ve used some of these images in earlier posts. But they are worth a second look.

La Perla

La Perla sits outside the wall of Old San Juan, on the northern coast. Many of the buildings have been freshly painted, and it seems to be undergoing a bit of a revival. It is a rich area for wall art.

The art above reminds me of a work along Avenida Fernandez Juncos, in the Santurce neighborhood.

I suspect the two examples above are by the same artist. I have not yet tried to find out who that is. I’ll work on that later.

The image above reminds me that the words canoe, barbeque, and hurricane were borrowed by the Spanish from the native Tainos. I have not yet figured out the symbols on the side of the canoe, nor do I know what the white swirl to the left means.

A red octopus watches over La Perla. I have not yet followed up on the artist’s name.

I like the portrayal of the two women above. Note that they are both have scarfs with the Puerto Rican flag.

The work above seems to depict native life in the area before European settlement.

The two images above are undoubtedly Puerto Rican musicians. I don’t know who yet – I’ll have to work on that.

The image above is one part of artwork along a retaining wall. It is rare to find a section without a car parked in front.

Other Findings

La Perla is certainly not the only location for wall art. Here are a few from other locations around the city.

The image above is just off Calle Cerra in the Santurce neighborhood. I had not seen it before.

The art above is by Danae Brissonnet, a French-Canaduan artist. I showed this in an earlier post. Click here to see that.

The image above is in the Calle Loiza area of Santurce. It is a neighborhood in transition.

The work above is one of a series of figures painted on a bridge pier in the Condado section of San Juan. They are gone, painted over.

Conclusion

There you have some of my images of wall art in San Juan.

I once received a comment asking if I had copyright permission from the artists. The answer is no. The images are in public spaces and fair game for any photographer. I edit them as a hobby. I do not sell any of my images and therefore I am not profitting from the creative work of others.

However, I can see a business opportunity. I think some of the art work would make exceptional post or note cards. Tourists, and even locals, represent a market for them.

I would have to negotiate an agreement with each artist. Any one have any thoughts as to how to do that?

Notes and Sources

The images are mine. I edit them, more or less extensively, with Adobe Lightroom and/or Photoshop.

Early December 2021

Introduction

San Juan turned 500 this year. Or perhaps it was last year. The historical ambiguity is of little concern. It just affords another opportunity for a festival.

Puerto Ricans love their festivals. A friend told me, one evening in a local bar, of a street in Santurce, a San Juan neighborhood. Every year the residents block the street and have an impromptu festival. They are celebrating the anniversary of the first potholes on their street. Coolers appear, filled with ice and Medalla, the local beer. Music machines show up. Locals place flowers in and around the potholes. People dance in the street, being careful not to trip in the potholes. Older folks play endless games of dominoes.

The city recently announced a plan whereby 126 miles of city streets will be repaved. I asked my friend what would happen to the street festival. He said, “No problem. They will celebrate the anniversary of the paving, if it happens.”

Early History

Columbus

Christopher Columbus discovered and landed on the island he called San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist) on his second voyage, on November 19, 1493. Columbus had mounted a formidable expedition – 17 ships and about 1200 men. including about 200 conquistadores. The gentlemen soldiers were looking for new adventures, having defeated the Muslim forces of the Emirate of Granada the previous year.

Columbus started his explorations with a mandate. In April of 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella signed the “Capitulations of Santa Fe”. They promised Columbus, if successful in his upcoming expedition, would be given the rank of Admiral of the Ocean Sea. In addition, he would be appointed Viceroy and Governor of all lands he claimed for Spain. The King and Queen would soon regret the broad nature of the agreement.

Columbus’s armada sailed on to what is now the Dominican Republic. Columbus had left 40 men there the year before, in a community called La Navidad. It was soon apparent there were no survivors, the 40 having died either of disease or at the hands of the native Tainos.

Juan Ponce de Leon

Ponce de Leon distinguished himself in the ensuing battles against the natives, and was awarded a leadership role in the colony of Hispanola. In recognition of his military efforts, and with help from his influential family still in Spain, Ponce de Leon was authorized to explore San Juan Bautista in 1508, and became its first governor in 1509.

The governor needed a capital, and de Leon chose a site inland from the harbor, in what is now Guaynabo. The location offered pleasant breezes and a flat topography ideal for buildings. The site, officially established in 1508, was named Caparra or La Cuidad de Puerto Rico. By 1512 a small chapel had been built and the population had increased to 320.

Diego Colon

By this time, Diego Colon, son of Christopher Columbus (Colon in Spanish) had brought suit in Spanish Court seeking to inherit the rights granted his father via the Capitulations of Santa Fe. He won his case, and the King appointed him Governor of San Juan Bautista in 1511. Ponce de Leon, at the urging of the King, mounted an expedition to La Florida.

It was soon apparent the Caparra site was not ideal. It was separated from the harbor by a mangrove swamp, was rich in mosquitoes, subject to native attacks, and sometimes experienced floods. The capital was moved, unofficially at first but officially in 1521, to its present site in San Juan. By the way, the Caparra site is a National Historical Site and worth a visit.

The Festivities

It has been pretty much a year long celebration, with music events, fairs, and other attractions.

There are frequent band concerts. I went to one in Plaza d’Armes, in the middle of Old San Juan. It was just before Thanksgiving and the music mingled into the Christmas season. It was fun to watch people dancing to a salsa version of Jingle Bells. Quite a cosmic discordance for an upstate New Yorker.

There was, for a couple of weeks, a street festival in the Plaza de la Barandilla, at the intersection of Calle Tanca and Calle San Francisco.

The Future

It seems there will be a new park in Old San Juan, celebrating the 500th anniversary of the city.

I have noticed a sign along an open lot indicating it will be the location of the Parque de los 500. As you can see from the image above, it is adjacent to the Sheraton Old San Juan (the yellow building to the right) and across the street from the cruise ship piers. The space is used now for storage of construction material.

I have not seen any plans for the park. I have heard of an overall master plan for the urban area around and including Old San Juan. I’ll write another post when I learn more about either the park itself or the overall master plan.

Notes and Sources

I used Wikipedia entries for Caparra, Ponce de Leon. and Christopher Columbus (Colon).

The images are mine, minimally edited with Adobe Lightroom and/or Photoshop.

Mid March 2021

Introduction

We subscribe to the San Juan Star, an English language newspaper here, in an attempt to keep up with local news. In this post, I’ll summarize some of the news piece that caught my attention. I’ll also put in some images that may or may not be related to the stories. That’s for you to figure out.

January 5

The new governor, Pedro Pierluisi, promised a new executive order that would ease the one in place. That order, imposed by the former governor, imposed a 10 pm to 5 am curfew, closed the beaches, and closed everything on Sunday but supermarkets, pharmacies, and hardware stores. Restaurants were open for take out only.

In addition, the governor asked to education department to plan for in-person schooling by March.

January 6

Several government agencies failed to pay interest on bond obligations. These included the Puerto Rico Public Buildings Authority, the Highways and Transportation Authority, and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). Insurers paid some of the money due; all this is in the context of ongoing attempts to restructure Puerto Rico’s debts.

Jaunary 7

The government announced that the November net income to the General Fund totaled $656.1 million, about $127.1 million (24%) above forecasts. Most of the money comes from sales taxes. The government did note that the authority that oversees sales taxes, the Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corporation, had completely paid down its debt obligations in October. Thus all revenues went to the general fund.

I note in passing that we got here in early November, so we helped generate some of this revenue.

Pundits wondered how the Democratic majority in the US Senate would affect Puerto Rico. Statehood proponents think a Democratic majority in both the US House and Senate will help their cause.

The National Science Foundation announced that the crippled Arecibo Observatory will not be closing. Work will continue on analyzing archived data while funds are sought to rebuild and modernize the radio telescope facility.

January 8

Health Secretary Carlos Mellado Lopez stated that a March school opening did not mean schools could open on March 1. Schools could not re-open until certain vaccination goals were met. Spoiler alert: Some schools opened for the first time on March 11.

Jose Tirado, head of the Puerto Rican Firefighters Union, met with the governor and urged him to find the funds to pay for an authorized pay increase.

January 11

The Ambac Assurance Corporation, a major insurer of Puerto Rico’s bond debts, filed a motion in the U.S. District Court in Boston to seek information concerning government bank accounts. The government claims much of the $20 billion has restrictions as to its proper use; Ambac wants to review those restrictions.

The energy situation remains muddled. The island’s energy oversight agency (PERB – Puerto Rico Energy Bureau) met with PREPA and FEMA officials to review PREPA’s ten year plan. Meanwhile, LUMA, the company selected to privatize PREPA’s assets, and PREPA continue to be at odds. PREPA has refused to pay $32 million in variable expenses that LUMA has charged. PREPA has paid the fixed fees. Meanwhile, both the Puerto Rican House and Senate plan to investigate all aspects of the PREPA-LUMA contract.

January 12

Miguel Romero of the New Progressive Party was sworn in as mayor of San Juan. Outside, protestors called his victory “an attempt against democracy.” They were upset by various irregularities in the voting in San Juan.

LUMA Energy officials insisted their contract with PREPA was lawful and promised to go before the Legislature to make their case.

January 13

The investigation into a carjacking that left three police officers dead continued. The tragedy occurred on the Baldiorty de Castro Expressway in Santurce, San Juan. A body, later identified as Ponce resident David Emanuel Rivera Batiz, was found in the Llorens Torres public housing complex. The body held a note that said “I am responsible for the murder of the police. Here it is.” The police were gathering security camera footage and awaiting the results of an autopsy.

January 14

Governor Pedro Pierluisi announced he would travel to Washington to attend President Biden’s inauguration. While there, he would advance the issue of statehood, given that a clear majority voted for that option in a referendum conducted as part of the November general election.

The new mayor of San Juan announced that 154 tons of rubble and garbage had been collected the previous day. The announcement was met with great cheer and the odor of diesel fumes from the trucks used in the garbage offensive.

Janurary 18

Three parties asked U. S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain to schedule oral arguments on issues deemed crucial by the Puerto Rico’s Employees Retirement System (ERS). The parties – the Committee for Unsecured Creditors, the Committee of Retired Employees of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Financial and Management Oversight Board for Puerto Rico – wish to argue the status of $3 billion worth of bonds ERS issued in 2008. Some argue the bond issue was invalid as the ERS had no statutory authority to issue them.

January 15

More than two hundred Puerto Rico National Guard soldiers head to Washington, D.C. to help provide security during President Biden’s inauguration. They are members of the 92nd Brigade’s military police unit.

PREPA and PRASA, the water and sewer authority, announced the agency that runs the capitol, the Capitol Superintendency, owes about $2.5 million for energy usage and $830,000 for water and sewage fees. Both agencies said no payments had been made over the last four years. Rafael Hernandez Montanez, the Speaker of the House, promised that a payment plan was in place.

January 20

The Puerto Rico Funeral Organization charged that municipal cemeteries in Mayaguez have neither enough workers nor enough plots to meet the demand there. Spokeswoman Lynette Matos said this hurts poor families and creates a backlog of unburied corpses.

January 21

Jorge Haddock, the President of the University of Puerto Rico, announced that the university will receive $128.5 million from the federal government. The funds are from a program to help mitigate costs associated with covid.

Angel Figueroa Jaramillo, president of the union representing PREPA workers, predicted in a radio interview that the PREPA – LUMA agreement would further increase energy prices. He noted the current increase is because of an increase in oil prices; other increases will follow.

January 22

San Juan Superior Court Judge Anthony Cuevas Ramos ruled that the three minor parties – the Puerto Rican Independence Party, the Citizen Victory Movement, and the Dignity Project – could retain their election franchise. This means there will be five recognized parties going forward and will probably lead to the end of the historic domination by the two major parties. See my earlier post here.

Pete Buttigieg, President Biden’s designated secretary of transportation, said he supported the Jones Act. The US territories and Alaska and Hawaii believe the act artificially inflates the cost of shipping goods between US ports.

January 25

In a written statement, the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (FOMB) justified the $858 million it has charged so far for legal fees. The board noted Puerto Rico’s debt is large and extraordinarily complex.

Resident Commissioner Jennifer Gonzalez Colon, Puerto Rico’s non-voting representative in the US Congress, sent a letter to President Biden outlining her goals. They included considering Puerto Rico as a site for domestic medical equipment manufacture, seeking equality under the Medicaid program, and statehood, among others.

January 25

The government announced that more then 200,000 Puerto Ricans had received their covid vaccinations. It claimed Puerto rico ranked sixth in the world in doses per 100 residents,

FEMA announced it had allocated $153 million to Puerto Rico to strengthen the island’s covid vaccine campaign.

January 26

In their first meeting, the Governor, Senate President Jose Luis Dalmau and House Speaker Rafael Hernandez Montanez disagreed on the matter of Puerto Rico’s political status. The representatives informed the governor that both houses were introducing legislation to repeal three pro-statehood laws, all passed under the last governor.

February 1

Governor Pierluisi said he is ready to submit his Fiscal Year 2022 plan for review by the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB). He stated his plan is inconsistent with previous plans because he used updated data. FOMB Executive Director Natalie Jaresko noted that projections made by McKinsey & Co., the board’s consultant, differed from the government’s projections, in some cases by a billion dollars. FOMB has paid McKinsey & Co. a total of $130 million in fees.

February 2

The island’s ferry services began their transition to a contract service provider. The government runs three ferry routes: San Juan – Catano, Ceiba – Culebra, and Ceiba – Vieques, the latter two with both passenger only and vehicle only service. The residents of Culebra and Vieques had long complained of inefficient government services, with missed sailing and breakdowns. HMS Ferries, a company based in Bainbridge, Washington, will gradually take over operation of the three routes, starting with the San Juan – Catano route.

February 3

Governor Pierluisi announced that Puerto Rico will receive $6.2 billion in funding from the US Department and Urban Development. The money will be used to develop disaster-proof infrastructure.

February 5

Hotel registrations (down 61.1%), gasoline consumption(15.6%) and payroll consumption (8.0%) were all lower in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2020 as compared to the previous year’s third quarter. Revenues from corporate income taxes went down by 39.8%. Somewhat inexplicably, revenues from sales taxes increased by 31.5%.

The governor revealed his Fiscal 2022 budget for $10.7 billion. This is $700 million more than FOMB’s budget proposal.

February 5

San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo issued an executive order to curb noise pollution in the city. He cited vehicles modified to be noisy as one target. The mayor said no new laws were needed; his order renewed emphasis on this problem.

February 8

Caguas Mayor William Miranda Torres once again urged the government to fix the state highways in his town.

Professors at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law demanded the University administration add three teaching positions. The professors said the law school’s accreditation is in jeopardy.

February 9

The education department announced their plan for school reopening. It will start at selected schools with kindergarten through third grade, twelfth grade, and special education.

The Health Department announced it is expecting an additional 16,000 corona vaccine doses per week, bringing the weekly total to 57,450 doses per week.

February 10

As expected, U. S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico W. Stephen Muldrow tendered his resignation, effective February 28. President Trump appointed Muldrow.

February 11

Francisco Pares Alicea, Puerto Rico Treasury Secretary, asked the U. S. Treasury to exempt Puerto Rico from proposed Federal Tax Credit regulations. Apparently, Puerto Rico, in certain tax situations, is considered a foreign jurisdiction. Alicea claims the proposed regulations would prevent companies from here from claiming their Puerto Rico excise taxes as a credit on their federal taxes as they do now. The proposed rules are aimed at foreign jurisdictions.

February 12

The education department announced that each private school on the island will be able to decide when and how to reopen.

February 15

PREPA, the island’s public power authority, submitted a list pf projects it said could generate up to 150 megawatts of renewable energy. Laws passed in 2019 require PREPA to reach a goal of 40% renewable energy by 2025; it is currently at 3%. Last year, the FOMB required PREPA to put most of the projects on hold.

February 16

The Puerto Rico Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling and reinstated a challenge in the San Juan mayoral election. The election commission certified that Miguel Romero Lugo won by 3,165 votes; challenger Manuel Natal Albelo claims at least 6,593 votes from one specific ward are suspect. The case now goes to the Puerto Rico Supreme Court.

February 17

The government confirmed the fist covid case with the UK coronavirus variant B.1.1.7. The patient arrived from Europe on a stopover flight. She is hospitalized and said to be responding to treatment.

February 18

The maritime terminal operator Luis Ayala Colon Sucrs, Inc. announced it is raising its cargo-handling fees on March 1. This will likely cause consumer prices to increase.

February 19

Severe winter storms in the US disrupted the supply of covid vaccines, delaying some appointments until early March.

February 22

Tote Maritime, one of the four Jones Act US – Puerto Rico shipping companies, announced it is raising its shipping fees. By some estimates, Tote, with its affiliate Luis Ayala Colon Sucrs, Inc., controls over half of the business in the Port of San Juan. The El Faro, a Tote ship, sank with all hands when it encountered Hurricane Joaquin on a Jacksonville – San Juan run. Read about it here.

February 23

The FOMB threatened to take the island government to court if it enacts House Bill 120, the so-called Dignified Retirement Act. The bill would eliminate all pension reforms proposed by the FOMB, including pension cuts. The FOMB claimed the bill would be annulled by the Title III Bankruptcy Court.

February 24

After months of US District Court sponsored mediation, the FOMB announced an agreement with some creditors that would reduce a portion of the island’s debt from $18.8 billion to $7.4 billion. The agreement relates to some government General Obligation bonds, as well as some bonds issued by the Public Buildings Authority.

February 25

The governor says he has to review the Dignified Retirement Act and would not commit to signing it.

February 26

PREPA started a request for proposals process for renewable energy projects of 1,000 MW and battery energy storage projects of 2,000 MW hours.

March 1

Resentment against the FOMB boiled over. Rafael Hernandez Montanez, speaker of the Puerto Rico House, announced he and other members of the lower chamber filed a petition with the United States District Court. They claim the FOMB is overriding decisions of both the executive and legislative branches which undermines democracy here. The petition, while recognizing FOMB’s powers, argues the federal entity cannot file legislation that deviates from the fiscal plan budget.

March 2

The U. S. Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in the United States versus Jose Luis Vaello Madero. Madero received SSI disability payments in New York and continued to receive them for three years after moving to Puerto Rico in 2013. The U. S. sued for $28,801, arguing that, once he moved to Puerto Rico, he was no longer eligible for the benefits. Both the U. S. District and First Circuit Courts found in Madero’s favor, stating that excluding Puerto Rico residents from the SSI benefit is “not rationally related to a legitimate government interest.” By the way, Puerto Ricans do pay Social Security taxes.

Meanwhile, the Puerto Rican Justice Department sued the Texas Armoring Corporation for $224,100 with interest and legal expenses. Tne government paid for an armored SUV that was never delivered.

March 5

The PR Supreme Court declined, by a 6 -2 vote, to overturn a suit brought by a San Juan mayoral candidate. Manuel Natal Albelo, of the citizen Victory Movement party, can now take his claims of election fraud to the Superior Court, where Judge Anthony Cuevas Ramos will review the case on its merits.

March 5

The U. S. District Court will hear arguments regarding $3 billion in bonds issued by the Employees Retirement System. If the court finds the ERS did not have the authority to issue the bonds, the entire debt would be wiped out and the bonds would be worthless.

March 8

LUMA Energy refused to turn over documents detailing expenses related to transitioning PREPA’s assets to private ownership. PERB asked for the documents. LUMA argued that they answer to the Public Private Partnership (P3), which administers the contract, and not PERB.

March 9

Governor Pierluisi announced he could see no reason to delay LUMA’s work. LUMA is scheduled to take control of PREPA’s transmission and delivery system on June 1. PREPA’s board noted that the hurricane season begins on June 1 and LUMA has no employees. LUMA has not yet made any job offers to PREPA employees.

March 10

Angel Figueroa Jaramillo, president of the union representing PREPA workers, demanded that the island House of Representatives nullify LUMA’s contract. The demand came in the midst of a 24 hour work stoppage by union members.

March 11

Governor Pierluisi said he will not be intimated by union promises to contest the LUMA contract.

March 12

San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo announced that his garbage initiative had picked up 7.500 tons of garbage through the city, from parks, clandestine landfills, and by removal of abandoned vehicles.

March 15

Mara Perez resigned as director of the Maritime Transportation Authority. This came after difficulties in delivering gasoline to Vieques. The government chartered the deck barge Marilin H to carry supplies to Vieques, including four tank trucks, each with 10,000 gallons of gasoline. However, the ship’s deck was higher than the dock and the gasoline trucks could not disembark safely. Dock workers constructed a temporary dirt and stone ramp; the gasoline tankers rolled off the Marilin H on Sunday, ending the gasoline shortage on the island, at least for now.

Conclusions

Puerto Rico is facing two large, interrelated issues – the debt crisis and the privatization of the energy system. Both are multi-billion dollar issues, and both are scrutinized by a variety of parties from a variety of perspectives.

One might think the Puerto Rican people are despondent. They are not. Based on my admittedly limited interactions with my Puerto Rican friends, they remain politically astute, informed, and passionate. All that mixed with a tinge of cynicism. A healthy mix, I’d say.

Note and Sources

I got the pictures of Governor Pierluisi and Judge Swain from the web. I took all the others during various jaunts around the island.

Early March 2021

Introduction

The street art I see is usually anonymous – that is, unsigned, or at least signed in a way I cannot understand. But that is not always the case. Some artists sign their work with Instagram tags, web addresses, Facebook identifiers. In this post, I’ll show a few works with identifiable artists and then provide some information about them.

David Zayas

I’ve noticed two works by this artist. I’ll show each before editing, and then after.

The artist David Zayas, not to be confused with the actor of the same name, received his Bachelor’s in Painting from the Escuela de Artes Plasticas de Puerto Rico in 2003. He is now a professor at the Universidad Metropolitan in San Juan. He teaches a course in Urban Art, probably the only course of that type offered in all of Puerto Rico.

Here is another example of his work. I’m not sure where it is physically located. Google ‘David Zayas art’ to see more.

If you want to see more of his work, click here. The link will take you to a another blog post (not mine).

The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico celebrates Puerto Rican and other Hispanic artists. They devote a page on their website to David Zayas. They quote Zayas on that page:

I feel the responsibility of reaching (impacting) the people, to educate, and not only educate, but let them see my reality, what I think, what is happening, of how I see it… It is as if it was my own newspaper… I try to represent the times I live in.

Click here for the source of the quote.

Aside: Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

By the way the Museum of Art, located on Avenida de Deigo in the Santurce section of San Juan, is well worth a visit. Originally a hospital, it was built in 1917. The high ceilings and large rooms made the transition to a museum seamless.

Danae Brissonnet

Ms. Brissonnet, from Quebec, Canada, is internationally known for her colorful, fantastical folk inspired public murals. In addition, shes does illustrations, mask making, and puppetry. She is also generous with her gifts – she frequently conducts workshops for local children when she is creating a mural. Click here to see more of her work.

Ms. Bissonnet is currently working on (it may be completed by now) a large mural on an Embassy Suites Hotel in the arts section of New Orleans. Click here to learn more. I’d love to see that – it features Mardi Gras, Louisiana snapping turtles, and oak trees, among other New Orleans icons. All, I’m sure, in her colorful, fanciful style.

Senkoe

The Mexican artist Senkoe studied pedagogy at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, located in the Coyoacan borough of southern Mexico City. He also studied graphic design and attended art workshops at the Academy of San Carlos, which was founded in 1781 and was the first major art academy and museum in the Americas. He now works full time and favors projects that support the recovery of public spaces.

Senkoe has an active Instagram presence. You can check that out here. If you do, you’ll see colorful, fantastical works often influenced by pre-Hispanic art. Here is one more example of his work.

Bronik

I took the image above on one of my walks through La Perla. I cropped it for display; when I examined the whole image I noticed the name Bronik in the upper left hand corner.

Bronik is an artist whose work started in Lima where she was inspired by pre-Hispanic Incan art. She has since moved to Barcelona and is currently in Australia. Here is another one of her works.

Conclusion

I started writing these pieces so I could learn something about the things I see here. I’ve learned about bulbous bows, brown algae, and cement, among other things.

But I have to admit I have lot to learn about street art. How is that a French Canadian, a Mexican, and a Peruvian by way of Spain all have works here in San Juan? What is the network that connects them? Is there a brokerage somewhere, where rights to walls are bought and sold, with the price in bitcoin per square meter? Are the brokers old men, and does the room smell of smoke from cheap cigars? How is it that Danae Brissonnet comes to work on the wall of an Embassy Suites in New Orleans? I’m not questioning her talent – that is obvious and manifest, and I look forward to seeing her creation. I just have no idea as to how these connections are made, and who is responsible for them, and who pays for them.

Guess I’ve still got a lot to learn.

Notes and Sources

The images are mine except where noted. Google the artists’ names for more information.

​

Early March 2021

Introduction

Pier One is the western-most pier in Old San Juan. The United States Coast Guard station is immediately to the west, at the end of La Puntilla, the point. The pier for the ferry boat service to Catano is just to the east.

Pier One is usually used for visiting naval vessels and, when they are able to visit, small cruise ships. The Al Mirqab, a super yacht, is moored there now.

The Al Mirqab

The Al Mirqab is one of the twenty largest private yachts ever built. It is 437 feet long with a beam of 63 feet and displaces about 9,500 tons. Built in 2008, the yacht belongs to Qatar’s former Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al Thani.

Launched in 2008, the yacht was built in Germany, at the Peters Schiffbau Wewelsfleth shipyard, in Kiel. It was, during construction, mostly hidden from view and known only as Project May.

Tim Heywood was the ship’s architect; Andrew Winch Designs managed the interior design. The interior is spacious and opulent, as befits a yacht costing a third of a billion dollars. There are 10 guest suites capable of hosting 24 guests. Each suite has its own bath, living room, and double bedroom. The owners and special guests have two VIP suites for their use.

Guests can do more than look for whales. Al Mirqab has a cinema, indoor pool, outdoor jacuzzi, and various bars to keep people entertained. Guests can use the private helicopter for shore excursions. I suppose a helicopter pilot is one of the 60 crew members. Maybe he/she doubles as the cinema operator or a bartender. One has to cut corners somewhere.

I’ve seen mega yachts in port before, especially the stunning A and the huge Eclipse, both owned by Russian oligarchs. I’ve written about them – see my posts here and here and here.

The USCGC Stone

The Stone, a new ship of the Coast Guard, was in port for a few days during January, after having been delivered to the government on November 10, 2020. She left Pascagoula, Mississippi, on December 22, 2020 for a patrol into the South Atlantic. Her mission was to search for illegal fishing activities. The covid pandemic caused changes in the planned schedule. For example, the crew was not able to disembark in Montevideo, Uruguay because of covid fears.

But they were able to disembark in San Juan, and the alcohol supplies were the worse for it, at least at the kiosco in Plaza Darsena where I sometimes enjoy a cold one in the late afternoon. The crew seemed young, happy, and energetic. And they were a mixed group, both by gender and ethnicity. And they did seem glad to be ashore, at least for a couple of days. Good luck to them all.

FS LA COMBATTANTE P735

The new French naval patrol craft La Combattante was in port for a few days last November. She entered service in 2020. The French realized, after Hurricane Irma in 2017, that they did not have an adequate naval presence in the French Antilles to respond to such disasters. In response, they ordered new patrol craft in 2017. La Combattantte and her two sister ships make up the Patrollers Antilles Guyane (PAG) with responsibilities for patrolling in the French possessions in the Caribbean and Guyana. She was probably in port here after joint training exercises with the Coast Guard. Unfortunately, the crew was not able to disembark – I saw them doing physical training on deck, the poor sods.

HNLMS Zeeland (P841)

Sometime during the fall of 2018, the Royal Netherlands naval patrol craft Zeeland was in port. Like the French, the Dutch maintain a naval force in the Caribbean to support their possessions, including the ABC islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

The Zeeland was in the Caribbean during Hurricane Irma, and afterwards played an important role in providing relief to the residents of Saint Maarten and Saba.

I rather like the lines of this ship, and I think it is very sporting of the Dutch to keep their radar mast lit up like a Christmas tree. That must certainly give would-be smugglers and pirates pause.

Conclusion

All three of these warships are considerably smaller than Al Mirqab. The Stone is 418 feet long and displaces about 4500 tons; the Zeeland 336 feet and 4,130 tons; the La Combattante 132 feet and 750 tons. And I bet none of them have a pool, or even a jacuzzi.

Note and Sources

See the Wikipedia entries for each ship for more information.

The photos are mine.

Late February 2021

Introduction

The walkway along the ocean into Old San Juan was rebuilt a few years ago. The Paseo de Puerta de Tierra, as it is called, includes signage. One can read about the historical sites along the path – the first, second and third lines of defense, the powder magazine in Parc Luis Munoz Rivera, the ruins of a Spanish observation post.

Some of the signs identify vegetation. I find those informative but intimidating. I realize how little I know about tropical vegetation. So I decided to learn something about palm trees. It is at least a start.

There are palm trees everywhere here. Of course, one would expect that, given the tropical environment. Street vendors sell fresh coconuts. They use machetes to lop off the top to get at the liquid inside. The coconut water is a local treat.

I looked to buy a field guide to help identify palm trees. I couldn’t find one. So I went online. There are resources but I found them difficult to use. For one thing, you need a specialized vocabulary. The leaves (technically fronds) can be pinnate or palmate, or maybe entire or bipinnate. And then there are the trunks. And the roots.

Palm Trees: Background

Palm trees evolved about 80 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous. Some survived the mass extinction that marked the end of the Cretaceous era, an abrupt event marked by the K-Pg boundary. Since then, the Arecaceae have evolved into about 181 genera and 1200 species with most found in tropical and sub-tropical climates.

Palms (known more technically as the Arecaceae) are perennial, woody, flowering plants. They usually have a prominent trunk. The Arecaceae are, like the grasses, monocotyledons – that is, a seed produces one shoot with one leaf. They can take the form of trees, climbers, shrubs, or be stemless.

Palm trees, like other monocotyledons, do not exhibit the secondary growth common to woody plants. The wood does not have growth rings. So-called anomalous secondary growth does occur, but to a lesser extent that woody plants. This gives palm trees their slender appearance.

Palm Trees: Structure

Identification of palms starts with the features noted above. One looks at the fronds first, then the details of the trunk. That usually provides a pretty good start.

Most palm trees exhibit either pinnate or palmate leaf structure.

Palm trees are widely used in ornamental plantings. I suspect landscapers planted almost all the palm trees I see in San Juan. That means some are native species, some are not. That makes their identification that much more challenging.

Specific Palm Trees

Here are some of the palms I’ve identified. I confess I’ve made liberal use of the signage along the Paseo de Puerta de Tierra. But I did also use other sources. Please refer to Notes and Sources.

Puerto Rican Hat Palm – Palma de Sombrero (Sabal causiarum)

This palm tree is native to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. It is characterized by a thick, straight trunk with a small crown of palmate fronds. In fact, the crown often seems too small given the tree’s height, often over 35 feet.

The fronds were used to manufacture hats, an industry centered in Joyuda, in the southwest part of the island. The industry went into decline in the early twentieth century.

Puerto Rico Royal Palm – Palma Real (Roystonea borinquena)

Another Puerto Rico native, this palm is closely related to royal palm trees in Cuba, Hispaniola, Honduras, Guyana, and Florida, among other West Indies locations. These are tall, stately palms with a graceful crown of feathery fronds and often used in ornamental plantings. Note the prominent crownshaft.

Spindle Palm – Palma Botella (Hyophorbe verschaffeltii)

These slow-growing palms are native to the Mascarene Islands where they are in danger of becoming extinct. They exhibit a smooth trunk that can bulge in the middle, and a distinct crownshaft. The fronds are pinnate. The inflorescences are prominent and covered in a spathe. Spindle palms are often grown in large containers.

Fiji Palm – Palma de abanica (Pritchardia pacifica)

Pritchardia is a genus of 37 species, with most found on the Hawaiian Islands. They are solitary fan palms with full, dense crowns of large, stiff palmate fronds. They do well when planted in groups, and grow up to 35 feet high.

The Fiji palm is found, as its name implies, on the Fiji Islands. Some experts think it originated on Tonga before being introduced to the Fijis. It is said the fronds were used as fans for the Fijian royalty.

Manilla Palm – Adonidia (Veitchia merrillii)

The genus Veitcha includes eighteen species, all located in the Western Pacific – the Phillipines, New Hebrides, and Fiji. They exhibit feathery pinnate fronds and a prominent crownshaft.

The Manilla Palm is native to the Philippines. It produces clusters of bright red fruit around Christmas time; the tree is sometimes known at the Christmas palm. It can grow to a height of 25 feet.

The fruit of the Christmas palm is edible, though said to be not pleasant. I wonder if it could be made into a jam or jelly, or maybe a chutney.

Mexican Fan Palm – Palma Washingtonia (Washingtonia robusta)

The genus Washingtonia includes two species, both native to the United States west coast, and Baja and Sonora, Mexico.

Mexican fan palms are widely cultivated. Examples can be found in Texas, Florida, Hawaii, the Canary Islands, Spain, Italy, Israel, and Lebanon.

The Mexican fan palm grows as tall as 80 feet, on a thin, smooth trunk. It displays a compact crown of palmate fronds. They are often planted in rows along avenues, as they are in the image above.

Foxtail palm – Palma cola de zorra (Wodyetia bifurcata)

The genus Wodyetia contains only one species. The foxtail palm is native to northeastern Australia. It has become a popular ornamental plant, so much so the native trees are in danger from seed poachers.

This species exhibits a slender, closely ringed trunk with graceful pinnate fronds. It has a slender crownshaft and produces large, orange-red fruit. It can grow to 35 feet in height.

Date Palm – Palm datilera (Phoenix dactylifera)

The Phoenix genus consists of about seventeen species and are found pretty much around the world. The date palm (P. dactylifera) shows greyish-green pinnate fronds in a graceful crown. These trees lack a crownshaft. Trees are either male or female; both are needed for fertilization. They can grow up to 70 feet high.

The date palm is famous for its fruit, which has been known since antiquity. However, these trees bear fruit only in hot, dry climates. The north coast of Puerto Rico is too wet and humid for these plants to bear fruit. I wonder if that is true in the generally drier, warmer southern regions of the island. Perhaps Puerto Rico can become a date-exporting nation. In any case, the date palm is widely used in ornamental plantings.

Coconut palm – Palma de coco (Cocos nucifera)

Cocos is a one species genus. Coconut palms have large spreading crowns of pinnate fronds. The smooth, slender trunks are often curved, a rare trait among the palms. Given their wide distribution, their origin is uncertain. Most experts think they originated in the Western Pacific.

A coconut tree typically produces 30 or so fruit a year. The fruits are technically drupes and not nuts. (I’m glad the fruit is misnamed – I’m not sure I could handle writing about cocodrupes). They have a hard shell and weigh four or five pounds. The trees can grow to 80 feet; one has to think a falling coconut represents some danger. In 1982, Dr. Peter Barss, a doctor practicing in Papua, New Guinea, published a paper with the ominous title “Injuries Due to Falling Coconuts” in the Journal of Trauma. Barss noted that, in his practice, 2.5% of the trauma admissions were the result of falling coconuts. He did not observe any deaths.

Barss’ work became the fuel for a persistent urban legend. People claimed more people died from falling coconuts than shark attacks. Officials in one town in Queensland, Australia removed coconut palms from the town beach. Poets got into the fray. The American poet Frederick Seidel wrote a poem he titled “Coconut.” It contains the following lines:

A coconut can fall and hit you on the head,

And if it falls from high enough can kind of knock you dead

Dead beneath the coconut palms, that’s the life for me!

(See the Wikipedia article Death by coconut for a complete attribution).

Now, there have been deaths by falling coconuts. Here are a few.

• Sometime around 1777, a concubine died after she was struck by “a falling green nut.” She was with the court of King Tetui of Managia in the Cook Islands.
• Four people died from falling coconuts in Sri Lanka in 1883.
• A US marine died when a falling coconut hit him in the head as he slept. This was on Guadalcanal, in 1943.
• In 1991, in Sri Lanka, a mourner at a funeral died when struck by a coconut.

The case of the US marine is intriguing. Imagine him, having survived an amphibious assault, battles with Japanese infantry, air attacks, and bombardment by Japanese battleships, dead from a falling coconut.

So some people have died from falling coconuts. I don’t know how that number compares to deaths by shark. I do know that, when I go to the the beach, I find a place in the shade of a coconut tree. But I look up to make sure I’m not directly under any hanging nut, or drupe, or whatever.

Three Not Yet Identified

Unknown One

I used the signage along the Paseo de Puerta de Tierra to identify the palm trees described above. I checked the identification with my palm tree book. See Notes and Sources. But there are several I cannot identify. Here are three of the most prominent.

Unknown number One (above) shows multiple trunks and large palmate fronds. I think it is a palm – I suppose it could be a Cycad or a Cyclanth or a Pandans or possibly a Cordylines. These plants are closely related to palms and are often confused with them by the inexperienced observer, of which I am a perfect example.

Unknown Two

I first thought Unknown 2 (above) was a member of the genus Phoenix and was thus a member of the date palms. It does share the unusual trunk structure and lack of a distinct crownshaft. However, the fronds are palmate, not pinnate.

The more mature example of Unknown 2 shows the palmate fronds to better effect.

Unknown Three

The third unknown has one very large palmate frond arranged in one plane. I’ve seen it used in ornamental plantings – for example, in the thin grass strip between a sidewalk and a building. One can see a good example of this type of planting on the south side of the old federal courthouse in Old San Juan.

Final Thoughts

I guess I’ve learned a bit about palm trees. It is amazing what one can see when one opens their eyes to what’s around them.

Notes and Sources

I relied heavily on the book Palms Throughout the World, by David L. Jones, Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington, D. C., 1995. The two figures are from this book. I got my copy via Amazon.

I used several articles in Wikipedia. The main article – Palm Trees – has links to articles about specific palm trees and other useful links.

I relied on the Wikipedia article Death by Coconut for information on that morbid topic.

The photos are all mine, edited with Adobe Lightroom and/or Photoshop.

Early February 2021

Introduction

Street art is constantly evolving. Old works get defaced, painted over. New works appear, get discovered. Here are some of my recent finds. I’ve arranged them by location. Then I’ll share some arranged by theme.

La Perla

La Perla is in Old San Juan, just outside the wall to the north, snuggled between the walled city and the Atlantic. The street art there seems to symbolize the neighborhood’s attempt to overcome a reputation for drugs and crime. I walked through there one recent Sunday afternoon. I found it lively, friendly, colorful.

I found images of people along the walkway by the ocean. They are probably well known Puerto Rican musicians but I have not further identified them. Here are a three of them.

The next four are details of a mural on a long wall. I could see parts of it – others sections were blocked by parked cars.

Calle Cerra

Calle Cerra runs south from Avenida Juan Ponce de Leon. It crosses Avenida Fernando Juncos and goes south for three more blocks. It is a small area rich in public art. And not all of it is wall murals. Here are some examples of yarn art I found on a fence.

Theme: Puerto Rican Flag

Artists often use the Puerto Rican flag as a starting point for their work. Here are some examples. I’ll identify the location in the captions.

Conclusion

I’ve been capturing images of street art here for six or seven years now. I am surprised, when I go through my images, to see how few of the works I’ve captured remain. So enjoy the images above while you can – the originals won’t be there for long.

Sources

These are all my images. In most cases, I’ve done minimal editing – I’ve cropped them to remove extraneous background and adjusted the levels. I did more extensive edits to the second to last Calle Cerra image. I made the background a uniform color and brightened the other colors. I use Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and sometimes InDesign for my work.

Late January 2021

Introduction

Wall art (street art, street murals, whatever) is temporary. The art fades, becomes defaced, gets painted over. I notice a one-time favorite gone. Sometimes I go through my library of images to remember them. Here are a few. You’ve probably seen some before. But they still intrigue me.

Calle Canale

Calle Canale connects Condado to Santurce. It goes underneath the highway separating the two neighborhoods and passes near the Placita de Mercado. Someone, some group, recently painted the bridge abutment.

Apparently ADMCRU identifies the work of a group of street artists. Click here for other examples of their work. I have to admit I don’t particularly like it. And I miss what was painted over. Here are some recent images of the artwork underneath the new paint.

I had long been intrigued by these works and had spent some time editing them. Here are three examples of my edits.

Copyright?

Someone commented on one of my earlier blogs on street art and wondered if I had obtained permission from the artists. He/she wondered if some of the works were protected by copyright. (I inadvertently deleted that comment before I could reply.)

I did some internet research. Here is what I think I learned. I am free to take pictures of wall art – they are public things in public places. I may or may not choose to identify the artist. In many cases, the artist is unidentified, as in the works above. If the artists name is on the mural, I try not to delete it.

I am free to edit my images any way I wish. Once I capture the image, it is mine and I can do with it what I want. I can share my work informally with my friends, and via, for example, this blog.

What I cannot do is use any of the my edits for profit. I can’t sell postcards based on the images without attempting to contact the artist and obtaining his/her permission and, perhaps, contractual arrangement. Which is too bad because I think some of my wall art edits would make attractive post/notecards.

I wonder what happens to a copyright if a work is painted over, as happened here. The original work no longer exists. My images are a record of what was and no longer what is. Does a copyright still pertain? Anyone care to share your thoughts with me?

Other Examples

Here is a comparison of what is now and once was on a wall on a side street near the Placita de Mercado.

You’ve seen this one before. The Woman with Green Face adorned a wall in the Sagrado Corazon neighborhood. She’s long since painted over.

Here is another mural that has long intrigued me, again in the Sagrado Corazon neighborhood.

Defacement

Here is another example of defacement.

I’m not sure how to translate the words on this mural. The best I can do is “Jose Luis Feliciano Pillo the bird the incest . .” And of course loco means crazy. If you can, feel free to send me a better translation.

New?

I noticed this mural the other day, on a side street off of Calle Cerra. I haven’t done any editing yet but I’m cdertainly intrigued.

The 1492 mural interests me. I’ll have to see what do with it once I start my edits. For example, would it be effective in black and white?

Stay tuned.

Mid January 2021

Introduction

The San Juan Star, the English language newspaper here, devotes two issues in late December to a recap of significant news events. I’ll use that as a starting point for my description of events as I experienced them. I’ll liven the post with images. They won’t necessarily relate to the topic but they’ll add some color.

January 2020

On January 3, the World Health Organization reported an outbreak of pneumonia caused by a new type of corona virus. The first cases were reported in Wuhan, China.

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the south western part of the island on Jaunary 6, Three Kings Day. A swarm of earthquakes had begun in that region on December 28, often with four or five small tremors each day.

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake occured in the early morning hours of January 7, again just off the south western coast. We felt the tremors here in San juan, about 70 miles away, and felt several aftershocks during that day. The earthqauke was strong enough to cause generating stations along the south coast to stop. Power went off across the whole island as crews reviewed damage. Fortunately, the power outage here lasted only six or so hours.

Puerto Rico is in a seismically complex zone and earthquakes are a constant risk. I wrote about that in an earlier post. Refresh your memory here.

On January 17, citizens were working to distribute supplies to people affected by the earthquakes. Officials found a warehouse in the La Guancha section of Ponce filled with supplies (cots, bottled water, disposable diapers, gas stoves, FEMA blue tarps, etc.) dating from October 2017 and that should have been distributed after Hurricane Maria. An activist posted a video on social media; thousands flocked to the site demanding that the supplies be distributed.

That same day, Governor Wanda Vasquez Garced fired Carlos Acevedo, then Director of the Emergency Management and Disaster Bureau. At the time, the Governor stated she did not know of the warehouse. A subsequent investigation revealed she had signed an “Joint Operational Catastrophic Incident Plan” that noted the warehouse and its cached supplies.

On Jaunary 27, the Puerto Rico Health Secretary, Rafael Rodriguez Marcado, said he thought covid would not arrive on the island since there were no direct flights from China to Puerto Rico. He was more worried about the illegal aliens arriving from China as potential virus carriers. He did not give numbers for how many individuals that might entail.

February

San Juan hosted the Caribbean Series (Serie del Carribe) at the Hiram Bitthorn Stadium in Hato Rey. Five countries besides San Juan sent teams. Click here for an earlier post.

On February 24, Neulisa Alexa Luciano Ruiz, a homeless, Black, trans woman was murdered in Toa Baja, in the eastern part of the San Juan metro complex. Someone had called the police and reported, falsely, that Ruiz had used the women’s bathroom in a local McDonalds. The Puerto Rican LGBTQIAP+ community held a vigil at the Unversity of Puerto Rico to pay respect and raise awareness. The theme was that trans lives matter and deserve better.

There has not yet been an arrest in the case.

March

On March 1, Health Chief Rodriguez Marcado said that the coronavirus could arrive in Puerto Rico after all. He noted the first case in the Dominican Republic, brought by an Italian woman there on holiday.

On March 8, the Puerto Rican Health Department noted its first suspicious case – a 68 year old Italian woman who had flown from Italy to Miami to board the cruise ship Costa Luminosa. San Juan was its first port call; Jamaica had barred it for corona virus fears. She was treated at the Ashford Presbyterian Hospital in Condado,

A Panamanian doctor arrived and vacationed in San Juan during the first full week of March. Among other things, he attended the National Day of Salsa – with 25,000 other people – at the Hiram Bitthorn Stadium in Hato Rey. He discovered, upon his return to Panama, he was covid-19 positive. The Puerto Rican Health Department, starting on March 11, scrambled to trace his activities while here.

Governor Vazquez declared a state of emergency on March 12.

Rodriguez Marcado resigned as Secretary of Health, effective March 13. There were at that time three confirmed covid cases on the island.

The first covid-related death occurred during the week on March 15. She was a 48-year old private school teacher, married to a police officer. There were no reports of pre-existing conditions.

Governor Vazquez ordered a full lock-down starting March 19.

April

On April 5, the Health Department executed a contract with contractors Apex and 313 LLC for around a million coronovirus rapid test kits. The contract was worth $38 million dollars. Neither company had experience with medical device management; both had ties to the ruling New Progressive Party. Governor Vazquez, on April 8, defended the contract, calling the arguments against it “distractions.” She alleged that no permission was required since the island was under a state of emergency. Natalie Jaresko, Executive Director of the Financial Oversight and Management Board, stated on April 9 that all government purchases were subject to review.

By the end of April, 92 people here had died from covid.

May

A group of mothers aided by various non-profits sued the government to keep school cafeterias open. They argued that, given the high rate of poverty among school-aged children (6 in 10 by some estimates), the school cafeterias provided a major part of their nutritional needs. The government counter-argument pointed out that 64% of cafeteria workers were elderly and at increased covid risk. On May 7, a judge agreed to consider the lawsuit.

On May 27, 27 year old Erica Rodriguez became the youngest Puerto Rican yet to die of covid.

There were 129 recorded covid deaths as of May 27.

June

Governor Vazquez on June 1 signed new Civil and Electoral Codes. The LGBTQIAP+ and various community organizations opposed the legislation, arguing the process had lacked transparency and the code could create confusion over earned rights such as abortion, marriage equality, gender change on birth certificates, and surrogacy.

The new Electoral Code went into effect before the primaries.

On June 11, Governor Vazquez allowed some businesses to reopen. External tourism remained closed.

As of June 24, 149 Puerto Ricans had died from covid.

July

In a July 12 interview with The New York Times, former secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke reported that President Trump’s first reaction to Hurricane Maria in 2017 was to sell Puerto Rico.

Protestors, some in traditional Taino clothing, demanded the U. S. Government remove statues of Spanish explorers, including those of Christopher Columbus and Ponce de Leon. This happened on July 11.

On July 16, Governor Vazquez again ordered the closure of bars, movie theaters, and gymnasiums.

On the last day of July,Tropical Storm Isaias passed north of the island but close enough to cause damage. About 448,000 people and 23 hospitals lost power; 150,000 lost water service because of the power outage or blocked intakes. Yauco had no power and was cut off by floods or fallen trees.

August

On August 3, Jose Ortiz resigned. He had been the CEO of PREPA, the state-owned power utility. Thousands were still without power. Ortiz could not explain why the power grid, rebuilt after Hurricane Maria, was so vulnerable to gale-force winds.

Island-wide primary elections, orginally scheduled for June, began on August 9. A shortage of ballots in some polling places caused some polling places to reopen on August 16. Governor Vazquez lost her primary.

A 8 cm thick auxillary cable pulled out of its socket at the Arecibo radio telescope during the early morning hours of August 10. The cable ripped through some of the aluminum panels making up the dish. A main cable snapped on November 10; the whole structure collapsed on December 1.

On August 17, the FBI arrested Representative Maria Milagros Charbonier on corruption charges. She was known for her anti-LGBTQ positions.

September

October

An illegal landfill was found in Aguas Buenas. The mayor explained the pandemic’s lockdown had given residents time to do home remodeling projects. The landfill was needed for the trash from those projects. The municipality had requested a permit for the landfill; the request had been tied up for five months.

November

Island wide elections were conducted on November 3. I wrote about them earlier – click here to read that post.

On November 5, the FBI arrested Representative Nestor Alonso on corruption charges.

On November 9. a contract dispute between LUMA Energy and PREPA, the state-owned power authority, comes to light. PREPA may have to pay LUMA $100 million more than expected. The disputes hinges on LUMA’s tax empt status.

On November 16, the Puerto Rican Department of Transportation (DTOP) introduced a new digital ticketing system. The DTOP claimed the new system will end the incorrect issuing of traffic tickets and make routine tasks like license or registration renewal easier.

On November 19, Resident Commissioner Jennifer Gonzalez Colon made a case for statehood on the floor of the US Congress. She noted 623,000 of those who cast ballots in the November 3 election voted yes on the statehood issue, a clear majority. She also noted the question of statehood gained more votes than any other party or candidate on the ballot.

On November 24, Special Independent Prosecutors Miguel Colon Ortiz and Leticia Pabon said they did not have sufficient evidence to prosecute participants in the Telegram chat scandal. That scandal, also known as RikiLeaks, began when the press published transcripts of chats among then Governor Ricardo Rossello Nevares and his staff. The chats were often homophobic, misogynist and otherwise outrageous but apparently not illegal. The scandal did cause Rosello to resign in August 2019 after several days of riots.

December

Yashaira Alicea, a respiratory therapist in a San Juan emergency room, was the first person in Puerto Rico to get vaccinated against covid. Dr. Samuel Suarez also received the vaccine. He treated Dona Rosa, the italian tourist from the cruise ship Costa Luminosa. This happened on December 15.

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said on December 23 she would consider returning to politics and run for office in 2024. In the meantime, she had accepted an offer from an unnamed university in Massachusetts. She said she would write a book about her two mayoral terms with emphasis on crisis management. In August,Cruz lost her party’s primary for governor.

On December 28, Governor Vazquez signed an executive order saying the reconstruction of the Arecibo Observatory was an official policy objective of the Puerto Rican government.

As of the end of December, 1,521 Puerto Ricans had died of covid.

Notes and Sources

Most of this material is from the San Juan Star. I augmented that information with various Wikipedia articles including 2020 in Puerto Rico, and COVID-19 Pandemic in Puerto Rico.