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Recent History of Amigos de Bucerias

The most recent effort to form a civil association, Amigos de Bucerias, was started less than two years ago by a handful of Mexican Bucerias residents joined by part/full time residents from the U.S. and Canada with the idea "to protect and enhance the quality of life of Bucerias."

The Amigos most visible project was the placing of litter barrels throughout Colonial Dorado, under the direction of Anne Milling and Candace Cragg, who came to be known as the “trash ladies”.

Later, the Amigos group directed considerable attention to the problem of inadequate and intermittent water service to the city’s residents and businesses. The Municipality has started to correct the problem by drilling a new water well and a building a new reservoir.

In February of 2006, after Amigos’ first President Bill Grant resigned for health reasons, Enrique Anaya stepped up from Vice President to lead the newly reorganized group. New committees were formed and new ideas were offered, including establishing this website, publishing and distributing a monthly newsletter, membership discounts, and a commitment to bi-lingual meetings and activities.

An arroyo cleanup in March was the new Amigos’ first big success, enlisting many Bucerias citizens and visitors, as well as the cooperation of local government officials, who supplied labor and equipment.

Today, Amigos de Bucerias committees are working on several environmental as well as educational and informational projects. Click on the various committees for a description of activities that would encourage you to get involved.

General membership meetings are held every month to discuss issues and activities and seek solutions for problems that affect our community.

Please join us and help make this town the best one around!

Earlier History of Amigos

By Bill Grant

Prior to the “Amigos” organization being formed a small group of Bucerias residents including Doug DeMeerleer, John Koruga, Kermit Johnson and Bill Grant met with President Hector Paniagua of the County Government in his office in Bahia de Banderas. The President listened to our concerns and said that he and his administration would cooperate with us and help us solve some of the problems of Bucerias. He then introduced us to Juan Cuevas Topete the Public Works Director and to Juan de Dios the head of Urban Planning. In the months ahead all of these people were instrumental in working on our biggest concerns and helping us meet the right officials and allowing their personnel to assist us by attending our meetings and providing the “Amigos” with up to date information.

After these meetings it was decided that we needed an organization that would involve all members of the Community, with an emphasis on getting more involvement of our Mexican neighbors.

The “Amigos” first meeting was held on January 26, of 2005. We gathered together a group of concerned residents, and visitors of the little town of Bucerias, Nayarit Mexico. (Population 8,888 – in 2005) The main concerns of those attending the meeting were the sewage discharge into the Bay of Banderas, infrequent water supply, poor roads, dirty streets and beaches, building codes or lack of them, and a long range urban plan for the Bahia de Banderas area. (The County, of Bahia de Banderas includes the cities, Of. Nuevo Vallarta, Mezcales, San Vincente, La Povenir, San José, San Juan Abajo, Valle, Bucerias, Punta de Mita, Sayulita, San Francisco, and Lo de Marco.)

People voiced many complaints and it was decided to elect a group of officers and Committee chairpersons to look into how to approach the Mexican Government Officials and bring about positive changes to a City we all love.

After a few meetings elected or appointed our Officers headed by myself as President, Vice-President Anne Milling, Secretary John Ed Lee and then David Kamp, Treasurer Candace Cragg and later Cliff Burnham. The following Committees were formed with chairpersons: Water & Sewer-Joana Quickstad, Education & Environment Guadalupe Velasco, Relations with Mexican Government, Mario Topete. Street & Beach Committee-Anne Milling, Candace Cragg, and Gina Portanova.

Our volunteers for the Beach & Street Cleanup Committee; proposed to buy litter barrels, to distribute around the town. We also hired two part-time people to clean all the streets and the beaches between the “Arroyo” and the DeCameron Resort, from the Main Hiway to the Beaches. We purchased 75 barrels at 240 pesos each. Personalized barrels were sold at 300 pesos each. A Community wide cleanup of the beaches was also held with the help of the “Amigos,” the “Rotary,” and Teachers and students of “Collegio Bucerias” and downtown business people.

The Water & Sewer Committee was formed under the chairmanship of Joana Quickstad and the input of Mario Topete, and Ron Tackett. They visited a number of water wells in the Bucerias area. The first wells were dug by farmers for agricultural irrigation. It was discovered that the “Four Seasons Resort” at Punta de Mita has the largest well and water system located along the canal road past Avenue Estactiones and “Colegio Bucerias.” There are functioning wells in Bucerias. Three belong to local farmers who use them for irrigation. SIAPA is presently working on the water problem by building a new water reservoir with a capacity of 1,000,000 cubic feet and a new water well will provide sufficient water for the villages of Punta Mita, La Cruz and Bucerias.

The question was asked about the level of the underground aquifer. No one had any answers.

On February 23, 2005 a Meeting was held at the Cactus Inn, hosted by Mario Topete. Guest speaker was Delegado Ruben Rivas: Sr. Rivas represents Bucerias at the meetings of the Municipality of Bahia de Banderas, he has no budget but makes known the needs and projects of Bucerias before the County government and reports directly to the President of the Municipality, President Paniagua. He spends much time speaking to groups and individuals about problems that affect the livability of Bucerias. Sr. Rivas said that his highest priority for Bucerias is an adequate sewer and water system. Sr. Rivas reiterated that he is committed to working with organizations such as the “Amigos.”

On March 30, 2005 a meeting of over 50 people including U.S. Canadian and Mexican Citizens was held at the Bungalows Arroyo. The meeting was conducted in Spanish as a majority of those present were Mexicans. Jaime Agraz Alvarez the water & sewer consultant to the President of Bahia de Banderas. Sr. Also in attendance was the Director of Operations for SIAPA Engineer, Ruben Heredia Pargas. Both spoke and answered questions regarding the problems with an expanded water system serving many thousands of people without an adequate infrastructure of new pipes and an inadequate water supply. “I have found as the interim Director many mistakes that have been made in the past regarding the sewage which has been pouring into the Bay. We have ordered new heavy duty pipes to carry the sewage discharge from the Arroyo and have also ordered and will shortly install a new pumping station at this same location which will pump the discharge to the new Sewage treatment plant. “...First we found that the pumps that were purchased three years ago did not have the capacity to pump the large amount of sewage up the hill to the treatment plant. Secondly, the pipes were made of plastic and were not strong enough or large enough and needed to be replaced with steel pipes. Thirdly, there was a problem with rain and irrigation water entering the sewer lines and filling them with sand.”

The solutions regarding sewer problems were the addition of 1.2 million dollars to be spent correcting the mistakes made in the past. As of April, 2005 the sewage problems seem to have been solved. There are however many homes in the newer neighborhoods that have not yet been connected and may or may not have septic tanks.

SIAPA is presently working on the water problem by building a new water reservoir with a capacity of 1,000,000 cubic feet and a new water well will provide sufficient water for the villages of Punta Mita, La Cruz and Bucerias.

The Education and Environmental Committee chaired by Guadalupe Velasco met from January 2,005 to the present time and focused on how each of us could become more aware of our environment and educate ourselves and the Community on environmental problems and prevent future problems and correct past mistakes. Her committee gathered a group of neighborhood children and parents each week to learn, and to display their small posters in the Community, showing by example that the very young were willing to take action to make our streets and beaches cleaner. They learned about the importance of water and recycling of garage by taking walking tours. During Semana Santa they provided recyclable paper bags for people to use on the beaches. They also met and learned how to make compost in their own yards.

Communications regarding our meetings was conducted by sending e-mails to lists provided by Valiene Heckart, Don Merriman and Bill Grant. A free ad was placed by Cara Anderson in “The Key Guide to Bucerias.” describing our organization. An “Amigos” sign was displayed on a horse drawn cart powered by “poncho” and provided by Molly and Latcho Fisher.

During the summer months from June through August most of the Canadians and American return to their respective countries. There was only one meeting that took place during this time period. The meeting was called because of concern about high rise buildings being constructed. On July 20, 2005 a full house of eighty people packed "Mark’s Restaurant" to hear Juan de Dios Lomeli Madrigal, Director of Urban and Ecolological Development for the “Bahia de Banderas.” One proposed seven story building was located between Casa Linda and Bungalows Un Elma on Lazaro Cardenas Avenue. Another six story building was being constructed next Casa Blanca on the beach property near “Mark’s.”

Juan de Dios explained that the Municipality does have a development plan, but his office is not always able to enforce it due to lack of staff. It is legal to build six stories on the beach, but regulations on parking space call for ½ a space per unit, and the ratio of lot size to bedrooms must be met. Comments by residents of Bucerias were from Anne and Bob Milling; “...six and seven story buildings are too much for the infrastructure of a little town like Bucerias. We don’t have enough water and electricity now! What about parking?... The charm of Bucerias will be destroyed by these large building projects and fewer tourists will want to visit our town a second time.” John Koruga; “...Soon you will have to make an appointment to go to the beach...It’s going to end up just like Nuevo Vallarta. In related matters, property owners and a former Bucerias representative say a rumor about extending Lazaro Cardenas into “El Centro” at the footbridge is untrue.

In November of 2005, I asked Enrique Anaya to serve as Vice-President as the person holding that position was no longer an active member. Also, following the resignation of David Kamp, I appointed Indira Gordillo as Secretary. In January 2,005, I resigned as President due to health reasons and because his one year term of office was ending.
 
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