Craft and food fairs, parades and concerts for Cuenca holidays; Bidding begins for new hospital; 10 de Agosto market plans to go solar; 52 fires in October

Miércoles, 30/10/2024

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
See articles below.

Titular –
Fiestas sin cortes de luz (Holidays without blackouts) – See article in today’s (miércoles) CHL for story.

Cuenca –

Cuenca tiene todo en sus fiestas (Cuenca has everything in its festivities) – In addition to several large concerts and 4 stages of music along Huayna Cápac, there are gastronomic events, and crafts sales this coming long weekend. <So make a stop at the ATM and then Start Shopping!>

Bids are going out for the new hospital in Ricaurate. It is one of three municipal hospitals the city of Cuenca plans to build. (El Mercurio)

Agenda –
Del 31 de octubre al 3 noviembre:
10:00 – Festival gastronómico – Mercados 27 de Febrero, 12 de Abril, 10 de Agosto, 9 de Octubre, 3 de Noviembre, 4 de Noviembre & El Arenal.
Del 31 de octubre al 4 noviembre:
10:00 – Festival Artesanías de América, Iberoamericana – Barranco del río Tomebamba & gardens of CIDAP, Av. 12 de Abril y Paseo Tres de Noviembre.
Jueves, 31/10:
9:00 – Student parade – Starts from Parque de San Blas, parade route along Calle Bolívar to parque Calderón.
20:00 – Concierto – Paola Jara, Búfalos & Yo me llamo Jessi Uribe – Parque da La Libertad, Nicanor Merchán y Luis León.
18:00 – Concierto de jazz y blues – Parque de San Sebastián, Sucre y Coronel Tálbot.
1 -3 de noviembre, 20:00 – Fiesta electrónica, Presentación de Marlie, Lamache & various national DJs – Casa Groove, calle de La Condamine.
Viernes, 1/11, 19:00:
‘Huaynacapazo,’ 4 stages, 12 artists – Av. Huayna Cápac and its intersections.
Sabado & Domingo, 2 & 3/11:
10:00 – Fiesta de los sabores cuencanos – Sports field in the ciudadela Álvarez Pillahuaso y Quisquis.
Sábado 2/11, 20:00 – Concierto with Piso 21, Aldo Ranks &n Javier Neira – Estadio Alejandro Serrano Aguilar.
Domingo 3/11:
8:00 – Mass of thanksgiving – Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, Benigno Malo & Mariscal Sucre.
9:00 – Placing of floral offerings – Glorieta del parque Calderón.
11:00 – Solemn session – Salón de la Ciudad
14:00 – Concierto with Inmortal Kultura, Anima Inside, High Modo, Los Zuchos del Vado, Ivenno, La Colmena, Santa Muerte, Burdel Blues <There is a house in New Orleans?>, Papá Changó & Tigres del Chaulafán – Parque Jacaranda, Av. de las Américas & de Las Laderas.
20:00 – Concierto with Luis Mateus, Duban BAyona, Jimmy Sossa, Delmi Escobar & the voices of the vallenato – Ciudadela Álvarez, Paseo de los Cañaris.

Feria de arte “ArtCue” (“ArtCue” Art Fair) – The fiestas of Cuenca also includes the “ArtCue” fair with participation by 50 local and national artists, galleries, collectors and featured actors in the cultural sphere. It will be in the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno (MMAM) from el 1-4/11. Tania Navarrete, chief of Promoción de Patrimonio y Conocimiento of the Cuenca GAD explained the feria is to energize the cultural economy and promote the art market through direct sales of art. They are looking to create a collaborative network with artists, collectors <those would be us gringos who buy local art>, galleries and marchantes (art dealers – our new word for the day). Among the invited artists are Ana Fernández, Hernán Illescas and Ariel Dawi. Emerging artists include Juliana Vidal, Sonia Pachco, & Yinna HIguera. The program will include conferences with Alexandra Kennedy, art historian, Ana Rodríguez, cultural manager, and Pablo Calero, art collector, who will reflect on the current state of art.

Crece interés por energía solar (Growing interest in solar energy) – The 600 merchants in the mercado 10 de Agosto have proposed a project to install solar panels on a terrace of the building. The goal is to generate their own electricity which will reduce their operating costs and promote use of renewable energy as well as contributing to environmental sustainability and modernize the market. Rogelio Brito, a director of the merchants, said they have identified an area of 490 sq. meters where they can put the solar panels. The vendors will finance the purchase and installation of the equipment, but also hope they will have support from the Municipio de Cuenca and the Gobierno Provincial del Azuay. They expect/hope that the studies will be finalized before the end of the year so they can sign an agreement with the city and province to start the purchase of the equipment.

The mercado wants to be a model for other establishments of this type to promote the adoption of clean energy in the whole country. <Since the clean hydroelectric energy that powers most of the country is demonstrating its deficiencies as we sit in the dark.> Hernán Toalongo, another director, said that the plan is to create a $60,000 fund, initially for a new generator since the current one is over 20 years old and at the end of its useful life. The Empresa Eléctrica Regional Centro Sur (EERCS) is installing two way meters so the energy generated by the solar panels can be fed into the public system. The EERCS will be in charge of applying the discounts to electric bills for the ratepayers who will create the energy for everyone to consume.

Municipio inicia contratación para el hospital en Ricaurte (Municipality starts contracting for the hospital in Ricaurte) – Mayor Cristian Zamora announced that the international competitive bidding process for the new municipal hospital in Ricaurte has started. The Municipio has already published the requests for bids for 2 other hospitals in El Valle and Baños. The 3 hospitals were part of Zamora’s campaign promises and will be similar to the Hospital del Niño y la Mujer in Patamarca. The estimated budget for the hospital is $7,385,499.49 without IVA and the construction period is estimated at 360 days. Bids are due by el 1/12 with the bid award el 26/12. The hospital will have 21 beds in an area of 3,500 sq. meters.

Sucesos –

52 incendios forestales ocurrieron en octubre (52 forest fires occurred in October) – The fire department announced that so far in octubre, the department has responded to 52 emergencies for forest fires, 39 for burning vegetation and 12 for burning garbage. It is asking citizens to avoid making fires which leave environmental damage and sometimes affect families whose houses or outbuildings for animals are damaged. Agricultural burning is among the main causes of starting forest fires. There is a campaign called “Yo cuido los bosques” (I take care of forests) by the City of Cuenca. The penal code has penalties of 1-3 years for starting forest fires either directly or indirectly. The penalty goes up to 13-16 years if the fire causes a death of a person.

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne