Sosua News
The past two days Sosúa has again been plagued by heavy tropical rains. Again, the streets were flooded. In many places like Super Super, Europa Hotel and the entrance to the Casino Playa Chiquito, the water stood half a meter high. Again, residents in Maranatha, Sosúa Abajo and Bella Vista have been badly affected by floods because the river burst its banks again. Many houses are flooded again. Fortunately, the residents had taken precautions because they moved their furniture and furnishings to the church for safety. But the houses have suffered a lot from the recurrent rains in recent weeks. And of minor importance, also the dance contest last Friday night in the Gran Velero Bar Disco was canceled due to rain. It seems that the climate is totally confused. Many residents of Sosúa say they cannot remember it has rained so often and heavy.
A resident of Sosúa, the 21 year old Joelysa Rodriguez Morales, won this week the Miss Princess of the World election. The election, which took place at the Hotel Costa Caribe in Juan Dolio, was held over several rounds. At the beauty contest participants from Venezuela, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Mexico, USA, Colombia took part. It is not for the first time Joelysa Rodriguez Morales won a prize. She was previously Queen of Coral Dominican Republic, Miss Latin America, and Miss World Beach. She is also contracted for various clothing lines and magazines working as a top model.
The election campaign is running at full force and apparently also by all means. Now the supporters of the PLD (Liberal Party, currently ruling party) according to Félix Corona, press officer of the municipality of Sosúa, have violated all limits of decency. They say, this is told by Félix Corona, that the mayor Ilana Neumann, a member of the PRD (Democratic Social Party) intends to transfer to the PLD. The press officer and the mayor Ilana Neumann deny emphatically that switching to the other party is at issue. According to Félix Corona the supporters of the PLD try to confuse the PRD supporters. The mayor said that her mother Nieve Hernández Neumann has been a member of the party since its foundation in 1963. A party led by the legendary and renowned Juan Bosch. Ilana Neumann is still 100% behind the presidential candidate Hipólito Mejía. This is therefore reflected in the numerous billboards that are hung everywhere with the both pictured together.
Source: El Faro and Puerto Plata Digital
Sunday May 6, the students of the ‘Emily Watson School of Dance’ will do a dance show in the auditorium of the Casa Marina Resort. The dance school teaches dances like ballet, hip hop, tap, modern, musical theater and salsa. The students range in ages from 4 to 70 years. The different dance groups have practiced for months on their dancing skills and want to show to a wide audience how far they advanced in the art of dance this Sunday evening. Because so many young children participate in the dance event, it starts already at 7 PM. Entrance fee is 150 pesos for adults and 100 pesos for children.
Last Tuesday, May 1, so on the all around the world celebrated Labour Day, the editors of Sosúa Online organized a BBQ for all co-workers of the news service. Besides the permanent members of the editorial staff at home, the news service has about a few dozen co-workers abroad that inform us about the latest developments. There are a lot of Sosúa residents living abroad and they still feel involved with there hometown. The co-workers in New York and Spain of course could not be physically present at the party, but left postings on the chat box that they were with them in their thoughts. The editors of Sosúa-News like to wish their colleagues of Sosúa Online the best of luck and we hope to continue our collegial cooperation.
In Gran Velero disco there will be held on Friday 4 May and Friday 11 May a Dembow dance competition. Dembow is actually the name for the rhythm which can be heard in most reggaeton songs. It is a very rhythmic music with mainly sexual texts. The dance resembles a mating dance and the dance moves are very erotic. You can dance as an individual or with a group. Dembow dancing is not as easy as it looks because it requires a lot of acrobatic qualities and very loose hips. So for the coming Dembow dance competition you can subscribe yourself at the bar of Gran Velero. Friday May 4 is the first round and Friday May 11 the final. The management of Disco Gran Velero has 15,000 pesos in prizes available.
Last Saturday April 28, President Leonel Fernández paid a short visit to Sosúa. He came personally to have himself informed about the damage that was done by the days-long rain of last week. The president promised that the victims will receive a compensation for the damage from the central government. Then the President went on to the neighborhood La Unión, where he laid the foundation stone for the for such a long time promised public hospital. The President assured the attendees that the government has made the money available for the construction of the hospital. Subsequently, the President visited the airbase where he opened a new chapel.
On Tuesday, April 24, there was a festive commemoration that 518 years ago the first settlement ‘Villa Isabela’ was founded by Columbus. With the foundation of this settlement near Puerto Plata the first city council in the new world was established. Nowadays there is much criticism of the conduct of Columbus. His birthday for example is not commemorated anymore in the Dominican Republic. This former holiday has changed in the celebration of the ‘Day of the Races’. Yet, April 24th is commemorated and celebrated by all city councils across the country. So also at the city hall of Sosúa under the presidency of Mayor Ilana Neumann, all councilors and municipal officials gathered to celebrate this historic event with a speech and a drink with a snack.
Currently twenty trucks drive around the country to deliver food packages at 700 different places for 50% of the retail price. This action is performed under the supervision of the Minister of Agriculture engineer Salvador (Chio) Jiménez and was commissioned by President Leonel Fernández. The packages have a retail value of 475 pesos but will be sold for 200 pesos. The packages include onion, garlic, spaghetti, beans, oats, oil, rice, brown sugar and chicken.With these efforts, the president, according to the spokesman of the government, wants to fight the price speculation and inflation of prices for basic food. That this food distribution happens just before the elections take place is purely coincidental said the spokesman. In the coming week the caravan with cheap food will also stop in Sosúa. The grocers in Sosúa are not so positive about this action of their president because they fear loss of sales.
Source: Listen Diario
President Leonel Fernández has ordered to hand out hundreds of food parcels to the victims of the heavy rainfall in Sosúa. The packages must be sufficient for the victims to survive for two weeks. The packages include cooking oil, snacks, rice, spaghetti, salami, tomato sauce, garlic, pasta sauce and herbs. Besides that many houses were swept away by water or heavily damaged many homes have also suffered from water damage making the furniture, bedding and mattresses useless. Mayor Ilana Neumann has made some schools as temporary shelters available. But many residents dare not leave their house because they fear that they will be robbed of their meager possessions. The Mayor has therefore ordered the civil guard and the police to keep an eye on the empty houses.
Source: Puerto Plata Digital
