A new look for the Panama Star

Coming soon, to a news stand near you, and on the Net too, the new look eight page Panama Star. The country’s oldest newspaper was first published in 1849, when a trio of Americans were on their way to the California Gold Rush, and they decided to start a publication for the thousands of fortune hunters waiting for passage to San Francisco.

They didn’t stay long, but the paper lived on to add a Spanish section (La Estrella) and later, during the De Lessep attempt to construct a canal, a French section, making it the only tri-lingual newspaper on the continent, perhaps in the world.

The paper later merged with the rival Panama Herald, and went on to record major events in the country’s history from the opening of the first trans-continental railway to independence from Spain and later from Columbia, the construction of the Canal, the dictatorship and, in Estrella, the US Invasion and the handing over of the Canal to the Panamanian people.

It re-emerged in September 2007, and now has a loyal following of English and Spanish speaking readers, who sometime voice their opinions loudly, sometimes with grace, but either way we are glad to hear from you, particularly in the form of a letter to the editor, or an editorial contribution.

In the new edition we will be devoting more space to social events, and welcome news of upcoming functions for inclusion in our Diary section, which will be expanded to fill a page.

In the meantime we have prepared a survey, asking readers to tell us what they most enjoy about the paper and what they would like to see more or less of. If you would like to be included, please e.mail me.

It was thrilling to see the thousands of citizens who thronged the Cinta Costera, the city’s new gathering spot on the weekend. Lots of untanned legs sprouting from beneath new shorts and ample waist lines, as they sweated their way along the jogging track. Let’s hope it’s not just a seven day wonder like New Year’s get fit resolutions.

The Coastal Strip could play a big role in helping to reduce the chronic obesity problem. It will also help stir the economy, at least for stores selling sports clothing.

Among the jogging, walking and cycling crowds I spotted a former president making good time in a track suit, some well known boxers, and scores of high level business execs. When I decided to take a break at Café Boulevard Balboa, I bumped into Balbina Herrera ? not in sports gear.

The black spot of the day was the litter. My e-mail box, radio has been overloaded with messages from concerned citizens complaining about the garbage on what many already perceive as a new jewel of the city.

While the mayor’s office ponders how to pay for the cleaning and maintenance of the new ocean frontage , and the Electoral Tribunal dithers over who really is mayor, readers have a host of suggestions. First off of course: “more litter bins”. Others include include fines for littering, and charging by the hour for parking cars Monday to Friday. It already appears that office workers between The Intercontinental Miramar Hotel and Paitilla have found a convenient place to leave their cars for the day. Further along, opposite the Boulevard Balboa restaurant a mobile home has been parked for four days.

Some other suggestions : the installation near the jogging path, of what used to be called mileposts, to indicate how many kilometers you may have slogged to achieve that sylph like profile, and some stop lights to allow pedestrians to cross the six lanes of Avenida Balboa.