Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - There's always so much going on in Puerto Vallarta and around Banderas Bay, it can be difficult to keep up with it all. So we've put together a brief overview of some of this week's news headlines from local Spanish language publications, a few breaking news stories, and some upcoming events you won't want to miss.

9th Puerto Vallarta Altruism Festival, May 5

CasaMagna Marriott Resort Puerto Vallarta and American Consular Agent Kelly Trainor have teamed up again to host the 9th Annual International Festival of Altruism. This year’s gastronomic and cultural event will take place on Sunday, May 5, beginning at 6:00 pm, in the beautiful beachfront garden of the CasaMagna Marriott Resort in Marina Vallarta.

Some of the best restaurants in the Puerto Vallarta area will be offering food and refreshments, accompanied by live entertainment, dancing and cultural representations. Twenty-four charitable organizations will be hosting displays highlighting the great impact they have on the community. Tickets are $300 pesos in advance and $400 pesos at the door.

100% of monies collected will be equally distributed among the charity organizations. For more information, or to get your tickets, call the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & SPA) at (322) 226-0000 Ext. 6222, or your favorite local charity.

New Magnolia Species Named Vallarta's Official Flower

After being published in Recursos Forestales en el Occidente de México last month, the new species of magnolia that was discovered in August of 2012 by researchers at the University of Guadalajara has been named Puerto Vallarta's official flower. José Antonio Vázquez García, a researcher at CUC's Agricultural Biological Sciences (CUCBA) Institute of Botany, reported that the new species was named Magnolia Vallartensis as it is endemic to the area, and can only be found in the Puerto Vallarta and Cabo Corrientes regions. In the coming weeks, a planting ceremony will take place on the Isla Rio Cuale, where the climate is perfect for the Magnolia Vallartensis to grow - and to be enjoyed by locals and visitors.

New Mayor Cleaning Up Vallarta's Scenery

After being in office for less than six months, Mayor Ramón Guerrero has already made several improvements to Puerto Vallarta’s image - the latest of which is the removal of large billboards and other unsightly signs that cluttered the city's natural scenery. Some of the most noticeable removals include the commercial signage promoting Plaza Neptuno, Soriana Playa de Oro, Plaza Caracol, and several car dealerships along Fco. Medina Ascencio. The Mayor's decision to clean up the city's visual image has been received favorably by local business chambers, the tourism bureau, the hotel/motel association and the general public, all of which would rather welcome visitors with a more appealing landscape.

City Officials Meet with Expat Associations

A meeting between Puerto Vallarta's Municipal Authorities and several of the South side's expat and neighborhood associations was held at El Torito Sports Bar on April 10th. The meeting's objective was to establish new direct channels of communication between resident English-speaking community leaders, the heads of the city's Public Safety, Transit Police, the new Internal Affairs office, and taxi union leaders - and to reiterate their commitment to the Taxi Safe program.

Established in 2011 by local businessmen Don Pickens and Sid Goodman in collaboration with CTM syndicate leader Sr. Hector Sanchez, the Taxi Safe Program provides Puerto Vallarta tourists and locals with safe transportation recommendations and a website, taxisafepv.com, that makes it easy to report crimes committed by taxi drivers or the local police for internal investigation. During the meeting, Puerto Vallarta's Chief of Police and Public Safety, Cor. Silvestre Chavez Garcia, expressed his department's commitment to this new Conflict Resolution Program geared towards better serving the English-speaking residents and tourists of Puerto Vallarta.

Upcoming Events in Puerto Vallarta and Around the Bay
Click on titles for more information

• Punta Mita's Third Annual Gourmet and Golf Classic

• The Huichol & Their Spirit Animals at Gallery Tanana

• Becas Breakfast at Coco's Kitchen

• Vallarta Yacht Club's 2013 WesMex Regatta

Don't forget to vote for your favorite Puerto Vallarta restaurants in our 2013 Best of Banderas Bay Awards, right HERE on BanderasNews.com. We'll be collecting your votes in categories ranging from 'Best Breakfast' to 'Best Margarita' through December 31st, and the Puerto Vallarta restaurant with the most votes in each category will be named 'The Best of Banderas Bay' at an awards ceremony in early 2014. Click HERE to vote NOW!