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 several of this week's news headlines from local Spanish language publications, a few community announcements, and some upcoming events you won't want to miss.

American School Offers Sharks Summer Camp

From July 8-26th, the American School of Puerto Vallarta will hold the 2013 'Sharks' Summer Camp for all local children between the ages of 3 and 14 years old. With an attractive schedule of activities designed to strengthen physical and mental skills, the Summer Camp will include soccer, basketball, volleyball, dance, swimming, gymnastics and baseball lessons. There will also be different workshops, and weekly excursions to off-campus venues. like the beach, the bowling alley, and the movies. The camp runs every day from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm, with different registration options. Kids can attend camp for one week for $2150 pesos, two weeks for $3150 pesos, or all three weeks for just $3650 pesos. Discounts are offered to families with multiple children. No matter which you option choose, enrollment fees include two camp T-shirts, daily lunch, water and juices, as well as accident insurance for each child. For more information, call the school at (322) 226-7674 Ext. 401.

Lomas del Valle Builds School with Plastic Bottles and Tires

The Aún es Tiempo de Recibir ("There is still time to receive") civil association is building a primary school in Lomas del Valle. What makes this school special is that it is being built out of plastic bottles and car tires. Its construction will require 12,600 plastic bottles and 2,500 tires, which will be used for retaining walls as the school is now at the foot of a hill. According to the association's secretary, Lidia Torres, the idea is to work with the poorest communities, and in Lomas del Valle, the existing school structure consists of mesh, canvas and many shortcomings. So they decided to help the school with a self-sustainable and environmentally friendly project. With technical support, they found that plastic bottle filled with sand can serve much like brick in that they are anti-flammable, and prevent excessive heat and cold. To build the school in this way encourages the participation of the very people it will benefit. As such, the task of providing the materials and campaigning for resources has been given to the community. Currently, local housewives are being trained to fill the bottles with sand, and the community is organizing bazaars, breakfasts, and other events to raise the funds needed.

Governor Promises to Protect Vallarta's Mountains

During the formal ceremony celebrating the 95th anniversary of the founding of Puerto Vallarta as a Municipality and its 45th anniversary as a City on May 31st, Jalisco State Governor Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz promised to declare the mountains of Puerto Vallarta as a protected area, per the request of Mayor Ramon Guerrero Martínez. The Governor said that he recognized that the combination of mountains and sea gives the inhabitants of Vallarta a better quality of life than those who live in other parts of the state, and that it is the government's responsibility to restore the balance between the environment and development in this coastal city. "We will seek to continue development while preserving the environment, so from here I know there is much to do in that respect. I told the Mayor that I'd gladly honor his request and that we'll work together to declare the mountains as protected areas in recognition of our natural environment," the governor said.

Taste @ Casa Cupula Sponsoring the Arts

Taste @ Casa Cupula is proud to announce their Arts @ Taste summer series. Every Wednesday, they'll presents symphonies from great orchestras like the Berlin Philharmonic. On Thursday nights, Taste will feature concerts videos by major stars. On Fridays, in conjunction with their famous Friday Night Warmup Party, the restaurant will feature sample numbers from shows currently in town. This week it was Chicago featuring Vallarta's own Erica Manuale as "Mama"! On Saturdays, local artists and their works will be featured. The series opened on Wednesday, May 30 with a "Taste of Humberto Alvarez," an unique and delightful "sound artist" from Mexico City. Alvarez performs his own compositions for meditations using Tibetan bowls and mantras. For more information, call (322) 223-2484.

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

• Puerto Vallarta Joins 2013 World Naked Bike Ride

• Motofiesta Returns to Riviera Nayarit June 7-9th

• Garlic and Mango Festival Returns to The River Café

• 9th Annual Texas Music Festival in Riviera Nayarit

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!