Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - The Amapas Neighborhood Association (ANA), a group of Mexican and ex-pat residents and business owners that work together to enhance the quality of life through improvements in security, streets and infrastructure, and responsible development, brings us up to date on what's happening in Colonia Amapas.

GROWING PAINS: ANA IS ON THE MOVE!

ANA's membership and neighborhood responsibilities have expanded... and so have we. We've outgrown the office (and storage) space provided by Ron Morgan Properties for the past two years - thank you, Ron! Also, ANA's many neighborhood improvement projects require more coordination (and begging) at City Hall and outside meetings. So our able Administrator, Viviana Teston, is often away from the office, where she also needs to be available to members. To maintain our momentum and increase our level of service to Amapas and our members, your Board has hired an Assistant Manager and rented our own office - 111 Calle Rodolfo Gomez, Office #3 - a glass store-front in Hotel San Marino, across from the Coffee Cup and Barra Light. This is a big - and necessary - step for ANA. Once we get settled, we'll have an official 'office warming' on November 10th, Save the date. In the meantime, we're open for business from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday-Friday - come by and visit, pick up your membership card or an updated list of bars, restaurants and businesses offering special benefits to ANA members who show their cards, etc. While there, please take a moment to welcome ANA's new Assistant Manager, Juan Manuel Diaz, a young, energetic entrepreneur who multi-tasks with the best of them.

SAVE THE DATE: FIESTA DE LOS MUERTOS

This Halloween, ANA - along with local bars and restaurants - will be sponsoring a fun and informative block-party on Pulpito Street. There'll be food, drink, face-painting, special seating, and live entertainment on October 31st from 6 to 8 pm. Popular local band Piel Canela (Garbo's) will be performing on a special stage, opposite 'Coco's Tree' - both on their own, and also providing back-up for equally popular Elviz Martinez (Act II Stages), who'll be singing in both English and Spanish. Other, surprise musical entertainers will also perform. We'll be decorating the street and turning on the new lights in 'Coco's Tree.' And the sponsoring local bars and restaurants will be offering special Fiesta De Los Muertos food and drink - and special prices - for the evening! It'll be fun, unique, bi-cultural and entertaining, so save the date, and come on down!

HIGHWAY 200 SIDEWALK PROJECT

Many area residents, visitors and neighbors walk along Highway 200 to get to the beach or into town. It's a practice that can be hazardous to your health if you have to step out into traffic because of overgrown plants, piles of fallen rocks and debris, and rough, uneven ground. ANA is changing that. Last month, with the help of Parques y Jardines, the overgrowth was cut back and carted away. That's Phase 1. Phase 2 involves an Obras Publicas road crew removing the fallen rocks and debris - and it's already in the works. Phase 3: ANA has hired local architect Jorge Ramirez to produce a plan for paving and safety-marking a roughly four foot wide sidewalk along the highway. Once we have the architect's plan and cost-estimate, we'll begin the actual paving and safety-marking: Phase 4.

To keep up with all of the latest ANA news, follow the Amapas Neighborhood Association on Facebook.

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The Amapas Neighborhood Association is the official association of residents and business owners in the Colonia Amapas of Puerto Vallarta. A volunteer and not-for-profit association with about 350 members, the ANA was founded in 2002 to improve the quality of life in Amapas. We work to keep our neighborhood safe, beautiful, desirable and welcoming to tourists and residents from all countries and walks of life. We are also the official "Junta Vecinal" or neighborhood council for Amapas, the legal representative of the neighborhood to the city government. Learn more at AmapasPV.com.