Boquete Community Pulse

Tuesday July 12 – Uriah Reisman, owner of Natural Builders in Boquete, will construction methods and techniques. He will also tell us how to ensure you have a proper construction contract and how to keep yourself safe in construction projects.ethical, sustainable and professionalspeak on the different building materials available in Panama and their advantages and disadvantages. Natural Builders is a Panama-based building company that uses ethical, sustainable and professional construction methods and techniques. He will also tell us how to ensure you have a proper construction contract and how to keep yourself safe in construction projects.

Tuesday July 5 – BCP Report to the Community. Members of the BCP (Boquete Community Players) will take to the stage to talk about where we’ve come from and where we’re going. The current financial situation, the Tuesday market, the Tuesday talks, the new Villa Café, upcoming stage productions, etc will be discussed. Free Admission

Tuesday July 5 – BCP Report to the Community. Members of the BCP (Boquete Community Players) will take to the stage to talk about where we’ve come from and where we’re going. The current financial situation, the Tuesday market, the Tuesday talks, the new Villa Café, upcoming stage productions, etc will be discussed.

Tuesday, June 28 – Steven Walker local plant and landscaping expert will talk to us about what grows where in Chiriqui, where to get healthy plants, how to take care of your plants, and pest control on your property.

Tuesday, June 21 – Pet Care in the Best of Times and the Worst of Times. A panel of local experts will talk about routine care of your pets and what to do in case of an emergency. They will offer up their advice based on years of working with domestic animals in Panama. The panel will consist of Alicia McGuigan and Dottie Thompson co-presidents of Amigos de Animales, Beth Abrahams. co-chairman of ARF (Adopt, Rescue, Foster), Kris Berg, owner of Howling Success K9 Services, and Dottie Atwater, founder of Spay Panama-Chiriqui, the spay/neuter clinic in Volcan.

Tuesday, June 14 – Tom & Yella Werder will talk about "The Expat Impact" How to navigate your first year in a new country without damaging your relationship. Tom and Yella will tell their story and share their insights into keeping a relationship healthy under the stress of immigration. They will cover 5 basic principles that can save a relationship in the face of a strong cultural pull away from the comforts of home.

For all you lovers of great food and drink -- BCP is repeating their highly successful market from last month. We will have even more new vendors with a variety of products from a variety of countries. The only difference is that we've shortened the hours and will be closing at 1 instead of 2. That still gives you 3 full hours to drop by and buy some great stuff to take home and also have a wonderful lunch.

Tuesday, June 7 – “The Adventure of Bringing Heliconias into Cultivation” by Carla Black Carla has lived in western Panama for over 20 years. Her interest in plants and gardening developed from her lifelong love of the outdoors. Her specialty is the native heliconias of Panama and Costa Rica. With over 200 heliconia species and varieties in her garden Carla has the largest collection of Heliconia species in the world. In her collection there are several undescribed species she has collected. She opens her three hectare garden to the public once a year, when she offers heliconia plants for sale. Currently she serves as president of the Heliconia Society International. We'll take a vigorous journey through remarkable habitats in the neotropics, and rest and relax in Carla's garden, too. http://www.heliconiagarden.com and www.volcanbaru.com

Tuesday, May 31 – Mikkel Moller on Entrepreneurship in Panama. Is there an urge to start a business in Panama - ready to do more than just retire (reading, watching TV or playing games)? Come learn about skills and the background needed to be an Entrepreneur. Maybe you are the next creative genius waiting in the wings. Mikkel Moller started his career as a Naval Officer. His expertise covers the gambit of critical business necessities needed in small business, (marketing, sales, social media, CRM, Email marketing & Internet research). Powerful consulting opportunities at the university level, further honed his leadership skills, with business incubator management and the integral oversight responsibilities with the creation of startups, expanding small company growth & design, product manufacturing and of course terminating poor performing organizations. This provided him with highest level of critical business skills. Always a builder, he presently has three eCommerce businesses based in Panama. While most entrepreneurial ventures start out as a small business, not all small businesses are entrepreneurial. In recent years, entrepreneurship has been a major driver of economic growth in many countries, including Panama.

Tuesday, May 24 – Lauretta Bonfiglio will talk to us about her life journey that took her to a restaurant in Aspen Colorado and eventually landed her in Boquete as a chef and restaurant owner. Lauretta owned the first “gringo” type restaurant here known as Bistro Boquete. She will also teach us about the local meats, fruits and vegetables and how to prepare them. LEASE AGREEMENT V6.docx

Tuesday, May 17 – Mike Potts and Al Mills present “The Rhythm of Life”. Scientific research indicates that participation in community drumming has a significant positive impact on your health. Mike Potts, biologist and percussionist, will tell you how you can lower your blood pressure, boost your immune system, and inspire creativity and more in a way that is easy and fun. Al Mills is the maker of cajon drums. Like meditation, community drumming is a path to better health and well-being, but can also be an enjoyable social event. No cash outlay, training or previous experience is required to participate in this rewarding activity. There will be visuals and audience participation however, sadly, no naked dancing.

On Saturday, May 21, from 10am until 2pm, BCP is launching a test of a food/produce/drink - only market. Many of the vendors you're familiar with at the Tuesday market will be there but there will be many new and exciting offerings as well. If you wish to be a vendor (free of charge for May), contact Elena Serracin: facilitymanagerbcp@gmail.com or 6920-1111

Tuesday, May 10 – Hospice presents “Being Prepared”. Do you know the legalities in Panama if you were to die or become ill and unable to make very important medical decisions for yourself? Laws you're familiar with in your home country do not apply! Did you know that you must have enough cash on hand to pay a doctor to pronounce someone dead and to have the mortuary pick you up? No credit cards. No IOUs. What will you do if you're hospitalized in an emergency and can't express what medical treatment you want? And who can legally enter your home to feed your pets if you can't? What's your legal marital status? What about wills? There's a lot we ASSUME we know but we don't.

10:30 in the BCP Theater Tuesday, May 3 – Who Ya Gonna Call??? Need help getting your utilities hooked up, or getting a drivers license, or finding a plumber, or getting transportation somewhere, or maybe just some translation services? Three accomplished, bi-lingual Panamanian ladies and one very handy man will take the stage to tell us about their services. Speaking will be Gloria Cruz (Boquete Services), Geovana Caballero (Ask Geovana), Ford Hamberger (Call Ford), and Lorena Pitti (Boquete Bilingual Services). They each have their special talents and offerings.

Tuesday, Apr. 26 – How Gringos Communicate in Boquete. We’ll talk about the systems we’ve developed to keep ourselves informed in English. Penny Barrett will speak about News.Boquete (it’s history, terms of usage, and usefulness; Bud Huber and Marcelyn Jandreau will tell us about Chiriqui.Life, the new discussion forum they host; Fran Hogan will talk about her Boquete News facebook; and Penny Ripple will apprise us of other useful internet discussion groups that exist for Panama. Wrapping it all up will be Kent McNaughton talking about the different types of email systems, their costs and capabilities.

Your $1 admission helps us keep the doors open 10:30 in the BCP Theater Tuesday, Apr. 19 – Real Estate Auction Firm Myers Jackson will explain how you can sell your land, home or business in Panama with the best results. This company has held successful internet auctions in almost all U.S. states and now is expanding to Panama. http://myersjackson.com/FREE ADMISSION

Tuesday, Apr. 12 – Maria Ruiz on merging the two cultures into the future of Boquete. Dr.Ruiz has more than 30 years experience working in the Panamanian coffee industry, including growing, green processing, roasting, tasting, and product development. She has participated in many activities at a national level as a representative of the private sector. She has also represented Panama in international forums such as the Specialty Coffee Association of America, Specialty Coffee Association of Japan, and the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe. Currently she is the CEO of special projects with Casa Ruiz, S.A., in Boquete, Panama.

Tuesday, Apr. 5 – A Month in Exotic Bali – Asia in Microcosm. New Boquete residents Patrick and Gabrielle Reynolds present a mini-documentary on their journey to the Indonesian island of Bali,. Staying in a villa in the small, typical village of Batubulan (“Stone Moon” or the stone carvers’ village), Gabrielle and Patrick observed Balinese life as travelers, but were welcomed as friends. They got to know the territory on foot and by scooter, to talk with the expats and locals, visit their homes and enjoy the ritual processions. They met the macaques in the Sacred Monkey Forest, learnt how to create Balinese cuisine, and spent three days with rescued Sumatran. They toured the amazing, 4-story buildings in Green School and Green Village – built entirely of bamboo in fantastic structures with no square corners or even straight lines. “Like Swiss Family Mansion,” a patented boron-salt bath protects four types of bamboo to stand for well over a century, permitting the incredible, organic design – architecture perfected!

Tuesday, Mar 29 – Don Joffe –of International Accounting Services, LLC will be presenting on U.S. tax compliance and planning for expats living in Panama. Many expats continue to have filing and reporting obligations, even if they no longer owe any tax to the IRS. Common situations include: · Foreign bank accounts · Ownership of foreign corporations or trusts · Income from wages or a business earned outside the United States Penalties for failure to comply can exceed $10,000 per year, even if no income tax is otherwise owed. The presentation will cover the current compliance landscape, what people need to do in order to comply, and the myriad different IRS programs currently available to help non-compliant expats to get back in good standing with the IRS. Don will also be available for a few days for free one-on-one consultations in Boquete to answer any tax questions you may have about your personal income tax situation. He can be reached at don@intlaccounting.com or (765) 236-6739. FREE ADMISSION