Tuesday Aug 22, 2023

GOOD MORNING

The San Juan Daily Star, the only paper with News Service in English in Puerto Rico, publishes 7 days a week, with a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday edition, along with a Weekend Edition to cover Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Acting UPR Medical Sciences chancellor denies contractual illegalities as current law does not require a waiver

By THE STAR STAFF

Carlos Ortiz Reyes, the current acting chancellor of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Medical Sciences Campus (RCM), on Monday refuted allegations that as a UPR worker he needed a waiver from the Government Ethics Office for his firm, IT Group Solutions, to obtain contracts with the Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2019 and 2020.

A statement sent to the STAR notes that several laws related to the contracting of services do not require a waiver in his case.

INDEX

from the contractor because it is a corporation,” the statement said.

For instance, Act 100 of 1956, the Law for the Contracting of Public Workers by the University of Puerto Rico Outside Working Hours, does not require such a waiver because Ortiz Reyes was not rendering services as an individual as the contract was with IT Group Solutions.

Article 2 of Act 100, meanwhile, authorizes government entities to contract services from any person in the UPR.

The statement said the Government Ethics Law, Act 1 of 2012, does not require the waiver because Ortiz Reyes does not work in the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC).

“The CCC is created as a corporation separate from the University of Puerto Rico,” the statement said, quoting Act 230 of 2004.

Nor was Ortiz Reyes required to obtain a waiver under Act 237 of 2004, the Professional Services Contracting Law, because it is a law that applies to individuals rather than to corporations. While the law contains a provision requiring a contract for services to have a clause stating that a contractor is not receiving payment for services rendered for another government entity, it also notes that it is up to the CCC to ensure contractors comply with the law. However, “regardless, the law does not require a waiver

Ortiz Reyes’ comments were in response to two complaints, copies of which were obtained by the STAR, that alleged that a company he owns, IT Group Solutions, received two contracts in 2019 and 2020 with the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) but that Ortiz Reyes, who was an RCM employee at the time, had failed to get a waiver as required by law. The complaints were filed with the Government Ethics Office and the Commonwealth Comptroller. The identity of the complainant in both cases was not included in the copies of the complaints obtained by the STAR.

Ortiz Reyes is one of three candidates competing to become the RCM chancellor. The UPR governing board is scheduled to vote on a new RCM chancellor today.

Along with Ortiz Reyes, the chancellor candidates are Natalio Izquierdo and Ilka Ríos. UPR President Luis Ferrao Delgado nominated the latter.

Acting University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus Chancellor Carlos Ortiz Reyes

House passes amendments to Electoral Code

By THE STAR STAFF

Although the island Senate has said it will not work with electoral reform, the House of Representatives passed amendments to the Electoral Code on Monday, the first day of the second legislative session of the year.

Approved with 34 votes in favor was House Bill 1822, which seeks to amend the Electoral Code of Puerto Rico as part of a bill promoted by House Speaker Rafael “Tatito” Hernández Montañez.

The bill comes also as the majority Popular Democratic Party (PDP) said it was up to the party and not the Legislature to negotiate amendments to the Electoral Code.

Among the main changes in the bill are to promote transparency, foster consensus, provide more access to the elderly and guarantee an electoral balance.

Other amendments in the bill include providing greater clarity to avoid judicial controversies, guaranteeing staff during the scrutiny process and restoring voting hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

One of the amendments notes that “if the voter does not receive the ballots to exercise his absentee

vote, prior to the date of the event, he will have the right to vote in the appropriate electoral unit on the day of the event.”

“Said ballots will be kept in a separate envelope, duly identified with the voter’s name and electoral number, so that they are counted once the deadline for receipt of ballots by mail has expired,” the amendment reads.

The bill points out that in the event that the voter had indeed voted by mail, having received it, and in addition, he or she has voted in the electoral unit, both ballots will be declared null because it is a double vote, “and the voter will be subject to the procedures established for violation of the Electoral Code.”

In addition, the period for the presentation of endorsement petitions for primary candidates and independent candidates for elective public offices will begin on Dec. 1 of the year prior to the general election and will end at noon on Feb. 15 of the year of the election. When the date coincides with a holiday or non-business day for the island government, it will be extended to the next business day.

“Today we advanced an extremely important measure to maintain the hope of improving our rule of law ahead of the next elections,” Hernández Montañez said.

Senate candidate: Ponce ‘scandals’ necessitate full fiscal review

By THE STAR STAFF

Javier Molina Pagán, the New Progressive Party (NPP) candidate for the island Senate for the Ponce district, proposed Monday that, given the fines imposed last week by the Office of the Electoral Comptroller on the campaign committee of Ponce Mayor Luis Irizarry Pabón and on the municipal committee of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) in that town, that government entities should begin an exhaustive inspection process of the municipal council.

“The constant scandals with the management of funds by Mayor Irizarry Pabón once again give us something to talk about,” Molina Pagán said. “The fact that it’s all about

the campaign funds, which are registered in the municipal committee and his own [campaign committee] as candidate, doesn’t mean it’s a superficial thing. It’s about the violation of Law 222 from 2011, the Law for the Control of Political Campaigns in Puerto Rico, as amended. These actions show that Mayor Irizarry Pabón failed in one of the most basic elements of administration -- supervision.”

The schoolteacher from Utuado added that “the mayor has demonstrated at the moment that he is not capable of administering, supervising and enforcing the law this way, which means he doesn’t have the minimal capabilities, nor does he have the competencies to administer La Perla del Sur, one of the most important cities of the island and its southern region.”

“These constant actions of continuous irregularity should compel the offices of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico and Government Ethics to react immediately and begin an exhaustive process that allows overseeing the use and management of city council funds, contracts, transactions, executive orders and other actions of a fiscal nature,” Molina Pagán said.

It would be imperative to know what actions the PDP-led municipal assembly of Ponce is taking with regard to the aforementioned affairs, the Senate candidate said. What investigative resolutions have been presented? What processes have the Ethics Committee of the municipal assembly begun in regard to the issues?

“It would also be good to know the origins [of the irregularities] so that they can be debated by the legislative leaders of the House and the Senate, at the level of district representatives and senators,” Molina Pagán added. “What does the leadership of the PDP, including its president, Jesús Manuel Ortiz, have to say? Answers to these questions have yet to be provided.”

“We have always been very emphatic about the fact that nobody can go above the law. I am angry as a Puerto Rican, as a citizen and as a politician amid these actions, because they harm the credibility of people whom we believe we can trust, and we are confident that we can make a difference,” the candidate continued. “Our people deserve that their elected officials be clean and transparent when it comes to public affairs, and that we have the capability to recognize and amend our faults and do our best not to make the same mistakes.”

“The constant repetition of crimes or offenses against society whereby the good name of government institutions is harmed, such as those demonstrated by the mayor of Ponce, cannot have a place in governance for those of us who intend to assume responsibility before the people and through the people,” Molina Pagán said.

“We cannot risk the democratic victory of the Puerto Rican people.”

House Speaker Rafael Hernández Montañez

Javier Molina Pagán

Tropical Storm Franklin to produce 2 to 4 inches of rain through midweek

By THE STAR STAFF

AMonday morning report from the National Hurricane Center stated that Tropical Storm Franklin will bypass Puerto Rico, but nonetheless is likely to produce heavy rainfall in parts of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico over the next few days.

Franklin was located at latitude 15.0 degrees north, longitude 69.0 degrees west, some 245 miles (295 kilometers) south of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, early Monday, when it had maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour. Its movement to the west was at 12 miles per hour.

The storm was expected to produce accumulated rainfall of 2 to 4 inches in Puerto Rico, with isolated amounts of up

to 6 inches, through midweek, raising the risk of flooding and mudslides, the National Weather Service (NWS) in San Juan said.

Also on Monday the NWS issued a special weather alert for severe storms separate from Tropical Storm Franklin that would affect parts of the southeast and eastern interior of Puerto Rico until 10:45 a.m.

According to the NWS, at 9:42 a.m. a line of strong storms was located from near Punta Santiago to Maunabo, moving westward at around six miles per hour (mph).

The main risk with those storms was winds that could reach up to 40 mph and cause minor damage to tree branches and send light, unsecured objects airborne.

The NWS recommended that people outdoors seek shelter immediately “in the presence of these storms.”

Grupo HIMA in talks to sell assets, economist says

By THE STAR STAFF

Grupo HIMA San Pablo, which recently declared bankruptcy to restructure over $400 million in debt, is in talks with Island Healthcare to sell its assets.

The information was provided by economist José Julio Balmaceda in a radio interview.

“There are conversations with HIMA and Island Healthcare …,” he said. “Supposedly, HIMA and this group are seeking to sell the whole system.”

Grupo HIMA San Pablo, one of Puerto Rico’s largest hospital systems, filed for Chapter 11 on Aug. 15 and is seeking a sale process for its assets. The hospital system was forced to declare bankruptcy after it was unable to renegotiate its debts, which surpassed the $400 million mark.

The hospital system consists of several entities such as

Grupo HIMA San Pablo Inc., Centro Medico del Turabo Inc. (CMT), HIMA San Pablo Properties Inc. (HSPP), Portal de Caguas Inc., Jocar Enterprises Corp. (Jocar), Jerusalem Home Ambulance Inc. (Jerusalem), Host Security Services Inc. (HOST), CMT Development LLC and IA Developers Corp. (IA), which all filed for bankruptcy. However, according to a statement from HIMA’s president and CEO, Armando Rodríguez, there are additional related companies, subsidiaries and nonprofit organizations supported or promoted by Grupo HIMA.

“The last available appraisal reports prepared and reviewed by me for the five operating units were completed in the year 2019 and provided aggregate real property values of $242.3 million, for the real estate components of the businesses,” he said.

As of Dec. 31, 2022, HIMA had no less than $390.1 million in secured debt obligations, in addition to having amassed certain unsecured debts.

Top officials slated to participate in roundtable on restructuring of electrical system

By THE STAR STAFF

District 4 (San Juan) Rep. Víctor Parés Otero announced on Monday the holding of a roundtable with top officials from LUMA Energy, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and Genera PR with the purpose of knowing, with concrete data, the status of the restructuring of the island electrical system.

Likewise, the roundtable also will be aimed at shedding light on the federal funds received, including those already used, as well as the period needed to complete the work.

“Much has been discussed about the status of the reconstruction of the electrical grid in Puerto Rico,” the New Progressive Party legislator said. “There is a lot of speculation and it is time

to place all that in a framework with precise, concrete and, above all, verifiable data. We will be summoning this week the directors of LUMA, PREPA and Genera to present us the real status of the reconstruction of the network in order to present it to the people of Puerto Rico.”

“As a result of the impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017, the federal government, through several agencies including the Department of Energy and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), assigned Puerto Rico $12.8 billion, the largest figure in FEMA’s history,” Parés Otero noted. “To this is added other million-dollar items. The purpose of this meeting is to corroborate the data on the disbursements and those that have been used and how.”

Parés Otero said the meeting will be held at the Capitol.

Grupo HIMA San Pablo, one of Puerto Rico’s largest hospital systems, filed for Chapter 11 on Aug. 15 and is seeking a sale process for its assets.

Rep. Víctor Parés Otero

Scuba Dogs recruiting team captains for International Coastal Cleanup

By THE STAR STAFF

The organization that coordinates the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) in Puerto Rico, the Scuba Dogs Society (SDS), announced Monday the start of the process of recruiting captains for the event to be held on Saturday, Sept. 16 and that this year seeks to impact all 78 municipalities.

SDS Executive Director Karem Pérez González noted that from 2008 to 2021 the event’s organizers have achieved the participation of many coastal municipalities and the support of some inland towns, but the organization has set out to change the conception that many people have about what constitutes the coast. Springs, streams, rivers, lagoons and reservoirs are also part of the coast, as are the beach and estuaries, they said.

“Everything that happens in our rivers eventually impacts the beaches,” Pérez González said. “This year we want to motivate people from all towns so that we can have cleanups at inland water bodies and on beaches. We urge the mayors of the 78 municipalities, especially those in central Puerto Rico, to join the Scuba Dogs Society in the International Coastal Cleanup.”

Pérez González said that like any international event, there are required processes, beginning with the registration of coastal captains, who are the people who

Juncos inaugurates its first wrestling school

By RICHARD GUTIÉRREZ richardsanjuanstar@gmail.com

Juncos is a town well known for its appreciation of sports. After all, without positive things to encourage the youth to take part in, many would probably be lost to drugs or alcohol.

While your average baseball or soccer team can get the job done in that regard, not many consider the fact that wrestling can also be something young people can invest their time in, and get some exercise at the same time. Even though professional-style wrestling, especially in the form of the high-profile organization WWE, is fairly popular on the island, there has never been a wrestling school where young people are invited to practice wrestling as a hobby or eventually move on to it as a profession, until now.

With the purpose of educating new prospects under the tutelage of pro wrestler Mr. Big, Miguel Maldonado, alongside Juncos Mayor Alfredo “Papo” Alejandro Carrión, inaugurated on Saturday what will be known as the first-ever wrestling school in Puerto Rico, “Attitude Wrestling Academy PR,” which is located in the facilities of the now abandoned Fulgencio Piñero School in Juncos. The place is currently administered by the municipality as part of a plan that seeks to develop a sports school, and was ceded to the wrestling academy for five years.

“The story of our wrestling academy started in the year 2019 in Humacao,” Maldonado said. “That’s where we had a very good group of students, but as destiny would have it, we had to move and look for a new place, until Papo Alejandro opened the doors to us by letting us set up camp here. We are very thankful to the mayor and to the municipal director of recreation and sports, Misael “Maiky” Rivera. We will be operating from Tuesday to Thursday at 6 p.m. Here we will welcome all types of people no matter their condition; as long as they are older than 14 years of age and weigh at least 150 pounds, they can enter the academy.”

He added that with the school, “we want to get young people off the streets as they did with me when I was young.”

“I was raised in public housing in Puerto Rico and I had a mentor who helped me get into sports; that is why I am trying to do the same,” Maldonado said. “We are seeing what’s happening and how these young people are pretty much killing themselves on the streets. We have to do something about it. Our focus is that students are better off at home, at school, at their jobs, and in general to help young people.”

Maldonado noted how inclusive the school is. Daniel Caballer Cabrera, a young man with autism who was the subject of a recent story in the STAR, is a student there.

“We currently have three students with autism,” Maldonado

direct the efforts. At that stage, the places where the cleanups will be held throughout Puerto Rico are also identified and, later, registration will be opened for volunteers.

On International Coastal Cleanup Day, all trash removed is documented through Clean Swell, a mobile app that makes it easy to count solid waste and total weight. Once the data is submitted, it joins that of more than 100 countries that participate in the event each year.

“It would be ideal for mayors, businesses and other organizations to select their captains and identify a cleanup site in their respective towns, participate in registration and create their team of volunteers,” Pérez González said.

Marine biologist Sandra Schleier Hernández, who serves as SDS program coordinator, said the recruitment they are focusing on at this stage is for new captains or those who have not yet confirmed a section of coast. Captains can select a coastline from the list identified by the organization, but SDS also is inviting them to propose new cleanup areas, as it recognizes there are many neglected areas such as trails, rivers, streams and reservoirs. Likewise, Schleier Hernández said she wants to have the collaboration of nonprofit entities, student groups, churches and companies, along with outdoor recreation on the day of the event.

said. “Among them is ‘Chupi Hunter’ Daniel Caballer, who is rather famous in Puerto Rico right now; he is traveling the world currently representing autism and is currently the Autism World Champion.”

The Juncos mayor added that “to the friends of wrestling, I tell them that today that it’s hot here and that it’s a little tight on space; however, we must be thankful to God that we are here.”

“If the things I am projecting are to happen, we will move the wrestling school to a better and larger place where we have extremely large rooms,” Alejandro said. “That is where our new sports school will take place very soon.”

Among the guests were Niche, an Independent Wrestling Association world champion; Joel Torres, president of Contralona; Héctor “Moody” Meléndez; Dennis Rivera; and Rafael “Rafy” Marrero, a photographer who has done work for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and various companies in Puerto Rico.

Photo courtesy of Josian Omed Vázquez

Los Angeles survives tropical storm with ‘minimal impacts,’ officials say

By SHAWN HUBLER, CORINA KNOLL and SOUMYA KARLAMANGLA

Southern California residents on Monday were assessing the impact of Hilary, a powerful storm whose strong winds and lashing rains transformed roads into streams, broke rainfall records, downed trees and power lines and knocked out 911 systems in several places.

Officials warned that the extent of the damage was not yet known, though initial reports indicated that Southern California had evaded the worst. Areas to the north and northeast were still at risk of heavy rain and flooding from the storm, which weakened to a post-tropical cyclone with winds that were expected to dissipate further as the day wore on.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass and other officials said the city had emerged without any known storm deaths, and that the damage was minor.

“Los Angeles was tested, but we came through it, and we came through it with minimal impacts,” said the president of the Los Angeles City Council, Paul Krekorian.

In the desert and mountain regions of Southern California, poor drainage could still leave some roads impassable. A roughly 20-mile section of Interstate 10 near Palm Springs was shut down Monday morning because of storm-related effects.

Up to an additional 4 inches of rain was possible

By ORLANDO MAYORQUIN

Every time someone ripped down the rainbow Pride flag from the Mag.Pi clothing store in the San Bernardino mountains in California, store owner Laura Ann Carleton responded by putting up a bigger one. Carleton, 66, did not waver in her support of LGBTQ people.

Around 5 p.m. Friday, she was shot by a man who made disparaging remarks about the shop’s Pride flag, authorities said.

The man, whose identity has not been released, fled the scene on foot. Deputies found him with a handgun, and he was killed in an encounter with law enforcement, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

The department said “detectives learned the suspect made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton.”

It was unclear whether the shooting was being investigated as a hate crime, and additional details of what preceded the attack were not available Sunday. Sheriff’s Department officials were not immediately available to comment.

Monday across parts of California and Nevada, and flood watches were in effect for eastern Oregon and most of Idaho as the remnants of the storm moves north.

Here’s what else to know:

— Three cities in California — Cathedral City, Indio and Palm Springs — said 911 lines were down. Officials in Los Angeles said there had been reports of at least 150 tree-related issues in the city, as well as downed electrical wires and 17 minor mudflows. About 40,000 customers

were without electricity in California.

— Schools were closed on Monday for hundreds of thousands of children in Los Angeles, San Diego and the Coachella Valley because officials were concerned that bus routes would be impaired and parents would face hazardous conditions during the morning drop-off hours. Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second largest school district, plans to resume classes on Tuesday.

— Just as the first bands of heavy rain fell on Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake — unrelated to the tropical storm — struck northwest of the city. There were no reports of major damage or injuries, but an estimated 12 million people live in the affected area, further fraying the region’s nerves.

— Gov. Gavin Newsom of California declared a state of emergency in several counties in the south, including Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego. The city of Indio, which has about 92,000 residents and is in Riverside County, also declared a state of emergency on Sunday. Across the state, officials canceled events, closed parks and beaches, and deployed more than 7,500 emergency responders.

— Before Hilary reached the United States, it battered Baja California, Mexico, where one person died and another was missing, but Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, posted in Spanish that “fortunately, there was not much damage.”

The shooting — in Cedar Glen, near Lake Arrowhead, California — came about a month after the Anti-Defamation League and the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD released a report indicating a recent rise in anti-LGBTQ harassment, vandalism or assault in the United States.

Carleton’s daughter Ari Carleton, 28, said that her mother was “fearless” and put the needs of others ahead of her own. Carleton had been a pillar in the community, she added.

When a rare blizzard struck the area this year, Carleton and her husband, Bort Carleton, converted her shop into a relief center.

“She opened up a free shop where she and my dad just gave out supplies to those in need who had been impacted by the storms,” Ari Carleton said in a phone interview Sunday, adding, “That really sums up who she was as a person.”

Carleton preached “love, acceptance and equality,” her daughter said, and those values were reflected in her store, Mag.Pi, where she carried a collection of personally curated, high-quality and ethically sourced clothes, and sometimes her own designs.

Film director Paul Feig was a friend of Carleton’s. He would have dinner with her and friends on his visits to

Lake Arrowhead.

“She was just a force of nature,” Feig said, adding, “She just really cared about people.”

The Pride flag hanging outside Mag.Pi was removed numerous times by different people since the store opened two years ago, Ari Carleton said.

The store is listed as a “business ally” by Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+, a community group.

“Lauri did not identify as LGBTQ+, but spent her time helping & advocating for everyone in the community,” the group said on Facebook. “She will be truly missed.”

The organization is planning a vigil for Carleton once the threat of Tropical Storm Hilary clears.

She is survived by her husband and nine children.

“I just want the world to remember her for who she was,” Ari Carleton said. “And that she passed away in a place that she cherished, doing what she loved and defending something that was so important to her.”

At Laura Ann Carleton’s Lake Arrowhead home after the shooting, her family opened a package that had been left at the doorstep.

The flag at the store had begun to fade, Ari Carleton said. Her mother had ordered a new one.

A flooded street in Palm Springs, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023.

Store owner is fatally shot by man who confronted her about pride flag

Lahaina fire prompts a shift in Maui’s long-running water fights

Water has long been a point of tension in Hawaii, where European and American owners of sugar cane plantations altered the landscape in the 1800s to irrigate their crops. Now, with Maui’s growth as one of the world’s most desirable places to vacation, with landscaped resorts, pools and golf courses, water systems are strained.

In Maui, much of the fresh water comes from a series of streams that run out of the mountains and eventually into the ocean. Small traditional farmers tap these streams, as do huge commercial farms and luxury subdivisions. Water is also pumped from the ground through wells.

Advocates who want water preserved for Native Hawaiian cultural uses, such as the growing of taro, a staple of traditional meals, say the governor is using the fire to undo decades of necessary limits on water use, paving the way for more building across Hawaii.

said the scarcity of water reserves did not inhibit firefighters “in the moment” that the fire pushed through Lahaina.

The state’s fresh water legally resides in a public trust for the benefit of the people of Hawaii. But how the water actually gets to people is a convoluted and deeply politicized process.

A century ago, sugar plantations owned and operated a system of irrigation ditches and reservoirs on Maui that were loosely regulated. After the farms shut down, many of these systems were bought by private companies or real estate developers.

Starting in the 1970s, a series of state court rulings established priorities for water protection that include the exercise of Native Hawaiians’ traditional and customary rights, which cover taro farming.

By MICHAEL CORKERY, MIKE BAKER and SHAWN HUBLER

Hours before the wildfire became an inferno that wiped out the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina, officials at the West Maui Land Co. reached out to the state with an urgent request.

The company, a real estate developer that supplies water to areas southeast of Lahaina, took note of the dangerous combination of high winds and drought-parched grasses Maui was facing. It asked for permission to fill up one of its private reservoirs in case firefighters needed it.

But there was no active wildfire in the area at that time, and state officials, apparently concerned that the diversion could affect water allocations to a nearby farmer, took several hours to approve the request, according to the company. In the interim, a brush fire that had been contained that morning flared up and swept through Lahaina, burning everything in its path.

It is unlikely that filling up the private reservoir would have changed the course of the Lahaina wildfire, state officials say, and winds were so high that day that helicopter crews would have been unable to reach it. But the incident is causing a political uproar, the latest in a long-running debate over how Hawaii’s water is doled out among the state’s competing interests — real estate companies, large farms, tourism facilities and residents.

“We need to act faster in an emergency,” the West Maui Land Co. wrote to the state water regulator in the wake of the Lahaina blaze, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.

The fire prompted a series of moves from Gov. Josh Green’s administration in recent days to break what he called an “impasse” over water allocation, temporarily loosening regulations on key streams on the island of Maui and petitioning the state Supreme Court to expand access to others to raise the amount of water available to fight wildfires.

Last week, his administration said it was “redeploying” a top official at the state Commission on Water Resource Management, the agency blamed for delaying the diversion to the private West Maui reservoir.

The official, M. Kaleo Manuel, was regarded as someone responsive to environmental groups and Indigenous residents who want to preserve stream water for traditional uses and limit water diversions by private companies. The state said the job change for Manuel, who along with state agency officials, has declined to comment on the issue, “does not suggest that First Deputy Manuel did anything wrong.”

In an interview with The New York Times, Green acknowledged the challenge of balancing the competing demands for water.

“But in my opinion, we tipped too far one way and people became gun-shy and they didn’t want to use water for anything,’’ he said.

“It is appearing to be increasingly clear that the Green administration intends to remake Hawaii, stripping Native Hawaiians and the public of their most basic protection against the exploitation of land and water,” said Jonathan Likeke Scheuer, a water policy consultant who has served in several government roles related to land use and Native Hawaiian affairs.

“He is removing anyone standing in his way,’’ he said.

The water supply of Lahaina, where the fire’s destruction was centered, comes from a system operated by Maui County that is managed separately from the West Maui Land Co.’s operations.

Firefighters in Lahaina reported that their hoses went nearly dry at the height of the blaze, a problem that the county attributed not to basic water supply but to a precipitous drop in water pressure caused by the destruction of piping during the height of the fire.

Glenn Tremble, an executive with West Maui Land, said firefighters began tapping into their potable water system to fight the blaze after the Lahaina system lost pressure. But that water comes from wells, not the reservoir system. The reservoir water would be accessible mostly to helicopter-based fire crews, which were unable to fly in the high winds on the day of the fire.

Tremble said he believed that firefighters used hundreds of thousands of gallons from the company’s hydrants on the southern edge of the fire’s final footprint, but declined to discuss details saying he wanted the focus to be on helping people affected by the fires.

The rapid spread of the blaze, fed by hurricane-force winds, raises questions about whether it may have overwhelmed firefighters no matter how much water was available. Green

But Indigenous advocates and environmentalists are constantly tangling with water companies over how much the companies are permitted to divert.

Wayne Tanaka, director of the Sierra Club of Hawaii, said conservationists had supported the use of water for fire reserves. But he said he worried that water companies and large landowners use fire protection as an excuse to hoard water for commercial purposes.

“No one has opposed the need to reserve water for firefighting, but we want to know how much they actually use for that purpose,’’ Tanaka said.

Some environmentalists say there are several unanswered questions about the incident involving the West Maui Land Co., including whether the company’s request to fill its reservoir was prompted by a request to use that water from the fire department — which would have indicated how seriously fire officials considered the need for more water.

Before granting permission — and hours before the blaze had engulfed the town — the state water agency had asked the company whether the fire department had made such a request. But the company did not indicate in its correspondence with the state, a copy of which was reviewed by the Times, whether fire officials had done so.

In its initial delay in approving the request, the state had asked the company to first secure the approval of a nearby farmer, who used the water supply to grow traditional crops. But because power supplies had been disrupted during the high winds, the company said, it was unable to reach the farmer. With the escalation of the fire, the state ultimately approved the diversion anyway.

Continues on page 9

Hawaiian Electric crews working to repair damaged power lines in Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui, Aug. 16, 2023.

With TikTok and lawsuits, Gen Z takes on climate change

By DAVID GELLES

As Kaliko Teruya was coming home from her hula lesson on Aug. 8, her father called. The apartment in Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui, was gone, he said, and he was running for his life.

He was trying to escape the deadliest American wildfire in more than a century, an inferno fueled by powerful winds from a faraway hurricane and barely hindered by the state’s weak defenses against natural disasters.

Her father survived. But for Kaliko, 13, the destruction of the past week has reinforced her commitment to a cause that is coming to define her generation.

“The fire was made so much worse due to climate change,” she said. “How many more natural disasters have to happen before grown-ups realize the urgency?”

Like a growing number of young people, Kaliko is engaged in efforts to raise awareness about global warming and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, last year she and 13 other young people, ages 9-18, sued their home state, Hawaii, over its use of fossil fuels.

With active lawsuits in five states, TikTok videos that mix humor and outrage, and marches in the streets, it’s a movement that is seeking to shape policy, sway elections and shift a narrative that its proponents say too often emphasizes climate catastrophes instead of the need to make the planet healthier and cleaner.

Young climate activists in the United States have not yet had the same impact of their counterparts in Europe, where Greta Thunberg has galvanized a generation. But during a summer of record heat, choking wildfire smoke and now a hurricane bearing down on Los Angeles, American teenagers and 20-somethings concerned about the planet are increasingly being taken seriously.

“We see what’s happening with climate change, and how it affects everything

else,” said Elise Joshi, 21, executive director of Gen-Z for Change, an organization she joined while she was in college. “We’re experiencing a mix of anger and fear, and we’re finally channeling it into hope into the form of collective action.”

The youth vote’s mounting frustration with the Biden administration’s climate agenda is a wild card factor in next year’s presidential race. They are particularly livid that President Joe Biden, who pledged “no more drilling on federal lands, period” during his campaign, has failed to make good on that promise.

Young people are helping organize a climate march in New York next month, during the United Nations General Assembly. And their force is being felt even in deep-red states such as Montana, where a judge Monday handed the movement its biggest victory to date, ruling in favor of 16 young people who had sued the state over its support for the fossil fuel industry.

In that case, a lengthy fight resulted in a surprise victory that means, at least for now, that the state must consider potential climate damage when approving energy projects.

“The fact that kids are taking this action is incredible,” said Badge Busse, 15, one of the plaintiffs in the Montana case. “But it’s sad that it had to come to us. We’re the last resort.”

That mix of pride and exasperation is not uncommon among young climate activists. Many are energized by what they see as the fight of their lives, but they are also resentful that adults haven’t seriously confronted a problem that has been well understood for decades now.

“Do you think I really want to be on a stand saying, like, ‘I don’t have a future,’” said Mesina DiGrazia-Roberts, 16, another of the plaintiffs in the Hawaii case, who lives on Oahu. “As a 16-year-old who just wants to live my life and hang out with my friends and eat good food, I don’t want to be doing

that. And yet I am, because I care about this world. I care about the Earth and care about my family. I care about my future children.”

Across the movement, there is an effort to combat “climate nihilism,” the fatalistic acceptance that nothing can stop runaway global warming. That sentiment, captured in the phrase “OK Doomer,” contributes to the slow pace of progress, they maintain.

Spinning the fear and frustration that many young people experience into positive action is a chief aim of Wanjiku Gatheru, 24, who founded an organization called Black Girl Environmentalist that is working to get more young people of color involved in the movement.

“Fear doesn’t motivate people toward sustainable action,” Gatheru said. “Providing solutions in the midst of discussion of a problem helps get people engaged.”

Enthusiasm for the climate movement is spreading in surprising ways. A group of young techno optimists who shun doomerism have embraced the label of “Decarb Bros.” And among Republicans, millennials and members of Gen Z are far more likely than their elders to believe that humans are warming the planet and support efforts to reduce emissions, according to the Pew Research Center. Overall, about 62% of young voters support phasing out fossil fuels entirely, according to Pew.

On Maui, Kaliko and her family were trying to recover from the second natural disaster in five years. In 2018, flash flooding from Hurricane Olivia destroyed their home on the northern tip of the island. Now, the fire. “We really need adults to wake up,” she said. “If we don’t fix this now, there’s not going to be a future.”

Lahaina fire prompts a shift in Maui’s long-running water fights

From page 8

The area of West Maui where Lahaina is located only recently came under a much more extensive network of state water management control. The new regulatory structure meant that water companies and landowners would need to undergo an extensive permit-

ting process, which involves public input, to draw water. Water permits can be regularly reevaluated.

But in the wake of the fire, the West Maui Land Co. has asked the Green administration to suspend the state’s water management of that part of the island.

Tanaka of the Sierra Club said he worried that doing away with state oversight would turn the region’s water situation into “the Wild West,” where companies “can take as much as they want.”

But Green, in an online interview last week with Civil Beat, a Hawaii news site,

said it was likely that the state would modify its oversight of West Maui’s water as part of broader efforts to ensure more water was available for fighting fires.

“The world has changed,’’ he said. “It is a drier planet. We have to have a much more honest discussion about water.”

Badge Busse, 15, one of the plaintiffs who sued Montana over its support for the fossil fuel industry, with his brother Lander, in Kalispell, Mont. on March 6, 2023.

The desperate hunt for the AI boom’s most indispensable prize

By ERIN GRIFFITH

For the past year, Jean Paoli, CEO of the artificial intelligence startup Docugami, has been scrounging for what has become the hottest commodity in tech: computer chips.

In particular, Paoli needs a type of chip known as a graphics processing unit, or GPU, because it is the fastest and most efficient way to run the calculations that allow cutting-edge AI companies to analyze enormous amounts of data.

So he’s called everyone he knows in the industry who can help. He’s applied for a government grant that allows access to the chips. He’s tried making Docugami’s AI technology more efficient so it requires fewer GPUs. Two of his scientists have even repurposed old video gaming chips to help.

“I think about it as a rare earth metal at this point,” Paoli said of the chips.

More than money, engineering talent, hype or even profits, tech companies this year are desperate for GPUs. The hunt for the essential component was kicked off last year when online chatbots like ChatGPT set off a wave of excitement over AI, leading the entire tech industry to pile on and creating a shortage of the chips. In response, startups and their investors are now going to great lengths to get their hands on the tiny bits of silicon and the crucial “compute power” they provide.

The dearth of AI chips has been exacerbated because Nvidia, a longtime provider of the chips, has a virtual lock on the market. Inundated with demand, the Silicon

Valley company — which has surged to a $1 trillion valuation — is expected to report record financial results next week.

Tech companies typically buy access to AI chips and their compute power through cloud computing services from the likes of Google, Microsoft and Amazon. That way, they do not have to build and operate their own data centers full of computer servers connected with specialized networking gear.

But the AI explosion has meant that there are long wait lists — stretching to almost a year in some cases — to access these chips at cloud computing companies, creating an unusual roadblock at a time when the tech industry sees nothing but opportunity and boundless growth for businesses building generative AI, which can create its own ima-

ges, text and video.

The largest tech firms can generally get their hands on GPUs more easily because of their size, deep pockets and market positions. That has left startups and researchers, which typically do not have the relationships or spending power, scrambling.

Their desperation is palpable. On social media, blogposts and conference panels, startup founders and investors have started sharing highly technical tips for navigating the shortage. Some are gaming out how long they think it will take Nvidia’s wait-list to clear. There’s even a groan-worthy YouTube song, set to the tune of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” in which an artist known as Weird A.I. Yankochip sings “GPUs are fire, we can never find ‘em but we wanna buy ‘em.”

Some venture capital firms, including Index Ventures, are now using their connections to buy chips and then offering them to their portfolio companies. Entrepreneurs are rallying startups and research groups together to buy and share a cluster of GPUs.

At Docugami, Paoli weighed the possibility of diverting GPU resources from research and development to his product, an AI service that analyzes documents. Two weeks ago, he struck gold: Docugami secured access to the computing power it needed through a government program called Access, which is run by the National Science Foundation, a federal agency that funds science and engineering. Docugami had previously won a grant from NSF.

“That’s the life of a startup when you

need GPUs,” he said.

The lack of AI chips has been most acute for companies that are just starting out. In June, Eric Jonas left a job teaching computer science at the University of Chicago to raise money to start an AI drug discovery company. The scarce access to GPUs for university research projects had already been frustrating, but Jonas was shocked to discover it was just as hard for a startup, he said.

“It’s the Wild West,” he said. “There is literally no capacity.”

Jonas said he considered a range of undesirable options, including using older, less powerful chips and setting up his own data center. He also toyed with using chips from a friend’s Bitcoin mining rig — a computer designed to do the calculations that produce the digital currency — but figured that would create more work since those chips were not programmed for the kind of work required by AI.

For now, Jonas is calling in favors from friends at large equipment vendors and people who work at quantitative stock trading firms that might have extra GPUs or test labs that have GPUs that he could use. He said he did not need much — just 64 GPUs for six hours at a time.

The strain is what recently prompted two founders, Evan Conrad and Alex Gajewski, to start the San Francisco Compute Group, a project that plans to let entrepreneurs and researchers buy access to GPUs in small amounts. After hundreds of emails and a dozen phone calls to cloud companies, equipment makers and brokers, they announced last month that they had secured 512 of Nvidia’s H100 chips and would rent them out to interested parties.

The announcement went “hilariously viral,” Conrad said, and resulted in hundreds of messages from founders, graduate students and other research organizations.

Conrad and Gajewski now plan to raise $25 million in a specialized kind of debt that uses the computer chips as collateral. Their vendor, whom the founders declined to name for fear that someone would swoop in and buy the GPUs out from under them, has promised access in around a month.

The duo said they hoped to help startups save money by buying only the computing power they need to experiment, rather than making large, yearslong commitments.

“Otherwise, the incumbents all win,” Conrad said.

A Nvidia graphics processing unit, or GPU, which can handle the complex calculations made by large artificial intelligence models.

Majority of small businesses believe US is in recession

More than half of U.S. small business owners believe the economy is already in a recession, marking a slight decrease between July and April, despite most firms reporting their own financial condition was strong, a survey released on Monday showed.

The survey conducted in July from the National Federation of Independent Business focused mainly on small businesses’ views on the state of banking and their credit needs, and also showed small businesses are much less worried about the health of their bank than they were in the immediate aftermath of this spring’s bank failures, including that of Silicon Valley Bank.

On the economy, 52% of small business owners said they believe the economy is already in a recession, down from 55% in April, the survey found. That belief comes despite broad signs of strength across the economy and growing body of evidence that the economy could avoid a longanticipated downturn.

Recent indicators have shown strong retail sales and rising spending on services, the two largest small business industries. Moreover, businesses see their own financial condition as strong and their local economies relatively healthy.

For instance, more than two-thirds of all firms said that the financial state of business was “excellent” or “good,” a slight decline since April, but still strong as consumer spending continues to surpass expectations, and expectations for third-quarter gross domestic product growth continues to get revised upwards. On top of that, 80% of firms reported that the local economy was at least “okay.”

Optimism about the banking sector improved as well, recovering from the second-biggest U.S. banking collapse on record in March, as over half of all owners were not at all concerned about the health of their bank, an increase from 31% in April. There was heightened concern among small businesses at the outset of the collapse since 80% of all small businesses use a small, mid-sized or regional bank for financial needs.

The increased cost of borrowing after 525-basis points worth of tightening from the Federal Reserve since March 2022 continued to be the greatest source of concern for the majority of firms that have borrowed or tried to borrow since April.

European shares recovered from a six-week low and key U.S. treasury yields rose to decade highs on Monday as investors awaited a Federal Reserve meeting later this week. Wall Street trading was mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial and the S&P 500 giving back earlier gains while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained on earnings optimism.

Global benchmark oil futures fell after rising $1 a barrel, under pressure from potential interest rate hikes and uncertainty around Chinese demand.

MOST ASSERTIVE STOCKS

PUERTO RICO STOCKS

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 121.76 points, or 0.36%, to 34,377.24, the S&P (.SPX) gained 9.62 points, or 0.22%, to 4,379.33 and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) gained 127.27 points, or 0.96%, to 13,418.46 by 1:18 p.m. ET (1718 GMT).

The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) ended higher, after rising as much as 0.9% intraday, recovering from Friday’s six-week low. Energy (.DXEP) and mining (.SXPP) sectors gained, tracking higher crude oil and metals prices.

Germany’s DAX (.GDAXI) rose 0.2% even as official data showed a higher-than-expected fall in German producer prices in July.

Adyen (ADYEN.AS) slumped 8.6% after two brokerages downgraded the Dutch digital payments firm’s stock after the company missed half-year expectations on Aug. 17.

Earnings from AI-darling Nvidia (NVDA.O) on Wednesday will be another major test of valuations.

“Wall Street is having a hard time deciding what to do with stocks,” said Edward Moya, senior market analyst with OANDA. “Everyone is expecting an impact from the surge in yields, but it seems like tech companies have held up. Nvidia is going to be key.”

Saudi border guards accused of killing hundreds of African migrants

By BEN HUBBARD and SHUAIB ALMOSAWA

Border guards in Saudi Arabia have regularly opened fire on African migrants seeking to cross into the kingdom from Yemen, killing hundreds of men, women and children during a recent 15-month period, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Monday.

The guards have beaten the migrants with rocks and bars, forced male migrants to rape women while guards watched and shot detained migrants in their limbs, leading to permanent injuries and amputations, the report said.

The shooting of migrants is “widespread and systematic,” it said, adding that if killing them were Saudi government policy, it would constitute a crime against humanity.

A Saudi government statement dismissed the report as inaccurate.

“The allegations included in the Human Rights Watch report about Saudi border guards shooting Ethiopians while they were crossing the Saudi-Yemeni border are unfounded and not based on reliable sources,” the statement said.

The report provides chilling new details about the conditions along one of the world’s most dangerous smuggling routes, a patch of isolated, war-torn territory rarely visited by journalists, aid workers or other international observers.

It focuses on the plight of migrants from Ethiopia, one of the world’s poorest countries, who seek to enter Saudi Arabia — the Arab world’s richest nation and one of the globe’s largest oil exporters — and on the increasingly harsh efforts by the kingdom’s security forces to keep migrants out.

Faisal Othman, a migrant from Ethiopia, told The New York Times that he was trying to cross the border with about 200 others in September when a projectile exploded near the group and shrapnel tore apart the women around him.

“Most of them ended up as remains,” Othman, 31, said by phone from the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. “They were shredded like crushed tomatoes.”

Destitution pushed people to make the trip, he said.

“They’re just poor people looking to make a living on bare feet, but they face rockets,” he said.

For years, streams of migrants have fled Ethiopia because of poverty, drought and political repression and have headed for Djibouti, where smugglers transport them across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, which has been

torn apart by years of war.

In Yemen, the migrants are taken to territory near the Saudi border that is controlled by the Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group that seized Sanaa and much of the country’s northwest from the internationally recognized Yemeni government in 2014.

The next year, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies launched a bombing campaign to drive out the Houthis. But it didn’t work, and the war sank into a stalemate and fueled a humanitarian crisis.

Human Rights Watch based its report on dozens of interviews with migrants who have attempted the trip or with their associates; an analysis of hundreds of photos and videos shot by migrants; and an examination of satellite images of the border area.

It describes Saudi border guards firing on groups of migrants with rifles and explosive munitions believed to be mortars or rockets, often killing large numbers of people. One 14-year-old girl cited in the report recalled seeing 30 people killed around her when Saudi guards opened fire on her group in February. The girl told the researchers that she had hidden under a rock and had fallen asleep, only to realize that other people she thought were sleeping around her were dead.

Other migrants cited in the report said they had been abused by Saudi guards after being stopped near the border. Some were beaten, and others were shot in the limbs after the guards asked them where they would prefer to be shot, the report said.

One 17-year-old boy told researchers that guards had forced him and another migrant to rape two girls in their group after

killing another migrant who had refused to do so.

The report estimates that the number of migrants killed between March 2022 and June 2023 is at least in the hundreds but says that the true toll could be in the thousands.

While it focuses on abuses by the Saudi security forces, the report also accuses the Houthis of the widespread abuse of migrants by facilitating the smuggling, extortion and detention of migrants, which together can constitute human trafficking and torture.

Since the start of Yemen’s war, the country has seen rampant human rights violations and scant efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.

In their effort to beat back the Houthis, Saudi Arabia and its allies have carried out a bombing campaign that has hit weddings, funerals and a school bus full of children on a field trip, altogether killing an untold number of civilians. For their part, the Houthis have fired rockets at civilian targets in Saudi Arabia, have deployed child soldiers and have controlled the territory they hold with an iron fist, sometimes disappearing dissidents.

The pace of the conflict has slowed since Saudi Arabia and Iran, which supports the Houthis, reestablished diplomatic relations this year and Saudi Arabia began peace talks with the Houthis. But talk of accountably for war crimes has been absent from the discussions.

The last United Nations-backed body established to monitor human rights violations in Yemen stopped working in 2021, after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates lobbied members of the United Nations Human Rights Council to end the body’s mandate.

Although Monday’s report suggested that the Saudi border forces had become more harsh in targeting migrants, the violence is not new, and there has not been significant international efforts to stop it.

Abdulaziz Yasin, a prominent member of the Ethiopian community in Sanaa, said the reports of migrants’ being attacked never stopped.

“Every day, there are three, four or five migrants being killed,” he told the Times in phone interview. “Sometimes, 10, 20 or 30 get killed at once. There are a lot of Africans being killed.”

Still, he said, the community believes that it cannot count on any international agency to help.

“We complain to the organizations to no avail,” he said. “How can anyone help us?”

Ethiopian migrants boarding a boat in Djibouti to reach Saudi Arabia in 2019.

Anti-corruption crusader wins in Guatemala, in rebuke to establishment

By SIMON ROMERO and JODY GARCÍA

An anti-corruption crusader won a runoff election for Guatemala’s presidency Sunday, handing a stunning rebuke to the conservative political establishment in Central America’s most populous nation.

Bernardo Arévalo, a polyglot sociologist from an upstart party made up largely of urban professionals, took 58% of the vote with 98% of votes counted Sunday, the electoral authority said. His opponent, Sandra Torres, a former first lady, got 37%.

Alejandro Giammattei, the current president, who is prohibited by law from seeking reelection, congratulated Arévalo and extended an invitation to organize an “orderly” transition of power.

Full official results are expected within the coming days.

Arévalo’s win marks a watershed moment in Guatemala, both a leading source of migration to the United States and one of Washington’s longtime allies in the region. Until he squeaked into the runoff with a surprise showing in the first round in June, it was the barring by judicial leaders of several other candidates viewed as threats to the country’s ruling elites that was shaping the tumultuous campaigning.

Pushing back against such tactics, Arévalo made fighting graft the centerpiece of his campaign, focusing scrutiny on how Guatemala’s fragile democracy, repeatedly plagued with governments engulfed in scandal, has gone from pioneering anti-corruption strategies to shutting down such efforts and forcing judges and prosecutors to flee the country.

Arévalo said Sunday night that a priority of his government would be to put a stop to “political persecution against different types of government employees, and people focusing on corruption, human rights and the environment.”

One voter, Mauricio Armas, 47, said he had cast a ballot for a candidate he believed in for the first time in decades. Arévalo and his party, Movimiento Semilla (Seed Movement), “seem like people who are not connected to criminal activity,” said Armas, a house painter and actor in the capital, Guatemala City.

Arévalo, 64, a moderate who criticizes leftist governments such as that of Nicaragua, is nevertheless viewed in Guatemala’s conservative political landscape as the most progressive candidate to get this far since democracy was restored in the country in 1985 after more than three decades of military rule.

Drawing much of its support from voters in cities, Arévalo’s campaign stood in contrast to his rival’s, who focused largely on crime and

vowed to emulate in Guatemala the crackdown on gangs by Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s conservative president. Torres also highlighted social issues — opposing the legalization of abortion, gay marriage and marijuana — and supported increasing food assistance and cash payments to the poor.

“She promises security, doing the same as President Bukele in El Salvador,” said one supporter, Aracely Gatica, 40, who sells hammocks at a market in downtown Guatemala City.

This was just the latest unsuccessful bid by Torres, 67, the former wife of Álvaro Colom, who was Guatemala’s president from 2008-12. In 2011, she divorced Colom in an effort to get around a law that prohibits a president’s relatives from running for office. (Colom died in January at 71.)

Although she was barred from running in that contest, she was the runner-up in the two most recent presidential elections. After the last one, in 2019, she was detained on charges of illicit campaign financing and spent time under house arrest. But a judge closed the case late last year, opening the way for her to run.

Despite some obvious differences, Arévalo and Torres raised some issues in common. Both candidates, for instance, called attention to Guatemala’s dearth of decent infrastructure. Outside Guatemala City, the country is lacking in paved roads, and Arévalo and Torres proposed building thousands of miles of new roads and improving existing ones. Both also vowed to build Guatemala City’s first subway

line.

Still, Arévalo symbolizes a break with the established ways of doing politics in Guatemala. The race unfolded amid a crackdown by the current conservative administration on anti-corruption prosecutors and judges, as well as nonprofits and journalists such as José Rubén Zamora, publisher of a leading newspaper, who was sentenced in June to up to six years in prison.

Although Guatemala’s president, the broadly unpopular Giammattei, cannot seek reelection, concerns over a slide toward authoritarianism have grown more acute as he has expanded his sway over the country’s institutions.

This institutional fragility was on display Sunday. Blanca Alfaro, a judge who helps lead the authority that oversees Guatemala’s elections, said she planned to resign in the coming days because of what she said were threats against her. Gabriel Aguilera, another judge on the electoral authority, said he had also received threats.

In Guatemala City, firefighters said they had responded to a fire caused by a small homemade bomb at a voting center in a middle-

class area. Although no one was killed and the blaze was quickly extinguished, they said that they aided people showing signs of emotional stress. It was not immediately clear who was behind the bombing.

Before Arévalo’s showing in the first round, a victory by an establishment standard-bearer seemed almost certain. But rather than benefiting the establishment’s preferred candidates, the disqualification of several contenders opened a path for Arévalo.

After he made it into the runoff, a top prosecutor the United States has placed on a list of corrupt officials tried to prevent Arévalo from running, but that move also backfired, prompting calls from Guatemalan political figures across the ideological spectrum to allow him to remain in the race.

Arévalo made tackling corruption and impunity the nucleus of his campaign. He distanced himself from rivals seeking to mirror Bukele’s gang crackdown in neighboring El Salvador, saying that Guatemala’s security challenges are different in size and scope, with gang activity concentrated in certain parts of the country. Arévalo is proposing to hire thousands of new police officers and upgrade security at prisons.

William López, 34, a teacher in Guatemala City who works at a call center, said he viewed Arévalo and his party as “an opportunity for profound change, since they’ve shown they don’t have skeletons in their closet.”

Bernardo Arévalo, right, celebrating with his running mate, Karin Herrera, in Guatemala City on Sunday.

Establishment leftist and newcomer businessman appear headed to Ecuador runoff

By GENEVIEVE GLATSKY, JOSÉ MARÍA LEÓN CABRERA and THALÍE PONCE

An establishment leftist and a newcomer businessman appeared to capture the top two spots in Ecuador’s presidential election Sunday in a campaign cycle that has centered on voters’ frustration with the country’s soaring gang and drug cartel violence.

Luisa González, who was backed by a former socialist president, and political outsider Daniel Noboa received the highest percentage of ballots with 84% of the vote counted. They will compete in a runoff election Oct. 15.

The economy and security are likely to be the leading issues going into the runoff, as local prison and street gangs, along with foreign drug mafias, have unleashed a wave of violence unlike anything in the country’s recent history, sending homicide rates to record levels and hurting the vital tourism industry.

Concerns over the declining security were amplified this month when presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated on the campaign trail.

González led the election, garnering 33% of the vote, with 84% counted, followed by Noboa, the unexpected second-place winner with 24%. Just a few weeks ago, Noboa was polling in single digits.

Full official results were expected later Sunday night.

Sunday’s first-round vote followed President Guillermo Lasso’s call for snap elections in May amid impeachment proceedings against him over accusations of embezzlement, as well as rising voter dissatisfaction over the nation’s security crisis.

Ecuador, a country of 18 million, was once a tranquil haven compared with its neighbor

Colombia, which for decades was ravaged by violence by armed guerrilla and paramilitary groups and drug cartels. As that changed in the past few years after Colombia forged a peace deal, the narco-trafficking industry grew increasingly powerful in Ecuador.

Amid news reports regularly featuring beheadings, car bombs, police assassinations, young men hanging from bridges and children gunned down outside their homes and schools, Ecuadorians are hoping for new leadership that can restore the peaceful existence they once took for granted.

The González-Noboa matchup means that “there’s still a strong, loyal base for Correísmo that’s enough to get González into the runoff,” said Risa Grais-Targow, the Latin America director for Eurasia Group, referring to the leftist movement of former President Rafael Correa, who governed from 2007 to 2017.

But, she said, “there’s a large share of the

population that really wants something completely different — they want a new face.”

The surprise of the night was the secondplace victory for Noboa, who was recently polling toward the bottom of the pool of eight candidates.

“The youth opted for the Daniel Noboa option,” said Noboa in a news conference Sunday night. “It would not be the first time that a new proposal would turn around the electoral establishment,” he added, referring to himself.

The 35-year-old comes from one of the richest families in Latin America, known to most Ecuadorians for its banana empire. His father ran for president five times, unsuccessfully, but the younger Noboa’s political career goes back only to 2021, when he was elected to Ecuador’s Congress.

“He has a voting base that is familiar with the Noboa brand, with the Noboa name, and

that now has been very successfully energized, refreshed with a new face,” said Caroline Ávila, an Ecuadorian political analyst. “He captures the attention of young people, the main mass of undecided voters. They are the ones who are putting him in the second round.”

Noboa’s campaign seemed to take off only a week ago, when he impressed many Ecuadorians with his debate performance.

“He stands out in the debate,” Ávila said. “He speaks well, he speaks fluently, without complicating himself too much, without fighting. And it has generated a lot of interest in these post-debate weeks.”

Noboa came in just behind the leftist establishment candidate, González.

Backed by the powerful party of Correa, the former president, González, 45, has appealed to voter nostalgia for the economic and security situation under the Correa administration, when homicide rates were low and a commodities boom helped lift millions out of poverty.

“It is the first time in the history of Ecuador that a woman has obtained such a high percentage in the first round,” said González in her postelection speech. “We are going to have that homeland again with hope, with dignity, with security.”

If González wins the election in October, it will show the staying power of Correa as a dominant political force in Ecuador despite being out of power for six years.

He has lived in Belgium since he left office, fleeing an eight-year prison sentence for campaign finance violations. But experts predict that in the event of a González victory, he would likely return to the country and try to seek office again before the next president’s tenure expires in May 2025.

Supporters of Luisa González, the leftist establishment candidate in Ecuador’s presidential election, in Quito, on Sunday.

Using Frederick Douglass to rationalize slavery? In Florida, yes!

By CHARLES M. BLOW

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign may be floundering as he struggles to win over Republican voters with his deadpan robotic demeanor, and he may be shuffling campaign staff like he’s taking a mulligan, but the damage he did to Florida to get himself to this moment is still rippling through the state.

Last month, the Florida Department of Education announced that grade-school teachers could use videos produced by Dennis Prager’s PragerU Kids in their classrooms.

PragerU is no more a university than Trump University was. In fine type at the bottom of its webpage, it admits that “PragerU is not an accredited university, nor do we claim to be. We don’t offer degrees, but we do provide educational, entertaining, pro-American videos for every age.”

In reality, PragerU is little more than a propaganda media site. The Southern Poverty Law Center takes an even dimmer view of its credentials, saying, “PragerU seems to be yet another node on the internet connecting conservative media consumers to the dark corners of the extreme right.”

As for Prager himself, this is a man who said on his radio show in 2020, “It is idiotic that you cannot say the N-word.” And last year he falsely claimed that “if you see a noose on a college dorm of a Black student, the odds

are overwhelming that the noose was put there by a Black student.”

“If you see the N-word on a dormitory building,” he continued, “the odds are overwhelming that a Black student actually did that. We’re filled with race hoaxes.”

In short, Prager is poison on the racial question, and anything springing from his efforts should, by definition, be considered tainted, particularly when it comes to race.

DeSantis’ destruction of Florida’s schools is awash in this taint. Soon, students could be watching videos like one produced by PragerU that features two children, Leo and Layla, who appear to be white, traveling back in time to talk to Christopher Columbus. In it, a cartoon Columbus says that the first Indigenous people he met when he landed in the Bahamas, the Taino, a subgroup of the Arawak, were “peaceful, curious and really helpful.” Later, he says, “I ordered my men to treat them well.”

Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States” tells a different story, detailing how Columbus described the Arawak in his log at the time. “They would make fine servants,” Columbus wrote. “With 50 men, we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Visions of enslavement danced in his eyes from the beginning. And so, he acted.

As Columbus put it in one of his letters, “As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first island which I found, I took some of the natives by force.”

In the video, the cartoon Columbus rationalizes slavery, saying: “Being taken as a slave is better than being killed, no? I don’t see the problem.”

Well, I see a huge problem. In the video, being enslaved or killed are presented as the only options for the Indigenous, which is blasphemous. Slavery was a brutal, inhumane institution, but it wasn’t always deadly. Under Columbus, though, death was a prominent feature of the institution.

In another video, the two children travel back in time to talk to Frederick Douglass. One of the first things that the girl says to him is, “You have really cool hair.” Seriously?

The cartoon Douglass says in the video:

“Our founding fathers knew that slavery was evil and wrong, and they knew that it would do terrible harm to the nation. They wanted it to end, but their first priority was getting all 13 colonies to unite as one country.”

Nowhere in the video does it mention that most of the prominent founders, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, were themselves enslavers.

Then, perhaps most outrageously, the cartoon Douglass says, “I’m certainly not OK with slavery, but the founding fathers made a compromise to achieve something great: the making of the United States.”

Frederick Douglass would never! He despised the compromises that maintained and prolonged slavery.

In the video, the cartoon Douglass says that the year is 1852. But just two years before, the Compromise of 1850,

which included a beefed-up fugitive slave law that even punished people who participated in the Underground Railroad, was passed. Douglass detested this “compromise.”

In an 1853 speech, Douglass blasted the compromise as one that “reveals with great clearness the extent to which slavery has shot its leprous distillment through the lifeblood of the Nation.”

Eight years later, in 1861, after Abraham Lincoln defended the Fugitive Slave Act as an attempt to assuage Southern slavers, Douglass called him an “excellent slave hound” and the “most dangerous advocate of slave-hunting and slave-catching in the land.”

To David Blight, the definitive biographer of Douglass, PragerU’s video is appalling and a joke, but in an interview with me, he recognized the danger that it could be compelling to a young student.

Is anyone, ultimately, served by this promoting of logical fallacy and bastardizing of history? As Blight explained it, the video “really does appeal to that version and vision of history that so many Americans still want. They want to be left feeling good at the end of the day. They don’t want to be threatened. They want to sleep at night. They want to know that the greatest of Black leaders really were on their side.”

Using Douglass in any way to soften slavery is a desecration. And, that is DeSantis’ educational legacy in the state.

DeSantis has said, “In the state of Florida, we’re proud to stand for education, not indoctrination, in our schools.” But this summer, at a Moms for Liberty summit in Philadelphia, Prager admitted to his indoctrination efforts. Speaking about criticism he received, he said: “All I heard was, ‘You indoctrinate kids,’ which is true. We bring doctrines to children. That’s a very fair statement. I said, ‘But what is the bad of our indoctrination?’ ”

In the true hypocritical form of many conservatives, their issue is not with indoctrination itself but with whether they get to control the form and function of that indoctrination.

Aprueban en el Senado legislación para vivienda de víctimas de violencia de género

EL CAPITOLIO – El Senado dio luz verde al Proyecto del Senado 1098, propuesto por la senadora Migdalia González Arroyo, para establecer la “Ley Protectora del Derecho a la Vivienda de las Víctimas de Violencia de Género” el lunes.

“Esta pieza legislativa es un paso adicional a la protección de aquellos derechos que nos definen como sociedad”, mencionó González Arroyo, representante por el distrito Mayagüez- Aguadilla en declaraciones escritas.

La legislación señala que “al proteger el derecho a la vivienda de la víctima, también se protege

POR CYBERNEWS

E L CAPITOLIO – El Presidente del Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) criticó este lunes la aproba-

el derecho a un hogar seguro del menor de edad afectado”.

Esta ley requiere la acción conjunta de varios entes gubernamentales, incluyendo el Departamento de la Vivienda y el Poder Judicial, para asegurar su correcta implementación.

Otras medidas aprobadas incluyeron la Resolución del Senado 788 sobre desperdicios sólidos y el Proyecto del Senado 1108 relativo a bicitaxis en Puerto Rico. Además, se aprobó el Proyecto del Senado 1176 para evitar lenguaje estereotipado en la educación especial y un plan para fomentar la agricultura en Humacao. Se discutieron y pasaron diversas resoluciones y proyectos adicionales rela-

ción de una medida, “respaldada por 14 Representantes y negociada con Edwin Mundo y el PNP”, que contradice las determinaciones de la Junta de Gobierno del PPD.

“El PNP y Edwin Mundo no pueden dictar las determinaciones del Partido Popular”, enfatizó el líder del PPD en declaraciones escritas.

“Como Presidente del partido y de la conferencia legislativa del PPD no toleraré dicha acción”, agregó, manifestando su intención de aplicar sanciones correspondientes.

El pasado 13 de agosto, la Junta de Gobierno del PPD llevó a cabo una reunión extraordinaria para discutir asuntos relacionados con el Código Electoral y los nombramientos en la colectividad. Durante la reunión, expresaron claramente su posición mediante la Resolución 2023-JG-005.

“Por demasiado tiempo nuestra colectividad ha sido víctima de la indisciplina y del poco respeto de nuestro propio liderato a nuestras normas internas. Esos tiempos terminan hoy”, finalizó el Presidente del PPD.

Por su parte, el licenciado Pablo José Hernández

cionados con la transportación, agricultura y más.

Rivera, candidato a comisionado residente de Puerto Rico en Washington por el Partido Popular Democrático expresó: “Repudio la alianza del presidente de la Cámara de Representantes con Edwin Mundo y el PNP para aprobar enmiendas al código electoral. Estas enmiendas surgen de un proceso atropellado, crean una controversia innecesaria para el PPD y debilitan injustamente a los partidos minoritarios. A pesar de la frustración, somos muchos los que seguiremos trabajando para darle un mejor futuro al Partido Popular, a Puerto Rico y nuestra democracia”.

El domingo, el comisionado electoral alterno del PPD, Gerardo Antonio Cruz Maldonado le reiteró al presidente de la Cámara de Representantes que no podía violentar la determinación de la Junta de Gobierno del PPD.

“La obligación de todos los funcionarios electos bajo el Partido Popular Democrático es cumplir con las disposiciones de nuestro reglamento y con las determinaciones de los organismos directivos, en este caso la Junta de Gobierno. No hacerlo es incumplir esa obligación y violentar el reglamento de la institución”, puntualizó el domingo.

S AN JUAN – El portavoz del Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP) en la Cámara de Representantes, Denis Márquez Lebrón, criticó el rápido avance del Proyecto de la Cámara 1822 que propone enmiendas a la Ley Electoral, el lunes, durante la inauguración de la Sexta Sesión ordinaria.

“Así quedó consumado el salvajismo político del verdadero junte de las fuerzas más dañinas del país, el PNP y el PPD”, comentó Márquez en declaraciones

escritas.

Añadió que “el Partido Popular en la Cámara abandonó su apoyo a la medida aprobada al final de la sesión pasada, la cual contaba con el respaldo de cuatro de los cinco partidos y los legisladores independientes. Esta medida busca perpetuar el lenguaje excluyente de la Ley actual y añade elementos, como la composición de las Juntas Temporeras en año electoral, en las que solo el PNP y el PPD estarán representados”.

La propuesta fue aprobada parcialmente con votos

de miembros de delegaciones del PPD y del PNP.

“Durante el año electoral, solo el PNP y el PPD tendrán acceso ilimitado a empleados de otras dependencias para trabajo electoral. Los penepés traerán empleados de agencias y los populares de municipios para trabajo electoral financiado por el pueblo de Puerto Rico en tiempos de escasez de servicios para la ciudadanía. También buscan limitar cómo los partidos y candidatos postulan candidatos al Senado y a la Cámara por acumulación, lo cual es un error jurídico”, indicó Márquez.

POR CYBERNEWS

Presidente del PPD amenaza con sanciones “a los que se juntaron con Edwin Mundo y el PNP”

Denis Márquez cataloga como “salvajismo político” la aprobación de enmiendas a la Ley Electoral

‘El Mago Pop’ review: A boy next door with the magic touch

who dreams of achieving the incredible. And Díaz tells the audience that this brief stint on Broadway culminates those dreams, which nods to an emotional undercurrent. But there’s little narrative here, just the sense of a canny and dexterous performer checking off another box on a “Become an International Sensation” to-do list.

Díaz’s rise, like his stage maneuvers, is presented as unfailingly smooth, with doubt, quirk and adversity scrubbed away. In place of narrative, there are cartoon video interludes — Díaz as a superhero, Díaz as an old man — or the relentlessly basic playlist Díaz relies on: “Power of Love,” “Shut Up and Dance,” the “Star Wars” theme, multiple Coldplay numbers. (Díaz and Jesús Díaz are credited with the music selection.) There is also, absurdly, an extended clip from “Forrest Gump.”

Levitation is one of Díaz’s specialties. Teleportation is another. The teleportation tricks are probably his best. When assistants or ostensible audience members appear, in a blink, in a vitrine on the opposite side of the stage, it produces a giddy feeling of wonder.

His audience interaction is less certain. For one trick, he selected a very young child, who looked uncomfortable, even terrified, to be brought onstage. The child didn’t speak, but when Díaz asked, “Do you like magic?,” a vigorous shake of the head was given: No. That got a laugh, so Díaz repeated the question. The child squirmed. Was this worth it for a routine with a wristwatch?

By ALEXIS SOLOSKI

Not so long ago, landing a helicopter on a Broadway stage was kind of a big deal. In “El Mago Pop,” the charming, thrilling, silly Broadway show by Spanish illusionist Antonio Díaz, it is one of the more minor stunts. The stage is empty. Then it’s ornamented by a red-and-silver copter. Then it’s empty again, except for lights and sparks.

Díaz grew up on the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain. Like most professional magicians, he discovered magic early and worked at it obsessively, a process he details in a long video sequence that begins the brief show. (Excluding the video and a padded curtain call, the live action runs perhaps an hour.) At 37, he claims to be the youngest illusionist to present a show on Broadway, but as with many of his effects, that’s a tricky thing to verify. Doug Henning seems to have been the same age.

Díaz bops onto the stage of the Ethel Barrymore Theater in a white shirt, skinny black pants and a skinnier black tie, the outfit of an excitable 1960s mod. He is short and slight, with long, nimble fingers — watch those fingers when you can, the precision and economy are gorgeous — and a high,

fast voice. In contrast with the heavy eyeliner and gothic fripperies of magic’s 2000s efflorescence, he seems indefatigably nice and bountifully cheerful as he bounces up and down in his sneakers, which seem to have helium lifts. He is a prestidigitator you could take home to mother.

As if to underline that sweetness, each ticket holder receives a candy jar upon entering. The jars feature in a fairly modest mathematics-focused magic trick. Still the gesture is nice. This boy-next-door persona sometimes feels at odds with director Mag Lari’s extravagant staging, a symphony of blinding lights and so very many open flames. A day later, I am still picking confetti out of my clothes. But maybe that’s what happens when the boy next door comes to Broadway. And yet his skills are never in doubt.

“I intend for you to see impossible things tonight,” Díaz says. Fairly often, he delivers.

There is a recent trend in magic, popularized by performers such as Derek DelGaudio and Helder Guimarães, to weave tricks into some larger narrative, often a personal history. Díaz gestures toward that, but he doesn’t actually share much of himself. The video suggests the story of a boy

“El Mago Pop” alternates between large-scale illusions and smaller ones, performed in the aisles of the orchestra and shot by roaming cameramen. This means that if you are seated in the back of the theater or in the upper tiers, you will see the show mostly on-screen, which has a way of diminishing awe. Most of us have been spoiled by too many special effects, editing tricks and filters to trust the evidence of screens. For me, the close-up stunts performed in the opposite aisle felt far less astonishing than one that happened just a few feet away, in which a volunteer’s ring shot through the air and landed, rattling, inside a covered shot glass.

Díaz’s best routine was performed alone to a peppy Jacques Brel song. Breathlessly, Díaz manipulated a ball (a tribute to Cardini’s classic billiard ball routine), many cards, even his own right shoe. His hands would be empty. His mouth would be empty. You would swear to it on any available Bible. Then they would be full, cards raining to the floor. He sent a few cards whizzing through the air in a way that reminded me of Ricky Jay, a scholar and magician who died in 2018. I may have teared up a little. This was Díaz’s simplest sequence and also his most beautiful. Who needs a helicopter when you can make magic like that?

‘El Mago Pop’Through Aug. 27 at the Barrymore Theater, Manhattan; elmagopop. com. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Antonio Díaz in “El Mago Pop” at the Ethel Barrymore Theater in Manhattan.

Financial Institutions (OCFI) if not claimed by November 15, 2023.

By LAUREN SLOSS

Ely MacInnes and her husband, Tom, began traveling in the western United States with their 85-pound mutt, Alaska, in March 2020. Driving and living in a recreational vehicle, they visited White Sands and Petrified Forest National Parks in New Mexico and Arizona before heading to California, Oregon and Washington. They sometimes struggled to figure out where Alaska could and couldn’t roam, but often found that they could have wonderful experiences.

“We could have a great time viewing the park from the car and doing the limited options that allowed dogs,” said MacInnes. “Most people think you can’t bring your dogs to national parks, but many national parks actually make it very welcoming.”

In June 2020, the couple started a Facebook group, U.S. National Parks With Dogs, to exchange advice and information about their travels and provide a forum for others to share their experiences, both positive and negative. The group now has nearly 5,000 members.

“We want to make sure everyone can enjoy the parks, whether or not they have a dog,” said MacInnes, adding that another pup, a blue heeler named Smoky Joe, is now part of her family.

For humans who like to enjoy the outdoors with their canine pals, planning a park visit has gotten easier in recent years thanks to a host of online resources, as well as expanded programs courtesy of the Park Service.

Here’s what you need to know about bringing your pup to the parks.

Yes, dogs are allowed in most national parks

First things first: Dogs are, by and large, allowed in national parks. But there are rules intended to conserve the land, protect the wildlife and keep dogs safe. In all parks, dogs must be on leashes no longer than 6 feet, and picking up and disposing of pet excrement is a must. Then specific destinations

may have their own rules. In Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks, dogs are largely restricted to developed car campgrounds and paved roads, while others, including White Sands, have more areas open to dogs, although they must be leashed.

Whatever your destination, do your research

The Park Service website has a section dedicated to pet visitors, including a map that illustrates which parks allow dogs, and then most individual parks have sites with dedicated pet pages, offering the most reliable and current sources of information.

Danielle LaFleur and her husband, Brodin Ramsey, have been traveling with their dog, Chia, since March. They make a point to speak to park rangers on arrival to get the most up-to-date information and suggestions on which areas to visit.

“In Joshua Tree, the rangers directed me to a four-wheel-drive road that no one goes on,” LaFleur said. “We were able to do quite a bit of exploring

there.”

Other resources include sites such as AllTrails and apps including BringFido (for dog-friendly hotels and more). And keep in mind that the rules exist for a reason: Breaking them can be detrimental to your dog and to other visitors’ experiences, and may even lead to more restrictions on dogs in the future.

Join the BARK Rangers

Another reason to chat with rangers is to find out if the park you’re visiting is a part of the BARK Rangers program, an initiative that started about 20 years ago with free books, badges and bandannas aimed at promoting good dog and park stewardship.

“The program encourages pets and pet owners to engage in responsible behavior in their national parks,” said Kathy Kupper, a public affairs specialist with the Park Service.

Those principles are the following: Bag your pet’s waste. Always leash your pet. Respect wildlife. Know where you can go. Individual parks may have additional canine-friendly activities, in-

cluding ranger-guided adventure walks.

Other federal lands are often more dog-friendly

Chris Chao and his wife, Melanie, have traveled with Pyro, their Siberian husky, to 51 national parks. But the couple have consistently found that other public lands, including areas overseen by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, are more open to dogs. While national park sites are specifically chosen for conservation purposes, other federal lands are more multipurpose, often allowing hunting and livestock grazing. As such, many national forests and BLM sites allow dogs to be off-leash with their people, and trails are largely accessible to dogs when compared with those in national parks. Of course, even if your dog is allowed off-leash, they still must be under control; your dog should not chase wildlife, livestock or other hikers.

“Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks,” Chao said, “are very dogrestrictive, but in Sequoia National Forest, all the trails are dog-friendly.”

Adjust your expectations

“It’s a bit like traveling with a child. You’re going to have to plan stops and potty breaks,” said Chao.

In national parks with more restrictions, this may mean skipping attractions and hikes, hiring a pet sitter (Rover is one app for that), boarding your dog for the day, or tag teaming with a partner or travel buddy.

Halef Gunawan and his partner, Michael Demmons, sometimes take turns exploring while the other stays with their German shepherd, Kana. When the family visited Joshua Tree, Demmons went on a solo hike that he was eager to try, while Gunawan walked Kana around the visitors center. However, they try to prioritize destinations where they can do things together.

“We don’t just want to leave her behind in the van; we want to include her,” said Gunawan. “I can’t imagine traveling without her now. It’s been such a wonderful experience for the three of us.”

An undated photo provided by Ely MacInnes of herself and her dog Alaska at Grand Canyon National Park. With expanded park programs and new online resources, planning a park-centric trip with a dog — or a dog-centric trip to a park — has gotten easier in recent years.

You can take your dog to a National Park, but you’ll both need to be very, very good

COVID didn’t take a summer vacation

By DANA G. SMITH

You’re not imagining it: COVID-19 cases are on the rise again.

Fortunately, since a vast majority of Americans have some sort of immunity, either from vaccination or a prior infection, or both, most people who get infected now will have a mild illness.

And while there are multiple strains circulating (nearly all of them descendants of the omicron XBB variant), they are unlikely to cause the “wildfire spreading” that occurred with the delta variant and the first omicron variant, said Dr. David Boulware, a professor of medicine specializing in infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School. That includes EG.5, which was recently named a “variant under monitoring” by the World Health Organization and now accounts for about 17% of U.S. cases.

“I’m not sure if it’s a surge, per se, or just uptick,” Boulware said of the current situation. Either way, he added, it’s a reminder “that, yes, COVID still exists.”

Below is a quick refresher on how to navigate an outbreak in your community or home.

Trackin g

Monitoring where and how much the virus is spreading has become significantly more difficult since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped tracking cases in May, with the end of the federal public health emergency. However, there are still a few metrics to pay attention to — in addition to anecdotal evidence that people around you are getting sick.

The two best metrics to monitor local infection levels are hospitalization rates and wastewater data, which can both be found on the CDC COVID Data Tracker website. For hospitalization rates, go to the map and select your county. For wastewater data, scroll down to the surveillance map and locate your nearest monitoring site.

Because fewer people tend to have severe cases these days, hospitalization data is less representative of how many people are infected. But it can still be useful for measuring trends: Nationwide, about 9,000 people were hospitalized for COVID in the past week, a roughly 12% increase over the prior week.

Many experts say that wastewater testing is a more accurate metric for identifying how much virus is circulating in a community. More than 1,300 sewage treatment plants across all 50 states currently monitor levels of the virus, which infected people shed in their stools.

“Wastewater is the only data source we have that gives us early warnings of new outbreaks,” said Aparna Keshaviah, the director of wastewater research at Mathematica, a research consultancy firm. “Hospitalizations and deaths are like these contrails of COVID infections; they show you the aftermath of what’s already happened.”

Testing

COVID symptoms haven’t changed much since the start of the pandemic — sore throat, congestion, fatigue, fever and cough remain the most common, said Dr. Paul Sax, the clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Wom-

en’s Hospital. Some people may also experience gastrointestinal symptoms, and there are reports that the XBB.1.16 strain can cause pink eye.

These generic symptoms mean it can be “extremely difficult to tell one virus from another,” Sax said. The easiest way to know if you have COVID or just a summer cold is to take a rapid test.

If the rapid tests in your bathroom are past their expiration dates, check the manufacturer’s website to see if the dates have been extended before you toss the tests. When at-home rapid tests were initially authorized, the Food and Drug Administration required strict expiration dates, but many have since been relaxed.

Rapid tests are still effective for all of the variants that are circulating, and if you test positive, you can trust that you’re infected. If you have symptoms but get a negative result, wait two days and test again; so-called serial testing, where you test multiple times over the course of several days, is more than 90% effective at detecting a symptomatic infection.

“If the virus is not present in large quantities,” you may get a negative result even when you’re symptomatic, said Dr. Apurv Soni, an assistant professor at UMass Chan Medical School

who has researched rapid test accuracy. “By doing serial testing, you give yourself a chance to catch the virus when it has increased to a higher quantity in your body.”

Treating

If you test positive for COVID and you’re over age 60 or have a condition that increases your risk for a severe infection, ask your doctor to prescribe Paxlovid as soon as possible. For people in these groups, the drug reduces the risk of hospitalization if they start taking it within the first five days of an infection. For young, healthy people, the benefits are less clear: Paxlovid doesn’t provide additional protection against severe disease, but it may help prevent the development of long COVID.

Experts say that the CDC guidance to isolate for five days after a positive test result — meaning stay at home and stay away from other people as best you can — continues to be generally good advice. If you are going to be around others, wear a high-quality N95, KN95 or KF94 mask. Although COVID is now behaving like a typical respiratory illness in most people, it can still be dangerous for vulnerable populations, and long COVID remains a risk, so it’s important to avoid infecting others.

If you have symptoms and test positive after five days, “then I would still avoid contact with others,” Sax said. But if you test positive after your symptoms have cleared, research now suggests that it’s unlikely you’re still infectious. At that point, Sax said, “stop testing and just go about your life.”

LEGAL NOTICE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT

COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO

LEGACY MORTGAGE

ASSET TRUST 2019-PR1

Plaintiff V. AMPARO RIVERA

FIGUEROA AND THE ESTATE OF CARLOS

LUCAS MARTINEZ SANTANA COMPOSED BY AMPARO RIVERA

FIGUEROA IN THE WIDOW’S RIGHT OF USUFRUCT AND JOHN

DOE AND JANE DOE AS UNKNOWN HEIRS OF THE ESTATE

Defendant

Civil Num.: 16-cv-02972. (FAB).

Re: COLLECTION OF MONIES, FORECLOSURE OF MORTGAGE. NOTICE OF SALE.

To: AMPARO RIVERA FIGUEROA AND THE ESTATE OF CARLOS LUCAS MARTINEZ SANTANA COMPOSED BY AMPARO RIVERA FIGUEROA IN THE WIDOW’S RIGHT OF USUFRUCT AND JOHN DOE AND JANE DOE AS UNKNOWN HEIRS OF THE ESTATE, ANY OTHER PARTY WITH INTEREST OVER THE PROPERTY MENTIONED BELOW; GENERAL PUBLIC.

WHEREAS: Judgment was entered on March 7, 2023, to pay plaintiff the sum of of $127,087.08, plus interest over the unpaid principal balance at the rate of 5.016% per annum since March 10, 2017. Such interest will continue to accrue until the debt is paid in full. In addition, an additional deferred balance of $4, 032.52 does not accrue interest at this time.

In addition, the Defendant(s) owes the Plaintiff late charges amounting to 5.00% of any and all monthly payments or installments in arrears over fifteen (15) days after the installment is due. The Defendant(s) also owe the Plaintiff all of the advances made pursuant to the provisions and/or dispositions of the Mortgage Note and the Mortgage Deed. The Defendant(s) also owes an amount equivalent to 10.00% of the original principal balance, or $14,350.00 as a liquidated amount to cover the costs, expenses, and attorney’s fees. The records of the case and of these proceedings may be examined by interested parties

at the Office of the Clerk of the United States District Court, Room 150, Federal Office Building, 150 Chardon Avenue, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. WHE-

REAS: Pursuant to the terms of the aforementioned Judgment, Order of Execution, and the Writ of Execution thereof, the undersigned Special Master was ordered to sell at public auction for U.S. currency in cash or certified check without appraisement or right of redemption to the highest bidder and at the office of the Clerk of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, Room 150 – Federal Office Building, 150 Carlos Chardón Avenue, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, to cover the sums adjudged to be paid to the plaintiff, the following property (as described in the Property Registry in Spanish language):

URBANA: Solar marcado con el número S guion dieciséis (S16) del plano de inscripción de la Urbanización Santa Mónica, radicada en el barrio Pájaros del término municipal de Bayamón, con una cabida superficial de 330.294 metros cuadrados.

Colinda al NORTE, con el solar #15, en una distancia de 24.00 metros lineales; al SUR, con el solar #17, en igual distancia; al ESTE, con la calle #12, en una distancia de 12.397 metros lineales y al OESTE, con el solar #35, en una distancia de 9.44 metros lineales y con el solar #34, en una distancia de 5.687 metros, con distancia de 15.127 metros. Enclava edificación. La propiedad consta inscrita al folio 41 del tomo 499 de Bayamón Sur, finca número 22,696 del Registro de la Propiedad de Bayamón, Sección I. The property is recorded at page 41 of Bayamon South, volume 499, property number 22696 on Puerto Rico Property Registry at Bayamon, Section I. The mortgage is recorded at page 117 of volume 1755 of Bayamon South, 3rd inscription, property #67129 of the Property Registry of Property of Bayamon. Section I. The modification is recorded of Bayamon South volume Karibe, property #67129, fourth inscription in the Property Registry of Bayamon, Section I. WHEREAS: This property is subject to the following liens: Senior Liens: None. Junior Liens: None. Other Liens: None. Potential bidders are advised to verify the extent of preferential liens with the holders thereof. It shall be understood that each bidder accepts as sufficient the title and that prior and preferential liens to the one being foreclosed upon, including but not limited to any property tax, liens, (express, tacit, implied or legal) shall con-

tinue in effect it being understood further that the successful bidder accepts them and is subrogated in the responsibility for the same and that the bid price shall not be applied toward their cancellation. THEREFORE, the FIRST PUBLIC SALE shall be held on the 12TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER OF 2023, AT: 9:35 AM. The minimum bid that will be accepted is the sum of $143,500.00. In the event said first auction does not produce a bidder and the property is not adjudicated, a SECOND PUBLIC AUCTION shall be held on the 19TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER OF 2023, AT: 9:35 AM, and the minimum bid that will be accepted is the sum $95,666.67, which is two-thirds of the amount of the minimum bid for the first public sale. If a second auction does not result in the adjudication and sale of the property, a THIRD PUBLIC AUCTION will be held on the 26TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER OF 2023, AT: 9:35 AM, and the minimum bid that will be accepted is the sum of $71,750.00, which is one-half of the minimum bid in the first public sale. Should there be no award or adjudication at the third public sale, the property may be awarded to the creditor for the entire amount of its debt if it is equal to or less than the amount of the minimum bid of the third public sale, crediting this amount to the amount owed if it is greater. The Special Master shall not accept in payment of the property to be sold anything but United States currency or certified checks, except in case the property is sold and adjudicated to the plaintiff, in which case the amount of the bid made by said plaintiff shall be credited and deducted from its credit; said plaintiff being bound to pay in cash or certified check only any excess of its bid over the secured indebtedness that remains unsatisfied. WHEREAS: Said sale to be made by the Special Master subject to confirmation by the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and the deed of conveyance and possession to the property will be executed and delivered only after such confirmation. Upon confirmation of the sale, an order shall be issued cancelling all junior liens. For further particulars, reference is made to the judgment entered by the Court in this case, which can be examined in the Office of Clerk of the United States District Court, District of Puerto Rico. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, this 13th day of July of 2023. Pedro A. Vélez-Baerga, Special Master, specialmasterpr@gmail.com, 787-672-8269.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN SEBASTIÁN

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Parte Demandante Vs. SUCESIÓN DE ÁNGEL MANUEL ALICEA GUERRA T/C/C ÁNGEL

M. ALICEA GUERRA COMPUESTA POR STEPHEN ALICEA CABRERA, MARIANA E. ALICEA CABRERA

T/C/C MARIANA ENID ALICEA CABRERA, MICHAEL ALICEA

CABRERA, FULANO Y MENGANO DE TAL, POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS, EVA CABRERA ORTIZ, EN LA CUOTA VIUDAL USUFRUCTUARIA

Parte Demandada

Civil Núm.: AG2019CV01173.

Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA “IN REM”. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. AVISO DE PÚBLICA SUBASTA. El Alguacil que suscribe por la presente anuncia y hace constar que en cumplimiento de la Sentencia dictada el 23 de marzo de 2022 y notificada el 12 de abril de 2022, la Orden de Ejecución de Sentencia del 30 de mayo de 2023 y el Mandamiento de Ejecución del 26 de junio de 2023 en el caso de epígrafe, procederé a vender el día de 4 DE OCTUBRE 2023, A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de San Sebastián, en la Calle Severo Arana (al lado del Cuartel de la Policía), San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, al mejor postor en pago de contado y en moneda de los Estados Unidos de América, cheque de gerente o giro postal, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada sobre la siguiente propiedad: RÚSTICA: Sita en el Barrio Hoyamala del término municipal de San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, con cabida superficial de 9,550.85 metros cuadrados, equivalentes a 2.43 cuerdas. En lindes por el NORTE, con Ramón Lisboa Rosa; por el SUR, con la Sucesión de Marciano Molina; por el ESTE, con Julián Figueroa; y por el OESTE, con Ramón Lisboa Rosa y Basilio Ruiz. La propie-

dad consta inscrita al folio 5 del tomo 547 de San Sebastián, Finca 25096. Registro de la Propiedad de San Sebastián. La hipoteca consta inscrita al folio 8 del tomo 630 de San Sebastián, Finca 25096. Registro de la Propiedad de San Sebastián. Inscripción sexta (6ta). Dirección Física: Bo. Hoyamala, 119 Km 28.7 Int. San Sebastián, PR 00685. Número de Catastro: 30-100-079-489-73-000. El tipo mínimo para la primera subasta será de $126,271.00. De no haber adjudicación en la primera subasta se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA, el de 11 DE OCTUBRE 2023, A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será de dos terceras partes del tipo mínimo fijado en la primera subasta, o sea, $84,180.66. De no haber adjudicación en la segunda subasta, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día de 18 DE OCTUBRE 2023, A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será la mitad del precio pactado, o sea, $63,135.50. Si se declarase desierta la tercera subasta, se adjudicará la finca a favor del acreedor por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada si ésta es igual o menor que el monto del tipo de la tercera subasta, si el tribunal lo estima conveniente. Se abonará dicho monto a la cantidad adeudada si ésta es mayor. Dicho remate se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a la demandante el importe de la Sentencia por la suma de $117,745.51 de principal, más intereses sobre dicha suma al 3.25% anual desde el 1 de febrero de 2019 hasta su completo pago, más $30.00 de recargos acumulados, más la cantidad estipulada de $12,627.10 para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogados, así como cualquier otra suma que contenga el contrato del préstamo. Surge del Estudio de Título Registral que sobre esta propiedad pesa el siguiente gravamen posterior a la hipoteca que por la presente se pretende ejecutar: Aviso de Demanda: Pleito seguido por Banco Popular de Puerto Rico Vs. Ángel Manuel Alicea Guerra, ante el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Aguadilla, en el Caso Civil Número AG2019CV01173, sobre Cobro de Dinero y Ejecución de Hipoteca, en la que se reclama el pago de hipoteca, con un balance de $117,745.51 y otras cantidades, según Demanda de fecha de 26 de agosto de 2019. Anotada al Tomo Karibe de San Sebastián. Anotación A. Se notifica al acreedor posterior o a su sucesor o cesionario en derecho para que comparezca

a proteger su derecho si así lo deseaba. Se le advierte a los interesados que todos los documentos relacionados con la presente acción de ejecución de hipoteca, así como los de Subasta, estarán disponibles para ser examinados, durante horas laborables, en el expediente del caso que obra en los archivos de la Secretaría del Tribunal, bajo el número de epígrafe y para su publicación en un periódico de circulación general en Puerto Rico por espacio de dos semanas y por lo menos una vez por semana; y para su fijación en los sitios públicos requeridos por ley. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante, continuarán subsistentes; entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate y que la propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores tal como lo expresa la Ley Núm. 2102015. Y para el conocimiento de los demandados, de los acreedores posteriores, de los licitadores, partes interesadas y público en general, EXPIDO para su publicación en los lugares públicos correspondientes, el presente Aviso de Pública Subasta en San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, hoy 11 de julio de 2023. Luis A. Nieves Rivera, Alguacil Del Tribunal De Primera Instancia, Sala Superior De San Sebastián.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE COMERÍO

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Parte Demandante Vs. JOSÉ ÁNGEL AVILÉS RIVERA T/C/C JOSÉ A. AVILÉS RIVERA, DAMARIS RIVERA FIGUEROA Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES

COMPUESTA POR

AMBOS

Parte Demandada

Civil Núm.: AI2019CV00536. (702). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO, EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

AVISO DE PÚBLICA SUBASTA. El Alguacil que suscribe por la presente anuncia y hace constar que en cumplimiento de la Sentencia en Rebeldía dictada el 12 de octubre de 2021 y notificada el 23 de mayo de 2023, la Orden de Ejecución de Sentencia del 11 de julio de 2023 y el Mandamiento de Ejecución del 18 de julio de 2023 en el caso de epígrafe, procederé a vender el día 29 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2023, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Comerío, en 16 Calle Georgetti, Comerío, Puerto Rico, al mejor postor en pago de contado y en moneda de los Estados Unidos de América, cheque de gerente o giro postal, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada sobre la siguiente propiedad:

RÚSTICA: “A” Predio de terreno radicado en el Barrio Quebrada Grande del término municipal de Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de 1,044.6463 metros cuadrados, equivalentes a 0.2658 cuerdas.

En lindes por el NORTE: con camino municipal que conduce a la Carretera Estatal #749; por el SUR y ESTE: con el remanente de la finca principal; y por el OESTE: con el remanente de la finca principal y el solar marcado como predio “B” en el plano se segregación. La propiedad consta inscrita al folio 14 del tomo 255 de Barranquitas, Finca 16530. Registro de la Propiedad de Barranquitas. La escritura de hipoteca y su modificación constan inscritas al folio 14 vuelto del tomo 255 de Barranquitas, Finca 16530. Registro de la Propiedad de Barranquitas. Inscripción tercera y al margen de la inscripción tercera, respectivamente. Dirección Física: 749 Rd Km 2.4, Quebrada Grande, Barranquitas, PR 00794. El tipo mínimo para la primera subasta será de $138,740.92. De no haber adjudicación en la primera subasta se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA, el día 6 DE OCTUBRE DE 2023, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será de dos terceras partes del tipo mínimo fijado en la primera subasta, o sea, $92,493.94.

De no haber adjudicación en la segunda subasta, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 13 DE OCTUBRE DE 2023, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será la mitad del precio pactado, o sea, $69,370.46. Si se declarase desierta la tercera subasta, se adjudicará la finca a favor del acreedor por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada si ésta es igual o menor que

el monto del tipo de la tercera subasta, si el tribunal lo estima conveniente. Se abonará dicho monto a la cantidad adeudada si ésta es mayor. Dicho remate se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a la demandante el importe de la Sentencia por la suma $127,882.67 de principal, más intereses sobre dicha suma al 7.25% anual desde el 1 de mayo de 2017 hasta su completo pago, más $617.50 recargos acumulados, más la cantidad estipulada de $13,900.00 para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogados, así como cualquier otra suma que contenga el contrato del préstamo. a. Aviso de Demanda: Pleito seguido por Banco Popular de Puerto Rico vs. José Ángel Avilés Rivera también conocido como José A. Avilés Rivera, Damaris Rivera Figueroa y la Sociedad Legal de Gananciales compuesta por ambos, ante el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Aibonito, en el Caso Civil Número AI2019CV00536, sobre Cobro de Dinero y Ejecución de Hipoteca, en la que se reclama el pago de hipoteca con un balance de $127,882.67 y otras cantidades, según Demanda de fecha 14 de noviembre de 2019. Anotada al Tomo Karibe de Barranquitas. Anotación A. Se les advierte a los interesados que todos los documentos relacionados con la presente acción de ejecución de hipoteca, así como los de Subasta, estarán disponibles para ser examinados, durante horas laborables, en el expediente del caso que obra en los archivos de la Secretaría del Tribunal, bajo el número de epígrafe y para su publicación en un periódico de circulación general en Puerto Rico por espacio de dos semanas y por lo menos una vez por semana; y para su fijación en los sitios públicos requeridos por ley. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante, continuarán subsistentes; entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate y que la propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores tal como lo expresa la Ley Núm. 210-2015. Y para el conocimiento de los demandados, de los acreedores posteriores, de los licitadores, partes interesadas y público en general, EXPIDO para su publicación en los lugares públicos correspondientes, el presente Aviso de Pública Subasta en Comerío,

Daily Star”, el 2 de mayo de 2023, en el presente caso civil, a saber la suma de $19,846.93 por concepto de principal, más los intereses sobre dicha suma a razón del 9.20%, anual desde el 1ro de abril de 2019, hasta su completo pago, más las primas de seguro hipotecario, recargos por demora y cualesquiera otras cantidades pactadas en la escritura de primera hipoteca, desde la fecha antes mencionada y hasta la fecha del pago total de las mismas, más la suma de $3,000.00 para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado; y demás créditos accesorios garantizados hipotecariamente (“Sentencia”). La adjudicación se hará al mejor postor, quien deberá consignar el importe de su oferta en el acto mismo de la adjudicación, en efectivo (moneda del curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América), giro postal o cheque certificado a nombre del alguacil del Tribunal. LA PRIMERA subasta se llevará a efecto el día 2 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2023 A LAS 11:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en la oficina del referido Alguacil, localizada en el Centro Judicial de Mayagüez, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Que el precio mínimo fijado para la PRIMERA SUBASTA es de $30,000.00. Que de ser necesaria la celebración de una SEGUNDA SUBASTA la misma se llevará a efecto el día 9 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2023 A LAS 11:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en la oficina del referido Alguacil, localizada en el Centro Judicial de Mayagüez, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. El precio mínimo para la SEGUNDA SUBASTA será de $20,000.00, equivalentes a dos terceras (2/3) partes del tipo mínimo estipulado para la PRIMERA subasta. Que de ser necesaria la celebración de una TERCERA SUBASTA la misma se llevará a efecto el día

16 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2023 A

LAS 11:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en la oficina del referido Alguacil, localizada en el Centro Judicial de Mayagüez, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. El precio mínimo para la TERCERA SUBASTA será de $15,000.00, equivalentes a la mitad (1/2) del tipo mínimo estipulado para la PRIMERA subasta. Si se declarase desierta la tercera subasta, se adjudicará la finca a favor del acreedor por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada si ésta es igual o menor que el monto del tipo de la tercera subasta, si el Tribunal lo estima conveniente; se abonará dicho monto a la cantidad adeudada si esta es mayor, todo ello a tenor con lo dispone el Articulo 104 de la Ley Núm. 210 del 8 de diciembre de 2015 conocida como “Ley del Registro de la Propiedad Inmueble del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico”. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquiere libre de toda carga y gravamen que afecte la men-

cionada finca según el Artículo 102, inciso 6. Una vez confirmada la venta judicial por el Honorable Tribunal, se procederá a otorgar la correspondiente escritura de venta judicial y se pondrá al comprador en posesión física del inmueble de conformidad con las disposiciones de Ley. Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda aquella persona o personas que tengan interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, y para conocimiento de todos los licitadores y el público en general, el presente Edicto se publicará por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas, con un intervalo de por lo menos siete días entre ambas publicaciones, en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico y se fijará además en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio en que ha de celebrarse dicha venta, tales como la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía. Se les informa, por último, que: a. Que los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado estarán de manifiesto en la secretaría del tribunal durante las horas laborables. b. Que se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante continuarán subsistentes. Se entenderá, que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. EXPIDO, el presente EDICTO, en Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, hoy día 2 de agosto de 2023. Jose M Crespo Nazario, Alguacil División de Subastas Tribunal de Primera Instancia Sala Superior de Mayagüez.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE HUMA-

CAO

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Demandate V.

CARMEN ZORAIDA

MORALES SANTIAGO

Demandados

Civil Núm.: YB2019CV00164.

Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO

Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTE-

CA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA.

AVISO DE VENTA EN PÚBLI-

CA SUBASTA. Yo, JOSÉ L. RODRÍGUEZ HERNÁNDEZ, Alguacil Supervisor de la División de Subastas del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Humacao, a los demandados y al público en general les notifico que, cumpliendo con un Mandamiento que se ha librado en el presente caso por el Secretario del Tribunal de epígrafe con fecha 10 de febrero de 2023

y para satisfacer la cantidad adeudada de $34,772.73 de principal mediante Sentencia dictada en el caso de autos el 18 de octubre de 2019, y publicada mediante edicto en el Periódico “The San Juan Daily Star” el 25 de octubre de 2019, vendiendo en pública subasta la propiedad que se describe a continuación: #Urbanización

Santa María K20 Calle Dlucas, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico 00767.

URBANA: Solar marcado con el #K-20 del plano de inscripción del Proyecto Santa María, radicado en el Barrio Calabazas del término municipal de Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de 216.00 METROS CUADRADOS. En lindes por el NORTE, con el solar #K-21, en una distancia de 24.00 metros; por el SUR, con el solar K-19, en una distancia de 24.00 metros; por el ESTE, con la calle #12, en una distancia de 9.00 metros; y por el OESTE, con el solar K-7, en una distancia de 9.00 metros. Enclava una casa edificada de hormigón armado y bloques de hormigón armado y bloques de hormigón tipo “Patio House” que consta de tres dormitorios, sala comedor, cocina, baño y marquesina. Consta inscrita la hipoteca en virtud de la Ley 216 al Sistema Karibe de Yabucoa, finca número 13,728, inscripción sexta del Registro de la Propiedad, Sección de Humacao. Inscrita al folio 270 del tomo 217 de Yabucoa, finca 13728, Registro de la Propiedad de Humacao. Con el importe de dicha venta se habrá de satisfacer a la parte demandante las cantidades adeudadas, en el caso de epígrafe, que se desglosan de la siguiente forma: $34,772.73 de principal, 6.5% de intereses, los cuales continúan acumulándose hasta el saldo total de la deuda, $4,127.00 de cargos por mora, los cuales continúan acumulándose hasta el saldo total de la deuda, más costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado. El tipo mínimo para la subasta será la suma de tasación pactada, la cual es $73,000.00 según la escritura de hipoteca para la propiedad descrita. De declararse la subasta desierta, se procederá a una segunda subasta y servirá de tipo mínimo de 2/3 del precio mínimo antes mencionado; $48,666.66. Si tampoco hubiere remate ni adjudicación en esta segunda subasta, se procederá a una tercera subasta, en la cual regirá como tipo mínimo ésta la 1/2 del precio mínimo antes mencionado; $36,500.00. La PRIMERA SUBASTA se llevará a cabo el 2 DE AGOSTO

DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA. De no comparecer postor alguno se llevará a efecto una SEGUNDA SUBASTA el 9 DE AGOSTO DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA. De no comparecer postor alguno se llevará a cabo una TERCERA

SUBASTA el 16 DE AGOSTO DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta o subastas antes indicadas se llevarán a efecto en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Humacao. Del Estudio de Título realizado surgen los siguientes gravámenes: Hipoteca a favor de la Autoridad para el Financiamiento de la Vivienda de Puerto Rico, por $15,000.00 sin intereses, vencedero el 5 de octubre de 2015, según Esc. #686 en San Juan el 5 de octubre de 2007 ante Pedro R. Cintrón Rivera, inscrita en virtud de la Ley #216 del 2010 al tomo Karibe finca #13728 de Yabucoa, inscripción 7ma. Contiene condiciones de venta por 8 años. Se advierte a los licitadores que la adjudicación se hará al mejor postor, quien deberá consignar el importe de su oferta en el mismo acto de la adjudicación en moneda de curso legal de los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica y para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda(s) aquella(s) persona(s) que tengan interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, y para conocimiento de los licitadores y el público en general y para su publicación en un periódico de circulación general, una vez por semana durante el término de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones, y para su fijación en tres (3) lugares públicos del municipio en que ha de celebrarse la venta, tales como, la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía y se le notificará además a la parte demandada vía correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores, previa orden judicial dirigida al Registrador de la Propiedad de la sección correspondiente para la cancelación de aquellos posteriores. Se les advierte a todos los interesados que todos los documentos relacionados con la presente acción de ejecución de hipoteca, así como la de la subasta, estarán disponibles para ser examinados, durante horas laborables, en la Secretaría del Tribunal. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante, continuarán subsistentes; entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Y para conocimiento de los demandados, de los acreedores posteriores, de los licitadores, partes interesadas y público en general, expido el presente Aviso para su publicación en

los lugares públicos correspondientes. Librado en Humacao, Puerto Rico, a 11 de julio de 2023. JOSÉ L. RODRÍGUEZ HERNÁNDEZ, ALGUACIL REGIONAL INTERINO. SONIA GUASP LOZA, ALGUACIL AUXILIAR #653.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO Demandante Vs. SUCESIÓN DE ALMA HOMS MADERA T/C/C ALMA LUZ HOMS MADERA COMPUESTA POR SUS HEREDEROS CONOCIDOS JOSE HOMS MADERA, ROBERTO HOMS MADERA, VILMA HOMS MADERA, MILTON HOMS MADERA; SUCESION DE ANGELA HOMS FRATICHELLI COMPUESTA POR SUS HEREDEROS CONOCIDOS DEBORAH HOMS, LILLIAN STROUP, NATALIE DAVIDSON, GORDON CLOSE Y ANGELA STARLING; SUCESION DE INGRID HOMS; SUCESION DE LESTER HOMS FRATICHELLI; SUCESION DE RAUL CABANILLAS HOMS; SUCESION DE AWILDA HOMS FRATICHELLI; SUCESIÓNDE CESAR BUJOSA VIRUET COMPUESTA POR SUS HEREDEROS CONOCIDOS VILMA ESTHER BUJOSA ROSARIO, POR SI; Y CESAR, BUJOSA SANTOS, POR SI; FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANA DE TAL COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS Y/O PARTES CON INTERES EN DICHAS SUCESIONES Demandados Civil Núm.: AR2023CV00014.

Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA (IN REM). EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE. UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE P.R., SS.

A: SUCESIÓN DE ALMA HOMS MADERA T/C/C ALMA LUZ HOMS MADERA COMPUESTA POR SUS HEREDEROS CONOCIDOS JOSE HOMS MADERA, ROBERTO

HOMS MADERA, VILMA

HOMS MADERA, MILTON HOMS MADERA; SUCESION DE ANGELA HOMS FRATICHELLI COMPUESTA POR SUS HEREDEROS

CONOCIDOS DEBORAH

HOMS, LILLIAN STROUP, NATALIE DAVIDSON, GORDON CLOSE Y ANGELA STARLING; SUCESION DE INGRID HOMS; SUCESION DE LESTER HOMS

FRATICHELLI; SUCESION DE RAUL CABANILLAS HOMS; SUCESION DE AWILDA HOMS FRATICHELLI; SUCESIÓN DE CESAR BUJOSA VIRUET COMPUESTA

POR SUS HEREDEROS CONOCIDOS VILMA ESTHER BUJOSA ROSARIO, POR SI; Y CESAR BUJOSA SANTOS, POR SI; FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANA DE TAL COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS Y/O PARTES CON INTERESEN DICHAS SUCESIONES.

BARRIO FACTOR, 682 RD, KM 9.3, ARECIBO, PR 00612; PO Box 478, GARROCHALES, ARECIBO, PR 00652.

VILMA ESTHER BUJOSA ROSARIO, CONDOMINIO VEREDAS DEL RIO

APTO 242, CAROLINA, PR 00987. CÉSAR BUJOSA SANTOS, 273 BENNET AVE. NEW YORK, NY 0040.

VILMA HOMS MADERA, 7251 HOWERTON RD, MIDLOTHIAN, TX 76065; 41631 ROYAL TRAILS RD., ENSTIS, FL 32736. POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al tribunal su alegación responsiva dentro de los 30 días a partir de la Publicación de este edicto.

Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en

el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. Se le apercibe que conforme al artículo 1578 del Código Civil, 31 L.P.R.A. §11021, usted tiene 30 días para aceptar o repudiar la herencia desde la publicación de este edicto. A esos efectos, de no rechazarla, se tendrá la herencia por aceptada. Representa a la parte demandante, la representación legal cuyo nombre, dirección y teléfono se consigna de inmediato: BUFETE FORTUÑO & FORTUÑO FAS, C.S.P. LCDO. JUAN C. FORTUÑO FAS RÚA NÚM.: 11416 PO BOX 3908, GUAYNABO, PR 00970 TEL: 787-751-5290, FAX: 787-751-6155 E-MAIL: eiecuciones@fortuno-law.com

En San Juan, Puerto Rico a 14 de agosto de 2023. VIVIAN Y. FRESSE GONZÁLEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. ALEXANDRA ÁLVAREZ NATAL, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Demandante Vs. SUCESIÓN DE HÉCTOR JAIME SÁNCHEZ, MEDINA COMPUESTA POR SU HEREDERA CONOCIDA MIRILYS SANCHEZ ROSADO; FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANA DE TAL COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS Y/O PARTES CON INTERÉS EN DICHA SUCESIÓN; AUTORIDAD PARA EL FINANCIAMIENTO DE LA VIVIENDA DE PUERTO RICO

Demandados

Civil Núm.: SJ2023CV05804.

Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA (IN REM). EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE. UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE P.R., SS. A: MIRILYS SÁNCHEZ ROSADO COMO HEREDERA CONOCIDA DE LA SUCESIÓN DE HÉCTOR JAIME SÁNCHEZ MEDINA; FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANA DE TAL COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE DICHA SUCESIÓN. COND. TORRE DE CERVANTES (ANTES COND. VALLE DE BERWIND) 912-A, RÍO PIEDRAS, PR 00926. DIRECCIÓN POSTAL:

BO. LAS VEGAS BUZÓN 23008 CARR. 743 CAYEY, PR 00736 Y 240 CALLE 49 APTO 912 SAN JUAN, PR 00924-3257. POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al tribunal su alegación responsiva dentro de los 30 días a partir de la publicación de este edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. Se le apercibe que conforme al artículo 1578 del Código Civil, 31 L.P.R.A. §11021, usted tiene 30 días para aceptar o repudiar la herencia desde la publicación de este edicto. A esos efectos, de no rechazarla, se tendrá la herencia por aceptada. Representa a la parte demandante, la representación legal cuyo nombre, dirección y teléfono se consigna de inmediato: BUFETE FORTUÑO & FORTUÑO FAS, C.S.P. LCDO. JUAN C. FORTUÑO FAS RÚA NÚM.: 11416 PO BOX 3908, GUAYNABO, PR 00970

TEL: 787-751-5290, FAX: 787-751-6155

E-MAIL: eiecuciones@fortuno-law.com

En San Juan, Puerto Rico a 16 de agosto de 2023. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA. BRENDA BÁEZ ACABA, SECRETARIA DE SERVICIOS A SALA.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CAGUAS

ELIZA SANCHEZ

HERNANDEZ Peticionaria Vs. EX PARTE

Civil Núm.: EEX2003-0022. Salón: 503. Sobre: DECLARACIÓN INCAPACIDAD Y NOMBRAMIENTO DE TUTOR. EDICTO. Emplazamiento por edicto, Estados Unidos de América, El Presidente de los Estado Unidos, El Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. Sra. Angelina Núñez y John Doe, Jane Doe como posibles parientes desconocidos cuyos paraderos se desconocen, o sea la parte con interés en el presente caso de Tutela. POR LA PRESENTE se le notifica

que se ha presentado NOMBRAMIENTO DE TUTOR SUSTITUTO EN EL CASO DE ISABEL NUÑEZ NUÑEZ, A FAVOR de LIZA NUÑEZ GOMEZ .El abogado de la Parte PETICIONARIA lo es el Lcdo. José Luis Vélez Berrios y su dirección es Urb. Villa Criollos, B-2, calle Acerola, Caguas, Puerto Rico 00725 Teléfono 787-653-8225 o 787-638-1523. Se le anuncia y se le cita para una Vista Final sobre Petición de Tutela Sustituta a celebrarse el día 28 de agosto de 2023 a la una de la tarde en el Centro Judicial de Caguas, Salón 503. Se le advierte que si no contesta la PETICION dentro del término de veinte días, a contar de la publicación del edicto presentando a través del abogado antes mencionado o no se presenta a la Vista Final indicada, se le anotara la rebeldía y se dictará Sentencia concediendo el remedio solicitado, sin más citarle ni oírle. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal, en Caguas, 16 de agosto de 2023. LISILDA MARTÍNEZ

AGOSTO, SECRETARIA GENERAL. CARMEN M. VÁZQUEZ TORRES, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA MUNICIPAL DE ARECIBO

ANDENO CO

Demandante V. LUIS DE JESUS DE JESUS

Demandado

Civil Núm.: AR2023CV00619.

Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. A: LUIS DE JESUS DE JESUS. URB. JARDINES DE ARECIBO, PP45 CALLE P, ARECIBO, PR 00612.

Se le notifica que la parte demandante ha presentado ante este tribunal, demanda contra usted, solicitando la concesión del siguiente remedio: Cobro de Dinero - Regla 60. Representa a la parte demandante, el abogado cuyo nombre, dirección y teléfono se consigna de inmediato:

Brito.Legal

1607 Ave. Ponce de León

St. GM6 #232

San Juan, PR 00969

Tel. 787-705-1011

E-mail: adrian@brito.legal

POR LA PRESENTE, se le emplaza para que presente al tribunal su alegación responsiva dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes de haber sido diligenciado este emplazamiento.

Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del

Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://www. poderjudicial.pr/index.php./ tribunal-electronico/, salvo que se presente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. En Arecibo, Puerto Rico a 16 de agosto de 2023. VIVIAN Y. FRESSE GONZÁLEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. VIVIAN Y. MELÉNDEZ RIVERA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA

TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN HR MORTGAGE CORPORATION

Demandante V. SECRETARIO DEL DEPARTAMENTO DE LA VIVIENDA Y DESARROLLO URBANO; JOHN DOE Y RICHARD ROE (POSIBLES TENEDORES DESCONOCIDOS DEL PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO)

Demandado(a)

Civil: BY2023CV02389. Sala: 403. Sobre: CANCELACIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: JOHN DOE Y/O RICHARD ROE.

A: SECRETARIO DE LA VIVIENDA Y DESAROLLO URBANO DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA (HUD)

POR CONDUCTO DE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES AT WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ROOM 10258 US

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, 451 SEVENTH STREET, S.W., WASHINGTON, DC 20410.

(Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 16 de agosto de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de

los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha 16de agosto de 2023. En Bayamón, Puerto Rico, el 16 de agosto de 2023. LCDA. LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. KATHERINE SANTIAGO RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIASALA DE PONCE DAVID EMILIO KERR SELGAS, JOSÉ GABRIEL EMILIO FAGOT DÍAZ

Demandantes V. RICHARD CHARLES DE HOWITT PEREZ; ALBERTO CONSTANTINO DE HOWITT PÉREZ, TAMBIÉN CONOCIDO POR ALBERTO CONSTANTINO DE HOWITT

Demandados

Civil Núm.: PO2023CV02069.

Sobre: INCUMPLIMIENTO DE CONTRATO DE OPCIÓN A COMPRAVENTA; CUMPLIMIENTO ESPECÍFICO; DAÑOS Y PERJUICIOS. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO ENMENDADO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. A LA PARTE

DEMANDADA: ALBERTO CONSTANTINO DE HOWITT PÉREZ, T/C/C ALBERTO CONSTANTINO DE HOWITT. ULTIMA

DIRECCIÓN CONOCIDA:

3131 LAUREL AVE. UNIT 18, FULLERTON, CA 92835.

Por la presente se le notifica que se ha radicado Demanda en Incumplimiento de Contrato de Opción a Compraventa; Cumplimiento Específico; Daños y Perjuicios, se le emplaza y requiere que notifique a: Lcda. Mariemma Dorna-Llompart, 1353 Ave. Luis Vigoreaux, PMB 805, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico 00966, Teléfono: 787-

413-0672, abogada de la parte demandante, con copia de la Contestación a la Demanda radicada, dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto que se publicará una (1) sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en Puerto Rico, por Orden del Tribunal. Se le apercibe a los efectos de que, si no contesta la demanda radicando el original de la contestación ante el Tribunal correspondiente, con copia a la parte demandante, se le anotará la rebeldía y se le dictará Sentencia concediendo el remedio solicitado sin más citarle ni oírle. La parte demandada deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Administración y Manejo de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del Tribunal. EXPEDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA Y SELLO DEL TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE PONCE, PUERTO RICO, hoy 18 de agosto de 2023. CARMEN G. TIRÚ QUIÑONES, SECRETARIA. JANICE SEGARA ROSADO, SUB-SECRETARIA.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE PONCE ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC.

COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS FUND, LLC

Demandante Vs SIGFREDO RIVERA ORTIZ

Demandado

Civil Núm.: PO2022CV02771.

Sala: 504. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO VÍA ORDINARIA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: SIGFREDO RIVERA ORTIZ, PARA SER NOTIFICADO POR EDICTO.

(Nombre de las partes a las que se les notifica la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 8 de agosto de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedi-

miento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha 14 de agosto de 2023. En Ponce, Puerto Rico, el 14 de agosto de 2023. CARMEN G. TIRÚ QUIÑONES, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. KATHERINE D. LÓPEZ RIVERA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA Sala Superior de CAROLINA ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC

Demandante V. JUAN C ORTA SANCHEZ

Demandado(a)

Civil: TJ2022CV00538. Sala: 406. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO ORDINARIO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: JUAN C ORTA SANCHEZSAINT JUST 13 CALLE BETANIA, TRUJILLO ALTO PR 00976-3030. (Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 11 de agosto de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 14 de agosto de 2023. En CAROLINA, Puerto Rico, el 14 de agosto de 2023. LCDA. MARILYN APONTE RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA. MARICRUZ APONTE ALICEA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

NAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE PONCE KEYLINK LLC Demandante Vs SUCESIÓN DE TOMASITA CLADELLAS PADILLA

COMPUESTA POR:

FULANO Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DE LA SUCESIÓN; ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA

Demandado

Civil Núm.: PO2023CV01360.

Salón: 406. Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA - IN REM. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

FULANO Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO

POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESIÓN DE TOMASITA CLADELLAS PADILLA PARA SER NOTIFICADOS POR EDICTO.

LIC. ROBERTO CARLOS LATIMER VALENTÍN. PO BOX 9022512, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, 00902-2512.

(Nombre de las partes a las que se les notifica la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que 07 de agosto de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representado usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 16 de agosto de 2023. En Ponce, Puerto Rico, el 16 de agosto de 2023. CARMEN G. TIRÚ QUIÑONES, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. EREINA AGRONT LEÓN, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING LLC.

Demandante Vs.

SUCESION RAFAEL

JOSE CARLE SIFRE

T/C/C RAFAEL CARLE

T/C/C RAFAEL CARLE

SIFRE COMPUESTA

POR CARLOS ENRIQUE CARLE MATOS, FLOR JOSEFINA CARLE MATOS, RAFAEL

TOMAS CARLE MATOS, LUIS CARLE MATOS, MARIA JESUS CARLE MATOS; JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE COMO

POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS; SUCESION FLOR MARIA

MATOS LUGO T/C/C

FLOR M. MATOS T/C/C

FLOR MARIA MATOS DE CARLE COMPUESTA

POR CARLOS ENRIQUE CARLE MATOS, FLOR JOSEFINA CARLE MATOS, RAFAEL

TOMAS CARLE MATOS, LUIS CARLE MATOS, MARIA JESUS CARLE MATOS; JOHN ROE Y JANE ROE COMO

POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS; ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA; CENTRO DE RECAUDACION DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES

Demandados

Civil Núm.: SJ2021CV06718.

Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: LA PARTE

DEMANDADA, AL (A LA) SECRETARIO(A) DE HACIENDA DE PUERTO RICO Y AL PÚBLICO

GENERAL:

Certifico y Hago Constar: Que en cumplimiento con el Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que me ha sido dirigido por el (la) Secretario(a) del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de San Juan, en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor, por separado, de contado y por moneda de curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América y/o Giro Postal y Cheque Certificado, en mi oficina ubicada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de San Juan, el 18 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA, todo derecho título, participación o interés que le corresponda a la parte demandada o cualquiera de ellos en el inmueble hipotecado objeto de ejecución que se describe a continuación:

URBANA: Solar marcado con el número trece (13) del bloque CL radicado en la Urbanización

Highland Park, situada en el Barrio Sabana Llana de San Juan, con una cabida superficial de Quinientos Cuarenta y Nueve punto Cincuenta y Ocho (549.58) metros cuadrados, en lindes por el Norte, en una distancia de veintiuno punto ochenta (21.80) metros, con los solares números ocho (8), nueve (9) y diez (10); por el Sur, en una distancia de catorce (14.00) metros, con la calle DL; por el Este, en una distancia de treinta (30.00) metros, con el solar número catorce (14); por el Oeste, en una distancia de treinta y uno punto veintinueve (31.29) metros, con el solar número doce (12). Enclava una edificación. Inscrita al folio 216 del tomo 154 de Sabana Llana, finca 6,835, Registro de la Propiedad de San Juan, Sección V. La Hipoteca Revertida consta inscrita al Tomo Karibe, finca 6,835 de Sabana Llana, Registro de la Propiedad de San Juan, Sección V, inscripción 9ª. Propiedad localizada en: URB. HIGHLAND PARK, 733 CALLE CIPRE, SAN JUAN, PR 00924. Según figuran en la certificación registral, la propiedad objeto de ejecución está gravada por las siguientes cargas anteriores o preferentes: Nombre del Titular: N/A. Suma de la Carga: N/A. Fecha de Vencimiento: N/A. Según figuran en la certificación registral, la propiedad objeto de ejecución está gravada por las siguientes cargas posteriores a la inscripción del crédito ejecutante: Nombre del Titular: Secretario de la Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano. Suma de la Carga: $273,000.00. Fecha de Vencimiento: 8 de junio de 2084. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad de la propiedad y que todas las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito ejecutante antes descritos, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistentes. El rematante acepta dichas cargas y gravámenes anteriores, y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Se establece como tipo de mínima subasta la suma de $182,000.00, según acordado entre las partes en el precio pactado en la escritura de hipoteca. De ser necesaria una SEGUNDA SUBASTA por declararse desierta la primera, la misma se celebrará en mi oficina, ubicada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de San Juan, el 25 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA, y se establece como mínima para dicha segunda subasta la suma de $121,333.33, 2/3 partes del tipo mínima establecido originalmente. Si tampoco se produce remate ni adjudicación en la segunda subasta, se establece como mínima para la TERCERA SUBASTA, la suma de $91,000.00, la mitad (1/2) del

precio pactado y dicha subasta se celebrará en mi oficina, ubicada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de San Juan, el 2 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA. Dicha subasta se llevará a cabo para, con su producto satisfacer a la parte demandante, el importe de la Sentencia dictada a su favor ascendente a la suma de $170,461.41 por concepto de principal, más la suma de $25,550.75 en intereses acumulados al 31 de agosto de 2022 y los cuales continúan acumulándose a razón de 2.70% anual hasta su total y completo pago; más la sumas de $7,467.82 en seguro hipotecario; $5,705.00 en tarifas de servicio; $758.00 en seguro; $525.00 de tasaciones; $380.00 de inspecciones; $995.00 de adelantos pendientes, para un total de $211,842.98. Además, la parte demandada adeuda el equivalente del 10% del balance de principal original como cantidad líquida para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado; así como cualquier otra suma que se haga en virtud de la escritura de hipoteca. Dichas sumas están vencidas, son líquidas y exigibles. La venta en pública subasta de la referida propiedad se verificará libre de toda carga o gravamen posterior que afecte la mencionada finca, a cuyo efecto se notifica y se hace saber la fecha, hora y sitio de la PRIMERA, SEGUNDA Y TERCERA SUBASTA, si esto fuera necesario, a los efectos de que cualquier persona o personas con algún interés puedan comparecer a la celebración de dicha subasta. Se notifica a todos los interesados que las actas y demás constancias del expediente de este caso están disponibles en la Secretaría del Tribunal durante horas laborables para ser examinadas por los (las) interesados (as). Y para su publicación en el periódico The San Juan Daily Star, que es un diario de circulación general en la isla de Puerto Rico, por espacio de dos semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones, así como para su publicación en los sitios públicos de Puerto Rico. Expedido en San Juan, Puerto Rico, hoy 15 de agosto de 2023. PEDRO

HIEYE GONZÁLEZ, ALGUACIL REGIONAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU-

NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA DE CAROLINA

REVERSE MORTGAGE

FUNDING, LLC

Demandante Vs. SUCESIÓN DE JOSÉ

MIGUEL AYALA

ARROYO T/C/C JOSÉ

M. AYALA ARROYO

T/C/C JOSÉ AYALA

ARROYO T/C/C JOSÉ

M. AYALA, COMPUESTA

LA SUCESIÓN DE ADA SACARELLO

BAYRON T/C/C ADA

SACARELLO DE AYALA

T/C/C ADA S. AYALA

T/C/C ADA SACARELLO

COMPUESTA POR

NELSON RAMIREZ

SACARELLO, FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO MIEMBROS DE NOMBRES DESCONOCIDOS;

FULANO DE TAL, Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO HEREDEROS DE NOMBRES DESCONOCIDOS;

SUCESIÓN DE ADA

SACARELLO BAYRON

T/C/C ADA SACARELLO DE AYALA T/C/C

ADA S. AYALA T/C/C

ADA SACARELLO COMPUESTA POR

NELSON RAMIREZ

SACARELLO, FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO MIEMBROS DE NOMBRES DESCONOCIDOS; CENTRO DE RECAUDACIONES MUNICIPALES Y LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA

Demandados

Civil Núm.: CA2019CV01769.

Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR

EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO.

A: NELSON RAMIREZ

SACARELLO, FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO MIEMBROS DE NOMBRES DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESIÓN DE ADA

SACARELLO BAYRON

T/C/C ADA SACARELLO DE AYALA T/C/C ADA

S. AYALA T/C/C ADA

SACARELLO.

POR LA PRESENTE, se les emplaza y se les notifica que se ha presentado en la Secretaria de este Tribunal la Demanda del caso del epígrafe solicitando la ejecución de hipoteca y el cobro de dinero relacionado al pagaré suscrito a favor de The Money House, Inc., o a su orden, por la suma principal de $232,500.00, con intereses computados sobre la misma desde su fecha hasta su total y completo pago a razón de la tasa de interés de 3.501%

anual, la cual será ajustada mensualmente, obligándose además al pago de costas, gastos y desembolsos del litigio, más honorarios de abogados en una suma de $23,250.00, equivalente al 10% de la suma principal original. Este pagaré fue suscrito bajo el affidávit número 15,510 ante el notario Raúl Rivera Burgos. Lo anterior surge de la hipoteca constituida mediante la escritura número 1,012 otorgada el 11 de septiembre de 2011, ante la misma notario público, inscrita bajo la ley 216-2010, al folio 115 del tomo 949 de Ponce, finca número 29,168, inscripción 9na.

URBANA: PROPIEDAD HORI-

ZONTAL: Apartamento individualizado de concepto armado y bloques de hormigón de uso residencial identificado con el número once guion “N” (11-N), localizado en la parte Sureste del piso undécimo de la Torre “A” del edificio conocido como Condominio St. Tropez, localizado en el kilómetro número uno (1), hectómetro número tres (3) de la carretera estatal número ciento ochenta y seis (186) del Barrio Isla Verde del término municipal de Carolina, Puerto Rico. Tiene una cabida superficial de cuatrocientos cuarenta y seis (446 p/c) pies cuadrados, equivalentes a cuarenta y uno punto cuarenta y cinco (41.45 m.c.) metros cuadrados, aproximadamente y consta de un vestíbulo de entrada, sala-comedor, dormitorios, kitchenette, baño y balcón. La puesta principal esta localizada en el vestíbulo del edificio y a la calle. Colinda por el NORTE, diecisiete pies con dos pulgadas (17’ 2”), equivalentes a cinco punto setenta y tres (5.73 m.) metros, aproximadamente con áreas comunes del edificio; por el SUR, en veinticuatro pies con nueve pulgadas (24’ 9’’), equivalentes a siete punto cincuenta y cuatro (7.54 m.) metros, aproximadamente, con el apartamento número once guión “M”; por el ESTE, en diecinueve pies (19’), equivalentes a cinco punto setenta y nueve (5.79 m.), aproximadamente, con elementos exteriores del edificio; y por el OESTE, en diecinueve pies (19’), equivalentes a cinco punto setenta y nueve (5.79 m.) metros, aproximadamente, con el pasillo de uso común. Finca número 29,168, inscrita al folio 180 del tomo 574 de Carolina. Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección I de Carolina. Se apercibe y advierte a ustedes como personas desconocidas, que deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Administración y Manejo de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección: https://unired.ramajuducial.pr, salvo que se represente por Derechos Propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación

responsiva en la secretaria del Tribunal. De no contestar la demanda radicando el original de la contestación ante la secretaria del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de San Juan, y notificar copia de la contestación de esta a la parte demandante por conducto de su abogada, GLS LEGAL SERVICES, LLC, Atención: Lcda. Genevieve López Stipes Dirección: P.O. Box 367308, San Juan, P.R. 009367308, Teléfono: 787-758-6550, dentro de los próximos 30 días a partir de la publicación de este emplazamiento por edicto, que será publicado una sola vez en un periódico de circulación diaria general en la isla de Puerto Rico, se le anotará la rebeldía y se dictará sentencia, concediendo el remedio solicitando en la Demanda sin más citarle ni oírle. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal hoy 15 de agosto de 2023. LCDA. KANELLY ZAYAS ROBLES, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. MARICRUZ APONTE ALICEA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE PONCE

KEYLINK LLC

Demandante Vs SUCESIÓN DE CELSO ORTIZ GONZÁLEZ

COMPUESTA POR:

FULANO Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DE LA SUCESIÓN; ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA

Demandado

Civil Núm.: PO2023CV01060.

Salón: 406. Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA - IN REM. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO FULANO Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESIÓN DE CELSO ORTIZ GONZÁLEZ PARA SER NOTIFICADOS POR EDICTO.

LIC. ROBERTO CARLOS LATIMER VALENTÍN. PO BOX 9022512, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, 00902-2512.

(Nombre de las partes a las que se les notifica la Sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que 07 de agosto de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circula-

ción general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representado usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 16 de agosto de 2023. En Ponce, Puerto Rico, el 16 de agosto de 2023. CARMEN G. TIRÚ QUIÑONES, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. EREINA AGRONT LEÓN, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE CAGUAS

BANCO POPULAR DE PR

Demandante Vs ROBERTO RUIZ MORALES, SU ESPOSA GISELA VEGA RIVERA Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES COMPUESTA POR

AMBOS

Demandado

Civil Núm.: CG2022CV01507. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: ROBERTO RUIZ MORALES, POR SI Y POR CONDUCTO DE LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES QUE COMPONE CON GISELA VEGA RIVERA Y GISELA VEGA RIVERA POR SI Y POR CONDUCTO DE LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES QUE COMPONE CON ROBERTO RUIZ MORALES.

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 11 de agosto de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos

de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha 16 de agosto de 2023. En Caguas, Puerto Rico, el 16 de agosto de 2023. LISILDA MARTÍNEZ AGOSTO, SECRETARIA REGIONAL INTERINA. ENEIDA ARROYO VÉLEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC, COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS

FUND, LLC

Parte Demandante Vs. SAMMY MEDINA COUVERTIER

Parte Demandada

Civil Núm.: BY2022CV06612.

Sala: 501. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, s.s.

A: SAMMY MEDINA COUVERTIER. EDIF 28 VILLA DE MONTERREY, BAYAMÓN, PR 00960; PO BOX 83, BAYAMÓN, PR 009600083.

POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto.

Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. poderjudicial,pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal.

Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda o cualquier otro sin más citarle ni oírle, si el tribunal en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. El sistema SUMAC notificará copia a la abogada de la parte demandante, Lcdo. Kevin Sánchez Campanero cuyas direcciones son: P.O. Box 71418

San Juan, Puerto Rico 009368518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección kevin.sanchez@ orf-law,com, y a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law.com. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Bayamón, a 3 de junio de 2023. LCDA. LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. NEREIDA QUILES SANTANA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL I.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE SAN SEBASTIÁN ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC

COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS FUND, LLC

Parte Demandante Vs. PEDRO A RIOS GUZMAN

Parte Demandada

Civil Núm.: SS2022CV00568.

Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO ORDINARIO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: PEDRO A. RÍOS GUZMÁNPO BOX 3726, SAN SEBASTIÁN, PR 00685.

POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda o cualquier otro sin más citarle ni oírle, si el tribunal en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. El sistema SUMAC notificará copia al abogado de la parte demandante, Natalie Bonaparte Servera cuyas direcciones son: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección edwin. serrano@orf-law.com y a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law. com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, hoy día 11 de julio de 2023. En San Sebastián, Puerto Rico el 11 de julio de 2023. SARAHÍ REYES PÉREZ, SECRETARIA

REGIONAL. IVELISSE ROBLES MATHEWS, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE CABO ROJO

PHILIP RANDAL ARK

Parte Demandante Vs EVELYN TORRES PAGÁN

Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: CB2023RF00038. Sobre: DIVORCIO POR RUPTURA IRREPARABLE. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO.

A: EVELYN TORRES PAGÁN. Se le apercibe que la parte demandante por mediación del Lcdo. José F. Giraud Mejías, P.O. Box 277, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681, Tel. 787-2650334, ha radicado la acción de epígrafe en su contra. Copia de la Petición de Divorcio por el causal de Ruptura Irreparable, emplazamiento y del presente edicto le ha sido enviado por correo a la última dirección conocida. Pueden ustedes obtener mayor información sobre el asunto revisando los autos en el Tribunal. Se le apercibe que tiene usted un término de treinta (30) días para radicar contestación a dicha demanda Divorcio por el causal de Ruptura Irreparable y/o cualquier escrito que estime usted conveniente a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https:// unired.ramajudicial, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la Secretaría del Tribunal de epígrafe, pero que de no radicarse escrito alguno ante el Tribunal dentro de dicho término el Tribunal procederá a ventilar el procedimiento sin más citarle ni oírle. Dada en Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, hoy 11 de agosto de 2023. LIC. NORMA G. SANTANA IRIZARRY, SECRETARIA GENERAL, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA SUPERIOR DE CABO ROJO. MARÍA M. AVILÉS BONILLA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN

CARIBBEAN PRIVATE EQUITY FUND, LLC –SERIES 3

Demandante V. HÉCTOR LUIS SILEN BERRÍOS, MARILINA

ESCUDERO VILLETA, T/C/C MARÍA CATALINA

ESCUDERO VILLETA, T/C/C MARÍA C.

ESCUDERO VILLETA Y

A track mentality in the boxing ring

By MORGAN CAMPBELL

While training for his recent boxing match with Nate Diaz, a mixed martial artist, Jake Paul headed to a running track near his base in Dorado, Puerto Rico, alongside Larry Wade, his new strength and conditioning coach.

Wade planned to put Paul, a social media star turned pro boxer, through 2.5 miles of running. In the context of traditional road work, which involves long runs at a low but steady effort level, that distance seems insignificant.

But the workout Wade had planned was all about intensity.

He had Paul start with an 800-meter run, follow it with a 400 and then finish with a pair of 200s, each run separated by a oneminute rest. Following a short break, Paul repeated that sequence. After another quick breather came a 400 and two 200s.

For Wade, it is a benchmark workout for a modern boxer that indicates how much output they can muster during rounds, and how well they will recover between them.

The structure of that lung-busting workout also reflects Wade’s background. Before reinventing himself as a strength and conditioning coach for world-class boxers, Wade was best known as a top 110-meter hurdler, who won an NCAA title in 1998 and finished fourth at the 2003 world championships.

He went on to be an assistant coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where his wife, Yvonne Wade, was the head track and field coach until 2021. He still consults track athletes, but several breakout performances from a growing roster of clients have made Wade, 48, one of the most sought-after strength coaches in boxing. While track and field gave him his start as an athlete and a coach, Wade said, the aggressiveness with which he attacked his hurdle races translated well to his new sport.

“I was a boxer in tights. The mindset fits,” Wade said in an interview. “It was the first time I truly felt comfortable in the element.”

Wade trains three world champions, including Robeisy Ramírez, the World Boxing Organization featherweight champion, as well as the super bantamweight Marlon Tapales and Rolando Romero, a super lightweight.

Athletes say they benefit from the emphasis on quality over volume in Wade’s training regimen. Paul said his session introduced him to sensations beyond pain and fatigue.

“During the 800, your body kind of goes into this shock mode,” Paul said in an inter-

view before the Diaz fight, which he won by unanimous decision to improve to 7-1. “You start tingling. My whole back and body were tingling.”

Wade’s involvement in boxing happened by chance. In the summer of 2013, Wade was trackside at UNLV when he saw an athlete churning through a set of sprints. Wade thought the workout looked grueling, but lacked purpose. After the session, Wade approached the athlete, whom he had assumed was a football player, and offered to help.

The athlete was, in fact, Shawn Porter, the welterweight title contender. Porter invited Wade to volunteer at his next training camp. Wade optimized Porter’s running workouts while learning the nuances of boxing from Porter, who won two world titles while training with Wade.

“He helped me focus not so much on just making it through runs, but doing them with integrity,” said Porter, who retired from boxing in 2021. “He’s big on managing your energy. If fighters are paying attention, that’s what they’ll realize he’s giving you on fight night. A way to manage your energy.”

Superficially, hurdling and boxing have little in common. Hurdlers each run in their own lanes, and collide only by accident. In boxing, contact is the point. And while a world class men’s 110-meter hurdle race ends in roughly 13 seconds — Wade’s personal best was 13.01 seconds — boxing matches can last 36 minutes.

But Wade points out that preparing an athlete for either sport requires a detailed knowledge of the body’s energy systems and how they interact and interfere with each other. Long, steady runs, for example, improve baseline aerobic fitness, Wade said,

but they do not prepare a fighter for the flurries of intensity that define high-level boxing.

So Wade takes his fighters to the track, where they might perform quarter- and halfmile runs, or run for 90 seconds, and then hit target mitts for 90 more.

“All that long-run stuff has nothing to do with short bursts and explosions,” Wade said. “You can run miles all day. It doesn’t mean you can throw combinations all day.”

Paul weighed in at 185 pounds for his match with Diaz, and appeared both leaner and more muscular than in February, when he lost a decision to Tommy Fury, the first, and only, full-time boxer he had faced. The changes were not just cosmetic.

“More weight, more pushups, more pullups than I’ve ever done,” Paul said of his new strength.

Wade is one of several high-level boxing strength coaches with track and field back-

grounds. Joey Scott, who trains the former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, also runs a track club in Miami. Lightweight champion Gervonta Davis does strength and conditioning work with Mo Wells, a former track athlete who also coaches Alaysha Johnson, the sixth-fastest 100-meter hurdler this season.

All three coaches are part of a broader trend toward more modern conditioning regimens for world-class boxers. Terence Crawford ran and swam to prepare for his dominating win over Errol Spence Jr. last month, but he also lifted heavy weights.

Wade traces this shift away from oldschool conditioning programs to his mentor, Mackie Shilstone, who is best known for helping guide Michael Spinks to his upset win over heavyweight champion Larry Holmes in 1985. Shilstone’s program favored track work over distance runs and weight training over calisthenics, and it paid close attention to nutrition.

Spinks bulked up from the light heavyweight class to heavyweight without losing speed, and defeated Holmes over 15 grueling rounds.

Still, some traditionalists weren’t convinced.

“Nutrition sucks. Wind sprints suck too,” the famed trainer Angelo Dundee, who died in 2012, told Sports Illustrated in response to Spinks’ win in 1985. “And if I catch a fighter of mine near a weight room, he better be able to take a baseball bat to the head.”

While Wade said today’s boxing trainers are more enlightened, he still encounters resistance from new clients who cling to old habits.

“I knew I brought something different to the table,” Wade says.

Larry Wade, a strength and conditioning coach for elite boxers, came to the sport from the world of track and field.

‘This can’t be happening’

By TYLER KEPNER

The New York Yankees set themselves apart. That is the whole underpinning of their brand. Of course, they have the most championships, but it’s more than that. No beards. No names on the jerseys. No losing seasons in decades.

That last one is in serious peril. The Yankees lost for the eighth game in a row Sunday, 6-5 to the Boston Red Sox in the Bronx. They are 60-64 this season, slipping ever closer to the first losing season for the franchise since 1992, the year Aaron Judge was born.

Judge came up in the ninth inning Sunday, two on and no outs. A big hit would win the game. Kenley Jansen struck him out on three pitches, then got Gleyber Torres, too. The Yankees fanned 14 times before Ben Rortvedt, batting .095, flied to center to end it.

“It’s a gut punch today, especially in the fashion we lost it,” said Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the Yankees’ third baseman.

Kiner-Falefa had scored what seemed to be the go-ahead run in the eighth, before replay overturned the call. The Red Sox broke the tie on a double by Justin Turner in the ninth.

“Getting swept by those guys is definitely tough,” Kiner-Falefa said, adding later, “This can’t be happening.”

But it is, and the Yankees have singlehandedly made their patchwork rivals relevant in the wild-card race. Entering Tuesday the Red Sox were one game over .500 when they don’t play the Yankees and 8-1 when they do. At 66-58, Boston is alive.

The Yankees are an afterthought, their season now defined by the pursuit of medi-

ocrity. They are ordinary, the very last thing they ever want to be. They lead the American League in attendance for the fourth nonpandemic season in a row, but their descent makes you wonder how much longer they’ll be in demand.

Boring doesn’t sell, and the Yankees cannot even pretend to be pushing for a pennant.

“We’ve got to be unbelievable the rest of the way,” manager Aaron Boone said. “So it’s not even about that. It’s about coming to try and win a game Tuesday. Then, all of a sudden, you start stacking, and an amazing thing happens. But we’re so far removed from that. We’ve got to get a win first.”

The Yankees’ eight-game losing streak is their longest since an eight-game skid in late August 1995. That team went 26-7 down the stretch to win the first AL wild card, with a quartet of precocious rookies — Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera — along for the ride.

What followed was unbelievable indeed: a dynasty that restored the shine to a tarnished Yankees crown. It’s easy to take today’s fan support for granted, but in the eight seasons before their postseason breakthrough (that is, 1987 through 1994), the Yankees drew fewer fans than the Minnesota Twins. A lot of Don Mattingly homers landed in empty seats.

This is not to suggest that one losing season will sour fans from supporting the Yankees next year. Recent history has actually been fairly compelling: The Yankees have reached the American League Championship Series five times since their last World Series title, in 2009. Losing all of those series has made this era more frustrating than fallow.

But the Yankees need a jolt, and the sugar rush of free agency — Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman — tends not to last. The Yankees’ payroll was $275 million or so on opening day, and much of it — Josh Donaldson, Aaron Hicks, Frankie Montas — has produced almost nothing.

The good thing, for Hal Steinbrenner, is that the Yankees now get $25 million by selling ad space on their uniforms to an insurance company. Teams are permitted to do this now, but they don’t have to. The classy move would have been to stay above it — the sanctity of the pinstripes and all that — but that’s not reality.

Not when a team can use the $25 million to effectively pay for, say, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who is owed that much annually (for luxury-tax purposes) through 2027. Stanton was out of the lineup Sunday; he has hit .184 since the All-Star break last summer, striking out in one-third of his at-bats. (He flied out with two runners on as a pinch-hitter in the seventh.)

Stanton is one of five players, all in their 30s, who will cost the Yankees a combined $143 million — again, for luxury-tax purposes — in each of the next three seasons. The list also includes Judge, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and DJ LeMahieu.

Younger players have had encouraging seasons, especially starter Clarke Schmidt and shortstop Anthony Volpe, both former first-round draft picks. But most of the “Baby Bombers” from the mid- to late-2010s — with Judge the big exception — never amounted to much, and when MLB.com ranked the farm systems after the trading deadline this month, the Yankees placed 21st overall, with no prospects among the top 75.

To be fair, the Yankees did not seem so utterly hopeless through much of this sea-

son. They were 10 games over .500 on July 4, and Rodón was about to come off the injured list after missing three months with a forearm strain. Even with Luis Severino struggling, it was plausible for the Yankees to contend with a strong bullpen supporting a rotation of Cole, Rodón, Schmidt, Néstor Cortes and Domingo Germán.

That group has disintegrated. Rodón — who returns Tuesday from another injury, to his hamstring — has a 7.33 ERA in six starts. Cortes, an All-Star last season, has pitched once since May because of a rotator cuff strain. Germán finished June with a perfect game, went winless in July and left the team in August to seek treatment for alcohol abuse.

And that’s just the pitching. The Yankees entered Sunday’s game with a .305 on-base percentage, which ranked 26th among the 30 teams, and a batting average of .230, ahead of only the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees have not hit so poorly as a team since 1968, when the mound was higher, pitchers batted and Mickey Mantle played first base.

Mantle’s former slugging teammate Roger Maris finished his career that season with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees gave out bobbleheads of Maris on Sunday, commemorating his 61-homer season in 1961. They’ll have a similar promotion next month for Judge, who broke Maris’ AL record with 62 last season.

That seems like a long time ago, a time of excitement and hope and a lastplace team in Boston, not the Bronx. Now the Red Sox routinely stamp the Yankees — or, as Boone put it, more or less: They kick their butts.

“We’ve played a handful of competitive games that have come down to the end where they’ve taken us,” Boone said. “We just haven’t been good enough.”

Aaron Judge came up in the ninth inning with the chance to win the game. He struck out on three pitches.

Sudoku

How to Play:

Fill in the empty fields with the numbers from 1 through 9.

Sudoku Rules:

Every row must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Every column must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Every 3x3 square must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Crossword

Answers on page 30

Wordsearch

Aries (Mar 21-April 20)

Trying to talk your way out of tasks and obligations probably isn’t the best way to win friends today, Aries. In fact, this is a time to get yourself in gear and take responsibility for your actions. The time you spend trying to weasel your way out of something is better spent just doing the thing that you need to do. Be understanding and receptive of other people’s objectives.

Taurus (April 21-May 21)

Just when you thought you had everything figured out and planned correctly, another obstacle appears, Taurus. Your first reaction may be to get upset. Rage won’t help. You can’t always control everything. There are bound to be surprises. Plan for what you can, but know that there are often unknown forces working against your aims. Watch out!

Gemini (May 22-June 21)

The fire within you may be burning brightly, Gemini, but unfortunately, there isn’t a great deal of fuel available to keep it going. It may seem as if people are trying to rain on your parade, but they’re just trying to do their duty. Relax and contemplate what’s going on around you. This may not be the best day to implement change and promote new ideas.

Cancer (June 22-July 23)

You may find that other people are the missing variable in the equation that you seek answers to today, Cancer. Don’t feel like you have to come up with all the details and resolutions yourself. Work with those who also have something to contribute to the situation at hand. A quiet, disciplined approach is exactly what’s needed to plow through any problem that needs fixing.

Leo (July 24-Aug 23)

By jumping around from place to place, Leo, you may end up feeling like you’re getting nowhere. Instead of tackling many different tasks, today is better spent focusing your energy on one. Start from ground level and work up. Get to the root of the problem and many of the related issues will simply dissolve as you work.

Virgo (Aug 24-Sep 23)

Make a plan at the beginning of the day for what you want to accomplish by sundown, Virgo. This is a good time to tackle many of the nitpicky tasks that require your attention. Be conscious of the fact that there are time limits and restrictions on some of the things you’re working on. Keep on task and try not to get distracted by other people.

Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23)

You might have to adjust your way of thinking in order to match the energy of the situations around you. While you may feel a desire to strike out into some new, adventurous activity, there’s a strong resistance asking you to be more cautious and stable. Don’t lose touch with your pioneering attitude, but don’t fall prey to reckless behavior, either.

Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)

Your steady nature will be greatly appreciated today, Scorpio. A well thought out plan of attack is the one that wins approval from the higherups. You know the best way to proceed and now all you need is the confidence to follow through with your ideas. Getting things started should be easier for you today since your mind is working in harmony with your heart.

Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)

It’s possible that you’re feeling obliged to do something out of a sense of duty toward family or loved ones, Sagittarius. Take this time to help someone who’s struggling with who they are and what they’re doing in this world. Your concern for others reflects a noble sense of empathy that you should develop more regularly. We’re only as strong as the weakest link. Do your part to strengthen the chain.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20)

Your thinking is clear today, Capricorn, but it might be hard to take action on your thoughts. A restrictive force may seem to be holding you back. A sense of discipline is welling up within you, reminding you to add a touch of conservatism to whatever it is that you have in mind. Take the opportunity to pursue tasks that require you to be reserved and collected.

Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb 19)

our flamboyant approach may not get as much attention today as you’d like, Aquarius. Don’t push yourself to achieve something that isn’t working. By insisting that something should be done your way, you’ll only create enemies and bottlenecks in whatever task you’re trying to accomplish. A thoughtful, conscious, reserved approach is going to win today.

Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)

You have exactly the right amount of discipline and sense of duty to accomplish quite a bit today, Pisces. Your thinking should be clear. Your sense of time and restriction works in your favor to help you figure out any puzzles that present themselves. You have a strong will that helps you complete just about every task you undertake.

Speed Bump