Epic Turnout
Courtesy of Sarida Rosario Gaetán
Josefina Santos/The New York Times
Facebook via Governor Jenniffer González Colón
2 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.
Today’s Weather
Governor to file energy bills in phases, starting with power generation
By THE STAR STAFF
Gov. Jenniffer González Colón plans to submit legislation soon to address Puerto Rico’s energy issues, including one that seeks to allow the coal-fired plant in Guayama operated by AES to stay under certain conditions.
“Some bills have already been drafted, and others are in the process of being created. We hope that, by next week, we will have all the energy measures ready to file,” the governor said at a press conference over the weekend. “We have taken the time, consulting with technicians, and all these projects and ideas have been discussed and supported unanimously by this energy transformation committee, which includes professionals from all fields and political parties. I am very pleased that we have reached an agreement on such a critical issue. As part of this process, we also included the chairs of the committees that will work on these energy matters in both the House and the Senate.”
The first measures to be filed will focus on generation. Following that, the governor will introduce measures to address transmission and distribution problems, including the termination of the contract awarded to LUMA Energy to operate PREPA’s transmission and distribution (T&D) system. A meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27 or Jan. 28.
“We are going to have a meeting with LUMA, where they can discuss various situations, including how they have operated with federal funds,” González Colón said. “They will have the opportunity to present before the committee and participate in discussions about transmission and distribution. Once that occurs, we will start exploring opportunities for new operators and the search for these operators with the committee. Then we will move to the legislative phase.”
One of the committee’s recommendations is to condition the exit of AES from the generation component on a substitute first being found for the 500 megawatts the Guayama plant generates. The governor acknowledged that there is currently no definitive agreement regarding the future of the coal-fired plant, which is expected to close in 2027.
“When we file the bill, we can negotiate what elements could ensure the continuation of that generation,” she said. “For me, the most important issue right now is how we replace these 500 megawatts, as there are not enough generators that can be installed in time. So, we
are working under emergency conditions.”
The governor hopes that AES operators will agree to maintain operations and transition to another type of fuel. However, she noted, there is no guarantee this will happen.
“We are uncertain whether this operator will agree to this energy transition,” González Colón said. “This change must come as an offer and a request from the government of Puerto Rico, and until the law is amended, those conditions will not be in place.”
The governor believes that utilizing the permit that AES has to operate could facilitate the construction of a facility that uses alternative fuel sources.
“Obviously, I first need to amend the legislation to make an offer in that direction to this operator, as this is a private company with a legal obligation to close its operations,” she added.
In July, meanwhile, Clean Flexible Energy, a subsidiary of AES Corp. and Total Energies, announced that the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office had granted it a loan guarantee of $861 million to finance the construction of two solar photovoltaic (PV) farms equipped with battery storage and two standalone battery energy storage systems in Puerto Rico. The PV facilities will be located in the municipalities of Guayama (Jobos) and Salinas and will help deliver clean, reliable and affordable power throughout Puerto Rico, the company said.
Gov. Jenniffer González Colón
San Juan evaluates closure of the islet due to Sanse crowd size
Thousands of attendees came together to enjoy music, art and tradition.
By THE STAR STAFF
Carlos Acevedo, director of the Office for Emergency Management and Disaster Administration, announced Sunday that thousands of people had packed Old San Juan at the close of the traditional Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, an event that brought together residents and visitors in an atmosphere of celebration and culture.
As part of the security measures to ensure the well-being of attendees, at 3 p.m. Sunday the suspension of the municipal transportation system was to be evaluated due to the number of visitors. If the figure of 200,000 people was determined to have been reached, transfers from the established points at Sagrado Corazón and Hiram Bithorn were to be suspended.
“Because of our responsibility to guarantee the safety of all attendees, we have made this decision to prevent any major incident and ensure that the experience continues to develop in a peaceful manner,” Acevedo said early Sunday afternoon. The event has been a success thanks to the collaboration
of the attendees, whose exemplary behavior has allowed this iconic celebration to remain orderly and with a safe environment, the official added.
“We want everyone to experience these festivities as they deserve, but we must also make responsible decisions to preserve the safety of all those present,” Acevedo said.
The public was urged to follow the municipality’s official social networks to stay informed in real time about any updates related to security measures and transfers.
The municipality thanked the public for their participation and for contributing to the success of the large-scale celebration. The measures, officials said, reflect the municipality’s commitment to the safety and tranquility of the thousands of attendees who have come together to enjoy music, art and tradition, marking a historic attendance during the celebration’s four days.
Festivalgoer hospitalized after fall from top of wall
The festival did not pass by completely without incident, as police reported several incidents during Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
Among the cases being investigated was an unfortunate incident reported at 12:10 a.m. on Sunday, at a wall on Norzagaray Street.
A 34-year-old male tourist from Pennsylvania was sitting on the edge, lost his balance and fell into the green area on Lucila Silva Street, in front of the “Tu Resuelve” business, in the La Perla neighborhood.
The victim was treated by paramedics from the State Emergency Medical Services and transported to the Río Piedras Medical Center. There he was treated by Dr. Fernando Roura, who diagnosed him with trauma to the face, head and back.
His condition was currently unknown at press time.
Another case was reported on Lucila Silva Street, also in the La Perla neighborhood, where the San Juan Municipal Police investigated a robbery. According to the complainant,
a 35-year-old man, a resident of Bayamón, was walking in the area when several individuals attacked him. They then robbed him of his Glock pistol.
On San Francisco Street and Cristo Street in Old San Juan, meanwhile, a simple assault was investigated, where a resident of Guaynabo alleged that he was punched in the right eye.
In addition, several medical cases were reported, such as one on Cristo Street, where at around 11:44 p.m., a resident of Trujillo Alto said that while he was walking through the area an object, which he describes as possibly a stone, fell on his head.
He did not require transportation to any hospital.
Hours earlier, at 8:14 p.m., it was reported that at the intersection of Tetuán Street and Fortaleza Street, another tourist, from Brooklyn repored that while walking he fell into a manhole, suffering a laceration to his right knee and left thigh.
The suspension of the municipal transportation system for the San Sebastián Street Festival was to be evaluated Sunday afternoon due to the great number of visitors.
Foreign airlines transfer exemption renewed for 2 years
By THE STAR STAFF
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has renewed the transfer exemption for foreign airlines operating in Puerto Rico until Jan. 8, 2027, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced Sunday. The extension maintains the terms initially established in April 2020, which the governor arranged when she was resident commissioner.
“I am extremely pleased that the extension of a program that I implemented when I was Resident Commissioner has been achieved,” the governor said in a written statement. “The renewal of this waiver is crucial to our efforts to position Puerto Rico as a strategic hub in the Caribbean for air cargo and passenger transportation. This tool is essential to attract investment, develop specialized infrastructure and strengthen the island’s logistics capacity, especially in key sectors such as biopharmaceuticals and medical devices.”
Designated Economic Development and Commerce
(DDEC) Secretary Sebastián Negrón Reichard also commented on the benefits of the renewal:
“The positive impact of this measure not only strengthens our economy, but also contributes to Puerto Rico’s resilience,” he said.
“From recovery after Hurricane Maria to developing more robust supply chains, the waiver is key to diversifying our economy and consolidating our position as logistics leaders in the region.”
“The flexibility of this waiver supports domestic initiatives such as the reshoring of critical manufacturing to U.S. territories and strengthens vital supply chains under the Made in America program,” he added.
The extension of the foreign airlines transfer exemption maintains the terms initially established in April 2020, which Gov. Jenniffer González Colón arranged when she was resident commissioner.
Monday, January 20, 2025 4
San Juan
Fiscal board disputes National’s assertions in rate review process
By THE STAR STAFF
The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico is responding to statements made by National Public Finance Guarantee Corp.’s counsel, Corey Brady, during a conference held by the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) on Jan. 10 as part of the rate review process.
At the conference, National, one of the insurers of PREPA’s legacy revenue bonds, stated that the amount of restructured debt and the rates required to fund it, as provided in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s (PREPA) current Plan of Adjustment, are based on outdated information. National, which was interpreting a federal appeals court ruling, also claimed that the PREB should not underestimate PREPA’s future indebtedness when setting the revenue requirement for debt.
In a recent letter to the PREB, the oversight board said it disagrees
with National’s interpretation of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit’s ruling. While the ruling acknowledged that the bondholders may have a perfected security interest in “Net Revenues” as defined in the Trust Agreement governing the bonds, this security interest is limited to the difference between the money PREPA receives from rates set by the PREB and PREPA’s current expenses, the oversight board contended.
Furthermore, the oversight board said, the First Circuit acknowledged that the bondholders cannot currently have a perfected lien in revenues PREPA has not yet earned. The value of the bondholders’ allowable secured claim will be determined by the Title III bankruptcy court in connection with the confirmation of an amended Plan of Adjustment.
In summary, the oversight board argued, the First Circuit’s ruling does not support National’s interpretation, and the allowable
Bad Bunny’s 30 dates of Puerto Rico residency sold out
By THE STAR STAFF
Bad Bunny has officially sold out all 30 dates of his Puerto Rico residency, “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí” (“I Don’t Want to Leave Here”), according to several media outlets. Local in-person ticket sales were made available at multiple locations across the island exclusively for its residents last Wednesday, with all of the tickets selling out the same day. The general sale for the remaining 21 shows sold out in under four hours on Friday.
Over 2.5 million people registered to receive the online pre-sale code, and the team worked to eliminate 1.8 million
scalpers and bots from purchasing tickets. Move Concerts, the ticketing and live event company run by Bad Bunny’s manager Noah Assad, logged a combined total of 400,000 tickets through online and in-person sales, according to Variety.
Also, Bad Bunny‘s new song “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” from his new album of the same name has gone viral on TikTok and sparked nostalgia in a new trend where people are sharing photos of old memories. “DTMF” debuted at No. 1 on TikTok Billboard Top 50 and the song had been used in over 403,000 videos on the platform before it was shut down in the United States over the weekend as a federal law banning TikTok went into effect.
portion of the bondholders’ claim may be less than the outstanding principal and may not include unpaid interest. The board estimates that the amount of the non-settling bondholders’ allowable secured claim is “quite moderate and will be paid in accordance with the law,” “[w]hether the amount of the non-settling bondholders’ allowable secured claim is limited to Net Revenues in existence or the present value of future Net Revenues …”
“Additionally, the First Circuit held the bondholders do not hold any unsecured deficiency claim against PREPA or its other assets,” the oversight board said in a recent letter to the PREB. “Their claims are therefore limited to the value of the Net Revenues securing their claim, to be determined by the Title III Court in connection with confirmation of an amended Plan of Adjustment.”
The 2023 Fiscal Plan provides a debt sustainability analysis that concludes the most debt PREPA could sustain under the data set forth in the 2023 Fiscal Plan and otherwise available to the oversight board at the time is $2.5 billion. That amount was later increased to about $2.6 billion based on new data regarding income and power consumption of a median income, unsubsidized household customer of PREPA.
The oversight board anticipates certifying an updated fiscal plan for PREPA in the coming weeks.
Yauco mayor meets with resident commissioner to advance river dredging
By THE STAR STAFF
Yauco Mayor Ángel Luis “Luigi” Torres Ortiz met with Resident Commissioner Pablo Hernández Rivera in Washington on Saturday to discuss the need to expedite the partial dredging of the Río Yauco.
“At the same time we dealt with our [part of the] commitment and
dedicated reconstruction equipment,” the mayor said. “The meeting was very productive.”
“In the meeting we discussed the partial dredging of the Río Yauco, already submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the responsibility of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources,” Torres Ortiz said. “The project is fundamental for the security and well-being of yaucanos.”
Yauco Mayor Ángel Luis Torres Ortiz (Facebook via Comentarista Yaucano)
Corey Brady, counsel for National Public Finance Guarantee Corp. (Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP)
Bad Bunny
The
Monday, January 20, 2025 5
Powerful Santa Ana winds expected to elevate fire risk in Southern California
especially on Tuesday, and will reach the single digits in some cases. The winds, along with dry fuels and bone-dry air, “would yield locally rapid fire growth with any new fires,” Schoenfeld said.
Southern California is primed to burn. Big storms soaked the landscape during the previous two winters, allowing vegetation to thrive. But since spring, the region has had scant rainfall, and grasses and brush are withered and flammable.
of Los Angeles County and much of Ventura County. A less severe fire weather watch was issued from 10 p.m. Tuesday through 10 p.m. Thursday.
In the extreme windstorm earlier this month, the weather service heightened the severity level of the warning with the designation of a “particularly dangerous situation” because isolated gusts of up to 100 mph were forecast to occur.
The agency may issue another one, potentially for Monday into Tuesday.
Los Angeles has not seen any rain in January, but there is finally a chance for some at the end of the month — although it looks like it may be on the lighter side.
“That’s honestly bad news for our fire weather season here going forward,” Schoenfeld said.
By AMY GRAFF
Strong, damaging Santa Ana winds are expected to bring extreme wildfire danger to Southern California from today into Tuesday as the landscape remains dangerously starved of rain, and as firefighters continue to work to fully contain wildfires that have left at least 27 people dead and destroyed thousands of homes this month.
Although an offshore wind pattern is expected across Los Angeles and Ventura counties from Monday through Friday, the winds are predicted to pose the highest danger Monday night into Tuesday morning.
There is a chance the winds could be similar in strength to the fierce gusts that topped 90 mph and fueled the devastating wildfires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
The big difference with these winds, though, is that they are expected to affect different locations, as they will blow with a more northeast-to-east tilt than the Jan. 7 event, which had a north-to-northeast tilt, said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard, California.
The areas likely to see the strongest gusts include the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, the mountains and foothills of Los Angeles County and much of Ventura County.
Amid the windy conditions, downed trees, power outages and dangerous ocean conditions are also likely.
The persistent offshore pattern will suck any remaining moisture out of the vegetation, which is already dangerously dry because rain in southwestern California has been “historically scarce,” the weather service said. Relative humidity levels are poised to plummet,
The weather gauge in downtown Los Angeles, a good indicator of rainfall for the county, has recorded only 0.29 inch of rain since May 1. This would put it on track to be the lowest amount of rain ever measured between May and January, with records going back to 1877.
At least 2 inches of rain is needed to significantly lower fire risk, according to Brian Newman, who analyzes wildfire behavior for Cal Fire. Of the expected weather conditions in the upcoming week, he said, “Hopefully we get no new ignitions, no new fire starts — at all.”
Santa Ana winds are those desiccating ones that occur commonly in winter, blowing out of Nevada and Utah and into southwestern California. Carrying dry desert air, they push over the mountains in the Transverse Ranges and accelerate as they move downslope, howling into the canyons and valleys.
The winds are expected to mainly affect northern and western portions of Los Angeles County and a majority of Ventura County. At their peak, isolated gusts of 45 to 65 mph are expected along the coast and in valleys, while isolated gusts up to 80 mph are possible in the foothills and the mountains.
On Tuesday, warm weather with afternoon temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s, as well as low relative-humidity levels in the teens and single digits, will add to the high fire risk.
Winds are expected to be calmer Wednesday, but they could pick back up Thursday night into Friday, before probably relaxing again Friday afternoon.
The weather service alerts the community of dire fire conditions through red-flag warnings, and the agency has issued one from 10 a.m. Monday to 10 p.m. Tuesday for portions
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A vehicle destroyed during the Palisades fire in Los Angeles on Jan. 18, 2025. (Loren Elliott/ The New York Times)
San Juan Daily Star
For those deemed Trump’s enemies, a time of anxiety and fear
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and GLENN THRUSH
As Donald Trump returns to office, the critics, prosecutors and perceived enemies who sought to hold him accountable and banish him from American political life are now facing, with considerable trepidation, a president who is assuming power having vowed to exact vengeance.
Trump has promised to investigate and punish adversaries, especially those involved in his four prosecutions and the congressional investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Those threats, along with his stated intention to grant clemency to at least some of those who carried out the Jan. 6 assault, have many in Washington and elsewhere on edge, fearing not just government action against them but that the telegraphing of his wishes has created an environment of unpredictable, freerange retribution by his supporters.
Michael Fanone, a former police officer who was among those attacked by the pro-Trump crowd Jan. 6, has been an outspoken critic of Trump. He said he feared that the violence and threats that have already been directed at him and his family — including his mother — will only get worse after Trump returns to office.
“I’m most concerned about the potential for violence and acts of violence that will continue not just against me but members of my family,” he said. “My concern is that people are going to believe that if they attack me or members of my family physically that Donald Trump will absolve them of their acts, and who is to say he wouldn’t.”
The New York Times contacted more than two dozen of Trump’s most outspoken critics and perceived enemies to ask about their level of concern. Despite having spoken out in the past or having participated in proceedings against him, almost all declined to address their worries publicly, saying speaking out now could make them even more conspicuous targets.
But speaking on the condition of anonymity, they laid out their concerns.
Some said they were worried that the Justice Department or FBI could launch internal or criminal investigations into actions they took during the course of their work, even if they acted legally and in good faith. The fact that Kash Patel, Trump’s choice to run the FBI, has published an extensive enemies list has only intensified their anxieties.
Others were concerned that they might lose private-sector jobs or clients. And some, like Fanone, said they took seriously the possibility that Trump supporters, heeding his calls for retribution, would harass or attack them or their families. Trump’s
President-elect Donald Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” hats at the Washington Monument in Washington, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Trump is returning to the White House vowing to seek retribution. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)
plan to offer pardons to some Jan. 6 rioters would further erode norms of the rule of law, they said, making everything even worse.
Even as Trump has repeatedly invoked the threat of retaliation, some of his aides and advisers have suggested that he should not always be taken literally.
“I’m not looking to go back into the past,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” last month, going on to say that he thought his attorney general and FBI director would on their own decide to look into foes like the members of the House select committee on Jan. 6.
In response to a question about whether Trump planned to weaponize the government against his enemies, a spokesperson for his transition team impugned President Joe Biden, claiming without evidence that Biden had weaponized the justice system against his political opponents.
During Trump’s first term, many people who were targets of his frequent calls for investigation or other retaliation found themselves under scrutiny by the government, costing them in time, money and reputation and creating great anxiety for them and their families.
Republicans issued a report last month saying that Liz Cheney, the former Wyoming representative who helped lead the inquiry into the Jan. 6 riot and what led to it, should face an FBI investigation for her work on the panel. And Republicans on Capitol Hill have been weighing whether to demand testimony from former special counsel Jack Smith, who pursued the two federal criminal cases against Trump.
To a degree, some of the people said, fear of retribution was already tamping down public criticism of Trump at a time when corporate executives and other prominent figures who had previously kept their distance or criticized him are rushing to signal their support.
One of the few people who was willing to speak out was Charles Kupperman, a former deputy national security adviser for Trump whom Patel named as one of his enemies in a book he wrote. Kupperman said he was willing to speak publicly because he wanted the public to know that Patel is not fit to serve as FBI director, given his temperament and lack of qualifications.
“What are they going to do to me?” he said. “I’m 74 years old, I’ve been married for 55 years, I’m satisfied I’ve done everything to help my country and build a better future for my family. I’m not worried personally. I still believe if anything happens the rule of law will prevail.”
One critic of Trump who played a prominent role in one of the efforts to hold him accountable during his first term said in an interview that he recently bought a gun for the first time in his life because he was afraid that Trump supporters, emboldened by a president willing to pardon them, will attack him and his family at home.
One of the many Republicans on the enemies list compiled by Patel said he was proud of his government service but was worried that having his name made public would prompt some zealous Trump supporter to target his family.
A Democratic lawyer who has heckled Trump publicly for years declined to speak on the record for this article out of concern that his statements could result in retribution not only against him but also against his legal clients. He has advised others in his situation to hold their fire until they have a chance to determine how far Trump is willing to go.
A departing White House official who was present for many of the Biden administration’s biggest decisions said with a laugh that he had a two-step plan for his immediate future.
Step One: Take a long vacation on the opposite side of the globe.
Step Two: Fly home and hire a lawyer.
Trump is now going to take office with the Supreme Court having ruled that there is no prohibition on a president consulting with the attorney general about cases, and that former presidents enjoy broad immunity from prosecution for official acts taken while in office.
In her confirmation hearing this past week, Pam Bondi, Trump’s choice for attorney general, sought to tamp down concerns that she would pursue punitive investigations against people identified as enemies by Patel or Trump.
In some cases, Trump does not need to take any action himself because his allies are doing the work for him. House
But she did not entirely rule out ordering an investigation at Trump’s behest, provided she had arrived at that conclusion independently, determined it had merit and was conducted in accordance with the law.
Despite closing Juncos plant, BD is investing in mainland operations
By THE STAR STAFF
The Department of Economic Develop-
ment and Commerce (DDEC by its acronym in Spanish) has said it will provide help to some 230 workers who will be left jobless in Juncos in 2027 after the Becton Dickinson plant closes.
“The DDEC is fully committed to working closely with the company’s management, both locally and at the corporate level, to explore all possible alternatives to mitigate the impact of this decision on employees and the community,” designated DDEC Secretary Sebastián Negrón Reichard said.
The decision is part of a strategic plan that involves transferring production lines from the Juncos facility to a recently acquired site in Añasco, following Becton Dickinson’s (BD) purchase of Edwards Lifesciences. However, that process will depend on product inventories and the subsequent transfer of operations. As a result, a definitive schedule for layoffs has not yet been established, though they are expected to occur in staggered phases.
“Becton Dickinson has been a key partner for Puerto Rico, significantly contributing to the medical device sector and positively impacting the local economy,” Negrón Reichard added. “While we recognize that this business decision is driven by global dynamics, we will continue to engage in discussions at both the local and corporate levels to investigate options that may alleviate the effects on employees and the Juncos community.”
The secretary-designate emphasized
Becton Dickinson’s decision to shutter its plant in Juncos is part of a strategic plan that involves transferring production lines from that facility to a recently acquired site in Añasco, following the medical device maker’s purchase of Edwards Lifesciences.
that there will be no immediate layoffs and that DDEC has activated the rapid response services of Conexión Laboral to assist the 230 regular employees of the plant who may need support.
Juncos Mayor Alfredo “Papo” Alejandro said recently that he had been receiving calls alerting him to a possible shutdown of BD operations in the town. At the same time, the global medical technology firm announced additional investments in its U.S. manufacturing network.
BD operates more than 30 manufacturing and distribution facilities in the United
States, which represent an important part of the backbone of the U.S. medical product supply chain. Those facilities employ more than 10,000 people and are spread across 17 states and Puerto Rico.
The New Jersey-based company announced it is moving its operations to the U.S. mainland and making investments to add capacity for critical medical devices, including syringes, needles and IV catheters, to meet the ongoing needs of the nation’s health care system. As part of the company’s 2024 investment of more than $10 million to expand manufacturing capacity, new needle and sy-
ringe production lines have been installed at BD plants in Connecticut and Nebraska. One line is already fully operational with additional lines expected to start up in the coming months, the company said in a statement last week.
The new lines will boost BD’s capacity of domestically manufactured safety-engineered injection devices by more than 40% and conventional syringes by more than 50%, adding hundreds of millions of units annually to support critical U.S. health care delivery in areas such as hospital procedures, vaccinations, medication preparation and drug delivery to patients. In addition, BD has hired more than 215 full-time employees at its facilities in Nebraska and Connecticut to support the increased production.
BD also has plans for more than $30 million in investments in 2025 to expand manufacturing capacity for IV lines at its plant in Utah to support continued growth in catheter solutions. This follows the company’s 2024 investment of more than $2 million for IV line improvements that resulted in increased IV catheter output by more than 40 million units annually.
“Domestic manufacturing is crucial for ensuring a resilient supply of essential health care devices,” said Eric Borin, president of medication delivery solutions at BD. “By expanding our production capacity, we are not only meeting the critical needs of patients and providers, but we also are reinforcing our commitment to the nation’s health care infrastructure.”
Convergent lands $580 million loan from US Energy Dept. for solar project
By THE STAR STAFF
Convergent Energy and Power, a provider of energy storage solutions in North America, has announced the closing of its $584.5 million guaranteed loan facility from the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office to build a solar photovoltaic (PV) system with an integrated battery storage system and three stand-alone battery storage systems across Puerto Rico. Convergent’s solar PV and battery storage systems will play a vital role in improving Puerto Rico’s energy resilience and af-
fordability while helping the island meet its ambitious clean energy and climate goals, according to a statement issued Saturday.
“Convergent has a long history of supporting an energy landscape that is less expensive, more reliable, and increasingly sustainable,” said Frank Genova, Convergent’s CFO and co-founder. “As a leading developer of energy storage and solar PV systems, we have the expertise -- and the capital -- to bring Puerto Rico’s electrical grid into the future. We look forward to enhancing grid reliability for communities across Puerto Rico.”
Convergent’s solar-plus-storage installation in the municipality of Coamo will be a 100 megawatt (MW) solar PV system paired with a 55 MW/55 MWh battery storage system. Three utility scale stand-alone battery storage systems are planned for the municipalities of Caguas, Peñuelas and Ponce. These systems would generate power directly to the island grid and provide energy storage benefits necessary for Puerto Rico’s goal of achieving 100% clean energy resources by 2050.
Wide-scale solar and battery storage deployment can help benefit communities
across the island by reducing Puerto Rico’s high energy costs, which, on average, are significantly higher than for the continental United States.
Convergent said it is working with the Department of Economic Development and Commerce to establish an integrated apprenticeship and hiring plan that will align with municipal, commonwealth, and federal goals to prioritize workforce diversity and minority and women-owned business enterprises as subcontractors where commercially feasible. The systems are expected to create some 540 construction jobs.
The San Juan Daily Star Monday, January
Stocks
US equity fund outflows surged on doubts over Fed rate cuts
U.S. equity funds saw a spike in outflows for the week ending Jan. 15, as the outlook for Federal Reserve rate cuts this year had dimmed while investors were cautious about the ongoing quarterly earnings season.
According to LSEG Lipper data, investors withdrew a sharp $8.23 billion from U.S. equity funds during the week on top of a net $5.01 billion worth of sales in the prior week.
U.S. shares rose after a lower-than-expected core inflation reading and strong financial results from firms like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, but concerns linger that President-elect Donald Trump’s potential tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and increased tariffs on China could drive inflation higher and impede long-term growth.
By segment, investors divested large-cap, mid-cap, multicap and small-cap funds to the tune of $4.35 billion, $1.54 billion, $1.02 billion and $379 million, respectively.
Sectoral funds witnessed $428 million worth of outflows following a net $35 million of purchases a week ago. Still, the financial sector was in demand with about $752 million in net investments during the week.
U.S. bond funds, meanwhile, drew inflows for the second week in five, to the tune of $6.18 billion on a net basis.
U.S. general domestic taxable fixed income funds, shortto-intermediate government and treasury funds, and loan participation funds witnessed a notable $2.33 billion, $2.15 billion and $1.42 billion worth of inflows, respectively.
In parallel, investors divested a net $60.07 billion worth of money market funds, ending a three-week-long trend of net purchases.
China notified the International Monetary Fund on Thursday that its economy grew by 5% in 2024, IMF Chief Econo-
MOST ASSERTIVE STOCKS
mist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas told reporters, calling the development a “positive surprise” compared to the IMF’s forecast of 4.8%.
Gourinchas said the IMF had increased its forecast for Chinese growth slightly to 4.6% for 2025 and by four-tenths of a percentage point to 4.5% for 2026, reflecting some increased momentum caused by fiscal measures, although that was offset by trade policy uncertainty.
But he stressed that China, the world’s second-largest economy, still needed to make domestic demand a bigger engine of its growth, a message long delivered by the IMF to Chinese authorities, but that had not happened yet.
“The Chinese economy needs to pivot to a more domestically-driven engine of growth,” Gourinchas said during an online news conference on Friday, adding that it would become increasingly difficult for the Chinese economy to expand through external trade alone.
“China is a very large economy, and it cannot just rely on the rest of the world to fuel its own domestic growth,” he said, adding that Chinese authorities had adopted some measures to move in that direction, but more work was needed.
Any weakness in the Chinese economy would have spillover effects for many emerging and developing countries, posing a risk factor for the global economy, he said.
The San Juan Daily Star
The
Monday, January 20, 2025 9
First hostages return to Israel as Gaza ceasefire takes hold
By ISABEL KERSHNER, HIBA YAZBEK, AARON BOXERMAN and BILAL SHBAIR
Three Israeli women were released from captivity in the Gaza Strip on Sunday and reunited with family members in Israel, the Israeli military said, as a long-awaited ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect. The truce prompted celebrations in Gaza, relief for families of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, and hope for an end to a devastating 15-month war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office identified the freed hostages as Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher. They were captured during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in Israel that set off the war. Israel was expected to release 90 Palestinian prisoners, all women or minors, later Sunday in exchange for the hostages.
In video released by the Israeli military, the released hostages are seen stepping out of a vehicle and walking under their own power, as they are handed over from the Red Cross to Israeli troops. One hostage, Emily Damari, has a bandaged left hand, and in a photo later posted online by the military, she appears to have lost two fingers on that hand.
People gathering at the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, react to the news that the first hostages have been released after a ceasefire agreement began between Israel and Hamas, on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (Avishag Shaar-Yashuv/ The New York Times)
As the truce took effect Sunday morning, joyful Palestinians honked car horns and blasted music in the central Gaza city of Deir al Balah, where celebratory gunfire rang out and children ran around in the
streets.
And as Israeli officers said their forces had begun to withdraw from parts of Gaza, including two towns north of Gaza City, Hamas sought to signal that it was still standing and moving to reassert control, with masked gunmen taking to the streets in several cities. The Hamas-run police force in Gaza, whose uniformed officers had all but disappeared to avoid Israeli attacks, said that it was deploying personnel across the territory to “preserve security and order,” according to the government media office.
Achieving the agreement on a delicate, multistage ceasefire required months of talks mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. The start of an initial, sixweek phase on Sunday was delayed by almost three hours, with Israel saying it had not formally received the names of the first three hostages to be released. During the delay, the Israeli military continued striking targets in Gaza.
Here’s what we’re covering:
— Hostage and prisoner releases: Israel and Hamas have agreed to observe a 42-day truce, during which Hamas is expected to stagger the release of 33 of the roughly 100 hostages it still holds, some of whom are believed to be dead. In ex-
change, Israel is expected to begin releasing more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
— Gaza’s destruction: The start of the ceasefire capped a 470-day war that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians and injured more than 110,000 others, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Much of Gaza has been destroyed, and most of its roughly 2 million people have been displaced at least once by the war, which began after Hamas invaded southern Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and capturing 250 hostages.
— Humanitarian aid: United Nations trucks carrying humanitarian supplies began entering Gaza just 15 minutes after the ceasefire took effect, according to Jonathan Whittall, head of the U.N. humanitarian office for the Palestinian territories. The ceasefire deal calls for 600 trucks to be allowed to bring aid to Palestinians in Gaza daily, although it was not clear how the supplies would be distributed.
— Next phase: Big diplomatic hurdles lie ahead. Israel and Hamas reached the ceasefire agreement in part by putting off their most intractable disputes until a nebulous “second phase” that neither side is sure it will reach.
The ‘minister of everything’ for Justin Trudeau enters race to replace him
By VJOSA ISAI
Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s former deputy prime minister, whose sudden resignation in December helped set the stage for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to step down, said late last week that she was running to replace him. She posted her announcement Friday on the social platform X with a six-word sentence: “I’m running to fight for Canada.”
Freeland, 56, once a close ally of Trudeau who was often called his “minister of everything,” had served as deputy prime minister since 2019 and had long been viewed as a possible successor.
But the two had a bitter rift when Trudeau moved to demote her over a Zoom call in
December, offering her a minister-withoutportfolio role. Instead, she opted to resign and delivered a strong rebuke of Trudeau’s leadership as Canada prepares to deal with President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to apply a tariff on Canadian exports to the United States.
Her stinging departure destabilized Trudeau’s shaky grip on power. Three weeks later, on Jan. 6, he announced he would step down as Liberal Party leader and as prime minister once a new leader was in place.
Candidates for the leadership post will campaign before a national vote among party members in March. The new Liberal Party leader will also become prime minister of Canada and lead the party in a general election expected to take place in the spring.
Freeland said she would officially launch her campaign in person Sunday, most likely in Toronto, the electoral district she represents in parliament. She will face a stiff challenge persuading Canadians that she is the candidate best suited to take on the Conservative Party and its leader, Pierre Poilievre.
The Conservatives, who have a 25 percentage point lead over the Liberals in polls, have sought to portray Freeland as part of the problem given her once-close relationship with Trudeau and her key role in his governments since 2015, when he first became prime minister.
Trudeau’s popularity has nosedived in recent years as Canadians have become increasingly frustrated with persistently high cost of living on everything from housing to
groceries.
Many Canadians have also started pushing back against the government’s immigration policy, which has resulted in 2.3 million people arriving in the country in the past two years.
Italian reporter’s ordeal in Iranian prison: ‘I was trapped in a game’
By EMMA BUBOLA
After Iran elected a more moderate president last year, Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist, thought something may have changed in the country, which she had been covering from afar.
For two years, Iran had rejected her application for a journalist visa, but it granted her one after the election. Colleagues and friends told her Iran’s new government seemed more open to foreign reporters as it sought to repair relations with Europe.
Sala, 29, had not traveled to Iran since 2021, before an uprising led by women and girls demanded an end to clerical rule. So she took a plane to Tehran, the capital.
“I wanted to see with my eyes what had changed,” she said in an interview recently in Rome.
Instead, she got firsthand experience of what had not changed.
On Dec. 19, as she was preparing an episode of an Italian podcast that she hosts every day, two agents from the intelligence wing of the Revolutionary Guard came to her hotel room in Tehran. When she tried to grab her phone, she said, one of them threw it to the other side of the room.
Cecilia Sala, a journalist recently released from an Iranian prison, at her home in Rome, on Jan. 10, 2025. Sala found herself in the middle of Iran’s hostage diplomacy. (Stephanie Gengotti/The New York Times)
They blindfolded her, Sala said, and took her to the notorious Evin prison, where most of Iran’s political prisoners are held and some are tortured.
At one point, when she asked what she was accused of, she was told, she said, that she had committed “many illegal actions in many places.”
Iran has used the detention of foreign and dual citizens as a cornerstone of its foreign policy for nearly five decades, since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The detainees — journalists, businesspeople, aid workers, diplomats, tourists — are effectively hostages whom Teh-
ran leverages with other countries to swap prisoners and free frozen funds.
Sala feared from the start that she had been taken hostage for a swap.
She said she had read that Italy had arrested an Iranian engineer three days earlier at the request of the United States. The engineer, Mohammad Abedini, was wanted for his alleged role in providing drone technology for Iran that was used in an attack that killed three U.S. soldiers in
Jordan.
“I was trapped in a game much bigger than I was,” she said.
Sala said she worried that if the United States insisted on extraditing Abedini, she might linger in prison for years, her release contingent on the decision of the incoming U.S. president, Donald Trump.
At Evin, the guards gave Sala a prison uniform, she said — a gray tracksuit, a blue shirt and pants, a blue hijab and a long covering known as a chador. They seized her glasses, without which she is all but blind.
Her cell had two blankets and no mattress or pillow. The light was constantly on, she said, and she could not sleep.
Only after several days, when she closely inspected her cell’s light yellow walls inch by inch, did she notice a blood stain, parallel marks, she said, perhaps left by a previous inmate marking the days, and the word “freedom” in Farsi.
She was blindfolded during hours of nearly daily interrogations in which she sat facing a wall, she said.
Her interrogator spoke flawless English, she said, and signaled that he knew Italy well by asking whether she preferred Roman or Neapolitan pizza crust.
She was permitted to speak at times with her parents and boyfriend back in Italy, she said, and when her mother told reporters there about her daughter’s conditions in prison, the interrogator told Sala that because of those remarks, Iran would detain her for much longer.
“Their game is to give you hope, and then use your hope to break you,” Sala said.
Through a narrow opening in her cell door, she said she heard sounds of crying, vomiting, footsteps and banging that sounded as if someone was running and hitting his or her head against the door.
“I thought if they don’t take me out, I am going to also end up like this,” Sala said. She feared that if they kept her for long, she said, “I would come back an animal, not a person.”
On Jan. 8, Sala was on a plane home, and shortly after, Italy freed Abedini. Sala was released in part with the assistance of Elon Musk, two Iranian officials said. “I played a small role,” Musk later wrote on his social platform, X. Sala said she was eager to return to her work.
“I am in a rush to go back to being a journalist,” she said. “To tell someone else’s story.”
Her ordeal has reverberated widely, particularly for journalists wanting to travel to Iran.
“Obviously, I am not going back to Iran,” Sala said. “At least as long as there is the Islamic Republic.”
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting at his Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla. Jan. 9, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
By ROSS DOUTHAT
In the years just before Donald Trump’s ascent, political commentary increasingly aspired to a quasi-scientific style of analysis, with data journalism in all its forms supplanting the old-fashioned emphasis on hunches, narratives and vibes.
In the Trump era, though, the mythic has had its revenge on the merely quantifiable. The data is still useful, in its place, but now even pollsters talk about their “art,” and like strange birds in the Roman Forum, the more unlikely outcomes have come home to roost. The roles of charisma and “fortuna” have been reasserted; Thomas Carlyle, Shakespeare and the Coen brothers have been surer guides than any science; and primal forces, from plague to war to presidential senescence, have played decisive parts.
So as we enter into the Trump restoration, any auguries about the next four years need to be adequate to this mythopoetic landscape, and dramatically fitting in the fate that they envision for the president and the United States.
The challenge for would-be entrail readers is that Trump’s first term already offered a seemingly complete dramatic arc. A presidency defined for a long time by black comedy tipped over into tragedy when Trump finally faced a threat he couldn’t overmaster: a deadly pandemic, originating in the Communist country he had come to power promising to challenge and contain, that sent him to the hospital and his reelection campaign to defeat. Then, by reacting to his political downfall by descending into the conspiratorial labyrinths with Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell, Trump gave the whole story a suitable denouement: hubris, nemesis,
What are the omens for Trump 2.0?
madness, good night.
Yet now he’s back again, resurrected politically via the very strategy of prosecution that sought to fully bury him, boosted by a miraculous-seeming escape from an assassin’s bullet, triumphant over all his enemies and elevated to greater heights of power and influence than at any point in his first term. So what does a mythically minded punditry suggest should happen next?
One possibility is that because we have already seen Trump at his lowest point, for a second term to be surprising, remarkable and aesthetically fitting, it needs to deliver him to glorious success. And not just low-unemployment and calm-in-the-Middle East success, but a true fulfillment of his original 2016 campaign promise: American greatness restored, on a scale that baffles his enemies and amazes even his supporters.
Think Elon Musk sending starships to Mars. Think fleets of dirigibles traveling to an American-held Greenland, the American West irrigated and lush, regime change in Iran and China, self-driving cars zipping down every highway and back road. In his first term, Trump was fatally flawed and justly crushed, but having persevered through crisis and defeat, now the drama requires his complete vindication.
That’s the future I’m rooting for. But the counterpoint is that history often deals unkindly with even the most remarkable political careers, which are more likely to be cut off in an untimely manner or descend into a tragic fall than to conclude with apotheosis.
So the fact that Trump has scraped the bottom and come back up doesn’t guarantee a happy ending; just ask Napoleon after his triumphant return from Elba. Yes, the 45th and soonto-be 47th president has endured and achieved and reached a peak of power and command, but he’s an old man who retains all the flaws that unmade his presidency once before,
and he faces a world destabilized by the same tectonic forces that carried him in and out and now back into power. He has been vindicated in his ambitions but not converted to humility. He is still the same embodiment of all-American hubris as before.
In this reading, if the fates do their spinning and snipping appropriately, the Trumpian pageant can only really end in some final epic diminishment, some defeat more total than the last one. And that’s an unsettling prospect indeed, given that Trump’s last defeat involved a once-in-a-generation pandemic and smoke over the Capitol on Jan. 6.
How might history up that ante? With the constitutional crisis anticipated by so many of his critics? With a true world conflict? With the artificial intelligence doom scenario or some other apocalypse? With some shocking betrayal? (Et tu, Elon?)
“High variance” is the phrase I keep using for the Trump restoration. The range of possibilities is wider this time around; the world and history are more open, the potential victories clearer, the costs of failure starker. And after all we’ve seen so far, the only possibility for the next four years that would be fundamentally surprising is a return to comfortable stagnation.
For all other outcomes, all other endings to the Trump saga, the omens are out there, and we can’t say that we haven’t been prepared.
Dr. Ricardo Angulo Founder
Juramentación de Edward O’Neill Rosa como alcalde de Guaynabo
POR EL STAR STAFF
GUAYNABO – Edward Alexis O’Neill Rosa inició oficialmente su segundo mandato como alcalde de Guaynabo, consolidándose como un líder sensible y cercano a su comunidad, comprometido con la estabilidad, el progreso y el bienestar de todos los guaynabeños.
En una ceremonia solemne el sábado, rodeado por sus hijos, Paola y Edward Andrés, el alcalde reafirmó su compromiso de trabajar incansablemente para continuar transformando a Guaynabo en una ciudad moderna, resiliente y vibrante. “Hoy más que nunca, mi compromiso es con el futuro de Guaynabo, con cada familia, cada comunidad y con la construcción de un municipio que inspire orgullo en todos nosotros”, expresó O’Neill Rosa durante su discurso.
Desde que asumió la alcaldía en 2022, O’Neill Rosa ha enfrentado con determinación los retos que marcaron al municipio, logrando en poco tiempo estabilizar sus finanzas y garantizar el desarrollo de proyectos clave para el bienestar de la ciudadanía.
Entre sus principales logros se encuentran:
* La reconstrucción de infraestructura crítica afectada por el huracán María, logrando asignaciones de FEMA por $97.1 millones.
* La modernización de la policía municipal y la implementación de nuevas tecnologías para garantizar la seguridad comunitaria.
* Un ambicioso programa de repavimentación de calles y mejoras al alumbrado público en toda la ciudad.
* La revitalización de espacios recreativos y deportivos para fomentar la cohesión comunitaria y el bienestar físico y mental de los ciudadanos.
El alcalde O’Neill Rosa se ha destacado por su enfoque en la equidad social, implementando programas que aseguren el acceso a servicios básicos. Su compromiso con las necesidades de cada ciudadano lo ha llevado a mantener un contacto constante con los residentes, escuchando sus preocupaciones y actuando con celeridad para atenderlas.
“Mi prioridad es fortalecer la conexión con mi gente, escucharlos y trabajar en equipo para construir una ciudad más inclusiva, más segura y prós-
pera”, afirmó el alcalde.
Junta de ASEM ratifica a doctor Colón Alsina
POR CYBERNEWS
SAN JUAN – La Junta de Entidades Participantes de la Administración de Servicios Médicos (ASEM) ratificó la recomendación de la gobernadora de Puerto Rico, Jenniffer González Colón, para nombrar al doctor Regino Colón Alsina como nuevo director ejecutivo de la ASEM.
“El doctor Regino Colón Alsina ha demostrado un liderazgo excepcional y un compromiso firme con la salud pública en Puerto Rico. Estoy segura de que, bajo
su dirección, la ASEM continuará fortaleciendo su misión de ofrecer servicios médicos de calidad a nuestra gente”, dijo la gobernadora González Colón en declaraciones escritas.
Mientras, el doctor Colón Alsina expresó su gratitud por la confianza depositada en él y reafirmó su compromiso con la salud pública y con la excelencia en la gestión de la ASEM.
“Es un honor asumir este cargo en una institución tan fundamental para nuestro sistema de salud. Mi enfoque estará en mejorar la eficiencia operativa, garantizar la
calidad del servicio y continuar fortaleciendo la colaboración entre los diferentes sectores del sistema de salud en beneficio de nuestros pacientes y profesionales”, mencionó.
La Junta de Entidades Participantes de la ASEM, presidida por Víctor Ramos Otero, secretario del Departamento de Salud (DS), expresó su respaldo al doctor Colón Alsina,
“Confiando en que su liderazgo será clave para enfrentar los desafíos del sistema de salud y elevar el nivel de servicios que ofrece la institución”, destacó.
Hombre es arrastrado por la marea en Arecibo
Durante su juramentación, O’Neill Rosa aseguró que continuará enfocándose en proyectos que potencien el desarrollo económico, fortalezcan la infraestructura y promuevan la resiliencia de la ciudad. Con el respaldo de líderes locales y del gobierno central, Guaynabo se perfila como un modelo de innovación y progreso para Puerto Rico. POR CYBERNEWS
ARECIBO – Las autoridades buscan a un hombre que fue arrastrado por la marea a eso de las 6:01 de la mañana del domingo, en la carretera PR-655, área de la salida de los botes, frente al Faro, barrio Islote en Arecibo. Según el reporte de la Policía, una llamada a través del Sistema de Emergencias 9-1-1, alertó
sobre el incidente.
Alegó el querellante de 24 años que estaba con su padre David Hernández Hernández de 63 años y vecinos de Quebradillas, en el área para pescar.
Al subir una escalera, el padre resbaló, cayó al agua y al momento no ha sido localizado.
El personal de la Unidad Marítima Fura, Manejo de Emergencias de Arecibo, atienden la situación.
The San Juan Daily Star
Monday, January 20, 2025 13
David Lynch peered under America’s mask
By MANOHLA DARGIS
It felt fitting that my city was burning when I heard the news Thursday that David Lynch had died at 78. Few filmmakers grasped the complexities of Los Angeles better than Lynch did and fewer still seemed so at home with its distinct, otherworldly mix of beauty and disaster, sunshine and noir. Los Angeles is where, after all, he shot “Eraserhead,” his feature directorial debut about — well, how to describe this sui generis art film in which a lady lives in a radiator and a baby looks like a slimy, fetid bobble-headed alien. Yet now Lynch is gone and another part of this city seems to have disappeared with him, and I am bereft.
Lynch was literally born in Missoula, Montana, but I think he was more rightly birthed by Los Angeles. He went to school here, attending the American Film Institute (“Eraserhead” began as his student project!), eventually establishing a nearby compound where he took to delivering delightful weather reports with his singular twang. In the one he recorded for May 11, 2020, he sits at a desk with several pairs of glasses upon it and a mug that must be filled with black coffee. “Here in LA,” he says, squinting up at a window, it’s “kind of cloudy, some fog this morning.” He swivels to face the camera, ticks off the temperature and adds: “This all should burn off pretty soon and we’ll have sunshine and 70 degrees. Have a great day.”
I always took his signoffs to have a great day literally. Lynch created some of the most disturbing and haunted work in cinema, but in interviews — many peppered with his trademark interjections like “jeepers” — he came across as approachable. If anything, he appeared almost performatively normal, which made him seem even stranger. In 2001, the year his masterpiece “Mulholland Drive” was released, my friend, critic John Powers, spoke with Lynch. “He still reminds me of Jimmy Stewart,” Powers wrote, “not the Mr. Smith who goes to Washington but the grizzled obsessive from ‘Vertigo.’” Time had already taken its toll: “His beaming smile has lost its innocence.”
I’ve rarely received as many angry responses as I did when my rave of “Mulholland Drive” ran. People didn’t just disagree; they seemed as enraged at my review as they were at the film. Among the most furiously voiced criticisms was that it just didn’t make sense, leaving some viewers frustrated to the point of fury. The thing is, it had confused me as much as it had wowed me on first viewing. Movies are supposed to be obvious, but Lynch never was. Worse, he had made a work of art in an industry that disdains not just art — unless it hangs on mansion walls — but also artists who don’t conform to its orthodoxies. If his relationship with Hollywood was difficult, it’s because he never seemed part of it — artistically, spiritually or in any other way — even when he made more establishment-consecrated films.
In 2019, the academy bestowed Lynch, this great outsider, with an honorary Oscar. He looked genuinely moved as the audience stood and his longtime collaborators Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern and Isabella Rossellini nearly levitated with joy at his side. Lynch spoke briefly and sounded a bit
shaky. He thanked everyone who had helped him “along the road,” an apt metaphor for a filmmaker for whom “The Wizard of Oz” was a touchstone. Lynch’s films are filled with references to “Oz,” including “Wild at Heart,” a floridly violent and romantic road movie in which a variation on Glinda the Good Witch (Sheryl Lee from “Twin Peaks”) floats down to aid Nicolas Cage’s Sailor, a gyro-hipped Elvis avatar in a snakeskin jacket.
I don’t much like “Wild at Heart,” despite its moments of undeniable visual beauty, or Cage and Dern’s deliriously vivid, out-there performances as besotted lovers. There’s something too meanspirited about it, and I’ve never been able to get past the opener in which Sailor fatally beats a Black man, a moment that Roger Ebert called out in his review as “a racially charged scene of unapologetic malevolence.” Other interludes in Lynch’s films have filled me with revulsion and dread — any number of sections in his nightmarish yet flat-out brilliant “Inland Empire,” for one — but the beating in “Wild at Heart” still makes me blanch, partly because it features one of the few Black characters I can recall in Lynch’s filmography. I parted company with Ebert, though, when his “Wild at Heart” review took aim at what he deemed Lynch’s streak of misogyny, citing examples like “Blue Velvet.” I get why Ebert wondered if there was something in Lynch that had led him to create such “hurtful and painful” portrayals of women. By contrast, I saw and still see these images — even the cruelest, most debased and outwardly offensive ones — as raw and unflinchingly honest. Many filmmakers try to disguise their less socially acceptable prejudices, their impolite fears, dislikes and worse, but Lynch always seemed unafraid or maybe uninterested or just unaware about what others thought of his uglier visions.
Among the greatest of Lynch’s female characters is Betty, a sweet, young blond beauty with a sunbeam smile played by a transcendent Naomi Watts in “Mulholland Drive.” Like legions of young hopefuls before her, Betty arrives in Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. That dream begins to turn nightmarish not long after she meets her cheerfully salty manager (tap-dancing film legend Ann Miller), who leads Betty to an outwardly charming, old-fashioned bungalow with a pile of dog droppings deposited on the walkway outside. Hollywood’s ghosts fill Lynch’s work, and so does its muck and its filth.
I love that moment, but if I were to choose a signature Lynch scene it would be the opening of “Blue Velvet,” another of his films that made me uneasy on first viewing and that I have repeatedly returned to with ever-deeper appreciation. It opens on a dazzling cerulean sky and the sound of Bobby Vinton singing the title song. The camera tilts down to some blood-red roses with prickly stems set against a white picket fence, a tableau that is followed by shots of a fire truck, more flowers and children. It looks like a suburban pastoral until a man watering his lawn has a heart attack. The song fades, replaced by eerie electronic sounds, and the camera starts creeping through the grass as paradise grows dark, then darker. When the camera stops, it settles on a frenzy of ants in
Filmmaker David Lynch at his Hollywood Hills home in Los Angeles, Feb. 20, 2002. Lynch, a painter turned avant-garde film artist whose fame, influence and distinctively skewed worldview extended far beyond the movie screen to encompass TV, records, books, nightclubs, a line of organic coffee and his Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, has died, his family announced on Jan. 16, 2025. He was 78. (Monica Almeida/The New York Times)
close-up ravaging something — the music gives way to creepy chomping — and Lynch is already scraping away the patina of American normalcy, with its chemically treated lawns, brutal madmen and brutalized women. Not long after, the heartattack victim’s son, the hero of this twisted tale, Jeffrey (MacLachlan), finds a severed human ear covered with swarming ants in an empty lot, a derelict twin to his father’s lawn. The ear is at once a clue and a harbinger that leads him to an abused woman, Dorothy (Rossellini). Yet it is Jeffrey who goes on a journey, like the Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” and meets new friends, faces dangers and returns to where he started.
Lynch gave “Blue Velvet” something of a happy ending, one you could interpret as cynical, ironic or oddly sincere, depending on your sensibilities. By the time Jeffrey is back in his Kansas, as it were, he and his sweetheart (Dern) are marveling at a robin with a squirming insect in its beak and Dorothy is safe from the madman (Dennis Hopper). We know that the bird is fake (it’s a taxidermy prop), but the characters believe in their happy ending and I think Lynch believes in it, too. Maybe he had to because he also seemed to believe in all that came before, in the horrors, the terrors and the yawning abyss that old Hollywood tried hard to pretend didn’t exist. Lynch showed us what lies beneath; he showed us ourselves.
Monday, January 20, 2025 14
Northern lights lure seekers of ‘wow effect’
By ELAINE GLUSAC
In August, over a calm Michigan lake, Karl Duesterhaus, 34, of Chicago, was treated to an unusual phenomenon: the northern lights, which appeared as hazy colors in a brighter-than-usual night sky. It was a cool experience, he said, but he was surprised when he looked at cellphone photos taken the night before.
“The colors were much more defined,” he said.
Duesterhaus isn’t the only one struck by the difference between the subtle colors that the naked eye registers and the vivid hues that appear in digital photos. Many travelers, some lured by stunning images on social media, are also noticing the difference.
As the solar activity that causes the aurora borealis is expected to reach the peak of its 11-year cycle in the next year, opportunities to see it are booming via cruises, train trips and tours. According to the market research company Grand View Research, nor-
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thern lights tourism generated $843 million in 2023 and is projected to grow at nearly 10% a year to 2030.
images. (The resort is sold out for the current fall-to-spring season.)
“We get two responses,” said Adriel Butler, the founder and CEO of Borealis Basecamp. One is disappointment; the other more nuanced. “They’ll say, ‘All the photos are touched up and edited with bigger-than-life imagery, but what I’m going to see is actually real.’”
To understand what creates the northern lights, and how we and cameras see them differently, we turned to the experts.
What causes the northern lights?
Scott Engle, an assistant professor of astrophysics and planetary science at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, described the northern lights as the visual result of particles issued by the sun entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
“The sun is always losing tiny bits of its own mass, which is what we call the solar wind,” he said. “They hit whatever gas is in the Earth’s atmosphere and impart their energy to it and cause it to glow.”
The sun undergoes an 11-year cycle of activity. In the past year, activity has been high, accounting for more sightings.
“When the sun’s activity is at or near maximum, the density level of these particles in the solar wind increases,” Engle said.
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The Berkeley, California-based tour company Wilderness Travel said bookings on its winter trip to Iceland — largely driven by northern lights seekers — have been up 130% each year on average since 2021. Demand for flights to Finland, a prime location for aurora-viewing, is up more than 70% this winter compared with last.
Winter hotel stays in Tromso in northern Norway, a popular aurora destination, grew 7% since 2019 to more than 202,000 between January and April 2024, according to Visit Norway. Last spring the Norway-based cruise line Hurtigruten appointed its first “chief aurora hunter,” astronomer Tom Kerss, who will be on board its winter departures along the Norwegian coast.
Nature-centric travel, growing interest in astrotourism, and a greater understanding of how and when auroras occur have helped fuel the popularity of northern lights tourism. But so, too, say some aurora experts, have cellphone cameras, creating many of the colorful images appearing on social media. So much so that at the Borealis Basecamp in Fairbanks, Alaska, a 40-cabin resort devoted to aurora viewing, management informs guests before they arrive of the gulf they may witness between the real life spectacle and some
The lights appear within what is known as an aurora oval, a belt that roughly rings the Earth’s geomagnetic poles, said Shannon Schmoll, the director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University in East Lansing. In the north, the oval lies above popular northern lights destinations, including Canada, Alaska and Iceland.
“With a stronger storm, that oval where we see the aurora gets pushed farther south,” Schmoll said.
What role has digital photography played in aurora mania?
Before digital photography, getting vivid shots of the northern lights required a deep knowledge of camera exposures and film speed, good timing and some luck.
That changed around 2008 with the introduction of digital cameras that were more sensitive to low light, said Lance Keimig, a Vermont-based photographer and a partner at National Parks at Night, an organization that teaches night photography.
The early light-sensitive cameras “made it possible for people already doing night photography to take it to the next level,” Keimig said.
In an undated image provided by Chris Miller, an image of the northern lights in Juneau, Alaska, shows what a camera with a longer exposure captures. As astrotourism booms, the northern lights get a boost from digital photography. (Chris Miller via The New York Times)
The advent of light-sensitive cellphone cameras before the peak of the current 11year solar cycle, when sightings occurred as far south as Florida, made similar technology available to more aurora viewers. In 2018, Google’s Pixel Camera introduced “night sight,” which allowed sharper images in low lighting situations. The iPhone’s “night mode” arrived the following year. The evolution of photo-editing apps has added to the brilliance of night photos.
Sean J. Bentley, an associate professor of physics at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, cited advancements in camera technology for better imagery since the last solar cycle, from 2008 to 2019.
“Even as recently as the last peak in early 2014, most digital cameras, including basically all of those on phones, were not capable of getting good night images of even
bright, stable objects such as the moon, and worse so of auroras,” Bentley wrote in an email.
Gondwana Ecotours, which has been offering aurora itineraries in Fairbanks, Alaska, since 2013, experienced a 20% increase in bookings on its trips over the past two seasons.
“When we first started these tours, capturing the aurora with a cellphone was impossible,” said Jared Sternberg, the president. “Now, iPhones and other smartphones can take more than decent images of the aurora.”
Why is my camera seeing more than my eye?
Technology’s lens is better than the human one when it comes to night vision. Photoreceptors in the eye take two main forms, rods and cones. Rods are more sensitive to light but can’t detect colors. With enough
light, cones kick in to determine colors.
“As you experience anytime you get up during the night, we don’t differentiate colors well when we are in a dark environment,” Bentley wrote.
Cameras are more effective at sensing color because they can handle a longer exposure than your eye, Engle said.
“The digital detector that your camera has is most likely much more sensitive to red wavelengths of light than your eye is and it’s going to pull out those longer, redder wavelengths much better,” Engle said.
And there are a host of other AI-based enhancements in cellphone cameras that can produce shots that once only high-end cameras could.
So, are those photos of the aurora real?
Douglas Goodwin, the Fletcher Jones scholar in computation and a visiting assistant professor in media studies at Scripps College in Claremont, California, published an article on this subject in May on The Conversation, a nonprofit news site. In his article, Goodwin stripped out the enhancements made by smartphone cameras to produce two images of the aurora — one that approximated the naked eye and another taken with a phone camera.
Phones are “seeing it better than we could,” he said.
Nori Jemil, a London-based photographer and the author of “The Travel Photographer’s Way,” has taught photography classes in Iceland and Patagonia. Cellphone cameras, she said, automatically do the normal postproduction work “like photoshopping, stacking images, enhancing color and picking things out the eye can’t see. It’s not fake, but it’s using computer algorithms to bring it all together for a wow effect.”
How can I photograph the aurora?
Stay up late; the lights are most active
within an hour or two of midnight.
On her photo expeditions, Stephanie Vermillion, a Cleveland-based astrotourism writer and photographer and the author of “100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate Adventures After Dark,” said she would scan the horizon with her cellphone camera if she couldn’t see any activity, “because it does see them better than me.”
She sets the camera to shoot in time lapse mode (for iPhone users she suggests the app NightCap), then watches the display with her own eyes.
“If I’m constantly fiddling with my camera, I’ll ruin the moment,” Vermillion said.
Joe Buffalo Child, who offers guided aurora-viewing through his company, North Star Adventures, in Canada’s Northwest Territories, advises viewers to try to record more than a photo. “Cellphones can capture an enhanced aurora with its built-in AI capabilities,” he said. “However, as we always say on our tours, make sure to enjoy the auroras with your eyes and your heart.”
Technology’s lens is better than the human one when it comes to night vision. Photoreceptors in the eye take two main forms, rods and cones. (Chris Miller via The New York Times)
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMER INSTANCIA SALA DE SUPERIOR DE FAJARDO
GOBIERNO MUNICIPAL AUTÓNOMO
DE FAJARDO, REPRESENTADO POR SU ALCALDE, JOSÉ A. MELÉNDEZ MÉNDEZ
Peticionario V. ADQUISICIÓN DE SOLAR NÚM. 52 DE LA CALLE AMPARO Y CALLE
UNIÓN, DEL TÉRMINO MUNICIPAL DE FAJARDO;
LINO DIAZ MONGE, JOHN DOE Y DUEÑOS(S)
DESCONOCIDO(S), CENTRO DE RECAUDACIÓN DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES (CRIM)
Partes Con Interés Civil Núm.: FA2024CV00833.
Sobre: PROCEDIMIENTO SUMARIO DE EXPROPIACIÓN FORZOSA DE ESTORBO PÚBLICO. EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE.UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE P.R., SS.
A: LINO DÍAZ MONGE, JOHN DOE, DUEÑOS(S)
DESCONOCIDO(S) Y/O CUALQUIER PERSONA CON ALGÚN POSIBLE INTERÉS.
Se le emplaza y notifica que, con el fin público de erradicar el abandono y peligrosidad de propiedades declaradas estorbos públicos, el Municipio de Fajardo ha radicado en esta Secretaría una Petición de Expropiación Forzosa al amparo de la Ley General de Expropiación Forzosa del 12 de marzo de 1903, según enmendada, la Ley Núm. 107 de 14 de agosto de 2020 conocida como el Código Municipal de Puerto Rico, en su Artículo 2.018 [21 L.P.R.A. §7183]; la Ordenanza Núm. 26, Serie 2014-2015, aprobada por la Legislatura Municipal de Fajardo, Puerto Rico el 4 de septiembre de 2014 y firmada por el su Alcalde el día 30 del mismo mes; y, la Ordenanza Número 13, Serie 2021-2022, aprobada por la Legislatura Municipal el 4 de noviembre de 2021 y por su Alcalde el día 28 del mismo mes; bajo el procedimiento sumario de expropiación forzosa de estorbos públicos que establece el Artículo 4.012A del Código Municipal establecido mediante la Ley Núm. 114 del 29 de junio de 2024, para adquirir la siguiente Finca: “URBANA: Solar marcado con el 52, ubicado en la Calle Ampa-
ro y la Calle Unión del término municipal de Fajardo, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de 128.79 metros cuadrados, equivalentes a 0.0328 cuerdas. En lindes por el NORTE con la Calle Unión con una distancia de 13.61 metros lineales; en lindes por el SUR con el solar número 177 con 5 alineaciones y una distancia total de 16.20 metros lineales; en lindes por el ESTE con el solar número 214 con una distancia de 9.06 metros lineales; y en lindes por el OESTE con la Calle Amparo con una distancia de 7.96 metros lineales. Enclava una ESTRUCTURA de 588 pies cuadrados, de estos, sin techo aproximadamente el 78% (456 pies cuadrados), compuesta básicamente de piso en concreto y paredes en concreto, el otro 22% (132 pies cuadrados) con techo en concreto. Catastro Número: 150-046-044-02001. JUSTA COMPENSACIÓN: $9,000.00 a ser consignada a tenor con el Art. 4.012A(f) del Código Municipal. No habiéndose podido emplazar personalmente a las partes con interés antes relacionadas, por desconocer su paradero, este Tribunal ha ordenado que se le emplace por edicto, el cual se publicará una (1) vez por semana, durante tres (3) semanas consecutivas en un periódico de circulación diaria en Puerto Rico. Se le notifica que, si usted desea presentar objeción o defensa a la incautación de las estructuras descritas, debe presentar su contestación en este Tribunal dentro del término improrrogable de 30 DÍAS, contados a partir de la última publicación de este edicto, debiendo notificar con copia de la misma a la parte peticionaria, a través de la LCDA. JOSEPHINE M. RODRÍGUEZ RÍOS - RUA 15,736: PO BOX 889 FAJARDO, PR 00728 Email: josephine.rodriguez@gmail. com. De usted no comparecer en el término aquí fijado, el Tribunal le anotará la rebeldía y dictará Sentencia en un término no mayor de 5 días. De usted comparecer o contestar la Petición, el Tribunal citará para juicio, el cual será celebrado en un término no menor de 15 días ni mayor de 30, de haberse contestado la Petición. Expedida por Orden del Tribunal, en Fajardo, Puerto Rico a 26 de diciembre de 2024. WANDA I. SEGUÍ REYES, SECRETARIA.
LYDIA E. RIVERA MIRANDA, SUB-SECRETARIA.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
SALA SUPERIOR DE CAGUAS
BANCO POPULAR DE
PUERTO RICO
Demandante V. SUCESIÓN DE
HUMBERTO MARTORELL
ALVARADO T/C/C
HUMBERTO MARTOREL
ALVARADO T/C/C
HUMBERTO EMILIO
MARTORELL ALVARADO, COMPUESTA POR:
HUMBERTO MARTORELL PÉREZ, GLADYS
IVETTE MARTORELL
PÉREZ, y GLADYS PÉREZ GÓMEZ, POR SÍ Y POR CONCEPTO DE USUFRUCTO VIUDAL; LEVITT HOMES CORP.; EL HONORABLE SECRETARIO DEL DEPARTAMENTO DE HACIENDA DEL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO; EL CENTRO DE RECAUDACIONES DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES (CRIM)
Demandados Civil Núm.: CG2019CV02075.
Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE. UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PR, SS. AVISO DE VENTA EN PÚBLICA SUBASTA. El que suscribe, Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Caguas, a la parte demandada 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 16 de diciembre de 2024 y para satisfacer la Sentencia dictada en el caso de autos fechada 17 de agosto de 2022, notificada el 19 de agosto de 2022, procederá a vender el día 3 DE FEBRERO DE 2024 A LAS 9:45 DE LA MAÑANA, en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Caguas, 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 todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada sobre la siguiente propiedad: URBANA: Horizontal Property; Apartment number C 104 which consists of the following: Residential apartment of irregular shape located on the First (1st) floor of building “C” of the Condominium Puerta Del Parque in Hacienda San José Community, in the Caña-
bón Ward of the Municipality of Caguas, Puerto Rico, with an approximate area of two thousand two hundred sixty-three square feet and thirty-one hundredth of another (2,263.31 sq. ft.), equal to two hundred ten square meters and twenty seven hundredths of another (210.27 sq. mts.). Its boundaries are as follow: NORTH, in a distance of fifty-six feet six inches (56 ft. 6 in), with a common exterior area: South, in a distance of fifty-six feet six inches (56 ft 6 in), with a median wall that separates it from apartment number C 103 and a common area; EAST, in a distance of forty four feet six inches (44 ft 6 in), with a median wall that separates it from apartment number C 101 and a common area; WEST, in a distance of forty four feet six inches (44 ft. 6 in), with a common exterior area. Garage number C 104”: Garage of irregular shape that includes two (2) parking spaces in tandem located on the Ground floor of building “C” with an approximate area of four hundred ten square feet and zero hundredth of another (410.00 sq. ft.) equal to thirty eight square meters and nine hundredth of another (38.09 sq. mts.). Its boundaries are as follow: NORTH, in a distance of ten feet zero inches (10 ft 0 on), with a common exterior area; SOUTH, in a distance of ten feet zero inches (10 ft. 0 in) with a common area; EAST, in a distance of forty one feet zero inches (41 ft. 0 in) with a median wall that separates it from the main lobby and a common exterior area; WEST, in a distance of forty one feet zero inches (41 ft. 0 in.), with a median wall that separates it from garage for apartment number C 604. This apartment consists of a partial covered terrace, foyer, living/dinning room, kitchen, laundry area, one (1) master bathroom, one (1) bathroom, one (1) master bedroom, walkin closet, two (2) bedrooms with closets and garage. The total unit area is two thousand six hundred seventy three point thirty one (2,673.31) square feet equal to two hundred forty eight point thirty six (248.36) square meters. The entrance door of this apartment is located on its East side and opens to the elevator lobby of the first floor, which leads to the outside of the building. The garage door is located on its North Side and leads directly outside. The garage also has a door on its South side that opens to the corridor leading to the elevator lobby of the ground floor of the building. This apartment has a participation of one point four thousand three hundred fifty five ten thousandths percent
(1.4355%) in the general common elements of the condominium. Inscrita al tomo Karibe, Registro de la Propiedad de Caguas I, Finca número 65,687. Que con el importe de dicha venta se habrá de satisfacer a la parte demandante las cantidades adeudadas, según la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Caguas. El remate comenzará por las sumas adeudadas declaradas en la Sentencia, y se llevará a cabo para con su producto, satisfacer dichas sumas. Las cuantías de la sentencia se describen de la siguiente manera: $221,494.12 por concepto de principal; generando intereses a razón de 4.50% desde el 1ro de enero de 2018; $4,261.84 por concepto de “2nd principal balance”, cargos por demora los cuales al igual que los intereses continúan acumulándose hasta el saldo total de la deuda reclamada en este pleito, y la suma de $23,700.00 para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado; y demás créditos accesorios garantizados hipotecariamente. Debido al incumplimiento de la parte demandada, con los términos de contrato habido entre las partes se declara con lugar la demanda y se ordena la ejecución de hipoteca y venta en pública subasta de la propiedad objeto de este pleito, declarando vencida la suma de $221,494.12 por concepto de principal; generando intereses a razón de 4.50% desde el 1ro de enero de 2018; $4,261.84 por concepto de “2nd principal balance”, cargos por demora los cuales al igual que los intereses continúan acumulándose hasta el saldo total de la deuda reclamada en este pleito, y la suma de $23,700.00 para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado; y demás créditos accesorios garantizados hipotecariamente. La subasta se llevará a cabo el día 3 DE FEBRERO DE 2024 A LAS 9:45 DE LA MAÑANA en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia de Caguas. La venta de la propiedad será realizada para cubrir el importe adeudado a la demandante, el cual al momento de la Sentencia ascendía a la suma de $221,494.12 por concepto de principal; generando intereses a razón de 4.50% desde el 1ro de enero de 2018; $4,261.84 por concepto de “2nd principal balance”, cargos por demora los cuales al igual que los intereses continúan acumulándose hasta el saldo total de la deuda reclamada en este pleito, y la suma de $23,700.00 para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado; y demás créditos accesorios garantizados hipotecariamente. Se le
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, efectivo, giro y/o cheque de gerente a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal, y para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda(s) aquella(s) persona(s) que tenga (n) interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción de los gravámenes que se están ejecutando, que los mismos serán eliminados del Registro de la Propiedad, 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 termino 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 y a su abogado o abogada vía correo certificado con acuse de recibo siempre que haya comparecido al pleito. Si el (la) deudor (a) por Sentencia no comparece al pleito, la notificación será enviada vía correo certificado con acuse de recibo a las últimas direcciones conocidas. 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 en la Secretaría del Tribunal. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titulación y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere al crédito de ejecutante, continuarán subsiguientes entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de gravámenes posteriores. Y para conocimiento de la parte demandada, 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. En Caguas, Puerto Rico, a 19 de diciembre de 2024. ALEJANDRO L. URBINA ROQUE, ALGUACIL AUXILIAR PLACA #997, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE CAGUAS.
LEGAL NOTICE
LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU-
NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
SALA SUPERIOR DE HUMACAO
ESTRELLA HOMES II LLC
Demandante Vs. SUCESIÓN DE MANUEL GARCÍA CARRILLO, COMPUESTA POR: ANA R. GARCÍA T/C/C ANA RUTH GARCÍA T/C/C ANA RUTH GARCÍA MALDONADO, T/C/C ANA R. GARCÍA MALDONADO Y SUCESIÓN DE CARLOS MANUEL
GARCIA MALDONADO, COMPUESTA POR: ANGELICA GARCÍA CRUZ, MANUEL ALEJANDRO GARCÍA CRUZ, CARLOS MANUEL GARCÍA CRUZ, MARIBELLA GARCÍA CRUZ, JUAN IGNACIO GARCÍA CRUZ, PETER ALEXIS GARCÍA CRUZ, ABIMELEC GARCÍA CRUZ Y JACOBI GARCÍA SOLER; Y FULANITO(A) DE TAL Y SUTANITO(A) DE TAL, COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE CARLOS MANUEL GARCÍA MALDONADO; JOHN DOE Y RICHARD DOE, COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS; GLADYS MARTÍNEZ RIVERA T/C/C GLADYS ENID MARTÍNEZ RIVERA
Demandados Civil Núm.: HU2019CV01988. (208). Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA EN COBRO DE SENTENCIA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE. UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PR, SS. AVISO DE VENTA EN PÚBLICA SUBASTA. Yo, JENNISA GARCÍA MORALES, ALGUACIL REIGIONAL, Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Humacao, a la parte demandada 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 14 de noviembre de 2024, y para satisfacer la Sentencia dictada en el caso de autos fechada 30 de julio de 2024, notificada el 27 de septiembre de 2024 y publicada el 3 de octubre de 2024, procederé a vender el día 12 DE FEBRERO DE 2025, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala
Superior de Humacao, al mejor postor en pago de contado y en moneda de los Estados Unidos de América, cheque certificado y/o giro postal, todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada sobre la siguiente propiedad: URBANA: Solar marcado con el número E-5 del Plano Inscripción de la Urbanización Ciudad Cristiana, radicada en el Barrio Río Abajo del término municipal Humacao, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de doscientos cincuenta y cuatro punto cuarenta y seis metros cuadrados. Colinda por el NORTE, con el solar E-6; por el SUR, con el solar E-4; por el ESTE, con Avenida uno (1); y por el OESTE, con el solar de Juan M. Beltrán. Enclava edificación. Inscrita al Tomo Karibe de Humacao, Registro Inmobiliario Digital del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, Sección de Humacao, Finca Número 26,027. Dirección Física: Urb. Ciudad Cristiana E-5 Humacao, PR 00791. Con el importe de dicha venta se habrá de satisfacer a la parte demandante las cantidades adeudadas, o sea, la suma principal de $67,910.01 más intereses al tipo convenido y demás términos y condiciones, según la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Humacao. La PRIMERA SUBASTA se llevará a cabo el día 12 DE FEBRERO DE 2025, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en la cual el tipo mínimo será de $71,225.00. De no haber adjudicación en la primera subasta, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA, el día 19 DE FEBRERO DE 2025, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será de dos terceras (2/3) partes del tipo mínimo fijado en la primera subasta, o sea, la cantidad de $47,483.33. De no haber adjudicación en la segunda subasta, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA, el día 26 DE FEBRERO DE 2025, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será la mitad (1/2) del tipo mínimo fijado en la primera subasta, o sea, la cantidad de $35,612.50. A la propiedad no le afectan gravámenes preferentes. A la propiedad le afectan los siguientes gravámenes (a ejecutarse): Hipoteca en garantía de un pagaré a favor de RBS Mortgage Corporation, o a su orden, por la suma principal de $71,225.00, con intereses al 7% anual, vencedero el día 1 de enero de 2037, constituida mediante la escritura número 403, otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 21 de diciembre de 2006, notario René Avilés Pérez, e inscrita al tomo Karibe de Humacao, finca nú-
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 10 de enero de 2025. En Carolina, Puerto Rico, el 10 de enero de 2025. KANELLY ZAYAS ROBLES, SECRETARIA. LILLIAM ORTIZ NIEVES, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CAGUAS RAMON LUIS FERNÁNDEZ GÓMEZ
Parte Demandante Vs. CARMEN DELIA CARDONA CARTAGENA Y OTROS
Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: CG2024CV03129. Salón: 802. Sobre: USUCAPIÓN; ART. 183 LEY DEL REGISTRO DE LA PROPIEDAD INMOBILIARIA. EDICTO. EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO: A: SUCESIÓN DE ESTEBAN CARDONA COMPUESTA POR NATIVIDAD CARDONA CARTAGENA; ROSA ESTHER CARDONA CARTAGENA; MATILDE CARDONA CARTAGENA; DIONISIA CARDONA CARTAGENA; AURELIA CARDONA CARTAGENA; VIRGINIA CARDONA CARTAGENA; CARMEN DELIA CARDONA CARTAGENA; JULIA CARDONA CARTAGENA; ROSALÍA CARDONA CARTAGENA; JACINTO CARDONA CARTAGENA; EVARISTO CARDONA CARTAGENA; CRISTINA CARDONA CARTAGENA; MARGARITA CARDONA CARTAGENA; PAULINO CARDONA DELGADO; ZOGBI IBRAHIM; CARMEN LUZ ORTIZ; MARÍA VIRGINIA CARDONA PÉREZ; DIEGO ACEVEDO, FLORA
DELGADO MERCED.
Por la presente se le notifica que la parte demandante, Ramón Luis Fernández Gómez, ha presentado ante este Tribunal una demanda por la causal de usucapión contra los demandados Sucesión de Esteban Cardona compuesta por Natividad; Rosa Esther; Dionisia; Aurelia; Virginia; Carmen Delia; Julia; Rosalía; Jacinto; Evaristo; Cristina; todos de apellido Cardona Cartagena y Paulino Cardona Delgado; Zogbi Ibrahim; Carmen Luz Ortiz; María Virginia Cardona Pérez; Diego Acevedo, Flora Delgado Merced. Representa a la parte demandante el Lcdo. Héctor L. Claudio Rosario, 167 Calle Pedro Flores Urb. Monticielo, Caguas, Puerto Rico 00725; número de teléfono 787-635-1220 / Telefax: 1-267-392-3959; dirección de correo electrónico, bufetehectorclaudio@gmail.com. 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. Se le advierte que de no contestar la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de éste Edicto, radicando el original de la contestación ante el Tribunal, con copia a la parte demandante, se le anotará 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, Puerto Rico, a 7 de enero de 2025. IRASEMIS DÍAZ SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. ZAIDA AGUAYO ÁLAMO, SECRETARIA.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CAGUAS RAMON LUIS FERNÁNDEZ GÓMEZ
Parte Demandante Vs. CARMEN DELIA CARDONA CARTAGENA Y OTROS
Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: CG2024CV03129. Salón: 802. Sobre: USUCAPIÓN; ART. 183 LEY DEL REGISTRO DE LA PROPIEDAD INMOBILIARIA. EDICTO. EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO:
A: SUCESIÓN DE JACINTA CARDONA COMPUESTA POR NATIVIDAD CARDONA CARTAGENA; ROSA ESTHER CARDONA CARTAGENA; MATILDE CARDONA CARTAGENA;
DIONISIA CARDONA CARTAGENA; AURELIA CARDONA CARTAGENA; VIRGINIA CARDONA CARTAGENA; CARMEN DELIA CARDONA CARTAGENA; JULIA CARDONA CARTAGENA; ROSALÍA CARDONA CARTAGENA; JACINTO CARDONA CARTAGENA; EVARISTO CARDONA CARTAGENA; CRISTINA CARDONA CARTAGENA; MARGARITA CARDONA CARTAGENA; PAULINO CARDONA DELGADO; ZOGBI IBRAHIM; CARMEN LUZ ORTIZ; MARÍA VIRGINIA CARDONA PÉREZ; DIEGO ACEVEDO, FLORA DELGADO MERCED.
Por la presente se le notifica que la parte demandante, Ramón Luis Fernández Gómez, ha presentado ante este Tribunal una demanda por la causal de usucapión contra los demandados Sucesión de Esteban Cardona compuesta por Natividad; Rosa Esther; Dionisia; Aurelia; Virginia; Carmen Delia; Julia; Rosalía; Jacinto; Evaristo; Cristina; todos de apellido Cardona Cartagena y Paulino Cardona Delgado; Zogbi Ibrahim; Carmen Luz Ortiz; María Virginia Cardona Pérez; Diego Acevedo, Flora Delgado Merced. Representa a la parte demandante el Lcdo. Héctor L. Claudio Rosario, 167 Calle Pedro Flores Urb. Monticielo, Caguas, Puerto Rico 00725; número de teléfono 787-635-1220 / Telefax: 1-267-392-3959; dirección de correo electrónico, bufetehectorclaudio@gmail.com. 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. Se le advierte que de no contestar la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de éste Edicto, radicando el original de la contestación ante el Tribunal, con copia a la parte demandante, se le anotará 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, Puerto Rico, a 7 de enero de 2025. IRASEMIS DÍAZ SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. ZAIDA AGUAYO ÁLAMO, SECRETARIA.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU-
NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
CENTRO JUDICIAL DE SAN JUAN SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN
ORIENTAL BANK
Demandante V. JUAN GABRIEL
RIVERA MONTANEZ
Demandado(a) Caso Núm.: SJ2024CV04334. (Salón: 506 CIVIL). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO - ORDINARIO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO. JAIME RUIZ SALDAÑALEGAL@JRSLAWPR.COM. A: JUAN GABRIEL
RIVERA MONTANEZ. (Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)
EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 08 de enero de 2025, 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 10 de enero de 2025. En San Juan, Puerto Rico, el 10 de enero de 2025. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA. MARTHA ALMODÓVAR CABRERA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE SAN JUAN SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN
BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO
Demandante V. SUCESION DE PEDRO J. ORTEGA MATOS Y OTROS
Demandado(a) Caso Núm.: SJ2024CV07766. (Salón: 506 CIVIL). Sobre: CANCELACIÓN O RESTITUCIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO. REGGIE DÍAZ HERNÁNDEZRDIAZ@BDPRLAW.COM. A: PUERTO RICO FINANCIAL CORPORATION, JENNIFER ANN ORTEGA
FUENTES Y JOHN DOE COMO TENEDORES DESCONOCIDOS DEL PAGARÉ. (Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 09 de enero de 2025, 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 10 de enero de 2025. En San Juan, Puerto Rico, el 10 de enero de 2025. Griselda Rodríguez Collado, Secretaria. Martha Almodóvar Cabrera, Secretaria Auxiliar Del Tribunal.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CAGUAS ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS FUND, LLC
Demandante Vs. SAMUEL GONZALEZ VELAZQUEZ
Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: CG2024CV03250. Sala: 801. 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: SAMUEL GONZALEZ VELAZQUEZ - URB. PARQ DEL RIO A24 CALLE YAHUECA, CAGUAS PR 00727. 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:///www.
poderjudcial.pr/index.php/tribunaI-electronico, 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 a 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 cuya dirección es: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección natalie.bonaparte@ orf-law.com y a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law.com. EX-
TENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en CAGUAS, Puerto Rico, hoy día 25 de noviembre de 2024. IRASEMIS DÍAZ SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. ZAIDA AGUAYO ÁLAMO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE FAJARDO ISLAND PORTFOLIO
SERVICES, LLC COMO AGENTE DE ACE ONE FUNDING, LLC
Parte Demandante Vs. KRISTINA E. ARROYO MARTINEZ
Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: FA2024CV00716. 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: KRISTINA E. ARROYO MARTINEZURB FAJARDO GDNS 415 CALLE NOGAL, FAJARDO PR 00738.
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:/// www.poderjudicial.pr/index. php/tribunal-electronico, 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, Osvaldo L. Rodríguez Fernández cuya dirección es: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law. com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en FAJARDO, Puerto Rico, hoy día 25 de noviembre de 2024. WANDA I. SEGUÍ REYES, SECRETARIA. LYDIA E. RIVERA MIRANDA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CAROLINA ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC COMO AGENTE DE ACE ONE FUNDING, LLC
Parte Demandante Vs. ANDRES E. ZAYAS SANTA
Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: CN2024CV00153. 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: ANDRES E. ZAYAS SANTAURB VILLAS DE LOIZA AD1 CALLE 24, CANOVANAS PR 00729-4164.
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:///www. poderjudicial.pr/index.php/tribunal-electronico, 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 cuya dirección es: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección natalie. bonaparte@orf-law.com y a la dirección notificaciones@orflaw.com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribu-
nal, en CAROLINA, Puerto Rico, hoy día 25 de noviembre de 2024. LCDA. KANELLY ZAYAS ROBLES, SECRETARIA. MARICRUZ APONTE ALICEA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE HUMACAO SALA SUPERIOR DE HUMACAO
BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO
Demandante V. JOSE RAFAEL BERRIOS CACERES Y OTROS
Demandado(a)
Caso Núm.: HU2024CV01221. (Salón: 206). Sobre: CANCELACIÓN O RESTITUCIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.
DELMA LYNNETTE BERRÍOS MERCADO - DELMARLYNNETTE@ GMAIL.COM. REGGIE DÍAZ HERNÁNDEZRDIAZ@BDPRLAW.COM. A: GREAT ATLANTIC MORTGAGE CORPORATION CORP. Y JOHN DOE COMO TENEDORES DESCONOCIDOS DEL PAGARÉ A FAVOR DE GREAT ATLANTIC MORTGAGE CORPORATION / DIRECCIÓN: DESCONOCIDA. (Nombre de las partes que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 08 de enero de 2025, 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 10 de enero de 2025. En Humacao, Puerto Rico, el 10 de enero de 2025. EVELYN FÉLIX VÁZQUEZ, SECRETARIA. DALISSA REYES DE LEÓN, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.
Sudoku
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Fill in the empty fields with the numbers from 1 through 9.
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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
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Reviled
Scums
Shelved
Sighed
Simmers
Smoker
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Telling
Trapping
Tusks
Tuxedo
Indians beat Senators, lead winter league final series 2-0
By THE STAR STAFF
The Mayagüez Indians defeated the San Juan Senators 2-1 on Saturday in the second game of the Final Series of the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League at Isidoro García de la Sultana Stadium in Mayagüez.
The Tribe leads the series 2-0 as the franchise plays for its 20th winter league baseball title.
The first run of the game came in the fifth inning when Martín Maldonado homered to left field for Mayagüez.
The score stood at 1-0 until the top of the ninth, when Kennen Irizarry tied it up with a solo home run to right field.
The Indians put the game away in the bottom of the final frame when Eddie Rosario scored on an infield error.
Justin Yeaguer earned the win in relief, pitching one scoreless inning. Ralph Garza took the loss.
The series moves to San Juan today with Game 3 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium slated for 7 p.m.
Heading into tonight’s Game 3 at Hiram Bithorn in Hato Rey, the Mayagüez Indians lead the final series 2-0 as the franchise plays for its 20th winter league baseball title.
Orocovis evens up COLICEBA final
series
with comeback win
By THE STAR STAFF
The Orocovis Chiefs defeated the Juncos Mules 11-10 in the early hours of Sunday to tie the final series of the COLICEBA.
Kerby Camacho hit the decisive single in the bottom of the 11th inning off reliever Bryan Quiles. The hit came with the bases loaded, after Jay Feliciano, Luis Mateo and Ronaldo Camacho drew walks.
The Mules (Mulos) led 9-1 in the fifth inning, but Orocovis rallied to take a 10-9 lead in the seventh. In the eighth, Juncos tied the game, which went to extra innings after a scoreless ninth.
José Figueroa pitched three and twothirds scoreless innings to take the win in relief. Quiles took the loss.
Ronaldo Camacho hit two home runs with four RBIs and Nelson Molina went deep and had three RBIs for the Chiefs (Caciques).
The San Juan Daily Star
Juncos led 9-1 in the fifth inning, but Orocovis rallied to take a 10-9 lead in the seventh.
January 20, 2025 23
Answers to the Sudoku and Crossword on page 21
