Tuesday Mar 7, 2023

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.

House speaker says he’ll appeal federal judge’s ruling to nullify labor reform amendments

By THE STAR STAFF

After U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain nullified the amendments to the 2017 Labor Reform made through Law 41-2022, Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Rafael “Tatito” Hernández Montañez announced that he will appeal the determination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston.

Through his Twitter account, the House speaker shared a video where he stated that he “will go to Boston to the first circuit of appeals” to defend workers.

For his part, Sen. Juan Zaragoza Gómez, who has signaled that he plans to run for governor under the Popular Democratic Party banner, blamed Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia and Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (AAFAF) Executive Director Omar Marrero Díaz, who is also the island secretary of state, for not defending Puerto Rico’s laws and public policy before the Financial Oversight and Management Board.

Zaragoza said the AAFAF “did not submit an estimate of the fiscal cost” for which the District Court made the decision to annul several amendments to the labor reform since the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) “requires evidence to demonstrate that the law does not impact the Fiscal Plan.”

“Pierluisi and the NPP [New Progressive Party] made the pantomime of signing laws in favor of workers and other causes, and then they don’t defend them before the [oversight] Board, which annuls them,” the senator said in a written statement. “In 2019, for example, the [Financial]

Oversight [and Management] Board annulled several laws in the area of health, precisely because the NPP government did not defend them with evidence, as required by the PROMESA law.”

Likewise, Zaragoza indicated that in recent days a bill was approved that seeks to force the AAFAF to defend the laws approved by the Legislature.

Swain noted in a ruling last week that the government failed to provide a formal estimate under section 204(a) of PROMESA. She noted that such a requirement “means a complete and accurate estimate ‘covering revenue and expenditure effects of new legislation’ over the entire period of the fiscal plan.”

In the case of Act 41, the court said, “the governor has failed to show that the “formal” estimate requirement of section 204(a)(2)(A) has been satisfied.”

PDP says NPP poorly concealed their in-fighting at assembly

By THE STAR STAFF

Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary General Luis Vega Ramos on Monday described the general assembly held by the New Progressive Party (NPP) this past weekend as one in which “an attempt was made to sell fantasies of a Puerto Rico that does not exist, driving with the lights off in the stands to hide the discouragement and lack of real participation and having to deal with reports and videos of violent incidents among the followers of [Governor] Pedro Pierluisi and [Resident Commissioner] Jenniffer González.”

“Unlike our assembly in Trujillo Alto, which was held in a fully lit coliseum, we had votes for the largest expansion of representation in the governing body of any party in Puerto Rico and there was an act of unity of purpose between our leaders and our base, yesterday [Sunday] in the NPP [assembly] they turned off the lights of the stands so that they

would not be counted … they painted a picture of a Puerto Rico that does not exist and ended up fighting from the corridors and the rostrum between the sides of Pedro Pierluisi and Jenniffer González,” Vega Ramos said in a written statement. “Therein lies the true nature of the NPP concealment. Selling fantasies and fighting each other. Puerto Rico doesn’t need more of that.”

“On the one hand, Pierluisi tried -- unsuccessfully -- to sell a Puerto Rico with a successful economy and a government that is doing work, when everyone here knows that the opposite is true in both aspects,” the PDP secretary general continued. “Today, ordinary Puerto Ricans suffer the worst situation in decades in our fundamental cost of living, while reconstruction work is not seen, despite the appropriations of $75 billion in federal funds.”

“Pierluisi’s lights were off to hide his failure,” Vega Ramos added.

Sen. Juan Zaragoza Gómez

Lawmakers challenge legality of Genera ‘monopoly’ contract

By THE STAR STAFF

Reps. José Bernardo Márquez Reyes and Luis Raúl Torres Cruz announced on Monday the sending of two investigative referrals on the Genera PR contract, one to the Department of Justice’s Office of Monopolistic Affairs (OAM by its Spanish initials) and another to the Independent Office of Consumer Protection (OIPC), which is attached to the Public Service Regulatory Board.

In the referrals, the legislators request investigative action from both offices on the violations that they impute to the Genera PR LLC contract to antitrust provisions of Law 17 of 2019, known as the “Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act.”

“In the case of [transmission and distribution system operator] LUMA [Energy], much of the legislative questions and concerns had to do with the cost-benefit analysis of privatization. That is, whether or not privatization and the leonine terms of the contract were appropriate,” said Márquez, who is the minority leader of the Citizen Victory Movement in the island House of Representatives, in a written statement. “But strictly speaking, there was a recognition of PREPA’s legal

power to enter into such a contract. With Genera PR it is very different. There is a legal prohibition here stating that no more than 50 percent of generation assets can be given to a single company, but [the contract] is placing over 70% of the assets in its hands. That is a patent violation of article 1.8 (a) of Law 17 of 2019.”

He noted that specifically, Law 172019 provides that “[t]he Puerto Rico Electrical System may not be a vertically integrated monopoly.”

“Nor may a horizontal monopoly be established in the generation function. No electric utility company, by itself, through, or in conjunction with, a subsidiary or affiliate, may control fifty percent (50%) or more of the capacity of generation assets, with the exception of the Authority, and only in the case of legacy generation assets,” the law reads.

PREPA Governing Board Chairman

Fernando Gil Enseñat acknowledged in a public hearing in the lower chamber

that Genera PR would have control of 70% of the generation assets.

“Specifically, last week the Legislative Committee concluded in a report endorsed by 11 members of the committee that the Genera PR contract is null and void because it is contrary to Law 17. We will be taking additional action on other legal breaches we have identified, but this is a first step on the monopolistic nature of this contract,” said Torres Cruz, who chairs the committee that issued the report on the issue. “It is one thing to monopolize generation by particular governmental and economic visions. But it is another thing to monopolize generation at all costs, and against what the law establishes. We are convinced that both the Office of Monopolistic Affairs and the Independent Office of Consumer Protection have the ministerial duty to intervene.”

The referrals include a legal analysis of the provisions applicable to energy privatization contracts and request that the OAM and OIPC initiate formal investigations into the Genera PR LLC contract, with the purpose of initiating “all corresponding civil and criminal court actions,” including judicial challenge to the contract.

AAFAF chief in Miami to update investors on PR’s debt restructuring, economic rebuild

By THE STAR STAFF

Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (AAFAF by its Spanish initials) Executive Director

Omar J. Marrero Díaz traveled to Miami on Monday to speak about Puerto Rico’s economic reconstruction and debt restructuring to investors attending the “2023 Global High Yield and Leveraged Finance” conference organized by financial multinational J.P. Morgan.

“Governor Pedro Pierluisi’s priorities include completing the remaining debt restructurings, including the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), continuing to improve government services, prudent and effective financial management, economic development, and regaining access to capital markets to continue expediting the work,” Marrero Díaz said.

In February, Marrero Díaz gave similar presentations to representatives of the three main credit agencies -- Standard & Poor’s (S&P), Moody’s and Fitch Ratings -- in New York City. Speaking at today’s conference, which opens at 10 a.m., Marrero Díaz will also discuss progress related to public-private partnerships, particularly in the sectors of transportation and

energy, such as the recent 10-year agreement with Genera PR to operate power generation assets in Puerto Rico.

Marrero Díaz, who will return to Puerto Rico later in the day, will also provide details on the island’s debt restructuring process. Puerto Rico’s debt, excluding the debt associated with PREPA, has been reduced by 55%, which has helped strengthen the level of liquidity in the government, as well as aspects of governance and sound administration, noted the AAFAF chief, who is also the island’s secretary of state.

“Another benefit of the restructuring process is that the government has instituted stronger processes related to financial management,” Marrero Díaz said. “For example, the budget now has strict processes that all agencies follow to ensure balanced budgets and effective use of available resources. We have also established a centralized grant management unit to ensure that the government optimizes the use of federal grants.”

In addition to his presentation, Marrero Díaz will hold one-on-one meetings with investors during the conference.

“We are focused on reaching our full potential and increasing economic growth, initiated with resources for capital improvements, investments financed by federal stimulus and

reconstruction funds and complemented with the creation of competitive and regulatory conditions for the private sector to prosper,” the official said. “We will continue to carry the message of what we have achieved in recent years and the plan that we are working on to lead Puerto Rico toward the new era of prosperity it deserves.”

Rep. José Bernardo Márquez Reyes

Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority Executive Director Omar J. Marrero Díaz

UPR, AFI partner to repair 107 buildings damaged by Hurricane Maria

By THE STAR STAFF

The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and the Infrastructure Financing Authority (AFI) have signed an agreement to develop 36 reconstruction projects that address damage caused by Hurricane Maria to 107 buildings on the 11 university campuses.

The projects will be carried out through an investment of $139.6 million from Federal Emergency Management Agency and Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds.

“The reconstruction and recovery of the infrastructure of the UPR system are one of the priorities I highlighted when I assumed the university presidency,” UPR President Luis A. Ferrao Delgado said. “With the signing of this agreement, we were able to launch and accelerate this process for the good of the entire university community and the people of Puerto Rico, who treasure their university as national patrimony.”

AFI Executive Director Eduardo Rivera Cruz noted that

By JOHN McPHAUL jpmcphaul@gmail.com

Siona “Dolly” Pramoda, 14, of Guaynabo, was named a 2023 Prudential Emerging Visionary late last week for her inspiring commitment to improving the lives of others with her peer-led and experience-sharing online community that teaches young people online safety and privacy skills.

The U.S. and Caribbean “SafeTeensOnline” ambassador, Dolly and her sister Meghna “Chili” Pramoda, 15, who is the global president of “SafeTeensOnline,” oversee a network of some 20,000 teens in 40 private schools in 15 U.S. states and Puerto Rico and three continents in sharing experiences to raise awareness of online risks

“SafeTeensOnline” identifies students as high-risk based on their usage patterns, awareness and perceptions of cyber risks. Participants then take part in learning modules on online safety topics co-created with experts in the field and led by youth ambassadors, teenagers in middle and high school, in their community.

The network counts on some 1,000 educators and 2,500 parents who serve as mentors to teens.

Dolly said she got the idea for the project during the ongoing pandemic when youths were obliged to take their classes online.

“The pandemic forced us to do everything completely

“addressing the reconstruction needs of the infrastructure of the University of Puerto Rico system with agility is a task that we assume with great enthusiasm and with the utmost seriousness.”

“The magnitude of these projects supports the reconstruction work that we continue to work on for the benefit of all citizens,” he added.

The first phase of the reconstruction work covered by the agreement is to be under the auspices of the Disaster Recovery Office of the UPR and AFI. The 36 projects must be completed within three years after the signing of the agreement. Some of the projects include the Natural Sciences buildings at the UPR in Humacao, the Ángel Espada gymnasium at the Mayagüez University Campus (RUM) and the Adelina Coppin Alvarado Library at the UPR in Ponce.

Ferrao pointed out that the UPR is developing other essential projects for the university community. Among them, the ResiCampus and Torre Norte student residences and the new Communications and Information Department on the Río Piedras campus stood out. In addition, the construction of new facilities at the Primate Center in Cayo Santiago and the remodeling of the chemistry and biology buildings at the RUM Campus, among other projects, are also in progress.

online and make changes in the way we were doing things so it occurred to me that there was a danger to people’s personal data and the idea arose of the website (SafeTeensOnline.org), where teens could be educated,” she said. “I wanted to create a safe place where people could share experiences and learn about protecting themselves.”

With the help of her mentor, Baldwin School teacher Zacha Ortiz, the articulate ninth grader developed a curriculum to educate teens on the risks of online presence.

“The curriculum starts with basics of cyber safety -- identification of risks: privacy, introduction to the idea that your information is a commodity, raising awareness around cyberbullying. We then go into small actionable steps -- the how-tos of setting up your home network securely, when and where it is okay to log into private accounts versus not, etc.,” said Dolly, who also plays violin in San Juan’s municipal orchestra. “And our curriculum proceeds to digital citizenship, and culminates in becoming a cyber security career-ready individual to address the skills gap (3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. alone by 2035).”

As one of 25 Prudential Emerging Visionary winners, Dolly will receive a $5,000 award to help take her innovation to the next level.

She is also invited to attend an all-expenses-paid trip with her parent or guardian to Prudential’s Newark, New Jersey headquarters for a three-day summit in April where she will receive coaching, skills development and networking opportunities with Prudential employees and other young leaders.

“It’s pretty incredible,” Dolly said of the prize. “It will give me the opportunity to share experiences with other people. It will also help me improve on the idea.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries recognizes young people ages 14-18 whose fresh perspectives and innovative solutions address pressing financial and societal challenges in their communities, the company said in a press release

“The goals of our Emerging Visionaries program reflect Prudential’s overarching purpose: to make lives better by solving the financial challenges of our changing world,” Prudential

Financial Chairman and CEO Charles Lowrey said. “We applaud all of our honorees for their commitment to improving the lives of others and creating inclusive and thriving communities.”

Emerging Visionaries is a collaboration between Prudential Financial and Ashoka, a leading social impact organization, with support from the Financial Health Network, an authority on financial health and a longtime partner of The Prudential Foundation.

During the summit, to be held April 22-25, 2023, five winners will also have the opportunity to present their solutions in a pitch-off, where a grand prize winner will be awarded an additional $10,000 in funding. What’s more, Prudential employees will again vote to name an Employees’ Choice Award winner, who will receive an additional $5,000.

The program is an evolution of Prudential’s Spirit of Community Awards, which, over 26 years, has honored more than 150,000 outstanding youth volunteers.

More on Dolly Pramoda and the rest of this year’s Prudential Emerging Visionaries, can be found at prudential.com/ emergingvisionaries.

Guaynabo youth named ‘Emerging Visionary’ for online safety network for teens

University of Puerto Rico President Luis A. Ferrao Delgado

Siona “Dolly” Pramoda

With 100 homicides recorded this year to date, mayors call for joint plan with central gov’t

By THE STAR STAFF

The sobering figure of 100 homicides so far in 2023 has put the members of the Puerto Rico Mayors Association on alert, and on Monday the organization that groups Popular Democratic Party mayors called on Gov. Pedro Pierlusi Urrutia to address the lack of effectiveness of the Public Safety Bureau’s anti-crime plan and reiterated the willingness of the mayors to be part of the solution. “The rise in crime is all over Puerto Rico and not just in metropolitan areas,” said Mayors Association President Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz. “In recent weeks there has been an increase in violent incidents that claim lives, and not only those involved in criminal activity, but reach innocents. What we are seeing at the moment is that the state government has been moving resources to the area where the incidents are recorded, but then they withdraw without anyone seeing a comprehensive plan to guarantee the safety of citizens.”

Hernández Ortiz, who is the mayor of Villalba, said the best example of the strategy of the central government not being effective “is in view of all, every day shootings in broad daylight, murders, assaults, robberies and ‘carjackings’ are more frequent.”

“Mayors cannot assume the responsibility that corresponds to the state government, which is to guarantee

the safety of citizens, the solving of cases and the implementation of measures for the prevention of crimes,” he

said. “Of course we can cooperate, but our call to the governor is for planned and strategic action.”

Hernández Ortiz pointed out that one alternative is to pass House Bill 1618, proposed by Reps. Orlando Aponte Rosario and Juan José Santiago Nieves, to establish the “Fund to Cover Public Safety Services in the Municipalities” and which would amend Law 20-2017 of the Department of Public Safety in order to identify resources for higher salaries for municipal police officers and other increases to the base salary, which currently averages $1,400 a month.

“In less than 10 years, the state police force has been reduced by more than 50% and it is the municipal police forces that are called on to respond, despite the fact that they have very limited resources,” the Mayors Association leader said.

Meanwhile, Arecibo Mayor Carlos “Tito” Ramírez Irizarry said he expects the Department of Public Safety to share its plans to handle the crime problem in greater detail and with more frequency.

“We mayors are constantly in the communities and we have first-hand information generated by our municipal police,” he said. “From my point of view, additional action is required beyond what is being done now. I reiterate that all mayors, without exception, are available to be part of the solution. Interagency coordination is key in this process.”

Arecibo identifying owners willing to rent property under government housing program

By THE STAR STAFF

Arecibo Mayor Carlos “Tito” Ramírez Irizarry announced Monday that the Municipal Housing Department’s Plan 8 Rental Program is identifying owners of rental properties in order to detail information related to the economic incentives available to be part of the program.

The housing choice voucher program known as Plan 8 provides assistance to very low-income families to afford safe and hygienic housing, following strict parameters. Housing can be a single-family house or apartment, and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects. Housing choice vouchers are administered locally by the island Housing Depart-

ment or the Municipality of Arecibo, as in this case.

“A family receiving a housing voucher is responsible for finding and choosing a suitable housing unit that the landlord agrees to rent under the program,” Ramírez Irizarry said. “The program will pay a housing subsidy directly to the landlord on behalf of the participating family. At the moment the demand for housing is high and the offers do not cover all the needs, and that is why we are actively identifying owners of empty properties to be part of the municipal inventory.”

Property owners who are interested in being part of the program should contact the Arecibo Municipal Housing Department at 787 699-8550 during business hours for information and to schedule an appointment.

Puerto Rico Mayors Association President and Villalba Mayor Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz, foreground, speaks while Salinas Mayor Karilyn Bonilla Colón and Cayey Mayor Rolando Ortiz Velázquez look on.

Arecibo Mayor Carlos Ramírez Irizarry

In Florida legislative session, a chance for DeSantis to check off his wish list

By PATRICIA MAZZEI

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has made it his political mission to, as he likes to say, put points on the board.

He is about to run up the score.

Since his landslide reelection victory, the emboldened Republican governor has proposed or endorsed policy after policy that has enthralled his supporters and alarmed his detractors: Allow Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a permit or training. Ban diversity and equity programs at public universities. Expand school vouchers. Allow a death sentence without a unanimous jury. Make it easier to sue the news media. Further restrict abortion.

Most — and perhaps all — of DeSantis’ wishes will likely soon be granted by the Republican-held state Legislature, giving him a broader platform from which to launch a widely expected 2024 presidential campaign. Before the annual session, scheduled to begin Tuesday and last 60 days, Republican lawmakers have given every indication that they will be guided by whatever the governor wants.

“We’re going to get his agenda across the finish line,” Kathleen Passidomo, the Republican Senate president, said last month.

DeSantis has not been shy about using his power; last year he redrew congressional districts to give Republicans an even bigger advantage in the state. And his approach of picking high-profile fights has turned Florida into a frenzied culture-war battleground, where even political insiders struggle to keep up with the dizzying array of sweeping policy developments.

DeSantis already called lawmakers into a special session in February to address problems with laws they had previously passed at his behest — chiefly a 2022 budget provision that allowed him to spend $12 million to transport unauthorized migrants out of Florida. Instead, the DeSantis administration flew 48 Venezuelan migrants from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts last September, prompting a lawsuit.

During the special session, lawmakers repealed that language, allowing the DeSantis administration to transport migrants from anywhere in the United States. DeSantis has requested another $12 million for the contentious program, which fits neatly with his frequent criticism of the Biden administration for allowing certain categories of unauthorized migrants into the country to await asylum hearings.

He has also requested $31 million and 27 new positions for the state’s Office of Election Crimes and Security, which he created last year to investigate election fraud. DeSantis announced 20 arrests by the office in August, but

shortly thereafter, judges dropped charges against several of the defendants.

To give DeSantis a leg up in court, lawmakers gave statewide prosecutors — who, unlike local ones, work for the state attorney general, a Republican ally of DeSantis — the explicit authority to bring forward voting-related crimes.

Criticism of DeSantis has been fierce, with civil rights leaders demonstrating against actions they see as divisive and rooted in racism, students protesting what they consider political meddling in their education, and even some Republican lawmakers privately objecting to being stifled by the governor’s consolidation of power.

Democrats have characterized DeSantis’ priorities as solutions in search of problems, intended to impress the national Republican base — while issues they describe as more genuinely pressing, such as the increasingly unaffordable cost of living in Florida, get short shrift.

“It’s all electoral politics, and it’s all about the Republicans leading the state and who they are and who they have become,” said state Sen. Shevrin D. Jones, D-Miami Gardens, who is the first openly gay man to serve in the chamber and its first LGBTQ Black member.

But the opposition to DeSantis has not been very effective. With little Democratic organization, spending or turnout, the governor won by a resounding 19 percentage points in November, ushering in Republican supermajorities in the state House of Representatives and state Senate that were in part built off DeSantis’ endorsements, fundraising and campaigning.

Tending to the legislative session buys DeSantis time to test the waters before announcing a run for president —

which, if it happens, is not likely until perhaps May or June. Still, he has recently fueled speculation by crisscrossing the country to give campaign-style speeches and planning stops in the early presidential primary states of Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire.

Last week, he published his second book, titled “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Survival.” Public opinion polls suggest that Republican primary voters are divided in their support between DeSantis and former President Donald Trump.

At a book tour stop near Miami on Wednesday, DeSantis mentioned some of his high-profile proposals that will be debated in the upcoming session, including some to address the increasing cost of living in the state, such as one that would create a permanent tax break on diapers and other baby supplies and a one-year tax exemption on pet food. The mention of that bill drew an approving “aww” from the crowd.

“We have an opportunity to tackle more issues in a short period of time than even we were able to do in any of our four years so far,” DeSantis said. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Emerging from the session in May with a slew of new laws to promote to his Republican base will undoubtedly help a DeSantis presidential campaign, should it come.

David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from the Tampa area, said DeSantis’ legislative goals may pose “zero risk” for him in a presidential primary but could prove to be a tougher sell to more moderate voters in a general election.

“There’s always a disconnect between primaries and generals for both parties, but recent lessons from the last three cycles suggest that Republicans can go too far,” said Jolly, who is now registered without party affiliation.

Not all legislation has been filed yet, and more contentious proposals may come, as they often do, later in the session, giving legislative leaders more time to iron out thorny details — and leaving less time to debate them.

DeSantis, who signed a law last year banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy — down from 24 weeks, although not as strict as what many conservatives states have passed — has said he would sign further “pro-life” legislation.

But he has not specified which additional abortion restrictions he would support, reflecting the political tightrope he has to walk on the issue, given that abortion restrictions are not that popular in Florida — even if they appeal widely to his base. Anti-abortion groups are pressing him and lawmakers to pass either a full abortion ban or prohibit the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy.

Republican legislative leaders have said an abortion bill is in the works.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s policy wishes will likely soon be granted by the Florida Legislature, giving him a broader platform from which to launch a widely expected 2024 presidential campaign.

Biden, in Selma, says voting rights are still ‘under assault’

By KATIE ROGERS

President Joe Biden told a crowd gathered to commemorate the 58th anniversary of a brutal police attack on Black protesters that the right to vote was “under assault” as Republicans introduce laws to restrict ballot access and redraw voting districts.

Observing the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, an event that electrified the civil rights movement, Biden said the marchers who crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965, had bucked the “forces of hate” and encouraged activism that led to the signing of the Voting Rights Act five months later.

“They forced the country to confront hard truths,” Biden said, “and to act to keep the promise of America alive.”

Biden’s trip to Selma, the first he has made as president, came amid expectations that he would soon announce another bid for the presidency, a candidacy that will require the support of Black voters who were decisive in helping him win a first term. Recent polling has shown that a majority of Black voters believe Biden should run again in 2024, and in Selma, marchers shouted “We love Joe” and “Bring it home” as he spoke.

Still, in a crowd of gospel singers, civil rights leaders, local politicians and residents of Selma, many of whom were old enough to remember the original march, several attendees said they were hurt by rising inflation. They also expressed frustration with the administration’s progress on voting rights and concern that Republicans would move to cut into entitlement programs, including Social Security, to balance the federal budget.

Mary Hall McGuire, 80, whose father, David Hall, offered the use of his farmland to civil rights protesters traveling from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, said she was worried about the rising cost of living and the strain it puts on the $1,600 income she receives each month from Social Security benefits.

Hall McGuire still lives on her father’s land with her husband, Johnny McGuire, who noted that residents of Selma had been devastated by a tornado that hit the town Jan. 12. Biden had authorized an increase in federal funding to help clean up the area, but

the couple said that the town had long been economically depressed and was brought to a limp after the storm.

“It’s moving slowly,” McGuire said. “People are suffering after that tornado.”

During his remarks, Biden took aim at efforts by Republican politicians — most notably Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is pondering running for president in 2024 — to restrict how race-related issues are taught.

“We can’t just choose what we want to know and what we should know,” Biden said. “We should learn everything. The good, the bad, the truth, who we are as a nation. Everyone should know the truth of Selma.”

Biden also called out redistricting in Alabama, where activists have said votes of the state’s Black residents have been diluted.

“As I come here in commemoration, not for show, Selma is a reckoning,” Biden said. “The right to vote, the right to vote, to have your vote counted, is the threshold of democracy and liberty. With it, anything’s possible. Without it, without that right, nothing is possible.”

While in office, Biden has pushed for two pieces of voting rights legislation, including a bill named for Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon and Georgia Democrat who was among the demonstrators beaten while trying to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday.

The bill named for Lewis, who died in 2020, would have restored a key piece of the landmark Voting Rights Act. The provision relied on a formula to identify states with a history of discrimination and require that those jurisdictions clear any changes to their voting processes with the federal government. Those protections were stripped away by the Supreme Court in 2013.

But the bill, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, failed in a Democraticcontrolled Congress, and it has little chance of passing now that the House has flipped to Republican control. The For the People Act, an overhaul of federal election laws, also failed.

Biden delivered a fiery speech in 2021 warning that Republican-led efforts to restrict voting across the country constituted the “most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War.” But in recent months, the tone of Biden’s

impassioned speeches has changed. Now, when he speaks on the issue, his remarks have given way to something close to public acknowledgment that the fight for voting rights might go longer than he initially promised.

“Look, I get accused of being an inveterate optimist,” Biden said in a speech in January at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Martin Luther King Jr. often preached. “Progress is never easy, but redeeming the soul of the country is absolutely essential.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton, a confidant of Biden’s who joined him in Selma on Sunday, said he and other civil rights leaders had hoped that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who had asked to take the lead on voting rights, would have “pushed more” for the voting rights bills. But he said the president had assured him that the Biden administration would do more to bring awareness to the issue.

“This puts the public on notice that we still don’t have a voting rights

bill, and we’re still marching across a bridge named for a Ku Klux Klan member, where John Lewis spilled blood,” Sharpton said, referring to Pettus, who was an Alabama senator.

During a march to the halfway point of the bridge, Biden linked arms with Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., a longtime Biden supporter. As the cluster of marchers walked, Biden looked over and spoke to Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was being pushed in a wheelchair.

Biden and his fellow marchers climbed to the part of the bridge where, 58 years ago, peaceful protesters were beaten with nightsticks and tear-gassed by a group of white police officers. Biden stopped to listen as the group prayed for him but also reminded him that without “Selma’s shoulders,” there would not be a Biden presidency.

Biden said “Amen” and then walked to his presidential limousine, giving the marchers a thumbs-up before climbing into the Beast and leaving them on the bridge.

On the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, a violent attack on Black civil rights marchers by police officers in Selma, Ala., President Biden said that the right to vote “remains under assault.”

A second Norfolk Southern train derails in Ohio

By EDUARDO MEDINA and CLAIRE FAHY

The wreckage from a Norfolk Southern train derailment Saturday in Ohio — the second such crash in the state in just over a month — was cleaned up by Sunday afternoon as investigators set to determine what led 28 cars to leave the tracks.

No hazardous materials were involved in the derailment, which happened around 5 p.m. local time near Springfield, Ohio, about 80 miles northeast of Cincinnati, officials said.

The train of 212 cars was traveling from Bellevue, Ohio, to Birmingham, Alabama, and was operated by Norfolk Southern, the same rail company that has faced scrutiny after a devastating train derailment last month in East Palestine, Ohio.

That derailment led to concerns over air and water quality after a controlled burn of toxic chemicals that authorities believed posed the risk of an explosion. The crash Saturday renewed concerns about rail safety and about Norfolk Southern’s performance.

“This truly is outrageous,” Mike Turner, a Republican congressman from Ohio, said on “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “Luckily, it seems we may have missed a bullet in this one.”

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said on “This Week” on Sunday that the train that derailed Saturday was at least 50 cars longer than the train that derailed in East Palestine.

“The railroad’s got a lot of questions they’ve got to answer and they really haven’t really done it very well yet,” he said.

County and state health and environmental officials at a news conference Sunday said the derailment near Springfield posed no risk to the public. Officials had issued a precautionary shelter-in-place order for residents

within 1,000 feet of the crash site, which was lifted early Sunday.

Charles Patterson, the health commissioner of the Clark County Combined Health District, said there had been “multiple sweeps by multiple teams” to rule out the presence of chemicals in the soil, air and water. Anne Vogel, director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, said no chemicals or hazardous materials were released.

Kraig Barner, a general manager for Norfolk Southern, said Sunday that 28 cars of the train had derailed. The company previously reported that 20 cars had derailed. He said the two crew members on board were uninjured.

Barner said the train had four tankers that carried nonhazardous materials. Two had residual amounts of diesel exhaust fluid, and the others had residual amounts of polyacrylamide water solution. One hopper carrying nontoxic plastic pellets derailed, spilling some of them.

The rest of the train included a couple of liquid propane and ethanol tankers and cars with mixed freight, steel and finished automobiles, which did not overturn, Barner said, adding that many of the cars that derailed were empty box cars.

Nearly 50 residents were still without power Sunday evening after the derailment took down power lines. The last train car was cleared from the crash site at 3 p.m. Sunday, Barner said, and Norfolk Southern estimated that another 12 hours of track work remained.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known and officials said the Federal Railroad Administration will investigate. Representatives from the administration could not be reached Sunday.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Sunday night said it would also be

investigating and that it would have a team at the site by Monday.

Shawn Heaton was running errands Saturday when the gates came down at a railroad crossing. He was scrolling through his phone as he waited for the train to pass when suddenly a loud bang startled him, he said.

Heaton looked up to see metal and rocks flying as train cars began jumping off the tracks.

“It wasn’t really registering, and then I saw the cars actually going sideways,” he said. “I thought, I better get out of here because this could go really, really bad, really fast.”

Heaton described the area where the train derailed as near a crossing among gravel pits, a pond and the Clark County Fairgrounds. He said the hazardous materials involved in the derailment in East Palestine, which is more than 200 miles northeast of Springfield, immediately came to mind when he left the crash site Saturday.

“Once I got back home, the first thing I did was get on my phone and check wind direction and all that stuff to make sure we were upwind,” Heaton said. “It’s just crazy, the things that can go through your mind.”

Passenger of business jet is killed in ‘severe turbulence’

By LIVIA ALBECK-RIPKA

Apassenger of a business jet was killed when the plane, which was traveling from Keene, New Hampshire, to Leesburg, Virginia, encountered “severe turbulence” Friday, officials said.

The aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 300, was carrying two crew members and three passengers and was forced to land in Windsor Locks, a town about 14 miles north of Hartford, Connecticut, the National Trans-

portation Safety Board said in a statement.

Officials have not identified the passenger who died. That person had been taken from the airport to a nearby hospital, the Connecticut State Police said.

The NTSB said investigators were interviewing the crew, operator and passengers and had removed the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorders from the plane, which had been secured at the Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks.

Sarah Sulick, a spokesperson for the

NTSB, said it could not release further information about the nature of the turbulence, the passenger who was killed or any related injuries, as the investigation remained ongoing.

The death follows a similar incident last week in which seven passengers of a Lufthansa flight traveling from Texas to Frankfurt were hospitalized with injuries after their plane encountered extreme turbulence. In December, 36 people were injured during turbulence on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu.

Although accidents on aircraft carrying passengers or cargo are uncommon, turbulence accounted for more than one-third of such aircraft accidents from 2009-18, according to a report from the NTSB. Most of those accidents resulted in one or more serious injuries but no aircraft damage, the agency said in the report.

There have been 146 passengers and crew seriously injured by turbulence from 2009-21, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Officials in Clark County, Ohio, asked nearby residents to shelter in place. Unlike in East Palestine, no hazardous materials were involved in the derailment.

Did Ocasio-Cortez intend to pay for her Met Gala dress?

By SHARON OTTERMAN

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., made international headlines when she wore a white gown scrawled with the words “Tax the Rich” to the star-studded Met Gala in New York in September 2021. But now, congressional investigators have found “substantial reason to believe” that she might have violated House ethics rules and perhaps federal law by accepting gifts associated with the event.

At issue are the payments for the rental of the dress, jewelry, shoes and bag she wore to the event, as well as the costs of her makeup, hair, transportation and about $5,000 for a share of rooms at the Carlyle Hotel, where she prepared for the gala.

Her campaign did eventually pay for all the costs from her personal accounts, as required by law. But it did so only after the House Ethics Committee began an inquiry into the issue in March 2022, an investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics found.

“It appears several thousands of dollars’ worth of services may have remained unpaid” had it not been for the ethics office beginning its review, the office found.

The House Ethics Committee disclosed last week that it decided in December to extend its review of the matter. An 18-page report, as well as some 300 pages of transcripts and other evidence, was made public on March 2.

Ethics rules prevent members of Congress from accepting gifts such as “a gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary value.”

They are permitted to attend charity events, but only if invited by the organization hosting the event. Ocasio-Cortez and her partner, Riley Roberts, were originally invited to the $35,000-per-ticket event as guests of Vogue, and not by the Metropolitan Museum of Art itself, the review found. But because Vogue, and its long-time editorial director, Anna Wintour, are deeply involved in organizing the event, the investigators found the invitation permissible.

“The committee notes that the mere fact of conducting further review of a referral, and any mandatory disclosure of such further review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred,” the Ethics Committee’s bipartisan leadership wrote in a statement.

David

Mitrani, counsel for Oca-

sio-Cortez, responded that the Office for Congressional Ethics had not found an ethics violation, only delays in paying vendors for the costs.

“The congresswoman finds these delays unacceptable, and she has taken several steps to ensure nothing of this nature will ever happen again,” he wro -

te in a letter to the committee. “However, while regrettable, this matter definitively does not rise to the level of a violation of House Rules or of federal law.”

He added: “There is no evidence that she ever intended to avoid these expenses.”

After the September gala, several vendors, including those who did Ocasio-Cortez’s hair and makeup, tried repeatedly to follow up with her staff for payment. However, the congresswoman said in testimony that she did not know about the delays and that she always intended to pay.

Condé Nast staffers helped arrange for the congresswoman to have her hair done by a stylist, which led to a $478 bill, and a makeup bill for $345, according to congressional ethics investigators. The custom dress, shoes, handbag and jewelry were provided as rentals from designer Aurora James, and initially led to a bill for about $2,300, but that was revised later to about $990.

Aurora James, and her company, Brother Vellies, identified $5,580 in additional unpaid goods and services once they were contacted by congressional investigators, which included transportation to and from the gala, the congresswoman’s share of room charges at the Carlyle, and about $400 for shoes and a bow tie for Roberts. Ocasio-Cortez then paid this bill.

“It just really seems that there was a ball that was dropped,” she told investigators. “It is just a deeply regrettable situation. I feel terrible for especially the small businesses that were impacted.”

Cortez set the internet aflame with her decision to wear the distinctive dress, with some progressive thinkers wondering if she was mocking them by wearing a leftist slogan to an elite event, and some conservatives pointing to the dress as a sign of hypocrisy. She defended it as a way to publicize a message she believed in.

James, Brother Vellies and Janna Pea, a publicist for Brother Vellies, declined to cooperate with House investigators. The Office for Congressional Ethics has recommended that they be subpoenaed as the review continues.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), center, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala in New York, Sept. 13, 2021. An investigation found that Ocasio-Cortez might have broken House ethics rules by delaying paying for her gala expenses.

‘Excuse after excuse’: Black and Latino developers face barriers to success

By COLETTE COLEMAN

Out of roughly 112,000 real estate development companies in the United States, about 111,000 of them are white owned. Those numbers are bad, but at the top of the market, they’re even worse: Of 383 top-tier developers that generate more than $50 million in revenue annually, one is Latino; none is Black, according to a new report.

Economists, social-impact strategists, and social entrepreneurs spent the last year studying the for-profit real estate development industry, trying to understand the stark representation crisis. Their report focuses on Black and Latino developers, because the theme of these groups’ lack of access to capital emerged in preceding qualitative research. They hope to look closer at other underrepresented developer groups, like women and Asian Americans, in the future, one of the report’s authors said.

The dearth of diversity at the top matters because that’s where developers can have the most impact on communities and drive the most economic growth. The lack of representation begins with lack of capital, as Black and Latino people hoping to break into real estate development often can’t even access the seed money to get started.

“A lot of times, developers, myself included, start out raising money from friends and family,” said Cecily King, 35, a structural engineer turned developer based in New Jersey and Detroit, who founded Kipling Development, which focuses on multifamily residential properties across income levels. “In order to raise money from friends and family, you have to have friends and family that have money and knowledge of investing and a desire to invest in real estate.”

A racial wealth gap means that many aspiring Black and Latino developers don’t have such investment-savvy friends and family with discretionary dollars: The median net worth for white families is $188,200, compared with $24,100 for Black families, and $36,200 for Latino families. Nearly three-quarters of white families own a home, but fewer than half of Black and Latino families do.

“Most people in our community don’t have an uncle or a friend that could bring that to the table up front,” said A. Donahue Baker, 50, a developer based in central New Jersey. “So that automatically reduces the number of minority applicants available.”

Victor MacFarlane’s eponymous company is currently codeveloping the proposed $1.6 billion Angels Landing, a high-rise, residential, commercial, hotel and retail development in downtown Los Angeles. MacFarlane, 71, began his real estate career more than 40 years ago at Aetna Life & Casualty Co. Holding a law degree and master’s degree in business, he initially funded his first development project in the 1980s, a 208-unit market-rate apartment community in Denver, with all of his savings from a commission-based job with a real estate syndicator, creative bond financing for the equity, and a construction loan from a savings and loan. He went on to found MacFarlane Partners in 1987.

He’s now one of the most successful developers in the country, known by name from city to city. With his decades of experience in the industry, MacFarlane is troubled that lack of capital remains a barrier for would-be developers. “I happen to know for a fact that there are a lot that are trying but aren’t being successful,” he said. “A lot of that is around capital and inaccessibility of capital.”

Don Peebles, 63, another top developer with decades of experience, whose Peebles Corp. is codeveloping Angels Landing with MacFarlane Partners, points to stark numbers.

“There is $82 trillion currently invested in venture capital and private equity,” he said. “Of that $82 trillion, less than 1.3% of that money is invested in firms run, owned or founded by women and people of color combined. So that means 98.7% of all venture capital and private equity goes to white men.”

When Peebles set out to start a fund for women and minority developers in 2020 and 2021, he had trouble finding investors. “They kept coming up with excuse after excuse because no one really wants to make a change,” he said.

“We’d get some good lip service, but then they would say it’s too risky to back minority developers.” Ultimately, Peebles gave up on the fund.

Twice as Good

The small group of Black and Latino developers who manage to pierce the ceiling at the top of the market often outperform their white counterparts in terms of typical transaction size, the study found. And on the lower end — developers that make up to $350,000 annually in revenue — Black and Latino developers also surpass their white peers in terms of average revenue.

These achievements counter a narrative that the lack of

representation in the industry can be attributed to an inability to develop projects successfully, said Laura Maher, head of external engagement at the Siegel Family Endowment, which funded the report that was written by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), an organization focused on using research to propel “inclusive economic prosperity,” and Grove Impact, a social-impact consulting group.

The report’s researchers “anticipated that argument, they looked into it, and they debunked it,” Maher said.

But Howard Wial, one of the report’s authors, said the success of some Black and Latino developers could also reflect the unfairness of an industry that sets a higher bar for the developers of color to even compete. Given Black and Latino developers’ barriers to access capital, “they may need to work harder to get that access,” he said. “I think overall it is a positive sign but, I would add just one possible cautionary note that small developers, small Black and Hispanic developers, may need to be better than their white counterparts just to be in the industry. And that may partially account for this finding.”

Baker said he believes minority developers’ projects, financials, and credentials may have to be twice as good to get traction. “Those deals that the minority developers get, I believe, are vetted a lot more than nonminority deals,” he said. “So just under that premise, if you vet those deals a little more, what you have is a stronger project. You have a project that’s going to be more profitable, a project that potentially will breeze through whatever zoning or any municipal hurdles that may exist.”

Continues on page 12

A vacant school that Derrick Tillman, a Black developer, plans to develop in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Feb. 27, 2023.

From page 11

A certified public accountant, Baker became a developer after seeing the power of real estate in his high-net-worth clients’ portfolios. With experience completing more than 30 affordable housing developments, including the Allen Young Apartments, a 107-unit project in Plainfield, New Jersey, and current work developing one of the first Passive Houses in the state, Baker has seen how developers of color get stuck.

To get funding for a project from a lending institution, not only does a developer need to bring at least 20% to 30% equity, they have to show they have experience with such projects. Since a lot of Black and Latino developers don’t have large-development experience, they cannot get the financial backing — or the experience.

Oscar Sol, 44, co-founder of Green Mills Group, a Florida-focused development company, which built the $18 million 119-unit Forest Ridge community in Hernando, Florida, said that it took him a decade working for a large developer to master the “unique financing tool for affordable housing.”

Sol was lucky to get that training. It’s common for developers to only need small staffs, so “the opportunity to get in with a developer, unless they are massive, it’s not really there that much,” said Edmundo Gonzalez, 52, a developer in Jacksonville, Florida, who recently completed Villa Callisa, an 11-unit, luxury, waterfront town home community in St. Augustine, Florida. This leaves many aspiring developers taking circuitous routes to enter the industry, often parlaying their knowledge and relationships from adjacent fields. Gonzalez has seen engineering, architecture, and construction be “great places to learn the business from the periphery” and “get your feet wet.” “If you are entrepreneurial and business minded in nature, and you want to make money, development is honestly where you go in all those fields,” he said. This path leads to fewer Black and Latino developers, because architecture and engineering also have very low representation.

For Gonzalez, the best way to get his foot in the development door was through a master’s program in real estate development at Columbia University. In his class of about 40 or 50, he recalls there being four Latino students and no Black ones.

‘A Better Way’

Affordable housing is often the path Black and Latino developers have to take to break into the industry because it requires less capital to get started. But its potential profits are limited, and experience in affordable housing doesn’t necessarily translate to the minimum qualifications that a lending institution will require for more lucrative projects.

Just as homes in Black and Latino neighborhoods appraise for less, so too do developers’ projects in such areas. A development in Newark, New Jersey, may be valued at half as much as in a predominantly white area 30 miles away, Baker said. “That’s significant because the costs are the same,” he said. This can “greatly affect the overall profitability of a project.”

Still, many Black and Latino developers are eager to build and shape communities where the residents look like them, sometimes even the communities they come from.

Derrick Tillman, 42, grew up in Pittsburgh in Section 8 housing that he described as “substandard.” He recalls his mother and younger brothers being displaced when a new

owner came in and doubled the rent. And the same thing happened to him in his first apartment.

“Just seeing developers kind of come into our community and not really respect or honor those that were there, I knew there was a better way,” he said.

In 2006, Tillman co-founded Bridging the Gap Development, which focuses on equitable community real estate development, like his company’s 36-unit Miller Street Apartments, an affordable housing project in the Hill District, a predominantly Black neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

In Reading, Pennsylvania, one of the country’s poorest cities, Juan Zabala, 34, an emerging developer, rehabilitated a mixed-use property that now has a Black-owned nail tech business on the commercial level and two housing units above that each rents below $1,000 a month. Pre-pandemic, the site hosted an incubator Zabala created for small businesses, rap clubs for young people, community discussion nights and job training.

When Zabala decided to buy the property, he had trouble getting a loan to purchase and rehab it. Pedro Peguero, 61, of Long Island, New York, the then-owner who had bought the property as an investment in 2005, took a “leap of faith” with Zabala and helped him to finance the purchase, using creative financing, taking out a loan himself for the balance that Zabala’s lenders wouldn’t cover, and having Zabala pay him.

“We’re from the same area, same Dominican Republic, same struggles. He had almost like the same story. He looked like a young me at the time,” Peguero said, explaining why he was willing to take a chance on Zabala. “I’m like, wow, this guy’s really a go-getter, so why not?”

Black and Latino developers are more likely to understand and address the needs of their communities, and they’re more likely to drive economic growth within them, according to the report. The study pointed to research that “Blackand Hispanic-owned businesses are more likely to hire Black and Hispanic employees than are white-owned businesses” and concludes that having more diverse developers would

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lead to more diversity in the “broader real estate industry.”

‘Level the Playing Field’

Many Black and Latino developers have been seeking out friendly locales, places like Newark, that welcome minority developers. Baker said he “can level the playing field” when bidding for projects in such areas, because developers of color often understand the Black and Latino communities where they’re hoping to build, and their proposals show it. For example, in a large apartment building project, Baker thought to add a community center where children can play basketball and hang out. “It’s not just putting up houses,” he said.

To alter the demographics of developers, and ultimately who gets to mold cities and communities, a few welcoming municipalities won’t cut it.

As an immediate next step to address the gaps in developer representation, the report’s authors built a directory that provides an easy way to find Black- and Latino-owned development companies around the country. It also offers a map feature that shows how different parts of the country compare in their developer representation.

That’s a start, and the report itself is a major step toward some progress, said Katy Knight, president and executive director of the Siegel Family Endowment. It’s hard to gather data on real estate developers, so this area has been understudied, and the report’s findings are the first to define the problems concretely, so that policy, institutions, and philanthropists can start to address them, she said.

Knight said the report provides “hard data for the people who are only moved by those sort of numbers.”

The report’s authors looked for local and national solutions, suggesting that the Community Reinvestment Act, a 1977 law that aimed to thwart redlining and ensure that banks are meeting credit needs across their communities, be updated so that there’s more transparency around the racial and ethnic breakdown of those who are applying for business loans and receiving them.

To get more capital directly into Black and Latino developers’ hands, lending institutions could adjust their minimum qualifications. Wial suggests that banks not rely as heavily on credit scores and instead expand to looking at other indicators of creditworthiness. And MacFarlane recommends considering lowering capital requirements and assessing an applicant’s talent rather than just their organization’s experience.

Some Black and Latino developers use joint ventures with other, often white, developers as a way around the minimum-qualifications barrier. They collaborate with developers with more experience and capital to get in on larger projects. The structure can work to get a foot in the door, but isn’t always ideal, as majority developers sometimes exploit the Black and Latino developers who they know need them. Tillman said that he has seen cases where Black developers are doing most or all of the work but having to give up a disproportionate share of the developer fee. They have little leverage to negotiate for more.

Without changes to who can get capital, and transparency around who’s getting it, developer demographics will likely stay the same, the report warned.

Major structural shifts are necessary, developers and researchers said.

“The system,” Tillman said, “wasn’t designed for us in the first place.”

A. Donahue Baker, a real estate developer in central New Jersey, at a project site in Scotch Plain on Feb. 20, 2023.

Wall Street pushes back against SEC stock market reforms

The New York Stock Exchange teamed up with retail broker Charles Schwab Corp and market maker Citadel Securities on Monday to ask the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to withdraw two recently proposed rules aimed at revamping how stocks trade.

The move represents a coordinated industry push back against what are potentially the most impactful proposals in the SEC’s biggest attempt to reform stock market rules in nearly 20 years.

“We are deeply concerned that the Commission has simultaneously issued multiple far-reaching proposals that would dramatically overhaul current market structure without adequately assessing the cumulative impact on the market or the potential for unintended consequences,” the companies said in an SEC comment letter.

The SEC in December proposed requiring nearly all retail stock orders to be sent to auctions, as well as a new standard for brokers to show they get the best possible executions for their clients’ orders, along with lower trading increments and access fees on exchanges, and more robust retail order execution disclosures.

The aim of the proposed rules is to improve market quality and efficiency, by boosting competition for retail stock orders and reducing unnecessary intermediation, SEC Chair Gary Gensler has said.

The NYSE, along with Schwab and Citadel Securities, asked the SEC to indefinitely withdraw the auction and best execution proposals, saying that they could lead to less market liquidity and create confusing regulatory overlap.

“We believe that this more targeted approach will result in significant benefits for U.S. equity market participants, while meaningfully reducing the risk of negative outcomes for markets and investors, including the risk of firms retreating from being liquidity providers - which would be particularly detrimental to retail investors,” they said. ut they don’t want to be left behind.”

Economic data released on Friday showed steady demand for services, with purchasing managers’ indexes (PMI) from the Institute for Supply Management and S&P Global indicating that activity in the sector continues to expand even as input prices cool.

“Investors saw what they wanted in the ISM data, which was basically healthy growth with slowing prices,” Carter said, adding: “It suggests they are willing to stay on the plane as they are less worried about the landing.”

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 387.4 points, or 1.17%, to 33,390.97, the S&P 500 gained 64.29 points, or 1.61%, to 4,045.64 and the Nasdaq Composite added 226.02 points, or 1.97%, to 11,689.01.

All 11 major sectors of the S&P 500 ended the session green, with tech and consumer discretionary enjoying the largest percentage gains.

Fourth-quarter earnings season is on the final stretch, with all but seven of the companies in the S&P 500 having reported. Results for the quarter have beaten consensus esti-

MOST ASSERTIVE STOCKS

PUERTO RICO STOCKS

mates 68% of the time, according to Refinitiv.

Still, on aggregate, analysts believe S&P 500 earnings will have fallen 3.2% in the fourth quarter compared to the prior year, and expect negative year-on-year numbers for the first two quarters of 2023. This would imply the S&P 500 entered a three-quarter earnings recession in the closing months of 2022, per Refinitiv.

Apple Inc jumped 3.5% after Morgan Stanley said the

COMMODITIES CURRENCY

stock could rally more than 20% this year on a potential hardware subscription.

Broadcom Inc advanced 5.7% after the chipmaker forecast second-quarter revenue above analysts’ estimates as increased investments in AI spurred demand for chips.

Among losers, Costco Wholesale Corp slipped 2.1% on the heels of its revenue miss, as high inflation dampened consumer demand.

Chipmaker Marvell Technology Inc slid 4.7% in the wake of the company’s quarterly profit miss and disappointing revenue forecast.

Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 4.54-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 2.36-to-1 ratio favored advancers.

By ANATOLY KURMANAEV

Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, made a rare visit to occupied Ukrainian territory amid the lackluster performance of Russia’s renewed military offensive and growing tensions with the Wagner mercenary group, a prominent paramilitary ally.

Shoigu toured the occupied southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, according to videos and statements released by the Russian defense ministry Monday. He also visited a Russian military base in the eastern Donetsk region Saturday.

Shoigu’s visit to Ukraine came days after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner group, Russia’s largest paramilitary force, escalated his criticism of Shoigu and other senior military commanders, accusing them of being out of touch with front-line reality and prioritizing politics over military performance.

A year into the war in Ukraine, the Russian military has suffered staggering losses — approaching as many as 200,000 troops killed or wounded, Western officials say, and thousands of tanks and armored vehicles destroyed or captured by Ukraine. Recent Russian attacks along the front lines in eastern Ukraine were at first regarded as exploratory stages of Russia’s

long-anticipated spring offensive but are increasingly being seen by military analysts as the best that exhausted Russian forces can manage.

The video montages released by the defense ministry showed a stony-faced Shoigu looking over maps and talking to subordinates in Ukraine. The somber scenes, many of them muted, stood in contrast to Prigozhin’s histrionic frontline

video dispatches, in which he has paraded people he said were Ukrainian prisoners of war on the rooftop of a bombed-out building, challenged the Ukrainian president to a duel from an airborne fighter jet and overseen the loading of coffins filled with what he claimed were fallen Ukrainian soldiers.

Such eye-catching videos have allowed Prigozhin to portray his Wagner mercenary group as the vanguard of Russia’s military effort in Ukraine, overshadowing Shoigu’s leadership and, according to some military analysts, deepening a personal enmity between them.

Prigozhin has used his videos to emphasize the grinding progress of Wagner’s assault on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, while Shoigu visited a front-line section where the Russian army recently suffered its biggest military disaster of the winter.

Russia’s defense ministry said Shoigu went Saturday to the command center of the Russian forces in the southern part of the Donetsk region, where Russian soldiers and marines for the past several weeks have tried storming the Ukrainian town of Vuhledar, at great cost.

During the visit, Shoigu met with Rustam Muradov, the commander of Russian forces in the region, whom military blog-

gers allied to the Wagner group have accused of wasting hundreds of lives and heavy weapons in futile frontal assaults on Vuhledar and the surrounding areas.

On Monday, Prigozhin resumed his public feud with Russia’s military command. In a statement published on social media, Prigozhin claimed his representative had been barred from the Russian military headquarters in Ukraine after he requested more ammunition for Wagner.

Nevertheless, “We keep smashing A.F.U. around Bakhmut,” Prigozhin claimed, using an abbreviation for the Ukrainian armed forces.

The divisions between the Wagner forces and Russia’s military leadership have not escaped the notice of Ukraine’s Western allies.

“The fissures are there,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Monday. “You know, you see that playing itself out in open media from time to time.”

Austin said Wagner’s forces “have been a bit more effective” than traditional Russian troops, but noted that many of the former prisoners that the mercenary group had deployed have met their demise.

“Now, having said that,” he added, “we’ve not seen exemplary performance from the Russian forces writ large.”

Russia’s defense minister pays rare visit to occupied areas of Ukraine Ukraine claims a drone strike on a military target inside Russia

By MARC SANTORA

Ukrainian special forces said Monday that they had destroyed an unmanned observation tower in Russia’s Bryansk region using a drone strike, a rare public acknowledgment of a crossborder attack that underscored Ukraine’s increasing willingness to directly hit Russian territory.

The timing of the strike was not clear but the Kraken unit, which reports to Ukrainian military intelligence, released a video that it said showed the assault on its Telegram channel on Monday.

It comes days after a brief armed incursion into a Russian border village in Bryansk by a group claiming to fight for Ukraine, a rare known case of a raid inside Russia. The Kremlin described it as a “terrorist” attack.

The Russian Volunteer Corps, a group opposed to President Vladimir Putin of Rus-

sia, claimed on Thursday that it briefly took control of the small village of Lyubichane, near the border with northeastern Ukraine. There were conflicting reports about the episode and what took place in Bryansk, but by the end of the day, Russian authorities said the group had been driven back into Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine share a land border extending more than 1,200 miles, including several hundred miles in the eastern Donbas region, parts of which are controlled by Moscow. Russia has used territories close to Ukraine — including Bryansk, along Ukraine’s northern border — to stage assaults, fire rockets, launch air assaults and mount other attacks throughout the war.

Officials in Kyiv have said they reserve the right to strike targets within Russia that they claim are used to attack Ukrainian towns and cities, but have promised not to use weapons supplied by Western allies for

such assaults, because allies fear Moscow could view that as a provocation.

Over the course of the yearlong war, explosions and fires have been reported at oil depots, rail hubs and other military targets in Russia, but Ukraine has maintained a policy of deliberate ambiguity over such attacks, rarely claiming responsibility.

Ukraine is believed to have struck inside Russia on several occasions, including in December, when the Engels air base, which is about 300 miles from the Ukrainian border, was attacked twice.

On Monday, the governor of the Russian region of Belgorod, which also borders Ukraine, said Russian air defenses had shot down three missiles in the city of Novy Oskol. Ukrainian authorities did not comment on the Russian claims.

But the Ukrainian government has expressed growing concern that Russia is using the Bryansk region to launch drone assaults.

The latest such attack, it said, took place before dawn Monday. Alarms blared across Kyiv as air-defense guns echoed. The Ukrainian air force said it had detected at least 15 drones launched from Bryansk and claimed to have shot down 13.

Ukrainian forces also continued to target Russian strongholds in occupied areas of Ukraine. Two large explosions were reported Sunday night in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine, the city’s exiled mayor, Ivan Fedorov, said in an appearance on national television. Federov said the Ukrainian military was still working to confirm the damage from the strike.

The Russian military has also continued to fire long-range missiles and drones at Ukraine’s cities and energy grid. The death toll from a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in the city of Zaporizhzhia last week has since risen to 13, Ukrainian officials said Sunday.

The Russian Defense Ministry released photographs of Sergei Shoigu inspecting infrastructure repair in Mariupol, on Monday.

This is what trench warfare on the front line is like

By MARC SANTORA

The Russian forces were so close that Boghdan, a Ukrainian soldier with the 79th Air Assault Brigade, could see them digging.

Digging is what to do in this forlorn stretch of scorched earth in eastern Ukraine to avoid dying. Boghdan wants the Russians to die. So he lifted a shoulderfired rocket-propelled grenade launcher, peered over the sandbags mounted on the edge of his trench and blasted away. The digging stopped. Moments later, Russian soldiers let loose a volley of automatic gunfire. Then things went silent.

“We made them quiet,” Boghdan said with satisfaction as he made his way to a bunker deeper underground. “I just need to have my coffee.”

This is life at what the Ukrainian military calls the zero line position — the farthest edge of the front lines — with the Russians just 300 yards away.

In the mud and muck, with frozen patches of earth giving way to sloppy, thick clay, there are many ways to kill and be killed. Russian helicopters regularly strafe Ukrainian trenches. The Russians bombard Ukrainian positions with heavy artillery from miles away and send small bands of soldiers to try to infiltrate Ukrainian trenches in the dark of night.

Powerful drones circle high overhead doing surveillance and smaller, off-theshelf quadcopters drop improvised explosives into the trenches.

Russian assaults can include armored vehicles and tanks, or they can come in waves of infantry soldiers trying to storm a trench.

The Ukrainians hit back hard. And in this pocket of the front, near the destroyed town of Marinka in the Donetsk region, they have largely thwarted every Russian attempt to take new ground for a year.

The New York Times was granted rare access to join soldiers from the 79th brigade at the farthest edge of the front line to better understand how the war feels for the soldiers who are close enough to see the Russians across the torn Ukrainian lands they are determined to defend. The full names of the soldiers are being withheld for security reasons.

Despite intense fighting throughout the winter, Russia has captured only about 400 square miles across the entire eastern

front since September, according to a report released in February by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a research organization in Washington.

Visiting the trenches, it is apparent why breaking through the dug-in and fortified lines is deadly work. But holding ground also comes at a tremendous cost. Two days before the Times visited, the 79th brigade had suffered heavy losses, the toll of unrelenting combat evident in their bleary and bloodshot eyes.

The troops said they were ready to die. This is a war of survival, they said, not just for them but for their nation. The 79th is one of Ukraine’s elite units, and its forces have battled Russians on the steppes, through forests and in ruined cities. Now, the soldiers are charged with holding a position about 15 miles from the city of Donetsk, a stronghold of Russia and its proxy forces since 2014.

The town of Marinka does not really exist anymore beyond a point on a map, abandoned by roughly 9,000 prewar residents. Long ago, it joined the list of places

devastated by Russian forces, its buildings flattened or reduced to charred, hollowed-out shells. But for Ukrainians, the defense of Marinka has persisted.

Having failed to break through Ukrainian lines there for almost a year, the Russians recently revised their tactics, turning to small assault groups trying to rip holes through Ukrainian defenses that they can try to exploit, according to a Russian manual captured by the Ukrainians.

The manual details how assault platoons of 12 to 15 members can be divided into tactical groups of as few as three people supported by additional firepower to infiltrate a Ukrainian trench.

Ukrainian soldiers have taken to calling these groups “meat,” because of the high rate at which they are killed.

Ukrainian fighters who have witnessed the attacks up close say the Russians often send a first wave of infantry to storm a trench, knowing they are likely to be killed. Russian spotters take note of Ukrainian firing positions and unleash a barrage of mortar and artillery fire aimed

at those locations. Then a second wave of Russian infantry race in, trying to infiltrate the trench.

It is a brutal tactic that would have been recognized by millions of soldiers huddled in trenches more than a century ago during World War I. As a French officer, Capt. André Laffargue, noted at the time in a pamphlet called “The Attack in Trench Warfare,” breaching well-defended trenches comes at staggering cost.

“Infantry units disappear in the furnace of fire like handfuls of straw,” he wrote.

To reach the zero line outside Marinka, Ukrainian soldiers must traverse a network of trenches to the rear, and cross open gaps left for tanks and through smashed villages.

The trenches are constructed with bends to contain a blast should a mortar or grenade land inside. Netting and brambles are laid over the top in places to obscure the contours. Ukrainian soldiers, intimately familiar with the geography, have spotters on constant lookout for threats.

In quiet moments — and even in the most embattled corners of Ukraine, a lot of time is spent waiting for the next paroxysm of violence — soldiers eat meals from tin cans and care for what they call the “Ukrainian war cats” that patrol the trenches for rats.

While the front line stretches over 600 miles, both armies have dug thousands of miles of trenches — arrayed in echelons so that should one network fall, soldiers can retreat to safer positions.

In addition to the small-scale assaults, Russia has been trying for weeks to break through the Ukrainian lines with more comprehensive attacks including armored columns. Shortly after the Times visited, reconnaissance units for the 79th brigade detected a movement of Russian tanks and armored vehicles nearby.

The Russians tried to skirt the trenches around the flanks to “launch a massive assault,” according to a statement from the brigade.

But they were caught out, and paratroopers using Javelin anti-tank missiles damaged several Russian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, the demolition captured in videos released by the brigade.

Back in the trenches, the soldiers know the Russians will keep coming. And they say they are ready for the day when they will go on the attack themselves.

Boghdan, a Ukrainian soldier with the 79th Air Assault Brigade, peers out over the edge of the trench in an area of Marinka, in eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 26, 2023.

Nicaragua’s ‘Nazis’: Stunned investigators invoke Hitler’s Germany

By FRANCES ROBLES

Nicaragua’s president, his wife and top members of the government committed human rights abuses — including torture and murder — so serious they amounted to crimes against humanity, a United Nations investigative team concluded, providing evidence for efforts to try them overseas.

In a news conference Thursday, the head of the investigation called for international sanctions against the government and compared Nicaragua’s track record on human rights to the Nazis, saying the current government’s tactics to hold power beginning in 2018 were like those seen during the Nuremberg trials.

“The weaponizing of the justice system against political opponents in the way that is done in Nicaragua is exactly what the Nazi regime did,” Jan-Michael Simon, who led the team of U.N.-appointed criminal justice experts, said in an interview.

“People massively stripped of their nationality and being expelled out of the country: This is exactly what the Nazis did, too,” he added.

The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on the government and family of President Daniel Ortega in recent years, although the U.N. report could mean even greater repercussions, including charges in other countries, according to human rights experts.

Under universal jurisdiction, any country’s courts can try people for atrocities committed anywhere and has become a global mechanism for human rights lawyers mostly in Europe to prosecute war crimes carried out by governments such as Syria and Liberia.

“If let’s say Daniel Ortega’s son happens to be in Spain tomorrow, someone could go to a local judge on these grounds and could convince them to go arrest this guy,” said José Miguel Vivanco, adjunct senior fellow for human rights at the Council of Foreign Relations.

The U.N.’s conclusion that Nicaragua carried out crimes against humanity could also affect the government’s ability to secure international financing, Simon said.

In 2018, Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, faced off against a mass uprising of political dissent, as hundreds of thousands of protesters demonstrated against cuts to social security and deteriorating democracy, blocking the streets and paralyzing the country.

The government unleashed all the powers at its disposal to crack down on the protesters, U.N. investigators found, with police forces and pro-government groups acting in concert with deadly results.

The police fired on demonstrators in a systematic manner, jointly with armed groups that were not authorized to use force, the report said. Extrajudicial executions were committed by the police and groups allied with the government. The police carried out highly coordinated operations to shut down barricades using

violent tactics, investigators found.

The U.N.’s analysis of 40 extrajudicial executions showed police agents and pro-government groups acted in a “coordinated manner.”

By the time the demonstrations were finally halted, hundreds of people had been killed.

To this day, Simon said, “violations continue to be committed.”

The government has denied deliberately killing protesters and has categorized the protests as violent coup attempts, noting that at least two dozen police officers also died. The government did not participate in the U.N. report or allow investigators access to the country.

The investigators also said the government systematically carried out arbitrary detentions and prosecutions of government opponents using multiple government institutions, including the National Assembly, the police, the judiciary, the public defender’s office, the penitentiary and the Institute of Forensic Medicine. People were tortured in custody, the report concluded.

“The Nicaraguan state, in fact, has been weaponizing literally all institutions of the state in terms of control and repression,” Simon said. “The word is weaponizing. They have been weaponizing the justice system, weaponizing the legislative function, weaponizing the executive function.”

The vice president, who serves as the government spokesperson, did not respond to a request for comment from The New York Times.

The report comes just weeks after the Ortega government stripped the citizenship from 300 Nicaraguans who a judge called “traitors to the homeland.” Those affected included human rights activists and journalists, among others, most of whom live outside of the country.

The release of the U.N. investigation was a welcome surprise to human rights activists.

“Before I got to jail, this was not the language used by experts. Now the language is stronger,” said Juan Sebastián Chamorro, a Nicaraguan activist who was released from detention last month after 611 days and is now based in Houston.

“That means more evidence has been accumulated and can be used in a future international court,” he said. “We are talking about more than 350 people who were assassinated.”

Chamorro was among the hundreds of Nicaraguan political leaders who were swept up since the 2018 protests first embroiled the country.

Rosalía Gutiérrez-Huete Miller, who was among the Nicaraguans who lost her citizenship last month, said the U.N. report was the condemnation the protesters were waiting for.

“Today’s legal conclusion validates and acknowledges what we have been denouncing for years,” she said by phone from Washington, D.C. “There has never been a declaration as clear as this one. Often these declarations are wishy-washy, trying not to ruffle feathers.”

Juan Sebastián Chamorro speaks with reporters after arriving in the United States, in Herndon, Va., Feb. 9, 2023.

The story of multicultural Canada, told in humble strip mall eateries

By NORIMITSU ONISHI

At a tiny strip mall where the painted parking lines had faded completely some time ago, the chef at the New Kalyani restaurant effortlessly prepared one of the most exquisite treats in the Toronto area.

Pouring fermented batter into a small wok, he gripped the pan with both hands and swirled it four times in the air before laying it on a portable gas-burner.

Made to order, the resulting hopper, a classic Sri Lankan dish, appeared — a thin, lacy, bowl-shaped pancake that rose from a pillowy bottom to its delicately crispy edges.

“Most people don’t know he makes hoppers to order,’’ said Suresh Doss, a food writer, on a recent visit to the New Kalyani, which has no tables or chairs. “When they’re left to sit, they deflate, they crumble. The difference is night and day. I’ve brought so many chefs from Toronto here, and they would eat it and go, ‘This is the best thing I’ve eaten this year,’ because this is so different from what you would have in the city.”

Toronto became the first Canadian city with its own Michelin guide last year, and has 13 restaurants decorated with Michelin stars, mostly in fashionable neighborhoods like Yorkville.

But an alternative dining guide published by Doss casts a far wider net, finding and celebrating establishments in the city’s periphery — in the blocks surrounding the last subway stops, across the so-called inner suburbs like Scarborough or in the outer stretches of what is known as the Greater Toronto Area.

Most of the restaurants on Doss’ list are mom-and-pops and walk-ins. Many lack seating, and are squeezed in aging, low-slung strip malls, next to coin laundromats or nail salons. They are often little known by diners beyond their immigrant patrons, offering dishes that — mixing memory and desire — spring from recipes that were popular in their owners’ home countries decades ago.

A former tech worker turned culinary blogger, Doss, 45, reports on food for The Toronto Star and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., the public broadcaster. His guide steers the hungry from places such as the Jus Convenience Jerk Shop with “insanely good” oxtail to Lion City and its “celebration of Singaporean hawker fare.” Then there’s Monasaba, a Yemeni place with the “best mandi” (a blend of meat, rice and spices) in the region, and Mamajoun, an Armenian eatery with a menu based on “grandparents’ recipes.”

“Food trapped in time is what I call it,” Doss said recently, as he drove to some of his favorites in the guide. “Food is constantly evolving. But when you have food tied to immigration, it becomes much more than just food. It becomes nostalgia. It has to be trapped because changing it wouldn’t make sense.”

Still, there is evolution. When children of first-generation immigrant restaurateurs decide to stay in the same business, they invariably tweak their parents’ recipes.

For example, he said, as second or third-generation Sri Lankan immigrants have left Scarborough for suburbs farther east, the flavors change.

“Some of the most exciting Sri Lankan food right now is in Ajax,” Doss said, referring to a town some 45 minutes without traffic from the constellation of Michelin-starred establishments in Toronto’s core.

The guide is also a road map to the ever-changing immigrant culture in Canada’s largest city. With a perspective that combines food critic, local historian and sociologist, Doss keeps track of demographic shifts in communities as well as the story inside his favorite eateries.

Some places do not stick to traditional food scripts from a single country but instead blend together flavors from afar, reflecting how each wave of immigrants in Canada has been joined by another.

To Doss, Teta’s Kitchen, an Indonesian and Lebanese restaurant in a mall near the city’s northernmost subway stop, tells the story of Canada’s easygoing multiculturalism. One of the menu’s highlights is “Pandan Kebab,” fusing the Southeast Asian herb (“the star of the show”) with the Middle Eastern mainstay.

An underappreciated but essential player in the flourishing Toronto food scene is the humble, but vanishing, strip mall, a center of immigrant culture and the only place where many first-generation restaurateurs can afford to start out.

“Strip malls were a safe haven, a third space when I was growing up in Scarborough,” Doss said, describing their disappearance as a “loss of culture.”

“Because I’m an immigrant kid,” he added, “I know what we’re losing.”

Born in Sri Lanka, Doss and his family settled in Scarborough when he was 12. Much of his adolescence was spent at strip malls playing pool with friends, and trying out the seemingly endless cuisines on offer.

Today, Doss dines out 16 times a week, crisscrossing the Toronto area, scouring for leads to hidden gems.

“It is a pretty exciting time to eat in the city,” he said. “You just need to get in the car.”

When he finds something new, Doss asks the owners’ permission to introduce their restaurant, worried they’d be unable to handle an influx of new customers. Many refuse. It took him seven years to persuade the family behind the New Kalyani.

Kumar Karalapillai opened the restaurant with his wife and mother eight years ago. He had not felt the need for publicity because most of his regular customers are of Sri Lankan origin.

“We have just a few white people, some Indians and two, three Filipinos,” said Karalapillai, who serves hard-to-find dishes like curry with hard-boiled eggs and fried beef liver in addition to those ethereal hoppers.

Karalapillai, 40, said his dishes were based on his mother’s recipes, which the family had never considered altering.

“Eight years the same,” he said.

The future of the New Kalyani worries Doss. The restaurant is near a major intersection in Scarborough, where other strip malls are being torn down and replaced with high-end condominiums in this city with an acute shortage of affordable housing.

“This place over here, that’s being demolished,” Doss said, driving past what he described as one of the oldest strip malls in Scarborough. “So many Sri Lankan takeout places were lost because of that.”

At another mall not far away, where his favorite Malaysian restaurant, One2Snacks, is tucked in between a tax accountant and a computer repair shop, Doss orders smoky-flavored char kway teow stir-fry noodles and curry laksa noodles.

Bryan Choy, 36, runs the restaurant with his parents, Tracy and Chon Choy. The family arrived in Canada 35 years ago. While employed at another job, his father spent a decade fine-tuning recipes at home before opening the restaurant 13 years ago, with the goal of re-creating the dishes from his youth in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“My father’s taste buds are so exact that when he eats something, he remembers it even if it was back in the day,” Choy said. “So all of his dishes, basically, are from 30-odd years ago and have that type of flavor profile.”

Like many other restaurateurs offering food trapped in time, Choy was uncertain what would happen to the restaurant after his parents retire. His younger brother works in finance, and he said he did not feel up to running the place by himself.

“If I hire a different chef, the flavor will change because it’s hard to mimic some of the things that my parents do,” he said. “Even for me, it’s hard to replicate some of the things they do.”

Suresh Doss, a Toronto-based food writer, tries hoppers, a popular dish at New Kalyani, a Sri Lankan takeout restaurant in Toronto’s Scarborough area, Feb. 10, 2023.

The promise and peril of Biden’s climate policy

By PAUL KRUGMAN

In 2010, at the signing ceremony for the Affordable Care Act, Joe Biden, the vice president at the time, could be overheard telling President Barack Obama that “this is a big something deal.” OK, that’s almost what he said. And he was right.

Now, as president himself, Biden has presided over three big deals. After several years during which “It’s infrastructure week!” became a punchline, he passed a major infrastructure bill. He pushed through legislation to promote U.S. production of sophisticated semiconductors. And most important, Congress enacted the Inflation Reduction Act, which despite its name is mainly a climate bill; we’re finally taking serious action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Yet many observers, myself included, have wondered whether Biden’s climate policy is a big enough deal.

The media often uses hyperbolic language about any program that involves spending hundreds of billions of dollars, so Biden’s climate initiative, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will involve roughly $400 billion in climate spending, gets described as “massive.” But that’s spending over the course of a decade. And the budget office expects cumulative gross domestic product over the next decade to be more than $300 trillion.

So we’re talking about spending only a bit more than one-tenth of 1% of GDP. Can this possibly be enough to make a real difference in facing an existential threat?

Well, there are two important reasons to believe that Biden’s climate policy may be a much bigger deal than the numbers might suggest. But there are also reasons to worry that the policy may fall short, not because the spending is inadequate, but because of one crucial limiting factor: an inadequate power grid.

The first reason to believe that Biden’s policy may be a big deal is that it comes at a crucial technological juncture.

There was a time, not that long ago, when it seemed as if limiting greenhouse gas emissions would require hard choices — that it would have to be achieved largely through conservation and increased energy efficiency, which in turn would require putting a substantial price on carbon, either via carbon taxes or via a cap-andtrade system in which emitters would have to purchase permits. In fact, there would still be a good case for a carbon tax, if it were politically feasible.

But huge progress in renewable energy and related technologies, notably batteries, means that it now looks almost easy to achieve a low-emission economy. We

can now easily envision a society in which people drive electric vehicles and cook on induction ranges, using power generated by solar panels and wind turbines, and experience no sense of sacrifice.

The role of policy then becomes to accelerate this transition — to push us over the tipping point into a sustainable economy. And this need not involve huge amounts of public money, just enough to act as a sort of catalyst for change.

A second, somewhat related reason to think that Biden’s climate policy is a big deal is that it doesn’t actually mandate $400 billion in spending. What it does, mainly, is set conditions under which consumers and businesses can receive tax credits for adopting green technology. That $400 billion is based on an estimate of how many people will actually take advantage of these tax credits — and given the spectacular rate of technological progress, that estimate may well turn out to be low.

A report from Credit Suisse suggests that the credits might “propel much higher activity levels” than the budget office projects — that in practice federal climate spending might be $800 billion or more. And there may also be a multiplier effect as private firms make investments complementary to those directly subsidized, so Credit Suisse suggests that the true size of the climate plan may be more like $1.7 trillion.

So Biden’s deal may be bigger than it looks. Which is a good thing, given the importance of the issue.

Now for my concern. America finally has a serious climate strategy. However, it depends not just on a rapid expansion of solar and wind power, but also on linking these new energy sources to the electrical grid. But the U.S. power grid doesn’t have enough capacity, and it is in general a mess.

Part of the reason is that there isn’t really a U.S. grid: Investment in electricity transmission is, as a Reuters report put it, “controlled by a Byzantine web of local, state and regional regulators who have strong political incentives to hold down spending.” And this regulatory system wasn’t designed to handle the sudden influx of new energy sources; as a result, simply getting permission to connect to the grid can take years.

Here’s how I think of it: A clean-energy future suddenly looks eminently possible thanks to a technological miracle — incredible cost declines for renewable energy — and a political miracle — Democrats’ success, despite the narrowest of congressional majorities, in enacting legislation that looks even better when examined closely.

But we may need a third, bureaucratic miracle to fix the electricity grid and make this whole thing work.

A Sunrun installer carries a solar panel into place at a customer’s home in Carlsbad, Calif., Oct. 18, 2018.

Gobernador firma de varias medidas legislativas

a notificar la sentencia mediante edicto.

LA FORTALEZA – El gobernador de Puerto Rico, Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia, convirtió en ley cuatro medidas legislativas incluyendo el Proyecto de la Cámara 1107 para que la Alerta Ashanti aplique desde los 18 años y no una vez se cumpla más de esa edad. La vigencia es inmediata.

Previo a la firma de este proyecto cameral, la Alerta aplicaba a personas mayores de 18 años que al momento de desaparecer, de manera involuntaria y mediante secuestro, sufrieran de discapacidad física o mental comprobada.

Otra pieza legislativa que contó con el aval del gobernador es el Proyecto de la Cámara 80 que al enmendar las Reglas de Procedimiento Civil de 2009 dispone que, en el caso de partes en rebeldía, que fueron emplazadas personalmente y nunca comparecieron, se le notificará la sentencia a la última dirección conocida. En caso de desconocer la última dirección, se procederá

Favoreció también el Proyecto de la Cámara 1363 mediante el cual se clarifica que la limitación de gastos establecidos en la Ley para el Fortalecimiento y Desarrollo del Deporte Puertorriqueño no aplicará al Fideicomiso Olímpico (Albergue Olímpico), Fundación Mayagüez 2010, Pabellón de la Fama del Deporte Puertorriqueño y a la Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria (LAI). Las asignaciones podrán ser utilizadas para todos los propósitos de las entidades receptoras, excepto el pago de sueldos, emolumentos o gastos de los integrantes de la junta directiva de dichas entidades.

El proyecto cameral, que no impone obligaciones económicas a los municipios ni impacta el Fondo General, fue favorecido por los Departamentos de Recreación y Deportes (DRD), Educación (DE), el Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico (COPUR) y el Albergue Olímpico.

Por último, el gobernador firmó la Resolución Conjunta de la Cámara 269 que denomina con el

FBI distribuye nuevas imágenes tras asalto a banco en Dorado la pasada semana

POR CYBERNEWS

SAN JUAN – El Negociado Federal de Investigaciones (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) procuró el lunes, la ayuda de la ciudadanía para identificar y dar con el paradero de los individuos involucrados en el robo a mano armada de un banco de Dorado el 24 de febrero de 2023.

Los individuos en estas imágenes deben ser conside-

rados altamente peligrosos, por lo que, no debe enfrentarlos.

Si usted o alguien que conoce tiene información sobre la identidad y/o el paradero de alguno o todos estos individuos, llame al 787-987-6500 o deje una pista a través de tips.FBI.gov

Le recordamos a la ciudadanía que todo confidente podrá permanecer anónimo.

Gobernador se va para México en “Misión Comercial”

POR CYBERNEWS L A FORTALEZA – El gobernador Pedro Pierluisi, junto al secretario de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio (DDEC), Manuel Cidre y a otros funcionarios, quienes acompañan a una delegación de 22 empresarios puertorriqueños arribaron el lunes en la Ciudad de México con miras a crear alianzas comerciales que redunden en la ampliación de negocios en ambos mercados.

“Por los pasados dos años Puerto Rico ha experimentado un crecimiento económico sostenible

con nuevas oportunidades de negocios, expansión de múltiples empresas y creación de empleos, logrando que nuestra Isla tenga el desempleo más bajo en su historia y sus indicadores económicos en terrenos positivo consistente. Esta misión comercial a México nos permite continuar expandiendo la oferta que tiene nuestra Isla para hacer negocios y aumentar la exportación de nuestros productos y servicios, lo que será de gran beneficio para todos los empresarios puertorriqueños que nos acompañan. Asimismo, es una gran oportunidad para dar a conocer el enorme potencial

que tiene Puerto Rico como socio comercial”, sostuvo el gobernador en declaraciones escritas.

Explicó que durante la misión comercial, que busca adelantar las gestiones comerciales con el gobierno y las empresas mexicanas, el primer ejecutivo participará como orador principal del foro: Oportunidades de inversión en Puerto Rico. La misión comercial es otra de las iniciativas del marco estratégico del DDEC, PRopósito, que, entre otras metas, identifica y desarrolla nuevas oportunidades para exportar los productos y servicios de la Isla.

nombre de Salomón Rondón Llorens a la Escuela Nueva Urbana del municipio de Guaynabo.

Wayne Shorter, a jazz hero whose goal was ‘to fear nothing’

If there is one immortal distinction Shorter can certainly claim, it’s that of being jazz’s all-time greatest aphorist. That’s not an easily earned title, in a music community full of philosophers. Blakey, for one, famously said that jazz “washes away the dust of everyday life.” Davis reminded us that it’s about “the notes you don’t play.”

But as he grew older, Shorter was a seemingly bottomless font of mystic wisdom. One of his favorite lines was: “Jazz means, I dare you.” The title of his longtime quartet’s 2013 album, “Without a Net,” was a reference to his description of how the band improvised. That band operated for close to 20 years without, he said, ever holding a rehearsal. “How do you rehearse the unknown?” he asked.

Late in his career, Shorter developed a creative partnership with one of his biggest admirers, Esperanza Spalding. They performed often together, and over a period of years they took on his last herculean goal: composing a full-length opera, “Iphigenia,” which turned Euripides’ classic Greek tragedy upside-down and adorned it with a wildly expansive score. Frank Gehry, a longtime friend of Shorter’s, designed the set, with a looming, shimmery backdrop that seemed to harmonize with the saxophonist’s vaulted arrangements.

By GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO

In the last decade or so of his life, it had become a commonplace to call Wayne Shorter jazz’s greatest living composer. There was simply no ambiguity about it, he was the one.

Now that the saxophonist has left the earthly realm, at the age of 89, does that distinction become eternal? It’s hard to think of another musician whose writing style worked its way so indelibly into the DNA of jazz: how the music is composed, how it’s played, how we think about it.

Shorter wrote melodies at a slant, doing a lot with a little. He packed harmonies with so much tension, they relieved a lot of the pressure that had been put on the rhythm section in the bebop era — allowing it to loosen its grip on the groove without sacrificing suspense. When he joined the Miles Davis Quintet in 1964, after a lengthy stint as Art Blakey’s musical director, Shorter’s impact was succinct and immediate: The group stayed cool and steady, even as Shorter’s compositions lured its five members into a state of constant combustion.

Like John Coltrane, his mentor and predecessor in Davis’ previous quintet, Shorter wasn’t flashy or spotlight-hungry. But his presence was commanding. Davis sometimes started concerts without him onstage; when Shorter came on, playing his way up to the microphone, it was an event.

In the early ’70s, partly responding to the direction Davis’ music was taking, jazz steered toward a marriage with

rock and funk. Shorter and pianist Joe Zawinul teamed up to start Weather Report, arguably the quintessential band of the fusion era, and kept it going for 15 solid years. In that time, Shorter also made it into the studio with rock and Brazilian popular musicians, like Joni Mitchell, Santana and Milton Nascimento. Maybe Shorter’s mind took to fusion not just out of aesthetic affinity, but because he was always a high-tech thinker and an alchemist; electronics never scared him, and authenticity felt relative. Synths? Amp stacks? Jaco Pastorius’ flanged-up electric bass taking the melody out of your hands? What was the harm?

Growing up in downtown Newark, New Jersey, Shorter read and wrote comics about superheroes confronting threats from the cosmos, and he and his brother Alan, also a musician, caught every movie they could at the local theater. He listened on the radio to the newest sounds in bebop, Western classical and popular music. “As weird as Wayne” became a saying in the neighborhood, as poet and critic Amiri Baraka famously remembered, and Shorter turned it into an honorific, dubbing himself “Mr. Weird.”

Throughout his life, Shorter was a fierce and articulate defender of the right to stand alone — or better yet, to take risks in reliable company. Speaking in 2018 about his approach to playing with his quartet, Shorter was (as usual) both metaphorical and direct. “It’s a little thing we call trust and faith,” he said. “To me, the definition of faith is to fear nothing.”

“Iphigenia” premiered in late 2021, to a mix of rapturous raves and quizzical responses — both of which must have delighted Shorter. But the enormity of his achievements as a composer were just as apparent at a completely different opera, Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” which had its debut at the Metropolitan Opera around the same time. With Shorter’s passing, Blanchard becomes a candidate to assume that mantle of “greatest living jazz composer.” But at “Fire,” it was clearer than ever that he wouldn’t have gotten there without the influence of Shorter; it was in the way his harmonies spread their wings out wide, hang gliding from beginning to end, asking you to ride along — daring you.

Here are nine tracks that showcase the sly invention and dark poetics of Shorter’s compositions and saxophone sound.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, “Sakeena’s Vision” (1960)

“Sakeena’s Vision” is one of many tunes that Shorter wrote for Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, the group from which he launched his career. His later work was never as straightforwardly propulsive and blues-driven as the charts he gave to Blakey, but on “Sakeena’s Vision” you’ll hear some of his soon-to-be signatures. At the end of the melody, Shorter introduces a catchy fillip of a phrase, repeats it, then turns it over in a few different harmonic contexts. It’ll get stuck in your head — the melody, the rhythm of it, the bounce of it — but then it’ll slip away from you.

Wayne Shorter, “House of Jade” (1965)

For “Juju,” arguably the most indispensable album from Shorter’s golden period with Blue Note Records in the 1960s, he was joined by a rhythm section of Coltrane quartet veterans: McCoy Tyner on piano, Reggie Workman on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. “House of Jade” is the gentlest of the

Throughout his life, Wayne Shorter was a fierce and articulate defender of the right to stand alone — or better yet, to take risks in reliable company.

The San Juan Daily Star

Tuesday, March 7, 2023 20

LP’s six Shorter originals, but Jones’ everpropulsive beat and Workman’s staunch bass playing vest Shorter’s slow, elliptical melody with heavy, grinding force.

Miles Davis Quintet, “Fall” (1968)

Miles Davis’ so-called second great quintet — for which Shorter was the primary composer — quite distinctly falls into this composition, with the trumpeter acting as if he’s just remembered the melody as he goes along. The emotion of this piece, as in so many of Shorter’s tunes, is both stark and shrouded: Is it mournful? Longing? Simply dazed? Whatever that feeling is — nameable or not — you’ll find it exerts a pull.

Wayne Shorter, “Beauty and the Beast” (1975)

Somewhere between funk, jazz, MPB and a slow jam, “Beauty and the Beast” comes from “Native Dancer,” Shorter’s first album-length collaboration with star Brazilian vocalist Milton Nascimento, and an

undisputed classic in both musicians’ catalogs.

Weather Report, “Palladium” (1977)

In Weather Report, Shorter was actually the group’s secondary composer, after Joe Zawinul, but he still got in some good licks. “Palladium” is one of the group’s most fun tunes; just when you think it’s resolving, it keeps flying on, transposing up a key and ultimately finishing on a cliffhanger.

Steely Dan, “Aja” (1977)

Steely Dan was a rock band with jazzy aspirations — until the group made “Aja,” a milestone of the fusion years and their first encounter with Shorter’s slippery saxophone playing. After an impressive guitar solo by Denny Dias, Shorter’s unmistakable tenor sound comes barreling out of the darkness, like a black car emerging from a tunnel at night with its lights turned off; less than a minute later he’s finished, and the track is in a new ZIP code.

Joni Mitchell, “Paprika Plains” (1977)

Shorter joined up with Joni Mitchell for the first time in the late 1970s, and they remained lifelong friends and collaborators. On many tracks, he offers color and complement, but on “Paprika Plains” — Mitchell’s epic tribute to the Indigenous community near her Saskatchewan hometown — he doesn’t appear till almost 14 minutes in, ready to carry the song skyward to its close.

Wayne Shorter Quartet, “Adventures

Aboard the Golden Mean (live)” (2005)

The quartet that Shorter assembled around the turn of the new millennium was his first attempt as a bandleader to revisit and expand upon the all-things-must-explode M.O. of Davis’ 1960s quintet. Alongside drummer Brian Blade, bassist John Patitucci and pianist Danilo Pérez, Shorter leans heavily on the soprano saxophone (another nod to Coltrane’s influence), and on “Adventures Aboard the Golden Mean” he uses the band at once like a meditative space and a wild loom, spinning small, motif-like themes

until they are frayed and stretched and fully unspooled.

Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Leo Genovese and Esperanza Spalding, “Endangered Species (live)” (2022)

Esperanza Spalding and Terri Lyne Carrington have been among the most prominent advocates for Shorter’s legacy, and in 2017 they teamed up with him — and pianist Leo Genovese — for a major performance at the Detroit Jazz Festival. “Endangered Species” is an ’80s-era gem from Shorter’s fusion catalog, written at the tail end of his time with Weather Report, built on the tonal toggling and crooked-angle grooves that he’d often worked out with Weather Report, but released on his 1985 solo album, “Atlantis.” In 2012 Spalding set it to words and did her own version. Their performance together in Detroit was released last year, and Shorter’s gusty, restrained solo on “Endangered Species” won him the 12th — and final — Grammy in an immortal career.

‘Everything Everywhere’ wins Writers Guild Award, sweeping major guilds

By KYLE BUCHANAN

The sci-fi smash “Everything Everywhere

All at Once” won the original-screenplay trophy at the Writers Guild Awards on Sunday night, completing a thorough sweep of the top prizes from Hollywood’s major guilds. Only four other films have also triumphed with the Directors Guild, Producers Guild, Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild: “Argo,” “No Country for Old Men,” “Slumdog Millionaire” and “American Beauty.” All went on to win the best picture Oscar.

“Writing is confusing and hard, and we felt so lost so often,” said Daniel Scheinert, who co-wrote and co-directed the twisty “Everything Everywhere” with Daniel Kwan. Scheinert praised everyone who had read an early draft of the screenplay, then added, “Thank you to our therapists.”

Meanwhile, “Women Talking” prevailed in the adapted-screenplay race, topping competition that included “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”

The “Women Talking” writer-director, Sarah Polley, praised her representatives for standing by her as she segued from an acting career that included films like “The Sweet Hereafter” and “Dawn of the Dead.” Polley said with a laugh, “They signed me think-

ing I was going to be a really big movie star. Whoops!”

What she really wanted to do was write, Polley explained, and her adaptation of the Miriam Toews novel about assaults in a Mennonite community has now brought her a second WGA honor (her first, for a documentary screenplay, came in 2014 for “Stories We Tell,” which she also directed.)

“To be taken seriously in this way, in this room of so many amazing writers, I really can’t tell you what that means to me,” she said.

The path to a best picture Oscar typically requires a screenplay win along the way, so the WGA victory for “Everything Everywhere” should only further strengthen the film’s front-runner status. Still, it wasn’t exactly a fair fight: Though the original-screenplay category on Oscar night is expected to be a two-way race between “Everything Everywhere” and Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin,” the latter was ineligible for the WGA prize because, like many international films, it was not written under a bargaining agreement with the WGA or its sister guilds.

That stipulation also kept surging BAFTA winner “All Quiet on the Western Front” out of the WGA race for adapted screenplay, clearing a safe path to victory for

“Women Talking.” So while “Everything Everywhere” and “Women Talking” are coming out of the WGA ceremony with momentum, the real battle is still to come at the Oscars, and surprises may be in store.

Here are the major WGA winners. For a complete list, go to wga.org.

Original screenplay: “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Daniel Kwan and

Daniel Scheinert

Adapted screenplay: “Women Talking,” Sarah Polley

Documentary screenplay: “Moonage Daydream,” Brett Morgen

Drama series: “Severance”

Comedy series: “The Bear”

Limited series: “The White Lotus”

New series: “Severance”

Daniel Scheinert, left, and Daniel Kwan with their trophies for original screenplay for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

REM sleep is magical. Here’s what the experts know.

By CAROLYN TODD

Any sleep tracker will show you that slumber is far from a passive affair. And no stage of sleep demonstrates that better than rapid eye movement, or REM, commonly called dream sleep.

“It’s also called paradoxical sleep or active sleep, because REM sleep is actually very close to being awake,” said Dr. Rajkumar Dasgupta, a sleep medicine and pulmonary specialist at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

Before scientists discovered REM sleep in the 1950s, it wasn’t clear that much of anything was happening in the brain at night. Researchers today, however, understand sleep as a highly active process composed of very different types of rest — including REM, which in some ways doesn’t seem like rest at all.

While the body typically remains “off” during REM sleep, the brain is very much “on.” It’s generating vivid dreams, as well as synthesizing memories and knowledge. Scientists are still working to unravel exactly how this strange state of consciousness works.

“It is fair to say that there is a lot left to learn about REM sleep,” Dasgupta said. But from what researchers do understand, REM is critical to our emotional health and brain function — and potentially even our longevity.

Where does REM sleep fall in the sleep cycle?

Throughout the night, “we’re going in and out of this rhythmic, symphonic pattern of the various stages of sleep: nonREM 1, 2, 3 and REM,” said Rebecca Robbins, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate scientist in the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

As you doze off, you enter the first stage of non-REM. This lasts less than 10 minutes and is considered a light sleep. Your breathing and heart rate decelerate and your muscles relax as you slip into the second stage of non-REM sleep, where your body temperature drops and your brain waves get slower. Then you enter the third stage, known as deep sleep, when your body repairs your bones and muscles, strengthens your immune system, releases hormones and restores your energy.

After that, REM sleep begins, and your heart rate, breathing and brain activity all increase. Brain regions involved in processing emotions and sensory input (from your dream world) light up. Meanwhile, your brain paralyzes the muscles in your arms and legs, preventing you from acting out your dreams, Dasgupta explained.

Ideally, you move through the four stages in 90- to 110-minute cycles that repeat four to six times in a typical night. Then, after your last REM cycle, you wake up rested and alert, said Dr. Indira Gurubhagavatula, a sleep specialist at Penn Medicine and associate professor of medicine at the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia.

What are the benefits of REM sleep?

If you’ve ever gone to bed upset about something and woken up noticeably less bothered, it’s likely a result of the emotional processing and memory reconsolidation that happen during REM. There’s evidence that your brain divorces memories from their emotional charge — removing the “sharp,

painful edges” from life’s difficulties, said Matthew Walker, a professor of neuroscience and psychology and the founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley. REM is “like a form of overnight therapy,” he said.

REM also makes us better learners. During this sleep stage, your brain strengthens neural connections formed by the previous day’s experiences and integrates them into existing networks, Robbins said.

Walker added: “We take those new pieces of information and start colliding them with our back catalog of stored information. It’s almost a form of informational alchemy.”

Then, of course, there’s dreaming: The majority of our vivid dreaming takes place during REM. Some experts suspect that dreams are a mere byproduct of REM sleep — the mental manifestation of neurological work. But others think they might help people process painful experiences, Walker said.

And although most physical processes, like repairing bone and muscle tissues, happen during the non-REM sleep stages, some hormonal changes occur while someone is in REM, Walker said, like the release of testosterone (which peaks at the onset of the first REM cycle).

What happens if you don’t get enough REM?

Genetics and other factors can influence the amount of sleep you need, but most adults should aim for seven to nine hours each night, which includes about two hours of REM sleep, Gurubhagavatula said.

In general, you need less sleep as you age, including slightly less REM. But large deficits of REM sleep, no matter your age, can deprive you of its psychological benefits, Dasgupta said. You may have more trouble learning, processing emotional experiences or solving problems.

Dysregulated REM sleep is also linked with cognitive and mental health issues, like slower thinking and depression, said Dr. Ana Krieger, medical director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. Too little REM, fragmen-

ted REM and REM sleep behavior disorder — where muscle paralysis fails to happen and people physically act out their dreams, often by kicking or punching — are associated with neurological issues, from mild forgetfulness to dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

A 2020 study of more than 4,000 middle-aged and older adults found that each 5% decrease in REM sleep was linked with a 13% greater risk of dying from any cause over the next two decades. Lack of sleep in general is associated with death, but the research suggests that not getting enough REM sleep “is the single strongest factor of all stages,” Walker said.

Walker and other experts aren’t sure what to make of this relationship between REM sleep and mortality. “I don’t think we understand REM sleep well enough yet to definitively say which mechanisms are at play,” he said. Or, as Gurubhagavatula said, if lack of REM is actually causing death.

How do you know if you need more?

It is hard to tease apart signs of REM sleep deficiency from signs of overall sleep deprivation, Gurubhagavatula said. If you’re sleep-deprived, then you’re probably REM-deprived. Certain behaviors, however, can specifically compromise your REM sleep. “Cutting your sleep short by going to bed late and then using an alarm clock to wake up can put you at risk for chronic deprivation of REM sleep,” Gurubhagavatula said. That’s because the longest REM periods often happen at the end of the night.

Antidepressants can also reduce REM sleep or trigger REM sleep behavior disorder. And specific conditions — like narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea and depression — can elevate your risk of REM abnormalities, Dasgupta said. If you have one of these conditions and are feeling sleep deprived, seek guidance from a sleep specialist. With sleep apnea, for instance, “the minute we initiate therapy, people often get a REM rebound,” Dasgupta said.

Is it possible to prioritize REM sleep?

Although recent research suggests people may get slightly more REM sleep in the winter, it’s a modern myth that you can target one specific stage of sleep for improvement. “People want to manipulate sleep and have more of this particular stage, but the body doesn’t function like that,” Krieger said. The natural architecture of sleep is not something to tinker with, but to protect.

“The way to get healthy REM sleep is to focus on getting healthy sleep overall, and let your brain do the rest,” Gurubhagavatula said.

Waking up and going to bed at the same time every day helps your brain and body know when they should be resting, making sleep more efficient, Robbins said. Other behaviors that help regulate your biological clock include having a consistent eating schedule and not eating too late, exercising regularly, getting some morning sunlight and avoiding blue light in the evening.

Make sure to follow other sleep hygiene best practices, such as avoiding alcohol and stimulants like caffeine and nicotine (particularly later in the day) and maintaining a sleep environment that is dark, quiet and cool, Gurubhagavatula said. And don’t overlook the importance of a wind-down routine to help you shift from action to a night of rest and recovery — including that bizarrely busy time your brain spends in REM.

Dreaming, memory-making, problem-solving: A lot happens during the most active sleep phase.

Every woman can benefit from this pelvic floor workout

By DANIELLE FRIEDMAN

The pelvic floor muscles may be the most important muscles you never target with a workout. Like a trampoline that sits at the base of your pelvis, these muscles contribute to overall core strength and hold several organs in place — including the bladder, bowel and, for some, the vagina and uterus — ensuring they work properly.

Yet many people don’t even know these muscles exist, said Dr. Amy Park, the head of female pelvic medicine at the Cleveland Clinic — at least, not until they stop working properly. “There’s a general lack of awareness about the pelvic area,” Park said. “I educate women multiple times a day about the fact that we have pelvic floor muscles.”

They may not be visible like triceps or quads, she said, but they are vital for everything from basic bathroom functions to sexual health to sitting and standing — and they benefit from a fitness program.

The pelvic floor is “just as important in your daily life as your Achilles is for running, because we use it for everything,” said Liz Miracle, the head of clinical quality and education at the pelvic floor physical therapy provider Origin.

Historically, talking about this region of the body, even with one’s physician, has felt off limits to many. This prudishness has led to years of unnecessary suffering, said Evelyn Hecht, a pelvic floor physical therapist in New York City who began practicing in the 1990s: Many conditions could be treated or avoided entirely if women felt freer to discuss their symptoms, or if the public were better informed about the pelvic floor.

Nearly 1 in 3 American women suffers from a pelvic floor disorder, most commonly in the form of urinary incontinence, bowel incontinence, pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse or some combination of these problems.

But pelvic floor problems aren’t inevitable. Many pelvic issues can be prevented or mitigated by regularly stretching and strengthening these muscles. Most of us could benefit from “a personal trainer for our pelvic floor,” said Dr. Lauren Streicher, medical director of Northwestern University’s Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause.

Miracle, herself a physical therapist and a kind of personal trainer for the pelvis, recommended that all women who aren’t currently suffering from a pelvic floor disorder or injury incorporate six foundational exercises into their fitness routine, aiming to do them at least three times a week.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Learning how to move the diaphragm is key to connecting with, and then conditioning, your pelvic floor muscles.

— Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest.

— Inhale and feel your belly expand, then exhale slowly through your mouth. (Imagine a balloon in your belly: As you inhale, the balloon fills with air; as you exhale, the air slowly releases, as if your thumb were covering the opening and gradually letting it seep out.) Repeat 10 times.

Pelvic Floor Lengthening Exercise

Relaxing and lengthening the pelvic floor muscles, so they are capable of a full range of motion, is especially important for basic functions like using the bathroom without strain (think: avoiding constipation) and having penetrative sex without pain.

— Lie comfortably on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.

— Start with diaphragmatic breathing, inhaling deeply and allowing air to fill the bottom of your lungs. Feel your lower belly, lower back and pelvic floor gently stretch — or lengthen — outward with your breath.

— Exhale slowly through pursed lips, allowing your belly, back and pelvic floor to passively relax. Do not engage any muscles during the exhale; keep your pelvic floor fully rested. Imagine the aforementioned balloon expanding 360 degrees in all directions on the inhale. One of those directions is downward between your legs and toward the perineum (the area between the vagina and anus). As the belly rises passively, the perineum will also balloon down and out passively. Repeat 10 times.

Seated Kegels

While the previous exercise helps us relax the pelvic floor muscles, Kegels train us to contract them. This exercise helps us hold in urine, stool or gas when we feel the urge to use the bathroom and also works to build endurance in the pelvic floor muscles, so they’re able to hold up our organs and balance out pressure put on the abdomen throughout the day.

— Sit upright, your feet flat on the ground.

— Inhale through your nose, relaxing your pelvic floor as your belly and rib cage expand.

— As you exhale, squeeze and lift your pelvic floor muscles, holding the contraction throughout your exhale. Aim to hold for 10 seconds. It may help to imagine squeezing the muscles that stop the flow of urine in the front and hold back gas in the back — or to imagine these muscles picking up a marble and holding it inside. Engage the muscles inside your body, as opposed to simply squeezing your thighs or buttocks together.

— Fully relax for four to 10 seconds — or longer, if you need it. The release is important, since contracting the muscles without fully releasing can make them overly tight and restrict their range of motion. Complete three sets of 10 reps.

Quick Flicks

This exercise builds on Kegels by training the pelvic floor muscles to contract quickly — a skill that allows them to respond effectively to sudden, automatic bodily functions that create pressure inside the abdomen, such as coughing, sneezing or laughing. (It can also help to prevent incontinence, or “leaking,” in the face of this pressure.)

— Sit upright, your feet flat on the ground.

— Repeatedly contract and release the muscles that stop the flow of urine, aiming for at least seven squeezes over 10 seconds. Complete at least 30 squeeze-and-releases.

The Knack With a ‘Shhh’ Sound

While quick flicks train the pelvic floor muscles to respond quickly to the bodily functions that put pressure on the abdomen, this exercise helps build strength and endurance in the face of this pressure.

— Sit upright, your feet flat on the ground.

— Inhale through your nose, relaxing your pelvic floor as your rib cage and belly expand.

— As you begin to exhale, squeeze and lift your pelvic floor muscles, then make a quick, forceful “shh” sound from your mouth while maintaining the hold.

— From there, exhale fully and slowly through pursed lips, allowing your belly, back and pelvic floor to passively recoil. Complete three sets of 10 reps.

Belly Lifts

This exercise targets your transverse abdominis muscles, which sit in the lower abdomen and support the core. These muscles work with the pelvic floor muscles to help you with sitting, standing and doing any workout that requires balance or stability.

— Start on your hands and knees, with your hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Focus your gaze between your hands.

— Inhale, filling your belly with air and relaxing it toward the ground.

— Exhale and pull your belly button in toward your spine. This should activate your transverse abdominal muscles. Keep your back flat throughout the movement. (Imagine your belly is again full of air, like a balloon — now squeeze the air out of your balloon using your ab muscles, tightening them to your spine.) Repeat 10 times.

A demonstration of The Knack with a “shhh” sound, which involves lifting and firming the pelvic floor muscles to withstand downward pressure from within the abdomen, at a studio in Portland, Ore., Feb. 12, 2023.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU-

NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE UTUADO

FIRSTBANK

PUERTO RICO

Parte Demandante Vs.

SUCESIÓN DE ANTONIA

NEGRÓN NEGRÓN

COMPUESTA POR DIXIE

AURORA COLLAZO

NEGRÓN; EMÉRITO COLLAZO NEGRÓN; MARÍA DEL CARMEN

COLLAZO NEGRÓN T/C/C

MARICARMEN COLLAZO NEGRÓN; FULANO Y

SUTANO DE TAL COMO

POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS; CRIM

Parte Demandada

Civil Núm.: UT2022CV00105.

Salón Núm.: (10). Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA Y COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA, ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE P.R., SS.

A: SUCESIÓN DE ANTONIA NEGRÓN NEGRÓN COMPUESTA

POR DIXIE AURORA COLLAZO NEGRÓN; EMÉRITO COLLAZO

NEGRÓN; MARÍA DEL CARMEN COLLAZO NEGRÓN T/C/C

MARICARMEN COLLAZO NEGRÓN; FULANO Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS; CENTRO DE RECAUDACION DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES

(CRIM): DEPARTAMENTO DE HACIENDA: Y AL PÚBLICO EN GENERAL:

El Alguacil que suscribe, certifica y hace constar que en cumplimiento de Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que me ha sido dirigido por la Secretaría del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Utuado, procederé a vender en pública subasta y al mejor postor, por separado, de contado y por moneda de curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América. Todo pago recibido por el (la)

Alguacil por concepto de subastas será en efectivo, giro postal o cheque certificado a nombre del (de la) Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia. Todo derecho, título, participación e interés que le corresponda

a la parte demandada o cualquiera de ellos en el inmueble hipotecado objeto de ejecución que se describe a continuación:

RÚSTICA: Localizada en el Barrio Viví Abajo del Municipio de Utuado, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de cero punto ocho mil cuatrocientos treinta y una diez milésimas de cuerda, equivalentes a tres mil trescientos doce con sesenta y cinco céntimos de otro cuadrados.. En lindes por el NORTE y ESTE, con una quebrada que la separa de terrenos propiedad de Luis Alicea, por el SUR, con la Carretera Estatal número ciento once (111) y con la finca de San Miguel Hermanos, Inc., antes, hoy Brisas del Viví Incorporado y por el OESTE, con la finca principal de donde se segrega. Consta inscrita al folio 185 del tomo 310 de Utuado, finca número #12,389 Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección de Utuado. La propiedad objeto de ejecución está localizada en la siguiente dirección: PR 111 KM 4.9, VIVI ABAJO WD, UTUADO, PR 00612. Se informa que la propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravamen posterior, una vez sea otorgada la escritura de venta judicial y obtenida la Orden y Mandamiento de cancelación de gravamen posterior. (Art. 51, Ley 2102015). En relación a la finca a subastarse, se establece como tipo mínimo de licitación en la Primera Subasta la suma de $78,500.00, según consta de la escritura número 383, otorgada en Hatillo, Puerto Rico, el día 8 de agosto de 2005, ante el notario Félix Oscar Rivera Borges, e inscrita al folio 15 del tomo 559 de Utuado, finca número 12,389 inscripción 10ma., debidamente modificada la hipoteca por la suma de $78,500.00, la cual se cancela parcialmente en la suma de $4,173.32, quedando reducida a la suma de $74,326.61, según consta de la escritura número 410, otorgada en Hatillo, Puerto Rico, el día 5 de octubre de 2011, ante el notario Teresa Jiménez Meléndez, e inscrita al folio 15 del tomo 559 de Utuado, finca número 12,389, nota marginal inscripción 10ma. La PRIMERA SUBASTA, se llevará a cabo el día 6 DE JUNIO DE 2023 A

LAS 1:30 DE LA TARDE, en mis oficinas sitas en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Utuado, el tipo mínimo para la primera subasta es la suma de $78,500.00. Si la primera subasta del inmueble no produjere remate, ni adjudicación, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA el día 13 DE

JUNIO DE 2023 A LAS 1:30 DE

LA TARDE, en el mismo sitio y servirá de tipo mínimo las dos terceras partes del precio pactada para la primera subasta, o sea, la suma de $52,333.33. Si la segunda subasta no produjere remate, ni adjudicación, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 21 DE JUNIO

DE 2023 A LAS 1:30 DE LA TARDE, en el mismo lugar y regirá como tipo mínimo de la tercera subasta la mitad del precio pactado para la primera, o sea, la suma de $39,250.00. Dicha subasta se llevará a cabo, para con su producto satisfacer a la parte demandante el importe de la Sentencia dictada a su favor, a saber: Suma Principal de $69,741.52, con intereses a 6.875% anual, desde el 1ro de marzo de 2020, hasta el presente y los que se continúen acumulando hasta su total y completo pago, más los cargos por demora que se corresponden a los plazos atrasados desde la fecha anteriormente indicada a razón de la tasa pactada de 5% de cualquier pago que éste en mora por más de quince (15) días desde la fecha de su vencimiento, más una suma equivalente a $7,850.00, por concepto de costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado, más cualquier otra suma que resulte por cualesquiera otros adelantos que se hayan hecho la demandante, en virtud de las disposiciones de la escritura de hipoteca y del Pagaré hipotecario. Para más información, a las personas interesadas se les notifica que los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado, estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal, durante las horas laborables. Este EDICTO DE SUBASTA, se publicará en los lugares públicos correspondientes y en un periódico de circulación general en la jurisdicción de Puerto Rico. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los referentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante continuarán subsistentes. Se entenderá que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Se procederá a otorgar la correspondiente Escritura de Venta Judicial y el Alguacil pondrá en posesión judicial al nuevo dueño, si así se lo solicita dentro del término de veinte (20) días, de conformidad con las disposiciones de Ley. Si transcurren los referidos veinte (20) días, el tribunal po-

drá ordenar, sin necesidad de ulterior procedimiento, que se lleve a efecto el desalojo o lanzamiento del ocupante u ocupantes de la finca o de todos los que por orden o tolerancia del deudor la ocupen. Expedido en Utuado, Puerto Rico, a 3 de febrero de 2023. ALG. RICARDO ACEVEDO RIVERA, ALGUACIL PLACA #414.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE MANATÍ BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Parte Demandante Vs. JOANET MARIE COLÓN MORALES T/C/C JOANET M. COLÓN MORALES T/C/C JOANET COLÓN MORALES Y HÉCTOR MANUEL RIVERA MARTIN

Parte Demandada

Civil Núm.: MT2022CV00340. (102). Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA “IN REM”. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. AVISO DE PÚBLICA SUBASTA. El Alguacil que suscribe por la presente anuncia y hace constar que en cumplimiento de la Sentencia en Rebeldía dictada el 22 de agosto de 2022, la Orden de Ejecución de Sentencia del 11 de enero de 2023 y el Mandamiento de Ejecución del 20 de enero de 2023 en el caso de epígrafe, procederé a vender el día 10 DE MAYO DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Manatí, en la Carretera Número Dos (#2) en el Centro de Gobierno de Manatí, al lado del Cuartel de la Policía, Manatí, Puerto Rico, al mejor postor en pago de contado y en moneda de los Estados Unidos de América, cheque de gerente o giro postal a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal; todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada sobre la siguiente propiedad: URBANA: Urbanización Brisas De Mar Chiquita de Manatí. Lote: E guion Dieciocho (E-18). Barrio Tierras Nuevas Saliente. Cabida: 302.25 metros cuadrados. Linderos: NORTE: con Solar Número E guion Diecinueve (E-19) separado por un muro en una distancia de 23.25 metros; por el SUR: con el Solar Número E guion Diecisiete (E-17) separada por un muro en una distancia de 23.25 metros; por el ESTE: con

Calle Número Siete (7) en una distancia de 13.00 metros; por el OESTE: con el Solar Número E guion Siete (E-7), en una distancia de 13.00 metros. En el solar enclava una casa estructura de hormigón armado y bloques. La misma consta de tres (3) cuartos dormitorios, dos (2) baños, sala, comedor, cocina, marquesina doble y demás dependencias. El solar está afectado por una servidumbre de paso de 1.52 metros de ancho a lo largo de la colindancia Este para infraestructura de cable y telefonía. La propiedad y la escritura de hipoteca constan inscritas al tomo Karibe de Manatí, Finca 20369. Registro de la Propiedad de Manatí. Inscripción segunda. DIRECCIÓN FÍSICA: MAR CHIQUITA, E18 CALLE 7, MANATÍ, PR 00674. Número de Catastro: 08-034022-629-18-000. El tipo mínimo para la primera subasta será de $144,942.00. De no haber adjudicación en la primera subasta se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA, el 17 DE MAYO DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será de dos terceras partes del tipo mínimo fijado en la primera subasta, o sea, $96,628.00. De no haber adjudicación en la segunda subasta, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA 24 DE MAYO DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será la mitad del precio pactado, o sea, $72,471.00. Si se declarase desierta la tercera subasta, se adjudicará la finca a favor del acreedor por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada si ésta es igual o menor que el monto del tipo de la tercera subasta, si el tribunal lo estima conveniente. Se abonará dicho monto a la cantidad adeudada si ésta es mayor. Dicho remate se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a la demandante el importe de la Sentencia en Rebeldía por la suma de $132,747.81 de principal, más intereses sobre dicha suma al 5.5% anual desde el 1 de marzo de 2013 hasta su completo pago, más $2,797.06 de recargos acumulados, los cuales continuarán en aumento hasta el saldo total de la deuda, más la cantidad estipulada de $14,494.20 para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogados, así como cualquier otra suma que contenga el contrato del préstamo. Surge del Estudio de Título Registral que sobre esta propiedad pesa el siguiente gravamen posterior a la hipoteca que por la presente se pretende ejecutar: Aviso de Demanda: Pleito seguido

por Banco Popular de Puerto Rico Vs. Joanet Marie Colón Morales t/c/c Joanet M. Colón Morales t/c/c Joanet Colón Morales y Héctor Manuel Rivera Martin, ante el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Manatí, en el Caso Civil Número MT2022CV00340 sobre Cobro de Dinero y Ejecución de Hipoteca en la que se reclama el pago de hipoteca con un balance de $132,747.81 y otras cantidades, según Demanda de fecha 12 de mayo de 2022. Anotada al Tomo Karibe de Manatí. Anotación A. Se notifica al acreedor posterior o a su sucesor o cesionario en derecho para que comparezca a proteger su derecho si así lo desea. Se les advierte a los interesados que todos los documentos relacionados con la presente acción de ejecución de hipoteca, así como los de Subasta, estarán disponibles para ser examinados, durante horas laborables, en el expediente del caso que obra en los archivos de la Secretaría del Tribunal, bajo el número de epígrafe y para su publicación en un periódico de circulación general en Puerto Rico por espacio de dos semanas y por lo menos una vez por semana; y para su fijación en los sitios públicos requeridos por ley. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante, continuarán subsistentes; entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate y que la propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores tal como lo expresa la Ley Núm. 210-2015. Y para el conocimiento de los demandados, de los acreedores posteriores, de los licitadores, partes interesadas y público en general, EXPIDO para su publicación en los lugares públicos correspondientes, el presente Aviso de Pública Subasta en Manatí, Puerto Rico, hoy 6 de febrero de 2023. Wilfredo Díaz Quiñones, Alguacil Placa #914, Alguacil, Tribunal De Primera Instancia, Sala Superior De Manatí.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAROLINA SALA SUPERIOR. BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

PARTE DEMANDANTE VS. GRISSELL RODRÍGUEZ

PADUA T/C/C GISELLE RODRÍGUEZ PADUA T/C/C GRISSSELL RODRÍGUEZ PADUA

PARTE DEMANDADA

CIVIL NÚM. CA2021CV03335.

SALA: 407. SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO. SS. AVISO DE PÚBLICA SUBASTA. El Alguacil que suscribe por la presente anuncia y hace constar que en cumplimiento de la Sentencia dictada el 23 de febrero de 2022, la Orden de Ejecución de Sentencia del 25 de mayo de 2022 y el Mandamiento de Ejecución del 30 de enero de 2023 en el caso de epígrafe, procederé a vender el día 2 de mayo de 2023, a las 9:30 de la mañana, en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Centro Judicial de Carolina, Sala Superior, en la Avenida 65 Infantería, Carretera Número Tres (3), Kilómetro 11.7 (Entrada de la Urbanización Mansiones de Carolina) Carolina, Puerto Rico, al mejor postor en pago de contado y en moneda de los Estados Unidos de América, cheque de gerente o giro postal a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal; todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada sobre la siguiente propiedad:

URBANA: PROPIEDAD HO-

RIZONTAL: Apartamento número 609 localizado en la sexta planta del Condominio Paseo de Monteflores localizado en el Barrio Martín González del término municipal de Carolina, Puerto Rico. Tiene una cabida aproximada de 901.22 pies cuadrados, equivalentes a 83.77 metros cuadrados. Colindando por el NORTE, con elementos comunes del exterior; por el SUR, con elementos comunes del exterior; por el ESTE, con el apartamento número 610 y con elementos comunes; y por el OESTE, con elementos comunes del exterior. Consta de sala, comedor, cocina, baños, lavandería, linen room, cuarto de almacenaje, tres (3) cuartos dormitorios y balcón. La puerta de entrada de este apartamento está localizada en el lado Sur Este. Este apartamento tiene una participación en los elementos comunes generales del condominio de 0.005797%. A este apartamento le corresponde un espacio de estacionamiento identificado con el número 172.

Inscrita al folio 194 del tomo 1398 de Carolina, finca número 57624, Registro de la Propiedad de Carolina, Sección II. La escritura de hipoteca consta inscrita al folio 194 vuelto del tomo 1398 de Carolina, finca número 57624, Registro de la Propiedad de Carolina, Sección II. Inscripción tercera. Dirección Física: Cond. Paseo de Monteflores, Apt. 609, Carolina, PR 00987. Número de Catastro: 20-088-064-194-01-065. El tipo mínimo para la primera subasta será de $87,308.00. De no haber adjudicación en la primera subasta se celebrará una segunda subasta, el día 9 de mayo de 2023, a las 9:30 de la mañana, en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será de dos terceras partes del tipo mínimo fijado en la primera subasta, o sea, $58,205.33. De no haber adjudicación en la segunda subasta, se celebrará una tercera subasta, el día 16 de mayo de 2023, a las 9:30 de la mañana, en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será la mitad del precio pactado, o sea, $43,654.00. Si se declarase desierta la tercera subasta, se adjudicará la finca a favor del acreedor por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada si ésta es igual o menor que el monto del tipo de la tercera subasta, si el tribunal lo estima conveniente. Se abonará dicho monto a la cantidad adeudada si ésta es mayor. Dicho remate se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a la demandante el importe de la Sentencia por la suma de $78,210.97 de principal, más intereses sobre dicha suma al 5% anual desde el 1 de febrero de 2020 hasta su completo pago, más $297.75 de recargos acumulados, los cuales continuarán en aumento hasta el saldo total de la deuda, más la cantidad estipulada de $8,730.80 para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogados, así como cualquier otra suma que contenga el contrato del préstamo. Surge del Estudio de Título Registral que sobre esta propiedad pesa el siguiente gravamen posterior a la hipoteca que por la presente se pretende ejecutar: Aviso de Demanda: Pleito seguido por Banco Popular de Puerto Rico Vs. Grissell (así consta) Rodríguez Padua (soltera) también conocida como Giselle Rodríguez Padua y Grisssell Rodríguez Pauda, ante el Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Carolina, en el Caso Civil Número CA2021CV03335, sobre Cobro de Dinero y Ejecución de Hipoteca, en la que se reclama el pago de hipoteca, con un

Rico 00918-3412, dirección postal P.O. Box 367265, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936, Tel.

787-475-2288. Se le informa además, que el Tribunal ha señalado vista en este caso para el 3 DE ABRIL DE 2023, A LAS

1:30 DE LA TARDE en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia Sala de Guaynabo, a la cual usted puede comparecer asistido por abogado y presentar oposición a la petición. Este edicto deberá ser publicado en tres (3) ocasiones dentro del término de veinte (20) días, en un periódico de circulación general diaria, para que comparezcan si quieren alegar su derecho. Toda primera mención de persona natural y/o jurídica que se mencione en el mismo. Se identificará en letra tamaño 10 punto y negrillas, conforme a lo dispuesto en las Reglas de Procedimiento Civil, 2009. Se le apercibe que de no comparecer los interesados y/o partes citadas, o en su defecto los organismos públicos afectados en el término improrrogable de veinte (20) días a contar de la fecha de la última publicación de edicto, el Tribunal podrá conceder el remedio solicitado por la parte peticionaria, sin más citarle ni oírle. En Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, a 7 de febrero de 2023. LCDA. LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. LUISA I. ANDINO AYALA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN

LUIS MANUEL

TORRES TRINIDAD

Parte Peticionaria EXPARTE

Caso Núm.: GB2022CV00982. 605. Sobre: EXPEDIENTE DE DOMINIO. EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS

E.E.U.U., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PR, SS.

A: LAS PERSONAS IGNORADAS Y DESCONOCIDAS A QUIENES PUDIERA PERJUDICAR LA INSCRIPCIÓN DEL DOMINIO A FAVOR DE LA PARTE PETICIONARIA

EN EL REGISTRO DE LA PROPIEDAD DE LA FINCA

QUE MÁS ADELANTE SE DESCRIBIRÁ Y A TODA

PERSONA EN GENERAL

QUE CON DERECHO

PARA ELLO DESEE OPONERSE A ESTE EXPEDIENTE.

POR LA PRESENTE se les notifica para que comparezcan, si lo creyeren pertinente, ante

este Honorable Tribunal dentro de los veinte (20) días contados a partir de la última publicación de este edicto a exponer lo que a sus derechos convenga en el expediente promovido por la parte peticionaria para adquirir su dominio sobre la finca que se describe más adelante. Usted deberá presentar su posición 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 presente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación en la secretaría del Tribunal. Si usted deja de expresarse dentro del referido término, el Tribunal podrá dictar sentencia, previo a escuchar la prueba de valor de la parte peticionaria en su contra, sin más citarle ni oírle y conceder el remedio solicitando en la petición o cualquier otro, si el Tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. RÚSTICA: Predio de terreno radicado en el Barrio Frailes del término municipal de Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de Cuatrocientos Uno Punto Uno Siete Ocho Cero (401.1780) Metros

Cuadrados equivalentes a cero punto uno cero tres cero (0.1030) cuerdas. Además, tiene una franja de terreno a dedicarse a uso público con una cabida de veintiocho punto cinco seis dos cero (28.5620) metros cuadrados, equivalentes a cero punto cero cero siete dos (0.0072) cuerdas. Colindado por el NORTE, con Felipe Rodríguez Balaguer; por el SUR, con camino municipal; por el ESTE, con camino municipal; y por el OESTE, con Julio Catalá Cortez. La propiedad antes descrita no está tasada para fines contributivos. El número de catastro de la finca principal es 114-025-121-08-000. Valorada en la cantidad de diez mil dólares ($10,000.00). La abogada de la parte peticionaria es la Lcda. Lizibel Salazar Acevedo, con oficina en la Avenida Ponce de León 452, Edif. Asociación de Maestros, Oficina 514, San Juan, Puerto Rico 009183412, dirección postal P.O. Box 367265, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936, Tel. 787-475-2288. Se le informa además, que el Tribunal ha señalado vista en este caso para el 4 DE ABRIL DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia Sala de Guaynabo, a la cual usted puede comparecer asistido por abogado y presentar oposición a la petición. Este edicto deberá ser publicado en tres (3) ocasiones dentro del término de veinte (20) días, en un periódico de circulación general diaria, para que comparezcan si quieren alegar su derecho. Toda primera mención

de persona natural y/o jurídica que se mencione en el mismo. Se identificará en letra tamaño 10 punto y negrillas, conforme a lo dispuesto en las Reglas de Procedimiento Civil, 2009. Se le apercibe que de no comparecer los interesados y/o partes citadas, o en su defecto los organismos públicos afectados en el término improrrogable de veinte (20) días a contar de la fecha de la última publicación de edicto, el Tribunal podrá conceder el remedio solicitado por la parte peticionaria, sin más citarle ni oírle. En Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, a 2 de febrero de 2023. LCDA. LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. NÉLIDA OCASIO ORTEGA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL I. ***

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE PONCE COMMERCIAL EQUIPMENT FINANCE, INC

Parte Demandante Vs. TIERRA MIA FARMS, CORP.; CARLOS ANGEL RODRIGUEZ ALFONSO

Parte Demandada

Civil Núm.: SJ2022CV04228.

Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y REPOSESIÓN DE GARANTÍA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: TIERRA MIA FARMS, CORP.; CARLOS ANGEL RODRIGUEZ ALFONSO, PARA SER NOTIFICADO POR EDICTO.

P/C: LCDO. JUAN CARLOS FORTUÑO FAS. PO BOX 3908, GUAYNABO, PUERTO RICO 00970.

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

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que 28 de diciembre de 2022 este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representado usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edic-

to 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 28 de febrero de 2023. En Ponce, Puerto Rico, el 28 de febrero de 2023. CARMEN G. TIRÚ QUIÑONES, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. LOYDA TORRES IRIZARRY, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE FAJARDO LAS CASAS DE RIO MAR HOMEOENRS ASSOCIATION, INC.

Demandante V. CARLOS JOSÉ ROMÁN VEGA

Demandado(a)

Civil: RG2022CV00431. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO, PROCEDIMIENTO ORDINARIO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: CARLOS JOSÉ

ROMAN VEGA: THE VILLAGE AT THE HILL, #81 CALLE SUNBAY, CEIBA, PR 00735. (Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 23 de febrero de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 1 de marzo de 2023. En FAJARDO, Puerto Rico, el 1 de marzo de 2023.

WANDA I. SEGUÍ REYES, SECRETARIA. JENIFFER CARRASQUILLO GONZÁLEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

NAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE CAGUAS AIDA MARIA ROLÓN MELÉNDEZ

Demandante V. EX PARTE

Demandado(a)

Civil: CG2022CV03431. Sala: 304. Sobre: EXPEDIENTE DE DOMINIO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: CUALQUIER PERSONA

QUE PUDIESE TENER INTERÉS Y TODA

PERSONA A QUIEN

PUDIERA PERJUDICAR LA INSCRIPCIÓN SOLICITADA.

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

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 10 de febrero de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 16 de febrero de 2023. En Caguas, Puerto Rico, el 16 de febrero de 2023. LISILDA MARTÍNEZ AGOSTO, SECRETARIA. GLORISSETTE RIVERA REYES, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA SALA SUPERIOR DE HATILLO BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Demandante V. SUCESION DE RAMON MERCADO QUILES, ET ALS

Demandado(a)

Civil: AR2022CV00439. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: RAMON EDGARDO MERCADO GUZMAN T/C/C RAMON EDGAR MERCADO GUZMAN,

IVETTE MERCADO

GUZMAN T/C/C BIBI

MERCADO, EDNA

MERCADO GUZMAN

T/C/C LILA MERCADO, EVELYN MERCADO

FIGUEROA, RAMON

MERCADO FIGUEROA

T/C/C RAMON MERCADO

JR. T/C/C RAMON JR.

MERCADO FIGUEROA Y RICHARD MERCADO

FIGUEROA T/C/C

RICHI MERCADO COMO HEREDEROS CONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESION DE RAMON MERCADO QUILES COMPUESTA; SUCESION DE FIDENCIA PADILLA

FIGUEROA; FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANA DE TAL COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS Y/O PARTES CON INTERES EN DICHAS SUCESIONES. (Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 27 de febrero de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 28 de febrero de 2023. En Hatillo, Puerto Rico, el 28 de febrero de 2023. VIVIAN Y. FRESSE GONZÁLEZ, SECRETARIA. SUHAIL SERRANO MOYA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA. Tribunal de Primera Instancia Sala Superior de BAYAMON.

RUBEN TORRES

CINTRÓN Y SUSANA

CINTRON TORRES

Demandante v. COOPERATIVA DE AHORRO Y CRÉDITO DE

BARRANQUITAS Y JOHN DOE Demandado(a)

Civil: BY2022CV05652. SALA

502. Sobre: CANCELACION DE PAGARE EXTRAVIADO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: JOHN DOE

(Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que 27 de febrero de 2023 este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representado usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 28 de febrero de 2023. En Bayamon, Puerto Rico, el 28 de febrero de 2023. LCDA. LAURA I. SANTA SANCHEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. SANDRA I BAEZ HERNANDEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

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

LA COOPERATIVA DE AHORRO Y CREDITO LA PUERTORRIQUEÑA

Demandante Vs. JESUS CATALINO

ROSARIO RODRIGUEZ

AHORA LA SUCESIÓN DE JESUS CATALINO

ROSARIO RODRIGUEZ, COMPUESTA POR

FULANO DE TAL Y MENGANO DE TAL, HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS CON INTERES

Demandados

Civil: CG2022CV01510. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO & EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA

POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS E.E.U.U., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO

DE PUERTO RICO.

A: JEAN CARLOS ROSARIO AYALA Y GLADYS DENISSE ROSARIO AYALA COMO

PARTE DE LA SUCESIÓN DE JESUS CATALINO ROSARIO RODRIGUEZ A SU ÚLTIMA DIRECCIÓN CONOCIDA: URB. JARDINES DE CEIBA NORTE, CALLE 2, B-12, JUNCOS, PUERTO RICO, 00777.

MENGANO DE TAL, POSIBLE HEREDERO DESCONOCIDO DE JESUS CATALINO ROSARIO RODRIGUEZ. (Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 23 de febrero de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 28 de febrero de 2023. En Caguas, Puerto Rico, el 28 de febrero de 2023. LISILDA MARTÍNEZ AGOSTO, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. MARTA E. DONA TE RESTO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR. LEGAL NOTICE

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO. BANESCO USA, Plaintiff, v. CENTRO

CITOPATOLÓGICO

DEL CARIBE, INC.; LABORATORIO CLÍNICO EL CENTRO, INC.; OFICINAS DEL CENTRO, INC.; PUERTO RICO

INSTITUTE OF PATHOLOGY, INC.; ELIUD LÓPEZ VÉLEZ; CRISTINA

GÓMEZ D’ANGELO; ARMANDO TROCHE OLIVIERI; HIS WIFE

KATHERINE DÁVILA MORALES; AND THEIR CONJUGAL LEGAL PARTNERSHIP, Defendants

Case No. 19-1697 (PAD). NOTICE OF SALE.

TO: DEFENDANTS AND GENERAL PUBLIC

On February 1, 2022, the Court entered Judgment in favor of plaintiff, Banesco USA (“Banesco”) and against defendants, Centro Citopatológico del Caribe, Inc.; Oficinas del Centro, Inc.; Puerto Rico Institute of Pathology, Inc.; Eliud López Vélez; and Cristina Gómez D’Angelo; (“Defendants”). As of February 27, 2020, Defendants owe Banesco the total amount of $1,380,025.92 consisting of $974,721.66 of principal, plus interest at a rate of $216.54 per diem. The interest continues to accrue until the debt is paid in full. Defendants also owe Banesco accrued late charges and any other advance, charge, fee or disbursements made by Banesco on behalf of Defendants, in accordance with the mortgage deeds, plus costs, charges and disbursements, expenses, plus the amount of $220,550.00 in attorneys’ fees. The amounts owed by codefendant Centro Citopatológico will be satisfied only with the proceedings obtained from the judicial sale of the property. The amounts owed by codefendant Centro Citopatológico del Caribe, Inc. will be satisfied only with the proceedings obtained from the judicial sale of the properties. Pursuant to said judgment and/or the Order of Execution of Judgment, the undersigned appointed Special Master was ordered to sell, at public auction for U.S. currency in cash or certified check, without appraisement or right to redemption, to the highest bidder, at the office of the Clerk of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, Room 150 - Federal Building, Carlos Chardón Avenue, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, or at any other place designated by said Clerk, to cover the sums adjudged to be paid to the plaintiff, the following property: PROPERTY H: URBAN:

HORIZONTAL PROPERTY:

Apartment No.602 of PELICAN REEF CONDOMINIUM, Apartment Building, located in Corsica ward, of the municipality of Rincón, Puerto Rico. This apartment is built in reinforced concrete. Single level, with its entrance door from the exterior corridor by the east boundary, and that goes to the corridor that leads to the lobby of elevators and stairs by which you reach the first level of the building and from there to the parking building. This apartment has a total area of approximately

715.32 square feet, equivalent to 66.4554 square meters. In boundaries by the NORTH, in 33’9” equivalent to 10.29 meters, with dividing wall that separates it from apartment 603; by the SOUTH, in 33’9” equivalent to 10.29 meters, with a dividing wall that separates it from apartment 601 and the exterior corridor that is a common area; by the EAST, in 30’0” equivalent to 9.14 meters, with dividing wall that separates it from the exterior corridor that is common area; and by the WEST, in 30’0” equivalent to 9.14 meters, with dividing wall that separates it from apartment 603 and with railing that separates it from the common exterior area. This apartment consists: entrance hall, kitchen with closet for laundry equipment, living room, balcony, linen closet, bathroom and master bedroom with closet. This apartment corresponds to parking No.81 on the first level of the parking lot in front of the apartment building.

Percentage: 1.5440% in the common elements of the Condominium. The property described above is recorded at page 119 of volume 161 of Rincón, property number 8,155, Registry of Property, Section of Aguadilla. The property is subject to the following liens: By its origin: Easement in favor of Autoridad de Fuentes Fluviales. By itself:

MORTGAGE in guarantee of note in favor of Popular Mortgage, or to its order, in the principal amount of $189,190.00, with a annual interest rate of 5 7/8% and due on July 1, 2035, as per Deed No. 299, executed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on June 30, 2005, before Notary Public Namyr I. Hernández Sánchez, recorded at page 119 of volume 161 of Rincón, 2nd inscription. At entry 900 of journal 861, on January 21, 2015, Deed #3 was presented, executed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on January 28, 2013, before the Notary Public Mayra Rotger Meléndez, through which appeared Alejo Edgar Nery Beyer, t/c/c Edgar Alejo Nery Beyer, Edgar Nery Beyer and Edgar Nery Beijer, single; and María Cristina GÓMEZ D’Angelo, t/c/c Cristina Gómez D’Angelo, Cristina Gómez Nery and Doctor Cristina Nery, single, whose marriage was declared broken and dissolved by Judgment of December 6, 2012, followed in the Court of First Instance, Superior Chamber of San Juan, in Civil Case #KDI2012-1470, which is attached. Alejo Edgar Nery Beyer sells his participation in favor of María Cristina Gómez D’Angelo for the price of $20,000.00. In entry 901 of journal 861, on January 21, 2015, deed #20 was presented, executed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on October 31, 2014, before the Notary Rafael

L. Rovira Arbona, through the which appears Cristina Gómez D’Angelo, t/c/c Cristina Gómez Nery, single, to establish a Mortgage as collateral for a promissory note in favor of Banesco USA, or at its order, for the principal sum of $172,500.00, with interest at 12% per year and due on presentation. BANESCO USA Bank is holder by endorsement of the promissory note of $189,190.00 and POSTPONES said debt to the one hereby constituted; attesting the notary to add an “allonge”.

At entry 2022-052206-AG01 on April 22, 2022, Order and Writ Attachment dated April 21, 2022 was filed in civil case #19-1697 (PAD) in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Plaintiff Banesco USA; Defendant: Caribbean Cytopathological Center Inc. Amount claimed: $1,380,025.92. Potential bidders are advised to verify the extent of preferential liens with the holders thereof. It shall be understood that each bidder accepts as sufficient the title and that prior and preferential liens to the one being foreclosed upon, including but not limited to any property tax, liens, (express, tacit, implied or legal), shall continue in effect. It being understood further that the successful bidder accepts them and is subrogated in the responsibility for the same and that the bid price shall not be applied toward their cancellation. The lien executed is the Order and Writ of Attachment over the property, and for the purposes of the first judicial sale the minimum bid amount is the amount of $172,500.00. Said sale to be made by the appointed Special Master is subject to confirmation by the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and the deed of conveyance and possession to the property may be executed and delivered after the judicial sale. Upon confirmation of the sale, an order shall be issued canceling all junior liens. THEREFORE, public notice is hereby given that the appointed Special Master, pursuant to the provisions of the Judgment herein before referred to, will, on the April 21st, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., in the Office of the Clerk of the United States District Court, Federal Building, 350 Chardon Avenue, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, will sell at public auction to the highest bidder the property described herein, the proceeds of said sale to be applied in the manner and form provided by the Court’s Judgment. The records of the case and of these proceedings may be examined by the parties at the Office of the Clerk of the United States District Court, Federal Building, Chardón Avenue, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. In San Juan, Puer-

to Rico, this 3rd day of March, 2023. Aguedo de la Torre, Appointed Special Master.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN. BGI LLC, Demandante, v. JOSÉ LUIS

MALDONADO FUERTES, SU ESPOSA BRUNILDA SALGADO DÁVILA, Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES COMPUESTA POR AMBOS

Demandados

CIVIL NÚM.: BY2021CV05176 (701). SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. AVISO DE SUBASTA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA EL PUEBLO DE PUERTO RICO. S.S. YO, el(la) Alguacil que suscribe, por la presente anuncia y hace constar, que en cumplimiento del Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia, expedido el 31 de enero de 2023 por la Secretaría del Tribunal de Bayamón, procederé a vender en pública subasta y al mejor postor, quien pagará el importe de la venta en dinero efectivo o en cheque certificado o de gerente, a la orden del Alguacil suscribiente, en moneda del curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América, el día 27 de marzo de 2023, a la(s) 9:00 a.m., en las oficinas del Alguacil del Tribunal de Bayamón, todo título, derecho o interés que corresponda a la parte demandada sobre el inmueble que se describe a continuación: RÚSTICA: BARRIO SABANA SECA de Toa Baja. Solar: 234-A. Cabida: 647.29 Metros Cuadrados. LINDEROS: Por el NORTE, con la Carretera Estatal número 867; por el SUR, con la calle 14-A de la comunidad; por el ESTE, con las parcelas 234 y 234-D de la comunidad; y por el OESTE, con la parcela 265 de la comunidad. Contiene estructura de hormigón armado. Inscrita al Folio 103 del tomo 297 de Toa Baja, Finca número 17,697, Registro de la Propiedad de Bayamón, Segunda Sección. Dirección Física: Lot 234-A, PR 867, Barrio Ingenio, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico 00949. La propiedad descrita anteriormente está afecta a los siguientes gravámenes: Afecta por su procedencia: Por sí: HIPOTECA: En garantía de un pagaré a favor de Doral Mortgage Corporation, o a su orden, por la suma de $113,600.00, con interés al 9½%, y vencedero el 1 de octubre de 2019, según consta

de la escritura #168, otorgada en Bayamón, Puerto Rico, el día 11 de octubre de 2002, ante el Notario Público David Gómez, inscrita al tomo Karibe de Toa Baja, inscripción 7ma. ANOTACIÓN DE DEMANDA: Es objeto de esta anotación la Hipoteca a favor de Doral Mortgage Corporation, por la suma de $113,600.00 que surge de la inscripción #7. DEMANDANTE: Bautista Cayman Asset Company; DEMANDADO: José Luis Maldonado Fuertes y su esposa Brunilda Salgado Dávila, cantidad adeudada $260,857.82, por concepto de principal más intereses, según Demanda expedida por el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Bayamón, caso Civil #BY2021CV05176 el día 20 de diciembre de 2021m inscrito al tomo Karibe de Toa Baja, Anotación A de fecha del 13 de enero de 2022. Conforme lo estipulado en la Hipoteca, en caso de ejecución, la Propiedad anteriormente descrita responde por la suma de $113,600.00 cuyo valor servirá como tipo mínimo en la primera subasta en caso de ejecución. De no adjudicarse la propiedad en la primera subasta, se celebrará una segunda subasta, en las oficinas del Alguacil del Tribunal de Bayamón, el día 3 de abril de 2023, a la(s) 9:00 a.m. El tipo mínimo para la segunda subasta será dos terceras partes (2/3) del tipo mínimo de la primera subasta, o sea, $75,733.33. De no adjudicarse la propiedad en la segunda subasta, se celebrará una tercera subasta en en las oficinas del Alguacil del Tribunal de Bayamón, el día 10 de abril de 2023, a la(s) 9:00 a.m. El tipo mínimo para la tercera subasta será la mitad (1/2) del tipo mínimo que se pactara para la primera subasta, o sea, $56,800.00. Esta subasta se hará para satisfacer a la parte demandante, hasta donde alcance, el importe adeudado a BGI LLC. ascendente al 18 de abril de 2022 a la suma de $272,331.41, la cual se desglosa de la manera siguiente: (i) $107,498.79 por concepto de principal; más (ii) $132,392.19 por concepto de intereses acumulados y no pagados, los cuales incrementan diariamente a razón de $28.37 hasta su total y completo pago; más (iii) $6,588.73 por concepto de cargos por mora, los cuales incrementan diariamente a la tasa pactada bajo el Préstamo Hipotecario hasta su total y completo pago; más $14,491.70 por concepto de otros gastos; más (iv) la suma de $11,360.00 por concepto de costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado pactados bajo el Pagaré Hipotecario y la Hipoteca. La venta en pública subasta de la propiedad descrita anteriormente se verificará libre de toda

carga o gravamen posterior que afecte dicha propiedad. Se entiende que cualquier carga y/o gravamen anterior y/o preferente, si lo hubiera, al crédito que da base a esta ejecución, continuará subsistente, entendiéndose además, que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Que los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría de este Tribunal durante horas laborables. El Alguacil procederá a otorgar la correspondiente escritura de venta judicial y se pondrá al comprador en posesión física del inmueble, de conformidad con las disposiciones de Ley. POR LA PRESENTE, se les notifica a los titulares de créditos y/o cargas registrales posteriores, si alguno, que se celebrará la SUBASTA en la fecha, hora y sitio anteriormente señalados, y se les invita a que concurran a dicha subasta, si les conviniere, o se les invita a satisfacer, antes del remate, el importe del crédito, sus intereses, otros cargos y las costas y honorarios de abogado asegurados, quedando entonces subrogados en los derechos del Acreedor ejecutante, siempre y cuando reúnan los requisitos y cualificaciones de Ley para que se pueda efectuar tal subrogación. Y PARA SU PUBLICACIÓN en el tablón de edictos de este Tribunal y en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio donde se celebrará la subasta señalada. Además, en un periódico de circulación general en dos (2) ocasiones y mediante correo certificado a la última dirección conocida de la parte demandada. EXPEDIDO el presente EDICTO DE SUBASTA en Bayamón, Puerto Rico, a 17 de febrero de 2023. Edgardo Elías Vargas Santana, Alguacil Auxiliar Placa 193, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE BAYAMÓN.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE SALA SUPERIOR BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Demandante V. SUCESIÓN DE LUIS

ANTULIO VÁZQUEZ

GONZÁLEZ; SUCESIÓN DE LUZ MARÍA TORRES

DOSAL T/C/C LUZ MARÍA

TORRES DE VÁZQUEZ;

AMBAS SUCESIONES

COMPUESTAS POR SUS

HIJOS: CARMEN ENID VÁZQUEZ TORRES; JAIME LUIS VÁZQUEZ

TORRES; LOURDES

MILAGROS VÁZQUEZ TORRES; JOSÉ ALBERTO VÁZQUEZ

TORRES; IVETTE NAIR

VÁZQUEZ TORRES, COMO HEREDEROS DE LA SUCESIÓN DE LUIS ANTULIO VÁZQUEZ

GONZÁLEZ Y DE LUZ MARÍA TORRES

DOSAL T/C/C LUZ MARÍA TORRES DE VÁZQUEZ; Y SUCESIÓN DE EVELYN YANET

VÁZQUEZ TORRES, COMO HEREDERA DE LAS SUCESIONES DE LUIS ANTULIO VÁZQUEZ GONZÁLEZ Y DE LUZ MARÍA TORRES DOSAL T/C/C LUZ MARÍA

TORRES DE VÁZQUEZ, COMPUESTA POR SUS

HIJOS: ROLANDO DAVID HADOCK VÁZQUEZ Y GRACE HADOCK

VÁZQUEZ; JOHN DOE Y RICHARD ROE” COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DE LA SUCESIÓN DE LUIS ANTULIO VÁZQUEZ

GONZÁLEZ; JOHN DOE Y RICHARD ROE” COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DE LA SUCESIÓN DE LUZ MARÍA TORRES

DOSAL T/C/C LUZ MARÍA

TORRES DE VÁZQUEZ; JOHN DOE Y RICHARD ROE” COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DE LA SUCESIÓN DE EVELYN YANET VÁZQUEZ

TORRES; CENTRO DE RECAUDACIONES DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES (C.R.I.M.)

Demandados

Civil Núm.: PO2021CV02034.

Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA “IN REM”. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. AVISO DE SUBASTA. El que suscribe, Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior, Centro Judicial de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico, hago saber, a la parte demandada y al PÚBLICO EN GENERAL: Que en cumplimiento del Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia expedido el día 13 de enero de 2023, por la Secretaría del Tribunal, procederé a vender y venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor la propiedad que ubica y se describe a continuación: URBANA: Parcela de terreno de la Urbanización Las Delicias, Segunda Unidad de Planificación en el Barrio Magueyes de Ponce, de

Ponce, Puerto Rico, marcado con el número tres (3) del Bloque BM, con un área superficial de trescientos treinta y uno punto cuarenta y tres (331.43) metros cuadrados, en lindes por el NORTE, en trece punto sesenta (13.60) metros, con el solar número veintidós (22); por el SUR, en trece punto sesenta (13.60) metros, con la Calle número diez (10); por el ESTE, en veinticuatro punto treinta y siete (24.37) metros, con el solar número dos (2); y por el OESTE, en veinticuatro punto treinta y siete (24.37) metros, con el solar número cuatro (4). Existe en el solar una casa residencial para una familia de bloques y concreto. Inscrita al folio 160 del tomo 514 de Ponce Sur, finca número 18,580 (antes 35,071), Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección II de Ponce. La propiedad se encuentra ubicada, según pagaré, en: 3628 (BM3) Lola Rodríguez de Tió Street, Las Delicias, Ponce, Puerto Rico. La finca antes relacionada se encuentra afectada por un gravamen posterior al que se pretende ejecutar, el cual se describe de la siguiente manera: Aviso de Demanda del día 8 de agosto de 2018, expedido en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Ponce, en el Caso Civil número B001-3558, seguido por Metro Island Mortgage, Inc., contra Luis Antulio Vázquez González y su esposa Luz María Torres Dosal, por la suma de $108,747.03 más otras sumas, anotado el día 30 de octubre de 2018, al tomo Karibe de Ponce, finca número 18,580, Anotación A. El producto de la subasta se destinará a satisfacer al demandante hasta donde alcance, la SENTENCIA dictada el 31 de mayo de 2022 y notificada en este caso el 19 de agosto de 2022, y publicada en un periódico de circulación general de Puerto Rico (“The San Juan Daily Star”) el 25 de agosto de 2022, en el presente caso civil, a saber la suma de $96,848.30 por concepto de principal, más los intereses sobre dicha suma a razón del 6.00%, anual desde el 1ro de mayo de 2017, hasta su completo pago, más las primas de seguro hipotecario, recargos por demora y cualesquiera otras cantidades pactadas en la escritura de primera hipoteca, desde la fecha antes mencionada y hasta la fecha del pago total de las mismas, más la suma de $11,116.10 para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado; y demás créditos accesorios garantizados hipotecariamente (“Sentencia”). La adjudicación se hará al mejor postor, quien deberá consignar el importe de su oferta en el acto mismo de la adjudicación, en efectivo (moneda del curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América), giro postal o cheque

certificado a nombre del alguacil del Tribunal. La PRIMERA SUBASTA se llevará a efecto el día 24 DE ABRIL DE 2023

A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en el Centro Judicial de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico. Que el precio mínimo fijado para la PRIMERA SUBASTA es de $111,161.00. Que de ser necesaria la celebración de una

SEGUNDA SUBASTA la misma se llevará a efecto el día 1 DE MAYO DE 2023 A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en el Centro Judicial de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico. El precio mínimo para la SEGUNDA SUBASTA será de $74,107.33, equivalentes a dos terceras (2/3) partes del tipo mínimo estipulado para la PRIMERA subasta. Que de ser necesaria la celebración de una TERCERA SUBASTA la misma se llevará a efecto el día 8 DE MAYO DE 2023 A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en el Centro Judicial de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico. El precio mínimo para la TERCERA SUBASTA será de $55,580.50, equivalentes a la mitad (1/2) del tipo mínimo estipulado para la PRIMERA subasta. Si se declarase desierta la tercera subasta, se adjudicará la finca a favor del acreedor por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada si ésta es igual o menor que el monto del tipo de la tercera subasta, si el Tribunal lo estima conveniente; se abonará dicho monto a la cantidad adeudada si esta es mayor, todo ello a tenor con lo dispone el Articulo 104 de la Ley Núm. 210 del 8 de diciembre de 2015 conocida como “Ley del Registro de la Propiedad Inmueble del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico”. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquiere libre de toda carga y gravamen que afecte la mencionada finca según el Artículo 102, inciso 6. Una vez confirmada la venta judicial por el Honorable Tribunal, se procederá a otorgar la correspondiente escritura de venta judicial y se pondrá al comprador en posesión física del inmueble de conformidad con las disposiciones de Ley. Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda aquella persona o personas que tengan interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, y para conocimiento de todos los licitadores y el público en general, el presente Edicto se publicará por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas, con un intervalo de por lo menos siete días entre ambas publicaciones, en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico y se fijará además en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio en que ha de celebrarse dicha venta, tales como la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía. Se les informa, por último, que: a. Que

los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado estarán de manifiesto en la secretaría del tribunal durante las horas laborables. b. Que se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante continuarán subsistentes. Se entenderá, que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. EXPIDO, el presente EDICTO, en Ponce, Puerto Rico, hoy día 6 de febrero de 2023. MANUEL

MALDONADO, ALGUACIL, DIVISIÓN DE SUBASTAS, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA SUPERIOR DE PONCE.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE PONCE

WILMINGTON SAVINGS

FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED SECURITIES

ACQUISITION TRUST

2018- HB1

Demandante Vs. ISLAND FINANCE

PUERTO RICO D/B/A

ISLAND MORTGAGE; WELLS FARGO HOME MORTGAGE; JOHN DOE

Y JANE DOE COMO

POSIBLES TENEDORES

DESCONOCIDOS DEL PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO

Demandados

Civil Núm.: PO2022CV02534.

Sala: 602. Sobre: CANCELACIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR

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

A: ISLAND FINANCE

PUERTO RICO D/B/A

ISLAND MORTGAGE; WELLS FARGO HOME MORTGAGE; JOHN DOE

Y JANE DOE COMO

POSIBLES TENEDORES DESCONOCIDOS DEL PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO.

POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al Tribunal su alegación responsiva a la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días a partir de la publicación de este edicto.

Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y

Administración de Casos (SUMAC), a l cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: http://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberé presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaria del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. Greenspoon Marder, LLP

Lcda. Frances L. Asencio-Guido

R.U.A. 15,622

TRADE CENTRE SOUTH, SUITE 700 100 WEST CYPRESS CREEK ROAD FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33309

Telephone: (954) 343 6273

Frances.Asencio@gmlaw.com

Expedido bajo mi firma, y sello del Tribunal, en Ponce, Puerto Rico, hoy día 16 de febrero de 2023. CARMEN G. TIRÚ QUIÑONES, SECRETARIA.

BRENDA L. SANTIAGO LÓPEZ, SUB-SECRETARIA.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE HUMACAO

REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING LLC

Demandante Vs. SUCESION MIGUEL

ANGEL ARROYO

ARROYO T/C/C MIGUEL

A. ARROYO T/C/C

MIGUEL A. ARROYO ARROYO COMPUESTA

POR JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE COMO

POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS; SUCESION MARIA

MINERVA FIGUEROA

CONCEPCION T/C/C

MARIA M. FIGUEROA

T/C/C MARIA M.

FIGUEROA CONCEPCION

COMPUESTA POR

NOLGIE RODRIGUEZ

FIGUEROA, SANDRA IVETTE RODRIGUEZ

FIGUEROA, HAYDEE MAR RODRIGUEZ

FIGUEROA; JOHN ROE Y JANE ROE COMO

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

Civil Núm.: HU2022CV01774.

Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. EMPLAZAMIENTO

POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRE-

SIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: NOLGIE RODRIGUEZ

FIGUEROA, SANDRA IVETTE RODRIGUEZ

FIGUEROA, HAYDEE MAR RODRIGUEZ

FIGUEROA; JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE COMO

POSIBLES MIEMBROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESION MIGUEL

ANGEL ARROYO

ARROYO T/C/C MIGUEL

A. ARROYO T/C/C

MIGUEL A. ARROYO ARROYO; JOHN ROE Y JANE ROE COMO

POSIBLES MIEMBROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESION MARIA MINERVA FIGUEROA CONCEPCION

T/C/C MARIA M.

FIGUEROA T/C/C MARIA M. FIGUEROA CONCEPCION.

POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al Tribunal su alegación responsiva a la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días a partir de la publicación de este edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: http://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberé presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaria del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente.

Greenspoon Marder, LLP

Lcda. Frances L. Asencio-Guido

R.U.A. 15,622

TRADE CENTRE SOUTH, SUITE 700

100 WEST CYPRESS CREEK ROAD FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33309

Telephone: (954) 343 6273

Frances.Asencio@gmlaw.com

Expedido bajo mi firma, y sello del Tribunal, en Humacao, Puerto Rico, hoy día 17 de febrero de 2023. IVELISSE C. FONSECA RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. DALISSA REYES DE LEÓN, SUBSECRETARIA.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE RIO GRANDE EN FAJARDO

BANCO POPULAR DE

PUERTO RICO

Demandante

V. JOSUE COTTO VÉLEZ; SU ESPOSA GISELLE MARÍA ADORNO DELGADO, T/C/C GISELLE ADORNO DELGADO Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES COMPUESTA POR AMBOS

Demandados

Civil Núm.: N3CI2016-00119. 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 Fajardo, 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 26 de enero de 2023 y para satisfacer la Sentencia dictada en el caso de autos fechada 17 de septiembre de 2021 y notificada el 20 de septiembre de 2021 procederá a vender el día 5 DE JULIO DE 2023 A LAS 3:00 DE LA TARDE, en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Fajardo, al mejor postor en pago de contado y en moneda de los Estados Unidos de América todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada sobre la siguiente propiedad: URBANA: Urbanización Río Grande Estates de Río Grande. Solar: 8 Bloque “LL”. Cabida: 337.5 Metros Cuadrados. Linderos: Norte, con la calle cuatro cero tres (403) en distancia de trece punto cincuenta metros (13.50).

Sur, con los solares número dieciséis (16) y diecisiete (17) en distancia de trece punto cincuenta metros (13.50). Este, con el solar número nueve (9) en distancia de veinticinco metros (25.00). Oeste, con el solar número siete (7) en distancia de veinticinco metros (25.00).

Inscrita a la finca 22,388, Demarcación: Río Grande, Registro de la Propiedad de Carolina, Sección III. La propiedad según pagaré en: 10321 Rey David St. Río Grande Estates, Río Grande, PR/ Solar #8 del Bloque 11 Urb. Río Grande Estates, Río Grande, PR. 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 Fajardo. El remate comenzará por las sumas adeudadas declaradas en la Sentencia, y se llevará a cabo para con su pro-

ducto, satisfacer dichas sumas. Las cuantías de la sentencia se describen de la siguiente manera: la parte demandada adeuda las siguientes cantidades a la parte demandante: $139,851.73 adeudada según la sentencia, más los otros gastos, intereses, y recargos que se acumulan hasta la fecha de su total y completo pago, más las costas y gastos del proceso, más el 4.00% de interés mensual. La subasta se llevará a cabo el día 5 DE JULIO DE 2023 A LAS 3:00 DE LA TARDE. 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 $139,851.73 adeudada según la sentencia, más los otros gastos, intereses, y recargos que se acumulan hasta la fecha de su total y completo pago, más las costas y gastos del proceso, más el 4.00% de interés mensual. 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, continua-

rán 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. Librado en Fajardo, Puerto Rico, a 21 de febrero de 2023. SANDRALIZ MARTÍNEZ

TORRES, ALGUACIL AUXILIAR #737, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE FAJARDO. JORGE A. ORTIZ ESTRADA, ALGUACIL REGIONAL INTERINO #622.

LEGAL NOTICE

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

MARIA DEL ROSARIO

FERNANDEZ ESTEVE

Demandante V. BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO; FIRSTBANK PUERTO RICO, POR CONDUCTO DE SUCESORES EN DERECHO DE DORAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION, JUAN DEL PUEBLO Y JUANA DEL PUEBLO Y CUALESQUIERA PERSONA

DESCONOCIDA CON POSIBLE INTERÉS EN LA OBLIGACIÓN CUYA CANCELACIÓN POR

DECRETO JUDICIAL SE SOLICITA

Demandados

Civil Núm.: GB2023CV00128. Sobre: CANCELACIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE.UU., ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: JUAN Y JUANA DEL PUEBLO.

Por la presente se le notifica que ha sido presentada en este Tribunal una Demanda en su contra en el pleito de epígrafe. En este caso la parte demandante ha radicado una Demanda para que se decrete judicialmente el saldo de (1) pagaré hipotecario: pagaré a favor Doral Mortgage Corporation, por la suma principal de $136,200.00 dólares con intereses al 6.50% anual, vencedero el 1 de agosto de 2008, constituida mediante la escritura número 340, otorgada en

San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 1 de agosto de 2008, ante el notario Diana M. Ruiz Hernandez, e inscrita al folio de 74 vuelto del tomo 440 de Guaynabo, finca número 19,699, inscripción 4ta; sobre la propiedad que se describe a continuación: URBANA: Solar marcado con el número 18 del Bloque E de la Urbanización Mansiones de Garden Hills, localizado en el Barrio Pueblo Viejo del término municipal de Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, con un área de 523.87 metros cuadrados. En lindes por el NORTE, en 16.00 metros con la Calle número 1; por el SUR, en 19.50 metros con el solar número 1 del mismo Bloque; por el ESTE, en 27.00 metros con el solar 17 del mismo Bloque; y por el OESTE, en 23.50 metros con la Calle número 6. Enclava una casa construida de concreto armado y bloques para fines residenciales. Finca número 19,699, inscrita al folio 74 vuelto del tomo 440 de Guaynabo, Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección de Guaynabo. La parte demandante alega que dicho pagaré ha sido saldado según más detalladamente consta en la Demanda radicada que puede examinarse en la Secretaría de este Tribunal. Por tratarse de una obligación hipotecaria y pudiendo usted tener interés en este caso o quedar afectado por el remedio solicitado, se le emplaza por este edicto que se publicará una vez en un periódico de circulación diaria general de Puerto Rico. 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/sumac, salvo que se represente por derecho propio. Debe notificar con copia de ella a la abogada de la parte demandante a la Lcda. Alyssa Rivera Rivera, a la dirección P.O. Box 19815, San Juan, P.R. 00910. Teléfono 787-400-7269, dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Se le apercibe que, de no hacerlo así dentro del término indicado, el Tribunal podrá anotar su rebeldía y dictar sentencia concediendo el remedio solicitado en la Demanda sin más citarle, ni oírle. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA Y SELLO DEL TRIBUNAL, en Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, hoy a 24 de febrero de 2023. LCDA. LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL II. SARA ROSA VILLEGAS, SECRETARIA DEL TRIBUNAL CONFIDENCIAL I.

SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN CASCADE FUNDING

MORTGAGE TRUST HB2

Demandante Vs. MERARI DIAZ SANTANA, POR SÍ Y LA CUOTA VIUDAL USUFRUCTUARIA; LA SUCESION DE ESTEBAN MORALES CALDERON COMPUESTA POR JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE, DEPARTAMENTO DE HACIENDA Y CENTRO DE RECAUDACION DE INGRESOS

MUNICIPALES; ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA

Demandados

Civil Núm.: TA2022CV00336.

Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. EDICTO DE INTERPELACIÓN.

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

A: LA SUCESION DE ESTEBAN MORALES CALDERON COMPUESTA POR MERARI DIAZ

SANTANA, JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS CON INTERÉS EN LA SUCESIÓN.

El Artículo 1578 del Código

Civil de 2020, dispone: “Transcurridos treinta (30) días desde que se haya producido la delación, cualquier persona interesada puede solicitar al tribunal que le señale al llamado un plazo, para que manifieste si acepta la herencia o si la repudia. Este plazo no excederá de treinta (30) días. El tribunal apercibirá al llamado de que, si transcurrido el plazo señalado no ha manifestado su voluntad de aceptar la herencia o de repudiarla, se dará por aceptada.” Por la presente el Tribunal de Primera instancia, conforme al Art. 1578, supra, y el caso

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria vs. Latinoamericana de Exportación, Inc., 164 DPR 689 (2005), les ordena que el término de treinta (30) días, hagan declaración aceptado o repudiando la herencia del causante, ESTEBAN MORALES CALDERON. Se les apercibe a los herederos antes mencionados que de no expresarse dentro de ese término de treinta (30) días en torno a la aceptación o repudiación de herencia, la misma se tendrá por aceptada.

Los abogados de la parte demandante son:

Lcdo. Andrés Sáez Marrero

T.S.P.R. Núm. 18074

TROMBERG, MORRIS & POULIN, LLC

1515 South Federal Highway, Suite 100

Boca Raton, FL 33432

Tel. 877-338-4101 /

Fax: 561-338-4077

prservice@tmppllc.com / asaez@ tmppllc.com

Expido este edicto bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal, hoy 1 de febrero de 2023. LCDA.

LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL.

IVETTE M. MARRERO BRACERO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL I.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA DE YABUCOA ORIENTAL BANK

Demandante V. ROBERT BUSCHMAN DE LA TORRE

Demandado

Civil Núm.: YB2023CV00002.

Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO

POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE. UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: ROBERT BUSCHMAN DE LA TORRE.

POR MEDIO del presente edicto se le notifica de la radicación de una demanda en cobro de dinero por la vía ordinaria en la que se alega que usted adeuda a la parte demandante, Oriental Bank, ciertas sumas de dinero, y las costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado de este litigio. El demandante, Oriental Bank, ha solicitado que se dicte sentencia en contra suya y que se le ordene pagar las cantidades reclamadas en la demanda.

POR EL PRESENTE EDICTO se le emplaza para que presente al tribunal su alegación responsiva a la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días de haber sido diligenciado este emplazamiento, excluyéndose el día del diligenciamiento. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://www.poderjudicial. pr/index/php/tribunal-electronico/, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la Secretaría del Tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra, y conceder el remedio solicitado en la Demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente, sin más citarle ni oírle. El abogado de la parte demandante es: Jaime Ruiz

Saldaña, RUA número 11673; Dirección: PO Box 366276, San Juan, PR 00936-6276; Teléfono: (787) 759-6897; Correo electrónico: legal@jrslawpr. com. Se le advierte que dentro de los diez (10) días siguientes a la publicación del presente edicto, se le estará enviando a usted por correo certificado con acuse de recibo, una copia del emplazamiento y de la demanda presentada al lugar de su última dirección conocida:

17 Calle Luís Muñoz Rivera Interior, Yabucoa, PR 007673121. EXPEDIDO bajo mi firma y el sello del Tribunal en Humacao, Puerto Rico, hoy día 23 de febrero de 2023. IVELISSE

C. FONSECA RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. DALISSA REYES DE LEÓN, SUBSECRETARIA.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE CAROLINA

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Demandante Vs. SUCESION DE JOSEFINA DELBREY DIAZ, COMPUESTA POR SUS

HIJOS LUIS ANTONIO ANDINO DELBREY Y FRANCES ANDINO DELBREY Y FULANO DE TAL Y ZUTANO DE TAL, COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS CON POSIBLE INTERÉS; LUIS ANTONIO ANDINO DELBREY; FRANCES ANDINO DELBREY; ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA

Demandados Civil Núm.: CA2023CV00115.

(407). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO (EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA). EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO.

A: FULANO DE TAL Y ZUTANO DE TAL, COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESION DE JOSEFINA DELBREY DIAZ.

POR EL PRESENTE EDICTO se le notifica que se ha radicado en esta Secretaría por la parte demandante, Demanda sobre Cobro de Dinero y Ejecución de Hipoteca por la Vía Ordinaria en la que se alega adeuda la suma principal de $58,289.43 intereses al 7% anual,,desde el día 1ro de noviembre de 2019, hasta su completo pago, más la cantidad de $7,488.00, estipulada para costas, gastos y

honorarios de abogado más recargos acumulados, así como cualquier otra suma estipulada en el contrato de préstamo, todas cuyas sumas están líquidas y exigibles. La propiedad hipotecada a ser vendida en pública subasta es: URBANA: PROPIEDAD HORIZONTAL: Apartamiento número Doscientos Doce (212), localizado en el segundo piso del CONDOMINIO FIRST FONTANA TOWERS, que radica en el kilómetro 10.7 de la Carretera Estatal Número 26 del término municipal de Carolina, Puerto Rico. Tiene un área superficial de NOVECIENTOS CUARENTA Y UNO PUNTO NOVENTA Y OCHO (941.98) PIES CUADRADOS, equivalentes a OCHENTA Y SIETE PUNTO CINCUENTA Y CUATRO (87.54) METROS CUADRADOS; y consta de sala, comedor, cocina, un baño, closets, dos habitaciones y balcón; y colinda por el NORTE, con la pared exterior del Edificio; por el SUR, con la pared exterior del Edificio; por el ESTE, con la pared exterior del Edificio; y por el OESTE, por cuyo lado tiene su entrada, con la pared que lo separa del apartamiento No. 208 y con un pasillo que lo comunica con el resto del Edificio. A este apartamiento le corresponde el derecho de uso del estacionamiento número Novecientos Dos (902) cubierto. La escritura de hipoteca se encuentra inscrita al folio 137 del tomo 976 de Carolina Norte, Registro de la Propiedad de Carolina, Sección Primera, finca número 19,172, inscripción quinta. POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al tribunal su alegación responsiva dentro de los treinta (30) días de haber sido publicado este emplazamiento, excluyéndose el día de la publicación. 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: https://unired.ramajudicial.pr/sumac/ salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal y enviar copia a la representación legal de la parte demandante cuya dirección más adelante se indica. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente.

Lcda. Xana M. Connelly Pagán Bufete COLLAZO, CONNELLY & SURILLO, LLC

P.O. Box 11550 San Juan, P.R. 00922-1550

Tet (787) 625-9999

Fax (787) 705-7387

E-mail: xconnelly@lawpr.com

Se le advierte, además, a los herederos que conforme el caso de Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria v. Latinoamericana de Exportación, Inc., 164 D.P.R. 689, 696 (2005) y a tenor con las disposiciones del Artículo 1578 del Código Civil de Puerto Rico (31 L.P.R.:A. sec. 11021), deberá aceptar o repudiar la herencia de la causante Josefina Delbrey Rivera, dentro del término de treinta (30) días. De no expresar su intención de aceptar o repudiar la herencia dentro del término que se le fijó, la herencia se tendrá por aceptada. Se le notifica también por la presente que la parte demandante habrá de presentar para su anotación al Registrador de la Propiedad del Distrito en que está situada la propiedad objeto de este pleito, un aviso de estar pendiente esta acción. Para publicarse conforme a la Orden dictada por el Tribunal en un periódico de circulación general. EN TESTIMONIO DE LO CUAL, expido el presente Edicto que firmo y sello en Carolina, Puerto Rico, hoy 17 de febrero de 2023. LCDA. MARILYN APONTE RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL.

RUTH M. COLÓN LUCIANO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

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

WILMINGTON SAVINGS

FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA STRUCTURED

SECURITIES

ACQUISITION TRUST

2018-HB1

Demandante V.

SUCESION RAFAEL

GENARO GARCIA

ORTEGA T/C/C RAFAEL

G. GARCÍA ORTEGA

T/C/C RAFAEL GARCIA

ORTEGA T/C/C RAFAEL

GENARO GARCIA T/C/C

RAFAEL G. GARCIA

T/C/C RAFAEL GARCIA

COMPUESTA POR

RAFAEL GARCIA PAGAN, RICARDO GARCIA

PAGAN, EDMEE GARCIA PAGAN, ARTURO

GARCIA PAGAN; JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS; SUCESION ANA DELIA PAGAN NAZARIO T/C/C

ANA D. PAGAN NAZARIO

T/C/C ANA PAGAN

NAZARIO T/C/C ANA

DELIA PAGAN T/C/C ANA

D. PAGAN T/C/C ANA

PAGAN COMPUESTA

POR RAFAEL GARCIA

PAGAN, RICARDO

GARCIA PAGAN, EDMEE

GARCIA PAGAN, ARTURO

GARCIA PAGAN; JOHN

ROE Y JANE ROE COMO

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

Demandado(a)

Civil: BY2022CV04477. Sala 502. Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: RICARDO GARCIA

PAGAN, EDMEE GARCIA

PAGAN, ARTURO

GARCIA PAGAN; JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE COMO

POSIBLES MIEMBROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESION RAFAEL

GENARO GARCIA

ORTEGA T/C/C RAFAEL

G. GARCIA ORTEGA

T/C/C RAFAEL GARCIA

ORTEGA T/C/C RAFAEL

GENARO GARCIA T/C/C

RAFAEL G. GARCIA T/C/C

RAFAEL GARCIA; JOHN ROE Y JANE ROE COMO

POSIBLES MIEMBROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESION ANA DELIA

PAGAN NAZARIO T/C/C

ANA D. PAGAN NAZARIO

T/C/C ANA PAGAN

NAZARIO TIC/CANA

DELIA PAGAN T/C/C ANA

D. PAGAN T/C/C ANA PAGAN.

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

EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 27 de febrero de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edic-

to 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 28 de febrero de 2023. En Bayamón, Puerto Rico, el 28 de febrero de 2023. LCDA. LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. SANDRA L. BÁEZ HERNÁNDEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO

FINANCE OF AMERICA

REVERSE, LLC.

Plaintiff Vs.

NILDA LUZ SANTIAGO

MEDINA A/K/A NILDA

L. SANTIAGO MEDINA

A/K/A NILDA SANTIAGO

MEDINA A/K/A NILSA

SANTIAGO MEDINA A/K/A

NILDA LUZ SANTIAGO

A/K/A NILDA L.

SANTIAGO A/K/A NILDA

SANTIAGO A/K/A NILSA

SANTIAGO; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Defendants

Civil Action No.: 17-cv-1627.

NOTICE OF SALE.

To: NILDA LUZ

SANTIAGO MEDINA A/K/A

NILDA L. SANTIAGO

MEDINA A/K/A NILDA

SANTIAGO MEDINA

A/K/A NILSA SANTIAGO

MEDINA A/K/A NILDA

LUZ SANTIAGO A/K/A

NILDA L. SANTIAGO

A/K/A NILDA SANTIAGO

A/K/A NILSA SANTIAGO; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

GENERAL PUBLIC.

WHEREAS: Judgment was entered in favor of plaintiff to recover from defendants the principal sum of $86,409.11, plus interest at a rate of 5.060% per annum until the debt is paid in full. The defendant Nilda Luz

Santiago Medina a/k/a Nilda L. Santiago Medina a/k/a Nilda

Santiago Medina a/k/a Nilsa

Santiago Medina a/k/a Nilda

Luz Santiago a/k/a Nilda L. Santiago a/k/a Nilda Santiago a/k/a Nilsa Santiago to pay Finance of America Reverse, LLC., all advances made under the mortgage note including but not limited to insurance premiums, taxes and inspections as well as 10% ($17,100.00) of the original principal amount to cover costs, expenses, and attorney’s fees guaranteed under the mortgage obligation. The records of the case and of these proceedings may be examined by interested parties at the Office of the Clerk of the United States District Court,

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

“URBANA: Solar número seis de la Manzana H, Urbanización Santa Mónica, Barrio Pájaros de Bayamón, Puerto Rico, compuesta de 325.00 metros cuadrados. En lindes por el NORTE, con el solar número 5, en 25.00 metros; por el SUR, con el solar número 7, en 25.00 metros; por el ESTE, con la Calle número 6, en 13.00 metros y por el OESTE con el solar número 21, en 7.00 metros y con el solar número 20, en 6.00 metros, con un total la distancia de 13.00 metros.” Property Number 19,829 recorded at page 146 of volume 438 of Bayamon Sur, Registry of the Property of Puerto Rico, Section I of Bayamón. The mortgage being foreclosed is recorded at page 37, volume 1,933 of Bayamon Sur, property 19,829, 12th inscription, Registry of the Property of Puerto Rico, Section I of Bayamon. WHEREAS: This property is subject to the following liens: Senior Liens: None. Junior Liens: Reverse mortgage securing a note in favor of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, or its order, in the original principal amount of $171,000.00, due on March 30, 2094 pursuant to deed number 84, issued in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on June 9, 2014, before notary Magaly Rodriguez Batista, and recorded, at page 37 of volume 1,933 of Bayamon Sur, property number 19,829, 13th inscription. Other Liens: None. Potential bidders are advised to verify the extent of preferential liens with the holders thereof. It shall be understood that each bidder accepts as sufficient the title and that prior and preferential liens to the one being foreclosed upon, including but not limited to any property tax, liens, (express, tacit, implied or legal) shall continue in effect it being understood further that the successful bidder accepts them and is subrogated in the responsibility for the same and that the bid price shall not be applied toward their cancellation. THEREFORE, the FIRST PUBLIC SALE shall be held on the 4TH DAY OF APRIL, 2023

AT 9:15 AM. The minimum bid that will be accepted is the sum of $171,000.00. In the event said first auction does not produce a bidder and the property is not adjudicated, a SECOND PUBLIC AUCTION shall be held on the 11TH DAY OF APRIL, 2023 AT 9:15 AM, and the minimum bid that will be accepted is the sum $114,000.00, which is two-thirds of the amount of the minimum bid for the first public sale. If a second auction does not result in the adjudication and sale of the property, a THIRD PUBLIC AUCTION will be held on the the 18TH DAY OF APRIL, 2023

AT 9:15 AM, and the minimum bid that will be accepted is the sum of $85,500.00, which is one-half of the minimum bid in the first public sale. The Special Master shall not accept in payment of the property to be sold anything but United States currency or certified checks, except in case the property is sold and adjudicated to the plaintiff, in which case the amount of the bid made by said plaintiff shall be credited and deducted from its credit; said plaintiff being bound to pay in cash or certified check only any excess of its bid over the secured indebtedness that remains unsatisfied. WHEREAS: Said sale to be made by the Special Master subject to confirmation by the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and the deed of conveyance and possession to the property will be executed and delivered only after such confirmation. Upon confirmation of the sale, an order shall be issued cancelling all junior liens. For further particulars, reference is made to the judgment entered by the Court in this case, which can be examined in the Office of Clerk of the United States District Court, District of Puerto Rico. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, this 24th day of February of 2023. Pedro A. Vélez-Baerga, Special Master, specialmasterpr@gmail.com, 787-672-8269.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA DE CAGUAS REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING, LLC

Demandante Vs. SUCESIÓN DE GLORIA

ESTER ACEVEDO MORALES COMPUESTA

POR JOSE APONTE

ACEVEDO T/C/C

JOSE CHEO APONTE, FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO

POSIBLES HEREDEROS DE NOMBRES DESCONOCIDOS,

CENTRO DE RECAUDACIONES

MUNICIPALES; Y A LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA

Demandados

Civil Núm.: CG2019CV04444.

Sala: 802. Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. EDICTO DE SUBASTA.

Al: PÚBLICO EN GENERAL.

A: SUCESIÓN DE GLORIA

ESTER ACEVEDO

MORALES COMPUESTA

POR JOSE APONTE

ACEVEDO T/C/C

JOSE CHEO APONTE, FULANO DE TAL Y

SUTANO DE TAL COMO

POSIBLES HEREDEROS DE NOMBRES DESCONOCIDOS, CENTRO DE RECAUDACIONES

MUNICIPALES; Y A LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA.

Yo, ÁNGEL GÓMEZ GÓMEZ, ALGUACIL PLACA #593, Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Caguas, a los demandados, acreedores y al público en general con interés sobre la propiedad que más adelante se describe, y al público en general, por la presente CERTIFICO, ANUNCIO y HAGO CONSTAR: Que el día 4 DE ABRIL DE 2023, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA en mi oficina, sita en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Caguas, Caguas, Puerto Rico, procederé a vender en Pública Subasta, al mejor postor, la propiedad inmueble que más adelante se describe y cuya venta en pública subasta se ordenó por la vía ordinaria mediante Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, la cual se notificó y archivó en autos el día 29 de noviembre de 2022. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado, estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría durante horas laborables. Que en caso de no producir remate ni adjudicación en la primera subasta a celebrarse, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA para la venta de la susodicha propiedad, el 11 DE ABRIL DE 2023, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA; y en caso de no producir remate ni adjudicación, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 18 DE ABRIL DE 2023, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA en mi oficina sita en el lugar antes indicado. Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que ha sido liberado por la Secretaría del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Caguas, en el caso de epígrafe con fecha de 3 de fe-

brero de 2022, procederé a vender en pública subasta y al mejor postor, todo derecho, título e interés que tenga la parte demandada de epígrafe en el inmueble que se describe a continuación: URBANA: Solar radicado en la Urbanización

Reparto Caguax en el Barrio

Tomás de Castro de Caguas, Puerto Rico, identificado en el plano de inscripción con el número siete del Bloque H que según las medidas que aparecen de dicho plano de inscripción tiene una cabida superficial de trescientos tres metros cuadrados con setenta y cinco centímetros de metro cuadrado en colindancia por el NORTE, en veintidós metros quinientos milímetros con el solar número seis del bloque H; por el SUR, en veintidós metros quinientos milímetros con el solar número ocho del bloque H; por el ESTE, en trece metros quinientos milímetros con el solar número treinta y nueve del bloque H; y por el OESTE, en trece metros quinientos milímetros con la calle número siete. Descrito en parte de conformidad con el documento presentando en el que se expresa que enclava una casa de concreto destinada a vivienda de una sola planta. Finca número 34,706 (antes 11,486), inscrita al folio 215 del tomo 425 de Caguas. Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección I de Caguas. Dirección de la Propiedad: H7 Batey St Reparto Caguax Dev, Caguas PR 00725. La subasta se llevará a cabo para satisfacer, hasta donde alcance, el importe de las cantidades adeudadas a la parte demandante conforme a la sentencia dictada a su favor, a saber: de $$104,028.51, la cual incluye los intereses y otros gastos acumulados hasta el 5 de abril de 2022 los cuales continúan acumulándose, así como la cantidad líquida estipulada en los documentos del préstamo para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado en caso de reclamación judicial y que correspondan a intereses y cargos por demora posterior a dicha fecha, y la suma equivalente al 10% de la suma principal original pactada, estipulada para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado; más recargos acumulados hasta la fecha en que se pague la deuda; más cualquiera suma de dinero por concepto de contribuciones, primas de seguro hipotecario y riesgo, así como cualesquiera otras sumas pactadas en la escritura de hipoteca, todas cuyas sumas están líquidas y exigibles. La hipoteca a ejecutarse en el caso de epígrafe fue constituida mediante la escritura número 159 otorgada el día 14 de mayo de 2015, Caguas, Puerto Rico, ante el Notario Público Jesus A. Ledesma Amador y consta inscrita al tomo Karibe

de Caguas, finca número 34,706, Registro de la Propiedad de Caguas, Sección I de Caguas. Por la presente se notifica a los acreedores que tengan inscritos o anotados sus derechos sobre los bienes hipotecados con posterioridad a la inscripción del crédito del ejecutante o acreedores de cargos o derechos reales que los hubiesen pospuesto a la hipoteca del actor y a los dueños, poseedores, tenedores de o interesados en títulos transmisibles por endoso o al portador garantizados hipotecariamente con posterioridad al crédito del actor que se celebrarán las subastas en las fechas, horas y sitios señalados para que puedan concurrir a la subasta si les conviniere o se les invita a satisfacer antes del remate el importe del crédito, de sus intereses, otros cargos y las costas y honorarios de abogado asegurados quedando subrogados en los derechos del acreedor ejecutante. Entiéndase: Hipoteca en garantía de un pagaré a favor Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, por la suma de $159,000.00, con intereses al 3.185% anual, vencedero el día 8 de abril de 2089 de según consta de la escritura número 160, otorgada en Caguas, Puerto Rico, el día 14 de mayo de 2015, ante el notario Jesús

A. Ledesma Amador, e inscrita al tomo Karibe de Caguas, finca número 34,706, inscripción 7ma. Que la cantidad mínima de licitación en la primera subasta del inmueble antes descrito será la suma de $159,000.00 según se establece en la escritura de hipoteca antes relacionada. En caso de que el inmueble a ser subastado no fuera adjudicado en su primera subasta se ordena la celebración de una segunda subasta de dicho inmueble, en la cual, la cantidad mínima será una equivalente a 2/3 parte de aquella, o sea la suma de $106,000.00; desierta también la segunda subasta de dicho inmueble, se ordena la celebración de una tercera subasta en la cual, la cantidad mínima será la mitad del precio pactado para la primera subasta, es decir la suma de $79,500.00. La propiedad se adjudicará al mejor postor, quien deberá satisfacer el importe de su oferta en moneda legal y corriente de los Estados Unidos de América en el momento de la adjudicación, entiéndase efectivo, giro postal o cheque certificado a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, y que las cargas y gravámenes preferentes, si los hubiese, al crédito del ejecutante continuarán subsistentes, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio

del remate. La propiedad no está sujeta a gravámenes anteriores y/o preferentes según surge de las constancias del Registro de la Propiedad en un estudio de título efectuado a la finca antes descrita. Una vez efectuada la venta de dicha propiedad, el Alguacil procederá a otorgar la escritura de traspaso al licitador victorioso en subasta, quien podrá ser la parte demandante, cuya oferta podrá aplicarse a la extinción parcial o total de la obligación reconocida por la sentencia dictada en este caso. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores. Si el producto de la venta fuere insuficiente para satisfacer la cantidad reclamada, se procederá a la ejecución de la sentencia en contra de la parte demandada por el remanente de las sumas no satisfechas, mediante embargo y venta en ejecución de cualesquiera otros bienes propiedad de la parte demandada en cantidad suficiente para dejar cubierta y totalmente satisfecha a la parte demandante cualquier deficiencia o parte insoluta de la sentencia dictada a su favor según dispuesto en la sentencia dictada en este caso. Se dispone, conforme con la sentencia dictada en este caso que, una vez efectuada la subasta y vendido el bien inmueble, los adjudicatarios sean puestos en posesión del mismo dentro del término de veinte (20) días por el Alguacil de este Honorable Tribunal y los actuales poseedores lanzados del referido inmueble. Y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general, se publicará este Edicto de acuerdo con la ley, mediante edicto, en un periódico de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, una vez por semana, por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones, y para su fijación en tres (3) lugares públicos del municipio en que ha de celebrarse la venta, tales como la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía, y se le notificará además a la parte demandada vía correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. EN TESTIMONIO DE LO CUAL, expido el presente Edicto de Subasta para conocimiento y comparecencia de los licitadores, bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, en Caguas, Puerto Rico, a 23 de febrero de 2023.

ÁNGEL GÓMEZ GÓMEZ, ALGUACIL PLACA #593, ALGUACIL DEL TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE CAGUAS.

NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE PONCE REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING, LLC

Demandante Vs. SUCESIÓN DE CARMEN CRUZ RODRÍGUEZ

PALERMO, T/C/C

CARMEN CRUZ

RODRÍGUEZ, T/C/C

CARMEN C. RODRÍGUEZ

PALERMO, T/C/C

CARMEN C. RODRÍGUEZ, T/C/C CARMEN C. RODRÍGUEZ DE LUGO COMPUESTA

POR FULANO DE TAL

Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO MIEMBROS DE NOMBRES DESCONOCIDOS;

CENTRO DE RECAUDACIÓN DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES; Y LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA

Demandados

Civil Núm.: PO2022CV00156.

Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA - IN REM. EDICTO DE SUBASTA.

AL: PÚBLICO EN GENERAL.

A: SUCESIÓN DE CARMEN CRUZ

RODRÍGUEZ PALERMO, T/C/C CARMEN CRUZ RODRÍGUEZ, T/C/C CARMEN C. RODRÍGUEZ PALERMO, T/C/C CARMEN C. RODRÍGUEZ, T/C/C CARMEN C. RODRÍGUEZ DE LUGO COMPUESTA

POR FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO MIEMBROS DE NOMBRES DESCONOCIDOS; CENTRO DE RECAUDACIÓN DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES; Y LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA.

Yo, MIGUEL A. TORRES AYALA, Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Ponce, a los demandados, acreedores y al público en general con interés sobre la propiedad que más adelante se describe, y al público en general, por la presente

CERTIFICO, ANUNCIO y HAGO CONSTAR: Que el día 05 DE ABRIL DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA en mi oficina, sita en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico, procederé a vender en Pública Subasta, al mejor postor, la propiedad inmueble que más adelante se describe y cuya venta en pública subasta

se ordenó por la vía ordinaria mediante Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, la cual se notificó y archivó en autos el día 3 de noviembre de 2022. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado, estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría durante horas laborables. Que en caso de no producir remate ni adjudicación en la primera subasta a celebrarse, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA para la venta de la susodicha propiedad, el 12 DE ABRIL DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA; y en caso de no producir remate ni adjudicación, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 19 DE ABRIL DE 2023, A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA en mi oficina sita en el lugar antes indicado. Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que ha sido liberado por la Secretaría del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Ponce, en el caso de epígrafe con fecha de 3 de enero de 2023, procederé a vender en pública subasta y al mejor postor, todo derecho, título e interés que tenga la parte demandada de epígrafe en el inmueble que se describe a continuación: URBANA: Solar número vientiocho A (28 A) del Bloque P de la Urbanización Villa Grillasca, en el Barrio Canas de Ponce, Puerto Rico, con un área superficial de doscientos treinta y siete punto cincuenta (237.50) metros cuadrados. Colindando por el NORTE, en veinticinco (25.00) metros, con el solar número veintinueve guión B (29-B); por el SUR, en veinticinco (25.00) metros con el solar número veintiocho guión B (28-B); por el ESTE, en nueve punto cincuenta (9.50) metros, con el solar número dos guión B (2-B); y por el OESTE, en nueve punto cincuenta (9.50) metros, con la Calle número uno (1) todos del mismo bloque de la Urbanización. Enclava una casa de concreto armado de una sola planta con techo de azotea, y piso de lozas del país, que constituye una vivienda independiente, consistiendo de tres dormitorios, con sus closets, sala, comedor en una sola unidad, cocina con sus closet, cuarto de baño y balcón. Existe una servidumbre de signo aparente sobre esta finca consisitente de una pared medianera que divide la unidad de vivienda de esta finca de la situada en el Remanente de la propiedad de la cual esta se segrega, cuya pared continuara sirviente a ambas unidades y pertenecerá en común pro indiviso y en toda su actual extensión y espesor a la propiedad de las propiedades de las mismas. Finca número 1,004 (antes 20,969), inscrita al folio 107 del tomo 271 de Ponce Sur.

Registro de la Propiedad de

Puerto Rico, II de Ponce. Dirección de la Propiedad: Villa Grillasca #1348 E Cuevas St. Ponce PR 00717. La subasta se llevará a cabo para satisfacer, hasta donde alcance, el importe de las cantidades adeudadas a la parte demandante conforme a la sentencia dictada a su favor, a saber: de $48,804.90 de balance principal, cual acumulan a un total de $75,604.59 a la fecha de 31 de enero de 2022, con interés al 3.185% anual, cuales continúan acumulándose, así como la cantidad líquida estipulada en los documentos del préstamo para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado en caso de reclamación judicial y que correspondan a intereses y cargos por demora posterior a dicha fecha, y la suma de $11,250.00 equivalente al 10% de la suma principal original pactada, estipulada para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado; más recargos acumulados hasta la fecha en que se pague la deuda; más cualquiera suma de dinero por concepto de contribuciones, primas de seguro hipotecario y riesgo, así como cualesquiera otras sumas pactadas en la escritura de hipoteca, todas cuyas sumas están líquidas y exigibles. La hipoteca a ejecutarse en el caso de epígrafe fue constituida mediante la escritura número 324 otorgada el día 16 de agosto de 2013, Ponce, Puerto Rico, ante el Notario Público Gary E. Biaggi Silva y consta inscrita al folio 126 vuelto del tomo 1077 de Ponce Sur, finca número 1004, Registro de la Propiedad de Ponce Sur, Sección II de Ponce. Por la presente se notifica a los acreedores que tengan inscritos o anotados sus derechos sobre los bienes hipotecados con posterioridad a la inscripción del crédito del ejecutante o acreedores de cargos o derechos reales que los hubiesen pospuesto a la hipoteca del actor y a los dueños, poseedores, tenedores de o interesados en títulos transmisibles por endoso o al portador garantizados hipotecariamente con posterioridad al crédito del actor que se celebrarán las subastas en las fechas, horas y sitios señalados para que puedan concurrir a la subasta si les conviniere o se les invita a satisfacer antes del remate el importe del crédito, de sus intereses, otros cargos y las costas y honorarios de abogado asegurados quedando subrogados en los derechos del acreedor ejecutante. Entiéndase: Hipoteca en garantía de un pagaré a favor del Secretario de la Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano, o a su orden, por la suma principal de $112,500.00, con intereses al 13.185% anual, vencedero el día 2 de diciembre de 2080, constituida mediante la escritura número 325, otorgada en Ponce, Puer-

to Rico, eld ia 16 de agosto de 2013, ante el notario Gary E. Biaggi Silva, e inscrita al folio 127 vuelto del tomo 1077 de Ponce Sur, finca número 1,004, inscripción 18va. Que la cantidad mínima de licitación en la primera subasta del inmueble antes descrito será la suma de $112,500.00 según se establece en la escritura de hipoteca antes relacionada. En caso de que el inmueble a ser subastado no fuera adjudicado en su primera subasta se ordena la celebración de una segunda subasta de dicho inmueble, en la cual, la cantidad mínima será una equivalente a 2/3 parte de aquella, o sea la suma de $75,000.00; desierta también la segunda subasta de dicho inmueble, se ordena la celebración de una tercera subasta en la cual, la cantidad mínima será la mitad del precio pactado para la primera subasta, es decir la suma de $56,250.00. La propiedad se adjudicará al mejor postor, quien deberá satisfacer el importe de su oferta en moneda legal y corriente de los Estados Unidos de América en el momento de la adjudicación, entiéndase efectivo, giro postal o cheque certificado a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, y que las cargas y gravámenes preferentes, si los hubiese, al crédito del ejecutante continuarán subsistentes, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. La propiedad no está sujeta a gravámenes anteriores y/o preferentes según surge de las constancias del Registro de la Propiedad en un estudio de título efectuado a la finca antes descrita. Una vez efectuada la venta de dicha propiedad, el Alguacil procederá a otorgar la escritura de traspaso al licitador victorioso en subasta, quien podrá ser la parte demandante, cuya oferta podrá aplicarse a la extinción par-

cial o total de la obligación reconocida por la sentencia dictada en este caso. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores. Si el producto de la venta fuere insuficiente para satisfacer la cantidad reclamada, se procederá a la ejecución de la sentencia en contra de la parte demandada por el remanente de las sumas no satisfechas, mediante embargo y venta en ejecución de cualesquiera otros bienes propiedad de la parte demandada en cantidad suficiente para dejar cubierta y totalmente satisfecha a la parte demandante cualquier deficiencia o parte insoluta de la sentencia dictada a su favor según dispuesto en la sentencia dictada en este caso. Se dispone, conforme con la sentencia dictada en este caso que, una vez efectuada la subasta y vendido el bien inmueble, los adjudicatarios sean puestos en posesión del mismo dentro del término de veinte (20) días por el Alguacil de este Honorable Tribunal y los actuales poseedores lanzados del referido inmueble. Y para la concurrencia de licitadores y para el público en general, se publicará este Edicto de acuerdo con la ley, mediante edicto, en un periódico de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, una vez por semana, por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones, y para su fijación en tres (3) lugares públicos del municipio en que ha de celebrarse la venta, tales como la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía, y se le notificará además a la parte demandada vía correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. EN TESTIMONIO DE LO CUAL, expido el presente Edicto de Subasta para conocimiento y comparecencia de los licitadores, bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, en Ponce, Puerto

Rico, a 12 de enero de 2023.

Miguel A. Torres Ayala, Alguacil

Auxiliar Placa #560, Alguacil Del Tribunal De Primera Instancia, Sala De Ponce.

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. OSCAR J. TORRES LÓPEZ

Demandado

Civil Núm.: CG2022CV03154.

Salón: 802. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO ORDINARIO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: OSCAR J. TORRES LÓPEZ - URB. CAGUAS NORTE A21 CALLE BELÉN CAGUAS, PR 00725-2467.

POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda o cualquier otro sin más

citarle ni oírle, si el tribunal en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. El sistema SUMAC notificará copia a los abogados de la parte demandante, el Lcdo. Kevin Sánchez Campanero cuyas direcciones son: P.O. Box 71418

San Juan, Puerto Rico 009368518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección kevin.sanchez@ orf-law.com, y a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law.com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FiRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en Caguas, Puerto Rico, hoy día 31 de enero de 2023. En Caguas, Puerto Rico, el 31 de enero de 2023. LISILDA MARTÍNEZ AGOSTO, SECRETARIA. DAMARIS RODRÍGUEZ GUZMÁN, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE ARECIBO

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Demandante V. RICARDO

ROMERO CASIANO

Demandados

Civil Núm.: AR2022CV02107. (402). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS

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

A: RICARDO

ROMERO CASIANO.

Por la presente se le emplaza y notifica que debe contestar la demanda dentro del término de treinta (30) días a partir de la publicación del presente edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente direc-

ción 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 apercibe que de no contestar la demanda dentro del término aquí estipulado, se le anotará la rebeldía y se dictará sentencia sin más citarle ni oírle. Los abogados de la parte demandante son: Lcdo. Guillermo A. Somoza Colombani, P.O. Box 366603, San Juan, PR 009366603. Tel. (787) 919-0073, Fax (787) 641-5016. Expido este edicto bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal, hoy 24 de febrero de 2023. VIVIAN Y. FRESSE GONZÁLEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. ALEXANDRA ÁLVAREZ NATAL, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

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

COOPERATIVA DE AHORRO Y CRÉDITO DE CABO ROJO

Parte Demandante Vs CHRISTIAN PADILLA ALBINO

Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: CB2022CV00600. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO (REGLA 60). EDICTO.

A: CHRISTIAN PADILLA ALBINO.

Se le apercibe que la parte demandante por mediación del Lcdo. Rafael Fabre Colón, P.O. Box 277, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681, Tel. 787-265-0334, ha radicado la acción de epígrafe en su contra. Copia de la demanda, emplazamientos y del presente edicto le ha sido enviado por correo a la última dirección conocida. Pueden ustedes obtener mayor información sobre el asunto revisando los autos en el Tribunal. Se le apercibe que tiene usted un término de treinta (30) días para

radicar contestación a dicha demanda de cobro de dinero y/o cualquier escrito que estime usted conveniente a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la Secretaría del Tribunal de epígrafe, pero que de no radicarse escrito alguno ante el Tribunal dentro de dicho término el Tribunal procederá a ventilar el procedimiento sin más citarle ni oírle. Dada en Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, hoy 27 de febrero de 2023. LIC. NORMA G. SANTANA IRIZARRY, SECRETARIA REGIONAL II, SECRETARIA GENERAL, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA MUNICIPAL DE CABO ROJO. MARÍA AVILÉS BONILLA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL I.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE HUMACAO ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC COMO AGENTE DE ACE ONE FUNDING, LLC

Demandante . MOISÉS D. PEDROZA GUTIERREZ

Demandado

Civil Núm.: HU2022CV01059. Salón: 101. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO ORDINARIO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: MOISÉS D. PEDROZA GUTIÉRREZ - BO. COTTO MABU CARR 30 R922 K0 H6 HUMACAO, PR 00791. POR LA PRESENTE se le

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

Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda o cualquier otro sin más citarle ni oírle, si el tribunal en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. El sistema SUMAC notificará copia a los abogados de la parte demandante, el Lcdo. Kevin Sánchez Campanero cuyas direcciones son: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 009368518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección kevin.sanchez@ orf-law.com, y a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law.com.

EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en Puerto Rico, hoy día 21 de febrero de 2023. En Humacao, Puerto Rico, el 21 de febrero de 2023. Ivelisse C. Fonseca Rodríguez, Secretaria Regional. Ileanette Rivas Serrano, Secretaria Auxiliar.

LEGAL NOTICE

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

REVERSE MORTGAGE FUDING LLC.

Demandante V. SUCN JORGE JUAN RIVERA FRANCO Y OTROS

Demandado(a)

Civil: CA2021CV01665. Sala: 409. Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: JORGE LUIS RIVERA VARADA, JORGE RAFAEL RIVERA VARADA, JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE COMO POSIBLES MIEMBROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESION DE JORGE JUAN RIVERA FRANCO; JOHN ROE Y JANE ROE COMO POSIBLES MIEMBROS DESCONOCIDOA DE LA SUCESION LESBIA VARADA MUÑIZ. (Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 26 de febrero de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 28 de febrero de 2023. En Carolina, Puerto Rico, el 28 de febrero de 2023. LCDA. MARILYN APONTE RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA. IDA L. FERNÁNDEZ RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

Cementerio Monte Calvario

AVISO PÚBLICO

Se le vuelve a notificar a todas las personas como se hizo nuevamente el jueves, 29 de mayo del 2014, por tercera vez vía Edictos, a dueños, familiares, parientes o que guarden relación con algunas de las personas que aparecen en este aviso. Y/O que tengan algún interés con los mismas, y actualizar información de cambios de dirección, contacto(s), y cuotas de mantenimiento que pasado los treinta días (30) de publicado este aviso procederemos a pasar a las referidas propiedades a un proceso legal para reposición de los panteones. Los interesados deben comunicarse de inmediato al: 787-743-8668 / 787- 743-2688 Fax: (787) 746-0032 o pueden visitar personalmente la oficina en el cementerio.

D-D-31-32

H-L-33-34

A-I-2

A-I-3

A-M-4 Blanca M. Esquerdo Andújar

Pedro Iglesias Velázquez

Bernarda Rivera Burgos

Juana Delgado

Maria M. Angual Rodriguez

A-I-17 George León Colón

An ordinary player who’s anything but

By BILLY WITZ

Hansel Enmanuel knew just what to do when his teammate DeMarcus Sharp was marooned in the lane after picking up his dribble, surrounded by defenders. Enmanuel bolted from the corner toward the basket.

Sharp, recognizing help was on the way, delivered a bounce pass to Enmanuel, who collected it in stride and vaulted toward the rim for what everyone on his team — and everyone else in the small arena — expected to be a stanchion-shaking dunk. But as Enmanuel approached the basket with the ball palmed in his right hand, he recalibrated.

Instead of dunking, he laid the ball on the rim. It would not cooperate, rolling off.

A few moments later, Corey Gipson, Enmanuel’s coach at Northwestern State, pulled him aside to deliver an indelicate truth: Enmanuel should have dunked it, but he had shied away from the contact.

“He went up worrying about missing instead of saying, ‘I’m going to put the women and children to bed,’” Gipson said later that night, after Northwestern State lost to the University of New Orleans in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

What made their exchange so extraordinary, though, was just how ordinary it was — no mollycoddling or mincing of words, just a coach letting a freshman know that he expects more from him. In that moment, Enmanuel, who lost his left arm in a childhood accident, was right where he wanted to be — just another player on a team with NCAA Tournament ambitions.

Of course, Enmanuel is anything but.

Enmanuel, 19, is the only player in Division I men’s college basketball with only one arm, relying instead on his other gifts: a rangy, 6-foot-6 frame; kangaroolike hops; and a basketball IQ passed down from his father, Hansel Salvador, a longtime standout in the Dominican Republic professional league.

And how many other college players have collected 1.4 million Instagram followers, walked the red carpet at the ESPYs or taken a star turn in a sports drink commercial broadcast during last year’s NBA Finals? (For that matter, how many have a seven-figure endorsement portfolio, which he does, according to his agent, that also includes sportswear, sunglasses and cellphone companies?)

That visibility has been mostly recent, after he moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic less than three years ago speaking little English. He became an internet sensation through dunk videos while he excelled at Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida.

This is a life Enmanuel did not think

possible after, at age 6, a wall he was climbing collapsed on him, pinning his left arm. By the time he was rescued, it was too late to save his arm. It was amputated just below the shoulder.

“When the accident happened, I was thinking, like: ‘What am I going to do now?’” he told The Associated Press in December in the only print interview he has done this season. “I was thinking: ‘It’s over for me.’”

Small milestones — such as tying his own shoelaces — gave way to bigger ones, such as maintaining his equilibrium while running. And then learning to do basketball tasks with one hand, such as dribbling, passing, shooting, rebounding and blocking shots. When Enmanuel moved to Florida, where his mother had immigrated

years earlier and he also hoped better opportunities awaited, he more than held his own on the court.

This was true even at a 2021 summer recruiting showcase near Indianapolis, when coaches in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Mountain West sat in folding chairs along the court and marveled at how capably Enmanuel played — even as they were skeptical that he could play for their teams.

“Sometimes coaches second-guess themselves and what they’re looking at,” said Rick Catala, who coached Enmanuel for SOH Elite, a club team based in Pembroke Pines, Florida. “I’ve seen Hansel destroy high-major kids, but then they’re still questioning him. I told one coach, ‘I don’t know why you keep asking me, “Is he a D-I basketball player?”’”

A year ago, Isaac Haney was on the Missouri State team bus having a spirited debate with a teammate over the same question. Now, as Enmanuel’s teammate at Northwestern State, he has a clearer understanding.

“You’re recruited because a coach sees an ability in you to do a specific job, and sometimes guys aren’t willing to do the job that’s asked of them,” said Haney, a sophomore guard. “I look at Hansel and see a guy who has an unbelievable work ethic, but also a willingness to serve and a willingness to do the little things. That’s what really makes him an asset and invaluable to this team.”

Enmanuel’s duty is to provide energy through his play — and his smile.

“His biggest job,” Haney said, “is to bring that it factor.”

If Enmanuel was intent on a quiet assimilation into life as a college athlete, it would be hard to find a better place — or one farther off the basketball grid — than Northwestern State.

A public university with an enrollment of 9,389, serving mostly students in one of the nation’s poorest regions, Northwestern State is tucked away in a city that claims to be Louisiana’s oldest settlement. Its closest airports are an hour’s drive south to Alexandria and a little more than that north to Shreveport. The Demons, who had not

Hansel Enmanuel, who lost his left arm at age 6, doesn’t want sympathy. He just wants to play.

had a winning season in seven years, have neither a media following nor many fans, drawing perhaps 1,000 to their home games.

There are, to put it kindly, few distractions here.

“Hansel likes quiet,” said Jhoancy Zapata, his business agent.

There were other options to consider. Memphis, which has national championship ambitions and would have offered a bigger stage but perhaps less playing time, extended a scholarship offer. So did Tennessee State and Bethune-Cookman, historically Black universities that would have provided a unique platform. Northwestern State could promise only one thing: that it would treat Enmanuel like a basketball player.

“I guarantee you we’re not recruiting him for a dog and pony show,” Gipson told Enmanuel, his parents, his club coach and his business advisers in a video call last spring. The coach has heard the inevitable tongueclucking from other coaches that signing Enmanuel was merely a publicity stunt. “We’re recruiting him because we think we can develop him and we think he has the right ingredients to fit into the program.”

Northwestern State’s president, Marcus Jones, was also on the call, easing Enmanuel’s mother’s concerns in Spanish, which he speaks fluently. Jones hosted Enmanuel and his parents for breakfast during his recruiting visit.

“The main thing — and I think we’ve held true on this — is they did not want their son to be treated as a number or as someone who would be exploited because he was popular on social media,” Jones said.

One accommodation has been enlisting Christian Paez, a Colombia native and honor student who has played saxophone in the school’s jazz orchestra, as a graduate assistant with the team, helping ease Enmanuel’s integration. Paez doesn’t know much about basketball, but he knows what it’s like to drop into small-town Louisiana when your English is a work in progress.

“When I came to the airport and went to a fast-food place, I knew how to order, but I was afraid to mess up and have people laugh at me,” Paez said. “He was the same when he got here. But he’s not somebody who is afraid. If he wants to develop a skill, he

can do it.”

Enmanuel has been adamant about not receiving any special treatment on the team.

When Gipson told him he could do situps instead of fingertip pushups as punishment for a mistake in a drill, Enmanuel resisted — completing the task with the help of a teammate, Cedric Garrett, who supported him around the waist.

Earlier this season, the Demons were whizzing through an NCAA survey for college athletes, eager to get out the door. As they did, Enmanuel remained behind, painstakingly using a translation app on his phone so he could diligently answer each question.

“He looked up at me with this distraught look on his face going, ‘Man, this is hard,’” Haney said. “But he doesn’t want anyone’s sympathy.”

This has helped him earn the respect of his teammates.

Enmanuel did not arrive until school started in late August, missing summer workouts and the opportunity to get to know his teammates, the coaches’ terminology and the nuances of their schemes. He arrived late because he was fulfilling his endorsement obligations. It was an example of the tension that sometimes exists between his basketball and business interests.

He is in the United States on an O-1A visa, granted to individuals with extraordinary abilities, which makes him the rare foreign college athlete who can earn money in the United

States on endorsements. His contract with Adidas runs through the 2025-26 season.

For business to continue, Enmanuel must play. But playing time is doled out on merit, and he had difficulty getting on the court early in the season.

“This is what the brands are after,” Zapata said. “They don’t want to see Hansel’s grades in science or English or math. They’re after Hansel for how he plays.”

There were “most definitely” questions about his priorities when Enmanuel arrived, said Sharp, the team’s standout point guard. “It was probably a month after I got to know him — you could see he was locked in on basketball,” Sharp said. “He never focused on social media; he was always in the gym playing one-on-one and working on his game.”

It is for that reason that Enmanuel has limited his interviews this season, speaking only to The AP and CBS, although he did agree to take a portrait for this article. His discomfort, those around him believe, comes from being the center of attention when he is not the star — as he was in high school.

“I’m diving into Hansel’s mind here,” said Gipson, who is trying to organize several exhibition games for his team in the Dominican Republic this summer. “But he’s saying to himself: ‘Why are you interviewing me? Are you patronizing me? My time will come.’”

And yet, Enmanuel is drawing at-

tention to his team’s program — an inspirational tale itself.

The Demons (21-10), who were 9-23 last season, finished second in the Southland Conference this season with a 13-5 record, earning a spot in Tuesday’s conference tournament semifinals. If they reach the NCAA Tournament, they may have a puncher’s chance: They won at now-No. 22 Texas Christian, led 25th-ranked Texas A&M at halftime and played seventhranked Baylor competitively.

This is the first head coaching job for Gipson, 41, who believes small gestures off the court carry over on it. His players are required to perform 70 hours of community service, including picking up trash at local parks, reading to elementary school children and serving food to the needy. And they make sure to fist-bump everyone — strangers, too — when they leave a room, as they did on a recent morning after breakfast at Lasyone’s, a downtown Creole institution known for its meat pies.

It was important, Gipson said, that Enmanuel fit in as well off the court as he might on it.

So, it was a marker of where Enmanuel stood when players (and coaches) on the Demons’ bench leaped to their feet early this season when Enmanuel scooped up his own missed free throw and dunked the ball. After playing only sporadically and missing several weeks with a concussion, he has earned more playing time of late. He has started the past three games, his activity defensively and on the boards providing an energetic presence while he better remembers his assignments.

And occasionally, he’ll contribute offensively, as he did Euro-stepping his way through the lane recently for a nifty basket against Southeastern Louisiana.

Two days later, Enmanuel pestered the University of New Orleans with his activity and was on the court for 15 impactful minutes, scoring 5 points, a total that may have been higher had he not held back on the dunk opportunity. Omarion Henry, a freshman forward for New Orleans, popped Enmanuel on the chest with his fist as the teams went through a handshake line after the Privateers’ victory.

It was a simple but meaningful gesture, a sign of the respect Henry said he has for Enmanuel, one competitor acknowledging another.

Hansel Enmanuel has earned the respect of his Northwestern State teammates in his freshman season.

In Jon Jones’ triumphant return, a champion watched from afar

By EMMANUEL MORGAN

As Jon Jones, one of the greatest athletes in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, walked toward the octagon for his heavyweight debut after a three-year hiatus from the sport, the red lights dimmed at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The crowd, which included retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady, actor Mark Wahlberg and mixed martial artist Conor McGregor, roared.

Francis Ngannou, 36, would have been an ideal adversary for Jones in UFC 285 on Saturday night: He was the reigning heavyweight champion when he and the UFC parted ways. Instead, he watched the bout on television in his native Cameroon.

Ngannou saw Jones, a 35-year-old American, quickly dispatch 32-year-old Frenchman Ciryl Gane, whom Ngannou beat in January 2022. Ngannou then saw Jones call out Stipe Miocic, his next opponent, who has also lost to Ngannou.

As Jones celebrated in the octagon, falling to his knees and praying while his family and coaches surrounded him, Ngannou wrote a congratulatory message, with a hint of sarcasm, to Jones on Twitter. It said: “Good job Jonny Boy. Sincerely, The heavyweight king.”

At his news conference after the fight, Jones insulted Ngannou in response, using a vulgarity to describe him.

The UFC brands itself as a modern-day gladiator spectacle, but a highly publicized disagreement between Ngannou and the organization has kept fans from seeing the superfight that could have been.

On Saturday, Jones defeated Gane in the first round, submitting him via choke less than three minutes into a potential five-round competition. The victory crowned Jones as the heavyweight champion after he had ruled the 205-pound light heavyweight division for nearly a decade, and it positioned him for a new chapter in his storied but complicated career.

Gane was fighting Saturday as the next-best choice for an opponent. The contractual stalemate between Ngannou and the UFC, which most fans hoped would be resolved, is set to hang over the heavyweight division like a dark cloud.

UFC President Dana White said in January that the organization released Ngannou after two years of impasse in negotiations. On Saturday, in a news conference, he repeated that he would not try to sign Ngannou again and said that Jones would next face Miocic.

“If Francis doesn’t want the fight, you can’t make him fight,” White said. “And I doubt it would have gone any differently.”

Ngannou, who won the heavyweight championship after knocking out Miocic in 2021, defeated Gane via unanimous decision in 2022. It was the last fight on his deal, and leading up to it he openly discussed his desire for an increased salary and more flexibility to pursue boxing opportunities. White said Ngannou turned down an offer that would have made him the organiza-

tion’s highest-paid heavyweight, a figure Ngannou said was around $8 million. While that is a large sum, it lags behind many boxers’ paydays. Ngannou said he also requested health insurance for all fighters, among other things.

In a phone interview Saturday afternoon, Ngannou said he was content with his decision.

“I always wanted to fight, and that’s a fight that I would love to have, but we’re not going to fight tonight because of the way that I saw things,” Ngannou said. “You have to give them a firm no and be decisive in what you want in order for the system to know that maybe something is getting done in the wrong way.”

Ngannou’s absence paved the way for Jones’ longanticipated heavyweight debut to come against Gane. Jones entered the UFC in 2008 and began an ascent rarely seen. He won the 205-pound light heavyweight belt in 2011 at age 23, becoming the UFC’s youngest champion. He holds the record for most title fight wins (15), often deploying a skill set of elite striking, grappling and fight intelligence.

But Jones, at the peak of his career, committed actions that stained an otherwise prodigious resume. The UFC suspended him in 2015 and stripped him of his title after authorities charged him with felony hit-andrun offenses in New Mexico. He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and was sentenced to up to 18 months of probation.

He was suspended twice, in 2016 and 2018, for

testing positive for banned substances by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. In 2021, he took a plea deal and avoided jail time for a domestic battery incident in Las Vegas involving his fiancée.

Jones said that he has reevaluated the people around him and that his lifestyle has become calmer and simpler. He developed new hobbies, such as dog training and flying drones, and said in an interview last week that he felt he was in a “better place.”

“A lot of my young life was on a fast track,” he said. “Over the last two years, I’ve really got to evaluate my friends and the circle and my mentors, and I feel like I’m a product of my friendships these days. I’ve never been more proud of my team.”

Jones vacated the light heavyweight belt in 2020 to transition to heavyweight. He said that he would cut as many as 25 pounds during fight week and that he wanted to challenge himself against different opponents. He said he began weight training four times a week and adapted his diet to include more red meat, fish, chicken, rice and protein shakes.

During that time, he, like Ngannou, also bickered with the UFC over increased pay. In March 2021, Jones wrote on Twitter, “Please just cut me already,” requesting that he be released by the organization. But the tone of the negotiations improved over time, Jones said, and the UFC offered him a deal that made him feel “immediately respected.” Richard Schaefer, Jones’ representative, said in a January broadcast interview that Jones’ restructured contract most likely made him the second-highest-paid UFC fighter behind McGregor.

“People argue — that’s just a part of life,” Jones said. “I don’t take this personal, and Dana doesn’t, either.”

The body transformation sparked a seamless performance worthy of his higher salary. He took Gane down early in the first round Saturday and pinned him against the fence. He then transitioned to a guillotine front-side choke and squeezed until Gane tapped in submission.

Before White said he would no longer negotiate with Ngannou, Jones, in the interview Tuesday, said he would be open to the fight. He said that while the two shared different perspectives, he respected his approach.

“I’ve never seen a fighter leave the UFC in such a great position,” Jones said. “It’s great for our sport to see that. It’s great to see guys walk away on their own terms.”

As for Ngannou, he said he was open to other options. He said he would like to arrange a boxing match with Tyson Fury, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, or former champion Deontay Wilder, and explore MMA fights in other organizations.

“I have so much possibility, and to be free, like everything is available and possible for me,” Ngannou said. “I have my freedom, which is the most important thing. And I can do whatever I want, which, again, is very important.”

Jon Jones celebrated after beating Ciryl Gane in Las Vegas on Saturday night for the vacant U.F.C. heavyweight title.

How to Play:

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

Sudoku Rules:

Every row must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Every column must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

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

Crossword

Crossword #K7J9S3C8

Down

1. Possesses a deed to

2. Pulled the trigger

3. Locale

4.

Answers on page 38

Aries (Mar 21-April 20)

If you get a feeling that there’s something different about today, then you’re right, Aries. A positive Sun/ Uranus link, could coincide with finding the answer to something in a most unusual way. It might show up in a dream, or someone nearby in a café may be discussing this very subject. Somewhere, somehow, the cosmos wants you to resolve this, and now is the time.

Taurus (April 21-May 21)

If you get a feeling that there’s something different about today, then you’re right, Aries. A positive Sun/ Uranus link, could coincide with finding the answer to something in a most unusual way. It might show up in a dream, or someone nearby in a café may be discussing this very subject. Somewhere, somehow, the cosmos wants you to resolve this, and now is the time.

Gemini (May 22-June 21)

A powerful focus on a prominent sector may result in you being proactive and therefore, noticed by all the right people. With a lively aspect on the boil, things could go one stage further if you decide to share a brilliant idea with someone at the top. Don’t let doubts hold you back, Gemini. Instead, be willing to take a leap of faith, as good things can emerge from this opportunity.

Cancer (June 22-July 23)

A spur of the moment decision could see you booked on a flight for a quick break Cancer, or a longer holiday. The current excitable energies may leave you yearning for far horizons, and a chance to sample the culture of another country. Before you fully commit though, give yourself a little time to look around at other options and offers, just to be sure this is perfect for you.

Leo (July 24-Aug 23)

Though you may be happy with your friends and family, there are times when you’re better in your own company, and this could be one of them. Need some breathing space and a chance to get your bearings just for a while? The Sun in Pisces suggests this might be a good time to withdraw and reflect. Letting others know of your intentions will avoid any hurt feelings, Leo.

Virgo (Aug 24-Sep 23)

As the radiant Sun ties harmoniously with electric Uranus, you may be drawn to knowledge or an opportunity that can radically change or revolutionize your life. While you are usually very grounded Virgo, you may be talked into doing something right away, so you don’t miss this chance. And if there’s a chance to work alongside another, success may come that much easier.

Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23)

With the Sun and Mercury in your lifestyle zone, you may be looking for ways to make life more interesting and satisfying. As the Sun aligns with excitable Uranus, get ready to explore something that could bring positive change, and that promises more freedom and time to do as you please. It could be a job opportunity or an idea to start a business that piques your interest.

Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)

Ready to give your place a different look, and one that has a more spacious quality? Doing so could bring a sense of harmony to your home and enhance peace of mind. Have too many possessions to make this possible? If you’re serious about getting things shipshape, Saturn in the last degree of your home zone, can inspire you to get organized. It’s better now than never.

Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)

Need a good idea? You won’t be short today or over coming days, Archer. Get ready, as it may come like a flash from the blue, and could be the result of synchronicity or a conversation. On another note, if you need a new gadget to assist with housework or a personal project, this can be a good time to go in search of one. Very soon you’ll wonder how you ever did without it.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20)

Keen to move out of a confining situation, Capricorn? A conversation could leave you excited and eager to act. And it may be just the pep-talk you need. Don’t rush into anything though, if it means there’s no going back. If you want to make changes, then slow and steady is best. Plus, a Moon/Mercury tie could bring news that gives hope. Something good may be on its way to you.

Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb 19)

Looking for a bargain? This is one of the best times to find it, especially if you need something like an appliance or other item that will save you time. A sparkling aspect means you’ll be in the right place to get what you want at a good price. Trust your intuition on this. A wonderful line-up in your sector of talk and thought, hints at a gathering of friends that is great fun for all.

Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)

While one door leading to a potential opportunity could stick, another may be about to open wide for you today, Pisces. A lively and fast-paced aspect might pave the way for exciting developments that you’ll welcome with open arms. And it may be because of the advice of someone in the know that you decide to act. Plus, an offer could be of great interest to you.