L - Lights

“When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on the bay, I want to be there”

Today is a Friday special – two-fer-one!

Both topics regard the lights in Puerto Lopez. The first is a gripe; the second is what talk show host Tony Bruno calls “good local information”.

First up: a complaint.

Most of the street lights in town work very well. The new lights on the Malecon, for instance, create a night setting that is comfortable for everyone: men and women, children playing, etc. With the completion of the new boardwalk and installation of lights, it’s a brilliant and inviting place.

EXCEPT for the south bridge!

Because of the geography of the town, the south end of the Malecon is a quiet, isolated area. The south bridge, which connects the south end to the middle of town, has not had working street lights since shortly after the bridge was built. The lack of light on the bridge creates a foreboding feeling about going to the south end of town. If not for the pier and a superb Spanish restaurant, there might be no traffic there at all.

The fix is simple, but getting it done is difficult. Ownership of the problem is in a pass-the-buck situation and no one in a position of authority is willing to take ownership.

Second: power monitoring.

I’ve lived in two location in Puerto Lopez: up on a hill and (currently) down on the Malecon. When the power goes out (like it was when I was writing this), it’s helpful to look around town and see who has lights. Sometimes the entire town will be without power; other times it only affects a certain neighborhood. There isn’t anything to be done other than to wait, but it is useful to know if certain restaurants will be open and who has running water or internet access.