San Clemente, CA - Play N Trade is proud to announce Rogelio Cucalón Garcia and Johann Palma are opening the first Play N Trade stores in Central America. The new franchise owners are excited about bringing the Play N Trade brand to Panama. Play N Trade sees a growing interest of franchise development in not only Latin America, but Asia and Europe as well.

Johann Palma states, “Play N Trade has been a very successful franchise in North America and we are excited to bring the brand to Central America. We know that our customers will appreciate the excellent customer service and wide selection of gaming and consumer electronics that Play N Trade has to offer.” Cucalón added, “We are especially excited about bringing our electronics trade in services to Panamá. The ability to trade in your old phone, tablet or game system for a newer model will definitely appeal to tech savvy consumers who like to keep up with the latest technology.”

The new stores will be located at the Albrook Mall and Multicentro Mall in Panama City. The first store is scheduled to open on April 2013 with a grand opening and series of consumer directed events. Rogelio and Johann know the Panama market and will do a great job introducing Play N Trade to the people of Panama,” expressed Charles Franklin, EVP of Franchise Development at Play N Trade. “Rogelio and Johan have extensive business experience and are the perfect partners to launch our brand in this exciting market.”

Cucalón and Palma were inspired to open Play N Trade franchises in their home country of Panama after visiting the stores in North America. Palma excitedly states, “The first time I stepped into a Play N Trade I was really impressed with the amazing interactive gaming experience. Panama’s clientele has always been known to be a highly sophisticated market with tremendous appreciation for high-level customer service. That was something I hadn’t seen in a franchise before, and I knew it would be appreciated by the people of Panama.”

Surprisingly, the two children who had disappeared in Villa Lucre, who were rumored to have been attacked by a crocodile, reappeared in perfect condition, this Friday, October 19th. This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner of Juvenile Police Miriam Mosquera, who said on the morning news that the two minors were detained on 11 October by the National Police after they were found in the mall selling items, unaccompanied by any adult. Mosquera said that due to the lack of information, they had to take them to temporary shelter, while they sought more data. In fact, their parents will be cited, because it is forbidden for minors to participate in lucrative activities. (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: Whoops. The police had these kids for a week? And at the same time the police were also searching a stream, looking for them, because they were supposed to have been eaten by a crocodile? Wow. And their parents have been looking for them since the day they went missing (got arrested.) What a blunder...

A three year old child was taken to the Police sub station located in Barriada Casa Real in Las Cumbres after he was found by authorities wandering alone in the streets of Nueva Livia in Torrijos Carter at 5:00 am this morning. So far, no family members have come looking for him. (Dia a Dia)

Editor's Comment: They will come to get him, once they wake up and realize he never made it back from the "chino" with the beer...

Hundreds of children accompanied by their parents enjoyed the second day of the fair organized to celebrate Children's Day in the Omar park. One of the favorites was a stand where little girls could get dressed up as their favorite princess. There was face painting and mechanical rides like carousel to entertain the children.

The storytellers were responsible for bringing a cultural note to the event, accompanied by music and all kinds of good tasting goodies. There were also quizzes, contests, and drawing and painting contests that tested the creativity of the children, who were awarded prizes and gifts.

The event, called 'I wanna be your friend, accept me as I am', was organized by the Office of the First Lady of the Republic. 'I wanna be your friend, accept me as I am' was also the motto used so that all children would feel like a part of the celebration, with no distinction or discrimination based on religion, color, race or handicap. The fair, according to its organizers, aims to integrate all children in Panama. The fair will open its doors from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. (Siglo)

The sad episode of seeing a child selling flowers at a restaurant, selling stamps on the side of the street, or simply sitting on the side of the sidewalk begging for money is a reality seen every day in Chiriqui. In this area of ​​the country child labor figures indicate there are more than 5,126 children who, instead of attending school, wander in search of a livelihood. Maritza Anderson, the Director of the Casa Esperanza, said they seek to sensitize the community through the testimonies of those affected. "From their perspective, who hold these conversations to hear in their own voices what affects it brings to them, because it is not easy to deal with this social problem, and it is usually someone not related to the child who is using them for profit," she said.

Increasing - Anderson said child labor statistics are reviewed weekly and although they maintain a similar performance to last year, the numbers continue to increase. She explained for the the children to be rescued by the NGO she manages, a teacher approaches the child search of basic information, subsequently used to contact their parents or guardians, and then provide guidance so they can attend a care center where they provide health, education, food and all the basics for their development.

The largest number of child workers can be found in the commercial area of David, who mostly sell things, from CDs, flowers, "stickers", calendars, food, or simply begging. Other regions are the highlands and agricultural areas Renacimiento, Boquete y Volcán.

Samy Quintero, the coordinator for the Eradication of Child Labor of the Ministry of Labor, said in the first six months of 2012 they say more than 70 children in work areas, but this increases during the holidays and when the children are not in school. He said sanctions are being applied to companies or people when they are seen using child labor for work not suitable for children, and in parallel there are other programs that intend to take the children out of the work environment so they can study. (Mi Diario)

High school students Pedro Caballero and Génesis Cedeño from the Centro Educativo de Progreso Barú will represent Panama at the XV International Science and Engineering Fair, to be held from 13 May to 18 May 2012, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The students from Chiriqui will compete with 1,600 finalists from 65 countries from around the world. Caballero and Cedeño are the representatives of Panama after being selected as the winners in the category of Technological Development in the 2011 Science and Engineering Fair held by the National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT). The students were evaluated by a committee.

They will take their project - "Creating A Micro Desalination Plant" - with them to the competition in the United States. "Creating A Micro Desalination Plant" seeks to create a micro-plant capable of producing fresh water for consumption by people, animals and plants. According to the students they propose a plant that can be located anywhere, especially in areas where drinking water is scarce. They said this creation would provide a solution to the shortage of drinking water.

According to Violetta Cumberbatch, the Director of Management of Science and Technology of Senacyt, it is a very tough competition and she said it requires a great development of science and technology. This year the Science and Engineering Fair of the Senacyt 2012 carries the theme "Sustainable Energy for All" and will be held from 23 to 25 September at the Vasco Nuñez de Balboa Center in the Panama Hotel. Students interested in enrolling your project can access the page http://www.senacyt.gob.pa/feria-cientifica-del-ingenio-2012/ (Telemetro)

#Panama - Because the bill to regulate the celebration of Halloween in private and public schools in the country has not yet been discussed in the second debate in the National Assembly, deputy Alcibiades Vasquez Velasquez will fight for passage. This project may not be approved prior to October 31 because it was moved down on the agenda of the agenda in the National Assembly. Vasquez Velasquez told La Prensa the project received expedited approval in the first debate, but for the second debate it was placed as the fifth item on the agenda. But suddenly this was changed, "so I think it will be difficult to be approved before October 31" the day the session ends.

This bill was presented to the National Assembly a year ago. Vasquez Velasquez said he does not want to ban the celebration of Halloween in the country, the aim is to regulate it in schools, so that it is not celebrated like a formal party. Because this celebration "is gaining more force than the patriotic celebrations," in schools costume competitions are held and murals are made. Whoever wants to celebrate Halloween on the street or in their building is free to do so because "what I advocate is freedom of expression," said the deputy. (Prensa)

Editor's Comment: What an idiot. This issue comes back up every year at this time like a bad burrito. This morning I dropped by daughter off at school dressed like a Princess. They have a costume party every year, and the kids love it - it allows them one day to "play dress up" and to a four year old - she turns into a Princess for a day. The bill presented by Deputy Alcibiades Vasquez in the National Assembly calling for a ban on Halloween celebrations isn't going anywhere for two reasons. The first reason is that he's from the Panameñista political party, and he's using this issue to crowbar his name into the papers, at least once a year. The second reason is there's probably little or no support for his personal agenda - driven by his extreme Catholic religious convictions (who see Halloween as "evil" or the "work of the devil"). His extreme beliefs are not shared by the majority of his colleagues in the National Assembly. And only a professional politician can push a measure that restricts free speech and places limitations on how children who attend a private school can or cannot celebrate a costume party, while at the same time saying he supports freedom of expression. At the school there was a little two year old kid dressed up like a pumpkin. Evil, pure evil. The devil made him do it (in his diaper).

#Panama #Scrooge - Panama City Mayor Bosco Vallarino said this morning at a press conference that the "Christmas Village" is in jeopardy because the government is withdrawing their support and the private sector will not participate if it is not held on the Coastal Strip. Vallarino told the government (of Ricardo Martinelli) that Christmas Village is not a question of begging, but Christmas is for everyone regardless of political factions. In recent days Mayor Vallarino said if the Christmas Village could not be installed on the Coastal Strip, then an alternate option would be to put it somewhere in the former Canal Zone, but he said this would cause transportation problems for most Panamanians. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: Dude! No Christmas? Is Martinelli really going to cut the funding for the Mayor's Christmas Village plans, just because he's in the Panameñista party? Boy, that's mighty "Scrooge like" of the man, don't 'ya think? No Christmas for you this year, unless you change political parties, that is...

#Panama - There are still marks on his body. With great pain in the chest, a young 12 year old boy came home last Saturday after receiving severe beatings at the hands of his karate teacher (sensei). The child, who has chest lacerations and red marks, told his father his mentor was upset because he had failing grades on his report card. In the DIA a DIA newsroom, he said before he entered the martial arts class, his sensei, Eduardo Carrera, told him in a defiant voice he was going to bleed. He added that his instructor began kicking him, leaving marks on the back of the knees. After this, he showed him the report cards from other children and began beating him with an open palm on his chest, as he said, "appreciate what you have." Jose Dionis, the father of the victim, was very upset and said this is not the way to discipline a child. Now his child does not want to go to the martial arts classes.

He Defends Himself: This newspaper (Dia a Dia) contacted sensei Carrera, who teaches the traditional Shotocan technique, who said he did not abuse the child, and that his actions form part of the disciplinary measures in youth who are at an advanced level, in this case, green belt. He said the boy's father told him to seek a way to discipline the boy because of poor grades.

That's Not How It's Supposed To Be: The sensei and President of the Karate Federation of Panama, Luis Pereira, said the action is wrong, because this can cause trauma to the boy, and in no way can you discipline a child with blows, and this is not part of the Traditional Shotokan. He said in the event the affected student does not perform at school, he can be removed from the list and prohibited from further promotions (belts).

He Can Be Traumatized: According to psychologist Geraldine Emiliani, no sport should be a source of abuse. She said the shock may cause fear in the minor to the point of self-conscious in the exercise of other sports. (Dia a Dia)

Editor's Comment: Criminal physical abuse, plain and simple. I've spent a lot of time in martial arts classes, and I've never seen any instructor hit a 12 year old kid as punishment, for anything, in any discipline or style. If you want to discipline a 12 year old green belt for bad grades, you wear him out. You make him do a whole lot of additional physical exercise as "punishment." And like Sensei Pereira said, you simply let him know that good grades and academic performance in school are part of the requirements for promotion and advancement to the next belt. Bad grades this time, well - better luck next quarter. In the meantime, drop and do push-ups with this six year old kid sitting on your back. Get the point? You praise good grades in public. You chastise bad grades in private - but verbally, not physically - and you just let the kid know what's expected. A Sensei can order a student to stand there basically at the position of attention - defenseless - and then slap the shit out of him. Completely and totally unacceptable, at any level. Carrera should be stripped of his belt and disciplined by the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF). What's more, the parents of the child have filed a criminal complaint with the DIJ for abuse.

There's a carnival road show that comes to Panama City every summer. This group starts out in Panama in December and January and then spends the year working their way north through Central America as far as southern Mexico. Towards the end of the year they work their way back home to Panama. They are currently finishing up their gig in Panama City and moving to Colon, where they will be for a couple of weeks. Then, they start to head north. The carnival itself is pretty small, dived about half and half of rides for big kids and adults and kiddie rides. There are just a few Midway booths where you can throw a dart at a balloon or a softball through a toilet seat. And of course there's food. In any case it's a fun way to spend an afternoon. I suspect they will be up around Boquete as their next stop. Salud.

"Anime Concert 2007 - AniMedley will be held on Saturday, 3 March 2007 at the "Dome of the University of Panama" in Curundu. The music from Bleach, Samuri X, Naruto, Inuyasha and others will be featured. Tickets are available at Planetarium, Metropolis Comics, Happy Smile, Panama Games, Asalto Urbano, and Anime Video Rentals. If you don't know what I'm talking about, ask a 14 year-old.

Everything is ready for the big "Christmas in the City" parade that will be held tomorrow, Sunday, the 10th of December 2006. The parade will consist of 31 floats and 31 marching bands. There will be 12,000 children who are being taken to the city from the interior of the country at the invitation of Panama's Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro. The parade will start at 3:30 pm in Bella Vista at 44th street and Balboa Avenue which is the assembly point for the participating units, bands, and floats. From there they will march down Balboa Avenue and will turn left on to Avenida Aquilino de la Guardia (which runs past the Banco General building). At Calle 50 they will turn right and will continue to the end of the parade route at Vía Cincuentenario. The length of the parade route is 5.6 kilometers. The parade route will be closed to vehicle traffic starting at 10:00 am and will remain closed until the parade finishes. Only official, police, and security vehicles will be allowed. One half of Balboa Avenue will be closed as well.

Panama, Aug 2 (Prensa Latina) Panama is currently hosting the eighth Central American and Caribbean Mathematics Olympics, with participation of 36 youth from 12 countries, organizers report. Sponsored by the University of Panama and the Education Ministry, the contest seeks to encourage interest in mathematics among children and youth. The competition also has the objective of boosting development of their ability to solve math problems and encourage data and experience exchange among students, teachers, and researchers. The event, which will conclude on Friday, is attended by contestants from Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic.

In the middle of Panama City there is a large oasis of shade, trees, open space, and fresh air. The Omar Torrijos Recreational Park is located next to Via Brazil in San Francisco. It's a very large park with lots of areas for all kinds of sports; soccer, baseball, bike riding, walking or running, and tennis. There are several large playgrounds with cool things for kids to climb on, and there's a very nice large swimming pool to cool off after you're done exercising or playing. I ran into several groups using the park to practice martial arts, sports teams working out with their coach, a summer company picnic, and a church group playing a pick-up softball game. There are stages for musical events and presentations, and a library. The park is a nice place to spend the day, whatever you like to do.

A new option for keeping the kids happy opened up recently in Panama City. It's called "El Parkin" and it's located in the parking garage of the Multicento Shopping Mall in Paitilla on level 2B. They have a paintball court with state of the art markers, supplies, and equipment, three indoor soccer courts (where it never rains) as well as pool tables, sodas and snacks. It's a great place to spend the day.

When they built the Multicentro in Paitilla, they built way too much parking. Quite a few of the original stores have closed, and Multicentro is feeling the competition from Multiplaza and the Albrook Mall. They decided to do something with all that extra parking area, and converted parking level 2B into an intertainment area with paintball, indoor soccer, and other fun stuff for kids. It's worth checking out.

100 % KIDS is the first of its kind Edu-tainment center located in Bal Harbor , Paitilla . Focusing on the three to thirteen age group the center hopes to provide an alternative for families to the ever popular , ever present video and arcade type facilities currently available .

Here's a "quickie" on the Camping Resort Water Park.

The Children's Theater of Panama (Teatro de los Ninos de Panama) is currently presenting the third production of it's inagural 2005 Season with "Snow White & The Seven Dwarves" ("Blanca Nieves y los Siete Enanitos) every Saturday & Sunday at 2pm and 5pm at the Auditorium of Florida State University-Panama. Produced by Bob Stiff/Omega Entertainment Group and directed by Hannia Woodman, this production includes the Children's Theater's trademark spectacular sets and costumes. Casa Esperanza is this production's featured charitable organization. All performances are in Spanish. For more information, call 269-2249 or visit TNP's website at www.tnp-omega.com

Thanks alot for all your answers about my "butterfly" question. The other day, I was looking out the window and saw ONE BIRD eat four of them in one swoop. There sure are a lot of them, and know I know they're moths, not butterflies. Thanks, again...

There have been like a million butterflies flying through Panama lately. They all seem to be going in the same general direction, and I think they are migrating or something. One came into our house yesterday and I took a picture of him. Does anyone know what's going on with these guys?

This past weekend my dad was looking at some beach property near Santa Clara, and I went with him because I wanted to spend some time at the beach too.

One of the places that I take my toddler to whenever we want to walk around is Multicentro. The two year old mall that is located in Paitilla. One great thing about it is that they have free strollers that you can keep for as long as you like (which means I don´t have to wrestle with mine, and as every stroller-needing parent knows, that is a huge advantage). You just need to provide a piece of id, other than your cedula (it´s against the law to keep anyone´s cedula in Panama), a phone number and sign a form.

As the mom of an eighteen month old toddler I find myself every weekend trying to find new and entertaining places to take my boy to, preferably a little educational and of course kid-friendly. It is not an easy task.

Hey kids! I need some help. You guys go all over the place in Panama and have a great time, and I need articles written from a kids point of view. You can write short little stories about the fun stuff you did in Panama, and I'll publish them here. You can send pictures if you want, too (Moms & Dads, please help out if you can.) Email your stories to: writer@panama-guide.com.

And Thanks!

Don: I have an idea for your panama guide. A section on the left that would be something like “Panama for kids.” We’ve got two small children and child friendly places are not featured in the guidebooks. We simply have to hunt for them. My first recommendation would be the Jungle Falls water park attached to the Grand Avalon. Our kids had a lot of fun there yesterday. A second would be the national park (who’s name I forget) over by the Corredor Norte, where one can go hiking. We’re still compiling our list, as we come to panama at least once if not twice a year with our family. Some restaurants are not kid friendly, but many are. Chris Walker

And they're going to the Little League World Series. Panama won the Latin America tournament that was hampered by rain caused by Hurricane Emily. The Curundu Little League team from Panama City won the region in St. John's, Antigua, in the West Indies. In the championship game, Panama defeated Santa Cruz, Aruba, 8-0, to qualify for the World Series. Panama also defeated teams from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela and Curacao, outscoring opponents, 51-13, over five regional games.

See: http://www.thenewsherald.com/stories/072005/spo_20050720004.shtml

This is the best place in town for kids who collect and trade the cards from the different game systems, such as Yugioh, Duel Masters, Pokemon, Vs., and others.

If you want to take the kids out for a good time, the Space Playworld in Los Pueblos is a good option. This is one of those places where you buy a card, then "charge" it up with money, and the kids swipe the card to play. Again, it's a little on the expensive side, but they have good games, and the kids love the place.

This place is a lot of fun. They have good safely gear like helmets and neck braces. The carts are equipped with electronic sensors that measure your speed and lap times, and at the end of the race you get a computer printout with your finishing position, best lap speed, etc. This is a great way to have a good time with the kids. Photos below...