The End of an Era

 

  

The end of an Era is here as Rollie's closes it's doors. Owner's Rollie and Jeanne have decided to retire the Sayulita landmark restaurant, as they prepare to spend more time with family. I am sure many people will join SayulitaLife and El Sayulero in wishing Rollie and Jeanne a wonderful retirement and thanking them for the many years that they gave us Rollie's! The following is an excerpt from a letter Rollie and Jeanne wrote to our community posted on Sayulita-People message boards.  See some great pictures on our Facebook Page

 

"Dear, Dear Sayulita Friends, this is a message I suppose Jeanne and I knew we would one day have to send, but now that it is here it is not easy. We have decided not to return to Sayulita next season to open the restaurant. Rollie's Restaurant is officially closed. (Until someone decides to buy the place and maybe open it again.)

 

There are several reasons for this. First, and foremost, there is a little boy in San Francisco, California, named Redding Lee. He is now 20 months old and our first and only grandchild. We live in Monterey, a couple of hours away from him, and we don't want to miss his growing up. 

 

Second, we are a little tired. This, as you know, all started after Jeanne and I spent many years in education. It was our "retirement." Such a retirement! Well, we are now ready to retire again. We will never forget that December in 1998 when we decided to take our Christmas vacation in Mexico and through some sort of divine intervention we landed in Sayulita. It was love at first sight. And, that love grew and grew over the years.

 

Sayulita has changed over the years, that is certainly true. But, for us, the charm, the love, the beauty, the people, the magic, none of that changed, it only grew. Sometimes people ask us if we wish Sayulita had stayed the way it was. Yes, probably we would have preferred it stay a small fishing village, but for us, the growth did not take away from the magic, nor our love for this little pueblo. However, what we will miss the most are the people, Mexicans and Gringos. We have loved you all. 

 

The folks who worked with us in our restaurant over the years have become like our family. Oh how we will miss them. But, it is time to move on.There are several lives waiting for us now. We run to those lives willingly, full of excitement, and at the same time with a great deal of sadness as well. 

  

Until the property sells, we will think of it as our winter home and will probably visit for varying lengths of time, being like normal people; going to the beach, reading a book, taking a nap, splashing in the water. 

 

But, it won't be the same. We have loved you, we love you now, and we can't envision a time when we wouldn't love you.

Please stay in touch... "We would say goodbye, but we can't since a great deal of our hearts remain in Sayulita. 

 

So for now, we will just say, "See you later". 

Rollie and Jeanne"

Eco Sayulita

by Stacey Elkins

Recently a new group, Eco Sayulita, has formed in the Sayulita community. This group is a partner of Pro Sayulita and the Vigilantes Ambientes and is focused on making Sayulita more environmentally friendly.

"Our main mission is that we want to turn Sayulita into a model green community in Mexico. We're a resourceful enough town and have a lot of passionate people supporting this project and I know that we can make this happen," remarks Lina Weissman, one of the members of the group.

A major goal is to replace plastic and styrofoam products and containers, which are harmful to the environment and wild life, with corn starch based products. "If a bird, fish or any animal eats one of these biodegradable products or containers, they will digest it. If they eat plastic or styrofoam, they won't be able to digest it and they will die," says Eric Steinman, a member of Eco Sayulita.

Eco Sayulita is working with local restaurants and stores to implement this change. Bags of various sizes, juice cups, to-go containers and plates are a few of the items that they have on hand. ChocoBanana and Don Pedro's have already made the change to using these products and several more local restaurants are on board for future orders.

Education is key to making a difference. "You have to be conscious about what you put in the trash and what is recyclable. Will it break down? If not, is there a change I can make?" says Stephen Dabrowski, another member of the group. Eco Sayulita is also working towards replacing commercial cleaning products, such as dish soap, laundry soap and other cleaners, with a more natural, organic, biodegradable product. This change will benefit the ocean, the water supply and the people in Sayulita.

Workshops will be taught to show people how to easily and affordably make these products at home. Recipes will also be made available to the community.

River clean up is another central goal of Eco Sayulita. Tule, a plant that filters toxins, chemicals and waste, has already been planted in the river, where it meets the ocean. A river trash clean up has been planned for June 7th at 9 a.m. and everyone is invited to participate in this endeavor. Meet up location will be at Coffee on the Corner.

Eco Sayulita has seen a lot of support and positive feedback. Katie Hoffman, a member of Eco Sayulita remarks, "People are coming out of the woodwork and asking how they can help." This is an open group that welcomes everyone. For more information about this group or to get involved, check out their Eco Sayulita Facebook page. 

Rollie's - By Some Standards,

The Best Restaurant in the World

by Ed Schwartz

Students Celebrate the Beat

and the Environment 

by Lizzie Blumenthal

Friends, family, and community members cheered on students from Costa Verde International School (CVIS), San Pancho, and Grupo de Excelencia, a group of students from seven neighboring schools, as they performed their interpretation of Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax" for the sixth annual Celebrate the Beat (CTB). On May 13, dedication mixed with funky dance moves and music brought the schools together to put on an energetic show.

Since January, Program Director Colleen Macomber with local musicians, Alyssa Edmonson (piano/vocals), Jess Edmondson (guitar), Roberto Godinez (bass), and Mario Garcia (drums) with teaching assistants, Jessica Zepeda and Sarita Huerta, have been working with students once a week to collaborate the performance. For the show, each school represented a different group of characters with CVIS representing the message "We are the change in one seed."

According to Macomber, the success of the program is contingent with teamwork and high expectations from the students. "We teach dancers the power of teamwork, how to value artistic expression, discover their potential, and believe in themselves. Through music and dance, we motivate children to develop a personal standard of excellence." With that goal, Macomber and her team brought live music, dance, and environmental awareness into the minds of students. "We wanted to do something about the environment and the environment can get kind of heavy, so we came up with the idea of Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax."

Additionally, by incorporating "local flare," of Mexican music like "Hace Salga el Sol," and American hits like "Eye of the Tiger," the students were excited to show off their skills. With another successful performance complete, Macomber who has been with CTB in Mexico for three years, continues to instill passion and dedication into the program. "This is such rewarding work with CTB. I love what I do and I love working with so many local children."

CTB, was founded by Tracy Straus in 2000 in Colorado, and began in Mexico when a family from Vail believed in its importance and brought it to the area. It began in one Punta de Mita school and now has spread to over 500 local kids from eight towns. "The program has grown tremendously in the past six years and I want to see it continue to expand." Those interested in keeping the beat alive via donations, can visit the website www.ctbeat.org.

 Sayuparke Community Planting 

by Stacey Elkins 

On Saturday, May 17th at 8 a.m., several members of the community gathered at the field where construction on Sayuparke is underway. This community planting day was an exciting event, setting the wheels in motion for a beautiful, green, lush space for Sayuparke.

Local volunteers dug holes and planted palms, hibiscus, and crotos along the back and side fences of the area. Volunteers included Fausto Perez from Yah-Yah Caf�, Kelly Dumont from Gypsy, Julio Farias Meraz, and Nelson Gomez from Sayulita Verde, Kristine Hill, a local textile artist, Mark Wehri with Melly Milagro, Sandra Richards from La Huerta la Paz, and Sonya Gallegos from Sayulita Boutique.

These locals offered their time and support for various reasons. Gomez stated, "I came out because I want to help the town." Kristine Hill said, "I love to garden and it's a way to connect with people and create community. It's a way to create something beautiful." Wehri responded, "I decided to come out because I have two kids and want to be a part of the process to help improve the area for them."

Not only did people volunteer their time, several people donated plants and soil to help make this community planting day possible. Vivero Villanuevo donated 40 areca palms, Richards donated 4 petticoat palms, and Salim Zermeno from Villa Sayulita donated soil.

Octavia Jolley, one of the women behind Sayuparke, stated, "The interesting part of this project is seeing how the community chips in and comes together."

This space was originally donated for a sports and activity field. I'm happy to be adding back to the green. By putting plants in it we are adding to the beauty, and it's awesome because step by step it shows we are progressing in the project. Thank you to everyone who has donated and has helped make this project happen and for future donations."

 Sayulita Calendar 

Things To Do On Your Sayulita Vacation

 Bistro Organico 

Restaurant Week Continues

Bistro organico in San Pancho invites you to Valalrta LIfestyles Restaurant Week, The event started May 15th and continues until the 31st! Bistro Organico will feature a spectacular three course menu (with three options each) discounted by up to 50%. In keeping with our philosophy, it will be based on an organic, sustainable and regional menu. The selected wines for each course will be paired with your food and will surely delight your palate and your senses. Make your reservation now by calling 311.258.4155. Plan to come to this culinary feast!

Specialty: Seafood and Organic.
Breakfast & Lunch: 8 am to 2 pm Daily.
Dinner: 5 pm to 10 pm Ma to Sun.

NLightN Media Brings You

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Videos sell!  Your rentals will increase.  We promise you that!

 Here is your Exclusive Offer from the NLightN Team:

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$530 USD fully produced Narrative Video

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Contact us "Today" to Order this powerful product and begin renting your home for more, tomorrow.  

David Pitman

Owner 

720.496.3911

86dpitman@gmail.com

www.n-light-n.tv

Check us out on Facebook

Support Sayulita Animals

This is Evita, She is a 5-7 month old mixed breed dog who survived an attack from a large German Shepard. She was found bleeding and crying on the street and was taken in. After seeing the vet, it was determined that she had two broken legs and some infection from the bites she received. SayulitAnimals stepped in with advice and guidance for the people who found her and helped them out by taking Evita to the specialist in Vallarta! 

Please consider supporting SayulitAnimals for all of the wonderful work they do in the community!

Pet of the Week 

This is Joey, a young mixed breed dog who has never had a proper home. He is currently living in the streets of Sayulita and being fed, but that may not last very long. Joey is a sweet and appreciate dog especially to those that give him food and water. He used to live in the Tamarindo section of Sayulita but someone threw some boiling water on him leaving his back with a permanent little bald mark. Joey has been neutered and cared for by a few people in town but he really needs a home. If you are looking for an affectionate dog, please think of Joey!