Contact: Christianne Smith
dynamic and vibrant one-way promenade designed with the community in mind now welcomes residents and visitors with wide sidewalks
and inviting public spaces that encourage walking
The new promenade transforms the corridor into a safer and more beautiful route for active transportation.
Caltrans and the City of Anaheim today celebrated completion of the effort with a ribbon cutting ceremony that included Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken
The project was made possible with $2.6 million in grant funding through Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative – a sweeping $1.2 billion
multiyear cleanup effort led by Caltrans to remove trash
create thousands of jobs and engage communities to transform public spaces
The City of Anaheim also provided a local match of $1.4 million toward the project.
“Partnerships are at the heart of everything we do at Caltrans,” said Caltrans District 12 Director Lan Zhou
“Collaborating with cities like Anaheim allows us to bring transformative projects to life—projects that not only enhance safety and mobility
but also build community pride and improve quality of life
The North La Palma Parkway Promenade is a shining example of what’s possible when state and local agencies work together toward a shared vision of a cleaner
the project turned a conventional two-way asphalt road into a dynamic esplanade that enhances access to open space
connects residents to nearby transit and commercial corridors
and revitalizes a historically underserved area
It also addresses long-term environmental stewardship goals by promoting walkability
and integrating sustainable infrastructure
The project is further enriched by a bilingual education and outreach campaign focused on anti-littering and anti-graffiti messages
supported by events like a community clean-up day and tree-planting initiative
These efforts aim to foster civic pride and long-term stewardship among residents
“This marks an exciting chapter for one of Anaheim’s most historic and iconic parks,” Mayor Aitken said
“We’ve turned two roads into a walkable promenade that now serves as a gateway to La Palma Park
This transformation reflects a shared commitment with our state partners to build a healthier
Caltrans and its local partners through the Clean California Initiative have picked up more than 2.9 million cubic yards of litter – enough to cover nine lanes of Interstate 5 with trash from the Mexican border to Oregon
Caltrans also hosted more than 650 free dump days in communities throughout the state – resulting in the collection of more than 15,500 mattresses and 57,000 tires
The initiative has enlisted more than 72,000 community clean-up volunteers and created thousands of jobs
including positions for individuals who were formerly incarcerated
or experiencing housing insecurity.
CA – The Shivaji Maharaj Antarrashtriya Parivar (SMAP) – Los Angeles Chapter commemorated Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti with the theme “Bhakti for Shakti” through a cultural and spiritual program held at Kennedy High School in La Palma
The event on April 20 drew an audience of over 500 attendees and featured a series of performances and presentations highlighting the life and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
The evening began with a Dhol-Tasha performance by Sundeep Katre and a traditional Palkhi procession organized by Mangesh Raut and the Shree Swami Samarth Group
accompanied by the playing of the Indian and American national anthems
Devotional music by Anil Desai set a reflective atmosphere
A central feature of the evening was a theatrical production by Innovation Academy
The drama explored the influence of saints like Sant Tukaram on Shivaji Maharaj’s leadership
the performance aimed to convey the spiritual foundations of Shivaji Maharaj’s rule
a 13th-generation descendant of Maratha Sardar Janrao Wable of Mhatar Pimpri
Poet Kamlesh Chauhan shared a poem that reflected on the evening’s themes
cultural performances continued with a Bhakti Garba by Surekha Modi’s group and a Shakti Dance by Paulomi Pandit’s group
known for her powerful and thoughtful poetry
recited a poem that resonated deeply with the audiences
SMAP Founder Vijay Patil presented floral bouquets to civic leaders and event supporters
City of La Palma Councilmember Nitesh Patel honored the SMAP-LA leadership team with a Proclamation recognizing their community service
Rajan Vaidya presented trophies to SMAP Founder and Global President Vijay Patil
and website in this browser for the next time I comment
Copyright © 2022 India West | Developed By Codeblend Labs
Movies in theaters
Movies at Home
Florence Pugh Movies and Shows (Thunderbolts)
What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming
Weekend Box Office: Thunderbolts* Secures $76 Million Debut
New Movies and Shows streaming in May: What to Watch on Netflix
Following the departure of several key officials and employees
including the head of the city’s beloved Tiny Tots program
residents in April turned up again at the City Council meeting to express their displeasure at the current management of personnel inside City Hall
many parents appeared to express displeasure with the city management’s handling of the personnel at its Tiny Tots daycare program
Many of them were back at the April meeting
who served as the manager of the Tiny Tots program until being summarily dismissal by city officials in a move that parents thought to be undignified
some expressed concern about the lack of concern displayed by former City Manager Conal McNamara during a meeting with concerned parents
I’m very disappointed and upset right now,” said Chris Louie to the Council
We have all of these parents who are very emotional and connected to this situation
and I feel like it’s a smoke and mirrors game with the City Council.”
gripes and complaints about what’s going on
“He (Conal) is texting during a heartfelt conversation,” said Louie
It’s very disappointing and very embarrassing,” he said
The former City Manager has since accepted a position as City Manager in Whittier as ENE formerly reported.Chloe Janioan
another parent who has become active in the fight to fix the Tiny Tots program
said “it’s time to stand up for what is right.”
said the issues with the city run deeper than the daycare center
she approached the city and publicly spoke out in March against the workplace environment and general safety concerns of the Tiny Tots program.”
I’m very disappointed and upset right now because of this Tiny Tots program,” she said
“We have all of these parents who are very emotional and connected to this,” said Janioan
“My grandma has lived here since 1967,” said Maxine Espelin
Dairyland is the former name of La Palma during its initial organization seven decades ago
“I’m also speaking on behalf of many families La Palma residents who cannot be here this evening,” said Espelin
I was asked if I had any concerns with the city outside of the Tiny Tots program,” she said
Espelin suggested there was no reasonable excuse for the city not to livestream its meetings
“why the city can’t live stream town halls at all
to little to no cost is beyond me,” said Espelin
“Like other cities that already do (livestream meetings)
citing the city budget as a reason not to stream town halls is also comical
especially when things like welcoming lawsuits
is far more costly,” she said.“Citing budget constraints seems to be the city council’s go-to excuse,” Espelin said
“If you truly cared about input from your constituents
you would allow more time for discussion and livestream meetings to make them more accessible.”
said early learning for kids is critical for children
“My daughter goes to a preschool in the Centralia school district right now
and it’s because she needs speech therapy and hearing therapy
and that’s only available for free at state preschool
so I am stressing the importance of the Tiny Tots program as it is designed by Misty Torres
because it has not only prepared the children for what’s coming
but it has prepared us parents who have no idea what we’re doing
said she experienced what she termed a “wrongful termination.” Padilla said “no one should have to face this kind of mistreatment from the city
especially after dedicating so much time and effort.”
Many of the parents who have attended these meetings have complained Misty Torres
also experienced a disgraceful exit from the city
“I’m asking for the La Palma Council to investigate these wrongful terminations and false claims to ensure employees are being treated fairly and with respect,” said Padilla
the manager of the program dismissed by city hall
attended the meeting and made a tearful statement to ensure the continuity of the city’s Tiny Tots program
“I’m here today because I have many parents who have spoken up for me
and now it’s time for me to speak up for myself to prevent this from happening again,” said Torres
“I love the children and the parents in my classroom
and I poured my heart and soul into this program to improve it
My job wasn’t just about the money; it was my passion
I cherish the opportunity to see my kids grow and learn
I worked hard to bring this community together,” she said
don’t you want that dedication from your staff
I have never had a single complaint from a parent
Many parents emailed the city manager and my directors to express their support and love,” said Torres
the assistance I received ended up making the situation worse for me and other employees
I didn’t ask for much,” Torres told the Council
I stand here today with many community members urging the city to do the right thing for the residents and employees,” said Torres
Please don’t let another good employee slip away,” the former Tiny Tots manager urged the Council.With McNamara gone
it will likely become an immediate priority of interim city manager Michael Egan to find a way to reconstitute the city’s beloved Tiny Tots program
Log in to leave a comment
Katy Chamberlain received funding to work on the 2021 La Palma eruption from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Urgency grant number: NE/ W007673/1
Hannah Little and Janine Krippner do not work for
own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article
and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment
University of Liverpool provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK
University of Waikato provides funding as a member of The Conversation NZ
University of Waikato provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU
View all partners
a Norwegian family goes on holiday to the Canary Islands when a young researcher discovers alarming signs of an imminent volcanic eruption
Cumbre Vieja is an active volcano on La Palma
The series culminates in a “megatsunami” capable of engulfing Europe and reaching as far as the east coast of the US
Disaster stories are hugely popular and La Palma is just the latest hit in the growing genre. In his book Disaster Mon Amour
the film critic David Thomson identifies the filmmakers’ goal of creating “a spectacle of devastation with cozy human interest”
But stories like La Palma can have real world impact
The series presents itself as being based on a real hypothesis
which is communicated by newscasters and a scientist in the title sequence of each episode
La Palma does nothing to capture the more up to date and reassuring science
Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here
While volcanic events can trigger tsunamis
as experts in volcanoes and the communication of disaster
we can assure you that the eruption and subsequent rapid collapse of the island depicted in the series isn’t a plausible scenario that scientists are concerned about
What should be taken more seriously are localised tsunamis. Such “megatsunami” scenarios have been debunked in recent years you’ll be happy to hear
There have been more than 17 eruptions in the Canary Islands since the 1400s
none resulting in a “megatsunami” across the Atlantic
Stories have the power to communicate information about environmental risk for audiences. Following the release of the film, some have dug up the megatsunami hypothesis
Such a large tsunami would leave telltale deposits in North and South America – but they are nowhere to be found
The importance of understanding the risk relating to real volcanoes was encapsulated during the 2021 eruption of Cumbre Vieja. As the eruption progressed, volcanologists received messages from concerned and frightened people fearing a megatsunami, which prompted the US Geological Survey to respond outlining why the hypothesis doesn’t carry
This was even before a major Netflix drama had recounted such an imaginary event
Volcanogenic tsunamis of all sizes are a real threat around the world and hazards experts want to know what our risks are so we can prepare and protect our communities
This becomes difficult when facts are diluted or distorted by stories like La Palma’s
Volcanologists with limited resources during an eruption end up spending more time debunking information rather than talking to the press about the potential dangers
Misinformation about eruptions and their risks can add to the stress of those inhabiting or visiting volcanic islands, not only concerned about their own safety, but the security of an economy that relies heavily on tourism. With the right information, we can empower communities to prepare themselves and to act fast when the time comes
but not many people read scientific papers on volcanology
it might be that the responsibility of getting the science right and accurately representing risk should lie with the people with a captive audience
There is an opportunity to work with scientists to help spread the right information alongside promotion for future stories about such disasters
Simon Day was approached for comment but hadn’t responded by the time this article was published
Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain
and this is never more accurate than when you establish yourself as a foreign resident in a new country
Being able to quickly familiarise yourself with the culture
and customs can help ease the transition during a challenging time
This is why Euro Weekly News makes it our mission to provide you with a free news resource in English that covers both regional and national Spanish news – anything that we feel you will benefit from knowing as you integrate into your new community and live your best life in Spain
you can forget about translating articles from Spanish into awkward English that probably don’t make much sense
Let us be your convenient and essential guide to all things that will likely affect you as a foreign resident living in Spain
It might sound like the plot of a blockbuster disaster film – but scientists have long warned that a volcano on a Spanish island could in theory unleash a massive wave that travels all the way across the Atlantic
where experts have studied what might happen if part of the island’s volcano
The fear centres on the western slope of Cumbre Vieja
displacing thousands of residents and covering vast swathes of land in lava
But the bigger threat – according to some earlier studies – is what would happen if a massive chunk of the volcano’s western flank slid into the ocean in one go
That collapse could displace a huge volume of water
potentially sending huge tsunami waves racing across the Atlantic
This idea was made famous by a 2001 study led by Dr
who warned of a “potential catastrophic collapse” generating a so-called megatsunami
They predicted waves of up to 25 metres hitting parts of the eastern US coast
“Our model predicted waves travelling as far as the Americas,” said Dr
Day in his original paper (University College London
A Spanish wave so big it washes out New York
It’s the stuff of disaster flicks – and now
a family holidaying in the Canary Islands gets caught in a volcanic chain of chaos as La Palma’s Cumbre Vieja collapses
triggering a “megatsunami” that surges across the Atlantic and swallows entire coastlines
Top volcanologists have weighed in to set the record straight – and they’re not buying the big wave hype
“The eruption and subsequent rapid collapse of the island depicted in the series isn’t a plausible scenario that scientists are concerned about,” wrote researchers from the University of Liverpool and University of Waikato in The Conversation in January
The science has moved on since the headline-grabbing 2001 “megatsunami” paper by Simon Day and Steven Ward
including a 2008 study by tsunami expert Dr Stephan Grilli
show that if the volcano did collapse into the ocean (which
the waves would reach the US East Coast at just 1–2 metres high
That’s no biblical wipeout – that’s a rough day at the beach
waves could hit heights of 10 to 30 metres – definitely no small splash
but nothing like the cinematic tidal monster smashing through Times Square
Scientists now believe any collapse would probably happen in slow-motion
Experts warn that while the Netflix drama might make for edge-of-your-seat entertainment
And when communities are still rebuilding from the real-life 2021 eruption
Even a gradual collapse is unlikely according to the most recent findings at the time of writing
Just when we thought Cumbre Vieja had been filed under ‘debunked’
A new 2025 study revealed its magma started stirring up to 15 years before the 2021 eruption – much earlier than expected – and worse still
Scientists have warned that while a Megatsunami event is unlikely
today’s detection systems might miss the signs of an eruption unless upgraded
Cumbre Vieja’s a volcano worth watching – but don’t go grabbing a surfboard in New York just yet
Get more original news stories for people living in Spain
Stay tuned to the Euro Weekly News for the latest Spanish news in English
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox
And a wave that high would do ENORMOUS DAMAGE
Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain
by delivering news with a social conscience
we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home
With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month
EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain
The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close
Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP)
Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall)
All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers
All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish
La Palma is home to dramatic volcanic landscapes and some of the darkest skies on Earth
La Palma offers breathtaking views of the Milky Way
STARMUS La Palma 2025 is set to be a stellar celebration of science with some of the greatest minds on Earth and I can’t wait
I'll be packing my bags and heading to a beautiful island just off the coast of northwestern Africa shaped by volcanic activity and dense
extensive beaches and towering waterfalls are a huge draw for many tourists
I'm in search of something a little more ..
This April, the island of La Palma — affectionately known as "Isla Bonita" (beautiful island) — will transform into a beacon for space lovers, scientists and stargazers alike as it hosts STARMUS La Palma 2025
the cosmos and the art of discovery under some of the darkest skies in the world
the largest single-aperture optical and infrared telescope in the world
The 2025 edition of STARMUS includes more than 45 speakers including Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne
as well as iconic zoologist and primatologist Dame Jane Goodall
STARMUS isn't all about lectures — it's an immersive celebration of science and the night sky
There will be several events taking place across the island
with STARMUS Camps in Santa Cruz de La Palma and Los Llanos de Aridane bringing science and wonder to the streets of La Palma
These camps are a great way for the public to experience hands on exhibits
this year's festival also carries a deeper mission
La Palma was stuck by a volcanic eruption that displaced thousands of people and reshaped parts of the island
STARMUS La Palma 2025 is dedicated to supporting the island's ongoing recovery toward once again being a top tourist destination for night sky enthusiasts due to its pristine dark skies
It offers this support through its ability to revitalize local economies and create spaces for community engagement
Evenings at STARMUS will echo with music under the stars
including the Sonic Universe concert on April 26 in Puerto de Tazacorte as well as classical concerts in Santa Cruz de La Palma on April 25 and April 27
Founded by astrophysicist Garik Israelian and Sir Brian May
Queen's guitarist and fellow astrophysicist
STARMUS remains a powerful intersection of art
And it's only enhanced by the fact that this year's special edition offers not only a journey through the cosmos — but also a heartfelt tribute to the spirit and strength of La Palma
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public
Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science
Daisy is passionate about all things space
with a penchant for solar activity and space weather
She has a strong interest in astrotourism and loves nothing more than a good northern lights chase!
you will then be prompted to enter your display name
Astrophotographer captures the moon and Jupiter suspended above one of Europe's oldest lakes (photo)
How to see the Eta Aquarid meteor shower 2025 peak overnight on May 5-6
10 must-have 'Star Wars' books and novels coming soon to your galaxy
After a code enforcement inspection sent Starlight Day Spa employees and customers exiting out the back door “with haste” last year, city officials sent the owner an Aug. 19 cease-and-desist letter alleging that he illegally operated a massage business.
On Tuesday, City Council members pressed Tom Scott, Starlight Day Spa’s owner, during a public hearing with evidence in hand that the spa ran suggestive massage ads on websites like Craigslist and RubMaps, whose tagline is “where fantasy meets reality,” in violation of the Massage Therapy Act.
Councilman Nitesh Patel asked Scott point-blank if he knew what RubMaps was.
“I believe that is website for massage parlors,” Scott said.
“What kind of massage parlors?” Vivek pressed the spa owner.
“I assume ones that are not focused on beauty and wellness,” Scott said.
Both websites have been linked to sex work and trafficking.
TimesOC
La Palma voters passed Measure W, which allows for three consecutive terms on its city council. Supporters said it’s needed in light of district election reform. Opponents call the measure a “power grab.”
The location has caused La Palma trouble before.
In 2018, city staff inspected a number of massage parlors and closed four of them down, including Diamond Spa, where Starlight Day Spa currently resides.
In May, Starlight Day Spa received a business license to run a beauty salon at the location, but it wasn’t allowed to offer massage services. On Aug. 15, Scott sought a conditional use permit and submitted a floor plan for a suite that included five massage rooms.
After receiving the application, code enforcement visited the business.
The inspection found lighted signage already advertising massage services at the front of the spa. Photographs taken inside showed a list of massages — from Swedish to deep tissue — offered at different time intervals and rates.
A menu of massage services listed at Starlight Day Spa. (Courtesy of the city of La Palma ) City officials also documented a code violation when they discovered concealed cameras in the faux flower decorations at the reception desk, which massage parlors are otherwise prohibited from installing to alert the entrance of law enforcement.
With the property emptied out due to employees and customers fleeing, La Palma police arrived on-site as back up until a manager showed up.
Scott referred to the inspection as the “incident” during the hearing and denied anything sexual in nature happened at the spa when Councilwoman Janet Keo Conklin bluntly asked if it did.
“We were conducting beauty services,” he said. “The aesthetician that was there had just completed a waxing on a customer and the customer was leaving.”
Scott claimed the spa worker knew little English and fled in fear.
Still seeking permit approval, he apologized to the city and stated that all massage advertising had been pulled in accordance with the cease-and-desist letter.
La Palma City Hall and Council Chambers. (James Carbone) “We want to move forward,” Scott added. “We want to be successful, and we want to bring rejuvenation to the business and to the community we’re doing our business in. We’re operating in full compliance with all city regulations while continuing to provide quality wellness and beauty treatments.”
He even offered to work closely with city officials while operating under a probationary period.
But Patel admonished him for the massage ads that ran before the city granted a permit for such services. Scott, who owns wax spas in Anaheim and Santa Ana, claimed he had never applied for a conditional use permit before and jumped the gun in expecting a quick turnaround on the process.
The argument did little to sway council members who denied Starlight Day Spa a happy ending and voted its permit request down.
Gabriel San Román is a feature writer for TimesOC. He previously worked at OC Weekly – as a reporter, podcast producer and columnist – until the newspaper’s closing in late 2019. In 2023, San Román was part of the breaking news reporting team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of the Lunar New Year mass shooting in Monterey Park. He may or may not be the tallest Mexican in O.C.
Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map
Introducing the all-new Astronomy.com Forum! Become a part of our Community! >> Visit Now
STARMUS and The Canary Islands proudly unveiled the line-up for the highly anticipated STARMUS La Palma festival
The announcement was made during a special presentation led by STARMUS co-founder and Director
featuring the President of the Cabildo de La Palma
with the Starlight Foundation as the responsible body—this edition will be a key drive to generate greater visibility and awareness on this issue
With this shared goal, in partnership with the Starlight Foundation
the festival will bring together an extraordinary array of luminaries
UN Messenger of Peace and STARMUS Advisory Board
STARMUS co-founder and legendary musician Brian May
and a host of other world-class experts in science
The STARMUS La Palma festival will feature a remarkable roster of speakers
including Nobel Laureates like John Mather
Steven Chu or Donna Strickland; famous astronauts such as Col
first female private space explorer and entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari or ESA astronaut reserve Sara García; popular scientists and communicators like Jim Bell
who is also a collaborator of Starmus; world-renowned inventors and entrepreneurs like Tony Fadell
the inventor of the iPod and co-creator of the iPhone; environmental experts like Maureen Raymo and Chris Rapley; and scientific luminaries such as Rafael Yuste
the leading representatives of the prestigious IAC
This impressive gathering will lead a spectacular multidisciplinary scientific program with its main focus on the protection of the sky
serving as a crucial call to action against threats such as pollution and space junk
the discussions in La Palma will be pivotal in shaping our approach to safeguarding the skies for future generations
In addition to becoming the epicentre of science and the future of sky protection
this edition in La Palma also has a very special goal: to support the recovery of the island after the disaster caused by the major volcanic eruption in 2021
This edition of STARMUS will be 100% open and free to the public. While keynote lectures will require accreditation due to limited venue capacity, they will be live streamed at the STARMUS CAMPS. Most keynote speakers will also deliver special talks at the Camps. Pre-registration for those wishing to attend the keynote lectures program is now open on the STARMUS website (please visit www.starmus.com)
shared his thoughts: “La Palma is the birthplace of STARMUS
We are thrilled to bring the festival back to this island
which is not only a natural paradise but also a beacon of scientific and technological innovation
hosting numerous significant milestones and facilities like the world’s largest optical-infrared telescope
offering unparalleled opportunities for research and discovery.”
“With its unique volcanic and Atlantic landscape
will definitively be positioned as the Island of the Stars
becoming an awareness hub of sky protection and aiming to create the most inspiring call to action about it.”
stated that “The Starmus Festival positions our island as a global reference in the scientific and cultural fields
with its privileged sky and rich astronomical history
and it is the perfect setting for a festival of this magnitude
Starmus is not just a gathering of scientists and astronauts; it is a bridge that connects knowledge with art
It is a unique opportunity to inspire new generations and spark scientific vocations.”
We demonstrate to the world that La Palma is an island looking to the future
and aiming to be a driving force for development in the Canary Islands and Spain.”
conveyed to the organisation that “It is an honour and also a great responsibility to be part of organizing a festival of this magnitude
which will bring so many renowned international scientists and artists to La Palma
an island that has seen the birth of the most significant initiatives in defence of the sky
This festival will help us promote the environmental
and scientific values associated with the protection of our skies and raise awareness in society about the urgent need to protect this resource for present and future generations
The music line-up and the full program for STARMUS La Palma will be unveiled in January 2025
This announcement promises to reveal the spectacular array of performances and events
adding to the excitement and anticipation surrounding this extraordinary festival
In addition to sharing the incredible line-up for its upcoming edition
STARMUS is thrilled to announce the addition of two remarkable members to its prestigious Advisory Board: Nobel Laureate Steven Chu and former Astronaut Chris Hadfield
is renowned for his groundbreaking research in laser cooling and trapping of atoms
which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997
celebrated for his command of the International Space Station and his contributions to space exploration
is also known for his engaging educational outreach as a writer and public speaker
Both figures will join an illustrious group of scientific and musical luminaries
further enriching the STARMUS community with their expertise and passion
the countdown begins for the Canarian archipelago
in addition to being a highly valued tourist destination worldwide
will transform into a global hub for science and innovation with the celebration of STARMUS La Palma
This edition is generating immense excitement
as it returns to its roots in the Canary Islands after traveling to countries like Norway
This remarkable event promises to elevate La Palma’s status on the world stage
showcasing its unique blend of natural beauty and scientific excellence
updates and special offers via email from Astronomy.com
Astronomy leads the astronomy hobby as the most popular magazine of its kind in the world
Count me in
Subscribers can access their digital magazine issues
and registered users can participate in our Community forums and galleries
Amy Gallagher2025-05-05T07:41:43-07:00May 5
Dominick Beaudine2025-05-02T09:39:58-07:00May 2
Dominick Beaudine2025-05-02T08:40:53-07:00May 2
Ted Hwang2025-05-04T09:32:06-07:00April 30
Ted Hwang2025-04-30T17:06:48-07:00April 30
the City Council of La Palma has voted to hire an interim City Manager to replace outgoing City Manager Conal McNamara
The Council hired Michael Egan as City Manager on an interim basis
the Council voted to hire Ralph Andersen & Associates at a cost of $23,000 to conduct an executive search for a permanent replacement
a firm hired by the City of La Palma during the 2024 election to support a ballot initiative that would allow some of the Council members to extend their terms in office.The site also reveals Egan has significant experience as a city manager
having served as Interim City Manager in Artesia and City Manager for the City of Norwalk and the City of Bellflower
who leaves the office amid an exodus of talent and controversy over the undignified dismissal of a popular city employee (see related story)
served five years in the city as its City Manager before returning to Whittier
a city at which he was previously employed in a variety of capacities
McNamara led the city through a period of growth
Waldman said McNamara “led the City through a significant period of growth
“Conal did a great job of working with the Council to ensure we remain fiscally stable for years to come,” said Waldman
the City not only posted budget surpluses and grew reserves but completed numerous initiatives such as increasing the City’s Transient Occupancy Tax
bringing a second Captain position to the Police Department,” said Waldman
McNamara was responsible for “securing new revenue sources
completing a comprehensive medians construction project using federal funding
and renovating both the City Hall and Public Works yard facilities.”
we implemented many of the Council goals associated with succession planning and supporting our local businesses
so we are on very firm footing for the future,” said Mayor Pro Tem Nitesh Patel
La Palma’s recruitment process for a permanent City Manager will begin immediately
The ENE has learned that La Palma City Manager Conal McNamara and an Assistant City Manager are the latest employees set to resign from the city government in La Palma
Although there has been no public announcement to the people of La Palma
a March 22 report in the The Whittier Daily News claims their City Council is set to consider a contract for McNamara as the new city manager at its March 25 meeting this week
“I am honored to be considered for the role of city manager in Whittier
a community that I deeply respect,” said McNamara
“I look forward to working alongside the City Council
and residents to ensure Whittier continues to thrive,” the paper quoted McNamara as saying
McNamara was selected following a nationwide recruitment process that attracted dozens of highly qualified candidates
The ENE has reached out for comment from McNamara
City Clerk Kimberly Kenney and Community Services Director Andy Ramirez announced their departures from the city
Kenney retired while Ramirez assumed another position in local government
The La Palma City Council did meet in Executive Session this past week
but there were no personnel announcements when the Council went into regular session
McNamara has been beset with controversy lately as parents scolded the administration at the city’s last regular meeting for the treatment of employees
They expressed concern about the treatment City Hall had given a beloved employee who previously managed the city’s Tiny Tot program
Word about McNamara’s apparent departure slipped out Monday night during the oral communications session of the Cypress City Council meeting
while speaking on an issue referring to city managers in general
“I know that we have a neighboring city that has a city manager
an assistant city manager and a deputy city manager
and their city manager and assistant city manager are leaving,” she said
but it will officially be out April 1,” said Nefertiti.La Palma is the only city to have such a configuration of city management
Follow-up reporting by ENE confirmed the upcoming departure of the two La Palma officials
McNamara is rumored be headed back to the Citty of Whittier as City Manager
He was employed in Whittier when recruited to become City Manager at La Palma
If indeed the city does announce McNamara’s resignation on April 1 will be exactly five years since his first day on the job in La Palma
Following the retirement of former City Manager Laurie Murray
Murray was La Palma’s ninth city manager in four years
City officials asked Allan Roeder to serve as Interim City Manager will the city underwent a comprehensive search for a new city manager
McNamara came to La Palma via the City of Whittier
where he had served as the Director of Community Development
McNamara served as the Assistant Economic and Community Development Director for the City of Azusa
he has worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works as a land development project manager after serving as a land use planning deputy for a Los Angeles County Supervisor
McNamara began his professional career as a city planner for the cities of Irvine
He holds undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Social Ecology from the University of California
and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University
“Conal has a terrific record of success in his prior employment and exceptional ratings from those he has worked alongside.” “For our City
he possesses important skills that can potentially take La Palma to the next level
and the entire Council looks forward to introducing him to the community,” former Mayor Peter Kim said in a contemporary press release
The city is expected to announce its plans to fill the vacancy after the official announcement of his departure on April 1
Editor’s note: This version of the story has been edited since we were not able to ask Mayor Mark Walden for a comment
The city does not list individual email addresses for its elected representtives nor phone numbers
instead forcing anyone interested to send a generic email address that has not been asnwered on previous attempts by ENE
Despite a spirited appeal from the company’s founder
voted unanimously to uphold the recommendation of staff to refuse a permit for a growing chain of Urgent Care Centers
which hoped to move into a building recently vacated by Chase Bank on La Palma Avenue
City staff interpreted its zoning code to exclude such use as company executives offered an interpretation of the code that would allow the operation of a Clineva Urgent Care Center in the vacant building.Clineva Co-founder Doug Conrady told the Council the vacant corner building at that location was perfect for his growing company
“We’re Orange County-based and in growth mode,” Conrady told the Council
“We have five clinics and are eager to expand and bring our services to this community,” he added
“We feel this building location former Chase Bank building envelope fits our company profile perfectly,” Conrady told the Council
Conrady was appealing to the full Council the interpretation by staff that his business did not meet the city’s code for that location which had been emailed to him earlier
the city’s Community Development Manager informed Conrady back in November of 2024 informing Clineva that the proposed project
did not totally conform to the city’s zoning codes and planning specs
“Thank you for the letter and conceptual site plan for the proposed Clineva Urgent Care Center
Based on the site plan (which was proposed for 5298 La Palma Ave.) provided
the proposed use meets the criteria as a medical center/clinic with four or more offices in one building
“The La Palma Municipal Code Section 44-10 defines a medical center/clinic as “a place for group medical services not involving overnight housing of patients.” In this case
there are five exam rooms and at least four offices,” the email continued
the Planned Neighborhood Development (PND) Zoning District prohibits medical centers/clinics
I recommend seeking alternative locations for Clineva within the city in the Office Professional (OP) or Mixed-Use Business (B-1) Zoning Districts,” Deines advises Contradi in the correspondence
Conrady told the Council that he’d spent his career in healthcare facilities management
and that Clineva may qualify in his interpretation of the code
“I thank you for your summary there,” he said
noting “the position we’re taking is the classification of a medical center versus a physician office
which is permitted right for that particular location,” said Deines
“I tend to live by what’s something called FGI guidelines
It’s what the California Department of Public Health goes by,” said Conrady
“and the definition of a medical center it basically goes along the lines of a hospital
I would classify our businesses definitely as a physician office
which is permitted [under the code],” he told the Council
We have one X-Ray technician and one medical assistant
very similar to a dental practice,” said Conrady
the difference between a doctor’s office and maybe an urgent care is we have extended hours for walk-in services in nights and weekends,” he said
“Sometimes it’s very tough for folks to get an appointment,” the healthcare executive told the Council
Mayor Pro-tem Nitesh Patel asked Conrady about various aspects of the potential operations of the facility
pharmaceutical concerns even customer acquisition
are they by appointment or walk-in,” asked Patel
Conrady said most of Clineva patient load comes from an online portal that allows patients to select their own time
select the time and walk right in,” he said
reminded the Council that the application was only being appealed at this meeting.“Perhaps I could simplify a little bit as well,” said Thind
“So the Community Development Manager made a determination
that this is akin to a medical center or clinic under our code
It has been appealed to all of you the council to decide whether that’s essentially a reasonable interpretation of a code or not,” the city attorney said
“The City Council is the ultimate authority for what the code means
And courts always say that a Council’s determination is entitled to significant deference from a from the court’s perspective,” he added
“The decision was appealed and all of you can confirm it or say the interpretation of the code was erroneous,” he concluded
Deines said at the meeting that not only has the staff agreed that Clineva’s proposal does not meet the code definition
but that the city has already accepted another application for use at the site
“The Municipal Code land use matrix defines medical offices as physicians
chiropractors and similar practitioners as permitted and medical centers
as four or more offices in one building that are prohibited in the P and D zoning district,” said Deines
“In the neighborhood commercial zoning district
staff interprets the municipal code to differentiate the intensification of the two different uses In that a typical doctor’s office would be regularly scheduled appointments and a lesser intensity of activity than an urgent care center that would have,” she said
a doctor’s office would be operating during normal business hours
this urgent care proposes to have extended hours every day
seven days a week…located in areas that are immediately adjacent to residential uses,” said Deines
suggesting Clineva seek a location nearer to the hospital and other medical facilities
“Medical services are exempt from sales tax and are not revenue-generating commercial use for the city,” Deines told the Council
the city also received a business license application for retail use at that location
so staff recommends that the city council uphold the determination that the proposed Clineva Urgent Care Center is a medical center that is express prohibitted” she said
the Council thanked Clineva for their interest in the city but voted 5-0 to uphold Deines interpretation of the city’s code and deny the company’s application
outgoing City Manager Conal McNamara noted recent vacancies was prompting some “staffing changes” in the city
including the filling of the public works manager’s role
we’ve had some staffing changes,” said McNamara
and rather than go down the path of refilling that position
the staff’s recommendation before you this evening is going to be to have Ms
Deines assume the responsibility over both the Community Development Department and the Public Works department.”
While the city is “actively recruiting” for a number of open positions
he recommended Deines be given a raise to handle management and supervision of both city departments
“I just want to thank Belinda for her incredible work,” said McNamara
who has accepted a position as City Manager in the nearby City of Whittier
the Council voted unanimously to accept the staff recommendation and promote Deines to head both major city departments
Deines salary will be elevated to appropriately reflect her expanded role
the city announced a special meeting for April 15 where they are expected to hire Michael J
Egan as Interim City Manager and also engage Ralph Anderson & Associates
to find a full-time replacement for McNamara.McNamara
who has been La Palma’s City Manager for the past five years
is expected to assume his new role at Whittier in May
Print In the small city of La Palma
district elections debuted in November with three council candidates all running unopposed
Incumbents Debbie Baker and Mark Waldman won 100% of the vote
La Palma voters also passed a ballot measure that extended term limits for members of the City Council
It now allows council members to serve three consecutive four-year terms
was unavailable for an interview before the council meeting but emailed TimesOC a statement in support of the reform
“State law imposed by-district elections reducing the already limited candidate pool
as clearly demonstrated in this year’s city council elections where all three districts were uncontested,” Patel said
“Voters are now empowered to choose whether experienced council members are deserving of an additional term or if they desire a new direction
the power always rests with the voters every four years.”
a spokesman for La Palma Residents for Fair Elections
expressed disappointment in the election results
where 58% of La Palma’s voters approved the initiative
“Nobody in La Palma was asking to increase term limits
as someone who could serve up to 20 consecutive years
as the new law is phased in without counting any of his previous terms
La Palma is home to about 15,000 residents
In 2022, attorney Kevin Shenkman sent La Palma a demand letter that claimed the city’s at-large voting system violated the California Voting Rights Act and disenfranchised Latinos, who comprised 19% of the population.
La Palma City Council opted to voluntarily transition to district elections instead of entertaining a costly legal fight.
In November, three of La Palma’s new council districts appeared on the ballot for the first time. All three candidates who ran unopposed won with roughly 1,000 votes each.
Months before the filing deadline, La Palma City Council discussed term limits during a Feb. 6 meeting, when some council members sounded the alarm about district elections drying up a pool of potential candidates.
“It’s hard to be able to find people in certain districts,” Patel said. “This is not us saying, ‘let’s eliminate term limits, let’s change term limits.’”
The council voted unanimously then to hire a consultant for community outreach on the question.
Months later, council members returned with a 4-1 vote in June to put Measure W on the ballot.
With two new council districts yet to go before voters, Carruth said it’s too early to draw conclusions on district elections and any potential impact on competitive council races.
“There won’t be enough data for quite some time,” he said. “If you look back at history, people do run. One data point is not a trend.”
La Palma City Hall and Council Chambers. (James Carbone) In recent years, there has been a dearth of candidates in Orange County cities that have recently transitioned to district elections.
Dana Point decided to cancel council elections after three candidates, two of whom were newcomers, were set to run unopposed in their districts. Two incumbent council members ran unopposed in November.
Orange, which is home to 140,000 residents, saw no competitive council races in all three districts up for a vote, nor in its at-large mayoral race.
But Cypress, a city that borders La Palma and settled a lawsuit over district elections for $835,000, had competitive races in each of its council districts this November.
Shenkman, a Malibu-based attorney, claimed that district election reform is no deterrent to democratic participation and called related-arguments in favor of La Palma’s ballot measure “wrong” and “paternalistic.”
“Empirical studies show that more, not less, candidates run when the elections are district based,” Shenkman said. “That makes sense, intuitively. It’s less expensive to run a campaign to a fifth of the electorate in a smaller geographic area, so potential candidates are less deterred by cost.”
Mailers in support of the measure leaned heavily on police and firefighter images in suggesting that a yes vote would help protect public safety. The Yes on Measure W campaign also framed the ballot measure as a fight for local control against Sacramento “special interests.”
Patel and Baker helped fund the campaign, which raised $27,000, according to public records obtained by TimesOC.
The No campaign called Measure W a “power grab,” but only spent roughly $2,800 getting their message out to voters.
With its passage, the ballot measure provides for a four-year absence, after which politicians are eligible for three more consecutive four-year terms.
The law would sunset if the city reverted to an at-large voting system.
“I’m obviously disappointed in the outcome,” Carruth said. “I don’t think there’s any real benefit that will come to La Palma from extending term limits. I think it’ll be the opposite.”
Volume 16 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1572870
This article is part of the Research TopicPlant Genotyping: From Traditional Markers to Modern Technologies, Volume IIView all 6 articles
Although both informal and formal avocado breeding has been carried out for over a century
current commercial avocado production worldwide is concentrated on only a few cultivars
with ‘Hass’ dominating the global avocado market
This narrow genetic base hinders the long-term sustainability of the crop amid the challenges derived from climate change
studying the existing avocado diversity is essential and
we address this issue by analyzing the genetic diversity of 177 avocado trees from La Palma
and comparing it with 89 avocado accessions maintained at a worldwide avocado germplasm bank in Málaga
local avocado germplasm can be found due to the historic commercial and cultural ties with America that have lasted for over 500 years
isolated avocado trees that originated from or descended from these transoceanic movements still persist
we characterized these isolated trees that have adapted to insular conditions and often predate commercial varieties
The analyses grouped the samples by racial origin and revealed a high percentage of interracial hybrids
likely resulting from seeds exchange between farmers and free pollination
Commercial production is concentrated on ‘Hass’ and ‘Fuerte’ cultivars
with ‘Fuerte’ harvested between November and February and ‘Hass’ from October to May
SSR markers remain valuable for this kind of studies since they are easy to use and have reference data available
(B) geographical location of the Canary Islands and La Palma
and (D) dots representing avocado trees prospected in La Palma Island
PCR products were separated by capillary electrophoresis in a CEQ™ 8000 capillary DNA analysis system (Beckman Coulter
Samples were denaturalized at 90°C for 120s
A range of samples were used as positive controls to guarantee size accuracy and to minimize run-to-run variation
Repeat motif of the Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) loci used in this study
Five years after the initial data collection, the sampled avocado trees were revisited to assess their survival status and, when possible, determine the cause of death for those that were no longer alive. For trees that could not be physically visited, their presence was verified through Google Earth (2024) as their large size facilitated identification
Despite extensive research on avocado germplasm worldwide (Lahav et al., 2024)
there remains a significant gap in our understanding of the genetic diversity of isolated avocado populations in regions outside its center of origin in the Americas
where centuries of adaptation may have produced unique genetic variants
Our work addresses this knowledge gap by providing the first comprehensive genetic characterization of La Palma’s avocado population
Diversity indices: Number of trees (N° trees)
number of private alleles (N° private alleles)
expected heterozygosity (He) and fixation index (Fis)
identifying 197 alleles and reporting Ho and He values of 0.58 and 0.72
This group shows greater genetic distance from the other clusters
According to unpublished laboratory records by Dr
these genotypes were introduced to La Palma
UPGMA dendrogram based on the Bruvo similarity index
illustrating the relationship between La Palma samples and IHSM La Mayora avocado collection
The samples are represented with different colors (right legend) depending on their geographical origin in La Palma island and from the ex situ collection maintained at the IHSM La Mayora in mainland Spain
are indicated with a dotted line with different colors (left legend)
The IHSM La Mayora collection and the samples prospected from La Palma were analyzed using a Bayesian algorithm implemented in STRUCTURE software. This analysis revealed clear population differences between the two groups for all values of k tested (Figure 3)
the population structure of La Palma samples remained largely consistent
primarily in the western and eastern regions of the island
new colors emerged in La Mayora collection and in the southern and northern regions of La Palma
indicating greater genetic differentiation among these groups of samples
Inference of population structure based IHSM La Mayora avocado collection
and 177 La Palma avocado genotypes across four geographical areas; west
18 samples from La Palma had a higher assignment probability (>0.99) to the population represented by orange color in the Bayesian analysis
which is practically exclusive for this group
The alleles of these samples were compared to those in the IHSM La Mayora avocado collection to identify possible matches with known genotypes
Although no exact allele matches were found
certain alleles at specific loci were present in samples from the collection known to be associated to the West Indian race
These alleles include: 178 and 218 in AVAG21
This data suggests that the samples associated with the West Indian race in La Palma represent a heterogeneous group
with diverse genotypes introduced in the past
This is further supported by the morphological diversity observed in these samples
Population structure inference based on 161 alleles across 177 La Palma avocado genotypes using Bayesian simulations
CLUMPAK results (k= 3) for each genotypes sampled in a bar and like pies charts illustrating admixture proportions across four geographical: west
Future studies should prioritize leveraging this genetic diversity to tackle emerging challenges in avocado cultivation
These include declining irrigation water quality and availability
which threaten the sustainability of avocado production
Harnessing the genetic potential of these traditional trees could ensure the resilience and productivity of avocado crops in changing environmental conditions
This work highlights the significant avocado diversity present on La Palma island
The results indicate that this diversity is the product of the historical introduction of the three main horticultural avocado races over time followed by subsequent intercrossing among them
exhibits specific agronomic characteristics
The hybrids generated and cultivated in La Palma
likely possess a combination of agronomic and local adaptation traits of significant interest
evaluating this germplasm is essential to determine their full potential and suitability for addressing current agricultural challenges
such as climate resilience and sustainable farming practices
conserving this germplasm should be a priority to ensure its availability for future avocado agricultural innovation and improvement efforts
The datasets presented in this study can be found in the digital.csic online repository by using the following link: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/384405
The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article
VP was supported by a postdoctoral contract from the Cabildo de La Palma-CSIC
This research was supported by the project PID2022-141851OB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI and ERDF A way to make Europe (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033)
NL was supported by Emergia funding from the Junta de Andalucia (DGP_EMEC_2023_00196)
JH acknowledges the finantial support of the Qualifica Program (QUAL21 012 IHSM) (Junta de Andalucia
We thank the Agronomic Agencies of Cabildo Insular of La Palma
Centro de Agrodiversidad de La Palma-CAP and Manuel Cárdenas for their assistance in collecting samples
as well as the local people for providing the plant material necessary for this study
We also appreciate Aurora Díaz and Yolanda Verdún for their laboratory work
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be constructed as a potential conflict of interest
The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers
This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision
The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations
Any product that may be evaluated in this article
or claim that may be made by its manufacturer
is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher
PopGenReport: simplifying basic population genetic analyses in R
Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar
Molecular characterization and genetic diversity in an avocado collection of cultivars and local Spanish genotypes using SSRs
Selection of potential pollinizers for ‘Hass’ avocado based on flowering time and male–female overlapping
Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar
Optimization of controlled pollination in avocado (Persea americana Mill.
Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar
Arteaga Eiriz, F., Odriozola Azurmendi, J. M. (1969). Variedades comerciales de aguacates, 2-69-H. Ministerio Agricult. 23 pp. Available online at: https://www.mapa.gob.es/ministerio/pags/biblioteca/hojas/hd_1969_02.pdf
Google Scholar
Microsatellite markers in avocado (Persea americana Mill.): genealogical relationships among cultivated avocado genotypes
Pleistocene-dated genomic divergence of avocado trees supports cryptic diversity in the Colombian germplasm
Google Scholar
Orden de 12 de marzo de 1987 que se establecen para las islas Canarias las normas fitosanitarias relativas a la importación
exportación y tránsito de vegetales y productos vegetales
Google Scholar
distribution and uses,” in The avocado: botany
Google Scholar
races and interracial admixture in avocado (Persea americana Mill.)
Cañas-Gutiérrez
Diversity of Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) cultivars from Antioquia (Northeast Colombia) and comparison with a worldwide germplasm collection
Persea americana (avocado): bringing ancient flowers to fruit in the genomics era
Tracing the geographic origins of mayor avocado cultivars
Effects of seedling and clonal West Indian rootstocks irrigated with recycled water on ‘Hass’ avocado yield
“Cultivars and rootstocks,” in The avocado: botany
Google Scholar
[amp]]lsquo;Hass’ avocado composition and potential health effects
FAOSTAT (2024). Food and Agriculture Organization. Available online at: https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/home (Accessed September 6
Google Scholar
Galán-Saúco
Evaluación de la población local de aguacates antillanos de la isla de la Gomera
Google Scholar
Galán-Sauco
Google Scholar
Some aspects of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) diversity and domestication in Mesoamerica
Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar
Tolerancia resistencia a la podredumbre de raíz
Google Scholar
García Cabezón
Variedades nuevas de aguacates obtenidas en Tenerife
Google Scholar
García Cabezon
Google Scholar
García-Medina
Proyecto Recuperación de variedades de aguacate antillano en el municipio de Mogán
Google Scholar
Single-molecule long-read sequencing of avocado generates microsatellite markers for analyzing the genetic diversity in avocado germplasm
Genome-wide assessment of avocado germplasm determined from Specific Length Amplified Fragment sequencing and transcriptomes: population structure
Gómez-López
Fruit characterization of Venezuelan avocado varieties of medium oil content
Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar
González-Carracedo
Development of retrotransposon-based molecular markers for characterization of Persea americana (Avocado) cultivars and horticultural races
Google Earth (2024)
Google Earth Pro 7.3.610201 (Mountain View
Google Scholar
Molecular characterization of avocado germplasm with a new set of SSR and EST-SSR markers: genetic diversity
and identification of race-specific markers in a group of cultivated genotypes
Genetic structure and selection of a core collection for long term conservation of avocado in Mexico
Hernández Delgado
“El aguacate en Canarias,” in Cultivo
Google Scholar
Molecular characterization and similarity relationships among apricot (Prunus Armeniaca L.) genotypes using simple sequences repeats
Inferring weak population structure with the assistance of sample group information
doi: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02591.x
ISTAC (2024). Instituto Canario de Estadística. Available online at: http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/istac/ (Accessed September 6
Google Scholar
adegenet: a R package for the multivariate analysis of genetic markers
PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar
Genetic diversity of avocado from the southern highlands of Tanzania as revealed by microsatellite markers
Characterization of Tanzanian avocado using morphological traits
Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar
Clumpak: a program for identifying clustering modes and packaging population structure inferences across K
Application of genomic tools to avocado (Persea americana) breeding: SNP discovery for genotyping and germplasm characterization
“Genetics and breeding,” in The Avocado: Botany
Google Scholar
Rootstock-dependent response of Hass avocado to salt stress
Molecular markers and a quality trait evaluation for assessing the genetic diversity of avocado landraces from China
El Real Jardín Botánico de Aclimatación de la Orotava en sus fuentes documentales: Desde el 17 de agosto de 1788 al 17 de diciembre de 1853 Vol
379 (Independent Publishing Platform Jose Luis MaChado)
Google Scholar
MAPA (2023). Superficies y producciones anuales de cultivos. Available online at: https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/ (Accessed September 6
Google Scholar
Martín-García
Población de aguacates antillanos en la isla de San Miguel de la Palma
Google Scholar
Parrilla-González
recolección y caracterización de los aguacates antillanos de la isla de Tenerife
Google Scholar
Parrilla-González
Preliminary Study of the Seedling Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) Population of Tenerife
Abstract retrieved from International Symposium on Banana: XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People 928
Google Scholar
Volatile profiles of ripening West Indian and Guatemalan-West Indian avocado cultivars as affected by aqueous 1-methylcyclopropene
doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2013.01.011
de la végétation aux îles Canaries: des plantes des pays tempérés et des plantes des régions intertropicales et physionomie générale de leur agricultura
Paris: Challamel aîné libraire-commissionnaire
Google Scholar
Pérez-Hernández
Inventario de los frutales tropicales cultivados tradicionalmente en el T
Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Rodríguez-Hernández
Impact of chemical elements released by the volcanic eruption of La Palma (Canary Islands
Spain) on banana agriculture and European consumers
doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133508
Ruiz-Chután
Core collection formation in Guatemalan wild avocado germplasm with phenotypic and SSR data
Sandoval-Castro
Exploring genetic diversity of lowland avocado (Persea americana Mill.) as a genetic reservoir for breeding
Production and Uses (UK: CAB International)
Google Scholar
Evaluation of avocado germplasm using microsatellite markers
Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar
An integrated genetic linkage map of avocado
Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar
The explosive activity of the 2021 tajogaite eruption (La Palma
Genome-Wide SNP Discovery and genomic characterization in avocado (Persea americana Mill.)
Genetic diversity and population structure of local avocado (Persea americana mill.) from northern Tanzania assessed using SSR markers
Alcaraz ML and Hormaza JI (2025) Genotyping and diversity analysis of local avocado landraces in La Palma
Received: 07 February 2025; Accepted: 13 March 2025;Published: 16 April 2025
Copyright © 2025 Pérez, Larranaga, Alcaraz and Hormaza. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY)
distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted
provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited
in accordance with accepted academic practice
distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms
*Correspondence: J. Ignacio Hormaza, aWhvcm1hemFAZWVsbS5jc2ljLmVz
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations
Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher
94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish
the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted for a total of 85 days — the longest eruption ever recorded on La Palma island
Metrics details
Volcanic processes generate a variety of seismic events that can be detected by both on-land and underwater sensors
During the 2021 subaerial eruption of the Tajogaite volcano on La Palma Island (Canary Islands
an underwater acoustic sensor was strategically deployed to monitor seismic activity
This study presents marine passive acoustic monitoring data from a moored hydrophone deployed offshore at a depth of 77 m and 7 km from the volcanic vent
We compare hydrophone recordings with island’s seismic network and earthquake database from the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN)
By calculating acoustic metrics and analyzing low-frequency bands (< 100 Hz)
we identified 712 impulsive acoustic signals consistent with seismic events recorded in the seismic catalogue
low-frequency (≤ 50 Hz with peak frequencies ≤ 15 Hz) and exhibited sound levels that well correlated with earthquake magnitudes
Our findings demonstrate that shallow-water hydro-acoustics can detect and estimate the magnitude of volcano-tectonic earthquakes in the studied scenario
These results encourage for the integration of hydro-acoustic monitoring in conjunction with on-land seismic stations to enhance the overall monitoring of the investigated volcanic area seismic activity
As part of the intensive scientific monitoring during the eruption
a hydrophone was deployed to investigate possible changes in the marine soundscape close to the zone of influence of the newly formed Tajogaite volcano
Taking advantage of acoustic data recorded by the monitoring node placed offshore
we investigated the geophonic contributions and evolution of the overall marine soundscape within the SAC
land-based seismic stations were recording earthquakes associated with the eruption
Our goal was to coordinate these two independent datasets from different sensors placed underwater and on land to prove that hydrophones close to the seabed record volcano-tectonic earthquake signals like the ones found in land-based seismometers
we hypothesized that the sound pressure levels of these water-borne acoustic signals would correlate with the magnitudes of their corresponding seismic signals
with blue circles indicating events during the eruption and orange circles representing post-eruptive detections
The maps were generated using the functions geoplot and geobubble for MATLAB R2022a (see Methods section)
Both pulses were typically accompanied by their respective echoes
The maximum amplitude order of the pulses was variable; the first pulse was not always greater than the second one
the amplitude of the frequency components in the second pulse varied
with 6 Hz component sometimes being higher than the 14 Hz component
Example of a sound event in the temporal domain (top panel)
time-frequency diagram (Power Spectral Density
middle panel) and averaging the frequency samples of the PSD in each temporal bin (bottom panel)
Risetimes and Falltimes as shown in the bottom panel have been calculated from the pre-event PSD level and the maximum PSD level of the first pulse of the same event
Scatter plot between the PSD’s and the inter-pulse intervals of: (a) the first pulses; (b) the second ones; each blue point represents a validated signal detection
(c) Scatter plot between the PSD’s of the second versus the first pulse of each validated signals detection
Furthermore, Fig. 3c represents a scatter plot between the PSD obtained from the first pulse and the second one of each of the validated detections
It can be seen how there is a quasi-linear relationship (y = 0.95·x + 3.99 and R2 = 0.89) between both PSD’s
the energy contained in the dominant frequency in each of the pulses is similar
These results suggest that P-wave (first pulse) tends to have more energy than S-wave (second pulse) in the water-column
confirming the match between both independent datasets
Scatter plots illustrating the hydro-acoustic detections allocated in the seismic catalogue
combining variables from the two independent datasets
i.e.: PSD from passive acoustic monitoring data and earthquake magnitudes from land-based seismic stations
Each plot includes the results from Pearson Correlation tests
The first and second deployments had similar TOL values in their upper percentile (95th percentile), particularly when a vessel was operating nearby during the second deployment. In contrast, the upper percentile values were lower for the third deployment, when no vessel was present.
PSD plots colored by their Kernel spectral probability distribution (SPD
during the volcano eruption; (b) second deployment
after the eruption with the hydrophone moored in the water column and the vessel working nearby; (c) third deployment
after the eruption with the hydrophone on the seabed; (d) TOLs (1/3 Octave band sound pressure levels) showing median values (solid lines) and 5-95th percentiles (colored shade) for the first (red)
second (blue) and third (purple) deployments
Wenz curves were added as gray lines in both PSD and TOL plots (see Methods section)
Notice that the Thermal Noise curve is not shown in the TOL plot since the values were below our TOL results
in alignment with the classification from seismic data recorded by land-based stations network
the P-wave or first pulse is almost identical in magnitude between sensors
but the S-wave is clearly smaller in the acoustic recordings
probably because of its rapid loss of energy in the layer of water closest to the seabed
this is the first time this correlation has been demonstrated for a hydrophone deployed close to the seabed in shallow waters during an ongoing eruptive process
This innovative finding has the potential to enhance seismic monitoring before
Deploying an array of hydrophones in the shallow coastal areas could complement existing networks of land-based seismic stations
the predictions from this positive correlation could be the basis of a proxy for the acoustic contribution of numerous seismic events to the soundscape of surrounding shallow waters
we found no evidence of a continuous biological sounds emissions that could explain such a drastic contribution to the TOL metrics of the soundscape
This study demonstrates for the first time that a hydrophone deployed in the water column near the seabed at shallow depths (< 100 m) can effectively record seismic events
showing comparable signals as the ones detected with data from a land-based seismic station located within 12 km distance
were derived from volcano-tectonic earthquakes
There was a good correlation between the sound pressure level of each acoustic pulse and the earthquake magnitudes calculated from land-based seismic data
Our detailed characterization of these signals provides the basis for future PAM efforts under similar configurations and contexts
enabling the development of detection algorithms for acoustics signals related to eruptive processes
these signals seem to contribute significantly to the low-frequency bands of the shallow water soundscape near the newly formed subaerial volcano Tajogaite
potentially affecting marine biodiversity in the area sensitive to these frequencies
such as baleen whales that communicate using low-frequency sounds
Deploying an array of hydrophones in shallow waters
surrounding volcanic islands like La Palma
could greatly enhance the monitoring and research of seismic activity
This approach would provide critical data to inform decision-makers
facilitating organized early responses to potential eruptions and posterior analyses of the magnitude of these events
Such an integrated monitoring system could improve the overall understanding and management of volcanic and seismic hazards in oceanic island and coastal environments
The first deployment coincided with the active phase of the Tajogaite volcanic eruption
The second and third deployments were conducted one year after the eruption at the same location of the first deployment
an oceanographic vessel was operating nearby
causing the hydrophone to lie directly on the seabed for 11 days without the presence of the vessel
third deployment due to the change of recording setup and context
a total of about 24 days of acoustic recordings were analyzed
Acoustic recordings were analyzed using the Matlab R2022a (The MathWorks Inc.) framework. For each analysis, acoustic data was calibrated using the SoundTrap end-to-end calibration information provided by the manufacturer (see http://www.oceaninstruments.co.nz)
Once we found and annotated candidate sounds for seismic-hydroacoustic earthquake detections
recurrent double-pulsed impulsive sounds at < 100 Hz
we characterized the detected signals by studying their pulse duration
The signal searching and selection process was made using the internal clock of the digital hydrophone
a visual comparison of the portion of candidate signals for the event comparisons between acoustic and seismograph instruments was done without the use of an absolute time-stamp reference (like GPS)
actually not available in our experimental setup
we strongly recommend using GPS or equivalent stable clock sources for this kind of research in the future
The new seismic catalog contained 4832 earthquakes that we used to compare with our acoustic records
After the time-correction and conversion into acceleration units (cm/s2)
concurrent acoustic and seismic data were plotted to characterize the earthquake signals in both domains
Once we had allocated the acoustic earthquake detections in the seismic catalogue
we explored the possibility of predicting earthquake magnitude in the studied scenario via its potential correlation with PSD of the peak of each pulse of the acoustic signal using Pearson’s Correlation test
The seismic records are available through the public Spanish Digital Seismic Network: doi: https://doi.org/10.7914/SN/ES
acoustic recordings can be made available upon request
The data of hydroacoustic events allocated in the seismic catalogue can be accessed in the Supplementary Material
Long-period volcano seismicity: its source and use in eruption forecasting
Volcano seismicity and ground deformation unveil the gravity-driven magma discharge dynamics of a volcanic eruption
McNutt, S. R. & Roman, D. C. Volcanic Seismicity. The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes (Elsevier Inc., 2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-385938-9.00059-6
Conversion from seismic to underwater sound waves along the Louisville Seamount Chain
The ‘T’ phase of shallow focus submarine earthquakes
and Infrasound to investigate the eruption of Bogoslof Volcano
Low-frequency seismic signals recorded by OBS at Stromboli volcano (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea)
Hydroacoustic observations of Indian earthquake provide new data on T-waves
Hydroacoustic detection of volcanic ocean-island earthquakes
When the hydrophone works as an accelerometer
Moment magnitude (mw) from hydrophone records of low energy volcanic quakes
Multiparametric statistical investigation of seismicity occurred at El Hierro (Canary Islands) from 2011 to 2014
Historical volcanism in the Canary Islands; part 1: a review of precursory and eruptive activity
Unveiling the pre-eruptive seismic series of the La Palma 2021 eruption: insights through a fully automated analysis
The 2021 eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge on La Palma
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a tool for hazard assessment: the 2021 eruption of Cumbre Vieja volcano
Magmatic plumbing and dynamic evolution of the 2021 La Palma eruption
Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino
por la que se declaran zonas especiales de conservación los lugares de importancia comunitaria marinos de la región biogeográfica Macaronésica de la Red Natura 2000 y se aprueban sus correspondientes medidas de conser
Instituto Geográfico Nacional, S. Spanish Digital Seismic Network [Data set]. (1999). https://doi.org/10.7914/SN/ES
Characterizing diversity and variation in fish choruses in Darwin Harbour
Diel periodicity of Fish Sound production in Charlotte Harbor
Mapping fish chorus distributions in southern california using an autonomous wave glider
The April 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake sequence: Seismo-acoustic analysis utilizing fixed hydrophone arrays
Hydroacoustic earthquake detection in the Arctic Basin with the spinnaker array
Seasonal trends and primary contributors to the low-frequency soundscape of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Agonistic behaviour and significance of sounds in vocalizing fish
Marine soundscape and fish chorus in an archipelago ecosystem comprising bio-diverse tropical islands off Goa Coast
Small reductions in cargo vessel speed substantially reduce noise impacts to marine mammals
Reaction of fin whales Balaenoptera physalus to an earthquake
Changes in habitat use by a deep-diving predator in response to a coastal earthquake
First list of odontocetes from the canaries
Explosive processes during the 2015 eruption of Axial Seamount
January 2006 seafloor-spreading event at 9 ° 50 0 N
East Pacific Rise: Ridge dike intrusion and transform fault interactions from regional hydroacoustic data
Direct video and hydrophone observations of submarine explosive eruptions at NW Rota-1 volcano
Marine soundscape variation reveals insights into baleen whales and their environment: a case study in central New Zealand
Kernel density estimation and its application
in ITM Web of Conferences: XLVIII Seminar of Applied Mathematics vol
Acoustic ambient noise in the Ocean: Spectra and sources
EQcorrscan: repeating and near-repeating earthquake detection and analysis in python
Impacts of a newly formed lava delta on the marine environment: lava-induced upwelling and abrupt chlorophyll depletion during the Tajogaite eruption (La Palma
Download references
Acoustic sampling for this work was supported by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) through the VULCANA-III-IV projects (IEO-CSIC-2021-2026) and with special funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Spanish Government (20223PAL005)
We extend our sincere gratitude to the following organizations for their invaluable assistance during the volcanological crisis at La Palma Island: Capitanía Marítima of S/C Tenerife
we would like to convey our deepest gratitude to the officers and crew of the R/V Ramón Margalef and Ángeles Alvariño from IEO-CSIC
as well as the technicians of ACSM (ROV-Liropus 2000) for their exceptional support during our time at sea
Their dedication and expertise greatly contributed to the success of our research efforts
The authors would like to thank the Agreement between PROMOTUR Turismo Canarias
and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna (FGULL) and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) for the joint implementation of actions for intelligent management and the creation of Blue Tourism product
and Resilience Plan (Next Generation EU Funds)
257/2023 of the Minister of Tourism and Employment
granting a financial contribution to the public company PROMOTUR Turismo Canarias
for the execution of cohesion actions in destinations
integrated into the Canary Islands Territorial Plan
JAT was funded by the Catalina Ruiz postdoctoral program from the Consejería de Economía
Conocimiento y Empleo of the Canary Islands Government and the European Social Fund from the European Commission (Project APCR2022010008) for a two-years stay at the IEO-CSIC
SJB was supported by the Centre for Oceanographic Research in the Eastern South Pacific
Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature
Jesús Alcázar-Treviño & Eugenio Fraile-Nuez
Center for Oceanographic Research COPAS COASTAL
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas
Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA)
Conceptualization & Methodology: J.A.T.
E.F.N.; Writing—original draft: J.A.T.; Writing—review and editing: J.A.T.
The authors declare no competing interests
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88509-z
Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:
a shareable link is not currently available for this article
Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science
Print The tightly rolled
home-style burritos of Burritos La Palma have been a favorite in Orange County since the family-owned chain opened its first area location in 2017
But the story of Albert Bañuelos’ restaurant goes back a lot further
“We are a burrito that started in Zacatecas 45 years ago,” said Bañuelos
Burritos La Palma came to the states in 2012 and now has locations in Boyle Heights
“Costa Mesa means a lot to us,” said Bañuelos
The Zacatecan-style burritos served at Burritos La Palma are long and slender compared to the hefty burritos smothered in cheese found at most Mexican American restaurants
chicharron in spicy salsa verde and the very homey deshebrada
made up of shredded beef in green chile with potato
Refried beans with cheese are also a favorite along with the Con Todo
The burritos are served with a whole Serrano chile and a cup of thin
fresh tomato salsa that perfectly compliments each bite
A Platillo Especial includes a two-burrito combo dressed in Salsa Especial and served with refried beans and a side salad
fresh flour tortillas are the base of each burrito
The preservative-free discs also originated at Burritos La Palma
which began as a tortillería in Zacatecas in 1980
Burritos from Burritos La Palma made with fresh flour tortillas
(Sarah Mosqueda) That quality has earned Burritos La Palma many accolades
including a Bib Gourmand from the prestigious Michelin guide for five consecutive years from 2019 to 2023
The lauded flour tortillas also earned Burritos La Palma the Golden Tortilla championship title in 2021’s KCRW and Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament
The restaurant’s appearance on Netflix’s second season of “Taco Chronicles” helped the brand go viral during the pandemic, a time when many restaurants were struggling. That popularity made it difficult to produce enough burritos, and since COVID, hours have been kept short with most locations closing at 6 p.m.
“One of the biggest challenges is making the tortilla. We are limited to that production,” Bañuelos said. “When we were lucky enough to be featured on Netflix a few years ago, we just couldn’t keep up with the demand, which made the hours even shorter. But we are finding ways to meet that challenge.”
The Costa Mesa location is bigger than the other Orange County spots with more staff that can produce more burritos. The new spot will have extended hours, from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily.
Bañuelos said he has plans to expand the menu in Costa Mesa.
“Our menu is a little bigger in Mexico, and the intention of Costa Mesa in the future is to add a few more items that we offer in Mexico,” he said.
A Platillo Especial at Burritos La Palma includes refried beans and a side salad. (Sarah Mosqueda) One dish exclusive to the Costa Mesa menu is a dessert option: a delicious sweet quesadilla filled with melted cheese, quince paste and butter topped with a sprinkle of sea salt.
“Membrillo, or quince, was something I grew up with in Mexico, even though we would use it on bread,” Bañuelos said of the fruit often described as a cross between an apple and a pear.
Additionally, Bañuelos will be adding something to the menu no other locations have offered.
“We have been wanting to add a breakfast burrito for a while, and I feel we are close” Bañuelos said. “We are about to launch it.”
Bañuelos said Burritos La Palma plans to bring one more exciting menu offering from Mexico here to the States.
“We want to add corn tortillas to our menu here,” he said.
That means diners can look forward to tacos on corn tortillas or gorditas and maybe sopes at Burritos La Palma in the very near future.
Sarah Mosqueda covers Orange County food, art and culture for TimesOC. She most recently worked as a staff writer in Food for the Los Angeles Times. She also has several years of experience in the restaurant industry, including as a proprietor. Mosqueda earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton.
Metrics details
The potential of the island of La Palma (Canary Islands) to host geothermal resources is very high
The primary goal of this study is to get a tridimensional image of the seismic intrinsic attenuation using ambient seismic noise and to identify anomalies that may be linked to active geothermal reservoirs on La Palma island
we developed a new Ambient Noise Attenuation Tomography (ANAT) technique
which uses seismic ambient noise for imaging intrinsic attenuation in 3-D at a local scale down to 5 km depth
Our research identifies two areas with high attenuation in the island’s southern region
One area could be associated with hydrothermal alteration zones beneath the Cumbre Vieja volcanic complex
Another high-attenuation zone was observed in the island’s southern part
which could be associated with extensively fractured rocks that might facilitate the circulation of heated fluids
we discuss the geothermal relevance of such anomalies
making a comparison with previous resistivity
This study confirms that intrinsic attenuation retrieved from the coda of Rayleigh waves is more sensitive to the presence of fluids than velocity
Fluids being a key component of active geothermal reservoirs
it is reasonable to expect intrinsic attenuation anomalies in these systems
we conclude that ANAT can be useful for geothermal exploration
demonstrated that in the later stages of the seismic coda
the dependency of \(Q_{c}^{-1}\) on anisotropy and scattering attenuation diminishes notably
in this scenario \(Q_{c}^{-1}\) can be considered as a direct assessment of intrinsic attenuation ( \(Q_{c}^{-1}=Q_{i}^{-1}\))
obtained 2-D intrinsic attenuation maps at different frequencies of the Eastern-Europe region
revealing heterogeneous structures within the upper crustal sedimentary layer that they related to fluids and high-temperature anomalies of water-content mineralogy
Note that all these studies were focused on regional scales (covering areas larger than 4000 \(km^{2}\) approximately)
The island’s formation began 4 My ago with the emissions of submarine lava
After the formation of the Taburiente stratovolcano (between 0.77 and 0.56 My)
was formed in the central part of the island
During the formation process of this volcanic edifice
the western part of the edifice suffered a landslide
creating a large Aridane valley in the central part of the island
the Bejenado stratovolcano was formed between 0.56 and 0.49 My
the Cumbre Vieja volcanic complex started its formation and gave rise to a complex volcanic rift that stretches 20 km along and rises 1950 m high along an N-S direction
This volcanic system covers an area of \(220\hbox { km}^{2}\) and it is characterized by multiple cinder cones and cracks formed during volcanic activity aligned in a N-S direction
This area currently represents the most volcanic active part of the island
This last eruption served as a reminder of the island’s potential to harbour geothermal resources
Detailed information on these steps are described in the following paragraphs
utilized datasets spanning several years (between 1984 and 2014)
we consider the assumption of largely time-invariant attenuation to be reasonable
Based on the distribution of the seismic stations
S1 in the supplementary materials) has the greatest concentration of stations and anisotropy in ray paths
This area is the most active part of the island in terms of volcanic activity and the most interesting from a geothermal exploration point of view
Applying this analysis to each five-minute time window of our data automatically determines whether a coherent signal
is present within that specific time window
Noise-based dataset used for intrinsic attenuation measurement. (A) Empirical Green’s functions sorted according to the distance between stations. The blue solid and dashed lines represent velocities of 1.0 and 3.0 km/s, respectively. (B) and (C) represent the measured values of \(Q_{c}^{-1}\) with respect to the frequency (mean and standard deviation marked by red points and blue lines, respectively) and interstation distance, respectively.
no discernible correlation emerges between \(Q_{c}^{-1}\) values and the interstation distance
suggesting that the intrinsic attenuation is not governed by dispersion effects
used the same kernels to map relative velocity variations during the pre-eruptive phase of the 2021 La Palma eruption
the forward model relating the observed attenuation at a given frequency for a given station pair \(Q_{c}^{-1}(s_{i},s_{j})\) to the 2-D model of attenuation \(Q_{c}^{-1}(x,y)\)
The forward model (2) is discretized on a 29 \(\times\) 48 km mesh with regular tiles of size 0.6 \(\times\)1.0 km49
The linear inversion is performed using a damped least squares approach
The L-curve criterion was used to select the proper damping parameter
We performed different checkerboard and spike tests to determine the spatial resolution of the tomographic images
We used three different checkerboard sizes of \(0.05^{\circ } \times 0.05^{\circ }\)
\(0.08^{\circ } \times 0.08^{\circ }\) and \(0.1^{\circ } \times 0.1^{\circ }\)
corresponding appro\(\times\)imately to sizes of 5.5 km \(\times\) 5.5 km
8.8 km \(\times\) 8.8 km and 11.1 km \(\times\) 11.1 km
we used different spike sizes with diameters of 7 km
Maximum and minimum values of 0.02 and 0.01 were used for \(Q_{c}^{-1}\) in the checkerboard tests (Fig
The model with a resolution of \(0.1^{\circ } \times 0.1^{\circ }\) and 7 km of diameter were correctly retrieved in the whole island (Figs
the checkerboard tests with a resolution of \(0.08^{\circ } \times 0.08^{\circ }\) and \(0.05^{\circ } \times 0.05^{\circ }\) as well as the spike tests with a diameter of 4 km and 2 km were not correctly retrieved in the island’s northern part (Figs
due to a lower ray path density in this zone (see Fig
the models were correctly retrieved in the southern part of the island (Figs
which is the main zone of interest of the study
This software is a computationally efficient Python library for modeling surface wave dispersion
enabling the calculation of forward modeling (to compute Rayleigh and Love waves phase or group dispersion curves) and the computation of Rayleigh-wave ellipticity sensitivity kernels with respect to layer thickness
the forward problem relating the observed attenuation values at distinct frequencies \(Q_{c}^{-1}(f)\) to the 1-D model of attenuation at depth \(Q_{c}^{-1}(z)\)
Vertical cross-sections (cf. A-A’ and B-B’ in Fig. 4.B) of the 3-D synthetic (left panel) and retrieved (right panel) model.
we can retrieve the geometry of the checkerboard pattern but not the attenuation values
we determine that the maximum resolution in depth is up to 2 km
although we can still have some sensitivity down to 3 km
the northern part of the island shows low levels of attenuation in general
Table S1 in the supplementary material is a summary table comparing the intrinsic attenuation model with other geophysical models
observed low-velocity and high Vp/Vs values in the same areas
which they related to hydrothermal alteration ascribed to the activity of the geothermal system of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic complex
who identified high attenuation structures associated with gas or fluid reservoirs beneath other volcanic regions
we obtained a 3-D intrinsic attenuation model of La Palma island
Analyzing data from 44 broadband seismic stations and determining \(Q_{c}^{-1}\) values for 424 station pairs
we used a linear inversion with appropriate sensitivity kernels to generate 2-D maps of intrinsic attenuation at different frequencies
we used some specific depth sensitivity kernels to create 1-D depth profiles of intrinsic attenuation at 347 points of the 2-D maps
This last step allowed obtaining a full 3-D intrinsic attenuation model of the island of La Palma
The novel passive seismic attenuation tomography method proposed in this work (named ANAT) was revealed to be highly appropriate for attenuation studies at a local scale in areas with low seismicity
This method does not require active sources and
is convenient for various scientific and industrial applications
jointly with classical ambient noise tomography
provides an excellent tool for surface geothermal exploration and
Ultrasonic wave propagation in dry and brine-saturated sandstones as a function of effective stress: laboratory measurements and modelling 1
Theory of propagation of elastic waves in a fluid-saturated porous solid
The Journal of the acoustical Society of america 28(2)
Wave attenuation in partially saturated rocks
Etna 2001 flank eruption: Constraints from 3-D attenuation tomography
Geophysical Research Letters 32 (21) (2005)
Small scale shallow attenuation structure at Mt
Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 157(3–4)
Aki, K. & Chouet, B. Origin of coda waves: Source, attenuation, and scattering effects. Journal of Geophysical Research 80(23), 3322–3342. https://doi.org/10.1029/jb080i023p03322 (1975)
Lapse-Time Dependence of Coda Q: Anisotropic Multiple-Scattering Models and Application to the Pyrenees
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 103(3)
Etna: Evidence from new attenuation tomography and existing velocity models
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 126 (7)
Seismic attenuation imaging of Campi Flegrei: Evidence of gas reservoirs
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 115 (B9) (2010)
Attenuation and scattering tomography of the deep plumbing system of Mount St
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 119(11)
Space-weighted seismic attenuation mapping of the aseismic source of Campi Flegrei 1983–1984 unrest
High resolution attenuation images from active seismic data: The case study of solfatara volcano (southern italy)
Reconstructing hydrothermal fluid pathways and storage at the solfatara crater (campi flegrei
italy) using seismic scattering and absorption
3-D seismic attenuation structure of Long Valley caldera: looking for melt bodies in the shallow crust
3-D attenuation image of fluid storage and tectonic interactions across the Pollino fault network
The Attenuation and Scattering Signature of Fluid Reservoirs and Tectonic Interactions in the Central-Southern Apennines (Italy)
Scattering behaviour at Merapi volcano (Java) revealed from an active seismic experiment
Analysis of multiple scattering at Vesuvius volcano
using data of the TomoVes active seismic experiment
Journal of volcanology and geothermal research 128(1–3)
Diffusion of seismic waves in a thick layer: Theory and application to Vesuvius volcano
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 109 (B7) (2004)
Multiple resolution seismic attenuation imaging at Mt
Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 173(1–2)
Prudencio, J., Del Pezzo, E., García-Yeguas, A. & Ibáñez, J. M. Spatial distribution of intrinsic and scattering seismic attenuation in active volcanic islands-I: Model and the case of Tenerife Island. Geophysical Journal International 195(3), 1942–1956. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggt361 (2013)
3D attenuation tomography of the volcanic island of Tenerife (Canary Islands)
Lin, F.-C., Ritzwoller, M.H., Shen, W. On the reliability of attenuation measurements from ambient noise cross-correlations, GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 38 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL047366
Seismic attenuation from recordings of ambient noise
On the amplitude of surface waves obtained by noise correlation and the capability to recover the attenuation: a numerical approach
A numeric evaluation of attenuation from ambient noise correlation functions
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 118(12)
On seismic ambient noise cross-correlation and surface-wave attenuation
Surface-wave attenuation from seismic ambient noise: Numerical validation and application
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 126 (1)
Anelastic earth structure from the coherency of the ambient seismic field
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 114 (B7) (2009)
Attenuation tomography of the western United States from ambient seismic noise
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 116 (B6) (2011)
Ambient noise Love wave attenuation tomography for the LASSIE array across the Los Angeles basin
Seismic attenuation tomography of Eastern Europe from ambient seismic noise analysis
La Palma island (Spain) geothermal system revealed by 3D magnetotelluric data inversion
Geothermal and structural features of La Palma island (Canary Islands) imaged by ambient noise tomography
Camacho, A.G., Fernández, J., González, P., Rundle, J., Prieto, J.F., & Arjona, A. Structural results for La Palma island using 3-D gravity inversion, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 114 (B5) (2009). https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JB005628
Insights into the Magmatic Feeding System of the 2021 Eruption at Cumbre Vieja (La Palma
Canary Islands) Inferred from Gravity Data Modeling
Ancochea, E. et al. Constructive and destructive episodes in the building of a young oceanic island. La Palma, Canary Islands, and genesis of the Caldera de Taburiente, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 60(3–4), 243–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/0377-0273(94)90054-X (1994)
D’Auria, L. et al. Rapid magma ascent beneath La Palma revealed by seismic tomography. Scientific Reports[SPACE]https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-21818-9 (2022)
Geodetic imaging of magma ascent through a bent and twisted dike during the Tajogaite eruption of 2021 (La Palma
Carracedo, J. C. et al. The 2021 eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge on La Palma. Canary Islands, Geology Today 38(3), 94–107. https://doi.org/10.1111/gto.12388 (2022)
Detecting seismic activity with a covariance matrix analysis of data recorded on seismic arrays
Processing seismic ambient noise data to obtain reliable broad-band surface wave dispersion measurements
The one-bit noise correlation: a theory based on the concepts of coherent and incoherent noise
Selective review of offline change point detection methods
Measurements of intrinsic and scattering seismic attenuation in the crust
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 85(5)
Separation of intrinsic and scattering seismic attenuation in the Southern Apennine zone
Seismic coda-waves imaging based on sensitivity kernels calculated using an heuristic approach
Spatio-temporal velocity variations observed during the pre-eruptive episode of La Palma 2021 eruption inferred from ambient noise interferometry
Luu, K. disba: Numba-accelerated computation of surface wave dispersion. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3987395. https://github.com/keurfonluu/disba
Di Paolo, F. et al. La Palma island (Spain) geothermal system revealed by 3D magnetotelluric data inversion. Scientific reports 10(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-75001-z (2020)
Seismic anisotropy tomography beneath La Palma in the Canary Islands
Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research
Prieto, J. F. et al. Geodetic and Structural Research in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain: 1992–2007 results. Pure and applied geophysics 166(8–9), 1461–1484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-009-0505-2 (2009)
Padrón, E. et al. Dynamics of diffuse carbon dioxide emissions from Cumbre Vieja volcano. La Palma, Canary Islands, Bulletin of Volcanology 77(4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-015-0914-2 (2015)
Padrón, E. et al. Helium emission at Cumbre Vieja volcano. La Palma, Canary Islands, Chemical Geology 312, 138–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2012.04.018 (2012)
Hunter, J. D. Matplotlib: A 2D graphics environment. Computing in science & engineering 9(03), 90–95. https://doi.org/10.1109/MCSE.2007.55 (2007)
Download references
The INVOLCAN team was supported by the project “Impulso a la energía geotérmica de alta entalpía en Canarias” (187G0132)
Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias (INVOLCAN)
Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables (ITER)
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
Department of Theoretical Physics and Cosmos
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79076-w
Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.
Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.
Treasurer Bert Poan, who was deceased in 2023, also receive a Certificate of Appreciation for his many years of service as Treasurer.
Karen then announced the names pf the nominated slate of officers who were unanimously accepted by members present. The new officers for 2025 are:
but your trip to the Canary Islands doesn't have to end in chaos
Ashley Nash Baltazar•Dec 19
so it won’t be surprising if the Canary Islands (specifically La Palma and Tenerife) are flooded with tourists eager to adventure in the area in the new year
Best Time to Visit: May and June typically offer the best prices for travel to La Palma for those on a budget
the warmest months (and best for beachgoers) are July and August
Transportation Options: Getting around La Palma can be managed by car or bus
If you intend on island hopping during your stay
be prepared to get acquainted with the ferry system
a volcano that erupts in the series (and did in real life)
viewers can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the island offers a calm beauty that’s definitely to be experienced at least once
make sure to book your flights a month to a few months in advance
a free daily newsletter that features the best of travel
and guides to the cities you love from a new point of view — yours
you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy
Queen Elizabeth Once Stepped In To Prevent Snoop Dogg From Being Banned From The UK
United Airlines Flight Attendant's Armrest Announcement Sparks Social Media Frenzy
‘Basketball Wives’ Star Mehgan James Speaks Out About Popular Bahamas Island With Flesh-Eating Bacteria After Friend Loses Leg
Chaos Erupts After Ethiopian Airlines Passenger Forced To Give Up Seat For Minister
In each location where Black dandyism took root
and social conditions shaped its expression
A Simi Valley plane crash involving a small aircraft resulted in the deaths of its two passengers
Check out these filming sites that have added to this harrowing story of creative survival in two popular cities
Paramount+'s 'MobLand' has rapidly garnered a wide audience
thanks to its fascinating characters and gorgeous scenic backdrops
A 27-year-old Chinese student living in Japan was rescued twice from Mount Fuji within days – the second time after reascending for his phone
ShareSaveCommentBusinessHollywood & EntertainmentIs ‘La Palma’ On Netflix Based On A True Story? What’s Real Vs. FakeByMonica Mercuri
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
Monica is an entertainment reporter covering TV
Netflix’s new disaster series La Palma is currently the No
1 show on the streaming platform in the U.S
you might find yourself wondering if La Palma is based on a true story and whether the highly active and dangerous Cumbre Vieja volcano actually exists
The four-episode limited series is set on the island of La Palma and follows a young scientist
and a family of four as they face a volcanic eruption with the potential to trigger a global catastrophe
Despite warning signs—including a deadly boat accident and a series of earthquakes—geologists Marie and Haukur uncover evidence that an imminent eruption could cause devastation far beyond the island
to take their findings seriously before it’s too late
La Palma is a real place—one of Spain’s Canary Islands
This Spanish territory is home to the Cumbre Vieja
the most active volcanic ridge in the Canary Islands
SPAIN - 2021/10/05: Volcano of Cumbre Vieja in the Canary Island of La Palma ..
More continues with his activity erupting lava after more than two weeks
(Photo by Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
no injuries or deaths were directly attributed to the eruption
the Cumbre Vieja last erupted in 1971 and 1949
the majority of scientists agree that such a catastrophic event is highly unlikely
The hypothesis suggests that during a major volcanic eruption
a large portion of the western flank of Cumbre Vieja could collapse into the Atlantic Ocean
This landslide could generate a mega-tsunami
potentially affecting the eastern coasts of North America
wrote in a study the following year: "The threat of mega tsunami generation from collapses of oceanic island stratovolcanoes has been greatly overstated
Smoke rises from cooling lava after the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on the Canary Island of La ..
- A new fissure has emerged in the erupting volcano on Spain's Canary Islands
belching out more lava and forcing another 500 people to flee as experts closely watched its progress towards the sea
(Photo by JOSE MARIA MONTESDEOCA / AFP) (Photo by JOSE MARIA MONTESDEOCA/AFP via Getty Images)
The Netflix series La Palma was filmed on location in the real-life La Palma
Known as the "Isla Bonita," La Palma is a popular destination for nature lovers
and gorgeous beaches that attract tourists from around the world
In addition to La Palma, some scenes were filmed on the nearby island of Tenerife, according to The Direct
Tenerife is the most visited island in the Canary Islands archipelago
attracting over five million tourists annually
SPAIN - 2022/02/03: View of the Cumbre Vieja volcano still emitting sulfur gases
More areas are still affected by volcanic lava and ashes caused by the eruption of the volcano
which lasted more than three months causing damages in residential buildings
The series also features the interior of the luxury resort Isla Bonita and the H10 Taburiente Playa
which serves as the backdrop for many exterior shots
while La Palma Airport also plays a key role as a hub for visitors and emergency crews arriving and departing the island
The show was co-written by Gudmestad and Rosenløw Eeg and stars Anders Baasmo Christiansen
Netflix has unveiled the main trailer to the four-part Norwegian disaster miniseries La Palma from the creators of the box office hits The Wave
the large-scale series sets a new standard in visual effects in Norway
featuring spectacular and jaw-dropping sequences
La Palma is starring Anders Baasmo (Power Play
“It’s been exciting for us to use the disaster genre in a TV series format where we can get even closer to the characters while telling the story on a massive scale
The series shows ordinary people’s limits being tested in the event of a disaster and how they push themself to overcome fears
La Palma also pushes the boundaries of what's possible to achieve with visual effects in a Norwegian TV series
We hope people see that we have put our heart and soul into creating something entertaining and spectacular.”
The drama series follows Norwegian tourists caught in a massive volcanic eruption on the picturesque Canary Islands
and chaos - they must fight for survival as they race to safety
Screenwriter: Harald Rosenløw Eeg & Lars Gudmestad
Production Company: Fantefilm Scripted Series AS
www.netflix.com/lapalma
By Ben BradleyPublished: Mar
2025 at 3:33 PM MSTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInELOY
AZ (AZFamily) — A 22-year-old man convicted in the 2021 murder of a Phoenix teenager died this week at a prison in Pinal County
Dupree Rollins died on Sunday at the La Palma Correctional Center in Eloy
according to the Arizona Department of Corrections
Rollins was serving time for a murder that happened at an apartment complex near 27th Avenue and Indian School Road nearly four years ago
then 18-year-old Rollins shot 16-year-old Romeo Perkins 10 times
Rollins was soon arrested and charged with Perkins’ murder
He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in February 2023
and was incarcerated at the Eloy prison the following month
ADCRR officials did not release the circumstances or cause of his death
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description
STARMUS is thrilled to announce the first round of artists and the program structure for the highly anticipated STARMUS La Palma festival
This year’s lineup features an extraordinary array of luminaries
including renowned ethologist Jane Goodall -founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace-
legendary musician and STARMUS co-founder Brian May
and an incredible cast of world-class renowned scientists and experts in AI and cybersecurity
The festival will also host a multidisciplinary scientific program focused on the protection of the sky
addressing critical issues such as pollution and space debris
with the Starlight Foundation as the responsible body—this edition will be a key platform to generate greater visibility and awareness on this issue
with this great representation of this remarkable edition
which marks the “return home” to the place that inspired the creation of what is now recognized as the world’s most inspiring festival of science
STARMUS announced the first confirmed artists of the musical lineup and the final program structure of this very special edition
This spectacular lineup of artists will be preceded by unprecedented opening acts that embody the essence of STARMUS La Palma with space-inspired and distinctly Canarian rhythms:
which will start energizing the Puerto de Tazacorte from the early evening
will feature a group of bands acclaimed at festivals across Spain
These bands will offer a fantastic fusion of pop
STARMUS La Palma is excited to present the ‘Classical Night Series’ concerts
taking place in Santa Cruz de La Palma on April 25 and April 27
The lineup features an array of distinguished artists
STARMUS La Palma will feature two STARMUS Camps: one in Santa Cruz and another in Los Llanos de Aridane
Both camps will offer a full 4-day program of activities in the Expo Zones and Stage Zones
Both STARMUS Camps will gather an impressive lineup of exhibitors
including the Starlight Foundation; the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC); the Jane Goodall Institute with its program “Roots & Shoots,”; ITER
the pioneering international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject or CTAO -Cherenkov Telescope Array
Observatory- the future largest and most powerful gamma-ray observatory in the world
The lineup of speakers ranges from keynote lecturers to popular science communicators like Mar Gómez (eltiempo.es)
Space Trainer and Olympic Athlete Guillermo Rojo
as well as presentations from some of the most anticipated speakers in the keynote lectures
The daily evening music program will feature local DJs and indie-pop bands as the opening acts for the ‘Sonic Universe’ concert – Shidow
Terco – and other local groups like Macaca Radiata
the camps will feature two very special days meant to inspire the youngest generations with the “INTERSCHOLAR by STARMUS” project
This initiative will be carried out across schools for students in 5th and 6th grade of primary school and secondary school
who will have the opportunity to learn from and meet inspiring ambassadors such as Javier Santaolalla
and the Jane Goodall Institute through their Roots & Shoots program
These special days will take place in the mornings of April 25 and April 28
Keynote Lectures Program: The keynote lectures will take place in Puerto Naos on the following dates and times (tentative):
Attendees can look forward to a series of thought-provoking and inspiring talks with the protection of the skies as the main topic but spanning a wide range of disciplines and topics with world eminences from all over the globe
*Check the full list of speakers here
In addition to the many events during the festival
STARMUS La Palma will also feature an educational initiative in the preceding months which will end up bringing students from all over the Canaries to the festival:
The full schedule of events and activities will be unveiled in the coming weeks on the STARMUS website – www.starmus.com -and social media channels
For further details on each of the events being unveiled and summarized
Print The members of the Huntington Beach City Council
in lockstep against the wishes of many constituents
are doing their darndest to hide the damage they are doing to our public libraries
Privatizing portions of Central Park without public input and legal environmental review is outrageous
The hush-hush concealment of the Pacific Airshow settlement reeks of corruption
The worst is restricting access to books under a specter of government protection and attempting to sell off control of our public libraries
A simple sign posted in the library explicitly states children “should not be unattended.” Given this simple warning
children should not access books without parental oversight
However Councilwoman Gracey Van Der Mark charges that the children’s library has pornographic books
There are no pornographic books in the children’s library
It is illegal for publishers to sell pornography to children and teens
beaches and libraries have been funded by taxpayers and are free for the use of our residents
Our freedom has been choked by backroom deals
greed and a stealthy campaign of false information
The council has ignored the requirement for a legal
up-to-date environmental review before pushing a for-profit light show on public property
The council members are fully aware that a permit for the show would never pass the review board
rare birds and butterflies nesting in the park
Huntington Beach City Council is in a crisis of integrity
In regards to the recent TimesOC article on the La Palma City Council’s decision to deny our conditional use permit at Starlight Day Spa, while I appreciate that my comments at the hearing were quoted, the article fails to provide critical context.
The city of La Palma never provided us with clear guidance on the CUP process or how massage services could be lawfully incorporated into a beauty salon. Instead of working with us, city staff approached the matter with suspicion, offering no clarification or collaborative intent. The CUP process was obscured by surprise inspections, retroactive fees and accusations, rather than open communication or good-faith support for a small business trying to operate legally.
We incurred over $3,200 in nonrefundable CUP fees, only to be informed after the fact of additional charges totaling $1,368 for staff time — fees we had no reason to expect. Combined with planning, licensing and marketing investments, our losses exceeded $15,000 — a devastating hit for any new business.
What was most disturbing, however, was the conduct of La Palma’s code enforcement during their inspection. The approach —aggressive and unannounced — caused fear and panic among employees and customers, some of whom spoke little English and fled the premises, traumatized.
The city’s reference during the meeting to RubMaps — an inappropriate and misleading massage parlor website — as “evidence” was reckless. RubMaps is not a platform on which businesses advertise; it is a user-generated “fan” site, over which we have no control. The implication this page was legitimate evidence raises serious concerns.
The cumulative effect of these tactics has been the public shaming and reputational destruction of our business. We acted in good faith, removed all massage references at the city’s request and repeatedly offered to work under a probationary period. Instead, we were vilified.
I urge the public to consider how easily a small business can be crushed — not by misconduct, but by the very systems meant to support it. We deserve better. The truth is far more complex than what was presented in your article, and our community deserves the whole story.
Opinion
Snow is not the reason for La Palma turning white
which lingers in the air and on the cobblestone streets
reminding us that in Europe there are also unique and fun ways to celebrate carnival
Brazil has the most famous carnival in the world but
an excellent option is the island of Palma in Spain
where the carnival extends for almost two weeks
I lived on the island during the carnival of 2023, a moment that signified the restarting of these celebrations after the pandemic and the eruption of the volcano that stained part of the island with tragedy and ashes
who prepare every year to receive thousands of tourists during the carnival days
which are usually crowded with tourists from cruise ships
multiply the pedestrians who go to forget the cold of winter and enjoy days of festivities without watching the clock
This is the biggest high season of the island
which means a lot for a town that lives on tourism
In La Palma it is impossible to celebrate only Monday and Tuesday of carnival (on 3rd and 4th March this year)
But there are definitely some days that stand out from others — even making people forget to sleep
While some only celebrate in parades and concerts
others prepare for Holy Week with religious walks such as the procession of the virgin from one of the highest points of the capital
This pilgrimage marks on the calendar the last days of parties before calmer times 40 days later
One of the most fun days is the Friday before the carnival weekend
The party with DJs in different parts of Santa Cruz starts early in the afternoon and ends the next day with concerts on a big stage on Maritima Avenue
Although you can wear any conventional wig
the boldest attendees make the most eccentric
original and wild wigs that look like an end-of-the-year school project (it probably takes them an entire year to create these works of art)
because the party is not reserved only for Santa Cruz de la Palma
wigs are transformed into full costumes and people throw colorful talcum powder at each other
turning the town into an eternal colorful party
You won’t find a more original way to celebrate carnival in the world
This is the peak day for tourism on the island
make a note of the day: it is always celebrated on Carnival Monday and extends until Tuesday morning
The tradition pays homage to the island’s Spanish migrants who returned from Cuba, and other places like Venezuela, flaunting the riches obtained in the new world. To relive the moment, everyone dresses in white from head to toe in period costumes, while dancing salsa in the streets
One of the funniest attractions is the white talcum powder
No one escapes the talcum powder shower that starts early in the morning with Los Indianos parade and doesn’t stop all day
After the party you will need a deep bath to remove the talc from your scalp
so be prepared to walk if you want to see it all
The streets are closed and crowded with people
along with stands selling sugar cane juice and mojitos
It is closed to avoid damage and environmental problems
If you think the party ends on Shrove Tuesday
Although they are not such big celebrations
you can enjoy other parades the following days
One quite unique parade features the sardine as the main character
Bands from all over the island accompany a sardine-shaped carriage that
because people don’t only dance on the island
Carnival is not always an important celebration in many cultures
but after spending some time on the island you will not want to stop celebrating it every year
Photos: Edgary Rodriguez R. and Toni Rivera
Nikola Mikovic is a Serbian freelance journalist whose work has ...
Carolina is a journalist and a university professor. She has more th...
Mohamad Roshan is a journalist living in Iran
Philippa Willitts is Editor in Chief of Global Comment. She is a British ...
Senior Film Writer Mark Farnsworth teaches Film in East London an..
Nasser Ali Khasawneh graduated in law from Oxford University
Natalia Antonova is a DC-based writer and editor
Global Comment is independently owned and operated and could use your help
We consistently bring you perspectives from around the world that you don't get anywhere else
and we want to be able to continue supporting the work of the excellent writers you see here
Don't miss our latest interviews with sharp readers and thinkers on issues that matter to you
Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe on Soundcloud
Philippa Willitts is Editor in Chief of Global Comment. She is a British freelance writer who specialises in writing about disability
She also enjoys covering politics and LGBTQI-related topics
She can be found on Twitter and Instagram @PhilippaWrites
Nikola Mikovic is a Serbian freelance journalist whose work has been published around the world
and political developments in the Balkans.Previously
Nikola was a reporter at the Politika daily newspaper
the oldest such newspaper still in circulation in the Balkans
and holds a Masters in Law (LL.M) degree from University College at the University of London
Carolina is a journalist and a university professor
She has more than a decade working for both print and audiovisual media
Her main goal as a Venezuelan journalist is to tell interesting and inspiring stories
Senior Film Writer Mark Farnsworth teaches Film in East London and is currently working on two screenplays, The Mysteries and Fair Access. He also writes the Oh/Cult section for Brokenshark.co.uk
Facebook
X (formerly Twitter)
Instagram
TikTok
Please consider a one-time donation in any amount you choose
You'll get special content straight to your inbox that no one else gets to see: outtakes from interviews
We appreciate all the help and support from the readers who have kept us going since 2001
The City of La Palma is making plans now for a major party this fall when the city celebrates the 70th anniversary of being proclaimed a city
City officials said at their March meeting that it is prepared for the Festival of Nations April 26 but is also planning for somewhat of a civic birthday party this fall to celebrate the city’s 70th year
reported to the Council that the city has hired a graphic artist to develop special artwork for the city’s 70th Anniversary
said they really liked the proposed new logo
Baker asked planners to keep the event on Sunday
especially because that is the actual date
The actual date of the 70th anniversary is Sunday
While there is a committee working on final details
Rivera told Baker that might be possible because they are planning to incorporate the Anniversary celebration into the city’s Halloween Carnival
“The committee has a recommendation to incorporate a 70th anniversary component into the existing or the planned annual Halloween carnival
we’ll return to you to give you updates on the planning proceedings at upcoming city council meetings,” he added
“We are also planning to host commemorative booth at upcoming signature events,” Rivera told the Council
“and what we’re thinking for this booth is it’ll highlight the city’s history and the community
and in commemoration of the 70th anniversary,” he said
Rivera said planners hoped to engage the Community Activity and Beautification Committee “to assist us with planning for these commemorative activities.”
“I love the new logo,” said Mayor Pro-tem Nitesh Patel
who asked questions about the colors being used and other details surrounding the city’s ongoing development of commemorative activities
The City Council got to see the “exiting” new logo along with everyone in the Chamber but residents watching at home could only listen
since the city refuses to share video of their meetings with the public
The Council also agreed in March to pass amendments to make mid-year budget adjustments following a report by consultant Mike Matsumoto
“While sales tax collections are down regionally,” Matsumoto suggested several transfers in budget categories that will leaver the city’s reserves in place and still leave the budget with a potential surplus of about $82,000
the Council heard a presentation from John Silverman of SmartLink who represents wireless carrier AT&T seeking to add a new cell tower in La Palma
what we are starting to see is that one tower or two towers within a city is no longer capable of covering specific needs
because a lot of the network is drawn down by data usage,” he said.hard)
this coverage gap was noted about five years ago
and we have been working to close it,” Silverman said
The Council was considering a resolution authoring New Cingular Wireless PCS to construct a freestanding wireless communications tower at 8415 Meadowlark Lane (city yard)
Nitesh Patel told his fellow Council members that federal law gives cities little flexibility or authority to deny the location of mobile phone towers in cities
The Council voted unanimously to approve the lease.In other action
A group of residents appeared at the La Palma City Council during their March meeting to protest action taken by the current city administration that they believe “does not reflect the values held by La Palma residents.”
A spokesperson for a group of parents upset with the city’s handling of the departure of its Tiny Tots program appeared at the March meeting of the Council to express concern
the city operates a popular daycare program called “Tiny Tots” for local parents
“The Tiny Tots program is dedicated to enhancing the well-being of young children
These skills are taught through engaging activities such as games
and play time,” according to the city’s website
I thank you for the opportunity to stand before you today and speak on an issue that raised a lot of concern in our community,” said spokesperson Chloe Janoian
but I’m speaking on behalf of many families
many seated behind us today within our community that have been personally affected by our very own La Palma Recreation and Community Service staff members,” she told the Council
Janoian said she and a group of parents are specifically upset with La Palma’s administration for their handling of issues related to the exodus of the program manager of city’s Tiny Tots program
Janoian first thanked the Council for their service to the city
“I can see that many of you have been residents of La Palma for many years
have built La Palma into what it is today,” she said
“I can imagine the countless hours you put into growing and developing the city into the highly desirable area it is to live,” she said
“so desirable that first time home buyers refuse to leave
and so desirable that many children who grew up in La Palma choose to stay and raise their family here.”
how would you feel if all that hard work went unnoticed
what if you put in all that hard work just to come into a toxic environment each day that showed no appreciation for your work and dedication
That’s what brings us here today,” she said
“Miss Misty (Torres) has been the heart of the Tiny Tots program for nearly a decade
She transformed it (Tiny Tots) from a simple drop-off service into a true preschool prep experience that provided structure
learning and enrichment for our children,” said Janoian
sweat and tears in this program,” said Janoian
“Now I ask you this,” Janoian asked the Council
“How would you feel if all that hard work went unnoticed
“what if you put in all that hard work just to come into a toxic environment each day that showed no appreciation for your work and dedication.”
she brought these young families together and built a community within these families
many of us built lifelong friendships through this program because of all the bonding experiences,” said Janoian
whose children attend and have attended the program
for someone who has loved this program and these children so deeply,” the parent spokesperson said to the Council
“Something must have been seriously wrong internally for her to feel she had no choice but to leave before the year was over
rather than giving her the support she asked for and addressing these work environment issues,” said Janoian
it was swept under the rug or passed on to someone else to deal with truth of the matter
and it led to having a great impact on her health
and ultimately feeling that she had no other choice but give her two weeks notice,” Janoian said
“The lack of planning on the city’s part is unfair,” she said
Janoian suggested it was also unfair for the city to ask her to leave immediately after giving notice that she intended to leave the city’s employment
“We weren’t given the chance to say goodbye
and we were left with leadership roles and no time to prepare
not to mention the inconsistency in random workers that were being thrown in to help our young ones,” she said
she was not treated with the dignity and respect that she deserved for all of her hard work and dedication to our city
and the city let her go,” Jamion protested
“These actions are not a reflection of the values held by La Palma citizens
We are pleading with the city that this issue be a priority and take a hard look at the work environment that led not only to Misty leaving
“Our very own website states how we take pride in being culturally diverse
Janoian said past employees passed on stories about being scolded and their releigion being made fun of by city employees
we’re noticing a decline in professionalism
and a decline in community classes offered for our children,” she said
“Certain staff members were not able to help and we were met with an unprofessional attitude
but we can’t without solving the core issues,” Janoian told the Council
“We made La Palma our forever home because of the relationships we’ve built and the wonderful programs it had for our growing family
is this the city we thought it was six years ago?”
Janoian said after the meeting that parents have met twice with City Manager Conal McNamara and other city employees
McNamara said via emal that he had no time to discuss the matter
but did offer to consider written questions by email
during a discussion of a “Code of Conduct” now adopted by the La Palma City Council
Mayor Mark Walden arbitrarily shut down the debate during its January meeting because he apparently thought one Council member was giving the public too much of an inside look
Council member Janet Keo Conlin was taking issue with a “Code of Conduct” for the City Council that forces two members of the Council to agree to put any item on the city’s public meeting agenda for discussion
repeatedly calling for more transparency from city officials.Even before discussing the Code of Conduct
Keo Conklin again asked the City Council to consider using some of the technology funding they just approved to provide video and audio access
She read a letter from a Stanton resident who read about the city’s recent refusal to provide such transparency after reading about it in the Voice of OC
but I have been following the news coverage,” the resident wrote
“It is very important to have an accurate and assessable record of the business conducted by the city,” the resident said
adding that “we are at the point technologically that the barriers to have accurate recording and streaming of city council members is no longer burdensome from a technical or financial perspective.”
La Palma is only one of the two OC cities that refuse to provide video access
Even though the city recently spent $50,000 for new microphones
quality still suffers during discussions where residents who do listen cannot see who is speaking.“The residents of La Palma should not be left in the dark,” they wrote
After a detailed appeal from Keo Conklin to consider using part of the technology funding to add video to the audio access
she suggested that the 4-1 requirement was little more than a provision to silence her vote
similar to what the Council has done in Cypress to politically neuter former Council member Frances Marquez.“Council member Baker takes it upon herself to rewrite a whole Council manifesto,” said Keo Conklin
“and this is not right.”“While it is not okay for one Councilmember to put any item on the agenda
why is it okay for a single Council member to write a Code of Conduct,” suggested Keo Conklin
“There’s a lot of redlining in here,” she said
When City Manager Conal McNamara asked for public comment on the Code of Conduct
Keo Conklin asked how residents’ could possibly comment if they hadn’t read it
McNamara said it was posted as part of the agenda to the city’s website at least 72 hours before the meeting “required by law.”
Mayor Pro-tem Nitesh Patel argued a Code of Conduct requiring two namely to support any item being added to the agenda was being used in other places
He tried to explain to Keo Conklin that the new Code was simply meant to force Council members to work together.“That’s what Council members are supposed to do,” he said
“is to talk amongst each other so we don’t have another incident similar to what you brought us with the Chamber of Commerce,” directed Patel
“You brought a Chamber of Commerce in here and wanted money to be pushed to yourself (to the Chamber) which would have been a lot of trouble for us and a conflict of interest,” he added
“It would have been better to discuss it with the other Council members
so they have given you that same feedback,” the Mayor Pro-tem said
“We’re not doing anything outside the norm.”
Cypress is being sued in federal court by Marquez over the treatment she received while on the Council.Keo Conklin was undaunted and continued
“So what the Code of Conduct is saying is this,” she said
I was outnumbered 4-1 because they don’t agree to transparency and accountability
my freedom is being taken away because another Council member has to approve this.”
“This Code of Conduct is a result of a situation when one council member decides to take it upon herself to be punitive,” said Keo Conklin
“So they (other Council members) say ‘this other person is showboating,’ so we are going to find ways to sequester their voice.”
Keo Conklin argued that she was elected city-wide with a third of the city’s vote
representing thousands of residents and should not need any other Council member’s permission to put any issue on the city’s public agenda
All four of them say we do not want transparency and accountability
they’re going to find ways to write a new rule book to control your behavior so they don’t want transparency or accountability,” said Keo Conklin
When she tried to restate the fact that the Council just passed up another opportunity to provide livestreaming
that issue passed,” he said trying to dissuade her
now I put my…..” Waldman stopped her mid-statement
and said “I’m going to declare a five-minute recess.“
Thank you.” The Council adopted the Code of Conduct 4-1
ShareSaveCommentInnovationGaming‘La Palma’ Dethroned In Netflix’s Top 10 List By A New ShowByPaul Tassi
movies and the internet.Follow AuthorDec 21
As we head into the week of Christmas, the only big show with an actual Christmas setting, Black Doves, has now fallen far from #1 on Netflix’s Top 10 list
For a little while now, tidal wave disaster series La Palma has been on top of the chart
which is pretty unusual for a foreign language
But now that has been usurped by the return of Virgin River
one of Netflix’s biggest sleeper hits that is returning for a sixth season
and I think you know how often that happens on Netflix
And it is not very often a series lives that long on the service
Netflix appears to be easing up on its split-in-half seasonal idea as all episodes of Virgin River season 6 are live now
I do wonder if they realized that a significant drop-off in viewership was happening between parts in the shows that did this
and given that a huge metric for them is how many people actually finish a series
that may have outweighed the desire to keep people subscribed for more than a single month to watch a show they like
though I don’t think the practice is fully dead yet
La Palma is listed as a limited series as I mean
It’s a bit of a bizarre situation as this was the most-watched TV series in the country for a spell and it does not even have enough reviews in for a Rotten Tomatoes score
with only two critics reviewing it (both positive reviews
Fans are less on board as the show only has a 30% audience score
Netflix already announced it would get a season 7 before season 6 even aired
as it’s a hit for them and they’ll probably just keep making it forever
season 1 has literally one critic review in and not even enough audience reviews for a score there either
and it has an 81% critic score across the past 5 seasons
This is also a show so many critics ignore
All of season 5 only had 5 scored critic reviews in
I guess entertainment journalism is underfunded
We will see how long Virgin River can stay on top
Squid Game season 2 is coming on December 26
and that will rule the list well through the new year
The City Council of La Palma has reorganized following the November elections
and the Council elected Mark Waldman as Mayor for the next year
City Clerk Kimberly Kenney swore in Waldman
the brother of Council member Nitesh Patel
Outgoing Mayor Marshall Goodman was lauded with gifts
thank you and certificates for his service on the Council and as Mayor for the past eight years
“We’d like to thank you for your service,” he said
thanking Goodman for leading with “grace and dignity” which is “hard to find in politics.”Connor Medina represents the Orange County Division of the League of California Cities
an association that represents the state’s 483 cities
“That’s a lot of cities and towns,” said Medina
“especially for a smaller city like La Palma.”
“You look at all the different cities and towns that exist in the state trying to work together,” said Medina
“so how do such little cities pack the biggest punch?”
“You look at the service of Mayor Goodman and here he’s given to our organization and the voices given to La Palma in these statewide policy discussions
you can see how even the smallest city can be effective and influencing all of the good things happening in our organization.”
After introducing each member of his family
Goodman took citizens with him on a stroll down memory lane
He recalls when he was initially motivated to sign up to volunteer for one of the city’s volunteer boards and later being elected to serve on the City Council eight years ago
such as the state Joint Powers Insurance Authority and a long list of elected officials
especially former La Palma mayors Peter Kim and Gerard Goedhart who he said have helped him understand the essence of governing
“So I took the time to enumerate all of these great public service providers to emphasize the importance of good relationships and teamwork for public service,” said Goodman
“And I want to emphasize that you cannot provide need of service of alone
whereas either one of these folks or anyone else,” he added
“I’ve learned that magic happens when you form teams of good people that have come together to do good things,” he said
The outgoing mayor thanked staff and the people of La Palma for allowing him to serve
Goodman was also given many certificates from various groups and agencies thanking him and recognizing his service
Former Mayor Nitesh Patel was elected Mayor Pro-tem by the Council
though the vote was 4-1 as Council member Janet Keo Conklin
Conklin suggested the city’s leadership is meant to be shared with others
not a revolving door for the same Council members
said she had established a regional recognition for Asian American leaders during Asian American Heritage Month in La Palma and also established the first Veterans Day ceremony
“I know that there are some things that we all need to learn
but that’s why we have a position of Mayor Pro-tem,” she said
“I think we should have a different person,” she said
but if the council doesn’t think it’s my time
and flyers distributed by the city promised greater transparency,“So I propose that we have greater transparency with video and audio
since I think that was a big reason voters approved Measure W,” said Keo Conklin
asking to put the issue on the city Council’s next agenda
She said only the City Council and those in the room had a chance to witness the video about outgoing Mayor Goodman
“All of our citizens should have a chance to see it,” she said
The City of La Palma is only one of two local governments that refuse to show their Council members to the public
according to a recent survey by the Voice of OC
Mayor Pro-tem Patel thanked the city’s Recreation Department and staff for a series of holiday events that he suggested were the best ever in La Palma
“If anybody attended the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
“I know staff put in a lot of time and effort and from the smiles and comments we received
said he had been to the event every year for the past 22 years
a Vietnam Vet and local martial arts instructor
spoke during public comment congratulating the new Council
asking them to put aside petty concerns “to work together for this fine community.”
he thanked Council member Keo Conklin for putting together the city’s Veterans Day recognition
saying it “is important to recognize veterans” and also asking the new council to offer more services to seniors
This post has been edited since the print edition
Three junior high students from La Palma are among a select few from across the country who have been recognized for excellence in documentary filmmaking
The C-SPAN Classroom project has announced
all of whom are 7th-grade students at Walker Junior High were awarded a 2025 honorable mention in C-SPAN’s 21st annual StudentCam competition
the organization said in a statement.Robin Newton
a media relations specialist at C-SPAN in Washington
said the students received certificates and a $250 cash prize for their video
C-SPAN also recognized Valerie Amijo and Tina Alvahuante
educators at the school who served as student advisors in the StudentCam competition
C-SPAN said that in cooperation with its cable and satellite television partners
they asked middle and high school students to address the theme — “Your Message to the President: What issue is most important to you or your community?”Now in its 21st year
this project-based learning experience asked students to explore and analyze matters of personal
C-SPAN received over 1,700 entries and nearly 3,500 students participated from 42 states and Washington
said their Civics Core classes often engage in a variety of activities to “strengthen their understanding of civic responsibility and encourage active participation in their communities
“From analyzing current events to completing action-based projects and forming partnerships with local organizations
these experiences have allowed students to use their voices and make meaningful contributions to the world around them,” they told ENE in a statement
“We decided on implementing C-SPAN’s StudentCam
which provided the perfect platform for students to express their voices by combining research
and multimedia storytelling to engage in meaningful civic discourse,” they said.For the winning student filmmakers
the teachers said their project started with the class watching a thought-provoking video on synthetic dyes
which sparked a class discussion that revealed just how little they knew about the potential dangers of these additives
so the students researched the health and environmental risks of synthetic dyes
and worked as a team to present their findings in a compelling and informative way,” the teachers said
“Their ability to synthesize information and share it effectively highlighted their dedication to civic inquiry and their commitment to raising awareness about an important consumer issue,” said Amijo
the students exemplified integrity in handling sources
ensuring that their research was credible and responsibly cited,” they said
“Their critical thinking skills were evident as they evaluated the broader implications of synthetic dyes
considering how misinformation or lack of awareness could affect public perception and decision-making.”
When three seventh graders were pulled out of their classes at Walker Junior High School in La Palma recently
but then she smiled and told us we were the ONLY 7th-grade team who won an honorable mention for our C-SPAN video,” said Molly Saddul
“Words can’t explain how exhilarated and proud we were to receive this news,” she said
and FaceTime calls won us the only team in our school district to earn this award,” she said
” Communication is one of the most important factors when it comes to the progression of a video,” said Giselle Guillermo
so we would often talk about our topic before and after school
If there was ever something that needed to be changed or fixed
“If there was ever something that needed to be changed or fixed
we would always ask each other first for consent
Working together made the development process of our project run much smoother and efficiently
ultimately leading to a successful outcome,” the seventh grader said
“When thinking about what we would make our documentary about
we focused on our school and community,” said Arya Patel
we realized a big issue was what our peers were eating on a day-to-day basis
which were snacks that had huge amounts of synthetic dyes,” she said
someone was snacking on Flaming Hot Cheetos or drinking a bottle of Gatorade
After further research and reading various articles
my group knew that this topic was something that affected our communities’ mental and physical health
which is why we felt the need to spread awareness and try to make a change,” said Patel
“It was an incredible moment to see their efforts pay off
they were so engaged in the topic and took complete ownership of their learning
Their passion really came through in their research and presentation,” said Amijo
“Their hard work and thoughtful approach to the project earned them well-deserved recognition
further proving that when students are allowed to explore real-world issues and take action
they rise to the occasion—using their voices to create change,” said Alvahuante
“Congratulations to all the incredibly talented young students who won awards in this year’s competition
Through in-depth research and interviews with an array of topical and technical experts
you have crafted impactful short stories that capture issues of wide public interest and importance,” said C-SPAN’s Director of Education Relations Craig McAndrew in the C-SPAN statement
“Your documentaries set a very high bar for future StudentCam filmmakers
and you should be proud knowing your work will inspire your peers and foster thoughtful consideration from all audiences
We can’t wait to see what you do next,” said McAndrew
C-SPAN is funded by America’s cable and satellite television companies as a commercial-free public service
The 150 winning videos can be viewed at studentcam.org and may be used in a broadcast with attribution to C-SPAN.A direct link to the award-winning documentary produced by the three La Palma students will additionally be posted on the ENE website
The annual StudentCam competition is funded by the C-SPAN Education Foundation
Videos were evaluated by a panel of educators and C-SPAN representatives based on the thoughtful examination of the competition’s theme
inclusion of varying sides of the documentary’s topic
and effective incorporation of C-SPAN programming