Frank & Karen Walker
by Charlie Berghammer
This month’s Making a Difference profile takes us south again to the Matapalo zone of our Aguirre county. It is always a privledge to be able to share with others the stories of how certain expats make the important decision to be active participants in our community as opposed to those who only complain about the cultural differences that separate us.
One couple, Frank and Karen Walker took the initiative to create the Zacatona Newsletter which serves our area by creating community between all of us, highlighting important information and events which may be useful each month to our community members..
For those who are new to the column, here below are the principles of this ideal to citizen action.
1. Inspire Change.
2. Build Community.
3. Facilitate Action.
4. Strengthen Engagement.
Frank writes: Charlie contacted me stating he wanted to feature Karen and me in his Quepolandia article because of the monthly Finca Zacatona Newsletter we started back in 2007. I agreed but really didn’t know how to respond…so guess I’ll just start putting words on paper and see what happens…or as is now done start putting those words in a word processing program.
Throughout my years as an active duty U.S. Marine I learned many things. One of those was paramount. “If you can’t Communicate, you can’t Operate.” You always, Always, ALWAYS communicate. Karen learned the same thing in her years as an active duty Marine and during her years as a Corporate Manager. Communication does a lot of things. The most important perhaps is it creates a sense that because I am included I am a part of something. A sense of belonging develops. It also opens dialog and many other positive things.
Karen and I met in Hawaii, married and settled there for a few years after I retired from the Corps. We’ve lived many other places since then. We’ve always carried that philosophy, that axiom, “If you can’t Communicate, you can’t Operate.” Share information with neighbors, get them talking and an amazing thing happens…people start interacting instead of just driving down the street and maybe waving at someone.
When we bought our home in Finca Zacatona here in Matapalo in April 2007 there was a certain isolation here. Finca Zacatona is 16 lots, some with homes, some just open land, but then with only two permanent residents: Karen and I and Ron Brutsche. Three other owners visited a couple of weeks a year but that was it. Peter Jermann had established a web site for the finca but living in Switzerland was hard pressed to include up-dated information. More was needed. So…in 2007 a monthly e-mail to finca owners was started giving up-dates on what was happening in the finca and a little local news of what was going on in Matapalo. Later; national news which was felt would be of interest to all the lot owners started to be included. A lot of positive comments came back from lot owners which was gratifying.
Well, things have mushroomed as they tend to do. Others started asking to be added to the mailing list, they then asked that friends be added. Then people who had been forwarded the newsletter sent e-mails asking to be added to the mailing list. Now, the newsletter goes to we don’t know how many individuals. One person we know says they forward it to 30 people on their e-mail list. Another forwards it to something like 142 individuals. Anyone who gets it is free to forward it to whomever they want.
The newsletter has opened a dialog venue that heretofore never existed and which would in the past have been impossible to exist because we now have the internet and e-mail. Other things have happened that we don’t know whether they are a result of the newsletter or something else, but they have equally increased communication between those of us here, Tico and Gringo alike. Bobby Workman down at the beach constantly informs all of us of the status of the Matapalo lifeguard program and the Saturday market. Chris Cobb of The Hills of Portolon started a fantastic blog which is nothing but professional quality. Karen and I now get e-mail warnings from the Quepos Chamber of Commerce concerning criminal activity or warnings to watch out for something.
As the axiom goes “If you can’t Communicate, you can’t Operate.” Semper Fi! Fire for Effect!!
Again thanks to Frank and Karen for realizing that change does not come through apathy, complaining or inactivity, but through initiatives like the one they spearheaded for our community.
