Malecón de Ajijic. Photo by: Elba Camejo
Friday, December 3rd
Event: Book presentation and Jazz Concert
Description: Invitation to the presentation of the book, 20 Poems to Build a House, by the poet Alejandro Von Düben.
Venue: González Gallo Cultural Center (CCGG) in Chapala.
Hours: 6:00 p.m.
Cost: Free.
Friday, December 3rd
Event: The Space Cowboys
Description: Classic rock band
Venue: Iron Horse, Hidalgo 78, Riberas del Pilar, San Antonio Tlayacapan.
Time: 9 pm.
Cost: Cover $150
Friday December 3rd, Saturday December 4th and Sunday December 5th.
Event: El Andén
Description: Bazaar offering original designs and handicrafts.
Place: Pancho ‘s Deli Market, Hidalgo 75, Riberas del Pilar, 45906 San Antonio Tlayacapan, Jal.
Cost: Free admission
Hours: 10am – 6pm
Saturday December 4th
Event: The Lake Sound Festival
Description: Concert in honor and in memory of Karlita.
Venue: Punta Marisol, Del Pilar 10, Riberas del Pilar, San Antonio Tlayacapan.
Cost: Pre-sale $150 Day of the event $200
Schedule: 2pm – 2am
Saturday, December 4th
Event: Concert by »Reino de Nueva Galicia».
Description: The ensemble »Reino de Nueva Galicia» I will perform original music composed in the new world during the viceroyalty.
Venue: González Gallo Cultural Center (CCGG) in Chapala.
Cost: Free admission.
Time: 19:00 hrs.
Saturday, December 4th
Event: Donnadie Original Presents 5th Anniversary
Description: Freestyle Battle (rhymes).
Venue: Madero Avenue, Chapala
Cost: General $150 – Platinum $500
Schedule: 4pm
Sunday November 5th
Event: Race with a Cause
Description: Traditional Mexican carnival to benefit Teresa Paz Ramos
Place: San Antonio Tlayacapan Square
Schedule: 8:30am
Cost: Free admission.
Sunday, December 5th
Event: Great Kermes
Description: Great traditional carnival to benefit Adelina Gonzalez
Place: Malecón de Ajijic
Cost: Free admission.
Schedule: Starting at 10am
Sunday December 05th
Event: Piano Concert
Description: A peaceful and nostalgic journey that the notes of Frederic Chopin’s compositions make us experience.
Venue: González Gallo Cultural Center (CCGG).
Cost: Free admission
Time: 12:30pm
Sunday, December 05th
Event: Screening of the documentary series »El Tema».
Description: An audiovisual that expresses the importance and invites us to reflect on the climate crisis we face.
Venue: Malecón de Chapala and Malecón de Ajijic
Cost: Free admission
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 8th
Event: Serenade to Las Lupitas
Description: Live music with harps from Chapala
Venue: Tlalocan thermal Spa, at the San Juan Cosalá spa.
Cost: Guests $250 – Visitors $350 pesos.
Schedule: 8pm.
Thursday, December 9th
Event: La Ribera Battles
Description: Rhyme and freestyle battle.
Place: Ajijic Malecon Forum
Cost: Free admission
Schedule: 5pm.
Friday December 10th and Saturday December 11th
Event: 1st Expo Bazaar «Second Chance» PROMEXICO.
Description: Sale of products made by women from La Ribera. Massage therapists, caregivers for the elderly, sale of preserves, handicrafts, among other products and services.
Place: Porfirío Díaz 15, in front of the plaza of San Juan Cosalá.
Cost: Free admission.
Schedule: 1PM to 8PM
More information at: 3333 2586 63.
Friday December 10 and Saturday December 11
Event: Intellectual Property and Copyright».
Description: classroom course-workshop
Place: Virtual Library of Chapala
Cost: Free admission
Schedule: 10am- 2pm
Saturday, December 11
Event: Art Auction.
Description: auction of all types of art
Venue: PabLo the Gallery
Cost: free admission
Time: 4pm
Thursday, December 16th
Event: El Cetac 01 Ajijic
Description: Christmas Festival
Place: Explanada del Plantel next to the Auditorio de la Ribera Ajijic, Fraccionamiento La Floresta.
Cost: Free admission
Schedule: 5:00 p.m.
Translated Patrick O’Heffernan
By Patrick O’Heffernan.
I noticed this week that Volaris Airline was rated the # 3 worst airlines in the world in a recent survey by userbounce.com, an airline passenger site. I was not surveyed but I agree with that result. I recently flew Volaris from Guadalajara to Tijuana and found that it violated at least one of userbounce.com’s judgement criteria – they charge for carryon bags in the overhead bins.
Article 47 Bis, section IX, third paragraph of the Civil Aviation Law, establishes that: “… the passenger may carry up to two pieces of hand luggage in the cabin. The dimensions of each one will be up to 55 centimeters long by 40 centimeters wide by 25 centimeters high, and the weight of both should not exceed 10 kilograms. However, Volaris charges for any carryon that does not fit under the seat – their criteria is 35 x 45 x 20 cm.
Profeco, the Mexican consumer protection agency, warned Mexican airlines to stop selling tickets requiring a charge for carry-ons in overhead bins, calling airline’s flouting of law “abusive” because “since hand luggage is an inherent element of the passenger’s air transportation service, and charging as an additional service is improper since it is not subject to negotiation.” According to the Mexico Daily Post, Profeco warned Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobús, and Volaris on November 5 not to sell tickets that do not include the option of carrying hand luggage that meets the law’s size requirement .
Apparently Volaris did not get the memo, because last week my wife and I were both charged the US equivalent of $11 each for our carry ons that fit in the overhead bins. And to make matters worse, they oversold the overhead carryon space so boarding passengers at the end of the line (including us) had their overhead carry-ons taken off and checked through – which meant waiting, in our case, 25 minutes for a small carryon to reach us on the baggage carousel.
So, Volaris illegally charged us for a carryon bag which they then did not allow us to carry onboard because they illegally collected too much money for other carryons. And Volaris gate staff refused to provide a refund.
I see that Profeco will “issue an Alert and initiate procedures for violations of the Law,” (quoted from Mexico Daily Post) . Despite the threat from Profeco, Volaris’s website still limits basic fare to one carryon that fits under the seat – max “35 x 45 x 20 cm. If you want to bring a carryon that does not fit under the seat but fits in the overhead bin, you have to pay a fee or upgrade your ticket.
So what to do if you travel on one of the low-cost airlines this holiday? You can hope Profeco begins enforcing Article 47 of the Civil Aviation Law. In the meantime , you can complain at denunciapublicitaria @ profeco.gob.mx . Include details of the violation and your full name and telephone number.
Antonio Gonzalez said that at least four out of every ten people in the world live with HIV without knowing it.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía Jocotepec (JAL) – World AIDS Day went almost unnoticed in the municipality of Jocotepec – not tests, no talks, no activities on the first of December in Jocotepec, despite the fact that, as of June of this year, a total of 22 active cases of HIV were counted in the municipality , according to information provided by COESIDA (State Council for the Prevention of AIDS).
COMUSIDA has not operated in the municipality for three months although it is in charge of detection, treatment, support and prevention of AIDS cases in the municipality.
«This year they didn’t even do a rapid test day, nor a talk,» commented Antonio Gonzalez, former director of COMUSIDA Jocotepec, who expressed his concern regarding the follow-up of people currently suffering from the disease.
«Of course this has affected not only the patients, but everyone associated with them», explained the ex-official, pointing out that when the COMUSIDA was operating, in the municipality with the support of the State, it was in charge of facilitating patient transportation to Guadalajara and follow up processes after the detection and, the prevention. Of further cases
Antonio Gonzalez said that at least four out of every ten people in the world live with HIV without knowing it, which is why he urged the municipal authorities to pay attention and support raising awareness in the Jocotepec community. GRUPO MILENIO reports that 18 people have died of AIDS in Jalisco in the past 10 months and approximately 600 people in the state live with AIDS in the state, of which around 200 have not been treated.
The functions and follow-up provided by COMUSIDA will be absorbed by the Municipal Clinic of Jocotepec under the management of Ricardo Alvarado, director of the Clinic, who assured Municipal President José Miguel Gómez López that it had the staff to do it, despite the loss of the former Director.
«Unfortunately, due to budgetary issues, it was not possible for «Tony» (former head of COMUSIDA Jocotepec) to return, but the municipal clinic has all the personnel that can easily be trained to continue attending cases,» said the mayor.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
During the delivery, the municipal president was invited to «go all out… in order to avoid or prevent backwardness, dropouts and school desertion».
Jazmín Stengel / D. Arturo Ortega.- The second stage of the Recrea Educating for Life program began with the delivery of the first 173 packages of school supplies, shoes and uniforms to the students of the José Vasconcelos Foranea Secondary School Number 1 in Chapala. The approximately six million pesos, program will delivers 10,780 backpacks, school supplies, uniforms and shoes to preschool, elementary and high school students in Chapala.
According to the Municipal Education Director, Diego Beltrán González, there are approximately 10,600 students in basic education throughout the municipality of Chapala in 66 schools (33 preschools, 25 elementary and 8 high schools). Not all of the schools are served by the Recrea program, but through the resources of the Municipality all schools are given the same support to start the year consisting of shoes, uniforms for the corresponding school, backpacks with the school supplies corresponding to each child’s grade, and a disinfection kit
Director of Liaison José Niños Guzmán delivered a total of 10,578 packages to Chapala, of which he said that «for the moment are in the warehouses of Social Development, where the uniforms and shoes will be sorted correctly and then will be delivered school by school in the coming weeks.»
«The design and execution of this program not only supports the children and young people of the 125 municipalities in Jalisco, but also supports the family economy… as the State Government through the Secretary of Social Assistance System invested more than one billion pesos for the municipalities, supporting more than one hundred thousand students,» explained Guzman , speaking for Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramirez.
Mayor Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel stated that, «education is and will always be one of the fundamental pillars , if not the most important pillar, for the development of peoples and societies. Economic, industrial or scientific growth cannot be achieved without schools,» he said prior to the delivery of the school packages.
On Friday, November 26, representatives of the Ministry of Social Assistance of the Government of the State of Jalisco, the City Council, parents and students of the José Vasconcelos Foranea School Number 1, gathered inside the school facilities for the symbolic beginning of this stage.
In order to pick up the school package, children have to be previously registered, they must present their CURP and the official identification (INE) of the parent or guardian of the student, as well as sign for receipt on the day of delivery.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
Today, and always, the photo of Ángeles -extreme left-, poses in the living room of the family home, where she is remembered despite her absence.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)– The patron saint festivities are a space where many families gather, with the help of The Guild of the Absent Sons, which brings children back to their native Ajijic who have immigrated and made a life abroad but whose hearts are often often divided between two countries. Angeles Medeles, an absent daughter for 21 years who currently lives in Indiana, United States, shared her feelings with Semanario Laguna during her visit to Ajijic for the festivities.
She explained that her reason for leaving Ajijic was personal growth — she felt there would be more opportunities for her to grow in every sense in the US than in Ajijic.
«I thought that in Ajijic there would not be an opportunity for me to realize my potential. I didn’t want to just be known as «the daughter of», «the sister of», or «the one with the good taste». By broadening my horizons and looking for something new I could search for myself as an individual. Although Ajijic is a big place and very close to the city, some people feel its confines as a small town, and they seek to leave what they feel is a small town but a ‘big hell’».
However, she related that not everything in her new home abroad has been personal growth and improvement. Ángeles told of bitter moments, far from her loved ones, for example, the death of her parents was difficult and made her think about her decision.
«Yes, I would leave (Ajijic) again, but I have considered returning. I had a plan in my head to return when my parents were old and sick, with the money I’d saved, and I set the dates and everything, but sometimes life moves on and my parents did too».
The Absent Sons who face these situations often come to feel a sense of guilt for not being there physically and feeling far away, even though they are not missing children.
She pointed out that one of the reasons the absent ones remain abroad is to support the family here in Ajijic. But they often build a life abroad and in some cases with a family, and must remain away to support their family there and in Ajijic; it is not possible to return and maintain the standard living for both families, it it can still be painful.
«When you have your children and they grow up in another country, although you want to instill your original traditions and customs, they have different ones and another way of living. In those cases it becomes complicated to return, which increases, for example, although it is not my case, when the grandchildren arrive. One is divided, the navel stays on one side and the heart on another,» she said
Despite the events that changed her plans, she said that she will certainly return as many times as possible and maybe someday she will stay for good.
«I would return to the peace, the tranquility, even the gossip of the people, with people who have known me all my life,– these are things that I miss, so maybe to retire would be good».
Finally, she added that although she often feels that she is just a being on the move, going around the world without a fixed destination, returning to the patron saint festivities, for her is like returning to her family, her traditions and a part of her heart.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
The municipal president of Jocotepec participated in the Popular Consultation of the Fiscal Pact
Héctor Ruiz Mejía – In the Southeast Region, the municipality of Jocotepec took the first place in citizen participation in this Popular Consultation of the Fiscal Pact.
The Consultation consisted of a single question: «Do you agree that every six years, the terms of the Fiscal Coordination and the way in which the federation distributes taxes should be reviewed, in order to decide if Jalisco remains or leaves the Fiscal Pact?»
Jocotepec was positioned well above Chapala(despite the population difference), which only recorded 1,369 votes far behind Jocotepec, which closed with 2,161 votes.
In third place was the municipality of Mazamitla, with 943 votes, and the last place went to Santa María del Oro, with 102 votes.
Thus, out of the ten municipalities that make up the Southeast Region, a total of 7,775 votes were cast, out of the 30,606 possible, which represented a 25.40 percent participation rate of the regional goal.
These were the results of this first democratic exercise that took place this November 27 and 28; there are still three more dates of voting for the state of Jalisco, which is expected to reach 33 percent of citizen participation. the required participation for the Consultation to be binding.
Municipal President José Miguel Gómez López was disappointed that Jocotepec did not reach the expected goal of 5,683 opinions, saying there were not enough ballot boxes and only four participation centers in the entire municipality.
«By giving us only four ballot boxes, we were deprived of the possibility of many people to attend, because people work and have things to do; this influenced the low participation», explained José Miguel.
The mayor added that, in the first stage of the exercise, only one of the four electronic voting booths set up in Casa de la Cultura José Vaca Flores Jocotepec, was in operation. This caused the process to slow down, so that, according to the mayor, who was present to exercise his vote, people got tired of waiting and did not participate.
The Popular Consultation regarding the Fiscal Pact had an initial cost of 22.5 million pesos with a total of 430 electronic ballot boxes, for which an additional budget of three million 388 thousand 813.30 pesos was increased; therefore, in the end, the budget used was 25.8 million pesos and 530 ballot boxes were installed. The Consultation seeks to convince the Federal Government to assign more funds to the State and different governmental programs of the municipalities.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
© 2016. Todos los derechos reservados. Semanario de la Ribera de Chapala