CUOP celebrated the birthday of Octavio Paz with biographies and reading of poems by the writer who gave his name to the educational institution.
Editor. With sports and cultural activities, the students of the Octavio Paz University Campus (CUOP) commemorated the 108th birthday of the Mexican poet and writer who gave his name to the campus located in Ajijic.
The event, held on March 31, began with the honoring of the national flag under the custody of the elementary school escort. Following this, aspects of the poet’s life were narrated by high school students, while the writer himself was brought to life by the elementary age students.
In addition, the youngest students of CUOP, nursery and preschool students, released balloons symbolizing the eternity of his work.
The high school participated with the interpretation of the poem «Otoño» (Autumn), which was presented in Spanish and English.
Students taking part in the curriculum of the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) read aloud the story «El Ramo Azul,» which concluded with an oral tour of phrases of the poet’s work. The ceremony continued with the presentation of awards to students who participated in the LIMATEJ mathematics tournament, organized by the Ministry of Education of Jalisco (SEJ), as well as to the students who won first and second place.
Awards were given to the teachers’ team that won the volleyball tournament a few days prior to the celebration, and uniforms were given to the men’s and women’s high school volleyball teams. The high school students won third place in volleyball at the municipal level.
To conclude the event, Mrs. Elizabeth Gutiérrez, Rector of CUOP, thanked and congratulated all the participants in the event, inviting them to continue their hard work and reaping good results in both academics and sports.
Translated by Rebecca Zittle
Masons working on the roof of the Chapel of the Rosary. Photo: Facebook Capilla de Rosario.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- This week the first restoration project was started in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary of Ajijic, located next to the main square, thanks to pressure from Sumando Voluntades para la reparación de la Capilla del Rosario.
The restoration has been promoted by the group «Sumando Voluntades para la reparación de la Capilla del Rosario» (Summoning Volunteers for the repair of the Chapel of the Rosary), with the approval of the work by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
The architect of the project, Josué Ramos, said that the repairs will begin on the roof of the building where the brick will be removed from the surface to begin to fill the cracks that exist in the vaulted ceiling. Later the brick will be replaced and waterproofed.
«The INAH suggested us to use traditional materials of this type of construction, such as soap and alum to make the waterproofing,» commented the architect. The building’s foundation will also be restructured.
The group «Sumando Voluntades para la reparación de la Capilla del Rosario,» was formed in 2018, to solve the structural damage due to the aging of the little chapel, whose restoration must be supervised by INAH because the building is considered a historical monument, dating from the early eighteenth century.
In spite of the setbacks that the group had due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the death of some members, it has held several events such as church fairs, art auctions and the Rosary Race to raise funds to begin the restoration.
Josué Ramos invited the members of the group as well as local residents to the meeting to be held on Monday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. at La Capillita, to establish the board of directors of Sumando Voluntades.
Translated by Kerry Watson
Pro Mexico Civil Association of San Juan Cosalá with products for sale at a previous fundraising event. Credit: Courtesy of Pro México Civil Association of San Juan Cosalá
Alma Serrano (San Juan Cosalá).– Next Friday, April 29th, the Pro México Civil Association of San Juan Cosalá will hold a charity event to raise funds for its training and workshops. The event starts at 4:30 pm and will be held at the Racquet Club’s Club House, located at Raúl Ramírez #37. The event includes a Mexican dinner, snacks, drinks and music, as well as a historical talk about San Juan Cosalá given by Gabriel Chávez Rameño.
Tickets are $400.00 per person. For more information contact: María Blanco, Coordinator of Community Development at 33-3590-6442.
Translated by Amy Esperanto
Víctor García Rodríguez (right) audio engineer, and Ramón Ramírez, director of photography, with the poster for the film Agua de Arrayán
Jazmín Stengel(Chapala).- The 30-year-old composer Víctor Ignacio García Rodríguez beat cancer in 2019. One year later, life gave him the gift of fulfilling his childhood dream: to score a movie.
García Rodríguez wrote the music for «Agua de Arrayán», a Jalisco film production by director Alejandro Robles Gil that premiered on March 24. García Rodríguez had already made a small musical contribution with the short film «Primera Lección de Magia», directed by Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos native Ramón Aurelio Ramírez Hernández. Then Robles Gil gave him the opportunity to be in charge of all the music of the feature film.
Two years earlier Víctor’s life was hanging by a thread; at the end of 2018 doctors detected a malignant tumor.. Within seven months, his doctor told him that he needed life-saving surgery.
«I had a lot to live for, since I still wanted to fulfill my dreams, like scoring a movie, I thought I would never be able to do it because I didn’t have the money; I don’t have insurance and I am a musician at heart,» García Rodríguez recalled.
A group of expats, friends, and admirers of the musician collected donations for him. On February 17, 2019, an event organized by Daniel Cordero with more than ten musical groups and soloists was held at the Iron Horse, a biker bar located in Riberas del Pilar. That day painters and photographers donated their works and more than a hundred musicians contributed their work. The community of Chapala and Ajijic raised the funds needed to save Victor’s life.
«So many times I have given my music from my heart to the people, that has been a miracle of God.» García Rodríguez has now undergone surgery and radiation three times, with one more to come. All have been paid for through donations that people offer him from their hearts, he said.
The film «Agua de Arrayán» tells of the journey of a pilgrim to visit the Virgin of Talpa, emphasizing values and personal growth. Garcia Rodríguez made the harmonies using only a computer, an interface, a controller and horn monitors. «The composition is somewhat mysterious,» he said.
The composer and musician hopes to continue his career in the world of cinema, «I still have a very long way to go, knowledge can be infinite,» he concluded.
The film «Agua de Arrayán» can be seen in 18 theaters of the Cinépolis chain in Guadalajara and in theaters in San Luis Potosí and Monterrey.
Translated by Elisabeth Shields
Despite the fact that hospitalizations are decreasing in Jalisco, the SSJ asked citizens not to forget health protocols. (Photo: El Sol de Hermosillo)
Staff.- The Ministry of Health of Jalisco (SSJ) released a statement indicating that hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 continue to decrease in the state. Although 45 deaths due to the disease were reported as of March 25, 2022, most of them occurred days, and even weeks and months, ago.
Of the total number of deaths reported on March 25, 2022, 91% occurred prior to week seven of this year 2022; one in week ten, two in week eleven, and only one in week 12.
To date, Jalisco has recorded a total of 19,226 confirmed deaths due to the COVID-19 virus and 580,249 confirmed cases (as of 1:00 p.m. on March 25, 2022).
The agency reiterated that the pandemic continues to be active, and encouraged residents to properly use masks, wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol gel, and to complete vaccination schedules or get a COVID-19 booster if they are 18 years of age or older.
Translated by Rebecca Zittle
Dirt, sticks and stones left by the October mudslides were finally removed from the bike path by city hall personnel during the Governor’s visit to supervise public works.
Staff.– Let him come more often! Governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, visited the lakeside area on Friday, March 25th to supervise the local government. His visit not only mobilized extra security, but many municipal employees gave their best effort to make the streets and roads look impeccable. The streets of the Chapala and Jocotepec municipalities looked especially well-maintained. In one day municipal employees performed all the maintenance that had not been done since the administration took over in October.The administration made a clear effort to paint a very rosy picture of the lakeside area for the governor. In Chapala there were no garbage piles to obstruct the governor’s inquisitive eye. The intersection at the junction of the Ajijic highway and bypass had traffic personnel, which is rare even on the busiest weekends. Chapala’s boardwalk, in addition to not having a single piece of garbage, had its green areas watered, and the walkways were washed very early in the morning.
In San Juan Cosalá, Alfaro cycled along the bike path with the presidents of Chapala, (Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel) and Jocotepec (José Miguel Gómez López). For this occasion, the bike path was finally cleared of sticks, stones, and dirt left by the October landslides.
State workers even replaced the entrance sign welcoming visitors to Jocotepec (from the border with Chapala). Faded road signs were re-painted. If only the governor would come more often so that street maintenance and public services would work this way all the time.
Translated by Amy Esperanto
The Morelia highway, which is slated for improvements, has been generally used as a garbage dump. However, with the visit of Governor Enrique Alfaro, the authorities «got their act together» trying to hide the garbage that has been accumulating.
Until a week ago, bags of garbage could be seen piled up on the side of the road at the access to the Morelia highway. According to witnesses, the company GIRRSA, which has a contract granted by the Government of Jocotepec to collect garbage, is responsible for filling the banks of the beltway with garbage. In addition to the municipality, citizens have been dumping their garbage here as well.
In 2019, Governor Alfaro toured the area of the beltway, finding garbage and even giving a «slap on the wrist» to Jocotepec President Gómez López.
«Today in the afternoon our governor, Enrique Alfaro, was passing through Jocotepec; it is a shame that he sent me these images of the beltway full of garbage. Remember that our municipality is #LoHaceSuGente (The People Do It) and it is not fair that because of some people we have such a bad image,» the Jocotepec president wrote at the time.
Translated by Christalle Dalsted
Smoke was visible from several parts of the Guadalajara-Morelia highway
Editor.- A fire in the hills of Jocotepec, between the districts of El Molino and Huejotitán, generated a huge column of smoke that was visible to motorists traveling on the Guadalajara-Morelia highway on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 30.
On social networks, people commented that there were damaged wire fences, burned pasture and environmental damage, blaming the incident on people who were vandalizing the area.
At this time of the year, it is common to see an increase in rural fires. Some are generated naturally, others due to accidents caused by farmers burning plots of land, or by people who want to subdivide the hillsides.
Translated by Nita Rudy
Firefighters worked for hours. Photo: Courtesy.
Editor.- A strong fire in the Libertad market, better known as San Juan de Dios, surprised the city of Guadalajara during the early hours of Thursday, March 31, affecting 430 businesses and damaging the historic building.
Around three o’clock in the morning as the authorities realized the magnitude of the fire several metropolitan corporations of Civil Protection and Firefighter were notified. They worked intensively to gradually quench the flames.
The president of Guadalajara, Pablo Lemus, went to the site of the fire Friday morning to assess the damage to the southern part of the market where food, clothing and sundries are sold. He stated that a short circuit of an illegal electric installation may have been the cause of the disaster.
The shopkeepers waited behind police barricades, uncertain as to whether their businesses were affected. When they were allowed to enter the market in small groups, tears and feelings of helplessness were evident. Many could not believe what had happened.
No injuries were reported from the incident, but there were multiple economic losses. The Government of Guadalajara and the Government of Jalisco announced that they will provide support to those who were affected.
Translated by Nita Rudy
Two terraces have already been installed in the commercial area of San Juan Cosalá’s boardwalk.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía (Jocotepec).- The Government of Jocotepec authorized the installation of terraces in the commercial area of the boardwalk of the San Juan Cosalá delegation.
According to local vendors, the original project proposed by the city council included «traditional» tile terraces for each one of the stores in order to homogenize the image of the establishments; however, the vendors were opposed.
The structures would have had a cost of 80,000 pesos (approximately US$4,000 or CDN$5,000), but after the merchants refused to pay that amount, the government opted to allow them to build their own terrace. «After some meetings where we refused the original project, they allowed us to make our own terraces, the only condition was that whoever had the money should start,» explained one of the merchants consulted, who preferred to remain anonymous.
The merchants are optimistic about the arrival of Holy Week, and the flow of visitors and cash that it brings with it, to assist in financing the construction of the new premises. «We have been building since last year when we started, we have been going along as we go along, little by little, as we can, we have even gone into debt, borrowing, whatever we can get, but we want to open it for Easter,» said the anonymous merchant.
Although the merchant did not specify the cost of the work, he said that the wood and the metallic structure of the platform, which will be approximately six meters wide and eleven meters long, represented a major investment, but one they hope to recover since the platform will have a capacity of 15 tables for four merchants on the upper floor.
Semanario Laguna tried to confirm this information through Jocotepec’s social communication department; however, the agency did not comment on the matter.
Translated by MaryAnne Marble
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