Letras monumentales en el malecón de Jocotepec. Foto: Archivo.
Redacción.- El ayuntamiento de Jocotepec aprobó la realización de los talleres “Isocare”, organización enfocada en la urbanización. Dentro de diferentes áreas del municipio se pretende hacer un ordenamiento territorial, en el cual el Gobierno del Estado de Jalisco trabaja.
El taller abordará temas de movilidad, habitacional, inversión hotelera, restaurantes y de turismo, que podrían beneficiar a los alcaldes de Chapala, Tuxcueca y Tizapán, según lo expuesto el jueves 12 de mayo, en la décima sesión ordinaria de cabildo.
El alcalde, José Miguel Gómez López explicó, que ésta organización puede crear una infraestructura de alta calidad para Jocotepec y municipios cercanos.
“¿Qué nos van a decir?; cuáles son las sugerencias en temas de movilidad, habitacional, inversión hotelera, restaurantes y tema de turismo. Te dan siete puntos donde platica con los presidentes de Chapala, Tuxcueca y Tizapán para reunirnos con las personas adecuadas”.
Dentro de este proyecto se pretende invertir cien mil pesos entre todos los municipios con la finalidad de crear un equilibrio entre estos, donde el gobierno de Jocotepec brindará una seguridad a la población en la que no se afecte su naturaleza y espacios ecológicos.
Gómez López mencionó que dentro de esta organización realizan estudios de medio ambiente con la finalidad de frenar los desarrollos que afectan a dicho sector en el municipio.
“En el taller lo que nos van a decir es que en estas zonas pueden generar desarrollos de este tipo de esta densidad y se requiere ampliar este tipo de carreteras. Te hacen un estudio completo de la urbanización que se puede hacer sustentable con el taller y el dictamen nosotros podemos generar los planes parciales a la medida de cada espacio”, detalló el edil.
The fire was visible from various points in Chapala and Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos. Photo: Mario Negrete Photography.
Laguna Staff (Chapala).- The hills located behind the Brisas Chapala subdivision, on the border with Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos, were affected by the fire that started during the morning of Saturday, May 7, damaging 67 hectares of forest area.
Around 11:00 a.m. the first reports were received when a large column of smoke was observed in Chapala and visible in Ajijic. Shortly afterward, the smoke could be seen from the municipality of Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos.
The flames quickly spread, when members of the Civil Protection and Firefighters of Chapala arrived in the area. They asked for reinforcements from other municipalities to fight the magnitude of the fire. Soon a tanker helicopter from the municipality of Tlajomulco arrived to help.
After hours of work, the fire was extinguished with 58 firefighters participating in the arduous work.
Although most of the burned area was leaf litter, the fauna was affected and forced to move away from the affected area. Before the fire started, some suspicious trucks could be seen from the road near the starting point.
Translated by Mary Woods
After two years of the pandemic, the flower-producing sector begins to recover. Photo: Internet.
By: Abigail Angélica Correa Cisneros
This Mother’s Day, ornamental flower producers managed to distribute over 3.8 billion stems of chrysanthemum, rose, gladiola, lily, gerbera and sunflower, produced at the end of the 2021 agricultural cycle.
The sector is just recovering, after two years of depressed sales due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent droughts. The volume produced last year was valued at almost 6.4 billion pesos, with the State of Mexico generating just over 4.7 billion pesos of the total (74.2 percent), a figure that placed it as the top producing state in the country.
On May 10, thousands of mothers throughout Mexico received a floral bouquet or decorative ornament as a token of love. Thanks to the beauty of flowers, their aroma or cultural significance, flowers are the most in-demand gift of Mexicans to show love on Mother’s Day.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, chrysanthemums had the highest production volume at the end of last year with over 1.4 billion pieces, of which the State of Mexico contributed 92.3 percent, far ahead of Puebla’s 6.2 percent and Morelos’ 1.0 percent.
Rose production closed 2021 with just under 1.4 billion stems, an increase of 5.6 percent compared to the previous year. The states of Mexico, Puebla and Morelos led production with 77.3, 7.5 and 7.3 percent, respectively.
In the same period, 726,729,696 gladiola stems were produced. The species ranked third nationally in value and volume of production. Puebla, State of Mexico and Morelos were the main producers in 2021 with 43.9, 33.4 and 13.8 percent shares, respectively.
In fourth place nationally is the gerbera, which is only produced in the State of Mexico. At the end of last year, growers reached a volume of 192,567,744 stems, which marks an increase of 4.6 percent compared to 2020.
Lilies ranked fifth nationally, with a production of 109,749,312 pieces, which is equivalent to an increase of 3.6 percent compared to 2020. The State of Mexico, Veracruz and Mexico City led production with 84.5, 13.6 and 1.8 percent, respectively.
Sunflower production saw an increase of 25.7 percent from 2020 to 2021, with a volume of 46,841,760 sunflowers produced. This marks the highest increase in production of all floral species. The State of Mexico contributed 25,893,000 flowers; 55.3 percent of the national total.
Another variety in high demand is the Dutch tulip, which is produced only in Mexico City. Production of this species closed 2021 with 455,500 plants, which generated a production value of 15.9 million pesos.
Meanwhile, production of the orchid – considered an exotic species – reached 946,923 plants and a value of 152 million pesos in 2021. This species is only produced in the states of Jalisco (93.1 percent) and Tamaulipas (6.9 percent).
From the Center
Yesenia Mollinedo Falconi and Sheila García Olivera, from the news outlet El Veraz, in Veracruz, were shot by hired killers. The two journalists were mothers of families. Mothers of missing persons marched from the Monumento a la Madre (Monument to the Mother) to the Angel of Independence to demand «truth and justice» for their loved ones. They highlighted the words of the Mexican UN representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (ONU-DH), Guillermo Fernández Maldonado: «there are no more mothers in the world looking for their children than in Mexico.»
Translated by Rebecca Zittle
Currently, drought in Jocotepec is classified as moderate. Photo: Héctor Ruiz.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía(Jocotepec).- The drought index decreases from «severe» to «moderate» in the municipality of Jocotepec.
In spite of the high temperatures reaching up to 34 degrees Celsius registered in the last few days, the data shared by the Monitor of Drought in México indicated that for the first two weeks of May, the humidity in the environment caused the municipality to go from severe drought (D2) to moderate drought (D1).
As stated by Carolina Alejandre Ruvalcaba, head of the Water Culture program of the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) Jalisco, this represents that, together with the humidity in the environment, favorable conditions due to the level of Lake Chapala in contrast to past years, have helped avoid drought.
Alejandre explained that drought is classified into two categories: meteorological, i.e., corresponding to water precipitation in the atmosphere; and hydrological, which is the deficit of flow or storage in natural watercourses and bodies of water (surface water).
«These factors have to be taken into account, because sometimes people relate drought to desert or vegetation so there is no drought but it is not so, there are several causes that determine that a territory is in drought, as well as its categories».
However, the official added that the classification is never a static scale because just as the levels decrease from one two-week period to the next, which is the period of time captured by the Drought Monitor, they can also increase.
Regarding the intensity of the current drought stage (D1) in Jocotepec, the second on a scale of five, some damage to crops and pastures, a high risk of fires, low levels in rivers, streams and wells are expected, so voluntary restriction in the use of water is recommended.
Finally, Alejandre Ruvalcaba said that stages D1 and D2 during this period of the year are normal since it is still considered the dry season, until May 15, when the rainy season begins.
According to the North American Drought Monitor (NADM), drought is classified in a five-scale chart, which goes from the minimum as D0 Abnormally Dry, D1 Moderate Drought, D2 Severe Drought, passing through D3 Extreme Drought, and ending with D4 Exceptional Drought.
Translated by Sydney Metrick
Vista del malecón de Ajijic y el lago de Chapala. Foto: D. Arturo Ortega.
Redacción.- Luego de las primeras lluvias registradas en la región lacustre del Lago de Chapala, sigue perdiendo nivel. Hasta la fecha, el lago más grande de México ha perdido 93 centímetros, lo que lo ubica al 63 por ciento de su capacidad.
Del primero de enero al cuatro de mayo, el vaso lacustre pasó del 74.98 por ciento de su capacidad hasta el estado en que se encuentra en la actualidad, es decir, perdió casi 12 centímetros.
Restaurant at the pier, being remodeled for its next opening… Photo: Sofía Medeles.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- The announcement of the upcoming opening of a restaurant in the controversial building located on the Ajijic pier, where the malecon begins, has generated a stir and mixed opinions among the Ajijic residents.
The opening of an Argentinean restaurant is emblazoned on a large advertising banner placed on the building . This has displeased some residents because, according to them, this type of billboard is not allowed in Pueblos Mágicos, especially in the main square or tourist area.
The government of Chapala has not commented on the matter and, as of the closing of this edition, has not said if the business has the licenses and other requirements to operate, such as the safety of the diners or the basic services to operate.
Several Ajijic residents were interviewed about the issue in an unscientific sample and most of them were against it. They felt that the concessionaire, Fabio Rizzo, was appropriating public space and abusing the rights of local people.
«This concession should be reviewed. Mr. Rizzo feels he owns the federal land and believes he is doing us a favor by letting us have the malecon. A business of this type could lead to the situation of the Piedra Barrenada (tourist-food zone of San Juan Cosalá), we do not want it to be replicated in Ajijic”, said one resident interviewed by Laguna..
“As local residents we can ask for support from the authorities to review the concession and what its permits allow. A more drastic action would be to campaign to prevent people eating there,» said a member of Pueblos Unidos de la Ribera, a group that has been in charge of stopping the invasions of federal land in Lake Chapala.
Rizzo has on several occasions stated that his permit covers not only the restaurant area, but 3,362 meters including part of the boardwalk and the Parque de la Amistad.
Not everyone interviewed opposed the concession. Some of those questioned said that although it is not the best way to set up a business, they are not opposed to it, since they believe it is a good attraction for tourism, as well as a source of work for those who live in Ajijic. «If everything is in order, go ahead,» said Adán, a local resident.
Whether or not the permit , licenses and services for the restaurants were in order was constantly talked about during the interviews.
«Many of us want the city council to tell us if they granted licenses because everything is in order, and if the restaurant has the necessary services and what are they going to do with the sewage, and how is the building in terms of security?» said another local resident named Blanca.
This building was constructed in 1988, initially it was intended to be built on the dock, however, due to opposition from town residents, the location was changed to where it is currently located.
Rizzo Jasso has claimed that the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) granted him the authorization to use the area for 50 years. The property has had different restaurants over the years; however, they all ended up closing.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
Marani Soto Alarcón and her daughter Emilia, for whom the shop is named. Photo: Sofía Medeles.
Sofía Medeles (Chapala).- Despite being young, Ajijic resident Marani Soto Alarcón has achieved a balance between being an entrepreneur and fulfilling her motherly duties while following her vocation as a florist.
Marani is 28 and was born in Las Trojes, Jocotepec. She left her hometown to look for new opportunities, and eight years ago she arrived in Ajijic.
Soto Alarcón said she has always practiced entrepreneurship, from selling shoes in her hometown, to being a beautician, with food businesses and in her current and favorite business, the flower shop «Las Plantas de Emilia,» named in honor of her daughter.
“When I came to Ajijic, I worked in places where I was not as comfortable,” she said. “Since I was a child, I have had a taste for plants, a connection, though it was something I saw as a hobby, not as a way of life.» She recalled that a television program helped her get rid of her fear, and she decided to set up the business she loves so much.
Presenting a revolutionary proposal to traditional flower shops, fused with the sale of plants and accessories for them, Marani opened her first flower shop, motivated by the desire to have economic stability, both for her and her daughter Emilia.
“I found the perfect formula to work and live from what I like,” she said. “I started with nothing, with gifted furniture and a loan of 2,000 pesos that I still haven’t paid to my mom… but it’s nice to see the evolution of the business, and how it has been accepted and valued by customers.”
As for the challenge of being a mom, while holding the growth of her business hand in hand, she describes it as easy. She can manage her time and spend it with her daughter, fulfilling the maternal life as well as the professional life.
“It’s hard to have chosen a profession where holidays are the days with the most work,” Marani said. “One of the busiest days is Mother’s Day, and this is the first year I have seen my daughter. Previously I would see her the next day, but this is a sign that the business is growing and is on the right track.”
Despite her achievements, her professional path has not stopped. She says there are plans to expand Las Plantas de Emilia. Today, she has a branch in downtown Ajijic and one in the San Antonio Tlayacapan delegation, which she plans to move to a larger site within the same town. She may also open a flower warehouse and become a distributor, and there is an opportunity for a high-end line of floral arrangements, also called Boutique de Flores.
“I plan to continue educating myself, taking courses, because it is a business that renews itself, has trends, and needs innovation,” she said. “This is a town used to the traditional, but thanks to the foreign influence, it has become more open to new designs and ways of using flowers.”
Marani offered advice, both to young people and to enterprising mothers. First, lose your fear because it does not get you anywhere – it gets you stuck. Second, find your vocation and do things with pleasure. Third, and more focused on mothers, is to find trusted support to take care of the children.
“At the beginning, the business absorbs your time, so it’s good to have support,” she said. “If you have the potential and the desire, get rid of your fear. Approach people, knock on doors and be kind when you have your business.”
Marani reflected that there is no formula for success, since everyone must follow the path their heart and their decisions indicate. She invited people to visit her at the Ajijic branch, Carretera Oriente #18, or the San Antonio branch on Colón #117. She can satisfy a variety of tastes and work within any budget.
Translated by Mike Rogers
During the last rainy season, Lake Chapala reached 74% of its capacity; it is currently at 67%, informed the National Water Commission (CONAGUA).
Despite the decrease in the level, it is still up compared to April 2021, when it was at 51% of its capacity.
Translated by Paul Weeks
The return of the drought could affect the supply of drinking water to citizens. Photo: Archive.
Editors.- The Drought Monitor of the National Water Commission (Conagua), reported that Chapala and Jocotepec are among the 57 municipalities of Jalisco that face a «severe» drought level.
According to the agency’s update, 113 of Jalisco’s 125 municipalities have drought conditions ranging from «moderate» to «severe, which means that drought impacts are now felt throughout the state.
Together with the two Lakeside towns mentioned above, all the municipalities that make up the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone (ZMG), as well as Colotlán, Mezquitic, Ameca, Tala, Lagos de Moreno and Tepatitlán, are the most affected by the situation.
The Conagua’s report detailed that during the last rainy season there was a lack of precipitation in the area of the Western Sierra Madre, as well as warmer than average temperatures in the West Central Region of the country, which contributed to an increase in the drought in Jalisco.
Twelve localities are classified as «abnormally dry» or without problems: Puerto Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes, Cihuatlán, Ayotlán, Cuautitlán de García Barragán, Degollado, Jesús María, Tolimán, Tonila, Tuxcacuesco, San Gabriel and Zapotitlán de Vadillo.
The National Meteorological Service noted that the hurricane season will begin on May 15 in the Pacific Ocean, while in the Atlantic Ocean it will begin on June 1. It is projected that rains will start to return to normal in the second half of June, with tropical waves, cyclones and high humidity.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
By: Patrick O’Heffernan
Back in November 2021, our reporter in Jocotepec, Héctor Ruiz Mejía, wrote a story about the trash problem in San Juan Cosalá. He described garbage trucks with no gas, rats invading homes, a school with weeks’ worth of garbage stacked in front of its gates, and more.
Part of the problem is the refusal of Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos to allow Jocotepec to continue dumping in the GEN landfill, a problem which the municipality is working on. But something else has come to my attention: the deterioration of the Carretera into the landfill that Jocotepec sorely needs.
If you drive from Ajijic to Joco and pass through the happy gauntlet of touts directing your attention to the seafood restaurants that line the lakefront, you won’t notice the piles of garbage lining the highway across from the eateries. In fact, one restaurant even has a large billboard announcing its presence astride a growing pile of garbage and debris.
Garbage, construction debris, junk, and old furniture now l fill open areas of the roadside of the Carretera practically from the county line to Jocotepec. Garbage trucks have nowhere to put what they collect . But people have to put it somewhere and the roadside is the easiest and most available place.
But do you really want to take your out of town visitors to any of the great restaurants along the lake when you have to drive through a smelly field of trash? Maybe not – after all there are so many great restaurants in both Chapala and Jocotepec on clean, trash-free streets. Some even have great lake views.
To be fair, you can’t blame the Jocotepec municipality for the problem of the lack of a landfill and you have to cheer them for trying to solve it. The Carretera – Highway 23 – is Federal property; neither the state nor the municipalities have the authority nor the funds to clean it. And it is not fair to ask businesses along the Carretera to clean up the piles every day; that is what they pay taxes for. And where would they put it?
Perhaps the solution lies in the kind of collaboration and citizen action we have seen in Ajijic and Chapala. Until Jocotepec acquires a landfill, Expats and Mexican citizens and local businesses can raise funds, purchase a dedicated garbage truck, lease a piece of land, fence it and clean up the highway until Jocotepec has the funds and a landfill.
Yes, the Carretera Federal is managed by the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes, SCT) and it is the Federal government’s responsibility. But let’s face it, the garbage would completely block the highway before the SCT got around cleaning the roadside.
In Chapala, expats have purchased fire trucks for the Bomberos. Why not a garbage truck for the Jocotepec Carretera? In Ajijic, the delegado has organized citizens to fill potholes; why not similar brigadistas in Joco to load trash from the roadside into the truck and haul it to a properly fenced and managed leased site.
This is a temporary solution to be sure, but the investment and the collaboration will last a long time and give the Jocotepec government and people an opportunity to show how well they care for their community . And might even pay for itself in increased business to the lakeshore restaurants.
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