Vessels found in different regions of Lake Chapala.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.)– The director of the Cultural Center of Ajijic (CCA), Alejandro Martínez, invites residents to see the pre-Hispanic era pieces displayed in the Museum Room, located near the theater in the cultural center
The pieces were donated in 2015 by Mr. Sergio Díaz, among others. The collection was started when Diaz was director of the Efrén González cultural complex, according to information published in past editions of Semanario Laguna.
Alejandro Martínez said that the Museum Room has a very interesting permanent exhibition, since the pieces belong to different regions of Lake Chapala and form a complete collection that includes necklaces, bracelets, incense burners, vessels, figurines and arrowheads, among other artifacts common in the area of Lake Chapala.
«This Museum Room is near the theater, but few people are aware of it or visit it. We are promoting it so that people know it is there and see the treasures it holds. Visitors can come any day, and we will gladly show it to them», said Alejandro Martínez , adding that he wants people to learn about the roots of the native inhabitants and the history of the town of Ajijic.
He explained that several of the pieces there are already classified and have been certified by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). The pieces date from between 900 and 700 BC; each piece is clearly dated.
The CCA is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm and 4pm to 7pm, phone: (376) 766 2373.
Casa Domenech.
Patrick O’Heffernan, Ajijic, (JAL). Casa Domesch, Lakeside’s hub for premier jazz and great food with an Argentine flair will celebrate its 5th Anniversary during the month of July, beginning with a concert on July 4 with Ajijic’s own songstress Barbara Sagrey and her band SAGREY, followed on July 5 with a blowout celebration with the La Tenampa Brass Band bringing their New Orleans/bighorn 40’s hand clapping jazz sound from Guadalajara.
In addition to special music, Ray Domenech – who is also celebrating his birthday on July 5 – will serve a special menu of fusion flavors from Argentina and New Orleans created by Master Chef Chef Tina Riggins-Jones on July 5. The evening will include a 7-course dinner with dessert and one of Casa D’s special cocktails.
“These concerts will be the first of many special events we will do for this anniversary including celebrating my birthday on July 5th –not a big deal, but we will have my favorite Chef in town, Tina Riggins-Jones create a special fusion menu so the birthday dinner will be something to remember. And there will be more events throughout the month,” Ray enthused to Laguna
Restaurant owner/musician/empresario Ray Domenech has long been a fixture on the Lakeside music scene, bringing in bands from around the world, producing a steady flow of intimate jazz nights with some of Lakeside’s best jazz artists, and even broadcasting virtual concerts during the Covid lockdown to keep musician working and jazz fans entertained.
Both events will be held at «Number 9», located at #9 Aquiles Serdán, Ajijic’s largest outdoor venue with a specially constructed stage with custom acoustics and lighting . Doors open at 6 PM.
Tickets for the July 5 concert and dinner are $800 and include table seating, real china and silverware, cover charge , food and one drink. Lawn tickets ( no tables) are available for $380 for seating only, no food, no drinks. The first 20 persons buying tickets for the July 5 event will receive a free ticket to the 4th of July concert with SAGREY.
Tickets available on Paypal at paypal.me/rayvelvetpro or in person at in Angelina’s at LCS or at Casa Domenech. Videos of the band are available at https://bit.ly/3uP8Djx. The event is sponsored by Casa Domenech, Music SinFronteras, Semanario Laguna, and Rezzonante and produced by Ray Velvet Productions
During the week government workers removed the benches.
Sofia Medeles (Ajijic, Jal)- Ajijic Delegado Juan Ramon Flores reported that the benches that were placed in the esplanade of the main square were removed this week to repair flaws that were repeatedly pointed out on social networks, specifically badly designed and built with crooked planks.
Juan Ramón pointed out that the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Public Works (SIOP) in charge of the work, will repair them and make them useful as soon as possible. The plaza remodel directed by SIOP had an initial cost of three million 413 thousand pesos, or 15 thousand 687 pesos per square meter.
Juan Ramón stated in an interview that he will try to «fight» for the placement of adequate benches and planter boxes near them, as shown in the digital models at the beginning of the work in January.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
Cruz Roja Chapala.
Big names Roy Cruz, Lupita Jimenez, and SAGREY promise to wow the crowd at a benefit for Cruz Roja next Wednesday June 9, in a special LCS Concert on the Lawn.The concert marks the launch of the 2021 Annual Collection of Cruz Roja, which was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Interim Municipal President, Isaac Alberto Trejo Gracián, opened the drive by depositing his donation in one of the organization’s collection piggy banks.
Headlining theLCS benefit concert for Cruz Roja are Roy Cruz who packs clubs in Puerto Vallarta with his famous impersonation of Queen frontman Freddy Mercury, and Lupita Jimenez, the official singer at Hacienda Tequilera José Cuervo and at Mansión Tequila Guadalajara. Wrapping up the star-studded concert is Ajijic’s own SAGREY, fronted by Barbara SAGREY, who fills local venues like Casa Domenech and #9 with her bell-clear and softly seductive jazz vocals.
LCS has opened its Lawn to the Chapala-based organization to raise funds lost last year when its annual fundraising events were cancelled. This year, the Cruz Roja Fund Drive will involve multiple events held in open spaces to protect attendees and staff, since the pandemic is not completely over, according to Cruz Roja Board President Yolanda Martínez Llamas.
There will be only one performance of the Benefit concert Wednesday, and LCS recommends getting tickets early and arriving early. Tickets are $500 pesos for seating on the Lawn; the funds go directly to Cruz Roja as a donation. Purchase tickets at LCS office or at the door. Concert begins at 4 pm and will run until 7 pm. Semanario Laguna is a concert sponsor.
ADD INVASION PHOTO FROM FILE
Patrick O’Heffernan, Ajijic, JAL. As this and other newspapers have reported extensively, the problem of illegal “invasions” of Lake Chapala – the illegal use of land along the shoreline by private individuals or businesses – is serious and growing.
There are regulations to prevent illegal use of the Lake Chapala shoreline but the regulating authority is Federal – the National Water Commission, (CONAGUA). The delegations and municipalities that adjoin the lake have little enforcement powers. The Chapala municipality has passed legislation giving themselves the power to levy fines for pollution and dumping, but it may not cover the actual lakeshore, which is Federal.
There is no clear demarcation of where Federal jurisdiction ends and local jurisdiction begins – and landowners discourage municipalities from using pollution ordinances by suing, claiming their land is under Federal, not local control. CONAGUA has not issued a detailed map locals can use for enforcement
Another issue affected by the lack of demarcation of the Federal lands is access to shoreline for residents and Pueblo Mágico visitors. President Andres Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), published a decree in the Official Journal of the Federal (DOF) guaranteeing free access and transit on beaches throughout the country, including, presumably, the Federal beaches of Lake Chapala. The decree establishes a fine of 1 million pesos against anyone found blocking access – no fines have been levied in Lakeside despite many sites that block access to the Lake.
In 2011 UNESCO/UNWater, the World Health Organization and CONAGUA jointly published the Lerma-Chapala Basin Case Study, detailing the ecological, social and economic problems of the Lake and suggested a legal framework – the Lerma-Chapala River Basin Council – for protecting the Lake. But attempts to give the Council the tools and authority to enforce regulations were blocked, partially due to resistance from CONAGUA, jealous of its authority.
But research shows that CONAGUA does not use its authority. A groundbreaking story published by the Guadalajara Reporter in November 2020 (“CONAGUA Has Abandoned Surveillance of Lake Chapala Against Coastal Invasions”) documented the agency’s failure.
The TGR reporters used transparency requests to get CONAGUA records showing that its last inspection in Jocotepec was 2017 (the Regional Director toured the Ribera’s shoreline in 2020 but took no action) the last sanctions it issued were also in 2017. TGR reporters also found that the Lerma-Santiago Pacifico Basin Agency’s last inspection was in 2019 which found 85 shoreline invaders with no permits, but apparently no fines were levied (12.4 million pesos in fines were levied between 2010 and 2013, but none recently).
Fortunately some local enforcement has occurred through the Chapala municipality after outcries from citizens and some illegal dredging and filling has been stopped locally using local ordinances, despite the Federal jurisdiction problem, but it is hit and miss (see story in this edition “Local Resident block thieves from stealing soil from the Lake”.) Local offices have the will but not the staff and budget to monitor the shoreline and enforce the regulations
Laguna asked Monica Venegas Sánchez , Jalisco Directora de Turismo Rural y Pueblo Mágicos, what, if anything , her office or the Pueblo Mágico Committee for Ajijic can do about the invasions of Lake Chapala that are making it distinctly unmagical. Her response was that the enforcement was Federal, not state, and that the first priority of the Committee was to “protect the “patrimony” of Ajijic. However she did say emphatically that she and her committee can and will lobby for elements in the Pueblo Mágico Ajijic Plan to address invasions and enforcement.
Lake Chapala is a regional resource and a national treasure. Its management embodies dynamics far beyond the creation of a Pueblo Mágico in one of the many municipalities on its shores. It’s preservation will involve multiple government agencies, – some of which prefer the status quo. But with climate change, development, Pueblo Mágico planning, and immigration, the status quo is not “quo” and will never be.
A bicycle tour of the coast of California in 1972 kicked off a political movement in California USA that led to the creation of the independent California Coastal Commission with the authority, budget, staff and determination to end invasions of the California coast. It did and still does. Can a magic town do the same for Lake Chapala? The legal structure is there; all its needs is the political will. Maybe that’s the magic.
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Blue Jay Slim sings a loving duet with his wife at El Barco.
Blue Jay – or just “Jay” as he is known in the music community, played a final concert with his all-star blue Machine Band of Javier Villaseñor on guitar, Chelo Gonzales on drums, Sergio Casas on bass, Christian Jimenez on piano plus guest horn players coaxed out of the audience.
Blue Jay announced at the opening of his first set that this would be his last concert because he was headed back NOB, but he told Laguna the move was not permanent and that he and wife will return, maybe after the end of the year – no date specified. But since many people who know him remember that he went back to the states in 2013 only to return to Ajijic , bigger and better, there was no doubt they would see him again.
Blue Jay has played for years in Lakeside with the Blues Machine and an earlier band, The Tone Blasters, after an illustrious (and still going) career of recording and live performing in the US. He has opened for major bands like Shemkia Copeland, Marcia Ball, The Nighthawkes and many others. He has played major venues and festivals in the US, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame from Deleware in November 2013. His Ajijic band was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame last year.
The goodbye concert featured 2 sets with originals like “Don’t Look Up’, and “The Call Me the Boogie Man” and “Seven Woman Man” plus classic blues favorites like “Back Magic Woman” and “Hoochie Coochie Man”.
El Barco’s upstairs outdoor venue began filling up an hour before showtime and it was standing room by the time the band got on stage. But their fans made room for dancing, especially during the loving duet “Some Kind of Wonderful” with his wife.
Fans told Laguna they can’t wait until he returns, but in the meantime they will be enjoying The Blues Machine and Javier Villaseñor flaming guitar licks. Fans who need their Blue Jay fix can sgream his albums Call Me the Boogie Man and Blue Slim and the ToneBlasters on Spotify
Panel representing the State Tourism Secretariat at the information meeting (from left to right): Elia del Pilar Posada, Willehaldo Saavedra González, Mauricio Servín Carreón and Mónica Venegas.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic, Jal.) – The call to form the Pueblo Mágico Committee has finally been launched; it was announced by the staff of the State Tourism Secretariat in the Cultural Center of Ajijic, last Tuesday at a community information meeting.
Director of the Regional Council of Magical Towns, of the Secretary of Tourism of the State (SECTURJAL) said that the delay in in the call to form the Committee was caused by a delay in signing the non-exclusive trademark agreement for Ajijic, despite the fact that the appointment had been given-
The panel representing the Secretary of Tourism displayed the call for applications, which will be posted on the internet. It consists of five main requirements for those seeking to respond: to be a native or resident of the municipality for at least the last 3 years, to submit a written statement to SECTURJAL expressing interest in participating to present evidence of active work in favor of tourism and the locality, to be a person with outstanding abilities that can contribute to the development of the locality, and finally not to hold any political or governmental position.
Applications must be sent before 30 calendar days after the publication of the Call, to the Director at monica.venegas@jalisco.gob.mx. There is no limit to the number of members on the Committee, but they must fall into the proposed categories: restaurant, hotel and travel agency representatives, established merchants, artisans, opinion leaders, part of the indigenous community, and honorary representatives of state and municipal agencies. The Panel noted that these proposed categories may change according to the needs and traditions of each Pueblo Mágico.
«To belong to the committee, there must be no political or economic interest, and one must want to share the most valuable thing we have: time, to serve the people and promote their culture, folklore and gastronomy,» added Mauricio Servín Carreón, director of the Pueblo Mágico committees.
At the end of the session, the participants of the informative table answered questions from the attendees, which dealt mainly with sustainable tourism activity for the town’s capacity and how to protect the natural areas, such as the lake shores and mountains.
Director of Rural Tourism and Pueblos Magico Monica Vanegas Sanchez told Laguna that when it came to initiatives like repairing streets and sidewalks, plaza maintenance, and other things needed to make Ajijic attractive, these were local responsibilities, but that she and the Committee “would serve as a bridge between the State and local authorities on these matters” and lobby the Federal government on issues such as invasions of the lake shore.
“We will work with the local and state governments to develop the plan for the Pueblo Magico,”she said, adding that the plan would be made public, although she would not commit to citizen input until the Committee met.
The meeting was attended by the general director of Regional Tourism Development, Willehaldo Saavedra González; the director of the Citizen Committees of Magical Towns of the state of Jalisco, Mauricio Servín Carreón; the delegate of the Secretary of Tourism of the state of Jalisco, Elia del Pilar Posada, and Mónica Venegas, director of the Regional Council of Magical Towns of the Secretary of Tourism of the state. Translated Patrick O’Heffernan
Dona Oxford at Cuatro Sentido.
Patrick O’Heffernan, Ajijic. JAL. Princess of Soul and Queen of Boogie-Woogie Doña Oxford came to Ajijic for a quiet vacation and a single concert that turned into a moving music fest with two public jam sessions with local musicians.
Oxford is a world-touring Soul and Blues keyboard player and singer/songwriter who has played with Albert Lee, Keith Richards, Van Morrison, Roger Daltrey, Buddy Guy and many more. She has performed in 25 countries and 48 states, released 4 albums of her own, played on numerous Grammy and Handy-winning albums and movie scores, and is about to start production of her own TV variety show. The trip to Ajijic was her first visit to Mexico and the San Antonio Tlayacapan concert her first and only performance in Mexico.
The concert at Cuatro Sentido, sponsored by Laguna and produced by local promoter and musician Christine Philipson,was Oxford’s only scheduled performance in Mexico. She was joined onstage by Klaus Meyer on saxophone, Javier Villaseñor on guitar, Tony Valle on bass, Iván Ramírez González on drums, and backup singers Andrea Pérez Romero and TzinTzuni Varela. It sold out quickly and a long waiting list quickly developed.
Oxford delivered two sets of big volume rock, blues, boogie, and soul that entertained people in the farthest reaches of the restaurant and beyond. Her high energy tunes like “Rock, Rock, Rock” and “Doe’s Boogie” pulled people out of their seats and onto the dance floor. The event went off smoothly despite the waiting list and last minute arrivals. The music flowed joyfully although Oxford had met her Mexican band only one day earlier and had less than 3 hours of rehearsal – a testament to the skill level of local musicians and Philipson as a producer.
The following night Oxford joined friends at Casa Domenech for dinner and to enjoy Bárbara Sagrey and her band. Of course Oxford was invited to jam with the band and she happily obliged, borrowing the keyboard and getting the entire room singing with her on “Tanqueray” and then moving to the microphone for duets with an ecstatic Sagrey to a cheering audience.
The next night she dropped into El Barco to see her concert guitar player Javier Villaseñor and his blues band play. Oxford accepted the invitation to join in, followed by backup singer TzinTzuni and later, Blue Jay Slim, both of whom were in the audience. Oxford borrowed the keyboard from Christian Jimenez for a couple of songs, and then joined him for four-handed numbers. She sang with vocalist Grizz Piña and then harmonized backup for Piña with TzinTzuni . The rest of the band – Klaus Meyer on sax, Chelo Gonzáles on drums, Sergio Casas on bass, jammed along while the audience danced, sang and cheered.
“I had a blast. I love Ajijic and Lakeside – I will be back”, Oxford told the crowd. We sure hope so.
Thank you all for such a wonderful trip to Mexico.
I loved playing with you and hope to see you again soon.
INM.
Patrick O’Heffernan, Ajijic, JAL. Spencer McMullin of Spencer’s Office S.C. Abogados posted a warning that INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración). was setting up checkpoints throughout Mexico to confirm Expat’s residency status. According to the post, immigration has changed its policy and is now detaining non-Mexicans legally in the country who are not carrying their original immigration or residency documents on them.
This is apparently in response to INM’s analysis that many people are here with expired tourist cards and not returned home prior to their expiration due to Covid travel restrictions. So far no checkpoints have been seen in Lakeside, but reports have been posted in Facebook groups that cars have been stopped on the way back from Guadalajara through Jocotepec.
The post warns that if your papers have expired you should stay home and if you are legal you should always carry your original documents such as your Temporal, your Permanente or a valid visa, especially if you are traveling to the beach. This may confuse some people who have obtained certified copies of their immigration cards and carry them for safety. The advice is to carry the original and save the copies at home.
Laguna verified the post with Spencer by chat through his office, receiving a message that some Expats have been detained, although it is unknown if it was either through errors or by inexperienced people. Other posts on social media have verified the problem. As of Wednesday May 19, the INS website section covering immigration documents for non-Mexicans was not loading, although various posts on social media claimed they were able to verify the policy with INS.
Foto: Archivo.
Patrick O’Heffernan, Ajijic JAL. A social science survey of expats in Mexico is now being conducted by postgraduate students at UdG, using the web-based tool Survey Monkey to gather data from Lakeside, Puerto Vallarta and possibly other locations with high expat concentrations. Local expats can take the survey b y computer or on their phones.
Dr. Marco Córtes , Rector of UdG between 2008 and 2013, and CUCosta Research Professor Dra. Cecilia Soraya Shibya Soto, are managing the study which they expect to give a detailed picture of the expats living in Lakeside and other areas, in order “to know the effect of the social, economic, recreational and cultural practices of the foreign population, along with the main characteristics of their socio-moral, civic and political identity in the community and how the interaction of this foreign community with the local community has contributed to economic development, urban space and identity construction.”
“With this data,” Dr. Shibya told Laguna, “ the needs, opinions and contributions of the foreign community will be better understood and heard, and this will enable various sectors to integrate with them for the improvement of all.”
The 50 question multiple-choice survey is designed for permanent and temporary residents and is voluntary and anonymous. It covers location, income, religion, living costs, language, local involvement, cost of living, and recreation to give the research team a detailed demographic snapshot of expat communities. It will not answer questions about the population of expats, but could provide data that can be extrapolated into population estimates.
The researchers are hoping for a large number of respondents to give them not only a statistically reliable data set, but also to make the information useful to other institutions and provide a baseline of information on the expat communities. They are working with a number of local organizations to distribute the survey, so it may arrive in people’s mailboxes from a variety of sources. Expats may also have participated in similar surveys by the TransAmerica Center for Retirement Studies and Expats in México which are more financially focused.
To take the survey, you may use either a phone or a computer. For a phone, hold the phone’s camera over the QR code printed here or that you receive in an email, and it will take you to the SurveyMonkey page with the questions. For those using computers or tablets, you may also access the survey at https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/iiigajijic which will take you to the Survey Monkey page of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Innovación y Gobernanza where the survey is located.
You may request the results or send questions to ceciliasshibya@hotmail.com
© 2016. Todos los derechos reservados. Semanario de la Ribera de Chapala