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Sewage spill that was captured last week, on Flores Magón street. Photo: Sofía Medeles.

Sofía Medeles(Ajijic).- A strong sewage spill was reported in two points of Ajijic’s waterfront last weekend. Timoteo Aldana Pérez, who is in charge of Ajijic’s Municipal System of Potable Water and Sewage, or SIMAPA, said it was due to a failure in the system.

During the afternoon of Sunday, March 13, there were numerous reports on social media that this is a recurring problem in the various drains and gutters located on the lakeshore in the town.

Aldana Perez said workers were cleaning and maintaining the drains over the weekend to help avoid future collapses. During maintenance, workers noticed that the drainage system stopped. Because this is often due to electrical failures, SIMAPA personnel reported it to the Federal Electricity Commission for repair and kept working.

The next day, a sewage spill was reported in the culvert located almost in front of the skate park. Aldana Perez spoke with commission personnel, who told him it was due to a defect in the general sump pumping system. Personnel from the treatment plant, located in San Antonio Tlayacapan, then went to repair the problem, which was due to melted connectors. When they were replaced, the leakage stopped. On Monday, March 14, SIMAPA personnel inspected collectors in the area to make sure they were clear and without collapse.

The spill on Flores Magón Street was a relief valve, which was enabled while they were performing maintenance. On Friday, the outlet was plugged so that the system could function normally.

Finally, Timoteo Perez emphasized that the collector needs to be replaced soon because of its age. He does not believe it will last more than five years working properly. He asked residents to help by not throwing waste into the drainage system. During the last cleaning, workers found bricks, pieces of wood, shoes and other debris. 

Translated by Mike Rogers

The mother of the victim involved in screaming and crying during the demonstration.

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).-  After the demonstration called by Daniela Baéz, the former student of the Chapala Regional High School who accused him of sexual abuse, a  professor voluntarily resigned from the institution, while the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) stated that it will investigate the case. 

The protest held on March 14, began at the school campus, traveled along the main avenue of Chapala, Francisco I. Madero,  and ended in front of the City Hall building; Approximately 200 people attended with homemade signs, shouting slogans demanding justice .

 The dozens of demonstrators shouted «David harasser, Ramón cover-up»,  referring to the Professor and to the head of the school where the alleged abuse occurred. They also chanted, «The school does not take care of me, my friends take care of me»,  as they marched carrying  banners reading : «Teachers or Pigs?», «Reputation is more important than the safety of the students» and «I want to study without fear», among other messages.

A communiqué issued by the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) on March 15, the day after the demonstration stated that «The professor indicated has voluntarily stepped down and will remain away from his duties until the investigations are concluded.”

In the document, the University emphasized that it had communicated with the affected student, as well as her family, to offer them advice, support  and a guarantee to carry out the due process. 

It was only on Wednesday, March 16, that the victim announced  on social networks that she had formally filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as with the Office for the Defense of University Rights (DDU), an agency of the highest university in Jalisco.

The victim during the demonstration, at the end of her interviews with the media.

During the March 14 march, not only the name of Professor David was heard, but also that of four other teachers from the same high school; however, the director of the Municipal Institute for Women, Alicia Medeles Córdova, declared that this is the only case that has been followed up so far.

The teacher was pointed out by a former student for alleged acts of sexual abuse when she was 15 years old, seven years ago, in 2015.  Daniela uploaded a publication  describing  her case in her social networks. 

In what the young woman has publicly disclosed is that  the  v50-year old teacher David took her on seven occasions over a nine-month period to two houses he rented in the Plaza de Toros and Chapala Haciendas neighborhoods. 

«He would place us naked in front of a computer and touch me or make me touch him. He probably has photos and/or video of us (because the camera always had the light on) «After the first encounter I went to the high school psychologist, Anel Padilla, to tell her EVERYTHING, because she was confused. Her answer was «that if we both wanted to, then it wasn’t bad». 

Today I understand that whether you want to or not, it IS A CRIME. Fortunately at the last meeting a relative of his wife saw us enter the house and went to look for my mom. A letter was filed  in the high school, to leave a record. However, in order to «take care» of me and my «prestige» nothing was done», the young woman  wrote in the filed letter . 

Laguna contacted the professor to request an interview, but the University of Guadalajara forbade him to talk about the case until the investigations were concluded.

Translated w by Patrick O’Heffernan

The bar «La Mezcalería» was recently closed after complaints from neighbors in the area for excessive noise. Photo: Sofía Medeles.

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- Three bars in  Ajijic have been closed down by the Chapala’s Regulations, Inspection and Surveillance Department since the beginning of the current administration because of complaints from neighbors for excessive noise and exceeding their permitted hours.

The three are La Mezcalería, La Tía and La Parranda Bar (the latter two were closed months ago), all located in the center of the town, because they stayed open past mandated closing time and exceeded legal noise levels, according to Acting Delegado Maximiliano Macías Arceo.

He explained that the managers of the establishments that were closed were warned about the complaints of the neighbors; however, they ignored them.  

«The closed businesses had already been previously warned about the rules they were breaking, especially the hours of operation. We know that young people have their recreational places  but in  some situations the owners think that there will be no repercussions; but they can’t be violating  everything and get away with it,» commented Macías Arceo.

Inspectors from the Regulations Department monitor the areas with these types of businesses during the weekends at night, making sure that they comply with the closing hours, as well as  that  the sound volume is within the allowed decibels, which is measured with a sound level meter donated to the municipality. 

The closures have caused a stir among the inhabitants of Ajijic, who, both in social networks and in interviews conducted by this newspaper, have shown conflicting positions on whether it is right or wrong to resort to this type of sanctions.

«Most of those who complain are Americans, they are not from here and very few attend these places. Now, if they want to start with closures, let them be even, and also do it to event halls, events in the lienzo, and even in the plaza, which have music at full volume, sometimes all night long, and nobody calls their attention, nor regulates them», shared Laura, a local resident.

In contrast, there are those who side with the authority, saying that if they set an example with the businesses that evade the norms, the others will automatically align themselves with what is indicated by Padrón y Licencias. «There is no way that they will continue with their violations if they have already seen that others have been shut down for the same thing,» said another interviewee.

Maximiliano Macías added that the owners of these businesses, upon applying for  and paying for the licenses, are given the hours and rules of operation of their businesses, so they cannot plead ignorance. He also suggested that the managers  take measures to ensure that their customers leave when closing time is approaching.

According to Macías Arceo, the hours allowed for this type of establishments are a 12:00 a.m. closing from Monday to Thursday and Sundays, and on Fridays and Saturdays closing time is 2:00 a.m. 

On the other hand, live music is allowed until midnight any day of the week, but with a maximum of 55 decibels,  established in accordance with the Anti-noise Law of the state of Jalisco.

Of the three closed establishments, La Tía and Parranda Bar have already reopened their doors, while El Camaleón bar has been  the subject of complaints by neighbors, it has not been closed. 

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

Por la ola de violencia registrada en Jalisco, Estados Unidos pidió a sus ciudadanos reconsiderar sus viajes.  Foto: Cortesía. 

Redacción.- El Gobierno de Estados Unidos invitó a sus ciudadanos a reconsiderar visitar Jalisco, debido a la alta incidencia delictiva; la medida no aplica para Chapala y Ajijic. 

A través de un aviso en la página www.travel.state.gov, se indicó que la entidad registra un incremento en delitos violentos, además de disputas entre el crimen organizado; por lo que pidió a sus connacionales, extremar precauciones. 

Asimismo, se señaló que ciudadanos norteamericanos han sido víctimas de secuestro en Jalisco, especialmente en la zona fronteriza con el vecino estado de Michoacán. 

Por su parte, los empleados del gobierno de Estados Unidos tienen prohibido transitar por la frontera del estado, por la carretera 80 al sur del municipio de Cocula y por la estatal 544 ubicada entre los municipios de San Sebastián del Oeste y Mascota.

En contraste, la recomendación de viaje no aplicó para la Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Chapala y Ajijic. 

LCS Chairman Stephen Balfour conducts a hybrid live and zoom Annual General Meeting from the terrace of LCS. (screen shot)

Patrick O’Heffernan (Ajijic).- The Lake Chapala Society’s Annual General Membership meeting held Tuesday, March 15, was a “state of the union” for one of Lakeside’s largest and most influential non-profit organizations. According to Board Chair Stephen Balfour who  led the hybrid live/ zoom  meeting.

After a highly produced video tour hosted by Balfour and Executive Director Luis Pacheco with cameos by members of the LCS staff, the Annual Membership Meeting ( AGM) was called to order with 83 people in attendance online and in person at the LCS campus in Ajijic.  The tour covered the grounds  of the campus and the many improvements that have taken place over the past 723 days  since the last in-person AGM.

Highlights of the near 2-hour  long meeting included reelection of the existing Board members, election of Choosing Mexico CEO Greg Custer for an at-large Board seat, the introduction of the Mexican Advisory Council led  by Cruz Roja Chair Yolanda  Martínez Llamas, the renaming of the LCS docents as “LCS Amigos”.

Balfour and  new Executive Director Pacheco, the Mexican to run the organization,  took the members through the challenges and the accomplishments of the past 723 days, noting that for a while the work of the staff was focused solely on keeping the doors open as membership plummeted by 40% due to Covid.  

 To pay the bills and keep the staff working, Balfour used his experience as a concert producer in the US to launch the Concerts in the Park series at LCS which raised $2.2 million pesos for LCS and $1 million for Cruz Roja. Additional restricted funds were  raised from major donors to purchase the Molenari/West Annex property in November of  last year. That combined with $3million pesos in increased donations offset the loss of program income and much dues income to enable LCS to stay open, purchase an adjacent property, and refurbish much of the grounds.

Balfour reported that visitation is up to 1000 a week now, with 40,000 people coming through the doors last year, an indication that the members are returning and engaging in the 100 programs now operating at LCS.

The AGM also included a financial report to the members, informing them that LCS’s financial condition is good, with a cash reserve of $850,000 and an operating deficit of $14,395 which was necessary to complete necessary repairs and maintenance, and a net asset valuation of $30 million.

The final segment of the AGM was dedicated to LCS 2.0, the plan developed and approved by the Board to guide the next decade of LCS.  Balfour stressed that he wants LCS to be known for “customer service” .  He also  listed  other priorities as a closer relationship with the Mexican community, continuing to strengthen the bonds with the Instituto Tecnológico Superior De Chapala , and broadening fundraising through innovations like new, smaller, flexible-use  “named” tables members can sponsor for $6000 pesos. 

The 2022 budget projects $7,009,100 MX in expenses and revenue, with annual dues remaining unchanged from the current $830MX a year for singles and $650nMX for persons age 79 and over in 2022.

The president of Chapala, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel, listening to the complaints of a local citizen.

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).– More than fifty residents of the Plaza de Toros neighborhood came to the first «Miércoles Contigo,» a new program where the president of Chapala, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel, and his cabinet will listen to the complaints and needs of different neighborhoods within the Chapala municipality.

The program, which was one of his campaign promises, began on March 16th. At the first event, water and unsatisfactory lighting, and garbage were among the most recurrent complaints. There were also requests to change the schedule of the little square to close it at night (for safety concerns), as well as the different workshops that the neighbors wish to give to the children of the area. 

According to neighbors, the water shortage has gotten worse since the removal of the stone cistern during the administration of a previous president of Chapala, Jesús Cabrera Jiménez (2010-2012). The cistern had been located in the now small square on Colinas del Manglar.

In response to complaints about the garbage problem, the officials promised to install a large sign informing everyone that garbage should not be left in the small square. This will hopefully prevent people from outside the neighborhood from leaving their garbage in the square.

The purpose of the «Wednesdays Together» program is to listen to the needs of residents so that directors of the various municipal agencies can better solve the problems of each neighborhood, both in Chapala, as well as in the towns and villages that make up the municipality.

Inside the small square, public officials listening to complaints from citizens

«The main function of government is to be in the street with the people, to address their concerns and needs,» said President Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre. He personally attended to each person’s issue, and then referred them to the appropriate municipal official. It is expected that this will be the way it works every week, said the officials who were interviewed. 

At the event, each person who wanted to speak received a numbered card, and a form to write down their complaints, recommendations, and their contact information for follow-up. This three-copy form was distributed as: one to the president, one to the official of the corresponding agency, and one to the citizen

The aldermen present took responsibility to form a neighborhood committee to be in contact with the neighborhood, and follow up on the needs, and requests made. The full calendar of the «Wednesdays Together» program will be announced in the next few days.  

Also present at the event were: General Secretary Lilia Alvarado Macías, Trustee Gamaliel de Jesús Soto Pérez, Commissioner of Public Safety, Sergio Conzuelo Ramírez, Head of the Fire and Civil Protection Unit, Lorenzo Antonio Salazar Guerrero, Head of the Municipal System of Potable Water and Sewage (SIMAPA) Chapala, Fernando Antonio Monreal Mendoza, Head of the Women’s Institute, Alicia Medeles Córdova, among other public officials. 

Translated by Amy Esperanto

Lago de Chapala. Foto: Hector Ruiz 

Por: Daniel Jimenez Carranza

Uno de los factores definitivos que juega un papel relevante en todas las sociedades es la regulación de su crecimiento, el cual en nuestro país no ha sido considerado con la suficiente seriedad como tal, existe una figura administrativa dentro de la organización de los Ayuntamientos, como es la oficina, departamento o dirección de desarrollo urbano la cual en la mayoría de los casos, únicamente se dedica a “regular el tipo de construcciones”, que en muchos casos no cumplen completamente con los lineamientos contenidos dentro del Plan de Desarrollo Urbano de la localidad, y cuyos criterios al momento de autorización de construcciones, son bastante elásticos, dependiendo de múltiples factores como son los económicos, políticos y de amiguismo.    En otros casos, los lineamientos no son lo suficientemente claros y precisos, que propician en el mejor de los casos, un desorden de las construcciones en la localidad y en otros, lamentables accidentes por las características del suelo y construcciones inapropiadas.

Todo ello, sin embargo, es sólo un aspecto de tantos otros que deben ser considerados en el control del desarrollo urbano, como son los recursos de la localidad tanto humanos como materiales,  las instalaciones, equipo e infraestructura, la distancia hacia los centros de consumo y de producción, características de la población, etc., todos estos factores  permitirán realizar un plan integral realista que aporte bienestar a la comunidad, que regule el crecimiento de la población y que permita la conservación del ecosistema entre otros importantes aspectos.

La unidad de desarrollo urbano, debe estar integrada por diferentes especialistas cuyas aportaciones incidan y regulen el propósito enunciado, protegiendo el interés común y propiciando un desarrollo claramente concebido y coherente para ese propósito.

La falta de un plan integral, trae como consecuencia,  múltiples disfunciones sociales, ecológicas, arquitectónicas,  asi podemos observar construcciones monumentales a la orilla del lago, totalmente inapropiadas, desarrollo de actividades ganaderas en zonas residenciales, como es el caso del terreno localizado en la calle Río Chamela, en Rancho del Oro, supuestamente propiedad del Gobierno del Estado que contribuye a crear un aspecto reprobable de espacios improvisados con plásticos superpuestos, que generan basura al interior y exterior del terreno,  desconociendo que una institución de tal calibre comercie con el alquiler de una propiedad oficial para este propósito, aunque de acuerdo con el Plan Parcial, ello es una zona mixta que permite esta actividad,  que aún justificada, desconocemos quien lucra y se beneficia de ellas.   

Tratándose de un activo del Estado, el Ayuntamiento tendría que gestionar la donación del terreno para un mejor propósito que beneficie al municipio, como la construcción de un campo deportivo, parque de usos múltiples,  particularmente importante para un país con una población juvenil considerable y gran déficit de instalaciones para este grupo.

The Council  approved 100 percent of the pension of the policemen killed in the confrontation on March 10. Photo: Social Networks.

The Jocotepec City Council Plenary approved payment of  100 percent of the pension to the families of the two policemen killed in an armed attack on March 10. 

During the fifth ordinary session of the City Council, held on Thursday, March 17, before discussing the pension granted to the bereaved, the councilors observed a minute’s silence in honor of the security officers who died in the line of duty. 

Municipal trustee Carlos Alberto Zúñiga Chacón said that, according to the reports issued by the labor office based on the seniority of the officers, the corresponding pension would be 30 percent; Edgar Omar Leal Nava had been serving in Jocotepec for two years and three months, while Andrés Inclán Zamora had only 52 days. 

However, due to their heroic performance and the situation in which they died, municipal president José Miguel Gómez López proposed that it be increased to 100 percent. 

«They are behaving like heroes, without weapons, without equipment, it is the least we as social servants can do,» commented Gómez López.

The initiative was approved unanimously, therefore, a monthly amount of ten thousand 500 pesos will be given to the families of those affected, which will be divided equally among the children of each police officer. The pension will be delivered until the last of their descendants reaches the age of majority. 

The municipal president also said that, “ after the unfortunate events, it will be, if necessary, to make a pressure the state and federal authorities», to provide more economic support and to be able to adequately equip the public security officers.

The policemen were killed while attending an accident near San Cristóbal Zapotitlán on the evening of Thursday, March 10; two paramedics, a man and a woman, who were also attending the accident, were also injured in the shotting which took place  for no apparent reason. 

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

El mural es dirigido por Juan José Becerra Hernández.

Jazmín Stengel.- El nuevo mural, que aún no tiene título, se extenderá a lo largo de la calle Niños Héroes por 148 metros lineales, comenzando en el cruce con la avenida Francisco I. Madero y es dirigido por el muralista Juan José Becerra Hernández, autor de ‘Prodigio del Agave’.

El objetivo de la pintura es «congelar en el tiempo» la forma de vida que se tenía alrededor del Lago de Chapala entre los años 1900 y 1920. Donde se incluye escenas representativas como el tren y la estación, ahora conocida como Centro Cultural González Gallo, la pesca, los cerros de Ocotlán y los barcos de vapor que antes transportaban la comida de punta a punta, son las escenas plasmadas

La meta será crear una curva que describa a la laguna de Chapala’, expresó el autor de la obra. Sin embargo, la magia de «Juanjo» como es su firma, consiste en una técnica que te hace sentir dentro de la pintura. En el proceso hasta ahora han participado diez alumnos, de los cuales solo siete perduran.

Garbage fills Gonzalez Gallo Avenue in Chapala.

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).- After the party, the garbage appears. Trash such as empty bottles, cigarette packs and beer containers are littered on Gonzalez Gallo Avenue in Chapala every weekend. 

According to neighbors, at night it is common for groups of friends to get together to drink and leave without picking up their garbage. 

The city workers who typically clean up the area are not on duty on Sundays, and on Mondays the garbage truck comes later than usual. Chapala residents say that it is now customary to see a large amount of garbage after visitors pass through on weekends.

Translated by Christalle Dalsted