LCS

Casa D owner Ray Domenech and long-time fan celebrate the Grand Opening of Casa D LCS.

Patrick O’Heffernan (Ajijic JAL). It’s official!  The new, improved and larger Casa Domenech  launched  at the Lake Chapala Society with a packed  – but Covid safe – Grand Opening Saturday. The community Ray Domenech has built for years around his original location – fans and musicians –  turned out in force.

Casa Domenech is now in the space at the LCS formerly known as Angelina’s which was operated by Ray Domenech for lunch and breakfast.  Casa Domenech is now open for breakfast lunch and dinner and features music most days for lunch and dinner.

The Grand Opening followed a  short “break-in” period in which  Casa D was open for food and music but had not yet been officially inaugurated.  Ray Domenech wanted to make sure the operation was smoothed out and working perfectly, which it was by Opening Night.  The celebration also showcased the advantage of moving Casa D from its original location in a small restaurant in West Ajijic to LCS where seating was outdoors and could spread beyond the immediate restaurant into the adjacent courtyard.  

“I love the new space where we can continue to create food, music and community like we have for five years, only with more people.  Many thanks to LCS for inviting us,” Domenech told Laguna.

According to Domenech, he can produce events for well over a hundred people at LCS. And the different seating locations give diners the option of being close to the music, or far away for conversation. And of course, special events like the recent Casa Domenech 5th Anniversary party in the LCS courtyard are always possible.

Music was in abundance, headlined by the Aloha Rock band and joined by the duo Old Souls – Scott Henrich and Yvonne Watterson,  singer Barbara Sangrey and folksingers Mike and Terrie.  And of course Ray Domenech sat in with his guitar whenever he could.

Casa D at LS is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Dinner served at 4:30 pm until 8 pm.  Enter through the library entrance to LCS for dinner.

Dinner music during the “break-in” period of Casa Domenech at LCS.  Grand opening Sunday.

Patrick O’Heffernan Ajijic (JAL) Casa Domenech, Ajijic’s iconic hub for  music, food and community for 5 years has moved from its original location on Calle Zaragoza in West Ajijic to the Lake Chapala Society.  Ray Domenech, founder and owner, has been operating Angelina’s Café at LCS and negotiated a complete move to and renaming  of the old café location on August 30, opening a new chapter in the Casa D story and in the Ajijic music scene.

“We were doing OK at the old location, but lost customers because we were all indoors and we were small – the tables were close together,” Ray Domenech told Laguna while the band took a break playing at the new location. “People were calling and apologizing for not coming because they were worried about Covid – there are new rules now, and we had to respect that, and now we have a larger space that is outdoors,” he said.

Domenech told Laguna that the move was his idea, although LCS had originally invited him to take over the Café for breakfast and lunch.  Holding the 5th anniversary celebration for Casa D – as it is affectionately known in Ajijic –  at LCS showed him that there was potential for more space and for larger events.

The move took some negotiation because Casa D’s is now open at LCS when everything else on campus is closed.  But the Board was in favor of it and the membership liked the idea, so he went ahead.

“LCS did an online poll of their members asking if they wanted us to be open evenings and serve dinner, and the result was 75% to 80% in favor. Everyone at LCS was very nice and helpful,” he said.

When asked about possible complaints from the neighbors over music noise at  night, he said that there might be some but he has the necessary license for music and that he will start early and shut music down early –  possibly as early as 7pm – to avoid disturbing the neighbors.

Most important, Domenech intends to recreate the magic the original location was known for, with great bands, drop-in musicians jamming, guest artists, and relationships and friendships kindling over food and jazz.

“ It is a different challenge – recreating the kind of magic we had in the smaller original venue, but it is my intention to make it happen here, he said, “the musicians will be here – just like tonight when a great trumpet player showed up and joined the band.”

Casa Domenech LCS is in its break-in period now, open daily for dinner and featuring music every night.  The Grand Opening will be this Saturday, September 4, from 4:30 to 8 pm.  The Aloha Rock band will be playing but Ray Domenech confided to Laguna that he expects many of Casa D’s musical friends to drop by and jam. Reservations can be made at  facebook.com/domenechmusic/ and are recommended.

Lake Chapala Community Orchestra.

Patrick O’Heffernan, Ajijic,  JAL.  The Lake Chapala Community Orchestra Chamber Ensemble will return to the stage in full force Thursday August 26 and Friday August 27 in a “Summer Serenade” concert  with special guests the Arche String Quartet from Guadalajara and Ely Molletones of the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra.

Poster for Summer Serenade concert

The  12-member Chamber Ensemble will play works by Mozart, Faure, Telemann, Tchaikovsky and many more. The two concerts will be held at the Unitarian/Bare Stage in Riberas, starting at  4pm. Orchestra Conductor Michael Reason will lead the Chamber Ensemble and play the piano.

Doors will be open at 3.15pm along with the bar which will offer wine, beer and soft drinks. Admission is free, but seat reservations are required..  Covid precautions will be in effect and masks must be worn while  in the building. Reservations are available by email at lccotickets@gmail.com with the date and number of seats  desired.

Cruz performed two shows on a Sunday afternoon , July 25.

Patrick O’Heffernan, Ajijic JAL. Freddie Mercury impersonator Roy Gómez Cruz put on a bang-up show for a full house at the Lake Chapala Society  that took the audience on an energetic, visual, and emotional journey through the songs and life events that made Freddie Mercury. 

Cruz performed two shows on a Sunday afternoon , July 25, on the LCS lawn that included high energy music, dancers, videos, and the singer strolling through the audience and serenading tables.  The crowd loved it and from all appearances, so did Cruz.

The concert was part of the Lake Chapala Society’s Concert on the Lawn series and been previewed by a surprise appearance by Cruz  in June so there was a lot anticipation and Cruz delivered the two shows in spades – he gave the audience everything they wanted – familiar songs, great music, jokes, recreations of Mercury’s classic videos including a vacuuming housewife, and flirting. As he sang.

Cruz plays Mercury in a running show in Puerto Vallarta even though Freddie Mercury and the band Queen are not as popular in Mexico as in other parts of the world, mainly because of a disastrous tour in 1981 marred by visa snafus, stampeding crowds, terrible organization, and eventually the audience throwing shoes at the band when Mercury threw water at them – a routine part of his act. No water was thrown at the LCS audience.

The Concert on the Lawn is an ongoing series at LCS which brings outstanding artists to  Lakeside to generate income for the Society and entertain people in Lakeside.  The next concert is the Crooners Tribute starring Marc Lopez on August 22.  Tickets available online or at LCS. 

Foto: Cortesía.

Patrick O’Heffernan.- El martes 22 de junio, la Sociedad del Lago de Chapala organizó la reunión inaugural de la Asociación de Fraccionamientos de Lakeside, convocando a representantes de ocho de los mayores fraccionamientos de la ribera de Chapala. El grupo lanzó la asociación para trabajar juntos en temas de interés común para los fraccionamientos mayoritarios de la zona y para proporcionar un frente unido en las relaciones con las agencias gubernamentales como SIMAPA y CONAGUA.

Entre los participantes en el lanzamiento de la asociación estuvieron Chula Vista Norte, Vista del Lago, La Floresta, Las Fuentes, Chula Vista, Brisas de Chapala, Chapala Haciendas y Villa Nova, todos los cuales estuvieron representados por miembros de sus Consejos Directivos en la reunión. La organización estima que sólo estos fraccionamientos representan a más de 1.800 propietarios en Lakeside, de los cuales casi la mitad son ciudadanos mexicanos.

El tema principal entre los representados fue el de los «Acuerdos de Concesión» con el municipio, a través de los cuales un fraccionamiento contrata con el municipio la prestación de servicios a sus miembros, que normalmente serían proporcionados por el municipio. Sin embargo, también trabajará en otros temas comunes como las violaciones al código de construcción y a la zonificación, la construcción ilegal, los inquilinos de AirB&B, las cuotas de CONAGUA, la seguridad y la prevención del crimen, y el trabajo con las agencias gubernamentales.

George Radford, miembro de la Junta Directiva de LCS, quien facilitó la reunión inaugural, dijo que aunque él no está involucrado en la asociación, se da cuenta de que «hay fuerza en los números y los fraccionamientos todos se ocupan de problemas similares, por lo que él y LVS estaba feliz de apoyar la formación de la organización», señalando que LCS proporcionará ayuda en cosas como avisos y anuncios.

Se anima a otros fraccionamientos a unirse. Los representantes o miembros de la junta directiva de los fraccionamientos que deseen más información deben ponerse en contacto con Timothy Tietze en ttietzeevnboard@gmail.com.

Lupita Jimenez entertains the sold-out crowd.

Patrick O’Heffernan Ajijic (JAL) The sold-out Wednesday afternoon concert starred Lupita Jimenez, Roy Cruz and SAGREY and featured  awards, door prizes, opportunities to underwrite a Cruz Roja table at LCS, plus  free-flowing alcohol and appetizers.  But the real star was Cruz Roja.

Produced by LCS-Board Chair Steve Balfour – who celebrated his birthday at the concert – the event was classily designed  with white tablecloth seating, waiters serving delicious appetizers  and tequila and a program packed with talent and events. But the focus was on rebuilding Cruz Roja, financially hurt by the Covid crises that prevented its fundraising events, helping it build a badly-needed new facility to treat patients. The LCS concert kicked off a new fundraising campaign for Cruz Roja, netting $320,000 pesos.

Yolanda Martinez address Mexicans and Expats, thanking them for their support

Sponsors included Jose Cuervo, Semanario Laguna, Pancho’s Deli Market, and Ray Domenech of Casa Domenech and Angelica’s restaurant. The audience was both Mexican and Expat and the language from the stage was both English and Spanish so everyone felt at home.  

The concert opened with Ajijic’s Mexican folkloric  troupe performing traditional dances in colorful costumes as cameras clicked and whirred. Next,  local Mexican singer Lupita Jimenez,  a long-time friend and supporter of Cruz Roja, was introduced and let loose with classic Mexican songs and a few American Standards, and got the crowd singing with her – Expats and Mexicans together in Spanish.  

As the applause died down, Yolanda Martinez, President of Cruz Roja Chapala, mounted the stage, almost dwarfed  by the huge red cross podium.  She thanked the packed crowd for their generosity and then welcomed the National Cruz Roja Vice President and translated his address. The architects for the new facility then walked the audience  through the design process, and urged them to look  at the plans for the new Cruz Roja medical facility arrayed around the Lawn on easels.

Roy Cruz brings the Freddie Mercury story to LCS 

Freddie Mercury imitator Roy Cruz, put on a preview of his coming July 25 performance at LCS, singing Queen’s classics, moving around the crowd, urging them to join him in song and even welcoming a super Queen fan who had traveled here to see him.  The local band SAGUEY, fronted by blues/jazz singer Barbara Saguey, kept the crowd dancing until well past closing time.

The music was broken up, however, with a door prize drawing for prime bottles of tequila, an opportunity for people to get together to pledge $40,000 pesos for a new LCS table for Cruz Roja (they did), and a birthday cake for LCS-Board Chair Steve Balfour. 

The concert was a one-time event to launch Cruz Roja’s fundraising season, but the need to support Cruz Roja  is ongoing.  With a monthly budget of $300,000, Cruz Roja ‘s ambulances and food and health services  serve everyone but are  a lifeline to the poor in Lakeside because it charges no fees for its services, relying  on donations for its operations and to build a fund to construct a new facility.

Donations of any amount can be made by dropping them off at Yoly’s Unisex Styling Salon, next to El Torito market in Ajijic or at the Cruz Roja Chapala headquarters in Chapala next to Christina Park.

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.

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.

Dona Oxford singing backup with TzinTzui for Grizz Pina at El Barco.

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.

Poster for Quarantine for Two.

Patrick O’Heffernan, English Editor. After being off the stage for an entire season, Lakeside Little Theater will present a fully realized play – actors, costumes, stage, props – all in a socially distanced, Covid-19 safe, specially-built outdoor theater on the Angel Terrace.

Appropriately entitled Quarantine for Two, the play written by Hy Conrad who has generously allowed LLT to produce it, will feature three actors live onstage, six live by Zoom, and three projected onto a screen.  The stage will be specially constructed  under the awning on the Angel Terrace with the audience seated outside in socially distanced chairs and mandatory masks.

The dark comedy speaks to our times. After months of quarantine, the recently retired Oscar Ebersol and his wife Ruth are driving one another nuts and are ready to kill each other.  A chance encounter with a stranger turns their world upside down and someone is likely to end up dead!

On stage will be Peter King as Oscar, Monnie King as Ruth, and Brian Fuqua as Marty the disruptive stranger.  On screen will be Johanna Labadie and Gabriel Casillas and the Zoom party will feature Donna Burroughs, Randy Warren, Araceli Kopiloff, Brian Mattes, Carlos Rodriquez, and JeanMarie Harmon.

Quarantine for Two will run from March 25 through April 2, with no show on March 29.  All productions will begin at 7:30 pm except for Saturday and Sunday,  March 27 and 28, when curtain will be at 4 pm.  

Lake Chapala Society 2020 budget projection showing  a project loss of over $221,000 pesos.  The actual deficit was over $300,000 pesos.

Patrick O’Heffernan, Ajijic.  “We almost closed,”  LCS Board President Stephen Balfour told the LCS Annual General Meeting Tuesday, reporting to the members gathered online  that “during June and September we were at a high risk of closing – we were looking at being $1.3 million pesos below budget at the end of the year.  We were exploring selling the Wilkes Center, laying off our staff, and even closing and selling the campus  – we faced the possibility of closing for good.”

But the members and donors of LCS came through with a jaw dropping $2.3 million pesos in donations–  fr more than its projected donations budget – which not only staved off the end of LCS, but to enabled it to emerge stronger and ready to raise funds  to  move ahead with is  new LCS 2.0 growth plan.

“We have emerged from 2020 stronger – we are prepared not only to do things right, but to do the right things,” new Executive Director Luis Pacheco told the Zoom audience of over  150 people.

Tuesday’s Annual General Meeting was Pacheco’s first Annual General Meeting (AGM ) and it was a trial by fire for the new ED, as he took over the reins after the worst year in the organization’s history.  In 2020 LCS lost over 1000 members, had to close the campus to meet Covid guidelines, postponed all of its expansion programs, lost its important trip and program revenue, and ended the year with an deficit of  over $300,000MX.  But LCS survived and Pacheco is  determined that it will  grow and prosper – with continuing help from members and donors.

“What we can do now is live within our hope,” LCS’s first Mexican ED told the members, as he laid out plans for improving and modernizing LCS, and expanding its engagement and collaboration with the Lakeside Mexican community. 

Members received a report from Treasurer Timothy Boardman showing the pace of  donations and the deficit from last year, a report from Education Director Alfredo Perez describing new Spanish language classes and Personal Enrichment classes including an upcoming program on how government works in Mexico, LCS’s support for 40 Mexican students, and LCS volunteer work with local schools .  Development Director Diana Ayala explained the LCS emails about the pandemic, the upcoming 2021 Directory, and the project to improve the LCS computer system with help from the Instituto Technologico Superior de Chapala.

The staff and board laid out the highlights of LCS 2.0, its 10-yer plan for growth and development, previously approved by the Board but put on hold. LCS 2.0 has 42 goals in 5 categories and is led by the twin drives to improve and grow the organization’s programs and resources for members and dramatically increase engagement and cooperation with the Mexican community of Lakeside.  Part of the plan is a capital campaign that seeks donors of any amount, but especially those who can give $40,000  pesos during the campaign, and an effort to rebuild membership, including its nascent Lapsed Member Program that calls  former members to encourage them to rejoin even if they are not in Lakeside at present.

The AGM, usually a somewhat routine program that draws mostly highly dedicated members, was stocked with surprises, vital information, and new initiatives.  Among the new announcements was the incorporation of Open Circle – formally a separate organization – into LCS with live meetings in July, the announcement of a new Master Marketing Council,  the re-election of the Treasurer and five at-large Board members, information about  the Concerts in the Park program with a hint of plans for music into September, the establishment of a Mexican Advisory Council, and a small increase in membership fees.