Localidades

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).-  In the last few weeks the doors of the Ajijic municipal cemetery have been closing before 10:00 p.m. due to the illicit activities that take place after nightfall.

Acting Ajijic delegateMaximiano Macias Arceo commented that this is an initiative that has been carried out throughout the municipality in an effort to prevent crime in these spaces. In this case to prevent garbage dumping and other misdeeds.

All kinds of garbage and debris in the creek that crosses the cemetery. Photo: Sofía Medeles.

«It is because of littering, and other acts like the vandalization of tombs, the theft of articles from the tombs and other inappropriate activities. All this used to happen at night, that is why this decision was made,» said Macías Arceo.

Macías Arceo said he was aware of customs in Ajijic, so if a family needs permission to start digging a grave during the night or to dig a grave, they can contact him to talk to the caretaker at 331-537-9134.

He also said that even though he has been contacted by people who are upset by this new decision, he believes it is the best way to reduce the dumping of waste in the creek that crosses the cemetery since, he pointed out, garbage has been dumped through the side entrances.

Finally, he made a call to the conscience of Ajijic residents to improve their habits regarding waste. 

«We are not children; we do not need to be herded and told to do things. We need to have a culture of cleanliness, both in the cemetery and in Ajijic. This is a very present problem,» he concluded. 

Translated by Sydney Metrick

Bernabé Robledo, currently in charge of CETAC Ajijic. Photo: Sofía Medeles.

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- For almost 30 years, Professor Bernabé Robledo has not only been in charge of educating young people in the classroom but also teaching them to be empathetic citizens,  while being an activist for the land he lives on.

Bernabé was born in Ajijic. He is the son of farmers and attended basic education in the delegation, until high school, when he studied at the Center for Technological Studies in Continental Waters (CETAC 01) in Jocotepec. Later, he studied food engineering at the Mazatlán Technology, Sinaloa. He also earned a master’s degree from Ocotlán and a doctorate in Education.

After working in an industrial food production company, in 1996 he decided to become a teacher; his first position as a professor was at the Center for Technological Studies of the Sea (CETMAR) in Mazatlán. 

In 1996 he joined the CETAC Jocotepec, then he became one of the first members of the Mario Molina Institute which studies sustainability,  as well as having been a professor at the National College of Technical Professional Education (CONALEP)  in Chapala.

 One of his achievements which he speaks of as a father would speak of his prodigal child, is the CETAC Ajijic, an extension of the Jocotepec campus, which Robledo managed. He went to great lengths to acquire the property and to request donations to repair the school that was abandoned for at least 15 years, and has been working since 2019, and in his words, has been “shaped to meet the needs of the people of Ajijic.”

Bernabé presenting a request for help to Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez. Photo: Sofía Medeles.

«There are many private schools in Ajijic, but none that are public that meet the vocational needs of the region. Ajijic is a town that has approximately 12,000  citizens, and has a tourist economy, which  is why we thought training in businesses related to  the settlement of foreigners and tourists is a perfect fit,» commented the professor.

In addition to continuing with the improvement of the campus, which he said could have the potential to be one of the most beautiful schools in Lakeside, one of his most important goals is to secure the campus in the campus where it is located, which was loaned to it  by the 2018-2021 administration. He also spoke of the exponential growth that has taken place since the beginning, with 115 students and its first generation about to graduate.

Bernabé Robledo commented that his taste for teaching at the high school level arose for several reasons, one of them being how his life  has been coupled to the needs that young people have at this age and that makes it easier for him to communicate with them, and to the nobility he finds in this age range.

«At this age, you are finishing shaping the citizens about to be sent to society. I have found satisfaction, especially in their nobility. For example, when we were fixing up the CETAC playground, one of the laziest youngsters helped and put all his effort into handling the concrete mixing  equipment. He gave and gave, until when he finished, he fell exhausted to the ground. He was a 16 or 17 year old kid who decided to help, and thanks to him, as well as to the other youngsters, CETAC has made progress,” he said.

Professor Berna, as he is also known, not only says he is committed to education, but also to activism, which he has engaged in on multiple occasions with his students. 

«I am a great admirer of Paulo Freire, educator of America, and I agree with his philosophy that the teacher by himself is already a social transformer. I don’t find any conflict between activism and teaching, I can’t conceive of one without the other. I get tired, but I don’t get angry, I don’t work for a salary, but for an ideal. If you don’t feel that way, it may not be your vocation,» he said firmly.

On the other hand, he has always advised his students to pursue cultural activities, since, his vision is that he seeks young people to realize culture and empathy, that they feel proud and love these teachings, adding that «we are rich in culture, we do not have to envy any other culture.»

Finally, he dedicated a few words to the future teachers: in this profession they are not going to get rich so it is something they must love, since it is a social work owed to the community.

Translated by Christalle Dalsted

Tilapia hatchlings in a plastic bag before being released. Photo: Archive.

Editor.– As part of the commitment of the Tizapán Aquaculture Center to donate 500 thousand fish hatchlings to reactivate fishing activity in Lake Chapala, the first delivery was made by the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) Jalisco, and this first batch delivered was 150 thousand tilapia hatchlings in Jamay.

This donation of fish hatchlings benefits the 61 fishing organizations on the Chapala shore, made up of 1,661 people. Jamay and Poncitlán are the municipalities with the most fishing organizations, with 15 each. Chapala and Ocotlán have eight cooperatives, Tizapán six, Tuxcueca five and Jocotepec has four fishermen’s groups.

Translated by Paul Weeks

Citizens denounce the lack of maintenance of public lighting by the CFE. Photo: Courtesy.

Héctor Ruiz Mejía (Jocotepec).- The rainy season has started and with it the power blackouts throughout the municipality of Jocotepec. On May 15, through a communiqué shared on official networks, the Jocotepec City Hall alerted citizens about the season of power outages due to weather conditions.

Since the rainy season officially began, the government announced that the season of “las caídas de cuchillas” [«blades dropping»] is coming, which is when fuses are set to protect the transformer from power surges.

Therefore, the community was urged to remain alert about drinking water pumping equipment in the houses and to close faucets, especially at night. This measure will avoid the waste of water that has been observed in the last few days when the electric power goes off.

However, drinking water has not been the only problem for some residents of the community. Since the winds began, neighbors in the neighborhood of La Purísima, north of town and Nextipac, have already reported problems.

«The first few days we had between 15 and 20 blackouts in an hour and since yesterday, with any wind, it goes out and it takes longer and longer to return,» said one of the neighbors.

Although this situation has been blamed on weather   and the neighbors consider this to be a possible cause for the blackouts, the fact that «any little breeze» deprives them of service and denotes a lack of maintenance on the part of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE).

They also added that they have never seen CFE provide adequate maintenance to the light poles and are concerned since «we are just starting the rainy season and we are already struggling like this.»

Translated by MaryAnne Marble

This is how the new speed bumps look that are installed on El Molino Road. Photo: JocoPiolin Official.

Héctor Ruiz Mejía (Jocotepec).-  Accidents on the El Molino Road stretch have decreased after the installation of speed bumps.

On February 13, a heavy vehicle overturned on this stretch, spilling 300 liters of ethanol and causing the road closure for more than 24 hours. As of May 19, no more accidents have been recorded.

A little more than a month after the last accident, the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT) installed a series of speed bumps on the stretch known as “La Engorda” on the Guadalajara-Morelia highway.

According to María Dolores “Lolis” López Jara, the local deputy for district 17 who managed the project to prevent traffic accidents, these bumps are only a “temporary measure” while a long-term one is being developed.

Lopez Jara said they are still working to install some kind of signage or indicators, “because they can take you by surprise and reduce your speed all of a sudden.”

Although the congresswoman said there has been no record of another accident, largely due to the temporary solution, some drivers have been taken by surprise.

Rodrigo, who regularly travels this stretch of road, said the new speed bumps surprised him. “They are a bit dangerous and you can’t see them. I hadn’t been this way for a while and I was caught by surprise,” he commented.

The measure was undertaken by the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) after the high accident rates on this stretch of road. In a period of less than one year, more than 89 accidents were registered in which 19 people lost their lives.

Translated by Mary Woods

El nivel educativo con mayor matrícula es la primaria con el 41.0%, es decir, 933 mil 40 alumnos y alumnas. Foto: Cortesía. 

Redacción.- En el marco de la conmemoración del Día del Estudiante, el Instituto de Información Geográfica y Estadística de Jalisco (IIEG), presentó un diagnóstico sobre la cantidad de alumnos en activo en el ciclo escolar 2021-2022.

Según dichas cifras, en el estado hay  2 millones 279 mil 231 alumnos y alumnas en las 15 mil 015 escuelas; 373 mil 240 (16.4%) se encuentran matriculados en instituciones particulares y 1 millón 905 mil 991 (83.6%) en escuelas públicas.

De la matrícula mencionada, el 41.0% (933,40) de las y los estudiantes se concentran en el nivel de primaria, seguido de un 18.3% (416,478) que se encuentra cursando la secundaria y de un 14.0% (319,518) que estudia en el nivel medio superior (modalidad escolarizada y mixta). 

Asimismo, el 12.5% (285,423) pertenece al nivel superior, el 12.4% (281,773) al nivel de preescolar y 0.6% (14,020) a educación inicial; por su parte, el 1.3% (28,618) de las alumnas y alumnos son de educación especial. 

El origen de celebrar el Día del Estudiante en México surge en 1929, cuando un grupo de estudiantes de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) se puso en huelga en favor de la autonomía universitaria.

El intento de extorsión se registró en un comercio de la calle Hidalgo, de Riberas del Pilar, . Foto: Fiscalía. 

Redacción.- Se registró un nuevo intento de extorsión en el municipio de Chapala, ahora en Riberas del Pilar, donde oficiales de la Secretaría de Seguridad del Estado (SSE) atendieron y frustraron el ilícito. 

Según el reporte de la SSE emitido el 20 de mayo, fue durante un recorrido de vigilancia por la calle Hidalgo, los oficiales estatales fueron interceptados por un hombre, quien les informó que estaba recibiendo llamadas desde un número desconocido en el cual le pedían dinero a cambio de liberar a un empleado al que supuestamente tenían secuestrado.

El joven que supuestamente había sido secuestrado, fue encontrado sano y salvo cerca de un hotel. Foto: Fiscalía.

Los policías brindaron acompañamiento a la víctima y tras recomendarle evitar hacer cualquier pago y seguir proporcionando información a los supuestos secuestradores, procedieron a realizar la búsqueda del empleado, el cual fue encontrado cerca de un hotel, confirmando que estaba en buen estado de salud.

Derivado del hecho se solicitó mando y conducción al agente del Ministerio Público de la Fiscalía del Estado, quien ordenó la elaboración de los informes policiales correspondientes.

Restaurant being remodeled to “open  soon”. Photo: Sofía Medeles.

Sofía Medeles.- The controversial restaurant located on the Ajijic pier, which in recent weeks has seen staff working on its upcoming reopening, still does not have the necessary licenses to operate, nor has it been approached by Chapala authorities.

This information was confirmed by the municipal president Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel, who said that no commercial activity has been authorized. 

«So far, I am not aware that they have been approached, but they do not have any license», thus ruling out a prompt opening.

Contrary to this, in the last three weeks, there has been activity on the part of workers performing remodeling, next to a large billboard, which has information about the restaurant, which reads «coming soon».

The appearance of the restaurant and the sign have generated controversy in Ajijic, as some people object to both the restaurant on the premises, and those who see it as a source of work, a tourist attraction, and that it would be better occupied than abandoned.

The 34-year-old building, located next to the Ajijic pier, was built there due to a concession granted by the National Water Commission (Conagua) to a private individual. The owner of the site and of the concession is Fabio Rizzo Jasso, according to him, the concession covers 3,362 meters, which includes part of the boardwalk and the Parque de la Amistad, and is authorized for 50 years.

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

Miguel Martínez street in the municipal headwaters with the fallen guamuchil and flood damage.Photo: Jazmin Stengel.

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).- The first rains in Chapala left five fallen trees, damaged power line, and the obstruction of the water well number 3, according to reports from the director of Fire and Civil Protection in Chapala, Antonio Lorenzo Salazar Guerrero and the Municipal System of Potable Water and Sewerage (SIMAPA).

Winds of over 50 kilometers per hour in Ajijic and more than 70 in Chapala were recorded for almost 15 minutes during the first rain of the season on May 14, after 7:30 at night, according to Civil Protection and Firefighters of Jalisco.

Of the five fallen trees, two were in Atotonilquillo, one at the entrance on the Santa Rosa – La Barca highway and the second at the exit to Juanacatlán, damaging a light pole and telephone cables, which have already been repaired.

Another tree almost 15 meters tall fell in La Floresta subdivision of Ajijic, which blocked the road for almost an hour.Residents and Firefighters and Civil Protection removed it completely. 

In the municipal capital, the tree collapsed on Emiliano Zapata street and took down the perimeter fence of the neighboring land and another one on Miguel Martínez street, where a guamuchil grafted on a camichin fell on the niche of the Virgin of Guadalupe and the gate of an adjoining house, taking down two walls and a metal sign on the door. 

Firemen and Civil Protection promised Eliba, owner of the property, that members of the Urban Development Department would come to assess the damage, but a week after the incident they still have not shown up. 

Miguel Martínez street was blocked on Sunday May 15 after the strong winds. Photo: Jazmín Stengel.

In addition, water well number three, located on Teófilo SIlva Street, was so clogged with sedimentary materials that only four liters of water per second could be extracted, instead of its normal 25 liters per second. 

At press time, SIMAPA personnel were re-drilling the well to stabilize the water supply in the Las Redes and Barrio Nuevo subdivisions, located northeast of the municipal capital.

The effects of the rain were also felt in other areas. Damage to a shade netting structure was reported at School1066 of Las Redes Chapala, caused by the strong winds of the Urban Planning personne removed the shade becauseFirefighters and Civil Protection considered it dangerous.

«Having a municipality rich in green areas, also entails risks,» explained Lorenzo Antonio Salazar Guerrero. Commander Of the Chapala Bomberos, adding that neither Fire and Civil Protection, nor the Director of Ecology have conducted a total study of trees in the municipality, to identify how many of them are sick and at risk of collapse.

However, upon receiving a report, the Fire Department and Civil Protection does go to the site to diagnose the tree and determine its condition.The director of Civil Protection has asked  the people of Chapala  to report any type of anomaly in trees in their gardens or public spaces. 

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

Amy E.’s 2009 Prius. Photo: Amy E.

Editors. After 10 months of ping-pong between state agencies, attempts by local officials to intervene, and multiple meetings and documents, Amy E. has asked the Stolen Car Office of the US Consulate in Guadalajara to help her get her car back in what observers say is a painful example of a byzantine, incompetent and uncaring bureaucracy run amok.

According to statements, a timeline and documents provided to Laguna by Amy E., the Chapala police towed her car, a 2009 silver Toyota Prius, last July after it was sideswiped by a driver who was passing on the left in a no passing zone.  She had been waiting to make a left turn from the Carretera when her car was struck.  Damage to her car was minor; the other driver lost control and seriously damaged his car, but there were no injuries. Amy E. called her insurance company.  

Neither driver called the police but Amy E. claims a Chapala policeman showed up and towed their cars without permission to the el carralón (impound lot) located on the Libramiento in Chapala.  

Amy E., her spouse, a representative of the insurance company, the lawyer for the insurance company, the President of Gysa S.A de C.V.  which owns the impound lot, and a senior official from the Chapala municipal government met last week to find a way to get Amy’s car back. Laguna was present at the meeting. 

The consensus was that as much as the Gysa S.A de C.V. wants to return her car – which the company president said was his priority – state law forbids the company from doing so without a release  document from Jalisco Ministerio Público (MP). Efforts by Amy E., GYA, and the insurance company to obtain the document have been stymied by 10 months of bungling and bureaucratic nonsense, according to Amy E. and those in attendance.

 “It feels quite unfair – we appeared at every appointment, showed every piece of documentation several times, and we were very eager to get our car out of storage. But every time we showed up with the documents they asked for, they had another excuse for not releasing the car. I wish I knew why it was being held for so long,” Amy told Laguna, displaying all of the documentation required by MP and the list of appointments she and the insurance company had attended on time, as requested.

During the past ten months she says that she and her attorney and insurance company have tried to retrieve their car multiple times both at the Gysa S.A de C.V.  lot and at the Ministerio Público office in Chapala, starting two days after the accident, but have been blocked by the state government agencies who were unwilling or unable to provide the release, although was not at fault and her car was driveable.

The Mexican driver who sideswiped her car did not have insurance and was driving with open alcohol, has never shown up for any required meetings and has suffered no consequences for ignoring the law.

 She knew it was going to be difficult at her first meeting at MP when she arrived for her appointment with all the requested documents and was told she needed another appointment to present the documents to the clerk standing in front of her. At her most recent meeting, she was told her TIP (importation document) was expired and she could not get her car without renewing it and she could not renew it without getting her car. She protested that she had renewed it and presented the documents to prove it (Laguna confirmed the renewal documents) but to no avail. According to copies of emails provided to Laguna by Amy E., MP staff said they needed another document from another state agency.

At one point in the process  (October 2021) the MP told her another agency could not locate the car (it was where it had been for months). Her insurance company had to go to the impound lot and obtain photos to prove that it was still there.

Amy E. relates that the MP staff also asked her to sign a paper saying she was half at fault in order to get her car back, which was not true; however, she signed the paper to expedite the release of her car, which did not happen. The MP has also refused to give her any documents  from her file. 

With no more options, she has asked the Stolen Car Office of the US Counsel General to initiate an investigation. Since MP and the other agencies it works with to obtain documents are part of the Jalisco State government, it appears that intervention is needed at the state level.  She is awaiting a reply.

 “Since it was taken during the rainy season, and due to the accident the driver-side door did not shut completely, we are worried the rain will get inside [the car and ruin it], but our greatest fear is that we will never get it back.”Amy E. told Laguna.