Cleanup effort
Some 50 Chapala tourist boat operators and several dozen volunteers joined forces early Monday, May 21 to clear rocks from the Chacaltita beach on the east side of the town pier. The city government provided extra manpower, earth movers and dump trucks to haul away nine loads of stones that have been exposed as the shoreline has receded during the peak of the dry season. The cleanup effort is scheduled to resume next Tuesday.
Patriotic days
The Lake Chapala Society has announced its plans for the CAN/AM Celebration Day on Monday, July 2, noon to 5 p.m. on the Lake Chapala Society campus in Ajijic.
The event recognizes Canada Day on July 1 and U.S. Independence Day on July 4.
There will be the ever-popular LCS Used Books and Videos Sale, as well as showcase table displays and sales from many local non-profit service organizations, along with favorite American and Canadian holiday foods and drinks. Lots of activities are planned to keep everyone in the picnic mood. The Tall Boys Band will be there for a rockin’ good time, too.
Aurora Michel will be the master of ceremonies for the event and strategically placed drink and food booths will help slake thirsts and relieve hunger pains.
Local charities are invited to set up tables to promote their organizations and raise some funds for their projects.
Registration for table space will start Monday, May 21, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and continue on weekdays until June 22. The cost of each table is 200 pesos. The fee will include two admission tickets for volunteers. Some of you might even want to volunteer with one or more of your favorite service organizations.
Tickets for entry to the event will be 80 pesos (in advance) or 150 pesos at the door. For more information or tickets, contact June Cooper at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 766-4939.
Ancestors
The May meeting of the Genealogy Forum will be held Monday, May 28, 2 p.m. in the Sala of the Lake Chapala Society (LCS).
Marci Bowman, the club’s new president, will present information on genealogy tools, toolbars and other nifty small computer applications that can help find elusive ancestors.
Bowman will also show how to access Heritage Quest without charge.
Everyone with an interest in family history is welcome to attend. For further information contact Fran Murphy at (376) 766-0067 or Marci Bowman at (376) 762-0520.
Run
The Terranova Institute is inviting everyone to show up and run for the fourth edition of “Corre por ayudar” (Run to help) on Sunday, June 10.
Runners will pay 50 pesos, plus a bag of imperishable groceries such as beans, rice, corn flakes or pasta. Proceeds from the event will go to Cruz Roja Chapala and Villa Infantil Nuestra Señora Guadalupe y San Jose in San Pedro Tesistan.
The run is from Tobolandia to the Terranova Institute in Rancho del Oro. Advanced runners may want to run with the professionals from the Chapala Malecon to Rancho del Oro.
Register at the Terranova Institute, Galeria Di Paola or just show up at Tobolandia on June 10 before the race starts at 8 a.m. Last year nearly 200 people participated. Let’s see if we can drive that number up this year. You’ll get your exercise and help a couple of great causes.
Speed bumps
A series of low level speed bumps were installed this week in two sections of the main highway located between Chapala and San Antonio Tlayacapan. Lakeside traffic department commandant Hector Magaña says the purpose of the new obstacles is to slow down vehicles at critical intersections identified as frequent accident sites and dangerous pedestrian crossing points.
British Society
The British Society will meet Saturday, June 2, 1 p.m. at Manix Restaurant, Ocampo 57 in Ajijic. The speaker will be Guadalajara Reporter editor Michael Forbes. He will review the upcoming election and other relevant issues facing Mexico.
Please contact Alicia McNiff at 765-4786 or Ceri Dando at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you plan to attend and your choice of menu. The menu choices are Chicken Valdastana with prosciutto ham, cheese and a white wine sauce or White Fish Veracruz, rice and vegetables, either with a small salad for 120 pesos, including tips. The price for a large salad and dessert is 80 pesos.
Remember that Manix has a large parking area available next door.
Freethinkers
The newly formed Lakeside Freethinkers held their first meeting on May 16, with 18 of 30 members attending.
The group is obviously filling a need in the community to include atheists, agnostics, humanists, and all others who reject belief in the supernatural.
Organizers believe that it will provide opportunities for these folks to meet one another, to enjoy socializing and fellowship and to discuss subjects of interest.
A speaker at the May 16 meeting described his and his wife’s journey from being fundamentalist religious believers to becoming atheists.
The Lakeside Freethinkers will meet on the third Wednesday of each month. The next meeting will be held on June 20 when separation of church and state will be addressed. All freethinkers are welcome to attend. For more information contact Ken Crosby at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Memorial Day
Look ahead to the traditional Memorial Day bash at American Legion Post 7 (Morelos 114, Chapala) on Monday, May 28.
The patriotic ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. with dinner served at 2:30 p.m. The menu is pit roasted pig, corn on the cob, broccoli salad, garlic toast and ice cream floats for dessert.
The Legion will offer one free drink to any card-carrying member of any military organization and there will be a Canadian-style meat draw (raffle). Tickets for 150 pesos are on sale now at the Post.
Sex addiction
Sex Addicts Anonymous is a closed 12-step study and discussion group for anyone experiencing addictive behaviors with love and relationships, pornography, compulsive sexual fantasy, masturbation and other forms of sexual acting out.
Contact Steven H. at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (cel.) 331-519- 5653 for meeting time and location.
Christ Church Anglican
Christ Church Anglican Fellowship will celebrate the Day of Pentacost on Sunday, May 27 at 10 a.m. with Holy Eucharist Rite I in the ground floor area of Manix Restaurant, Ocampo 57 in Ajijic. The sermon topic for Father Danny Borkowski is “Witnessing,” based on John 15:26-27, 16: 4b-15.
Presbyterian
Lakeside Presbyterian Church will meet Sunday, May 27, 10 a.m. Pastor Ross Arnold’s topic will be a continuation of his series The Road to Maturity. Is there more to the Christian concept of “fellowship” than the food and fun that usually goes along with it?
The interactive Bible study in the book of Acts continues at 10 a.m. on Friday morning. Lakeside Presbyterian Church is located on the mountain side of the Carretera just west of S&S Auto and Bubba’s Restaurant.
Unitarians
The Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will meet Sunday, May 27, 10:30 a.m. at Sta. Margarita 113 in Riberas del Pilar. Trudy Crippen will lead the talk, “The Ethics of Drones, War and Morality.” There will be no fellowship/coffee hour after the service this week. For more information call (376) 766-1119. All are welcome.
St. Andrew’s Anglican
This Sunday, the Feast of Pentacost, is the Church’s birthday, in honor of which all those attending worship are invited to wear something red.