Bilingual Toastmasters
Two guests joined members during the recent local Toastmasters meeting. Topics for the talks included keeping New Year’s resolutions, overcoming procrastination and questioning to transform.
Members of the Lake Chapala Bilingual Toastmasters group will attend training sessions in Guadalajara on Saturday, February 7 and engage in English speech contests at the Monday, February 10 meeting at 7 p.m. in the Sala at the Lake Chapala Society (LCS). English information is available from Guy at (376)766-5181; Marissa has information in Spanish at (33)1600-5937.
School for Special Children
Officers and board members were elected during the Annual General Meeting of the School for Special Children on January 30. In front, from left are: Director Claudette Champagne, and Director Leslie Martin. In back are, from left: Public Relations Chair Robin Lawrason, Treasurer Sonia Ulloa, Vice President Mary-Dale Wilson, President Maritza Freyslinger, and Secretary Mary-Ellen McCann. Not shown is Membership chair Jim Lloyd. Reports of the school’s financial status, improvements at the school and the Casi Nuevo Bazaar, and the long range strategy for 2015 were discussed. Details are available at www.schoolforspecialchildren.org.
Tarahumara fiesta
A fajita party to benefit the Tarahumara Project will be held Sunday, February 8 at La Bodega Restaurant from noon to 5 p.m. The Bodega will donate proceeds from the meal (chicken 100 pesos and arrachera 135 pesos) to the Project to purchase blankets, warm clothing, food and medicine for the free Tarahumara Children’s hospital in the Copper Canyon region.
Anyone who donates cash or kind (blankets, sweaters, warm clothing, etc.) will get a chance to win a Tarahumara pot. There will be Tarahumara handcrafts for sale, and Jose Melendrez will be on hand selling his finery and goods, and has pledged a healthy percentage to the cause too. There will also be a 50/50 drawing. Last year the winners won a few thousand pesos.
Throughout the day there will be live music. Some local musicians have donated their time, including Los Cuatro Vientos from Guadalajara, who will play tropical music from 3 to 5 pm.. Come shop, eat, listen to great music, maybe dance a little, and help the Tarahumara survive another winter.
Democrats Abroad
A first hand report about life for U.S. Peace Corps workers in war-torn Ukraine will be presented by Lakeside resident Geraldine Schultz at the Monday, February 9 meeting of the Lake Chapala Chapter of Democrats Abroad Mexico at La Bodega Restaurant in Ajijic, beginning at 4 pm. Schultz, not one of the youngest corps members, was serving a two-year stint in Ukraine when war broke out with forces supported by neighboring Russia. More than 200 Peace Corps workers and support personnel were evacuated from the war zone. Schultz will illustrate her talk with slides taken during her time in Ukraine.
Items on the board’s business agenda preceding Schultz’s talk will include: a report on plans for hosting the Annual General Meeting of Democrats Abroad Mexico here at Lakeside. The national meeting, which will include representatives from chapters throughout Mexico, will be conducted in mid-April. Exact dates, meeting location and agenda details are among the items to be discussed. Also on the agenda is finalizing election plans for officers and board members of the local chapter. All 10 positions on the organization’s board of directors will be up for election at the chapter’s meeting on March 9. And lastly, discussion of advertising and promotion plans for the chapter’s eight-week long Sunday Afternoon at the Movies series which will begin on March 1. This is the local chapter’s major fundraising event.
The meeting is open to anyone interested in the organization. Admission is free. For more information call 763-5271 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Noon Seminar
The Tuesday, February 10 noon seminar for LCS members, will be chaired by Ron Mullenaux and will feature a Ted Talk,“Color Blind Or Color Brave?” by Mellody Hobson.
Hobson, the wife of George Lucas, and board of directors member of Starbucks, DreamWorks and Estee Lauder, knows race can be a touchy subject. She calls it “conversational third rail.” In this engaging, persuasive talk, Hobson makes the case that speaking openly about race makes for better relationships and a better society.
Neill James Talk
Fred Harland will be on deck for the Tuesday, February 10 Neill James lecture from 2 to 3:30 p.m. “Science Wars,” discusses major controversies in science, what they reveal about what science knows and how it is known.
Progressives
Senator Bernie Sander’s “Twelve Initiatives to Restore the Middle Class,” are on the agenda for the Tuesday, February 10 meeting of the Lakeside Progressives. The initiatives include, rebuilding roads, reversing climate change, creating jobs, protecting unions, raising minimum wage, pay equity, trade work, cutting college costs, breaking up big banks, health care for all, ending poverty, and stopping tax dodging corporations.
The Progressives meeting will be held at 4 p.m. at the Peacock Garden Restaurant on Colón in Ajijic. These like-minded people discusses progressive solutions to problems not addressed by the major political parties.
Most attendees have an early dinner at the restaurant following the meeting. The group’s Facebook page is Lakeside Progressives. Email Chad Olsen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to RSVP or with questions.
Cooking Mexican
Linda Heely’s series of cooking classes organized by the LCS to highlight authentic Mexican cuisine continue with Oaxacan molletes (potato and meat filled turnovers) on Tuesday, February 10 at 4 p.m. On Wednesday, February 11, the class will shop in the tianguis (street market) and then cook their purchases into lunch specialities. Class members will make a special occasion version of Guerrero’s pozole verde on Thursday, February 12 at 4 p.m.
Specialties from the Mexican kitchen continue on Tuesday, February 17 at 4 p.m. with cochinita pibil, a Mayan pork dish marinated in oranges and spices and baked in banana leaves. Wednesday, February 18 is another class to explore the tianguis and cook the purchases, followed on Thursday, February 19 at 4 p.m. with pollo con rajas, traditional chicken and poblano stew.
Participants must register in advance in the LCS office
Paella on the Terraza fundraiser
Cruz Roja International Volunteers Chapala hosted a January 17 Paella on the Terraza fundraiser for more than 120 diners at the Hotel Montecarlo. Shown from left are the event’s stars: Montecarlo kitchen manager Lupe Patron, volunteer paella chef Dr. Antonio Pinto and Hotel Montecarlo manager Dra. Viviana Plascencia. Javier Raygoza and the Orquestra Tipica de Chapala entertained during dinner, followed by DJ Howard’s music for dancing.
Conservatives
Stuart Browne will take the speaker’s podium at the Wednesday, February 11 meeting of the Lakeside Conservatives Group. During the 4 p.m. meeting in the clubhouse of the San Juan Cosalá Raquet Club, Browne will discuss a pair of current topics: net neutrality and the proposal for internet regulation. Browne is an international telecommunications consultant with more than 40 years experience in engineering and developing telephone, data and satellite communications systems.
The group will meet at the new venue through April. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (387) 761-0484 for information.
Writers Conference
Plans for the 11th annual Lake Chapala Writers Conference have been finalized and discounted pre-registration is underway. Keynote speakers for the March 11-13 event include Linda Joy Myers, president of the National Association of Memoir Writers, writing coach and author and Dennis Stovall, writer, publisher and winner of the 2014 Rittenhouse Lifetime Achievement Award.
Conference break-out sessions will include writing basics by Rachel McMillen, author of the Dan Connor mystery series, writing historical fiction by bestselling author Roberta Rich, .the poet’s toolbox by poet-laureate Dianne Hicks Morrow and memoir writing by Myers. For those with a completed manuscript or a book in progress there will be the opportunity for a private session with former acquisitions editor and book doctor Sarah Gelles-Cole.
The conference will be held at the Hotel Danza del Sol in Ajijic. Registration fees include two lunches and beverages during breaks. Those who sign up before February 28 pay the discounted price of 1,300 pesos. Registrations received after March 1 are priced at 1,500 pesos. Registrations are being accepted at Diane Pearl Colecciones, Hacienda Realty or by emailing registrar Victoria Schmidt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
NCA Valentines
Music by lakeside’s rock and blue band, Mike and the Suspects will be featured along with a special buffet dinner at the Niños de Chapala and Ajijic (NCA) Valentine’s Day Gala Fundraiser on Saturday, February 14 at 5 p.m. at the Hotel Villa Montecarlo on Chapala.
Menu choices on the dinner buffet include roast pork loin, almond fish, bacon-wrapped carrots, roasted baby potatoes, salad, soup and three dessert choices. In addition to the 50/50 raffle and special games and silent auction, attendees will receive a flower and a Belgian chocolate heart. Free valet parking is available for the event.
With Mike and the Suspects donating their time and talents, more of the proceeds from the evening will benefit the educational efforts of NCA and the 200 students from primary through university who are currently part of the program. Tickets at 350 pesos are available at the NCA Bazaar in Riberas del Pilar, or by calling Doug at (33)1069-0084, Nancy at (376)766-0840, or Shannon at (376)763-5145.
Little Chapel
During the Sunday, February 8 service of the interdenominational congregation of The Little Chapel by the Lake at 11:15 a.m., Rev. Gene Raymer will present a message entitled, “Remember.” Raymer says, “Jesus told us to remember Him when we observe this meal. But if all we do is remember His life, we have fallen short. We must also remember to live our lives according to His example.”
A refreshment period shared with Christ Church Lakeside begins at 10:45 a.m. After the service members continue their fellowship over lunch at a local restaurant.
The Little Chapel is on the mountain side of the Carretera just east of the golf course in Chula Vista. To learn more visit www.Facebook.com/LCBTL.
Christ Church
Fr. Danny Borkowski will celebrate the Holy Eucharist during the service on Sunday, February 8 at 9:30 a.m. The theme of his message will be “What I Came to Do,” based on Mark 1: 29-39. Christ Church Lakeside meets in The Little Chapel by the Lake at Carretera 10 in Chula Vista.
The congregations of Christ Church and The Little Chapel share a coffee fellowship time between their two services from about 10:35 till 11:10 a.m.
Deacon Rob Wells leads an hour-long Bible study session on the Gospel of Luke on Tuesday, February 10 at 10 a.m. in the fellowship hall of the Little Chapel.
San Andrés English
“Christ Who Makes Us Free to Serve,” is the theme of the Sunday, February 8 English Mass at 9 a.m. in San Andre’s Parish Church in Ajijic. Fr. Basil G. Royston, D. Min. says, “Without Christ our lives would be pure drudgery. We would be like slaves, or like workers with nothing to look forward to but our wages. The healing power of Christ has transformed our lives: now we are free to make ourselves like him, the slaves of everyone, offering all the good news without asking for anything in return.”
The English congregation is sponsoring a top-notch organ concert at the church on Wednesday, February 11 at 4 p.m. A free-will offering and gifts of non-perishable food from this concert will help feed the 30 orphans who reside at Villa Infantil.
St. Andrew’s Anglican
Pastor Hal Brown addresses the impact of our attitudes on our lives in his sermon, “Turning Adversities into Adventures” during the Sunday, February 8 worship service at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church. Brown says, “Life is 10 percent what happens to you, and 90 percent how you react to it.”
Worship begins at 10 a.m., the children’s bilingual Sunday school is at 9:45 a.m. The coffee hour in the garden allows time for fellowship after the worship service.
St. Andrew’s supports a program to feed the needy. Those attending can leave non-perishable items: salt, oil, beans, rice, lentils, and pasta in the baskets at the church doors.
St. Andrew’s is at Calle San Lucas 19, a block south of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar.
Lakeside Presbyterian
“Why We Believe in the Resurrection,” is Pastor Ross Arnold’s message during during the worship service on Sunday, February 8 as he continues a sermon series entitled “Why We Believe.” Arnold says, “The very idea that someone could die and then come back from the dead seems impossible, but this miracle is at the very center of the Christian faith. How and why thoughtful, intelligent Christians believe this incredible event actually happened, that there is evidence for it, and that it really does make sense is our focus.”
The Spanish language service at Lakeside Presbyterian Church begins at noon each Sunday. The members of both congregations gather in the garden at 11 a.m. for fellowship and refreshments.
Lakeside Presbyterian Church is in Riberas del Pilar, on the mountain side on the Carretera next to S&S Auto.
Unitarian Universalist
Helen White will present “Selma, The Long Walk Continues,” on Sunday February 8 as the Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist (UU) Fellowship pays tribute to the civil rights marchers and the UUs who were killed. The group will also look at current unhappy race relations.
Following the service, members will have lunch at Just Chillin’. The local UU group meets at Plaza de la Ribera, Rio Bravo 10A every Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Unitarian Universalists search for truth along many paths and gather around common moral values that include the inherent worth and dignity of every person. They are a caring, liberal, open-minded community that encourages others to seek their own spiritual path. For further information, visit www.uuflc.org.
Open Circle
James Tipton, a widely published poet and author, who is a 10-year lakeside resident, will be the featured speaker at the Sunday, February 8 meeting of Open Circle at the LCS. Tipton writes the monthly column, “Hearts at Work.” Several of his works, including his newest book, “To Love for a Thousand Years,” are available locally.
Open Circle attendees gather at 10 a.m. on Sundays for refreshments and socializing. The program begins at 10:30 a.m.
Buddhist Community
The Heart of Awareness Buddhist Community meets at 4:30 pm on Wednesdays for meditation and dharma teachings. The Wednesday, February 11 dharma talk will feature “Forgiving Ourselves,” the second of a four-part video series presented by Gina Sharp. The meetings are at Guadalupe Victoria 101, the sangha’s new location.
Saturday, February 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. Loretta Downs begins the four-part workshop, “Making Friends with Death: The Contemporary End of Life Experience.”
Heart of Awareness is a non-sectarian Buddhist practice community grounded in the original teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Theravada/Vipassana tradition. Heart of Awareness membership is open to those with Zen, Tibetan or Shambhala backgrounds, as well as others with no previous meditation experience. For information, call Janet Reichert at (376)766-6069.
Freedom Seminar
The Wellspring Seminar, a ministry of emotional and physical healing based on the application of God's principles will be presented at lakeside on Monday, February 16 and Tuesday, February 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Chula Vista Golf Clubhouse.
"I Found Freedom" is a seminar that has been shared all over the world. The ministry has learned that the physical body is usually a barometer or indicator of what a person is experiencing spiritually. The seminar helps participants learn to be free from the trauma, anger, guilt, fear and other negative emotions that wreak destruction in the body.
Men and women are invited to attend the two-day seminar. There will be frequent breaks for refreshments and lunch to assure that everyone will be comfortable during the sessions. There is no charge to attend but donations are welcome to cover seminar expenses. Confirm your participation by calling (376)766-1496