Democrats Abroad
The Lake Chapala Chapter of Democrats Abroad meets Monday, October 12, 4 p.m. at La Bodega Restaurant in Ajijic. Kelly Hayes-Raitt’s talk is entitled “Why Every Democrat Should Hug a Trial Lawyer.”
As a political activist and consultant in California, she earned a reputation as a fearless advocate.
Canadian Club Feast
The Canadian Club of Lake Chapala enjoys the harvest holiday with a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner at La Nueva Posada on Monday, October 12. Celebrants will gather for cocktails at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.
The menu included in the Canadian Club’s special meal includes potato bisque followed by roast turkey with stuffing, whipped potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, English peas and topped off maple flavored pumpkin pie topped with fresh cream.
Tickets are available at La Nueva Posada through October 10 for 270 pesos (tax and tip are included.)
Lakeside Progressives
The members of the Lakeside Progressives will forego their usual second Tuesday meeting to join the Democratic Debate Watch Party on Tuesday, October 13 at Salvador’s Restaurant in Ajijic. The doors open at 7:30 p.m. with the debate scheduled to start at 8 p.m. A 50-peso donation is requested from attendees to pay for light botanas. There will be a cash bar.
The Progressives will pass a hat to help fund their advertising campaign in support of Senator Bernie Sanders.
The next meeting of the Progressives will be on Tuesday, November 9, 4 p.m. in the Peacock Garden Restaurant on Colón in Ajijic.
The Progressives are a group of like-minded people looking for progressive solutions to problems not being addressed by the major political parties.
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. if you have questions.
Navy League
The Lake Chapala Council of the Navy League will meet on Saturday, October 17, for a 1 p.m. lunch at Manix Restaurant in Ajijic.
At the meeting, Lakeside resident and longtime Navy League member Bob Miller will discuss the naval Battle of the Atlantic, 1939-1945, which Winston Churchill called by the most crucial battle of World War II.
The Canadian Navy played a major and somewhat forgotten role in the battle. Miller will also disclose some surprising facts about the battle that contradict widespread and long-held beliefs.
A graduate of the University of Michigan with a BA and MA in history and archaeology, Miller entered the officer candidate program at the Coast Guard Academy. He graduated as a deck officer, and was assigned to the North Atlantic Ocean Station Patrol aboard a deep-sea cutter based in Boston. In three years of North Atlantic patrol duty, he was, at various times, anti-submarine warfare officer, cryptographic, communications and combat information center officer and navigator.
As a civilian, he worked in and managed companies in Canada, Germany and Austria, seeking acquisitions in Mexico, Venezuela, Spain and Argentina. In retirement, Miller and his wife, Sally, live in Ajijic with one of their six children and his family.
Those who would like to attend the lunch/meeting can call Council President Denny Strole at (376) 766-0485.
Attendance at Navy League events is open to everyone – prior military service is not required. To learn more visit NavyLeague.org.
Fashionable Coffees
The clothing donation drive to fill the racks for the annual Fashion Auction Show benefitting the School for Special Children begins in mid-October.
Local women are urged to bring donations of gently used, good quality or designer clothing, handbags, jewelry shoes and other accessorºies to two coffees planned at exceptional area homes.
The first donation opportunity will be on Wednesday, October 21, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Moon Estate, 4A Rio Zula, now the home of Claudette Champagne. Another donation coffee will be hosted by Leslie Martin on Wednesday, November 4. Call Martin for details at (376) 766-2274.
Tickets for the Friday, December 4 Fashion Auction will be available at the coffees.
Those with quality donations who are unable to attend either of these events can email Cathie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to arrange pick up.
Shopping Bus
The Lake Chapala Society (LCS) bus trip to Guadalajara’s Plaza Galerias on Wednesday, October 22 leaves at the sculpture in La Floresta at 9:30 a.m.
The anchor stores at Galerias include Liverpool, Sears, Best Buy and Sanborn’s. Shoppers will find a wealth of boutiques and speciality stores in the mall and can visit the nearby Costco, Sam’s Club and Super Mega.
Sing-A-Long
Those crazy folks from Club Ukulele de Laguna are at it again. The first Sing-a-Long of 2015 is “Fifty Years of Fabulous Fun Music” on Monday, October 26, 5 p.m. at Restaurant Maria Isabel (formerly the Old Posada).
These lakeside uke players have planned a program of from the 1920s through the 1960s. From “Five Foot Two” to “Runaround Sue” and from “Summertime” to “Blowing in the Wind,” the strummers will have the crowd tapping their toes and singing along – as long as they have, “A Little Help from My Friends.”
To get “In the mood,” the Ukers are encouraging the Halloween-week audience to come in a costume that reflects their favorite musical genre, decade, group or superstar. There’ll be a competition to determine the best dressed audience member(s). There is no admission fee for the event, but there will be the opportunity for audience donations to support the youth program – the Academie de Ukulele del Lago.
Open Circle
“The Evolution of Monotheism” is the subject of Otto Rand’s talk at the Open Circle on Sunday, October 11, 10 a.m. Monotheism is the belief in a single all-powerful god.
Rand was born in Slovakia in 1932. He hid from the Nazis during World War II and only survived due to the dedicated help and sacrifice of many Slovak peasants. After the war he moved to Israel, where he completed a degree in biblical history and literature.
Rand lived in Toronto until his move to Ajijic in 2002. He is presently “scholar in residence” at the Jewish Congregation of Ajijic and provides frequent lectures on Judaism and other religions.