It’s hard to see the stately old art deco cinema now if you don’t know to look up. Although, with the quirky, tasteful flavor in the design of the café on the corner of Av. Juárez and Ocampo, it seems like just the kind of place where that little bit of history isn’t surprising, like a fish restaurant built in an old dock warehouse or a trendy apartment building in a hollowed out mill.

As she has done for the past 10 years, Pam Lathrop is hunting for sponsors for children living in Guadalajara’s Salvation Army shelter. And the approach of Christmas this year brings into focus the necessity of her work and its intangible benefits.

Were it not for the endeavour of a small, independent publisher that grew from a Mazatlan coffee shop, lost and forgotten novels and tales of Mexican history would never again be discovered by English-speaking readers.

Many Tapatios are entering the Christmas season with an ecological as well as festive focus.

Mariachi music has been officially recognized by UNESCO in its annual list of “intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.”

Mary Alice Sargent, a Lakeside resident since 1992, has kept herself active since she’s lived here. The retired school teacher, who hails originally from Iowa, was the chairperson of the Lake Chapala Society Education Committee for nine years and still takes her place on the board of directors. She’s active as a volunteer in several organizations and is often the “go-to”  person when it comes to getting things done. This time of year, however, Sargent turns her attention to her impressive collection of nacimientos (nativity scenes).