The Guadalajara Reporter
Guadalajara's Largest English Newspaper
Local contractor Marco Zaragoza is the brain behind an ambitious plan to develop an aquatic sports center at the Ajijic waterfront. He has drawn up a basic blueprint of a complex to house a semi-Olympic swimming pool, a smaller pool for teaching local kids to swim, a ramp for launching rowboats and kayaks, a gymnastics platform and dressing and restroom facilities.
Jose Luis “Chelis” Vazquez Rios, the ever-cheerful blind beggar who frequented local marts of trade, died in his sick bed early Monday, October 28, aged 56.
A throng of well-wishers chanted “Hear, hear!” to cheer on long-time lakesider Ceri Dando as he was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for meritorious service bestowed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during a reception for British Ambassador to Mexico Duncan Taylor held on Sunday, October 20.
Ever since he joined the school 15 years ago, Jose Luis Ayala Larios, director of the Mezcala Secundaria Tecnica 70, has been quietly fostering respect for animals among his students by allowing street dogs on to the grounds.
A wide array of special events tied in to Mexico’s deeply-rooted Dia de Muertos traditions offer lakeside residents and visitors multiple options for gaining insights and appreciation for the country’s most singular holiday. The activities listed below are open to the public free of charge unless otherwise noted.
The Ajijic plaza was a site of frenzied activity Saturday, October 26 as hundreds of folks congregated for a Halloween season blowout featuring the third annual lakeside Thrill the World performance, complemented for the first time by the pumpkin carving contest sponsored by Diane Pearl Colecciones.
Delivering her first report on the operation of the DIF Chapala (family assistance agency), the city’s First Lady Marisela Navarro discarded the conventional recitation of facts and figures, choosing instead to speak off the cuff about true life stories and the needs of the downtrodden people she is committed to serve.
For just over one year Ajijic’s Friday Artisans’ Market has been an active outlet for locally produced art, handmade crafts, homemade foods, fresh produce and other top quality goods. As of November 1, the established group of 30 affiliated vendors will broaden horizons to open up a new flea market section where folks can rent a space on a one-time or as-need basis.
Sport sailing in Lake Chapala is a deep-rooted tradition going back at least a century when the area was in its “golden era” and well-heeled Guadalajara families established vacation homes along the shoreline. Like the lake itself, the practice has gone through its ups and downs over recent years. And this season, both are enjoying a welcome revival.
