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Pontoon boat on maiden voyage across Presa Allende
By David Bossman
Boat Inauguration
San Miguel Rotary Clubs
Sun, Nov 4, 1pm
Presa Allende
152-3001
In 2005, two men of different backgrounds had a dream. United as Rotarians, but separated by 1000 miles, these men envisioned putting a pontoon boat on the San Miguel reservoir (Presa Allende) so that Mexican children and adults could be ferried across on a daily basis. Instead of walking miles on foot and then taking a bus to school or work, the villagers would be able to get where they wanted in five minutes.
This Sunday, November 4 at 1pm, their dream becomes a reality. With the help of the Municipality of San Miguel as well as the San Miguel Midday and Evening Rotary Clubs, an inaugural ceremony will be held at the shore where the pontoon boat will set off on its maiden half-mile voyage.
The real heroes of this adventure—Miguel Gil, the head of the San Miguel Chamber of Commerce, and John Wilson, a member of the North Padre Island Rotary Club of Corpus Christi, Texas—undertook a daunting, but exciting task. With the help of his club and the Tortuga Foundation of Port Aransas, Texas, Wilson raised money to buy the 28-foot boat and the 75-hp motor. It was equipped with life jackets, bumpers, spotlight, bike carriers and gas cans.
“There were a lot of ups and downs,” Gil said recently as he described the difficulties in dealing with low Presa water levels, transporting the boat from the US, local government regulations and building the docks (the municipality is now constructing a second dock). “However, now people can be better connected to San Miguel. Before, it was a real paradox for the young and elderly to look at the city on the other side of the Presa, and then have to travel 18 kilometers to get there by land. So close and yet so far! I think we have finally solved their problem. Children are closer to schools and the ferry also should improve commerce. Don Juan, La Aurora, Guerrero and Tiaxcalilla will be directly helped, so the quality of life for more than 500 people should be improved soon.”
The project will provide jobs as boat pilots for three community men. The boat would be maintained and run as a self-sustainable business by the village designees.
Students will ride free with school identification and a dated, signed pass. About 30 percent of the children are in primary school; more than half attend secondary schools.
Wilson credits Miguel Gil for being the real visionary, and modestly claims that he just helped expedite funding and the logistical planning. He also has found funding for the Sunday celebration, so the dedication ceremony will be enhanced by mariachis, balloons, a magician for the kids and food prepared by the villagers. “And let’s not forget the maiden voyage of the pontoon boat,” declares Wilson. “I am a kid at heart so I intend to be on that first boat ride across the Presa.”
If you would like to share in the celebration, please call152-3001 for more information.
Our caring community
By Marge Zap
The third edition of “Our Caring Community: Your Resources in San Miguel” is now available. As to be expected, there are many revisions and additions as San Miguel is always changing.
One of the most important additions to our booklet is Hospice San Miguel. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals experiencing life-threatening illness and to support their families. Hospice provides management of physical, social and spiritual needs during this emotional time. They have outstanding professionals working with patients in their homes.
Another important addition is a new home health care cooperative of delightful Mexican women who arrange around-the-clock care for individuals needing this kind of support. For a minimal fee they give first aid, take care of the house and run errands. They understand some English and are taking lessons to improve their English skills.
At the beginning of the booklet there is a list of Spanish words needed in case of emergencies. Next to each word is the phonetic spelling to help you speak to the emergency personnel if your Spanish is faulty. It is recommended that you keep the emergency numbers next to each phone in your house.
Information on medical help includes a list of doctors who will make house calls, the numbers and addresses of both local hospitals, as well as others in Querétaro and San Luis Potosi. If you are homebound there are lists of home delivery services including pharmacies, restaurants and more. For government help, there is a listing of consul and municipal services.
The booklet costs 25 pesos and is available at the local mail services, the Biblioteca Tienda, Casa de Papel and from other organizations around town. All profits from the sale of “Our Caring Community” are used to create additional educational scholarships by Mujeres en Cambio for young girls living in communities outside San Miguel.
For further information, please contact Marge Zap at 152-2435, email: zapmarge@yahoo.com.
Marge Zap was born in 1924, graduated from New York University, and worked two years for the US Treasury and five years for the United Nations. She traveled around the world for 30 years buying artenasias for an international handcraft shop in New York’s Hudson Valley, then moved to San Miguel 11 years ago, instead of Bali, Indonesia.
Middle Eastern meal at upcoming Mujeres en Cambio luncheon
By Joan Strouse
Luncheon
Mujeres en Cambio
Thurs, Nov 15, 2pm
Hacienda de las Flores
Hospicio 16
120 pesos
Our next luncheon is at the tranquil Hacienda de las Flores with Nancy Elias from the new Lebanese restaurant El Meson de Terraplen as guest chef. She will prepare a Middle Eastern feast of falafel, cabbage rolls, hummus and baba ghannouj. Mujeres en Cambio core members will prepare a stellar selection of salads, side dishes and desserts.
This luncheon is limited to 50 people and tickets will sell out quickly. Tickets are 120 pesos and are on sale now at Casa de Papel, Mesones 57A (the China Palace building), the only ticket location.
Proceeds from the luncheon go directly to assist young women from rural communities around San Miguel. Mujeres en Cambio currently awards modest scholarships to 160 academically strong young women recommended by principals and teachers. The scholarship program is in its twelfth year.
If you find it hard to get out of bed on these cooler mornings, think of Carmen, who walks for an hour and then rides a public bus for another 20 minutes to reach her school by 8am. At age 17, she is in her fourth term of high school at VIBA (Video bachillerato) and maintains a 9.4 grade point average. Her father, a seasonal bricklayer, is the sole support for the family of eight, who live in a remote village southwest of the city. Carmen graduates in 2008 and wants to study architecture at the University of León because she “wants to know everything about construction.” Carmen is the first person in her entire extended family to study past primary school. She uses her scholarship of 250 pesos per month for transportation to and from school. Young women like Carmen deserve our help to make the best of their lives under difficult circumstances.
State-supported schooling is available and mandatory through the sixth grade only. After that, children drop out if they don’t have uniforms, if they are needed at home, or if a girl’s educational needs have to yield to a brother’s. Mujeres en Cambio focuses on girls—helping them stay in school increases opportunities to succeed. Educated women also have fewer and healthier children, who in turn are more likely to attend school.
For an easy-to-mail holiday gift, please consider a charitable donation. We will send a beautiful Mujeres en Cambio notecard indicating you made a contribution in their honor. The card is sure to please your friends and family and it will take the stress and expense out of selecting a gift and sending or carrying a package. Please visit our website if you want to know more: www.mujeresencambio.com. You also can call Joan at 152-2820 (though she can’t take phone reservations for lunch).
Joan Strouse is a professor emerita at Portland State University and a current resident of San Miguel.
Have an Olé Thanksgiving weekend in San Miguel!
By Keith Wall
Jovenes Adelante Trip
San Miguel Olé
Fri–Sun, Nov 23–25
jovenesadelante@gmail.com
2,500 pesos
Jovenes Adelante’s weekend experience, San Miguel Olé, is designed to lure Guadalajara residents to explore our fair city. A fundraiser for university scholarships, the event includes roundtrip transportation from Lake Chapala, stays in private homes, all meals and tickets, and a weekend of activities. If you have friends in Lake Chapala or Ajijíc, they can get tickets at the Lake Chapala Society ticket office.
Jovenes Adelante also welcomes residents of San Miguel or any nearby city. You might want just to stay home but join in the activities; perhaps you live way out in the campo and would enjoy a social and cultural weekend as guests in someone’s “townhome”; or maybe you call Guanajuato home but a weekend in San Miguel appeals.
San Miguel Olé takes off with a welcome cocktail party and catered dinner at a beautiful colonial home in the heart of the historic district. Guests are then treated to a jazz concert at the nearby Teatro Ángela Peralta. Saturday offers a walking tour of el Centro, concluding with a guided tour of Bellas Artes. Following is a lunch at Fábrica la Aurora and an exploration of the studios and galleries. The afternoon offers a visit to the Botanical Gardens, a photo excursion with a professional photographer, an art gallery tour and a fashion and shopping spree. A sumptuous dinner at Bella Italia is accompanied by the musical duo Gil and Cartas.
On Sunday, participants visit Atotonilco and then the Jennifer Haas museum of Mexican folkloric art. At noon, we say hasta luego to our Guadalajara visitors as they board the return coach to Lake Chapala, but who’s to say those remaining cannot decide to regroup for refreshments in town at La Carpa, Harry’s, or…?
The discounted price for those not needing transportation is 2,500 pesos per person, including hosted accommodations, breakfasts and all activities. Tickets are available at La Conexión, Aldama 3.
Update on Gloria Espino
By Jay Vlasak
Many readers may recall that local artist Gloria Espino is fighting leukemia and in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. Many, many sanmiguelenses have stepped forward to offer support financially, emotionally and logistically, but still more needs to be done.
Gloria’s condition, we are informed, remains serious and life-threatening, although she has achieved some stability according to her oncologist at the Universatario Hospital in Monterey. Gloria and her sister, the identified donor, will enter the hospital in Monterey, Mexico for two weeks of pre-surgery procedures and testing with a scheduled surgery date of February 3.
O-Negative blood donors are now identified as resources to be utilized on an as needed, urgent-standby basis.
As of October 22, 2007, the balance in the fundraising account is 148,916.69 pesos with “can collections” yet to be deposited. Proceeds from a 3,000-peso art purchase are expected any time and some miscellaneous funds also are anticipated. Withdrawals to date have been conservative—between 13,000 and 14,000 pesos for costs directly associated with the transplant effort. The fundraiser at Romano’s at the gracious hands of proprietors David and Patrice Brucia and musicians Parker and Young will have added about US$1,000 this past October 18.
It is very important to understand, however, that Gloria’a additional costs will be about US$12,000 for chemotherapy, hospital-related costs, and ongoing medical treatments. This figure does not include additional indirect costs associated with the transplant, including travel and housing. Our goal remains US$36,000.
For more information on this urgent community need, please see the Letters to the Editor.
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