Letters to the Editor,

Many thanks,

I wish to sincerely thank everyone here in San Miguel de Allende, in the USA, Canada, relations and friends in Melbourne and Sri Lanka, for their kind thoughts and prayers for my daughter Suzanne during her recent illness. Thanks also to all those who made donations, the ones who gave up their time to drive me to and from the hospitals in Celaya and Querétaro and special thanks to Ali, Kelly and Jim for their hospitality and use of their apartment and an extra special thanks to Lisa Wyngaarden who opened her house to us all, as I’m sure this has helped Suzanne to recuperate so quickly and to be with her children Emiliano and Nahui.

Most importantly, my thanks to the doctors and nursing staff of both hospitals who gave Suzanne the utmost of care and attention.

Thanks to my partner Lorenz, who rang every day from Melbourne and Sri Lanka and kept everyone back home informed on Suzanne’s progress.

We shall be eternally grateful.

Her Mum, Grace
Sister, Renee
Her Dad, Hilton




Editor,

Computadores Pro Jovenes wishes to publicly thank Larry Gassler for donating two Toshiba laptop computers which will be refurbished and given to needy San Miguel children.

The computers will be cleaned out and Windows 98 in Spanish will be installed. They will either be given to a local school or a disabled child who cannot attend school.

Computadores Pro Jovenes recently set up a receiving station in the United States so that donors in the US can easily send used computers down here. If they will ship any used computers or peripherals to CPJ/SMA Coordinator, Transportes San Miguel, 200 N. Marsalis, Dallas, TX 75203, we’ll take it from there. Transportes San Miguel has generously agreed to bring the computers here at no charge. Charles Miller and Edwin Sours are donating their time and expertise to rehab the computers for local kids to use.

For more information or to arrange for local pick-up, please call Gordon Jett at 152-2621.

Gordon Jett




Editor,

Good day to all you free thinkers. Now that the air has cleared, a bit, over the merits and demerits revealed in Michael Moore’s film, Sicko, I would like to graciously invite you to see his film (for free) and come to your own biased/warped conclusions. Personally, I feel Moore has provided Americans a refreshing and clear window into a very serious and desperate crisis, the failure of our health care system. I’ve been a purchasing agent for eight convalescent hospitals and have worked for California Blue Shield, with some experience on the receiving end of food stamps/commodities and medical aid, between jobs, and therefore feel qualified to recommend this colorful and important documentary. The showing will be in the Teatro Ángela Peralta, Calles Mesones and Hernández Macías, Monday, August 20 at 5pm. If you´ve seen it, please allow others to occupy the limited seating.

Tom Frazee



Editor 

This letter is written by Mineral de Pozos Turismo y Cultura, A.C. concerning the tragic accident that recently occurred at the mines outside of Mineral de Pozos. Our non-profit association is comprised of approximately 30 residents, property owners, business owners, and visitors who appreciate the history, culture and beauty of Pozos. 

First and foremost, on behalf of the association, its members, and the entire community of Pozos, we want to offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Taylor Crane. We all are extremely upset about what occurred and we want his family to know that our thoughts and prayers are with them.

Individually and as a group we have done a lot of thinking and talking about the accident. The mines and the hacienda buildings are a beautiful and significant part of the history of Pozos and, with appropriate precautions, they should continue to be enjoyed by future visitors to Pozos. We can’t undo what happened, but we intend to do what we can to prevent future accidents. At the same time we want to insure that safe and continued access is provided to these beautiful and historic areas.

There are a lot of ideas on what should be done. However, since the mines are located on properties that we as an association do not control, at best we can only strongly recommend certain measures, and then work diligently to help in their implementation. The association feels that the following specific steps should be taken:

1. Signs should be posted at the primary access roads to the mines, warning of the mineshafts and the potential risks involved;

2. Beginning with the mineshafts located in proximity to major public access points, a program should be initiated to install fences around all of the mineshafts;

3. Tourists groups who want to visit the mines should be required to register with the local authorities at the Delegación in Pozos before they visit the mines;

4. Tourist groups should be required to be led by an experienced local guide when they visit the mines, and the size of the group should be limited so that the guide can adequately control the group’s activities.

Our association intends to work with the mine property owners, the Municipio of San Luis de la Paz, and the State of Guanajuato to see that these steps are taken to minimize the potential for accidents in the future.

We would like to emphasize to you and to potential visitors that there has not been a similar accident within recent memory of the longstanding residents of Pozos, and that visiting Pozos and the ruins of the mines located outside of Pozos can and should be a safe and enjoyable experience. Within the town of Pozos there are virtually no mineshafts that are accessible to the public. The mineshafts that do need security are in two relatively small areas several kilometers outside of the town. With appropriate precautions and common sense, the risk of an accident should be minimal.

To conclude, we again would like to express our condolences to the Crane family, and assure them that we intend to work diligently with the appropriate authorities to prevent future accidents.


Thank you for this opportunity to provide our thoughts.

Mineral de Pozos Turismo y Cultura, A.C.
Marco Antonio Sánchez, President
Eva Axelsson, Secretary 
David Winslow, Treasurer