LETTERS

Editor,

Thanks to you and your staff for publicizing the Casa Hogar Kids’ Christmas Collaborations. As a result, many great businesses and individuals came together to make the season special for nearly 100 children who could not be with their families at this most meaningful family time. The gifts of love, activities and other resources from your readers made great moments and memories for these kids, and provided some stability for their immediate futures.


It would be impossible to name all of the loving individuals who lent their time, talent, and treasure this season for the kids, but a few gave so creatively of themselves that they deserve special mention, including John Doherty, Veronica Garcia, Linda Lowery and Jean Stoltzfus.

The good folks of the following businesses deserve great gratitude, as well: Anyel Escuela de Musica; Border Crossings; Casa de Sierra Nevada; Centro Mexicano; Chris Doolin, photographer; Donne Geck, interior designer; Illumina; Taylor Korobow, acting coach; La Conexión; Mexico Luxury Homes; Premier Real Estate; San Miguel Health and Fitness Center; Sazón; Fran Schiavo, photographer; Spanglish; and Virgins, Saints & Angels.

Again, thanks for sharing the plight of our Casa Hogar Kids and encouraging the ways that San Miguel’s many citizens from around the world may contribute to the well-being of our community by participating with the children. It’s a world of difference that the kids need, and as the Madres in charge of them like to say, “Conjuntos, Podemos—Together, We Can!”

Robin Loving Rowland

On behalf of the children and madres of the

Casas Hogares Dominicas de San Miguel

“Mexiquito”–Santuario Hogar Guadalupano, A. C.–Where Good Boys Become Good Men!

“Santa Julia”–Casa Hogar Santa Julia Don Bosco, A.C.–Where Love Grows Miracles!

“Sollano”–Casa Hogar Don Bosco, A.C.–Where Girls Grow Strong in Mind, Body, and Spirit!

Editor,

Christmas Eve found Gloria and Jose Luis enjoying a loving family. Gloria’s visit before Christmas to the hospital in Monterrey was routine, and her ebullience on Christmas Eve was said to cause North Pole reindeer to sprint to their destinations! Here is the latest news:

Gloria’s fund rests at about 270,300 pesos, with one donation of US$250 and the promise of the income from the upcoming January 16 Silent Auction at the Generator Gallery at Aurora imminent. Another major artisan/jeweler just donated a ring to the auction this past week. Our financial goal remains 360,000 pesos. Expect tickets for purchase very soon for a February furniture raffle to be sponsored locally. In sum, we inch forward in our fundraising effort, some 90,000 pesos shy. We remain determined and optimistic!

Gloria’s sister Enriqueta, her imminent donor, is about to travel any day from Tijuana to Monterrey for a test that will be repeated a second time just prior to the transplant. The two-trip aspect of this testing ordeal is what is required and essential to the process.

The transplant is scheduled for the week of February 11. We are informed to expect an admission date for Gloria and her sister about the week of February 4 in order for the pre-surgery processes to begin and for the pre-surgery radiation treatments to be completed. (When we have details regarding specific address information to reach Gloria when she is in Monterrey for her bone marrow transplant, we will, with Gloria’s approval, provide it.)

Correspondence from the hospital has been received by Gloria and forwarded to the “Gloria Espino...Committee,” complete with numbers extrapolating that normal surgery costs will be within the parameters previously disclosed. We are thus cautiously optimistic that anticipated costs will come in within costs for which we are prepared. Unfortunately, the unknown costs and the indirect costs put us at substantial risk of lacking required financial support. The Committee’s concern is the inevitable post-surgery care for Gloria Espino that will be costly and ongoing.

We continue to marvel at the community’s outpouring of love and support to help Gloria Espino continue her life’s mission, and we have come to understand the pre-ordained nature of accomplishing this goal.

Contact me at (415) 154-9390, Ext. 108 or 044 (415) 153-5097 (cellular), or email me at jayvlasak@gmail.com. 

Jay Vlasak

Editor,


Regarding Harry Burrus’ painstakingly detailed account and criticism of Greenhaw’s account of the Beats in San Miguel, Greenhaw must decide if his account of the Beats is fact or fiction. Misrepresenting literary fiction as fact is a serious matter.

David Stone
Editor, Blackbird

Editor,

I came to San Miguel to spend the rest of my life in humanitarian work to help the poor and down-trodden but we always seem to receive more than we give. Recently I have had two experiences showing our Mexican hosts to be gracious, caring people who live by the Good Book!

My husband was advised by his doctor to have an MRI. After finding out Hospital de la Fe doesn’t provide this service and, needing help, I approached three Mexicans waiting while a relative was in intensive care and asked if anyone spoke English. A professor from the Querétaro branch of the University of Mexico immediately came forward and began calling to make an appointment at a Querétaro hospital. Continuing to get busy signals and aware that we had been at Mexican Immigration all day, he insisted we go and eat dinner. When we returned he had made an after-hours appointment at the University where they do MRIs for infants! I had also told him I had to present a letter at Immigration the next morning. With the help of a de la Fe physician he translated my English letter into Spanish!

After dropping off the letter the next day at Immigration I went to my computer class at the Biblioteca. During the class a Mexican man appeared at the second-floor classroom with my intact billfold which I had lost in the vicinity of the Immigration office three weeks previously. I live on a ranch seven miles from SMA and the only identification was a Border Crossings, Laredo, TX address and a Louisiana driver’s license with an address in Baton Rouge! How, except by an act of God, could he have found me?

Cheri McDaniel

Editor,

The American Legion is pleased to announce a most successful winter sweater and blanket distribution to the town’s ancianos. I take a singular pleasure in thanking our participants: Gershon, Jack Driscol, post commander, Vanessa, post adjutant, and Ron DiSarle, John, Tom and Sid.

A special thanks goes out to Jack Sullivan and his daughter Debra for gathering the majority of this year’s sweaters. Of note is our first-ever blanket distribution sponsored and coordinated by Den and Benjie Nelson. Nice work guys.

Again, my deep respect and admiration for Joe and Antonette Lim’s, “So Others May Eat” program. For 19 years they have provided an excellent weekly hot lunch and food box distribution to elder members of our community. I ask all of you to consider assisting them in this endeavor. Their phone numbers are 152-1302 and 154-5467.

Allan Gross,
Project Coordinator

Editor,

I read with interest Jim Karger’s article “2008 shaping up to be a difficult year for investors.” In his investment strategies for 2008, Karger mentions that “Commercial real estate funds like CGM … are riskier now …”. Yes, CGM is categorized as a real estate fund but, in fact, the fund’s Ken Heebner goes well outside real estate to find investment opportunities for the fund. Currently, CGM Realty’s top three holdings are companies in metals and mining, fertilizer and animal feed. Just two of the top ten holdings are real estate-related. (The CGM fund has returned 32.46% year-to-date, as of 12/21/2007.)

I offer this information to remind your readers that often things are not as they seem and that investors should look into the holdings of any mutual fund to determine the suitability of that fund to their investment objectives.

Rex Morgan