January 04, 2008, Cont. from front page, Mexico Round-up, Compiled by Gabriela Blanco, Celebrate your traffic officer!, By Gabriela Blanco, Three Kings Day in San Miguel, By Gabriela Blanco

At the end of 2006, large billboards appeared at the entrance to the city announcing the construction of a multistory condominium complex, El Caracol, on a steep incline in colonia Allende just below the Libramiento Manuel Zavala (“El Caracol”).

The seven-story residential complex of 30 condominiums and six penthouses of contemporary design, with an estimated value of approximately 9 million dollars, threatened to obscure the view of the city from above. Some residents expressed concern over the construction of large, modern buildings that might jeopardize San Miguel’s historical image and intrude on green spaces, and they questioned the enforcement of municipal laws.

On December 18, 2007, about 60 demonstrators, most of them from the group Basta ya, met in the Jardín to protest the construction of the condos. Carrying signs that read “Stop San Miguel’s destruction” and “Save San Miguel,” demonstrators demanded the revocation of the construction licenses. Calling on onlookers to join them, the small group marched down Ancha de San Antonio, bringing traffic to a halt.

As a result of the protest, construction was temporarily suspended. Architect Raúl Barrera, head of the San Miguel Architects Association, presented a new plan for the condos that would lower their overall height and do away with the penthouses, creating a complex of 36 condos. Terraces would help decrease the height and better conform to San Miguel’s colonial style.

Work on the condos resumed, and although they were supposed to be finished by the end of 2007, they are still under construction.

Independence and commerce at two crossroads

In mid-2006, residents of San Miguel were still shopping at the former Gigante in Plaza Real del Conde and the property across the street was only occupied by billboards announcing the construction of a mall called La Luciérnaga (The Firefly) and the availability of commercial spaces for rent.

On Salida a Celaya, construction of Mega Comercial Mexicana had begun behind the former Pollo Feliz building. On the other side of the street, where Banamex is now located, one could still see green vegetation covering the hill.

A few months later, the former Pollo Feliz was demolished and a larger one constructed on the opposite corner, its large illuminated sign a beacon to the hungry. Mega Comercial Mexicana opened in December, also with a big colorful sign and sporting an orange façade.

Some months later, Mega was forced by the Urban Development Department to make its signage more discreet. Although Ángel Gastelum, head of Urban Development, has said several times that his staff is working to remove large commercial signs and billboards that are inappropriate for San Miguel’s colonial style, so far Pollo Feliz still has retained its big, bright sign.

La Luciérnaga opened early in January 2007 and has been growing steadily; in addition to early businesses Gigante, Office Depot and MM Cinemas, more recently MacDonald’s, Liverpool and Parisina have set up shop, along with numerous other retailers.

As we begin a new year, the landscape surrounding the city’s two glorietas (traffic circles), the entrances to the city overseen by statues of two heroes of Mexico’s independence, Ignacio Allende and El Pípila, has become decidedly more modern.

Vehicles and views in Centro

At the beginning of 2007, staff working in the office of Atención San Miguel, located on the upper level of the Biblioteca Pública, were still treated to beautiful sunset views as they worked late to ready another weekly issue for printing.

In February, however, work began on a multistory parking lot at the corner of Insurgentes and Hidalgo, greatly expanding the existing single-story garage. During construction, walls between the parking structure and the adjoining general hospital and public library were damaged. Neighboring residents, opposed to the height of the structure and concerned about noise levels, demanded that authorities cancel construction. A few days after a public protest, construction was temporarily suspended.

On March 16, Ángel Gastélum, head of Urban Development, and Raúl Barrera, the architect in charge of construction, met with local residents in the Sala Quetzal at the Biblioteca to discuss the parking lot.

Gastélum explained that construction of the parking lot was suspended by City Hall because traffic and ecological impact studies were not in order, but that as soon as all the requirements were fulfilled work would resume.

Barrera displayed the plans for the parking lot and announced that they had been modified so that the parking lot would only have four levels and the roof would not be used for parking. He added that the façade would be colonial in style.

A few days later, work resumed, and the parking lot was finished by mid-2007. The façade does conform to the city’s colonial style, but the roof is indeed used for parking. Now, the view from the Atención office is of a multistory parking garage.

What is in store for 2008?

This year, new projects will come to fruition in San Miguel. The bid to select a proposal for use of the former presidencia building was won by archeologist Gabriela Zepeda, who heads work at the archeological site of Cañada de la Virgen, and her team. Zepeda will begin working on the project, “City Museum of Archeology, Ethnography, Culture and Art,” along with local authorities in January. The project is expected to be completed in two years. “We intend to open it for the bicentennial of Mexican independence in 2010,” said Zepeda. She also announced that the archeological site of Cañada de la Virgen will open to the public in November 2008, after several years of work.

Another important ongoing project is the renovation of Museo Casa de Allende. According to historian Graciela Cruz López, the new museum at Casa de Allende will be a comprehensive museum devoted to the Mexican Independence movement.

The Ecology Department, headed by Don Patterson, intends to continue implementation of its ecology program “Verde y Sustentable” (Green and Sustainable), whose goal is to protect, renew and properly use natural resources and promote sustainable social and economic development of people in rural communities.

Most importantly, in 2008 UNESCO will decide whether San Miguel will be included on its list of World Heritage sites. The decision will be made in July 2008 in Quebec, Canada.

Mexico Round-up
Compiled by Gabriela Blanco

To keep our readers in San Miguel informed of recent developments across Mexico, we’ve compiled an overview of lead stories from last week’s national newspapers.

It’s official—fuel prices increase

Exclusive to La Jornada: A federal government official warned Friday that January 2008 price increases will apply to petrol and diesel in Mexico in order to raise tax revenues.

A decree in the Diario Oficial de la Federacion (DOF), with the approval of President Felipe Calderón, specifies that fuels will increase every month between 1.66 cents per liter for diesel and 2.44 cents per liter for premium gasoline over a period of 18 months, which will add 5.5 percent to the December 2007 price.

Salaries rise, but just for a bolillo

El Universal: The National Minimum Salary Commission (Conasami) agreed to a general increase of four percent, which will take effect in 2008 with a raise of 2 pesos.

Conasami told employers’ representatives that the increase was to offset the petrol price hike. In contrast, workers said it was “a slap in the face” for the nearly 500,000 workers receiving tiny salaries, but in the end accepted unanimously.

Deputies criticize salary increase as “miserable”

La Jornada: Representatives of the Labor party (PT) of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and Convergence Party rejected Labor Ministry announcements as “unworthy,” and warned that if the quality of life continues to decline, Mexican workers might join movements which could result in social violence.

The 2-peso average increase will not cover half of a Gansito or half of a 200-gram can of jalapeno peppers; at most it will buy a Metro ticket. UNAM economics faculty say the recommended basic food basket costs 100 pesos, “which means that miserable increases to the minimum salary imposed by the government of Felipe Calderón is barely sufficient to acquire half this basic food basket.”

They save your money for themselves!

Exclusive to Reforma: Federal parliament members decided to distribute unused 2007 resources among themselves. They divided 53 million pesos, based on a ruling of the Administration Committee last December 11 that the use of these resources is discretionary.

Members pay expenses for plenary meetings, travel, meals, forums and remodeling, or purchase vehicles and equipment. They opted to distribute the left-over 53 million pesos to groups according to the number of members:

PAN 21.9

PRD 13.5

PRI 11.2

PVEM 1.8

Convergencia 1.8

Maybe you were one of the lucky sanmiguelenses who made a right-hand or left-hand turn onto San Francisco from Juarez street on December 22. If you were, you probably noticed the curious transit officer standing on a little wooden box, acting as the “semaforo humano.”

Literally translated, the “human traffic light” is brought out each year on December 22, which is nationally celebrated as Día de El Agente de Transito. As the afternoon turned to evening, the piles of presents at his feet grew to enviable heights—blenders, toasters, household appliances. All were offered as a “thanks” for the many services the Department of Transit provides to the citizens throughout the year.

This hand-held traffic light was originally used in 1970 at the intersection of Canal and Hidalgo, by a transit officer. It now lives permanently in the transit museum housed inside the Presidencia Municipal, and is only brought out for the annual celebration.

Many Mexican kids are waiting for what is most likely their favorite part of the holiday season—Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings’ Day), which falls on January 6, the day of Epiphany and last of the twelve days of Christmas. According to the tradition, the Kings come from the Orient on their camels to visit the houses of all the children, who leave food and drink because this is the only night of the year the camels eat.

The holiday commemorates the Three Wise Men—Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar—who followed the Star of Bethlehem to the manger and the Baby Jesus. Melchior, the Sultan of Arabia, came bearing gold. Gaspar was Emperor of the Orient and ruled over all Asian lands; he brought frankincense. Balthazar was a Nubian king from Ethiopia and brought myrrh as his gift.

Each gift is symbolic and prophetic—gold as a symbol of kingship on earth or the spiritual wealth of the child; frankincense (incense) symbolizes priestship or the earth and sky; and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. The gifts reflected aspects of Christ’s nature: gold to a king, incense as homage to a God and myrrh to one who will die. More generally, gold symbolizes virtue, frankincense prayer and myrrh suffering. The Kings were the first religious figures to worship Christ, so their story is respected and popular among many Christians. As they approached Jerusalem, Herod tried to trick them into revealing where Jesus was, but they were warned in dreams and thwarted his deadly intentions. Herod resorted to killing all the young children in Bethlehem (Massacre of the Innocents) to eliminate a rival heir. Jesus and his family already had escaped to Egypt. Among the many stories about what happened to the Kings, some say their remains were found by Saint Helena and brought to Constantinople, and e
ventually made their way to Germany and the Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral.

During this time, it is customary to invite friends and neighbors into your home for Rosca de Reyes—a sweet twisted loaf of bread also known as the Crown of the Kings. Besides the bread symbolizing the never-ending universe, there is also a small doll inside the bread, which represents the Christ child being hidden from Herod’s army.

Activities in San Miguel are—Saturday, January 5 at 7pm, a Three Kings Parade in the main downtown streets and on Sunday, January 6 at 4pm a children’s event with presents in the Jardín.