The International Lions Club of San Miguel is sponsoring another bargain trip — this time, it’s an overnight stay in Tequisquiapan in the state of Querétaro on June 1 and 2. This is indeed a special trip because they will be there for the annual national Wine and Cheese Festival which features the products of regional vineyards, along with a variety of recreational, sporting and cultural activities.

 Lions Trip to Tequisquiapan. June 1-2, 2012. 1,350 pesos/2,050pesos. Contact: Jean Schickel 152 0934 (jeanschickel@yahoo.com)

The town is known as the Eternal Fountain of Youth, as the abundant thermal waters are touted as therapeutic. The natural spa provides relief for arthritis, insomnia, circulatory problems and gout. The group will stay at the Relox Hotel, which has a swimming pool and a private mineral bath.

 This arts and crafts center has wonderful shopping for pottery, handwoven baskets and rattan gourds as well as jewelry made from opals mined at La Trinidad.

On Friday night the festival offers wine, cheese and live music. On Saturday the destination will be Bernal, near Queretaro, for comida at El Patio Restaurant. The famous Peña de Bernal, one of the tallest monoliths worldwide, is a memorable sight. There will be time for shopping in Bernal, which has woolen knitted articles and opals, among many other things.

The cost of the trip is 1,350 pesos based on double occupancy (about US$105) and 2,050 pesos for a single (about US$160). Cost includes transportation, accommodations at the Hotel el Relox in Tequisquiapan, all taxes and tips, breakfast and a donation to the Lions Club, which dispenses eyeglasses to the needy and does diabetes testing. Money is due by May 9 and will be collected at Actinver Bank on San Francisco between 10am and noon.

Shelter Theater is proud to welcome Carlos Bonell, one of today’s most celebrated guitarists, to San Miguel. He will be performing May 4 and 5 at 7 pm. The show will feature Carlos’ classical interpretation of many of today’s most popular songs, from artists like the Beatles and Queen, featured in his latest CD.

Concert w/Guitarrist Carlos Bonell. Thu, May 4 & Fri, May 5, 7pm. The Shelter Theater, Vicente Guerrero 4, Colonia San Rafael. 250 pesos

Carlos’s career includes BBC recordings, film scores and numerous CD recordings, in addition to playing with major orchestras and the creation of his own ensemble. From 2007 to 2009 Carlos toured extensively through Europe, North and South America and Asia both as soloist and guest with symphony orchestras. In 2010 he returned to Japan for an extended tour.

Born in London of Spanish parents, he studied at the Royal College of Music with John Williams, where he was appointed the youngest ever professor in 1972. He gained prominence in 1981 through his recording for Decca of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, which is often called the finest version available. His 1976 CBS recording with John Williams and Friends received a Grammy nomination. Since that time Carlos has made more than 20 LP and CD recordings. Since 2006 Carlos has been working with Sir Paul McCartney on a concerto for guitar and orchestra. The work was featured in a June 2007 cover article by The New Yorker magazine.

In 2007 he was awarded the prestigious Spanish prize Premio Trujamán for his work for the solo guitar, and in 2008 he presented the third edition of the London International Guitar Festival, of which he is the Artistic Director.

 Also in 2008 his album release Queen Guitar Rhapsodies, of new arrangements of music by the group Queen for solo guitar and symphony orchestra, was widely praised, including by Queen’s Brian May himself.

Carlos has formed musical associations with a wide variety of musicians including ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, guitarists John Williams and Paco Peña, violinists Salvatore Accardo and Pinchas Zukerman, and singers Patricia Rozario and Teresa Berganza

His latest CD album Magical Mystery Guitar Tour was released in July 2011. It is dedicated to the music of the Beatles in Carlos’ own arrangements for solo guitar. At his shows at Shelter, he will present his very personal interpretations of such familiar pop hits as Lennon/McCartney’s “Yesterday,” “Strawberry Fields,”  “Here Comes the Sun” and “Penny Lane.” Also featured will be Queen’s “Who Wants To Live Forever,” “Lily of the Valley,” “Nevermore” as well as Bonell’s “Anda Jaleo” and “Malaguena.”

Tickets are 250 pesos, available at the Biblioteca or Shelter Theater box office.

After traveling in approximately 30 countries (each on their own path), Chandra y Chelo reunite in San Miguel to celebrate Mother’s Day in the Shelter Theater.

Concert: Father and son w/Chandra & Chelo. Thu, May 10 & Fri, May 11, 7pm. Shelter Theater, Vicente Guerrero 4 at Villanueva, Colonia San Rafael. 120 pesos

Their music reflects the different cultures of the countries they have traveled to: tangos, flamenco, bossa, son, and South American folk. More than anything, their music transmits peace, spiritual elevation, and compassion. We invite you to feel the emotions that they emit through their interpretations, which are played with two guitars, voices, saxophone, and percussions.

A troupe of San Miguel’s most talented performers packed the house at Teatro Santa Ana all five nights for Nora and Delia Ephron’s play Love, Loss and what I Wore.

Humorous, yet at times sad and sentimental, the play focuses on women with shared experiences, dealing with the ups and downs life brings. How appropriate that all profits from the play’s production were donated to Mujeres in Cambio, an organization dedicated to lifting up the lives of young women in the campo who face educational disadvantages.

According to the play’s producer Melissa Hirsch, she and her daughter Santa Claire saw Love Lost… in New York City and thought it would be a great play to bring to San Miguel. They approached director Jim Newell and his wife Judy and they agreed to perform the play as a charity event. How fortunate that they decided on Mujeres en Cambio, agreeing that education was the most important benefit they could help provide.

Thanks to the generosity of director, Jim Newell, his cast starring Clara Dunham, Melissa Hirsch, Santa Claire Hirsch, Raquel Martin and Judy Newell as well as Martin Reyna and the Biblioteca, Mujeres en Cambio is now able to provide a much-needed university scholarship for an aspiring young woman. To be sure, after expenses, the over 48,000 pesos raised will fund one girl all the way through university on their generous Love, Lost and what I Wore scholarship.

Combining caring people and creative talent with good will just doesn’t get any better.

You, too, can share in the joy of bringing hope for a better future to a worthy young woman. Become a member of Mujeres en Cambio and share in the joy as we work to provide these educational opportunities. Our yearly scholarships for middle, high school and college-bound girls enable 150 students to pursue their dreams.

Details for our annual July event will be forthcoming. It is recommended that tickets be purchased well in advance. And, remember, 97 per cent of all luncheon proceeds go directly toward much-needed scholarships.

Please visit our website www.mujeresencambio.org to learn more about Mujeres en Cambio and for luncheon specifics.

For those unaware of the work of Hospice San Miguel, last year alone, the organization enhanced the quality of life for 55 individuals with life-limiting illness by comprehensively managing their physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. When you include the family and friends of those 55 patients, our continuum of care has positively touched the lives of over 600 people. The work of Hospice San Miguel, which offers its services free-of-charge, is based on the palliative care model, which concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms rather than finding a cure for the disease. Hospice San Miguel helps patients remain comfortable, alert and able to participate in life as fully as possible until death occurs naturally and peacefully. We also help patients remain in their homes throughout the dying process, lovingly surrounded by family and friends. Hospice San Miguel affirms life and regards dying as a natural process, and neither hastens nor postpones death. The philosophy of the hospice movement is clearly summed up in the motto of Hospice San Miguel: “We add life to days when days can no longer be added to life.”

Seminar: End of Life in San Miguel Tue, May 8, 2pm, St. Paul’s Church Community Room, Cardo 6/ 152-6620. Donation 80 pesos

In addition to its work in palliative care for those at life’s end, Hospice San Miguel undertakes a number of initiatives each year to broaden the knowledge and understanding of the hospice movement and other end-of-life issues. As part of its outreach initiatives, Hospice San Miguel is holding a seminar at St. Paul’s Church to provide residents of San Miguel with news they can use about the state of Guanajuato’s new advance directive law and the services offered by San Miguel’s 24- Hour Association. The event will also give attendees the opportunity to meet the face of Hospice San Miguel—its staff nurses, doctors, and legal advisors. The fee is 80 pesos and includes an informational booklet on advance directives.

Advance Directives

“Living wills and other advance directives describe your preferences regarding end-of-life care. Because unexpected situations can happen at any age, all adults need advance directives.” The Mayo Clinic Advance Directives help prevent confusion and disagreements by providing written instructions regarding your medical care preferences. They can cover a number of medical care preferences, including living wills (the oldest form of advance directive), health care power of attorney, and “do not resuscitate” orders. In June 2011, the State of Guanajuato enacted a law requiring that all residents of the state, native and foreign born, have an advance directive. Come and learn what you need to know about this law from Celaya lawyer Elvia Josefina Ruiz Amaro, who was instrumental in the writing of the law, and is head of Guanajuato’s Voluntad Anticipada.

The 24 Hour Association

“This (Mexican death law) presents immediate problems which cannot await the arrival of executors no matter how carefully prearranged.” Admiral Alex Charlton, USN (Ret), founder of the San Miguel 24 Hour Association. This organization is a San Miguel-based non-profit that offers pre-paid after-death services, including body disposition, funeral arrangements, contacting family and friends, registering deaths with the Mexican authorities, and obtaining death certificates. The Association was founded in 1965 and got its name from a now-defunct Mexican law requiring burial within 24 hours. However, there are still a myriad of regulations relating to death in Mexico. Learn from a representative of this organization how to deal with death in a foreign country.

Hotel Real de Minas doesn’t seem to know where to stop in serving the San Miguel community.  The largest hotel in the region, it is renovating its gardens to accommodate more community gatherings, and when it plans these gatherings, it benefits local charities.

Party: 100 Paellas: Paella Contest, Silent Auction, Concert To benefit Casa Hogar Santa Julia. Sat, May 5, 1-8pm. Hotel Real de Minas. Children under 3 – Free. Children under 12 – 50 pesos. Advance Tickets – 130 pesos. Tickets at the Event -180 pesos. 152-3709

That makes it a real treat to go out on a summer’s day, for there is abundant beauty and life to be encountered, and all for a good cause. 

Such will be the case on Cinco de Mayo when Hotel Real de Minas hosts its inaugural Fiesta 100 Paellas to benefit the girls of Santa Julia girls’ home.

Featured will be as many as 100 different paellas, the chefs of which will compete for popular approval and prizes.  Chef Madre Rayo of Santa Julia is hoping to find herself in the winner’s circle, with your help!

There will be childrens’ fun, a silent auction, and unlimited amounts of paella to eat – or cook.

If you want to compete against Madre Rayo and the scores of others, contact Hotel Real de Minas at 152-2626, Ext. 553, 536, or 525; 01/800/466-5800; rmendiolea@realdeminas.com or gerenciaayb@realdeminas.com.

Samples of the silent auction offerings include the following and anyone who wants to donate will receive publicity in return by contacting Mary at mnorq@yahoo.com.

a)         A week for four at Casa Amable in San Miguel (Value:  US$1,150)

b)         Art by Terra Mizwa, Peter Leventhal, and Steve Fairbanks.

c)         A stay at Ventanas Golf Resort

e)         Books and Posters from photographer Robert de Gast

f)          Photograph by Russell Monk

g)         Plants

To volunteer, contact Robin at robin@friendsofsantajulia.org, 152-3709 in SMA, or 925-476-8117 from the US/Canada.

Like this event on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tenedor-Rojo-Producciones/392509677439813.

Get your tickets now at either Hotel Real de Minas on the Ancha de San Antonio, or at Solutions, Recreo 11 or Mesones 57.  Children under 3 will be admitted free!  Children under 12 will be admitted for only 50 pesos. For more information, contact Robin Loving Rowland at robin@friendsofsantajulia.org.

In a first-of-its-kind event in San Miguel, the First International Festival of Contemporary Art will be organized by the directors of the Gallery-Studio Cázares, Carmen Parés and Juan Carlos Cázares. They proposed the event to their principal patron, Plaza de Luciérnaga, who gave them approval to mount the festival in the commercial center, the most up-to-date of its kind in San Miguel.

Art : First International Festival of Contemporary Art 2012. Fri, May 4-Sun, May 6, 10am-9pm, Plaza La Luciérnaga  

From May 4 to 6 the work of the artist brothers Danilo y Barajas, graphic art from the Florencia Riestra Gallery, the work of Xavier Hernández and Liliana Gutiérrez, visual artists David Gutiérrez, Hugo Vásquez Tello, Santiago Carbonell and Carlos Anzures, glasswork by Felipe López and jewelry by David Godinez will form part of the festival.

The festival will be enhanced by appearances by the choirs Kantaré and Voces Unidas, the guitar duo Letua, the singer Isaac Ortíz, a first appearance by the group Nur, playing gypsy fusion music, Ernesto Martínez with a concerto by Arpa Lasser, unique in Latin America for his cosmic-futuristic music. The visual artist Aura Moreno will talk about her work.

The gallery will also be showing recent work by the Mexican and foreign artists Lorena Diaz, José Garcia Cubas, Cristina Anzures Torres, Aura Moreno Lagunes, Molly Paredes, Beverly Sky and Juan Carlos Cázares.

A special thanks for the support of Plaza La Luciérnaga, La Morada Hotel, Misión el Molino Hotel, Cumpanio, El Cielo restaurant, Casino Bar, Bet and Win, El Tomate restaurant, El Viñedo, Cuna de Tierra, Harry’s Bar, La Unión, El Palacio restaurant, Loma Lagartija, Vincente and Molly Paredes, Steve Isaac, the students of the Galeria Cázares workshops and all those who helped with the event, friends and family.

Moyshen the Gallery presents three international exhibitions. The first is “Gráfica Contemporánea” in which the art work from the most important Mexican artist such as Vicente Rojo, Francisco Toledo, Roger Von Guten, Luis Filcer is displayed; two lithographs from the recently deceased Leonora  Carrington, etc. In the gallery room, you can find the art from young and talented artist like Moyshen, who owns the gallery, and who it already have an international trajectory, he’s goal is to face the Mexican art work with Latin American recognized artist like Wilfredo Lam.

Art: Aires de Bronce Individual exhibit by sculptor Sara Mansur. Fri, May 4, 5-7pm. Moyshen The Gallery, Fábrica La Aurora, Local 4 C, 154 4314. galeriamenache@gmail.com

The second exhibition which Moysen The Gallery is presenting its an individual display from the sculptress Sara Mansur, the collection is formed of twenty sculptures in bronze and marmol with neo-figurative evocation without big detail, that allows to play with space and figure, bronzes in unconventional patinas that evoke the synthetic elements. The collection of Sara Mansur its inspired in movement, forms and athletic accents of the human body, with abstract and contemporary elements.

The third one is a display of the Mexican-Argentin painter named “Utopias Paralelas”, is formed of twenty fabrics were the artist mix acrylic, oleo, encaustic and others.

The Wild Wild West that is Pozos will become this weekend considerably more wild and colorful with the arrival of Dallas, TX based artist Cathey Miller who opens her one-woman show “Cerca del Cielo at Galería 6.

Art: Cerca del Cielo Paintings by Cathey Miller. Sat, May 5, 1-5pm. Galería 6, Mineral de Pozos

Miller, who works professionally as a scenic painter for major television and movie productions arrived in Pozos a week early to create a mural installation on the walls of the gallery which will serve as backdrop to a stunning group of portrait based, brightly colored, stretched canvases depicting figures and symbols of the cowboy (and very often cowgirl) and charreada culture.

After graduating in 1985 from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA Miller moved to NYC where she freelanced as an editorial illustrator and “started wearing black clothes and mirrored sunglasses and painting people I saw in the subway.”  In 1987, reportedly due to a “lack of any decent salsa” the artist moved to Dallas where she established her own painting studio, which thrives there to this day.

Fans of Miller’s work are well familiar with her colorful and fantastical alternate universe “Cathedonia” which since 2001 has been the subject matter of much of her fine art work. Cathedonia is populated often by the artist herself as well as images of close friends who spend their time saving Earth from giant, eagle-headed intergalactic lobsters and other monsters. This richly symbolic and narrative work reveals a highly skilled painter who enjoys what she does and who is rewarded by being heavily collected.

The work presented in Cerca del Cielo brings forward this spirit of color, play and wit though in a severely pared down style that might be best described as Pop Art with it’s graphic boldness and social commentary. With titles (that often appear in large text as part of the piece) such as “Mamacita”, “Chica Loca” and “Baile Conmigo” Miller has brought also her own brand of girl power, heroism and beauty to Mexico. To say the least her stated inspirations of road trips through the American Southwest and of “kicking around on a semi-abandoned ranch outside Marfa,TX are evident here.

On May 1, the campaigns of the candidates running for mayor of San Miguel were officially launched. The candidates are Cristóbal Franyuti, Francisco Tovar and Mauricio Trejo. They talked to Atención about their campaign platforms as they concern matters of tourism, security and economic development. They also spoke about how they will work with the foreign community and why they want to head the municipal government.

Cristobal Franyuti (National Action Party, PAN)

Franyuti, a 37-year-old sanmiguelense, is married and has two children. He studied law at the Universidad Marista in Querétaro then earned a master’s degree in International Law at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He was head of the Department of Economic Development and International Affairs from 2003–2006 and secretary of the city council from 2006–2009. He also played a key role in working to get San Miguel appointed as a world Heritage site. Franyuti said, “I want to be mayor because San Miguel is a magical and exceptional place that deserves a better future. It has a lot of potential, and if we act well we can have the best international municipality.” He said he most values hard work, honesty, persistence, consistency and humility.

In terms of  bolstering tourism, Franyuti proposes building a convention center as well as buying the former Hermanos Aldama Cinema with federal, state and municipal funds to create a venue for quality events for visitors and sanmiguelenses. “I want to support and give new life to the international festivals in San Miguel, which have made the municipality an international cultural center,” he said. Regarding economic development his proposals are targeted toward attracting industry, including the automotive industry, to the city and developing an industrial zone that could generate more employment “because a municipality with economic development is a successful city.” Increased job opportunities also tie in with his ideas on public security. “Having more police officers does not guarantee security. If we have economic development, we have security. People do not go out and rob others because they like it, but for a lack of opportunities,” he commented.

The main needs of San Miguel, according to the PAN candidate, are opportunities for personal, intellectual and economic development. He commented that the current government has lacked a sense of caring for and commitment to sanmiguelenses in all the departments and some bad decisions were made within the administration. About his campaign he said, “I will not attack my contenders. My campaign will be one of proposals, and I will not use it to discredit the other candidates. My answer to attacks will be proposals.” Finally, he said, “I am a consistent person who loves San Miguel, a young candidate committed to building a municipality with more opportunities of economic development.”

Francisco Tovar (Party of the Democratic Revolution, PRD)

Candidate Tovar is a 47-year-old sanmiguelense. He was born in the rural community  of Agustín González. He attended primary school and worked in el campo, and at the age of 14 he emigrated to the US then later came back and bought a taxi. Currently he has several buses that offer public transportation within the city. Tovar was a city councilor from 2006–2009. During that time he wanted to help those most in need, but because he belonged to the opposition party he did not have enough political power. For that reason he wants to be mayor: to have more power to make decisions and be able to help those in need. “Because I worked for the public administration I got a broader vision to identify and meet people who want to bring investment to the city, industry and tourism, and bring more jobs for the citizens.” Tovar said his key values are honesty, respect, and, most essentially, the family.

With regard to tourism he said he will count on experts in the area, including the foreign community, who can develop a plan to make San Miguel de Allende a prime destination. He also said that he would not make things difficult for those who want to start tourism enterprises in the city. In terms of security, he said that lack of public recreational places has played a part in crime, along with lack of opportunities and problems of addiction, and for that reason he proposes building a clinic for the rehabilitation of those involved with drugs to reintegrate them into the society. He proposes the creation of public spaces in central and rural communities and neighborhoods. To stimulate economic development he proposes generating productive projects and creating an industrial zone.

Mauricio Trejo Pureco (Revolutionary Institutional Party, PRI)

Trejo defines himself as a sanmiguelense, “a happily married dad and businessman.” He is 39 years old. Trejo studied business management at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, and his own businesses are related to tourism. He was the director of Telecable, and from 2003–2004 he was president of the committee for regional festivities of the city. He started the fair at the current fairgrounds. He commented, “I want to be mayor because I want to improve the economy. As a businessman, I cannot be happy if people are suffering around me. I want to be mayor because I have the knowledge and I know the tools and processes needed to improve San Miguel.” He said his key values are honesty, hard work, social sensibility and the importance of the family unit.

His proposals for tourism include building infrastructure to entice more tourists with more buying power, through the improvement of the airport in the city. “Tourism is the main crux in the municipality and all the works of a public administration must be focused on tourism. We have to improve the quality of life, security and public works to attract visitors and make them feel comfortable. We also need a better health system and facilities for the tourists,” he said. He proposes appointing public figures who visit the city as San Miguel Ambassadors. For security, his proposals include involving taxi drivers in a security program (“they are the eyes watching 24 hours”), overhauling the “Vecino Vigilante” (Neighborhood Watch) program, creating a touristic police force and installing surveillance cameras. He said his goal would be to have San Miguel named an “Ejemplo Nacional de Turismo” (National Example of Tourism) in less than two years.

Trejo commented that the needs of San Miguel include employment, a healthy economy, regularization of neighborhoods and a sense of unity. “We must be sanmiguelenses plus others, but we are sanmiguelense against the others,” he said. Trejo said that the best work of this administration was “facing a municipality with public debt of 100 million pesos and renegotiating it to hand over an administration with financial control. But there were errors, too: ignoring and not listening to people, forbidding them important opportunities. It was an error not to work with associations and different groups, and to have nonsensical fights with some members of the city.” With regard to his campaign Trejo commented, “I will not discredit my contenders, and I will not tell them how to do their jobs. I will talk about my proposals to improve the economy of this city.”

The three candidates all believe the foreign community should be included to the benefit of all sanmiguelenses. They also commented that the media must be impartial, trustworthy and objective while reporting and commenting on the electoral process.