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Theater Centro Cultural Cuale Inaugurated The grand inauguration of the new Theater Centro Cultural Cuale on Isla Rio Cuale was held Thursday, March 27. The program, organized by Maria José Zorrilla of the Department of Culture, was a total cultural immersion, opening with a rousing performance by local folkloric dance troupe Xiutla. To accommodate the crowd from all areas of Puerto Vallarta, the event was held outside, where people quickly filled the 80 chairs provided, and an equal number enjoyed the program while standing. After Mayor Pedro Ruiz Higuera read the plaque to dedicate the theater, the crowd moved toward the entrance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event continued with the Noche de Juglares, an annual poetry reading sponsored by the Tintores writers’ group of Vallarta. The theater will be used for a variety of cultural events, such as music, dance, drama and comedy, as well as for official conferences. With seating for approximately 80 people, the CCC, as it will be called, is located on the eastern end of the island.
Give from Your Heart A blood drive will be held Wednesday, April 9 at the International Friendship Club (IFC) in conjunction with Ambulancia Global. With Semana Santa (Holy Week) around the corner, adequate blood supplies are crucial. With only one blood bank for the entire Vallarta area, at the San Javier Marina Hospital, this blood drive will serve the entire community as well as all local hospitals. Perform an act of kindness for your loved ones and neighbors by participating in this very important community event. Earlier drives in Sayulita and Cruz de Huanacaxtle were successful, but blood needs continue to be urgent. A short, confidential medical history is taken to verify that you meet the requirements. Generally, donors must be between 18 and 60, weigh more than 50 kilos and be in good health, with no infectious diseases (e.g., hepatitis, AIDS). After donating approximately an hour of your day, you are served cookies and juice and allowed to rest if you feel any dizziness. The staff from the blood bank at San Javier is scrupulous about sanitation and safety. IFC is located between the downtown Bital Bank at the corner of Libertad and Miramar and Fuente del Puente restaurant, upstairs across from the UDG Language School. Please contact Pamela Thompson at 226-1010 Ext. 304 or pmt@prodigy.net.mx with any further questions.
Trip Out to Yelapa A special boat has been arranged to take visitors from Boca de Tomatlan to Yelapa for artist Larry Lewis’ reception Monday, March 31. It leaves from Boca at 6 pm and returns to Boca at 10 pm. The reception is at the Galería Hotel Lagunita right on the edge of the main beach, with music to be provided by the Ron & d’Rachael Trio, and the show will continue through April 30. Lewis is the teacher and co-founder of the Art Asylum, a private, fully equipped studio where he holds classes from beginning to advanced levels. Call 209-5056 for further information.
F.M. Hennen Remembered Wednesday night, March 26, Santa Barbara was the scene of the memorial, A Celebration of Life, for much-loved local resident F.M. Hennen. The husband of Spotlight Productions director Kathleen Hennen, F.M. was involved backstage, handling sets and maintaining the productions. A number of local residents participated in the hour-long program, with Sharon Baughman performing a solo as well as a duet with Jim Monroe, a eulogy by David and Karen King and songs by the choir and soloists Álvaro Castillo and Kathy Overly. Sharing memories brought tears and laughter to the packed room. Nancy and Tommy Patterson danced to Andrea Bocelli, and the evening ended with the choir’s resounding rendition of “Friendship,” inviting the entire audience to join them onstage.
“Out of the Spotlight” It was out of the spotlight that F.M. shone. A time for recollection, now that he’s gone. The Spotlight Players, his friends and supporters Gathered here in Santa Barbara quarters. To remember a man, who in his gentle manner Enriched us all with kindness and candor. Kathleen’s right hand, always in place With ladders and wires and a smiling face. No cellophane man, or shadow or ghost But a miracle man when needed most. Plumber, carpenter, master electrician, Solutions to problems, a certified magician. Witty, charming, Loving, disarming, Quiet, loyal, Nobody’s foil! But most of all, truly a friend, Non-judgmental with time to spend To counsel us with humor and balance To be in the spotlight, some with unlimited talents. F.M. Hennan, the man we laud Out of the spotlight, now with God. Will he be missed? Not to be trite … All of us here say, “You’re F.M. right!” Raise a cup in remembrance of him. He was a gift. Goodbye, F.M. Barry (Banjo) Fendley
Week of March 21, 2003
Spring Equinox Celebrated At exclusive Terra Noble atop the hill overlooking peaceful Puerto Vallarta, the community celebrated the arrival of the spring equinox. Traditionally the first day of the new year in many ancient cultures, the gathering combined events such as the calling of the Four Winds and the Six Directions. Led by Jorge Rubio, owner of the art and health center, a number of the leaders and teachers of various spiritual groups took their turn in calling for peace. Open to the entire community, around 150 people attended. Beginning at 10 am, the event offered classes in bonsai, massages and a new class to teach the making of adobe. The culmination was a final prayer with drums and incense, followed by a dance to Mother Earth.
Odd Couple Hits Stage Neil Simon’s hilarious play “The Odd Couple” began performances Friday, March 21, at Santa Barbara Theater. Directed by veteran Beverly Snow, the comedy centers around life in the apartment of recently divorced Oscar Madison, cigar-smoking slob, joined by suddenly-separated Felix Ungar. Played by Chuck Park and Ryc Rienks, the two men maneuver in their common bond, looking for a compromise that might allow two very different temperaments to survive in this modern day. They court the Pigeon sisters, played by Marylee Clark and Nancy Patience, neighbors in the same building. Come and see them on Friday, Sunday or Monday at Santa Barbara, Olas Altas 351 in Emiliano Zapata. Tickets are $250 and $350 pesos, including dinner. Seating for dining is at 6:30 pm and the show starts at 8 pm. Call 223-2048 for reservations.
Film Festival Around Corner Opening with homage to Mexican actress Silvia Pinal, the Mexican Film Festival begins March 28 at the auditorium of CUCosta, Centro Universitario de la Costa. A free bus departs at 6:30 pm from the stadium, Estadio Agustín Flores Contreras, on Avenida Mexico. Passes are available for purchase at Cine Bahia, Cine Versalles, Lópera and La Petite France at $150 pesos for six functions and $240 pesos for 12 functions. This special offering is only valid for events at 4 and 7 pm. Other venues with events are the new theater, CCC, or Centro Cultural Cuale, the plaza area in front for outdoor viewing, Los Arcos and the new auditorium at CUCosta. Check cinefest.pv.udg.mx for further information. Pictured is participating Mexican film director and cinematographer Angel Goded.
Sculptures Return The popular sculpture “Buscando la Razón,” or “searching for reason,” by Sergio Bustamante, is back on the Malecón of Puerto Vallarta. Due to some damage after the hurricane, sculptor Bustamante took the time to not only do repairs but a thorough cleaning as well. Now the only pieces missing from the Malecon are the whimsical chairs by artist Alejandro Colunga. As the work continues, they will be reinstalled sometime in mid-April. Sculptors also were in the news with a major exhibit by Gabriel Colunga, brother of Alejandro, at Galería Dante. Attending the show was Guadalajara sculptor Guillermo Gómez with his family. In the Marina, Alicia Bueno also unveiled her latest work at Galería Arte de Las Américas.
Week of March 14, 2003
Explo Explodes in Plaza The third Explo-Regional opens March 13 in the Main Plaza including the outdoor passages of City Hall. An annual event sponsored by La Explosiva 590 AM, it offers the public the opportunity to learn about products and people from other regions, many of them small towns with no recourse for selling their products in Puerto Vallarta. In addition, some of the traditional products, such as tequila from the town of Tequila or furniture and handcrafts from the towns of Tonalá and Tlaquepaque, are available. “They came with truckloads,” says Edgar Treviño of La Explosiva, one of the reporters covering the event in the zócalo. Cultural events are part of the experience, in town in conjunction with Explo-Regional is Gala Vallarta, an annual invitational for the travel and tourism industry, hosted by the convention and visitors bureau and the hotel and motel association. The event continues through the weekend.
Clowning Around The group “Payasos con Corazon,” or clowns with heart, have been traveling throughout Mexico for the past two months. If you saw the movie “Patch Adams” with actor Robin Williams, in which he regularly appeared with his clown nose to entertain hospitalized children, you would relate to the work of this dedicated group. Coming from all over the USA, the clowns were guided and assisted by Susy Stilwell, pictured here with clowning husband Carlos, fluent in Spanish, from Arizona. They appear in hospitals and schools and other institutions on their tour and recently were invited to the primary school in Sayulita. In Puerto Vallarta, they enjoyed an evening at Hotel Cuatro Vientos before their departure back home. See caringclowns.org for more information.
Island Inauguration Scheduled The inauguration of the new theatre on Isla Rio Cuale has been set for Friday, April 11, beginning at 6 pm. The program for the Centro Cultural Cuale, or CCC, includes an exhibition of work by the artists involved in the workshops, conducted during the interim in the studio of Ireri Topete; music and theater by the students of the respective workshops; and finally, the announcement of the donation of lithographs of Mexican artist Tamayo by local artist Gilberto Grimaldo. As the lithographs need reframing and cleaning, they may not be ready in time for the inauguration. Says Grimaldo, pictured here, “They are a symbol of my love for Puerto Vallarta, and so I give them to the people.” Two of his murals are on exhibition at the airport.
Water Talk Water seems to be in the news again. Whether it’s due to conservation or cost, ecology or education, water might be a more important liquid than tequila. In a recent article, ecology and investigation expert Alfredo César Dachary reports that up to 83% of the total water use is from the agricultural sector. Home use comes in at 12%, industrial use at 3% and intensive watering, such as for golf courses, at 2%. Why, he asks, has the government not helped develop programs that would assist the agricultural sector in studies of water usage, treatment plants, better control of water from dams? Beginning this coming Monday, March 17, at Centro Universitario de la Costa, CUCosta, a series of conferences will focus on water. Cosponsored by SeaPal, the department that carries the responsibility for water treatment and purity nationally as well as locally, will be involved in the seminar, open to the public.
Week of March 7, 2003
Beach Cleanup Scheduled In a program called “Mexico Limpio y Querido,” this Saturday, March 8, begins the beach cleanup. Concentrating on the beaches, ditches, arroyos and even the marine bottom in the port area, 2,500 people will be mobilized. Covering 30 kilometers of beach with 12 work brigades, it will include Boca de Tomates, Mismaloya, Boca de Tomatlán and other drainage areas. Eight dump trucks will help haul the refuse away. In addition, 500 students from CUCosta, Univa, Arkos and the Preparatoria will help scour the downtown area. In the port area of the cruise ships, 20 divers will work on cleaning the ocean bottom. The director of Servicios Públicos Municipales, Eugenio González Márquez, plans to oversee the program and proposes continuing it on a regular basis throughout the entire year.
Con Nosotros Benefit At a benefit event at Galería Omár Alonso, the group ConNos/Otr@s A.C., symbolizing “Together With Us,” presented an evening of drama through reading, art and poetry. The group, founded in Hungary by Dr. Andràs Petö, was one of the first to work with motor dysfunctions from the realm of education rather than as a medical problem. A non-profit organization based in Morelia, the school works primarily with students who have cerebral palsy, the final goal being their integration into a normal social life. In an exchange program, teachers from Hungary work with the children from Mexico while teachers from Mexico work in the schools in Hungary. The event was well attended by many levels of Vallarta society. Nearly all work in the painting exposition, titled “El Sueño,” or “the dream,” was sold, earning the group about $7,000 USD, including donations. Further work can be obtained locally by contacting Alejandro Flores Von Borstet at 223-0708. To learn more about ConNos/Otr@s A.C. please visit their Web site, morelosweb.com/connosotros/.
The Magic Door The Elephant Once upon a time there was a door that was said to be magic. Those who entered through that door disappeared. One day, a boy who didn’t believe it entered and disappeared as well. Then he met a friend who was blind who cured him. by Juan Carlos Pagaza, November 2001
Pueblo Real Sponsors Benefit In an ongoing benefit program, downtown restaurant Pueblo Real announced a new cooperative program for the month of March. Every Friday night, beginning March 7 at 9 pm, Pueblo Real, de Santos Disco, Carlos O’Brian’s, Sr. Frog's and La Cantina will sell door bracelets for $50 pesos. The proceeds will go toward the operation for 10-year-old leukemia patient Fernanda Valeria Gomez Flores. The bracelet will allow entrance into each of the participating sponsors, avoiding further cover charges. For any questions or donations, please contact Jesus Carmona at Pueblo Real.
Jorge Ruiz Aguilar Mourned One of Vallarta’s highly respected journalists, Jorge Ruiz Aguilar, died suddenly of a heart attack March 1. Fully bilingual, Ruiz Águilar was point man for the press in a number of situations, and eventually left to join the Fideicomiso in public relations in December. As such, it was his turn to be interviewed, and he handled it with aplomb. Always smiling and friendly to his co-workers and the other journalists and reporters, Ruiz Aguilar will truly be missed at those events that he took so seriously. In his 14 years in Puerto Vallarta, Ruiz Aguilar worked primarily for the local newspaper, “Vallarta Opina/Milenio.” He was director of the Voice of American in Washington during the ‘80s and founded Imevision, which is now TV Azteca.
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