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March 1, 2005 - Issue #56
News and Features about Puerto Vallarta on Mexico´s Gold Coast
Tips and Topics on Living in Your Own Dream Location
[Go to the Archives]
CONTENTS:
• SPRING IS HERE
• COMING ART ATTRACTIONS
• A THOUGHTFUL POEM
• PARKING CONTROVERSY
SPRING IS HERE
Of course we have spring and summer all year long in Puerto Vallarta, but March is the official beginning of Spring, and this year Easter comes in March, so many snow birds will be flocking back north, much to the regret of local businesses who depend on foreign tourists. Semana Santa will bring an influx of Mexican tourists to enjoy our beaches and hotels. March is filled with cultural and entertainment events, starting with an open house at the CUC campus in Ixtapa on March 1 featuring a tour of the Reptile Reserve, the Peter Gray Art Museum and Folkloric Dancing. Also you can view the impressive murals by Ruben Garcia, who will be exhibiting his paintings on March 9 at Galeria Vallarta. If you miss the open house, you can visit the campus and see the impressive growth of our local university during most any day. Wed. March 2 is the opening cocktail of Galeria Pacifico´s show featuring Rogelio Diaz at 6-10 p.m.
Tango classes start on March 3 from 7 to 8 p.m. for beginners upstairs at Plaza Caracol. Six weeks for only $300 pesos is quite a deal. Information: alybarbara@yahoo.com
Also International Friendship Club home tours on Wednesday and Thursday mornings--Ticket sales start at 9:30 a.m. at Posada Rio Cuale and buses leave at 11 a.m. There is a used book sale at Los Mangos Library on Fri. March 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bring used books to donate.
Saturday, March 5 is the date for our famous BECA Charity Ball at the Westin Regina Resort, raising lots of money for scholarships for our deserving youth. A gourmet dinner, dancing and an auction of art, dinners and services will make for a fun evening. Also on March 5, 6-10 p.m. Galeria Dante presents the unique sculptures of Guillermo Gomez on Basillio Badillo.
On Monday, March 7 the Spotlight Players will present Manhattan Nights at Santa Barbara Restaurant theater and they also present Abba Cadabra in the same location on Sundays at 8 p.m. Galeria Gradiva continues the exhibition of landscapes and still lifes by Yolanda Garcia de Almonacid. Steven King´s beautiful impressionist oils are on display at Galeria Vallarta until March 9, when the new show by Ruben Garcia, "Mixed Media Magic" will be unveiled.
The first annual Puerto Vallarta dog show will take place at the Municipal Stadium (In front of the Lions Club School to the right off Francisco Villa) on March 11 and 12 starting at 9:30 a.m. Dog trainers from Guadalajara and Hollywood will lead the dogs through their paces and prizes will be given for various categories.
On March 16, 17 and 18 the American School will present "Guys and Dolls" at 7:30 p.m., American School amphitheater across from Plaza Marina. Tickets 100 pesos.
The Old Town Art Walk dates are March 9 and March 30, 6-10 p.m. with free cocktails in 12 downtown galleries. The Romantic Zone art walk is March 5 and 19th featuring 4 south side galleries.
The Palm in Olas Altas will present Alex Ryder (voted best actress in a musical by Denver music critics) singing songs made famous by French artist Edith Piaf on March 15, 19 and 20th. Reservations at 223-3101 and a large portion of the proceeds go to Mujeres Artisticas y su Iluminacion. The City Cultural Dept. continues to present free concerts and events at the Los Arcos amphitheater on weekends, and you can see the Papantla Flyers perform on the Malecon.
MARCH CULTURAL SCENE
RUBEN GARCIA
Ruben Garcia will present his unique painting style at his exhibition at Galeria Vallarta on Wednesday, March 9, during the Old Town Art Walk. He combines oil, gold leaf and special textures to give a richness to his dramatic portraits, as well as his abstract and impressionist creations. Ruben graduated from the School of Plastic Arts at the University of Guadalajara and has won many prizes and recognitions for his artwork. He was chosen to paint murals in the buildings at our local Centro Universidad de la Costa and has participated in many exhibitions. Come to see his new works at Galeria Vallarta from 6 to 10 p.m., continuing until March 29.
DIMITAR AND HELEN KRUSTEV
Dimitar Krustev, the world renowned painter and his wife, Helen, who have exhibited their art works in Galeria Vallarta for a number of years, will be present for the Old Town Art Walk on Wed. March 30. Dimitar has written another book, called "An Artist in Africa". This fascinating account of living and painting in Africa has great descriptions of the African countryside and the camp of Dr. Jane Goodall with her chimps. Dimitar painted a portrait of Dr. Goodall, which is included in the book. Other books by Dimitar Krustev are "Voices in the Night", an autobiography describing his youth in Bulgaria, his art education, military service and details of how the German occupation and later the Russian take-over affected Bulgaria and it´s inhabitants; as well as "River of the Sacred Monkey", the incredible story of Dimitar´s adventures in the Lacandon Forest of Mexico while he was living with and painting the native people of that region. Dimitar Krustev´s life has been dedicated to art, photography, writing and exploring the world. His wife, Helen Marie, is also a fine artist and together they continue their adventures and art expositions. They are planning a tour of Classical Greece from July 1 to 8th, which you can join by sending a fax to (376) 766 3381 in Ajijic, Jal.
COMING ART EVENTS
Galeria Arte Latinoamericano will present Frank Gardner´s art on Mar. 9 and Marlene Hosey on March 30. Galeria Uno will feature Jesus Lopez Vega on March 9 and art by Geoff Watkinson (our favorite blues star) on March 30. T. Fuller Gallery will show new works by David Leonard on March 18. Corona Galeria continues the exhibition of Bella Rish and will feature Gustao Machado on March 30. Galeria 8 has an impressive show of art by Susana de Lamadrid. Check with PV Tribune, Ambito and Vallarta Today for more information on the other galleries.
A POEM (Courtesy of Lety Baca)
Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.
And he rang mine but we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim
Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner, yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir," "Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.
Remember to always say what you mean.
If you love someone, tell them.
Don't be afraid to express yourself.
Because when you decide that it is the right time
it might be too late.
Seize the day. Never have regrets.
And most importantly, stay close to your friends
and family, for they have helped
make you the person that you are today.
THE PARKING CONTROVERSY - THE URGENT NEED FOR PARKING LOTS IN CENTRAL VALLARTA
Since the DIF parking lot and the one behind the former Bancomer bank have been closed for extension of the Malecon and repair of the damage done by Hurricane Kenna two years ago, (at the worst possible time when we have the most tourists), traffic in downtown has been chaotic. Before there were men to park the cars when there were no spaces and hundreds of cars went in and out all day. Now one has to spend 20 to 30 minutes driving around the narrow streets waiting for a car to leave.
Our center is a business and entertainment zone, not a museum, and in order for the center to survive there MUST be parking near the businesses, banks, restaurants etc., otherwise we will soon have a deserted downtown and will lose the image of our "typical pueblo" with the best shopping, restaurants and culture on Mexico´s west coast. The trend has already started, with many empty locales on Juarez, Morelos and other inside streets due to the lack of circulation of tourists except on the Malecon and the lack of parking. Pawn shops, discount clothing, tattoo parlors etc., have taken the place of many of our former specialty shops on the inside streets, which were of interest to tourists. Many tourists and local residents are older, have bad legs or backs and do not enjoy having to walk many blocks to get where they want to go.
As for the people screaming about losing our "parks" in order to build parking areas, let´s face it - they are not parks, but big flea markets full of stands that should be renting the empty locales instead of giving disloyal competition to the businesses who pay rent, utilities, social security, salaries and advertising. These "parks" are dirty, are not maintained, and have no function as parks. The plan for the parking garages supposedly includes putting the parks back but without the tianguis, so the majority of the opposition is from those who fear losing their free ride, or those who do not have cars and have not tried to find a parking place downtown.
We urgently need parking garages in the center of Vallarta and the first one must be near the Plaza Principal, since this is the heart of the historic district. We must have some immediate help by returning the public streets to the public for parking instead of renting them to private business, such as the spaces reserved for tour buses so they can herd passengers into stores who can afford to pay them, but only use the reserved spaces a few hours a day. We all live by tourism, so let´s give some consideration to convenience for these tourists as well as our local residents. Please send any ideas you have on how we can get the parking we need as quickly as possible.
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