03152016Tue
Last updateFri, 11 Mar 2016 6pm

Looking Back: A review of January news from the last 50 years

1966

January 6, The Colony Reporter completed two full years of publication. Editor Bob Thurston remembered some of the accomplishments and gains made. 

“We remember the time we put the letter ‘o’ back in the word ‘shot’ where the printer had carelessly (?) substituted an ‘I’; we remember the week the paper boys actually delivered all the papers to all the paying subscribers. We are vastly proud of the fact that the Reporter has made it two years without a filing cabinet. There is something very solid about a business that can exist for two years in these punch-card times without a filing cabinet. The fact concerns an unconcern for trivia and an orientation towards goals that are loftier than old receipts, bank statements and subscription cancelation letters. 

“But the Reporter is growing – the last edition was 18 pages. If it continues it might even make some money.  There will be taxes and tax men with their exacting demands; there will be letters to write and copies to keep. We can’t imagine how we’ll face all of this without a filing cabinet. But for two whole beautiful years without a filing cabinet we’ve had a free-wheeling, wonderful, uninhibited time just putting things here and there. How many of you, gentle readers can say the same?” 

1976

Phone bills up 22%

The general public expressed surprise and disagreement at the announcement of a 22-percent hike in telephone services. The federal government said current problems besetting the telephone company – billing errors, services being cut off due to damages not rapidly repaired, lack of attention in long-distance and information services, and the lack of sufficient telephones and lines – could only be corrected if sufficient resources were available.

Rabies kills five

A rabies outbreak in Guadalajara and various metro-area towns has resulted in the deaths of five children who were bitten by infected dogs in the past two months. It is estimated that some 90 percent of Guadalajara’s dog population has not been vaccinated.

Mexico to close sea

Mexico will practically close the Sea of Cortez in late May, according to Alfonso Garcia Robles, the country’s new foreign relations minister. The closing will be a result of the new 200-mile sovereignty over bordering seas — an outgrowth of the U.N. Conference on Maritime Limits.

1986

Warm winter

Residents of Guadalajara won’t have to button up their overcoats all the way this winter, say the experts. The Astronomy and Meteorology Institute of the University of Guadalajara predicts that El Niño will keep temperatures relatively mild.

Peso up against dollar

At a time when economic crystal-gazers are predicting a tough new year, the peso is surprisingly strong, opening January 6 and 7 at 424 and 415 respectively against the dollar. Even at that rate many in the know believe the peso is undervalued. 

Mexico tome panned

A Niagra of hostile Mexican criticism marked the publication in Mexico of Alan Riding’s “Distant Neighbors: A Portrait of Mexicans.” The 371-page political, economic and social study was scored as superficial, overgeneralized and lacking in objectivity. Riding said he had committed two sins: “To have said certain things out loud … and … not to be a Mexican.” 

1996

Coldest spell

The coldest weather in Jalisco in 15 years looks set to continue another two weeks, say forecasters in Guadalajara. Average temperatures in the metro area have hovered around 7 degrees Celsius. The lakeside region has been warmer, although a low of 6.5 Celsius was recorded in Ajijic January 1.

Black Widow’s sister

Two years after an insurance company paid out on a 100,000-dollar life policy on the sister of the infamous Black Widow, Socorro Rodriguez (viuda) de Lapine, the coffin was unearthed and only flowers were inside. This is only after Rodriguez’s own coffin had been recently opened and contained only old clothes, wooden boards and newspapers. Her moniker was bestowed for the many bodies left in her wake. She was reportedly seen in Los Angeles recently. 

2006

Mexico shivers

Temperatures plunged across Mexico January 18, reaching as low as -14.5 Celsius in San Gaspar de los Reyes, a pueblo in the Los Altos region of Jalisco. In Guadalajara the thermometer dipped to -1.5 Celsius.

Taco stand poisoning

Some 160 El Salto diners who became ill last in mid January were confirmed to have eaten meat from animals given clenbuterol. Those affected showed symptoms including headaches, exhaustion, tachycardia, vomiting and stomach pain about 30 minutes after eating tacos from the stand.

Real estate boom

The Lake Chapala area real estate agencies registered thriving sales in 2005, almost equal to 2004 and a total trade value showing a steep rise. U.S. and Canadian buyers accounted for the majority of sales. 

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