05202015Wed
Last updateFri, 15 May 2015 4pm

Laguna Chapalac – May 15, 2015

Freethinkers

Featured speaker Lewis Crippen will present “Religious Conflict: Is it Due to Religion?” at the Wednesday May 20, 4 p.m. meeting of the Lakeside Freethinkers. The theme examines the thought that conflicts seemingly due to religion are usually not at all religious in nature. Because many of the Lakeside Freethinkers are convinced that religion is the problem, the discussion that ensues is bound to be animated. Hopefully the discussion will prove to be both entertaining and enlightening.

Members may bring up other matters. The group meets on the third Wednesday of each month at a local Ajijic restaurant. Dinner and additional discussion follow the meeting. 

The Lakeside Freethinkers define a “freethinker” as a person who identifies himself or herself as an atheist, agnostic, secular humanist or skeptic. They believe that individuals should not accept ideas proposed as truth without recourse to knowledge and reason. They reject belief in the supernatural and rely on science and reason to guide their lives.

If you would like to attend, or just obtain additional information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">.

Up in the Air book

Raquet Club resident John Wester finished the first edition of his book “Up in the Air” in 2012 as a gift for his children. His son was so intrigued with his father’s stories about his career in the U.S. Navy and his WWII service that Wester has produced a new, enlarged version. 

Career Day

LCS will sponsor a Career Day at the Chapala High School on Thursday, May 21.  During the event, senior and second semester junior students will have the opportunity to be introduced to the myriad of career options available after graduation. 

This program is designed to motivate students to continue their education by bringing Mexican success stories into the classroom. Visitors will represent careers including chef, nutritionist, small business owner, auto mechanic, artist, emergency medical technician, travel agent, engineer, web designer, real estate agent, as well as other professionals. More than 500 students will attend this pilot program.

LCS volunteer Glorine Barnhardt organized this innovative program and is responsible for coordinating the components.

Because LCS is committed to education, if the pilot is successful, the group would like to present this program to other area schools. 

If anyone would like to help, they should contact the LCS office or Barnhardt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Gardening Event

Instituto International, a school for grades seven through 12, is expanding its emphasis on producing organic foods with a big gardening event on Friday May 22, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. 

This project, led by the science department, will include starting a pollinator garden and a compost pile to supplement the school’s active hydroponic garden. Parents, students and interested community members are asked to bring bags of good dirt, seeds and gardening tools. Those who wish for more information can contact Barrett Brumfield, the head of the science department. 

To get there, turn left from the Libramiento at the Instituto International sign and follow the road up the mountain to the school.

Fashion Show

The Lake Chapala (LCS) will present a fashion show fundraiser for men and women on Saturday, May 30, 3 p.m. The theme is Summer In Ajijic.  

The show will be presented by Cugini’s Boutique, and include fashions for men and women, as well as jewelry.

No more than 200 tickets will be sold, priced at 150 pesos each. The models are personalities from the LCS membership (including LCS Singles member Bryon Cranston on the catwalk) and the surrounding business community.

The proceeds from this event will go entirely to the LCS Community Education Fund to sponsor local students that have qualified to attend university.

There will be an open bar and appetizers. This promises to be an enjoyable and very worthwhile event, so consider getting a table of friends together.

Share Your Story

Bob Mazanec is planning to showcase lakeside’s fascinating residents and their first-person stories for a live lakeside audience. 

“The stories that will be most special in this setting are those that make each of us who we are, be they the funny, sad, surprising, life-changing, romantic, terrifying or delightful tales,” Mazanec says.

Prior experience with writing, public speaking, acting or storytelling is not required. 

Mazanec and the storytellers will help each other polish and prepare five to 15-minute tales. The first step is to send a synopsis of a life story to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to participate.

Touching the Present 

Lakeside’s Heart of Awareness Community is finalizing plans for the semi-annual workshop scheduled from Friday, May 19 through Sunday, May, 31 at Guadalupe Victoria 101 A-B.

“Touching the Present” is this year’s spring live-streamed program from Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York. It features Pena Chodron, a notable U.S. figure in Tibetan Buddhism. A disciple of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, she is an ordained nun and author. 

The 300-peso workshop fee includes brunch following the final session on Sunday morning. For more information about this popular retreat, visit www.heartofawareness.org. To register, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">.

English as a Second Language

Teacher Carol Bowman (at left) looks on as her English as a Second Language students receive certificates of completion for their school term and, in a nice touch, are also presented with red carnations. More than 150 students enroll each fall in classes ranging from beginner to advanced. There is no fee to attend the classes, but students must purchase their workbooks.

St. Andrews

Fr. Michael Schirmacher will lead the worship service at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on Sunday, May 17, beginning at 10 a.m. His sermon this week is titled “Love Is In Charge.” The children’s bilingual Sunday school begins at 9:45 a.m. and a coffee hour of welcome and fellowship follows the service.

The feeding program supported by St. Andrew’s welcomes donations of non-perishable items such as beans, rice, pasta, salt, and oil. The food can be left in the baskets by the church doors.

St. Andrew’s is located at Calle San Lucas 19, just one block south of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar.

Christ Church

The members of Christ Church Lakeside will observe the Seventh Sunday of Easter on Sunday May 17, 9:30 a.m. by celebrating the Holy Eucharist at the Little Chapel by the Lake. Fr. Danny Borkowski will preside. His topic is “Friends,” based on John 15:9-17.

The congregations of Christ Church Lakeside and the Little Chapel share a common coffee fellowship time between the two services.  The church is Carretera 10 in Chula Vista.

Little Chapel 

The interdenominational congregation of the Little Chapel by the Lake will hold their regular worship service on Sunday, May 17, 11:15 a.m. when Rev. Gene Raymer will discuss the parts of the brain and how Christians can use them in the service to God. 

The members will meet with the congregation of Christ Church at 10:45 a.m. for fellowship and refreshments. Following the service members will continue fellowship and discussion over a meal in a local restaurant. 

A free movie will be shown on Wednesday, May 20, 4:30 at the church. Refreshments will be provided. 

The Little Chapel by the Lake is on the mountain side of the Carretera just east of the golf course in Chula Vista. Obtain more information at the LCBTL Facebook page. 

San Andrés English

Fr. Basil G. Royston D.Min. presides at the Sunday May 17, 9 a.m. English Mass at San Andrés Catholic Church to “celebrate the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.”

He adds: “We celebrate Christ’s ascension to his eternal glory in heaven and express our Christian hope that where he, our Head has gone before us, we, his Body, will one day follow, to live forever in the kingdom of our Father.”

Unitarian Universalists

The Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalists Fellowship meets Sunday, May 17, 10:30 a.m., when Mardele Harland presents “Miracles and Wonders.”

During her talk she wonders what rational, well-educated people do with the concept of miraculous? How do they view experiences and events that have no obvious explanation and appear to flaunt the laws of science?

Unitarian Universalists search for truth along many paths. They gather around common moral values that include the inherent worth and dignity of every person. They are a caring, liberal, open-minded community that encourages others to seek their own spiritual path wherever it leads. 

The meeting place is Plaza de la Ribera, Rio Bravo 10A. For further information, visit www.uuflc.org.

Buddhist Community

The Heart of Awareness Community meets on Wednesday, May 20, with Noble Silence beginning at 4 p.m, followed by a formal meditation, dharma teachings and discussion at 4:30 p.m. The teaching will be a pre-recorded talk by Ram Dass, “Conscious Aging,” Part 3.

The sangha is at Guadalupe Victoria 101, suites A-B, in Ajijic. The Heart of Awareness is a non-sectarian community grounded in the teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Theravada/Vipassana tradition. Prior experience or affiliation is not required. For further information on the community and scheduled activities, visit www.heartofawareness.org, or call Janet Reichert at (376) 766-6069.

Open Circle 

Attendees of Open Circle meet on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. in the back patio area of the LCS for refreshments and socializing before the presentation. 

Larkin Chollar will create a sculpture during his presentation on Sunday May 17. Originally from Puget Sound, in adulthood the artist relocated to the Santa Cruz Mountains where he created his own studio and business. He now teaches classes in his Ajijic studio. 

Engineer Todd Stong will presents an update on some of his many development projects in the Lakeside area, as well as his views on current and pertinent subjects during the Sunday, March 24 meeting.