Intermission

The curtain has closed on the first act of the living theater that is La Manzanilla in Season. The scene faded to black as the Thanksgiving-to-New Year’s whirlwind blew out in a blaze of beach bonfires, fireworks and unseasonable rain squalls. Now we’re taking a post-holiday breather, waiting for the lights to blink and the curtain to rise again. Meanwhile, the movers and groovers who make things happen are back stage busily preparing to roll out the big-gun events and fund raisers for Act Two.

Great to be here

I was having such a good time on December 21, I’m glad nothing apocalyptic happened. Dearest friends from Southern California, who’ve previously visited only in May when La Manzanilla could hardly be more dead or boring, finally came down for Christmas. There’s nothing like being with old friends to buff up the holiday glow of the most dedicated Bah Humbugger. They finally experienced La Manzanilla with people and traffic in the streets, restaurants and shops open, and life after dark.

The End of the World?

I’ve barely come to grips with the start of this year’s season, and organizers are already ramping up for La Manzanilla events and fund raisers happening next year. Granted, 2013 is less than a month away, but isn’t a majorly significant event supposed to happen between now and then?

Claims denied

Property owners in the Tenacatita vs. Rodenas Corporation case heard last week that their claims have been denied. More than two years after Jose Villalobos, Rodenas owner, sent armed guards into Tenacatita, displacing 800 mostly Mexican residents and seizing their property, the Mexican Appeals Court ruled that the owners of confiscated real estate lacked legal standing to present an amparo claim against the company.

New delegate

Lifetime resident Pedro Preciado Chavez became La Manzanilla’s new delegado (delegate) in the October 28 election. Everybody in town is familiar with Pedro and his friendly smile. Prior to beginning his three-year term, he served as driver and announcer for the La Manzanilla Information System truck, our primary source for news of important local events. He also worked for 22 years with this area’s Civil Protection unit.

How I Spent the Summer

If Thomas Edison is correct about ‘genius being one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration,’ I was absolutely brilliant during this column’s summer hiatus. Summer in La Manzanilla is like being locked in a sauna, while a sadistic Mother Nature pours water on the rocks nonstop. Daily heat indices, frequently hovering in the 110-degree range, made it easy to break a sweat doing nothing more strenuous than sitting in front of a fan. Forget about doing much else.