Message from Chimalli

From Chimalli Axixic


AXIXIC
10-12-2018

Dear Lakeside Expat Friend/s & Mexican Bilingual Amigos,

(Note Next Public Meeting – Saturday, 15, December – Ajijic Cultural Center on the Plaza at 7 pm. Please pass the word and invite your friends and neighbors to attend!)

Greetings! On behalf of the Chimalli Axixic Organizing Committee, I want to express thanks to those of you who attended the meeting this past Sunday, held just outside the Ajijic Cultural Center on the Plaza. Scores of you turned out to learn of the dire situation facing the entire Lakeside Community as plans are underway to develop 30 hectares (70 plus acres) of land at the beloved Tepalo section of the hillside above Ajijic, and elsewhere.

Here is a report from the meeting and a call to action for what is next:

In response to an appeal for funds for hiring a vetted, environmental Lawyer from Mexico City, over $30,000 MX was raised in cash donations (and deposited) in addition to the nearly $6,000 MX already deposited in our bank account at Bancomer on the Ajijic Plaza. This overall figure does not include pledged amounts. An excellent response as we intend to raise 100K MX as quickly as possible!

Incidentally, we are planning to establish a PayPal account this week (thanks to Delane David for the suggestion and willingness to help set it up) so that online donations may be made as well. In the meantime, if you haven’t already donated, or wish to give more, please drop by Bancomer ASAP and deposit your generous donation into ACCOUNT # 0468878021. There are three signers on the account (Expat and Mexican citizen Howard Feldstein, Pedro Dario Marquez & Treasurer Marichuy Venegas both of whom were born in Ajijic). These three together counted the cash proceeds from yesterday’s meeting, along with a few interested bystanders, and then the money was immediately deposited into our account. The committee intends to report regularly on funds raised and how they are distributed so that investments in this action may be made with confidence.

Why a Lawyer from Mexico City?

We need someone free from local entanglements with the expertise and official legal standing to subpoena records, engage in potential lawsuits against government agencies, discover who the investors are and so on. Essentially, we cannot stop these illegal construction projects without one.

Negative Impacts

The main message, which was repeated by several of the Expat and Mexican presenters was that the so-called rumor of an illegal construction project (actually projects) is by no means a rumor. In fact, local realtors are already advertising the sale of land in the Tepalo area and elsewhere along the hillsides. Copies of their sale notices were on display at the meeting.

We learned of potential dire impacts to the already over-taxed infrastructure of our area, the certain environmental damage and loss of animal habitat for several species, destruction of a hiker’s paradise, added traffic along the already overcrowded Carretera, not to mention still more vehicular travel inside the corridors of Ajijic, and the probable damage to the microclimate of our area, if we allow these construction projects to go forward. We learned that the Agricultural/Forest Zoning of the Tepalo area was illegally changed back in March “under the table” to allow for this unwanted construction. We learned that the president of Chapala has been a NO-SHOW for two scheduled meetings with members of the Chimalli Axixic Organizing Committee for the purpose of learning what he knows about these projects.

The Local Mexican Community is Helping to Lead the Way

Although the number of local Mexicans in attendance was disappointing, we learned from their well-informed spokespersons that many were attending funerals yesterdays, as well as previously scheduled fiestas. However, the approximately 1,000 signatures from the native Mexican communitysignifying their disapproval of these projects testifies to their readiness to thwart this action. Neither community can take up this enormous challenge alone. Marches will be organized, funds will be raised, construction-stoppage sit-ins, whatever it takes to ward off these assaults to our beloved hillsides will be the result of an active partnership of all the people who love this area and refuse to see it blighted further by unwanted (and unnecessary) construction.

Action Committees Established

A call for action resulted in several sign-ups on one or more of the following eight committees: 1. Community Activism, 2.Community Outreach, 3. Finance (Accounting and Bookkeeping), 4. Fundraising, 5. Legal Matters, 6. National Outreach, 7. Translation, 8. Volunteer Coordination

Please look over this list and see which committee matches your interest and expertise; then provide your name to Doug Reid atdoug4yoga@gmail.com along with suggestions for other committees that may be needed.

Art and Environmental Exhibition

If you are interested in participating in a variety of artistic expressions to show the beauty and environmental value of keeping our hillsides safe, an Exhibition under the direction of Jill (Xill) Fessenden will occur next Saturday, the 15th from 4 to 7 pm on the Ajijic Plaza. Email Jill at xxfessenden@yahoo.com for more information. If you are part of the many local environment groups, be it hiking, birding, water protectors or members of local artist groups, please share our message and our needs with your group and encourage them to come to our next meeting, take in the art installation and add their names to our list of supporters.

SUMMARY

Everyone who cherishes the beauty of our Lakeside hills and wishes to preserve what we love about living here has a role to play: Adding your voice of opposition, making as generous a donation as you can afford, becoming as active as you are able, being ready to march, engage, and doing whatever it takes to prevent further careless development projects. And, as a first (or next step), attending the next public meeting on Saturday, the 15th, at 7 pm; and bring others with you.

Also, please forward this message to others who you think will be interested in joining this cause.

Respectfully submitted,

Tim Boeve, Secretary for the Expat Community



Chimalli Axixic Organizing Committee Members (not exhaustive)

Raul Medina, Noris Binet, Alicia Cordova, Lina Doyle, Pedro Dario Marquez, Doug Reid, Marichuy Venegas, Howard Feldstein, Azucena Bateman, Larry Pihl, Dee Dee Camhi, Xill Fessenden, Silvinia Martinez, Maureen Young, Carl Dyer, Tim Boeve

Next Public Meeting – Saturday, 15, December – Ajijic Cultural Center on the Plaza at 7 pm, Please pass the word and invite your friends and neighbors (Expat and Mexican alike) to attend!