San Miguel de Allende U.S. Consular Agent San Miguel de Allende Mexico Announcements & News


San Miguel de Allende Mexico / San Miguel de Allende Community Watch / San Miguel de Allende U.S. Consular Agent 

San Miguel de Allende U.S. Consular Agent Announcements & News San Miguel de Allende Mexico

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San Miguel de Allende -- Today is Sunday, August 01, 2010 02:10 at our loyal server in the USA

Major Regulatory Agencies for the State of Guanajuato with names of Officials where indicated

Descripción
Presidencia Municipal de San Miguel de Allende
José Jesús Correa Ramírez

Contraloria Municipal

José Antonio López Ortíz

Desarrollo Integral de la Familia ( DIF ) Municipal

Gabriela Bribiesca Rocha

Dirección de Desarrollo Social y Humano

José Luis Téllez Santana

Subdirección de Desarrollo Rural y Agropecuario

Juan Rodríguez Vázquez

Subdirección de Desarrollo Social y Humano

Mario Carballo Carlva

Dirección de Desarrollo Urbano y Ordenamiento Territorial

Angel Gastelum Cadena

Coordinación de Administración Urbana y Regulación de Usos de Suelo

Francisco Javier Villegas Sánchez

Ventanilla de Licencias y Permisos de Construcción

Alberto Cervantes Matehuala

Coordinación de Conservación del Patrimonio Histórico y Cultural

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Auxiliar Centro Histórico

Julio César Grimaldi Zuñiga

Coordinación de Planeación Estratégica y Ordenamiento Territorial

Jesús Téllez Molina

Coordinación Técnica

Zeferino Gutiérrez Grimaldi

Estudios y Proyectos de Equipamiento Imagen e Infraestructura

Jesús Tellez Molina

Coordinación de Regulación de Asentamientos Humanos Irregulares, Ejidales Predios Agricolas y Ganade

Javier Rángel Arellano

Auxiliar de Asentamientos Humanos

Juan Manuel Ramírez Regoytia

Subdirección de Desarrollo Urbano

Francisco Javier Villegas Sánchez

Dirección de Educación y Cultura

Verónica Agundis Estrada

Casa de la Cultura

Myrna Verónica Salinas Guerrero

Departamento de Educación

Jesús Ledesma Hernández

Dirección de Medio Ambiente y Ecología

Donald Wayne Patterson

Coordinación de Gestión Ambiental

Erick Morales Montes

Administrator de Panteones

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Encargado de Parques y Panteones

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Coordinación de la Prevención y Control de la Contaminación

Ana Karina Yael Villa Ayala

Coordinación de Normativa Ambiental

Blas Huerta Carrillo

Encargado de Promoción Ambiental

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Encargado de la Estación de Transferencia

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Dirección de Obras Públicas Municipales

Jorge Zavala Ramírez

Coordinación de Maquinaria Pesada

Jorge Montes González

Coordinador Administrativo A

José Martín Rico

Subdirección de Obras Públicas Municipales

Francisco Peralta Elizondo

Coodinación de Construcción y Supervición

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Jefe de Brigada Topografíca

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Jefe de Precios Unitarios

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Coordinación Administrativa

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Jefe de Expedientes Técnicos

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Jefe de Solventación de Observaciones

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Coordinación de Maquinaría Pesada

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Subdirección Operativa

Jorge Flores

Dirección de Seguridad Pública Municipal

Daniel Adrián Trujillo García

Subdirección Academica

Hugo Fabián Barrón Martínez

Subdirección Administrativa

Juan Carlos Godínez Arzola

Subdirección Operativa

José Luís Olguín Gómez

Dirección de Servicios Públicos Municipales

Luis Francisco López Chávez

Administración del Restro Municipal

Eduardo Manuel Villegas Juárez

Alumbrado Público

Luís Felipe Luna Morales

Departamento de Limpia

José Gilberto M. González Valero

Mercados y Comercio

Ángel Martín Saavedra

Subdirección de Servicios Públicos Municipales

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Administración del Rastro Municipal

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Alumbrado Público

Emisael Espinosa

Jefatura de Limpia

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Mercados y Comercio

desconocido o ya no ocupado

Dirección de Transito y Transporte Municipal

José Samuel Daniel Mercadillo Escobedo

Comandante Administrativo

Roberto Prado Baeza

Comandante Operativo

José Luís García Osornio

Jefe de Transporte Municipal

Jorge Salas Luna

Juridico de Transito y Transporte

Juan Víctor Manuel González Bautista

Dirección de Turismo, Fomento Económico y Relaciones Internacionales

Francisco Peyret García

Atención a Inversionistas y Mejora Regulatoria

Oscar Baltazar Arteaga Gil

Coordinación de Promoción de Inversiones y Gobierno Integral

Julián Roberto Villela Ríos

Coordinación de Relaciones Internacionales

Fabiola García Lasierna

Enlace de Empleo y Capacitación

Ma. Auxilio Ángeles Olalde

Enlace Institucional y Promoción Productiva

Tanía Noriz Martínez

Instituto Municipal de la Mujer

Araceli Martínez Sánchez

Oficialia Mayor Administrativa

José Alfredo Orduña Rodríguez

Departamento de Informática

Leopoldo Barcenas Hernández

Pensión Municipal

Jorge Armando Ramírez Capitán

Recursos Humanos

Cirila Margaíz Ramírez

Recursos Materiales

Laura Valadez Sánchez

Protección Civil

José Alan Álvarez Flores

Coordinación Municipal de Desastres

Ramiro Arroyo Guerrero

Secretaría del H. Ayuntamiento

Christopher Thomas Finkelstein Franyuti

Departamento de Fiscalización y Control Municipal

Rafael Torres Sánchez

Departamento de Jurídico

José Ramón Correa González

Secretaría Particular

Tomas Federico Ramírez

Sistema de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado de San Miguel de Allende

Alfonso Sautto

Tesorería Municipal

José Eduardo Adrián Soria Cruz

Departamento de Catastro

Gustavo Arellano Arroyo

Departamento de Egresos

Mónica Barajas

Departamento de Ingresos

Jorge López Páez

Departamento de Predial

Saúl Bautista Espinosa

Programas Especiales

José Luis Pérez Arredondo

Mexican Coke: The 'Real Thing?'
By TOM RAGAN
Sentinel staff writer

WATSONVILLE

It's popping up just about everywhere in Latino communities across the United States: Mexican-made Coca-Cola in those old glass bottles, somewhat of an anomaly in the age of the plastic liter and twist-off cap.

Slightly worn and a bit gritty from all the coming and going, the 12-ounce bottles, which sell for roughly $1.25 a pop, are being bought up and sucked dry at record clips in cities across the country with large Latino populations.

And Mexicans and Mexican-Americans aren't the only ones swigging down the soda bottled south of the border, claiming it tastes different from its American-made counterpart, that its fizz seems to last longer because it's in a glass bottle.

If running diaries on the Web in the form of blogs are any indication, just about everybody who likes the heft of a good old-fashioned soda bottle is looking for the Mexican-made pop in the thousands of ma and pa convenience stores that cater to Latinos.

"Mexican Coke is selling like crazy bro, and I can't keep up," says Rudy Mendoza of El Gordo Taqueria on Main Street. Last week the 20-something Mendoza, Salinas born and bred, was cursing the underground distributor under his breath as the slightly green tinted bottles, with the words "Hecho en Mexico," started to disappear from his refrigerator.

In somewhat of a conundrum, the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. has condemned the recent imports across the country as a form of "bootlegging."

But at the same time the company has recognized that it would be remiss if it overlooked the Mexican pop craze, which is why it is now buying Coca-Cola in bottles from Mexico and importing them to Texas and Southern California, two of the largest Mexican markets in the country, according to Mart Martin, a spokesman for Coca-Cola's North American division in Atlanta.

"We believe that the appeal of Mexican Coke is as much about nostalgia as it is about anything," says Martin. "It's like getting a piece of home in a bottle. You can't deny the fact that it's in a tall glass bottle, something you just can't find in most parts of the United States."

But it's the "same exact product," and Mexican bottlers are buying the ingredients straight from the company, says Martin.

"It's not like they're stirring it up in some backyard," he adds. "Coke is Coke is Coke."

The company, however, rarely elaborates on Coke's ingredients, and the secret formula is actually in a vault in a bank in Atlanta. Instead, the company line all along has been that there is "no perceptible taste difference" between Mexican Coke and the American-made Classic Coke.

As Martin says, "You have to consider the circumstances: the packaging, whether there's ice over it, the temperature, or whether it's in a can or a bottle. But what often happens is people think it tastes different because it comes in a bottle, and that's what we're trying to get our arms around. The 'why?' It could just be psychological."

Yet there is one kicker, and it's a fairly large one: Mexican Coke may contain the same secret syrup, but its sweetener is entirely different.

It's made from sugar cane, not corn syrup.

'The Real Thing'

Latinos are the fastest-growing population segment in the United States, and Mexico accounts for well over half of the roughly 33 million Latinos who live in the country, according to the 2000 census.

Certainly, this is not the first time the Mexican market has flexed its muscle, with an occasional borrowing from U.S. popular culture.

Look closely at the Mexican man wearing that Texas Longhorns cap or the World Series-winning Chicago White Sox hat. There's a chance it came from a market just off the plaza in Any Town, Mexico.

But then there's the real Mexican deal, like tequila, which has anchored many a margarita happy hour; or tacos, as popular as hamburgers, without which there'd be no Taco Bell.

Mexico's a country that's put the popularity of chips and salsa right up there with ketchup and french fries.

And in yet another nod to the lucrative Latino market, Frito-Lay just came out with a "fiery habañero" flavor of Doritos that all but requires a bottle of water during consumption.

It's no secret that the meteoric rise in the Mexican population in the past few decades in the United States has given rise to all products Mexican, which has made its way into the mainstream of the American psyche — from canned jalapeños to cheaper laundry soaps to the corn tortilla.

But taking a brand name like Coca-Cola and undercutting the American-made Coca-Cola distributors on their own turf hasn't gone over well with the largest soft drink supplier in the world, according to Martin.

Although the bottlers in Mexico are authorized and are making the cola above board, it's the non-Coca-Cola distributors — the guys who are wheeling and dealing it in an underground market — that are causing all the problems.

Lawsuits have been filed, but no dispositions as of yet.

"They're trespassing on the territory rights of many U.S. bottlers," said Coke spokesman Martin. "Bringing it into the country is not illegal. But what it does do from the Coca-Cola standpoint is it violates contractual rights that we have with our bottlers. And it has potential trademark right infringements as well."

The controversy has even bubbled to the surface in several blogs.

Ordinary Joes are mixing their thoughts and opinions with the best of the high-browed corporate types who've made careers out of analyzing products that sell and those that don't.

Grant McCracken, a noted anthropologist with a doctorate from the University of Chicago, wrote: "Some consumers now insist that Mexican Coke is a more robust brand than American Coke, not least because it is charged with meanings that American Coke never had, or long ago gave up. In particular, Mexican Coke is charged with a powerful nostalgia, a remembrance of childhood south of the border."

Karina Alejandre, 22, a recently arrived immigrant from Mexico who now cooks at El Gordo Taqueria in Watsonville, remembers her first sip of Coca-Cola.

And guess what?

It didn't even come from a bottle.

"We'd drink from plastic sandwich bags with straws inside," she said in Spanish, an imaginary straw in her hand. "We couldn't leave the store with the bottles."

Since Coca-Cola was founded in the late 1880s as a syrup mixed with carbonated water, it's gone from the soda fountain to the bottle to the aluminum can to the plastic liter.

And now it's back to the bottle, courtesy of Mexico, a country that's usually a few years behind the times, often fashionably retro because of it.

And in the backrooms of some Mexican tiendas in Watsonville, from El Gordo to D'La Colmena, cases upon cases of the Mexican Coke bottles sit, proof that there's a demand, which is causing a stir but saturating a Latino and non-Latino thirst across the country.

As McCracken notes, "The bigger challenge of the Coca-Cola Co. is to admit that even the magnificent corporation that has created and preserved the 'real thing' authenticity must now admit to the possibility that there are many authenticities. This is the lesson of plenitude. This is the lesson of the long tail."

Miguel Perez and Leticia Martinez, Watsonville residents, don't know anything about corporate lessons learned.

They just know what they like.

"When we run out," says Martinez, "I buy the smaller American-made bottles. They cost more, but they're worth it. I love drinking Coke from the bottle."

from www.santacruzsentinel.com
IGLESIA DE LA CONCEPCION. It was begun in the mid-17th century and financed partially through the support of the Canal familiy, who figured prominently in the town's ealy history. The domed roof, one of the largest in Mexico, wsa not completed until 1891. Supported by elegant Corinthian columns, it is believed to be the work of La Parroquia architect Zeferino Gutierrez.

IGLESIA DE SAN FRANCISCO. Build in the late 18th century, it is thought to be the work of Eduardo Tresguerras, who contributed to the design of many churches in central Mexico. Construction was financed through donations from wealthy families and the proceeds from bullfights. The intricate stone carvings gracing the exterior are a fine example of the ornate Churriguerreque style. The high-ceilinged interior contains statues, paintings and more carved stone. La Parroquia. The many-steepled church towers over the plaza and dominates the city. It was originally built in the late 17th century in a plain Fanciscan style, but 2 centuries later an Indian architect, Zeferino Gutierres, gave the church an imposing facelift. With no formal training, he added the tower and Gothic-style facade of pink-hued sandstone, supposedly using postcard pictures of French Gothic cathedrals as his inspiration. Inside, neoclassic stone altars have replaced earlier gilded wood ones. A statue of St. Michael the Archangel, namesake of both town and church (its official name is Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel), adorns the main altar. Chapels are located to the side and behind the main altar. The original bell, also referered to as St. Michael and cast in 1732, begins ringing early in the morning to summon parishioners; La Parroquia is still an active house of worship.

MUSEO CASA DE ALLENDE. The birthplace of Ignacio Allende now houses a historical museum. A plaque hanging ove the front door reads, "Here was born the one who was famous". Allende was one of the few early leaders of the War of Independence with actual military training. Together, he and Father Miguel Hidalgo organized a ragtag army and plotted strategies for overthrowing Spanish rule. Museum exhibits chronicle the region's history abd Allende's role in the struggle for freedom.

ORATORIO DE SAN FELIPE NERI. It was build by San Miguel's Indian population in the early 18th century. The original structure's facade of pink stone is still visible at the church's eastern end, along with a figure of Nuestra Senora de Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude). The southern exterior is newer and incorporates a baroque style. The church is notable fir its many domes in different shapes. The adjoining chapel, Santa Casa de Loreto, is behind the church. A grating blocks the chapel entrance, although its gilded altars can still be seen.

Text from "AAA Mexico Travelbook 1998"

In central Mexico, San Miguel de Allende is virtually the only place where you will find English spoken so massively that you will not have to learn how to say two words in this beautiful language. If the rest of central Mexico looks interesting then you are going to have to get bilingual and learn to speak Spanish.

What happened in San Miguel is beginning to happen where my wife and I have lived since 2003. Gentrification is happening at such a high rate of speed that I see Guanajuato turning into an other San Miguel in less than five years. The locals are beginning to sense the handwriting on the wall and are scrambling to hire Mexicans that are bilingual to accommodate the Americans and other English only speakers who are moving into Guanajuato.

This is how it began in San Miguel de Allende. When the word got out that it was cheap to live in beautiful San Miguel de Allende, the Americans swarmed in like locusts. They ran up the prices of everything you can imagine. And soon, the locals became bilingual. They had to in order to offer their services to the Gringo population that now numbers in the tens of thousands. That’s why you can go to San Miguel and live perfectly well (that is if you are Bill Gates rich) and never have a problem with the language.

That’s happening now in Guanajuato.

There are real estate agencies that are scrambling to hire bilinguals. There is also a fellow, with a website, who will, for a price, negotiate anything and everything for you since he is bilingual. If you do not speak a word of Spanish (a tragedy) and want to move to Guanajuato (an even bigger tragedy) then this guy is your man and he will take care of all of your Spanish needs.

I list him for you as a matter of courtesy. I do not know him.

All I know is that he offers this service:

Want to Buy a House in Guanajuato City?

Don’t have any ideas how to approach and deal directly with Mexican People?

Afraid of being "abused" because you are not familiar with Mexican and Guanajuato Business Culture, Laws, Locations, Neighborhoods, and Language?

Don't worry!, we have the solution for you by offering:

REAL ESTATE CONSULTANCY

(We are NOT a Real Estate Agency, We work FOR You) Our Services Include:

· Arrangement of appointments, directly with Owners.

· Visits to the properties.

· Simultaneous Interview Translation (English to Spanish and Spanish to English). You can ask about anything that concerns you.

· Assessment on area or neighborhood growth potential, accessibility, communications and services. · Assistance in value assessment.

· Price Negotiation assistance and advice.

· Information concerning repair and remodel.

· Advise on Security and Safety issues in relation to locations.

· Services for coordinating purchase and the legal process.

Price:

Free initial interview (10 to 15 minutes). $15 US Dollars per hour, a partial hour counts as an hour, cut off on a daily basis. $15 US Dollars per week to local phone calling to coordinate appointments and search properties. Taxi fees when necessary. (From $3 to $6 US Dollars one way trip).

Payments must be made on Fridays.

We accept U.S. Dollars, Euros and Travelers Checks, no personal checks nor credit cards.

Special rates apply for written translation and other services, please ask.

Contact: Hugo Rodriguez. / Phone: 73 22383 (Within Guanajuato City) 011 52 473 73 22383 (From The U.S. & Canada) (+) 52 473 73 22383 (From Other Countries)

English, French and Spanish Spoken.

We accept U.S. Dollars, Euros and Travelers Checks, no personal Checks nor Credit Cards.

I imagine more and more of these services coming up in the weeks and months ahead. I was told recently that the list of gringos waiting for properties is longer than the available supply. It is sad. What will happen is the same identical thing that happened to San Miguel de Allende. The culture will be transformed by most rich monolingual Gringos who cannot, because they want not, to learn Spanish.

The wife and I are looking for a place where Gringos would fear to tread as a new home.

It ought to be very interesting.

by Douglas Bower

Article Source: EzineArticles.com
The following excerpt is by the legendary Stirling Dickinson, who is probably the most important Gringo to ever make an impact on the development of San Miguel de Allende. From Brandeburgh Press, November 1969.

In 1542, the missionary Fray Juan de San Miguel established a tiny settlement known as San Miguel Viejo. It was a frontier outpost constantly threatened by hostile Indians. Spanish soldiers and families of Spanish settlers came and the new hamlet was moved to the slope of Moctezuma Hill where fresh springs provided water. Soon, a royal charter was created for the town known as San Miguel El Grande. For more than two and one half centuries, San Miguel thrived under the repressive but orderly rule of Spain, as it was a link on the silver route to Mexico City. In 1810 revolution flared, led by Captain Ignacio Allende of San Miguel and Father Miguel Hidalgo of the nearby town of Dolores. For eleven years the revolution was fought. Finally, after a Mexican victory over the Spanish, the town was renamed San Miguel de Allende, honoring Don Ignacio Allende, its greatest son and martyr to freedom.

Travel writers have often called San Miguel "the prettiest town in Mexico". That remark has become a cliche. Yet, like all cliches, it has basis in fact. San Miguel is the most charming of all Mexican towns. Today, its chief fame is as an art center and home to hundreds of foreign residents, not artistic themselves, but attracted by the atmosphere the arts create. Most of these residents are fiercely partisan about their community, quickly pointing out that although many tourists visit, its real life goes on quietly but busily behind the unrevealing walls of its homes and gardens. A stranger who harps on the defects of living here is likely to be met with a cold stare and a classic retort. "Of course, San Miguel is not perfect -- it is merely heaven."