The Grapevine. November 16/08 |
By Greg Brady
 It’s official, the “cold” weather has arrived! The federal Conagua Meteorological Service chief Hugo Nordahl Valdes has declared that, as of Nov 12, the mercury has now begun dropping a couples of degrees below 20º C in the wee small hours (that translates to mid sixties in Fahrenheit), just in time for the electricity subsidy to end! So turn off your air conditioner and break out the winter wardrobe, the mild season is upon us at last!
 The Angela Peralta Theater is gearing up for one of the largest extravaganzas of the year, as an all-star cast and crew of international and local luminaries prepare to present an all-out production of Rossini’s immortal opera The Barber of Seville, on the evenings of Friday November 21st and Saturday November 22nd Mexico’s foremost international orchestra conductor, Enrique Patrón de Rueda, returns to his home town of Mazatlan to direct an impressive ensemble of musicians and singers, including tenors Adán Pérez and Alejandro Escobar and mezzo soprano Lucía Salas as featured voices. Ticket prices range from 80 to 350 pesos, and a sell-out is virtually assured, so now is the time to make sure that there’s a seat waiting for you! Call the theater box office at 982-4646 for details.
 Another musical experience worth making a note of is the “Gloria en Catedral”, a choral spectacular on Thursday, November 27th, as Mazatlan’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Mazatlán, Sacred and traditional music will be performed by the Camerata Mazatlán and the Guillermo Sarabia Chorus, consisting of the top students of the Mazatlán Municipal Arts Center, under the direction of Daniel Villegas.
 While financial uncertainty ricochets around the world’s banks and treasuries, Mazatlán continues to grow. Mayor Jorge Abel López Sánchez was on hand for Wednesday the 12th’s unveiling of the latest Marina Mazatlán project: The Shoppes, a commercial complex which is slated to include Sanborn’s, Liverpool, MM Cinemas, and even a Wal-Mart, among others. Kimco Realty Corporation and Mexico Development Partners are in charge of the 40 million dollar enterprise, and are planning to be open for business at the beginning of 2010.
 The Plaza Machado was the site of a mammoth banquet earlier this week, as the 14th annual Fiesta Amigos de Mazatlán brought together a glittering crowd of political dignitaries and over 150 tourism representatives. Skies were typically sunny as the French Consul to Mexico, the Mayor, the State Tourism Secretary et al enjoyed the displays of mariachi, folkloric dance, and some of Mazatlan’s world famous cuisine. The following day the action moved to the Golden Zone, where the Hotel Los Sabalos offered their premises for business negotiations around an elegant seafood repast. To top it all off, at the Hotel Luna Palace, Mazatlan’s Hotel and Tourist Enterprise Association presented its Golden Deer awards to a variety of businesses including Apple Vacations (best US operator) and Signature Vacations (best Canadian charter). The Association’s marketing director, Javier Paez Ontiveros, predicted a robust year despite recent global economic woes. “People from the United States are not going to stop travelling, they will visit places that are closer.”
 The Mazatlan Venados finally snapped a seven game losing streak, sending the Obregon Yaquis into the Liga del Pacifico cellar with a 5-2 win behind the ace pitching of Oscar Bustillos. The hometown fans were lighting prayer candles in the stands of Mazatlan’s Teodoro Mariscal stadium to bring some good luck to the boys in red, who are struggling through one of their toughest seasons in memory. The league’s winningest team of the century so far now finds itself seven games behind leader Los Mochis. The good news? At least we’re one game ahead of arch rival Culiacan!
That’s all for now! Greg Brady
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ESPAÑOL
