Sister Cities of Grand Rapids & Zapopan

2008-06-17T16:25:00.002-05:00

Grand Rapids, MI.- LAZO CULTURAL.

La ciudad de Grand Rapids se vistió de la gala la semana pasada ante la firma oficial de hermanamiento con Zapopan, Jalisco, México, la cual quedó plasmada con el estrechamiento de manos de sus Alcaldes: George Heartwell y Juan Sánchez Aldana. “Este hermanamiento es el inició de una gran relación de intercambio cultural, social, educativo, político y económico para ambas ciudades. Lo cual nos permitirá brindar un mayor campo de oportunidades”, destacaron los Alcaldes durante la ceremonia efectuada en la plaza principal de esta ciudad, ante la presencia de diplomáticos de los países con los que se tiene relación de hermanamiento con Grand Rapids.

Heartwell comentó que este compromiso es de gran importancia para toda la comunidad de Grand Rapids en general, ya que eso demuestra que “nos gusta compartir nuestra cultura y ampliar nuestros lazos de amistad con otras ciudades del mundo”. Para ambos Alcaldes, esta es la primera vez que se realiza un hermanamiento durante su administración. “Me siento muy honrado de vivir este momento tan importante para Grand Rapids, ya que el establecimiento de un hermanamiento es algo que se elige muy cuidadosamente y Zapopan es una ciudad maravillosa que nos enriquecerá enormemente”.

Por su parte, el Alcalde Sánchez Aldana destacó: “Es muy importante para nuestro gobierno reactivar la relación con Estados Unidos y consolidar nuestro trabajo de promoción cultural, educativa y económica, ya que aunque existen hermanamientos con otras ciudades, ya se han ido perdiendo los contactos”, Al respecto, el líder de Zapopan destacó la importancia de establecer una buena metodología de trabajo para evitar que se pierda la relación con el tiempo. “Hay que dejar bien establecida una relación institucional, pero sobretodo social. El compromiso de al comunidad es muy importante y es lo que nos hemos encontrado aquí, la sociedad esta envuelta y es lo mismo que trataremos de hacer nosotros, mas que gobierno municipal, necesitamos una sociedad comprometida que rinda frutos”.

Luego de un estudio minucioso y trabajo constante de algunos años, por parte del Comité de Hermanamiento de Grand Rapids, se eligió la ciudad de Zapopan por sus grandes similitudes. “Entre otras cosas, podemos mencionar que tanto Zapopan como Grand Rapids cuentan con 13 universidades. Las dos principales fuentes económicas de Grand Rapids son la medicina y la producción de plástico, algo en lo que también ellos están trabajando, solo por mencionar algunas”, comentó el Alcalde Heartwell. En tanto, Aldana mencionó que Grand Rapids es una ciudad muy calida a comparación de otras ciudades de Estados Unidos. “La gente es muy amable y todo esta diseñado para caminar, convivir con la familia y valorar el aspecto humano, lo cual es muy importante para Zapopan, en donde estamos tratando de rescatar nuestro pasado de convivencia”.

Luego de este encuentro oficial, en donde ya se exploraron varias estrategias de trabajo e intercambio cultural, educativo y económico, la delegación de Grand Rapids, encabezada por el Alcalde George Heartwell, viajará a Zapopan el mes de octubre de este año para realizar la firma correspondiente y de esta manera, completar la oficialización del hermanamiento.

Para finalizar, el Alcalde Sánchez Aldana envió un saludo muy afectuoso a los mexicanos recientes en Grand Rapids, especialmente a los zapopanos, con quienes espera reunirse en una próxima visita para establecer contacto y conocer sus necesidades que permitan establecer nuevas metodologías de trabajo.

Cabe destacar que el Alcalde de Zapopan estuvo acompañado por varios funcionarios de su gobierno, quienes sostuvieron intensas jornadas de trabajo con diversas autoridades de Grand Rapids. En nuestra próxima edición se publicarán mas detalles de este maravilloso encuentro.

2008-05-21T14:39:00.004-05:00

The Zapopan Committee of the Grand Rapids’ Sister Cities International invites you to be a part of the celebration of the new sister city relationship between Grand Rapids and Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. This new international relationship is another example of how Grand Rapids continues to position itself in the global market in the areas of Health, Education, Economic Development and the Arts.

A welcome reception for the Zapopan Delegation, a fun and energetic event sure to draw a crowd is planned for June 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Imperial Ballroom of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Distinguished guests from the delegation include Municipal President Juan Sanchez Aldana, and the directors of Tourism and Economic Development, International Investment and Commercial Promotion, Foreign Affairs and Sister Cities, Development of Family Services, the director of the Zapopan Museum of Art and artist Luis Macias.

The official recognition of the sister city relationship will occur on Friday June 6th during the opening ceremonies of Festival of the Arts 2008, 12:00 p.m. on Calder Plaza. The Celebration Dinner, a gala event that will honor the Sister City relationships established over the past twenty years between Grand Rapids and Omihachiman, Japan, Bielsko-Biala, Poland, Perugia, Italy, and the Ga District in Ghana. The dinner will take place at Salon C of the JW Marriott Hotel on Friday June 6th from 7:30 to10:00 p.m.

Please join our growing list of distinguished sponsors for either or all of these events in showcasing our Midwestern values and our global perspective. With your sponsorship support, your organization will enjoy a wide range of benefits, including the opportunity to build and strengthen the relationship with our distinguished government officials, community leaders, and all the Grand Rapids Sister Cities International guests.

A portion of the sponsorship dollars and ticket sales will be dedicated to continue funding of our partnerships and exchange programs.

Please feel free to call us with questions at 616-234-3170.

2008-05-06T10:13:00.004-05:00

ZMG podría ser la mejor urbe de América Latina: Sánchez Aldana
El presidente municipal de Zapopan aseguró, durante una reunión con integrantes de la Cámara Mexicana de la Industria de la Construcción, que se tiene el potencial para ello.

Guadalajara.- El presidente municipal de Zapopan, Juan Sánchez Aldana, aseguró que la zona metropolitana de Guadalajara podría convertirse en la mejor urbe de América Latina, ya que cuenta con todo el potencial necesario para ello.

En reunión con integrantes de la Cámara Mexicana de la Industria de la Construcción, delegación Jalisco, el alcalde del municipio conurbado de Zapopan manifestó la necesidad de continuar con el modelo de ciudad que se pretende para esta metrópoli.

Destacó que se debe recuperar la calidad de vida que se tenía en esta zona metropolitana hace muchos años y para ello “se requiere de la participación de toda la ciudadanía, porque ahora nos interesa más lo que tenemos adentro de nuestras casas que el entorno”.

Dio a conocer que este año, el ayuntamiento de Zapopan canalizará más de 1,800 millones de pesos en su programa de obra pública, en el que se destaca la rehabilitación de 120 parques, 45 unidades deportivas y el crecimiento de la denominada Vía RecreActiva.

Aseguró que su administración dará mayor importancia a los espacios públicos y trabajará coordinadamente con los municipios aledaños para “redefinir el modelo de ciudad que queremos”.

Fuente: Milenio

2008-03-26T09:26:00.003-05:00

Grand Rapids busca enlace cultural y económico con Zapopan
Una delegación de esta ciudad ubicada en el estado de Michigan, estuvo de visita en Ocho Columnas

Laura Gutiérrez

La ciudad de Grand Rapids, Michigan, tiene gran interés en enlazarse cultural, educativa, social y económicamente con el municipio de Zapopan.Consideran que se trata de dos urbes que tienen mucho en común y sobre todo, una visión de futuro muy coincidente.

Una misión de representantes de los más importantes sectores de la sociedad de Grand Rapids, estuvieron de visita en Ocho Columnas, acompañados por la directora de Asuntos Internacionales y Ciudades Hermanas de Zapopan, Patricia Malfavón de Gómez.

Integran la misión la presidenta de Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Jeanne A. Englehart; Arturo Armijo, representante de Grand Rapids Community College; John D. González, director de Espectáculos de The Grand Rapids Press; Carlos Sánchez, ejecutivo de Spectrum Health, y Dante Villarreal, director regional de Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center de Grand Valley State University.

Señalaron que tienen ya cerca de seis meses estudiando la posibilidad de hermanarse con Zapopan, ya que les parece que es la ciudad más convincente para ello, decisión que tomaron luego de buscar durante año y medio por varios lugares.

Revelaron que Zapopan será la primera ciudad del Continente Americano que sea hermana de Grand Rapids, ya que lo han hecho con localidades de Ghana, de Italia y de Polonia.

La actividad económica en Grand Rapids, de alguna manera se puede decir que está diversificada, pero especialmente está soportada por la industria mueblera, así como comercio y servicios. De manera especial destaca el área de la salud, ya que se tienen importantes conglomerados de hospitales.

Se tienen 17 universidades, además de que por lo menos existen seis periódicos que están hechos por latinos, además, desde luego, de diarios de lengua anglosajona como es The Grand Rapids Press, quien al día (de lunes a sábado) tiene un tiraje de 140 mil ejemplares y los domingos sube a 180 mil, según expresó el editor de Espectáculos, quien manifestó su deseo por hacer intercambios con Zapopan y en especial con Ocho Columnas.

Grand Rapids es una ciudad del estado de Michigan, con una población superior a los 200 mil habitantes de los cuales el 13 por ciento son hispanos y de este número, el 90 por ciento son mexicanos.

Constituye el centro administrativo del condado de Kent, la segunda ciudad más grande del estado (después de Detroit) y la principal de la región de West Michigan. Grand Rapids se asienta a orillas del Grand River.

2007-12-26T15:56:00.000-05:00

Grand Rapids likely to gain fifth Sister City

Tuesday, December 18, 2007
By Jim Harger
The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- The city's family of Sister Cities is about to get bigger.

Zapopan, a city of nearly 1.2 million residents in the Mexican state of Jalisco, is about to become Grand Rapids' fifth Sister City.

City commissioners were expected to approve the relationship today, ending a six-year search for a municipal sibling in Mexico.

Susan Camp, president of Grand Rapids' Sister City International organization, said the new site was chosen from several compatible Mexican cities.

Camp said the local group has been looking for a Mexican sister city in response to Grand Rapids' growing Hispanic community, most of whom have roots in Mexico.
"It just seems to make sense for Grand Rapids Sister City to have that kind of connection and partnership," she said.

Zapopan (pronounced Zah-PO-pahn) is the second largest city in the state of Jalisco and an educational and cultural center, she said.

Like Grand Rapids, there are 13 colleges and universities with campuses in Zapopan. Michigan State University's College of Law has a program in Zapopan.

Assistant to the City Manager Jose Reyna was among several city officials who visited Zapopan this year. Mayor George Heartwell and 1st Ward City Commissioner Roy Schmidt were among the group.

Though Zapopan is much larger than Grand Rapids, its residents face many of the same issues as people in Grand Rapids, Reyna said.

"The difference is that U.S. cities tend to be much more developed with regard to infrastructure," said Reyna, whose mother was born near Zapopan.
"Although they have larger populations, the sophistication of their systems is not as highly developed."

Reyna said they expect to host a delegation from Zapopan in the early summer for a formal Sister City signing ceremony. Grand Rapids will send a delegation for a formal ceremony later this year.
Grand Rapids Sister City International is a nonprofit group largely funded by the individual Sister City organizations, Camp said.

The agreement with Zapopan is the first since 1994, when the city signed an agreement with Ga District, a city in the West African nation of Ghana. Grand Rapids also has sister city ties with Bielsko-Biala, Poland; Omihachiman, Japan; and Perugia, Italy.

The city's new JW Marriott hotel has featured the sister cities in its public spaces, meeting and guest rooms and parking decks.

JW Marriott and Sister City officials hope the theme will help land a Sister Cities International Convention in 2009. The four-day event would host about 1,000 international and domestic visitors.

2007-12-26T15:51:00.001-05:00

Zapopan Delegation visits Grand Rapids

On October 29, 2007, our city had the honor of hosting representatives from our future Sister City: Zapopan, Jalisco. Dra. Patricia E. Malfavón, International Affairs and Sister Cities Coordinator for Zapopan and Lic. Maria del Carmen Mendoza, Comptroller for the State of Jalisco, visited several tourist spots in Grand Rapids and met with City leaders to exchange ideas for future collaboration.

“We are much exited to be here. On behalf of Sr. Juan Sánchez Aldana Ramírez, Mayor of Zapopan, we want to thank everyone for your gracious hospitality and want to deliver a message of commitment to work in developing projects for our sister city relationship”, expressed Dra. Patricia Malfavón. “We are working in several areas to develop cultural, economic technological and social projects”.

According to Dra. Malfavón, Zapopan has a very diverse economy with an emphasis in technology, culture and education “There are 13 internationally recognized Universities in Zapopan, with student exchange programs all over the world. Our objective is to increase this number with rand Rapids and Zapopan; this is just one of the topics we explored with the Grand Rapids Mayor, George Heartwell, who, by the way, is a very amiable person and very committed”.

As for technology, “we have are recipients of heavy investments from multinational corporations, most of them focused in Information Technology”, Dra. Malfavón added.

“Tourism is also very important for us. In Zapopan, we have the largest Convention Center in Latin America, home of many international exhibits and expos. Ours is a very strong municipality, we are part of the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, and 60% of our population is of young people”.

Although Dra. Malfavón considered Grand Rapids a modern city, she finds many similarities between cities, she stressed that “we share the same objectives towards the future; this will allow us to work together, in projects for growth and opportunities for our citizens”.

Finally, Dra. Malfavón expressed that this visit had impressed her “it was a great experience, one that we will share with our Mayor and, of course, with President Calderon, whose administration is very much focused in internationalization; here his words: México en el Mundo…“Dear people of Grand Rapids, we wait for you with open arms, we will support you in any way we can… Zapopanos in Grand Rapids, we would love for your children to know their culture and to get involved in many of the projects that will develop from this marvelous relationship”.

Amongst the many activities in their agenda, Dra. Malfavón and Lic. Maria del Carmen Mendoza met with Mayor George Heartwell; Juan Olivares, President, Grand
Rapids Community College, Vicente Sánchez Ventura, Consul of Mexico, Luis García, IME Councilperson for Michigan; representatives of Grand Valley State University; they also visited the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Meijer Gardens, and of course, the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Expo.

It is important to mention that this visit was made possible thanks to the excellent coordination of the Sister Cities-Mexico Committee; and its President Arturo Armijo, who plans to have the official signing ceremony on June, 2008.

2007-07-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

More good news; this time from:

Grand Rapids Lays Foundations for a Health Mecca
By KEITH SCHNEIDER
July 11, 2007

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In the last decade or so, this city has been the beneficiary of investments in new academic campuses, a civic arena, a convention center, new parks, a transit center and more than 1,500 new units of downtown housing.

Even so, Grand Rapids has never experienced anything near the concentrated magnitude of the medical research, training and patient facility construction now occurring on Health Hill.

From the summit of the hill, on this city’s north end, and stretching roughly half a mile in both directions along Michigan Street, a stunning array of buildings is under construction, reflecting a commitment of nearly $1 billion by the area’s prominent families and medical institutions. There are a new medical school, a children’s hospital, a biomedical research center, a cancer treatment center, and two medical treatment and office buildings. Also under construction is a seven-level underground parking garage; it will hold 2,300 cars and cost $30 million.

All told, construction managers say, the buildings will cover 1.2 million square feet. By 2010, when construction is completed, those buildings, several designed by world-renowned architects, will provide enough space to treat thousands of people a day and employ 5,000 people, 2,500 more jobs than exist now on Health Hill.

The hill, also called Pill Hill here, earned its nicknames a few years ago when a medical research institute opened there.________________________________________

To read the rest of the article, click here

2007-06-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

Article from a newspaper in Boston, MA

Why can’t we be more like Grand Rapids?
By JOANN FITZPATRICK

It’s such a big country, America. I don’t know it well, haven’t traveled from sea to shining sea, except by airplane from East to West several times. Last weekend I was in Michigan, not quite the heartland but close enough.The combined effect of television programs, chain stores and restaurants and electronic gadgets is that we think we’ve been homogenized.But it’s not so, thank goodness.I know that when I visited New Orleans, before and after Hurricane Katrina, this is a place very different from Boston or anywhere else in America.Texas, too. But what of the vast Midwest? Is it really different from New England or California?Darned right, it is. I was in Grand Rapids, Mich., for a wedding. What I knew about Grand Rapids before going there was that it was the hometown of President Gerald Ford and site of his presidential library and museum. And also the home of Amway, though I and other out-of-town guests had only a vague idea of what Amway sells.The small talk that predominates at events like this was punctuated repeatedly by wedding guests proclaiming to one another, ‘‘What a nice town, what a surprise!’’ Many if not most of the guests flew in from both coasts and interesting places in between, such as Santa Fe. There was elitism to spare but at the same time a willingness to be charmed by a place that truly seems to represent good old-fashioned American values.If there are surreptitious litter police, they keep themselves well hidden, but the streets of Grand Rapids are as gleaming as the refurbished buildings throughout the downtown. Community pride is everywhere. I couldn’t help but compare what I saw to cities and towns back home.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Boston and New England, from the coastline to the old mill towns like the one where I grew up, Manchester, N.H. But there’s no disputing that the quality of life in this area continues to deteriorate. We blame government for not investing more in parks and beaches, but who’s dropping the garbage? It’s not the government; it’s us. The mounds of Dunkin’ Donuts cups scarring off-ramps on our highways is disgusting. Local streets are no better and because we seem not to care, the habit just grows.In Grand Rapids, Midwestern friendliness and helpfulness were everywhere. I left my camera in a cab and within minutes of calling the hotel, staff was on the case. They called back 15 minutes later, not having located it yet but to let me know I had not been forgotten. I nearly fainted from the shock of random kindness. (Yes, I got it back.) When was the last time someone actually cared that you lost an item in their store, or even that you were shopping there?Downtown Grand Rapids, a city of about 200,000, is a laboratory of urban renewal. Formerly a manufacturing city - home of Kelvinator, for example - it faces a huge challenge in reshaping its economy. The state of Michigan is no help, since its automobile-reliant economy has been in the hopper for years, with more bad news sure to come.So what is Grand Rapids turning to? Health care. And here is where it could be interesting to Massachusetts. Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids’ biggest employer, is creating a cancer center and also expanding its medical research, including a new center for molecular medicine.

Michigan State University is moving its medical school to the city. You may say, ‘‘So what?’’ But think about all those Boston-area college graduates, our biggest source of human capital, and the cost of living in Massachusetts, and then compare it to Grand Rapids. There you can buy a five-bedroom house in the historic district for $400,000. Yup, $400,000, and you could walk to work, breathe clean air and not worry about litter blowing in your face. And your children could attend a neighborhood school. The historic district, a microcosm of American architectural styles, was rehabilitated decades ago solely because of the efforts of public-spirited citizens.

I am not writing this to encourage young people to leave Massachusetts. I think it’s important to recognize, though, that we don’t necessarily have it all here. We have first-class hospitals and colleges with costs to match and housing prices that make building a future here ever more difficult. We also have a shortage of the kind of community spirit I saw in Grand Rapids.There, the Amway Corp. and its founders put their names all over downtown, investing in public buildings they hope will rejuvenate the city.Here, corporations hand out a few dollars to local charities, but there is less to donate as they are bought up by national companies more interested in naming rights on arenas than in philanthropy or rebuilding communities.Look around your town: Can it be improved? Probably. I am tired of dirty streets and blaring car horns, bad manners and shoddy service. We’re better than that, aren’t we?

JoAnn Fitzpatrick, former editorial page editor, can be reached at joannftzptrck@yahoo.com .

Copyright 2007 The Patriot LedgerTransmitted Saturday, June 16, 2007
http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2007/06/16/opinion/opin03.txt

2007-06-26T10:19:00.000-05:00

First Learning Community Center for senior citizens opens in Zapopan
NEWS SERVICE/CARLOS GONZÁLEZ25/06/2007, 10:37

The Tecnológico de Monterrey, in its ongoing commitment to Mexico’s development and empowering its people to generate wealth and welfare, together with the Zapopan, Jalisco Municipal DIF Family Development Office, opened the first Learning Community Center for senior citizens (CCA), located at the Metropolitan Senior Citizens’ Center (CEMAM), in the Santa Margarita neighborhood.

During the CCA’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, which currently has 300 students in its various workshops, Guadalajara Campus General Director Víctor Gutiérrez mentioned that these installations “will allow people to learn to use a number of computer programs and to surf the internet, and even obtain their high school diploma through its distance-learning program.”

Also, he announced that this center marks the first of eight CCAs to be created, with the support of the Social Programs Office and the Learning Community Centers’ education and entrepreneurship development network, in concert with the Zapopan DIF, with the aim of impacting their communities. This one, in fact, is the first time the Tecnológico de Monterrey has devised a CCA whose services target senior citizens.

2007-05-18T09:11:00.000-05:00

La Pachanga del 5 de Mayo

On May 5, 2007 The Grand Rapids Sister Cities-Mexico Committee successfully hosted the 1st annual "5 de Mayo Pachanga" at The Intersection in Grand Rapids. Close to one hundred people enjoyed authentic food by Maggie's Kitchen, El Ganadero and El Matador; and a wide variety of music such as La Famiglia, Grupo Falcón and South Side Evolución.

Of course, all this was possible thanks to the generosity of our sponsors; Chuck & Stella Royce, Mercantile Bank, Grand Rapids Community College, Kent Beverage and West Side Beer Distributing. Thank you also to the people of the Arena District for their support in selling tickets and promoting the event.

The party began promptly at 7:00 PM with GRCC's Mariachi Band and Gabriel Estrada (who had been playing since 5:00 at various venues in downtown) and ended sometime around midnight. We were able to see young people, middle aged adults and even families with their young kids; thank you all for attending this first annual event!

Thank you also to WOOD TV8 and the Grand Rapids Press for their promotional support. Rosie Del Valle and La Maquina Musical where also on location broadcasting Live.

Congratulations to Oswaldo Garces, winner of the trip for two people to Zapopan, Jalisco (courtesy of Dolphin Travel).

Stay tuned for our next event in 2007 and, of course for Pachanga 2008!

2007-04-16T09:37:00.000-05:00

CINCO DE MAYO

PACHANGA 2007

Help Support Sister Cities with Latino Music, Culture and Cuisine

The Cinco de Mayo Pachanga 2007 (Pachanga translates to bash) is the inaugural fund raising event for the Grand Rapids Mexico Sister City Committee. The Committee is in the final year of formalizing a partnership with Zapopan, a city outside of Guadalajara, Jalisco.

The Cinco de Mayo bash will be held on May 5th at the Intersection Bar in downtown Grand Rapids. The event will feature live Latin music from La Famiglia, Grupo Falcon and South Side Evolucion. Grand Rapids Community College's Mariachi Azul y Oro also will be making a special appearance. There will also be authentic Mexican food provided from area restaurants including El Ganadero, El Matador and Maggie’s Kitchen. The food will be availalable beginning at 7 p.m. Music begins at 8 p.m.

Tickets to Pachanga 2007 are $25 and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, as well as participating restaurants.

If you show your ticket at particpating restaurants from Thursday, May 3 through Saturday, May 5, you will receive 25 percent off food purchases. The participating "Arena District" restaurants include Bar Divani, Black Rose, Margarita Grill, the B.O.B., Grand Woods Lounge, Louis Benton, McFadden’s, Taps Sports Bar, 48 West and One Trick Pony.

Additional Cinco de Mayo Pachanga 2007 sponsors include the Grand Rapids Press, WGRD, 1410 AM La Maquina Musical and Mercantile Bank.

Contact: Jose Reyna 616-456-4075 and/or Arturo Armijo 616-234-3170

2007-03-09T15:15:00.000-05:00

Article from the "JW Connection"

Gorgeous photographs of the Sister Cities.

The entire hotel will feature photographs of Grand Rapids’ five sister cities. Renowned local photographer Dan Watts traveled to each city to capture the beauty and people unique to each culture. “Cherry blossoms and the Fire Festival in Omihachiman, Japan; the amazing architecture of Perugia, Italy and Bielsko-Biala, Poland; and the people of the Ga District of Ghana in West Africa and Zapopan, Mexico make up the largest single collection of Sister City photography in the world, a total of 16,855 photographs.” Watts said. After a month of editing, the collection consists of 250 first class photographs. “That means only the best are being used,” Watts said. The photographs will be displayed in the guestrooms, meeting rooms, and public areas of the hotel.

2006-11-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

Alynn Guerra: Dia de los Muertos at the Public Library
Just one sample of the many activities related to the Day of the Dead in Grand Rapids.
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Sólo una muestra de las muchas actividades relacionadas al Día de Muertos en Grand Rapids

2006-10-18T10:53:00.000-05:00

Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara

Founded in 1935, the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, located in Zapopan, Jalisco, is the oldest and largest private university in México. The UAG is coeducational, nondenominational, and nonprofit; it is independent and self-contained-autonomous and neither has, nor is dependent upon, government, church or political affiliation.

While over 80% of the UAG's students are Mexican, students from countries all over the world are enrolled in a variety of degree and specialization programs. The University offers numerous semiprofessional and specialization courses, and grants 52 undergraduate, 12 masters, 26 specialties and 2 doctoral degrees. The Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara is accredited by the Mexican Federal Secretary of Public Education (SEP).

The UAG's deep commitment to education is evident in both the variety and the number of programs offered. The University comprises over twenty schools including the schools of Accounting, Agriculture, Architecture, Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Chemical Sciences, Dentistry, Economics, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Industrial Design, Interior Design, International Careers, Law, Linguistics, Communications, Mathematics, Medicine, Natural Sciences, Nursing, Psychology, etc. In addition, the UAG maintains educational exchanges and affiliations with universities worldwide. Making maximum use of its resources, the University operates an elementary school, two middle schools, and three high schools, as well as postgraduate studies, continuing-education and a Community College (UNICO) the first in México.

Various support facilities have helped UAG become increasingly self-sufficient in achieving its educational goals. Among these facilities are two teaching hospitals, a dental clinic, the Medicine in the Community Program (PMC), three convention centers, four libraries, Ocho Columnas newspaper, sports facilities, and a great number of services for the UAG community, distributed in five campuses.

2006-08-31T13:08:00.000-05:00

Grand Rapids Growth - Nuevo sitio en Internet

Esta revista electrónica es publicada cada semana, en ell a encontramos fotografías espectaculares de diferentes partes de Grand Rapids. Yo en lo personal disfruto mucho de esta revista, me da una idea de lo que está sucediendo en la ciudad.

"Revista electrónica semanal y sitio en la red dedicado a mostrar la positiva y sostenida transformación de la región de Grand Rapids.

Rapid Growth lo conecta con las ultimas noticias respecto al crecimiento e inversión en Grand Rapids y sus colonias (vecindarios). Mostrando fotografías e historias originales, Grand Rapids Growth le mostrará Grand Rapids de una manera diferente."

2006-08-29T14:36:00.000-05:00

Festival Hispano
Septiembre 8, 9 & 10

El Festival Hispano, comenzó en 1980 y es el principal evento de recaudación de fondos para el Centro Hispano del Oeste de Michigan. Todos los fondos recaudados, ayudan al centro a llenar las necesidades de los hispanos en el oeste de Michigan. El festival, también es una oportunidad de desarrollo comunitario al promover unidad, entrenamiento en liderazgo, trabajo en equipo, establecimiento de relaciones con la comunidad y trabajo con la misma. También nos da la oportunidad de compartir la riqueza de la cultura hispana, música, comida, tradiciones; todo con el objeto de promover el ideal de inclusión.

El Festival Hispano, es una celebración de las culturas hispanas durante tres días y dos noches, que consiste en la presentación de diversos grupos musicales, cantantes, grupos de danza, artesanos, y actividades infantiles. La entrada es gratuita.

El Centro Hispano, esta afiliado al Consejo Nacional de La Raza (National Council of La Raza). El festival esta co-patrocinado por la Ciudad de Grand Rapids y es miembro de la Asociación de Eventos y Festivales del estado de Michigan y está considerado como el festival hispano más grande en el estado de Michgan.

2006-08-15T12:39:00.000-05:00

Italian Mariachis in Zapopan?

The only thing more Mexican than tequila is mariachi and it seems a shame to have one without the other. Mariachi goes beyond music; it is the sum of a cultural revolution expressed through a group of musicians, dressed in popular clothing (most recently charro suits) which encompasses the essence of Mexico and its people. It is something cultural, spiritual and traditional that is unique to this country, an experience not to be missed.

The word mariachi refers to the musicians now commonly seen in restaurants or strolling the streets, dressed in silver studded charro outfits with wide brimmed hats playing a variety of instruments which include violins, guitars, basses, vihuelas (a 5 string guitar) and trumpets.

The mariachi originated in the southern part of the state of Jalisco sometime in the 19th century. No one is sure where the name comes from although a variety of theories have been postulated and, depending on which best fits the postulators needs, are adhered to.

Today, mariachi music is played around the world in places as far away as Japan and Europe. This integral part of Mexico's culture and history is celebrated each September in its birth place, Jalisco.

If you are planning on a trip to Mexico, more specifically to Guadalajara, don’t miss the opportunity to experience the “13th Encuentro Internacional Del Mariachi y la Charreria” which will be celebrated in Zapopan from August 31 to September10.

It is an International event where Mariachi groups from Croatia, Cuba, Italia, Belgium, Chile, France, Argentina, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, Australia, Aruba, Costa Rica, Canada and the United States Estates, gather to compete, share and celebrate the music of Mariachi.

2006-07-28T13:28:00.000-05:00

El área de Grand Rapids en la lista de las ciudades en crecimiento (up-and-commers)en el área de invención.

Por Chris Knape, The Grand Rapids Press
Martes, Julio 25, 2006
(Traducido por Carlos Sánchez)

El Oeste de Michigan es la cuna del pavo Butterball y los zapatos Hush Puppies. Pero, que han hecho nuestros inventores últimamente? Resulta que bastante.

Mientras que un producto símbolo como el pavo Butterball puede ser raro, esta área continua produciendo ideas innovativas y patentes día con día.

Grand Rapids está entre las 20 primeras ciudades en crecimiento de innovación “up-and-comers in innovation” de entre 12,000 ciudades en los Estados Unidos; esto, según una encuesta publicada este Sábado por el diario The Wall Street Journal, hecha con la participación de IpIQ.

La oficina de patentes de los Estados Unidos, muestra 141 patentes otorgadas a inventores en Grand Rapids durante el 2005.

“Esto no está nada mal para una ciudad de nuestro tamaño” comentó James Mitchell, abogado especializado en patentes de la firma Price Heneveld Cooper De Witt & Litton en Grand Rapids.

Mitchell, es miembro del equipo encargado de atraer industria basada en el conocimiento del Alcalde George Heartwell. "Pienso que vivimos en un área de innovadores" afirmó Mitchell.

Mientras que la gran parte del trabajo de la firma de Mitchell, trabaja con fabricantes tradicionales, el tiempo que dedican a los sectores medico y de biotecnología, incluyendo Perrigo Inc. y el Instituto de Investigación Van Andel , va en aumento.

El Instituto Van Andel fue citado en el estudio de The Journal, como una de las razones por las cuales Grand Rapids es una de estas ciudades en crecimiento; aunque en sus 6 años, no ha recibido patentes, tiene 30 aplicaciones pendientes. Patentes, derechos de autor y propiedad intelectual, “serán el motor para crear empleos”, comentó Steve Heacock, Presidente Administrativo de dicho Instituto.

No sorprende que la mayoría de las patentes atribuidas a personas en Grand Rapids en el 2005, fueran por productos relacionados con el negocio principal del área – muebles para oficina y partes automotrices.

Pero también hay una otorgada a James P. Cameron por su “Golf Club Rack for Motorcycle”, un sostén para palos de golf para motocicleta, y otra a los Doctores Steven Ringler y John Biener, por su instrumento para estimular el crecimiento de cabello.

“El tener gente que localmente está desarrollando productos innovativos y que los llevan al Mercado, será la llave del futuro económico del área”, comentó Susan Shannon, Directora de Desarrollo Económico de Grand Rapids. "Por un lado, uno puede ser innovador, pero si además es emprendedor, será ahí donde veremos la creación de empleos”; concluyó.

©2006 Grand Rapids Press
© 2006 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved

2006-07-26T12:25:00.000-05:00

Mexico Expands ``Emision Zero'' Program with Biofriendly's Green Plus(R) Fuel Catalyst

Biofriendly Corporation announced today that Zapopan and Manzanillo have joined the pollution-fighting "Emision Zero" program through the use of Biofriendly's liquid fuel combustion catalyst Green Plus(R).

The city of Zapopan (population 1.5 million) in the State of Jalisco and the city of Manzanillo (population 200,000) in the State of Colima passed official resolutions requiring the use of Green Plus in their city gasoline and diesel vehicles. The two municipalities join the city of Guzman in Jalisco in embracing the Emision Zero program, which calls for significantly reduced vehicle emissions.

The State of Jalisco in conjunction with the Congress, the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Transportation and the Director of the State's mandatory emissions control program conducted official testing and determined that Green Plus lowered opacity (exhaust smoke) over 50% on more than 85% of the test vehicles. The City Council and Mayor of Zapopan, Jalisco's second largest city, passed the resolution after reviewing these and other test results.

Congressman (Diputado) Luis Alejandro Rodriguez, President of the State of Jalisco Congressional Environmental Commission, said, "We have a responsibility to the citizens of Mexico to improve the quality of life and to reduce harmful pollution. We believe these actions demonstrate that commitment."

"We have been working with Mexican authorities and our distributor, Correct Action Mexico, for a long time to introduce the advantages of Green Plus to Mexico. Demonstrating both emissions reductions and fuel economy improvements makes Green Plus attractive because it more than pays for itself while reducing pollution," said Jim D'Arezzo, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Biofriendly Corporation.

Famous Grand Rapideans

2006-07-20T13:21:00.000-05:00

Chris Van Allsburg
Originally uploaded by MexinGR.

Famosos de Grand Rapids

Chris Van Allsburg (nacido en Junio 18, 1949 en Grand Rapids, Michigan) es autor e ilustrador de de libros para niños. Ganó la Medalla Caldecott por Jumanji (1982) y The Polar Express (1985) ambos libros, escritos e ilustrados por él, y luego adaptados a películas exitosas mundialmente. Van Allsburg, recibió la Medalla de Honor Caldecott en 1980 por The Garden of Abdul Gasazi.

Graduado de la escuela de Arte de la Universidad de Michigan (University of Michigan), también recibió su Maestría en Fine Arts de la Escuela de Diseño de Rhode Island.

Otros de sus temas literarios incluyen sueños, el medio ambiente, y artículos con vida propia (como los juegos de mesa en Jumanji y Zathura).
Cada uno de sus libros incluye a Fritz, un bull terrier que está basado en un perro de la vida real cuyo dueño es el cuñado de Chris Van Allsburg. Este perro aparece en todos y cada uno de los libros, algunas veces como un perro de verdad, otras como jugete o cosa parecidas.

Chris Van Allsburg vive en Providence, Rhode Island con Lisa Van Allsburg, su esposa durante tres décadas. Tienen dos hijas, Sophia y Anna.

Famous Zapopanos - Gael García Bernal

2006-07-18T13:52:00.000-05:00

Gael
Originally uploaded by MexinGR.

Gael was born on November 30, 1978 in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, to Patricia Bernal (an actress and former model) and José Ángel García (an actor and director). His stepfather is Sergio Yasbek, whom his mother married when he was young. He is also a close friend of actor Diego Luna. García Bernal started acting at just a year old and spent most his teen years starring in soap operas.
García Bernal was becoming a soap opera heartthrob, but at age 19, he left Mexico's television world to study acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Subsequently, García Bernal has starred in some of Mexico's most celebrated recent films, beginning with Amores perros (2000), then 2001's Y tu mamá también, and El crimen del Padre Amaro (2002). He has also done some theatre work, including a 2005 production of Bodas de sangre, by Federico García Lorca, in the Almeida Theatre in London. However, it was his debut as a working-class street thug in the Oscar-nominated Amores perros that first grabbed Hollywood's attention.
García Bernal also portrayed Argentine-born physician turned Cubano revolutionary Che Guevara twice, first in the 2002 TV miniseries Fidel and then, better known, in 2004's The Motorcycle Diaries, an adaptation of a journal a 23-year-old Guevara wrote about his travels across South America. García Bernal has worked for acclaimed directors like Pedro Almodóvar, Walter Salles, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Michel Gondry, among others. He has recently taken on roles in English language films, including the Gondry-directed The Science Of Sleep, the González Iñárritu-directed Babel, and The King, for which he has earned rave reviews.

Grand Rapids firma carta de intención de hermandad con Zapopan

2006-07-14T14:13:00.000-05:00

Grand Rapids firma carta de intención de hermandad con Zapopan

Grand Rapids, Michigan a 3 de Octubre, 2005.- George Heartwell, Alcalde de esta ciudad, firmó la carta de intención de hermandad entre Zapopan y Grand Rapids, durante la visita del Comité de Ciudades Hermanas de esta ciudad a la ciudad jalisciense de Zapopan durante el mes de Septiembre. De esta manera, se da el primer paso a un amplio intercambio en los sectores de educación, salud, desarrollo económico y cultura.

“Después de un riguroso análisis realizado por el Comité de Ciudades Hermanas de Grand Rapids, fue designada la ciudad jalisciense de Zapopan como la más idónea para formalizar relaciones de hermandad entre ambas”, dijo el Alcalde Heartwell en entrevista al periódico Ocho Columnas de Zapopan, luego de la firma de intención. “Es necesario formalizar la relación de amistad porque ahora el mundo se está haciendo más chico y se tienen que promover las relaciones internacionales y queremos hacerlo para conocer la gente y abrir nuestras puertas”, resaltó.

La comitiva de Ciudades Hermanas de Grand Rapids fue encabezada por el Alcalde Heartwell, así como David T. Mix, presidente de Ciudades Hermanas de Grand Rapids, y de Arturo Armijo, persona a cargo del comité de selección de la ciudad hermana. Ellos explicaron que su viaje se debió al interés que tienen por conocer la ciudad y su gente. Asimismo, explicaron que Zapopan se convierte en la ciudad hermana número cinco y es la primera con la que se crea este tipo de relación en los últimos 10 años. Con ello, México se suma a Polonia, Japón, Italia y Ganha que se encuentran representados en esta ciudad norteamericana.

Arturo Armijo expresó que esta relación será de mucho beneficio porque los temas en los que se basa esta relación tienen mucha similitud entre ambas ciudades.

Por su parte, Juan José Alcalá Dueñas, jefe de Ciudades Hermanas de Zapopan, explicó, que por parte del ayuntamiento jalisciense, encontraron en Grand Rapids una ciudad muy interesante, “que nos puede beneficiar mucho” en forma mutua.

Grand Rapids se convierte en la tercer ciudad estadounidense en hermanarse con Zapopan, aunque desde el inicio toma el primer lugar en el tipo de relaciones ya que las dos restantes son relaciones más de fraternidad que de otro tipo.

“Tenemos muchas similitudes en términos de ciudades como tales. Hoy comenzamos en Zapopan el principio de una relación de largo plazo, una relación basada en los proyectos más que en cuestiones intangibles y sobre todo, considerando que esta relación se dé más allá de las administraciones... que sigamos compartiendo los proyectos que ya se han avanzado en algunos temas como en educación e inversión económica”, expresó Alcalá Dueñas al periódico Ocho Columnas de Zapopan.

Ante la ausencia del alcalde Arturo Zamora Jiménez, quien acudió a Nayarit a la toma de posesión del gobernador Ney González, se realizó el convenio para que en la próxima sesión de Ayuntamiento se apruebe el hermanamiento de manera oficial. Cabe destacar que será hasta finales del mes de octubre que se formalizará esta relación, una vez que acuda a la ciudad estadounidense una delegación zapopana para finiquitar el protocolo de hermanamiento y dejarlo firmado por ambas partes.

Este boletín fue realizado con información proporcionada por los periodistas Teresa Hernández y Miguel Yáñez A. del periódico Ocho Columnas de Zapopan, Jalisco.

2006-07-14T13:24:00.000-05:00

New JW Marriot hotel pays homage to Grand Rapids's sister cities
The Grand Rapids Press
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
By Eric Gallippo

GRAND RAPIDS -- When Alticor Inc.'s JW Marriott Hotel opens in 2007, Grand Rapids' sister cities will have more than a mention on a city limits sign to make their presence known. They will have 24-story, $60 million hotel decorated in their honor.

JW Marriott officials announced Tuesday the new hotel, under construction at the northwest corner of Louis Street and Campau Avenue downtown, will adopt a theme from Grand Rapids' four existing sister cities of Bielsko-Biala, Poland; Ga District, Ghana; Omihachiman, Japan; and Perugia, Italy; and the future sister city in Zapopan, Mexico, which is to be formalized in 2007.

JW Marriott and Grand Rapids Sister City Committee officials also hope the theme will help land the Convention of Sister Cities International in 2009.

The four-day convention will host an estimated 1,000 international and domestic visitors, said David Mix, Sister City Committee president.

The 2007 convention, which Grand Rapids bid for, is being held in Spokane, Wash. Mix was "blown away" when hearing about the theme for Grand Rapids' newest high-rise hotel.

When completed, the hotel's public spaces, meeting and guest rooms and parking decks are to feature art inspired by the cities.

Local photographer Dan Watts has been commissioned by JW Marriott to travel to each to capture images to be hung in guest rooms. Local artists also are being solicited.

Hotel manager George Aquino came up with the theme after seeing a sign listing the sister cities. Featuring them in the hotel seemed like a way to bring the world to Grand Rapids and "adds color to the palette."

"A lot of Grand Rapids companies are international companies," he said. "We are an emerging international city."

©2006 Grand Rapids Press
© 2006 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.