Los trabajadores de municipio, the city workers, must have been up all night sweeping, you could eat off the streets this morning, and only one balloon vendor in the Zocalo! Breakfast with Jim Breedlove, with whom I delivered art books 5 years ago ─ donated by Francisco Toledo, the city’s preeminent artist ─ to one of the villages. It was a project of Libros Para Pueblos, an organization that works with parents, teachers and town leaders to provide appealing spaces and attractive books so Oaxacan children can learn to read for fun.
Here’s a denouement to a 7-year mystery:
The First Congregational Church of Berkeley women who came with me to Oaxaca in 2003, brought a check from the church for $200 for Libros Para Pueblos. Some will remember. Months after our trip, someone from Outreach told me the check was never cashed. In the topsy-turvy-ness of divorce, I didn’t follow up. I mentioned this to Jim over breakfast today. He remembered the check well and apologized for Libros Para Pueblos for not following up ─ they didn’t feel they could accept a donation directly from a church; too much evangelizing here.
Oaxaca’s new Presidente del Municipio, mayor, was inaugurated this morning at La Plaza de la Danza in front of the Soledad church ─ lots of people in suits, lots of speeches. Oaxaqueños are cautiously optimistic, eternally hopeful ─ a new mayor, new governor, new party (PAN), new start.
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