The history of the LCS and the Lakeside Communities in the words of those who know it best.

The LCS Oral History Project was proposed in 2012 by LCS Executive Director Terry Vidal. Together with historian Tod Jonson, they intended to collect for posterity the remembrances of people have lived at lakeside for at least 15 years with the intention of capturing insights on three topics:

• Stories regarding Neill James
• The physical environment of Lakeside then vs. now
• The role of the LCS then vs. now

Tod Jonson had to drop out of the project to illness, but Harriet Hart agreed to assume responsibility for the project. Terry and Harriet developed a commoncore of open-ended interview questions and identified the initial group of Lakeside residents that should be interviewed. The goal was to conduct a conversation of about an hour in length in which the chosen individuals reflect on the interview topics. Each conversation was video-taped, initially by Terry Vidal and later by Mary Ellen Rushworth. Harriet Hart conducted the conversations and Karl Homann assisted with the spanish interviews. The videos have been archived on YouTube and may be accessed below.

LCS Oral History Project Interviews

VIDEO

 

COMMENTS

 

Interview is a discussion of Ann's experience discovering Ajijic and her 29 year residency. Observations on Neill James, LCS, and Ajijic. Ann has been owner of an interior design business, and is owner / operator of the Casita Montana Plastic Surgery Recovery B&B. Interviewed by Harriet Hart. This film is out of focus at the outset but video quality improves later.

 

At the time of the interview, Ann was a resident of GDL / Ajijic 54 years. President of the American Society of Guadalajara. Comments on life in GDL, Neil James. Founder of the International Chili Cook-off competition. Interviewed by Harriet Hart.

 

Recorded 6/22/2016. Film industry director / screenwriter, Alejandro has lived at lakeside since 1988. Comments on Neill James, and the suggestion that she might have been a spy for the US government in WWII. Describes the development of the Ojo del Lago. Describes local writer's community and the works they have produced. Interviewed by Harriet Hart.

 

Artist Antonio Lopez Vega discusses his life and work at Lakeside with Karl Homann. SPANISH INTERVIEW.

 

SPANISH INTERVIEW.
Berta Yánez Márquez era un cuidador personal de Neill James, quien encontró a Neill en su cama en la mañana después de su muerte. Berta reflexiona sobre la vida de Neill James, el crecimiento de LCS y sus beneficios para la comunidad local.

Interviewed by Karl Homann. English summary provided by Karl Homann.
Berta is a native of Ajijic. For three months, each year she visits her children in Colorado, but is always happy to return to her native village, its people and culture. As a child of nine, she helped look after the silk worms and the silk farming on the Neill James property, fascinated by their metamorphosis from silkworm to moth (“butterfly”) until a blight killed the mulberry trees, whose leaves are the only food silk worms and moths eat. As widow, Berta returned to the property to clean the gardens and fish ponds, to look after the books in the library (before it moved to the Wilkes Center), and to sell the traditional dresses in Neill’s on-site clothing store. In 1991, Berta became one of three around-the-clock, personal care givers of Miss James, who by then suffered from Alzheimer and hardly spoke. At about 11 in the morning, two hours into her shift, Berta went upstairs to check on Neill and found that she had died during the night. All in all, Berta spent 20 years in the employ of Neill James. (Note: Berta may be mistaken about the year in which Neill James died. Neill died in 1995 rather than 1994, as Berta says.)
Berta sees the interaction between locals and foreigners as positive. She is grateful for the contributions various LCS groups make to the Mexican community, like the Children Arts Program, awarding scholarships, sewing and knitting clothes for children, and, in general, creating work opportunities, because fishing and agriculture have pretty much vanished.

 

SPANISH INTERVIEW.

 

Recorded 7/23/2014. Resident of lakeside for 16 years at the time of interview. Past President of the LCS (2004 – 2007). Comments on managing the various LCS member groups, the contributions of Ken Gosh, fund-raising, evolution of the LCS from club to service organization. Outlines his ideas for the library. Interviewed by Harriet Hart.

 

A native of Guadalajara and Ajijic resident for 27 years. She describes Neill James activities developing the Biblioteca for the community, which was later taken over by Coralie. Later, Coralie supervised the women who cared for Neill James. She also relates her acquaintance with Javier Zaragoza and the birth of the Children's Art Project. The development of the community scholarship program is described. Interviewed by Harriet Hart.

 

August 7, 2014 interview by Harriet Hart. Howard was a 10 year resident of lakeside at the time of the interview. The Feldsteins were living in Denver, Colorado when they heard of Ajijic in the AARP magazine. After a 10 day visit, they decided to sell the house and relocate to Ajijic. Howard is a two-term President of LCS and discusses the role and evolution of the organization. The impact of the Lakeside Little Theatre and other arts groups are discussed.

 

Howard Feldstein interview on CNN concerning a 2012 incident in which 18 persons were abducted, killed and bodies abandoned in the Chapala area.