March 22 , 2007

Greetings:

    Your VIP Club welcomes ANTIGUA TRATTORIA ITALIA, Codo #9, 152-3790, on the corner of Zacateros, often referred to as the Flat Iron Building. Antiqua Trattoria has a long reputation for serving Italian and international dishes. They serve fresh pastas, poultry, meats, salads, soups and seafood, open 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. daily. Members may take 10% off their bills when paying in cash, minimum 100 pesos.  Luciano is your host.

     Your VIP Club also welcomes restaurant MARIA BONITA, Umaran #56, just past Quebrada, 152-7420. Jose, the owner and his cooks, have opened their own restaurant after many years at Meson de San Jose, a restaurant still in our club. The restaurant has been getting high marks, especially their fish dishes. Members may take 15% off their bill when paying cash.

     Legalized Gambling: Punto Sushi, Hidalgo #23, 1521619 is now Punto G or the G-spot. Through computers they have slot machine type action and other games of chance on their gambling computers. Beginning March 24 people may wager bets. People play for as low as two, U.S cents per spin. For the Grand Opening, Saturday, March 24, players will receive double the amount of credits they pay for. Players buy a swipe card and the machine credits them. After the grand opening VIP Club members receive a 20% bonus on the amount they purchase and can cash out anytime. There's immediate cash payoffs. The jackpot pays 200-1. They will be open seven days a week and open until the wee hours.

     Your VIP Club welcomes the Kawasaki motorcycle store on the Caracol, across from Mega. Members receive a 10% discount off of parts for and service on cycles, ATVs etc.

     Tuesday nights, hot jazz at Limerick with the New York City Jazz drummer, Cody Moffet's trio. No cover and members may take 15% off their bills when paying cash.

     VIP Club member Sally Leonard has organized a live salsa show Wednesday at D´Vino Wine and Champagne bar at La Aurora, 8-9:30 p.m. Dancing on the patio, $100 peso cover includes one tapa. There will be a live salsa group with renowned trumpeter Antonio Florez who has played with Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Willie Colon and Charles Aznavour.

     All NCAA Basketball Tournament games can be viewed at Manolo's, Pila Seca and Zacateres. Manolo's DOES NOT acceept the VIP Card but accompanying restaurant Casa Payo does, offering 10% off drinks and food.

     VIP Card member, Mary Jones wants to remind everybody about the Art Auction, a benefit for Centro Crecimiento. Friday, March 23, at Hotel Real de Minas. Preview Noon – 5 p.m., live auction 6-8 p.m. Open Bar and hors d' oeuvres tickets $100 pesos.

    Card member Elena Shoemaker wants members to know about the Shannon Day concert at the Santa Ana, Saturday, March 24. Tickets are $150 pesos. Showtime 7:30 p.m. benefiting the photography project at Biblioteca. The show benefits the photography project at the Biblioteca     

     Hee-Haw! . . . Don't forget San Miguel's big Country and Country Rock Concert this coming Sunday, March 25, at La Carpa. Doors open at 2 p.m. The show starts at 3 p.m. Three major stars are coming down to San Miguel for this event sponsored by Los Tejanos, primarily Club Members: Linda McLaughlin, Steve Kelso and Keith Thompson. The show titled, "San Miguel City Limits," features Patricia Vonne, Gary P. Nunn and Darin Murphy with each performing separately. Tickets; $150 pesos, and can be had at La Carpa, Bagel Café, Border Crossings, La Conexion, Romanos and Longhorn Smokehouse. VIP Club members get TWO FREE BEERS with their ticket stubs and VIP Club Card.

     Joan Yonkler will perform a one-night-only cabaret at the Market Bistro, Hernandez Macias #95, Friday, March 30. She'll be joined with VIP Club member, Louis Hirsch, for a few duets. There will be a 50-peso cover that will include a drink and botanas. If staying for dinner, Market Bistro will provide a special menu for the evening and your card is valid for 15% off when paying cash.

      The Lions Club will offer two trips in April. The first is a three-day trip, over Palm Sunday weekend, March 30 'til April 1 to Uruapan, including two nights. There will be stops in Morelia, Patzcuro, the Reed Factory, and Santa Clara, the copper town.  Cost is $1,700 pesos each, double occupancy, and $2,280 pesos for single accommodations.  
     The second trip is a one-day outing just outside San Miguel Allende. A visit will be made to the pottery artist's Esteban's studio, in the village of Nuevo Pantoj. Esteban's work is well known in all the Americas and included in the permanent collections at the Smithsonian. Recently he has featured ancient terra cotta styles with Indian designs. Also on display are whimsical animal designs created by his grandchildren, who are learning the art of pottery. Next stop: La Huerta, near the Presa Allende Dam. La Huerta is the home of El Sabino, the largest tree of its type in all of North America. La Huerta village is famous for its basket weaving. Some weavers homes will be visited as well as the church with its historical stone cross and statues. The trip departs a 10 a.m., Wednesday, April 11, in front of St. Paul's Church on Calle Cardo.  At the trip's conclusion there will be a stop at Casa Schickel, Calle Jacaranda #56, Colonial Le Lejona for margaritas and sandwiches for lunch. Visit http://www.smalions.org/ for more information. To sign up for either excursion call Jean Schickel at 152-0934 or Debra Sullivan at 154-7193 or email: lionsinternationalsma@yahoo.com.

     Viajes San Miguel has a terrific Beach Deal at their resort at Bahia de Luna down in Oaxoca. We suggest you go to http://www.viajessanmiguel.com/ and http://www.viajessanmiguel.com/bahiadelaluna.html/ for the full scoop. VIP Club members may take 5% off this $589US package that includes; all ground transportation to airport, flight, to hotel and back home, before and after for the seven night stay, including all taxes, no tips and breakfast.

     If you are in business, consider the VIP Club's webpage http://www.vipsanmiguel.com for inexpensive advertising that shows on our site  for six months. Your Club is getting more and more hits all the time. Just click on the advertising ad on the VIP Club webpage for the low-low rates.

      USA Cleaners on Salida a Celaya has a new location inside Mega. They offer Club Members 15% off dry cleaning services.

We will be on the road doing business and it is unlikely there will be any News Flashes coming our way for almost a month unless something extraordinary crops up. We will be monitoring e-mail if members misplace or lose their card, so we 'll be able to offer immediate replacement at the office but do e-mail us first so we can make arrangements for your card to be replaced.

     Thank you for your continuous and loyal support.

Your San Miguel VIP Club