Ken Albanese and Judith Bond at their farewell party.
The Mazatlán foreign community gathered last week at a local restaurant in Olas Altas to salute and thank local residents Ken Albanese and his wife Judith Bond for their hard work in the community before the couple moved permanently to San Miguel de Allende on Sunday.
Ken was the engineer of the birth of El Recreo in the Centro Historico, a movie theater and community center that became a focal point for foreign residents when it began showing international and late release movies, then progressed to include live play readings by local amateur actors.
Friends gathered at the old Canuck’s Restaurant to wish them well.
From a run-down building in the center of the picturesque Old town, Ken, Judith and an enthusiastic team of volunteers turned the center into a comfortable venue for afternoon musical jam sessions, children’s book readings and a place for a good cup of coffee. They painted, installed lighting, sound, air conditioning, a projector and chairs in the theater, all the while gently persuading donations from the community to get the project up and running.
And once that happened, El Recreo became a hit, often with line-ups out the door to see the films, play readings and performances scheduled several times a week.
As if he didn’t have enough to do, Ken also wrote and will continue to write the weekly Movie Reviews for The Mazatlán Messenger. Judith, who is the author of many Mazatlán Messenger health articles, says she has several more ideas brewing and will also continue to write for the Messenger on a regular basis.
In a short speech at the gathering, Ken said the popularity of El Recreo will move forward thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers who will continue managing the theater as they have done for the past three years.
Ken and Judith have left behind a legacy from which the foreign community will reap benefits for many years to come and we wish them happy trails, until we meet again.
