An arctic air mass and a cold front combined to produce some postcard-worthy snapshots Tuesday morning in central Mexico — and some good headlines “¡Blanca Navidad!” (White Christmas!) beamed one while others read “Tormenta de nieve” (snowstorm) and “Nevada deja bellos paisajes” (snowfall leaves beautiful landscapes) Flakes fell at higher elevations overnight leaving a snow-capped scene on the top slopes of Xinantécatl – better known as Nevado de Toluca – in México state At 4,680 meters (15,354 feet) above sea level the stratovolcano is the fourth-highest Mexican peak Additionally, Jocotitlán Hill in México state looked like a winter wonderland in some parts. The “hill,” where television broadcast antennas are located is actually an inactive volcano that shoots up to 3,953 meters (12,969 feet) above sea level director of civil protection agency Sinaproc said that additional snowfall is expected on Tuesday in areas at least 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) above sea level The effects of cold front number 16, which arrived less than a week after cold number front 15, included cold temperatures throughout the country including –7° C in Sonora and –8° C in Chihuahua it should remain frosty throughout the week because another cold front is expected Wednesday or Thursday The National Meteorological Service predicted that cold front number 16 will extend today to the western Caribbean Sea causing heavy to very heavy rains in southern portions of Mexico Downpours have already caused rivers and streams to rise in northern Chiapas Authorities there reported that 24 homes were flooded amidst landslides and road closures in the municipality of Tila The flooding there trapped three people in their homes but they were rescued and taken to a shelter Temperatures on Tuesday in the Valley of México are expected to range from 1° to 17° C Snow might resume falling  at higher elevations mainly on volcanoes such as Pico de Orizaba Popocatépetl (Mexico’s second highest peak) and Iztaccíhuatl (the third highest) With reports from La Jornada, Aristegui Noticias and TV Azteca ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC An up-close look at the making of Oro’s heirloom masa dumplings and the traditions — and politics — that run through them Oro by Nixta’s chochoyotes aren’t the typical golden dumplings you’d find in a bowl of tesmole de pollo or a Oaxacan black bean soup made with a mash of purple Peruvian potatoes and blue corn masa — a cónico azul corn from Jocotitlán Chef Gustavo Romero usually makes the dough using a mixer and the violet and slate colors blend to a brooding twilight shade They’re served in a pool of earthy salsa de venas “A lot of these dishes are the stuff that you’d eat at any mercado back home,” says Gustavo “They’re things that I ate my whole childhood.” Still, the budding market faces certain challenges. Maseca — the instant masa harina produced by Mexican multinational Gruma, which also owns Mission and Guerrero tortilla brands — is significantly cheaper than heirloom corn masa. (The Mexican government subsidized Maseca with millions of dollars in the ’90s fueling its market takeover.) The Romeros strive to make their food as accessible as possible but Kate puts the price difference in a larger context “We should all be striving to treat tortillas like we treat bread,” she says The point that Gusto always makes is that people are still looking at Mexican food like they kind of look at the people of course we’re going to pay more for a baguette.” Plus, cheaper tortillas have unseen costs. Industrial corn is high-yield and high-input, meaning it requires large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides that degrade ecosystems. Monocrops have seriously reduced agricultural biodiversity — and scientists are worried that’s a big problem in a rapidly changing climate “I think that the conversation that we should have is when we’re living in a world where everything is so expensive how do you think these things are so cheap?” Gustavo says And beyond aspects of taste (if Maseca is neutral and vaguely corny, heirloom masa runs the gamut from sweet to earthy to ferric), Oro’s corn is nixtamalized, a process of soaking the kernels in lime that helps humans digest and absorb their nutrients. It’s an ancient tradition: Mesoamericans invented nixtamalization 3,500 years ago “If you want to understand culture and people you have to look at what they eat,” says Gustavo “And you have to understand that a lot of that was a necessity Now we have the luxury to do this because we want to people had to do this because that was all they had.” Take an inside look at the making of Oro’s chochoyotes with heirloom corn and purple Peruvian potatoes You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience Jan. 22, 1932 — Jan. 8, 2021 one of four children born to Lovell and Edith (Doney) Rolfe She attended John Adams High School in South Bend Elaine married Donald Keith Jordan in South Bend They loved being near water and built a wonderful home to retire in on Diamond Lake They spent many summer days together at the family cabin on Pickerel Lake in Michigan Elaine was successful at real estate in Michigan She last was a realtor for Cressy & Everett Real Estate in Edwardsburg She had an impeccable talent for doing interior decorating of homes as well With a knack for finding and refinishing antiques every room in her house was filled with curated treasures with a turn of the century theme Elaine will be greatly missed by family and friends Dahlia Scott and Daphne Scott; one great-grandson Gail Rolfe ,of Washington State; and many nieces and nephews she was preceded in death by her parents; one sister 13 for a hraveside service in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Cassopolis where Mrs Jordan will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband Attendees are asked to practice safe social distancing and to wear a mask Elaine adored her beloved Maine Coon cat named Freddy The family prefers contributions in Elaine’s memory may be made to a local animal shelter or favorite charity Arrangements have been entrusted to Connelly Chapel Wagner Family Funerals Please share a memory or leave a message online: wagnercares.com Among the best players to keep an eye on when the Los Angeles Kings play the Chicago Blackhawks… will be on the ice Monday against the Los Angeles Kings at… Ryan Donato and the Chicago Blackhawks will play on Monday at 8:30 PM ET meet the Los Angeles Kings on Monday at 8:30 PM ET Ito didn't speak a word of Spanish when he received an offer from Japan's government-funded overseas sports development program to serve as a volunteer table tennis coach in Latin America But he jumped at the opportunity nevertheless "I thought I should do what I used to tell my students to do--make a commitment to build international harmony," he says Ito coached table tennis for nearly 40 years and he was eager to share this experience with players around the world He left his hometown in Aomori Prefecture and traveled to the town of Jocotitlan in northwestern Mexico to coach at local universities Table tennis enjoys modest popularity in the town but soccer has always been king Every child plays growing up and retains a connection with the sport as adults Ito hoped to cultivate a similar love for table tennis and immediately got to work trying to introduce it to wider parts of the population There was one group in particular that he had his eyes on One of Ito's closest childhood friends was a keen table tennis player growing up he was forced to give up the sport after an accident left him wheelchair-bound Ito says he carried the memory of this friend throughout his years coaching And he saw volunteering in Mexico as the perfect opportunity to do something in honor of this friend he traveled to the National Training Center in Mexico City and asked if he could help the Paralympic table tennis team convinced that an instructor with foreign experience could help motivate his players to improve and compete on the international level Ito drove from Jocotitlan to Mexico City every Monday This was on top of his regular volunteer work coaching at universities "Making the trip every week was tough," he says "But I was so excited to be a part of Team Mexico One of the players Ito made a deep connection with was Victor Reyes Reyes was a fanatical soccer player and had dreams of becoming a pro He was diagnosed with a degenerative muscle disease that gradually left him unable to move He thought this meant he would eventually have to quit sports entirely Reyes says learning he had to give up his dreams was a traumatic experience He discovered he could still play table tennis and he picked up the sport with an intensity that kept him committed even as his muscles weakened and put him in a wheelchair he was noticed by coaches who added him to a list of candidates for the national team Reyes says working with Ito has helped take his game to the next level He affectionately refers to him as his "papa de la vida" and says his advice helped him master difficult techniques he says Ito taught him to believe in his talent "He always encouraged me to have confidence in whatever play I tried to pull off," Reyes says Reyes will attempt to become Mexico's first gold medalist in para-table tennis Ito also worked with the women's team and left a lasting impression on Claudia Perez Perez was 25 when rheumatism started to eat away at her body She was eventually forced to wear prosthetic knees She says her condition made it difficult to work and earn a living for her daughter she was unable to even afford her own paddle "I would bring tacos from home for lunch because I didn't have the money to eat out," she recalls she can look back happily on life because she has been able to do something she loves "But playing table tennis makes it worth it She says working with Ito has been a great source of joy and that he inspires her to get better "I want to make my daughter and my coach proud," she says Ito says his time in Mexico taught him things about life he hadn't imagined learning in retirement "They worked hard to make the most of what they were given instead of crying about what they don't have," he says promising his players that he would see them in Tokyo he is counting down the days until the reunion He says their resilience and professionalism is a lesson for everyone.