The collapse of two high voltage towers due to strong winds and heavy rains caused blackouts and power outages in Sonoyta and Puerto Peñasco during the afternoon of December 31st. The incident left residents of all of Rocky Point and Sonoyta without power for at least three hours.

Thanks to the quick response and good work of the personnel from CFE, the service was restored in time to make dinner and celebrate the coming of the New Year. As of 6:45 pm, there are still several isolated areas without power, but that they should be up and running within a short while.

While the damage and power outage was regrettable, heavy rains are rare here, so in some respects, it was a nice change from the ordinary sunshiny day.

Municipal Mayor Jorge Pivac Carrillo met with authorities from the Lukeville Arizona Customs and Border Protection Office to request the extension of the border crossing hours for the benefit of American tourism and residents of the region.

At the meeting held on the Thursday before Christmas at the Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) with director Peter J. Bachelier and Edward C. Rodríguez, the Mayor asked them to analyze the possibility of extending the schedule of the time the border is open to add at least two more hours for a longer time period to cross in either direction.

The Customs and Border Protection authorities agreed to look into the possibility of this extension of the schedule, which is currently from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The proposed plan is an extension of two more hours from the month of March to close at 10:00 p.m. and only on weekends and holidays, with the possibility of remaining open until 12:00, as it had been before the onset of Covid-19.

In this important meeting, in addition to addressing this fundamental issue of border hours, collaboration and ties were strengthened, and the border authorities announced the new “online” model of issuing permits to foreign citizens who wish to cross into the United States, expediting the process.

January 6th is Three Kings Day in Mexico, known in Spanish as el Día de los Reyes Magos or El Día de Reyes. This is Epiphany on the church calendar, the 12th day after Christmas (sometimes referred to as Twelfth Night), when Christians commemorate the arrival of the Magi or "Wise Men" who arrived bearing gifts for the Christ Child. The word Epiphany means revelation or manifestation and the holiday celebrates the revelation of the baby Jesus to the world (represented by the Magi).

Like many celebrations, this holiday was introduced in Mexico by Catholic friars during the colonial period, and has in many cases taken on a local flair. In Mexico, children receive gifts on this day, brought by the three kings, known in Spanish as los Reyes Magos, whose names are Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar. Some children receive gifts from both Santa Claus on December 24 or 25 and from the Kings on January 6, but Santa is seen as an imported custom, and the traditional day for Mexican children to receive gifts is January 6.

In the days preceding Three Kings Day, Mexican children write letters to the three kings requesting a toy or gift that they would like to receive. Sometimes the letters are placed in helium-filled balloons and released, so the requests reach the kings through the air. You may see men dressed up as the three kings posing for photos with children in Mexican town squares, parks, and shopping centers. On the night of January 5th, the figures of the Wise Men are placed in the Nacimiento or nativity scene. Traditionally children would leave out their shoes with a bit of hay in them to feed the animals of the Magi (they are often shown with a camel and sometimes also with an elephant). When the children would wake up in the morning, their gifts appeared in place of the hay. Nowadays, like Santa Claus, the Kings tend to place their gifts under the Christmas tree if the family has one up, or near the nativity scene.

On Kings Day it is customary for families and friends to gather to drink hot chocolate or atole (a warm, thick, usually corn-based drink) and eat Rosca de Reyes, a sweet bread shaped like a wreath, with candied fruit on top, and a figurine of a baby Jesus baked inside. The person who finds the figurine is expected to host a party on Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), celebrated on February 2nd, when tamales are customarily served.

There are many campaigns to bring toys to underprivileged children in Mexico for Three Kings Day. If you will be visiting Mexico at this time of year and would like to participate, pack a few books or toys that don't need batteries in your suitcase to donate. Your hotel or resort can likely direct you to a local organization doing a toy drive.

In Mexico, the Christmas holiday usually lasts until January 6, and depending on the day of the week that it falls, schools go back in session on January 7 or 8. The Christmas season in the traditional church calendar lasts until February 2nd (Candlemas), so some Mexicans will leave their Christmas decorations up until that date.

Christmas arrived early for the General Hospital of Puerto Peñasco, after hospital equipment consisting of over 200 miscellaneous items was delivered by the Mar de Peñasco Rotary Club.

 The truck with the materials arrived on Tuesday, December 21 and is part of a comprehensive donation of hospital equipment, with a value 16 million pesos, for the benefit of five hospitals in Sonora, including the one in Puerto Peñasco.

 Shandra Keesecker, a member of the Mar de Peñasco Rotary Club who is in charge of this program, pointed out that the materials and equipment were gathered in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Scottsdale, Arizona, through the American group Curando México, and the Rotary International grant system, benefiting various locations in Sonora.

 She explained that the support consisted of two containers of hospital equipment, each with a value of $400,000, which was delivered between the Navojoa, Álamos, Ciudad Obregón, San Luis Río Colorado and Puerto Peñasco hospitals. She explained that to achieve this support, for around 16 million pesos in total, contributions were made from Rotario Internacional and the Mar de Peñasco clubs of District 4100 and Scottsdale of District 5495.

 She also explained that for the distribution of the various supports to the hospitals, work was done in a coordinated manner with the Secretary of Health of the State Government, based on the needs detected in each of the five locations chosen for the donations.

 Among the more than 200 items donated to the General Hospital of this city are two airway cleaning systems, 5 units of Bipap, a laboratory centrifuge, three CPAP units, a defibrillator, a metal tray to disinfect surgical instruments, a electrocardiograph, one electrosurgery unit, two fetoscopes, two laryngoscopes, one neonatal phototherapy lamp, one patient examination lamp, two blood pressure monitors, one fetal monitor, two non-invasive blood pressure monitors, one otoscope, two oximeters, and two digital thermometers.

 Five manual hospital beds were also delivered, as well as two stretchers for transferring patients, one hydraulic Hoyer lift, five vinyl hospital bed mattresses, one set of surgical instruments for sutures, one set of surgical instruments for general surgery, one set of surgical instruments for childbirth surgery, caps for surgeries, gloves, protective masks, disposable gowns, sterile gauze pads, elastic bandages, PVC accessories for medical use, catheters for intravenous use, intravenous extensions, suture needles, various syringes, supplies for blood collection, pillows, personal hygiene items for patients, oxygen masks with flexible tubing, resuscitation kits, spinal and epidural needles, general chest surgery supplies, and laparoscopic surgery supplies.

Puerto Penasco is the place to be MLK weekend when Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers along with special guests The Vandoliers, RC & the Ambers, Jesse Dayton, Jim Dalton, The Jons and The Summer jam for 3 days throughout Penasco beginning January 14-16th!

For ticket info, Will Call times, schedules and golf tournament registration, go to www.januaryjam.net.

All featured shows will be outdoors with safety measures in place.

Stuffed between live music sets day and night will be the Cancion Tequila Golf Classic taking place Saturday morning at The Links at Las Palomas. Spots are filling up fast for this 13 hole, high fashion, rock n roll version of the Masters. Prizes awarded for low team score (probably high score too), long drives and closest to the pin. Registration includes golf, cart, prizes and lunch afterward with proceeds benefitting family charities throughout Puerto Penasco.

While in town for the show, check out the annual raffle with experiences, art and Circus Mexicus VIP tickets among others up for grabs at Will Call.

Save money and avoid long lines at Will Call by buying your tickets in advance.

An American tourist from Arizona died after falling from the zip line that has been operating for several years on the hill known as La Loma de La Cholla.The Attorney General's Office of the Sonora has started an investigation to define responsibilities.

 The deceased person was identified as 60-year-old Carter W. Jr., originally from Oklahoma and most recently residing in Maricopa, Arizona. He suffered serious injuries from the fall which caused death in a matter of minutes.

Official information details that at 2:58 p.m. on December 18, the 911 emergency number reported an injured person in the zip line area. Security and emergency personnel were immediately dispatched and the injured person was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

The zip line business is run by a 36 year old man, originally from Guanajuato, named Fernando H. He told the authorities that he was in the zip line's operational offices observing some customers who were enjoying of the tour. Suddenly he looked at one of his employees working at the last stretch of the line and noticed that he started running. That is how he realized that someone had fallen. Upon arrival, he assisted the victim and called an ambulance, which took the person to the San José clinic.

In the hospital police interviewed the wife of the injured man, and she stated that she was with her husband and their three children at the zip line. She described that on line number four, one of the guides was launched first and the next to be launched was her husband. That was the last that she saw of her husband until he had fallen to the ground. They immediately ran down the hill, and one of their children noticed that the victim was not breathing and immediately started CPR. She stated that she is not sure if the cable had broken or what was the reason that led to her husbands fall.

The doctor on duty at the San José clinic indicated the tourist injured on the zip line arrived at 3:18 p.m. without vital signs, and although they did everything possible to revive him, it was impossible to accomplish this and he confirmed his death at the appointed time.

It should be noted that it is not the first time that a mishap has occurred on this zip line. In July 2017, a mishap due to a failure in the operating mechanism of equipment, caused the three people to fall. All received injury, but none were fatal.

 At that time, the zip line business was reopened to the public at the beginning of January 2018, five months later, after complying with the security protocols and the requirements that Civil Protection demanded of the company for safety purposes.

The zip line, which began operations at the beginning of March 2017, has 5 stages with a total length of half a kilometer, making it one of the longest in Mexico of its kind.

Mayor Jorge Pivac welcomed the donation of 463,000 pesos from the organizing committee of the Rocky Point Rally, chaired by Oscar Palacio Soto, given in equal parts to institutions that support the most vulnerable populations of Puerto Penasco.

The Mayor thanked them for the extraordinary efforts required in organizing this event, which attracted more than 6,000 motorcyclists and around 20,000 tourists from the United States and Mexico. The Mayor stated that the event provides important economoic benefits for the city as well as the equally important benefit of supporting worthy causes in Rocky Point. In this case, the funds were distributed amount the Municipal DIF of Puerto Peñasco and the Scholarship program, Puerto Peñasco Red Cross, CAM La Montaña, Puerto Peñasco Firefighters, George Papanicolau, Casa Hogar, and Municipal DIF of Sonoyta.

“For us as the City Council this occasion was the first time to participate in this event that is now 20 years old. I am glad that the event had no serious injuries this year, and that the event was possible this year, after the Covid restrictions caused it to be cancelled last year. It is an event that requires a lot of organization, as there are many motorcyclists and families to take care of. That takes much coordination between our administration and the organizing committee. Next year we will redouble our efforts so that there are even more participants”, commented the Mayor.

Oscar Palacio Soto, founding organizer of the Rocky Point Rally, highlighted the importance of the support received from the municipal government through public services, such as public safety and civil protection, and cleaning. He also thanked the National Guard and the State Police for their efforts in helping to ensure that there were no serious injuries.

The price for one liter of gas is up to 21.64 pesos and the fishermen typically use between 130 and 150 liters per day. This high price for fuel is perhaps the main problem faced by fishermen in the area, since they have to spend an average of 2,500 to 2,800 pesos every day.

One fisherman, Aarón Domínguez Angulo, reported that the price of gasoline is one of the main problems they face, its high cost, coupled with the low production that has been achieved this year. "At the moment, the price is 21.64 pesos per liter, I have to use 130 to 150 liters a day to go fishing, the problem is that production has been very low and thus does not pay. In part, we are working halfway for the gas station ”.

He stated that the tides have brought fewer shrimp, and daily production has not been very constant. Also, he said that sometimes they managed to catch an average of 70 kilos, when last year they had catches of at least 100 kilos. “Personally, I achieved on one occasion in 2020, almost 300 kilos, now not a single day have I achieved even 100, that's how the current season has been”.

He commented that the price has been more or less stable and that is what has helped them to sustain themselves, currently it is at 320 pesos, when it was at 200 pesos last year.

"It is true that the price we had in 2020 was lower than now, but the production was very good, so we thought that things would be the same this year and they aren’t."

The end of the year is just around the corner, and all of us at CEDO Intercultural want to thank you

for another year of support. Throughout the year you received our news, you followed us on social

media, and you took part in the programs and events we organized, and for all this we thank you!

This end-of-year letter highlights our 2021 successes. The summary allows you to see how your

donations translate into transformative actions that benefit the planet and all of us who live on it

because, even though our impact area is limited to our beloved Sonoran Desert and the Northern

Gulf of California, what we do transcends our borders.

Because of you, the CEDO Intercultural Team was able to:

• Continue our Biodiversity Program by monitoring species such as sea lions and least

terns, caring for beached species: whales, turtles and birds, and learn more about the

role of estuaries as providers of goods and services and their role as blue carbon

ecosystems in reducing impacts of global climate change.

• Establish Escuela del Mar (School of the Sea), refurbish and re-

equip the Community Center in Bahía San Jorge, and work tirelessly

with our eight communities seeking solutions and applying measures to

be increasingly resilient in the face of the current challenges we face.

• Work continuously with artisanal fishermen and fisherwomen

promoting tools for sustainable fishing including Fishery Improvement Projects

(FIPs), Fishing Refuges, techniques to control food loss and waste, and access to

preferential markets.

Likewise, we took part in several events organized by organizations and governments,

such as a release of juvenile totoaba individuals, the Virtual Forum for Legislative

Analysis for Reform of the General Law on Fishing and Sustainable Aquaculture on Shark

Finning, organized by the Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing and Rural Development

Commission chaired by Senator José Narro Céspedes, and various talks on citizen

diplomacy and binational work, fisheries science, climate change, and gender and labor in times of COVID.

Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans

CEDO Inc. P.O. Box 44208,

Tucson, AZ, USA 85733-4208

Telephone/FAX: 520-320-5473

www.cedo.org

info@cedo.org

We have learned a lot from this new reality of the COVID era. We have also learned that the work

we do at CEDO situates us as a high-impact social enterprise because of our team, a passionate

and multidisciplinary team in which the skills and knowledge of each member complement those of

others, and the projects we develop are much more interesting than the projects that each of us

could do individually; and all this allows us to have a greater impact on the community.

Forty-one years of uninterrupted work in the region position us as a solid organization and you, and

each of our supporters, are the foundation of this work, THANK YOU!

We invite you to support CEDO as:

• An Investor in any or all of the various links of the fisheries value chain.

• A Business looking for high impact corporate social responsibility programs (ask us how).

• A Nature Enthusiast who desires to live an unforgettable experience among dunes,

estuaries, and islands and especially among the people of the sea (NaturArte by CEDO).

• A Responsible Consumer of the food that comes from the sea and that nourishes our body

and soul.

• A Donor who provides scholarships to build the capacity of fishermen, fisherwomen and

aquaculturists·men, women, and youth.

• A Conscientious Buyer at our store and by purchasing our merchandise for your own

business

• A Donor on our platforms:

Dona a CEDO. (Spanish)

Donate to CEDO (English)

• A Subscriber to our monthly newsletter: At the edge of the Sea

In the area of the northern Gulf of California where the Sonoran Desert meets the Sea of Cortez,

YOU write our History!

With heartfelt gratitude,

Nélida Barajas Acosta

Follow us in our social media

@cedo_mex

@cedo.inc

Linkedin

Youtube

Instagram

Are you remodeling your house and getting rid of unwanted objects?

CEDO always accepts in-kind donations. Please take a look at our wish list and support our

work in the northern Gulf of California!

• Mavic 3 Drone • 5 mini split of 1 ton

• 1 1.5 ton mini split • 4 refrigerators of +14 feet

• 1 pick up 4x4 • 1 van with 12 passenger capacity

• 2 4x4 pick up trucks • 20 binoculars (8x42)

• 20 binoculars (8x42) • 1 boat motor

• Kitchen equipment • 10 kayaks

• 6 bunk beds with mattresses • Masonry service (miscellaneous)

• Plumbing service (various) • Solar infrastructure (panels and service)

OK. Here’s your “Question of the day”: What popular product “mascot” was discontinued almost 40 years ago for being overly offensive to Mexicans?

Answer: The Frito Bandito.

Everybody loves Fritos corn chips, right? But even a popular product like Fritos can make questionable decisions, which they did with their one time product mascot. In 1967, the good folks at Frito-Lay came up with a new mascot they dubbed “The Frito Bandito”.

The Frito Bandito was a classic Western movie stereotype of a Mexican bandit, complete with droopy mustache, unshaven face, unkempt hair, and even a gold tooth! Oh yes, let’s not forget his big yellow sombrero. He packed two big pistols and had bullets lining his holster which wrapped around the front of his chest in an X-pattern.

The Frito Bandito brandished his ominous guns and wanted to rob the television viewer of their Fritos corn chips. (Naturally) He was “pursued” by the FBI… the “Frito Bureau of Investigation”.

His trademark jingle while he robbed people of their Fritos was: “Ay, Yi, Yi, Yi, I am the Frito Bandito. Give me Fritos corn chips and I’ll be your friend, the Frito Bandito you must not offend.”

The character was, surprisingly, voiced by the great Mel Blanc (1908-1989), probably the most popular and beloved voice-over artist of all-time. Mel gained fame and cartoon immortality by voicing many beloved characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Porky Pig, Foghorn Leghorn, and Pepe Lepew, among countless others in the classic “Warner Bros” cartoon staples. He also was the voice of Barney Rubble on the first animated TV series, “The Flintstones”.

The Frito Bandito also bears a slight, not-so-amazing resemblance to another classic Mel Blanc character, “Speedy Gonzales”, a Mexican mouse with a thick accent who charmed the senoritas, wearing a big yellow sombrero and racing around at blazing speed.

The problems for the Bandito started after a few Frito Bandito national TV commercials aired. A group called “The National Mexican-American Anti-Defamation Committee”, not surprisingly, got pretty riled up and lodged some angry complaints over the mascot. The Fritos folks, instead of outright scrapping the whole Frito Bandito shtick, decided to “fix up” the character instead.

And so it was, a newer, less offensive Frito Bandito was born. Gone was the razor stubble, and the gold tooth; his formerly unkempt hair was also now neatly combed. Did the new image work?

Apparently not.

The complaints from the group continued and the Frito Bandito’s days were numbered. In the end, for such an obviously “offensive” character, the Frito Bandito had a pretty good run. After first lifting up his twin pistols in 1967, the “not-exactly-beloved” Frito Bandito robbed his last television viewer of his Fritos corn chips in 1971, managing to last a lot longer than most animated characters or product mascots.

Bonus Fact:

The character of the Frito Bandito is thought to have been based, or at least influenced, on the classic Mexican bandit who menaces and eventually kills Humphrey Bogart in the classic film Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948). If you’re not familiar, this is the character who said the classic movie line: “Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges!”