Given the current election period, Puerto Peñasco mayor Kiko Munro requested authority to be absent from his position for a period no longer than 90 days, resuming his leadership role on June 7th, 2021.

On April first, City Trustee Perla Alcántara García formally swore in Miguel Bastida Fernández as interim mayor of Puerto Peñasco for this period.

Earlier this Spring, the National Action Party (PAN) had selected Kiko Munro to run as one of their proportional candidates for State Congress.

Election Day this year is June 6, 2021. Remember if you visit, that there are no alcohol sales in town on election day. Sales of all alcoholic beverages will be suspended from midnight on June 5th until midnight on June 6th.

The coasts of Puerto Peñasco (aka Rocky Point) will be decked out in gallantry with arrival of the Mexican Navy’s Cuauhtemoc Training Vessel in mid-May.

The ship, which has traveled thousands of nautical miles, is tentatively scheduled to anchor in Puerto Peñasco for a period of three days, from May 21st – 23rd. It is notable this is the only port in Sonora chosen for the commemorative voyage of the Mexican Navy’s Bicentennial.

Mexican naval cadets undergo training and studies aboard the Cuauhtémoc, encompassing naval cinematography, nautical astronomy, national and international maritime law, naval communications, and maintenance management, among other topics.

Details on the ship’s passing were presented during an initial meeting with the local business and tourism sectors, along with Puerto Peñasco city officials. The vessel will surely attract both residents and visitors alike, given the ship’s importance to the nation. Tentative plans are to anchor the ship a distance from the Malecon so it may be appreciated in all its glory.

Rear Admiral for the Secretariat of the Navy, Daniel Escobedo Escobedo of the Puerto Peñasco Naval Sector, encouraged businesses, the tourism sector, and city authorities to design activities and events that will provide the ship a dignified stay in our port, as well as opportunities for naval cadets so they may get to know the marvels of this nook in the Sea of Cortez.

The Cuauhtémoc Vessel, also known as the Caballero de los Mares (The Gentleman of the Seas), will visit 11 ports in 2021.

Generations of officials, graduates of the Heroic Naval Military School, have been developed upon the decks and under the sails of the Cuauhtémoc. The ship itself has made 36 training voyages, visited more than 209 ports in 59 countries, and has logged more than 5,522 days in the open sea, navigating 705,012 nautical miles, which is equal to 33 times around the globe.

The crew of the Cuauhtémoc Vessel is composed of eight captains, officials, and both male and female cadets studying and training naval traditions, along with the values of honor, duty, loyalty, and patriotism.

Mayor Kiko Munro laid the first stone for the construction of the first seawater desalination plant in Puerto Peñasco, an act that he described as a historic, fundamental, and momentous achievement.

Accompanied by Francisco Muñiz, from construction company Awasa and GBT, Javier Franco, Technical Director of Oomapas, the Procurator Trustee, Perla Alcántara, and the Municipal Treasurer, Maritza Montijo, the President of Puerto Peñasco announced that for this long-awaited and necessary work, 96 million pesos will be invested, in a Public-Private Alliance (APP) partnership which has been approved by the State Congress.

He highlighted that it is the second government strategy financed through PPP, because Puerto Peñasco was the first to use this partnership to modernize the city's public lighting, given that the Federal Government has “sequestered” the resources for works at the municipal level .

With this desalination plant, he stressed, old infrastructure and supply problems of the vital liquid will be addressed, and will also promote development of Puerto Penasco, since an alternative to extracting water from the wells will give the area much more stability for the future, given that the aquifers have been slowly depleted for years.

He explained that 480 liters per second of water are currently extracted from the wells, providing water to about 98% of the city, but it has become imperative to look at another source of water supply due to the reducing levels and contamination of water pumped from the groundwater table.

“Once again we fulfill a commitment and we show that when you want to solve a problem, you can. It was not easy, and we have worked for the last five years to achieve it, with true teamwork, with a 100% commitment to improve the quality of life of the people of Puerto Penasco”, he emphasized.

Kiko Munro explained that the desalination plant is being built in advanced facilities, in an area of ​​9,300 square meters in the area of Las Conchas owned by the City Council, and with it the quantity and quality of water supplied to Puerto Peñasco will increase substantially.

With this investment of 96 million pesos in a first stage, he added, 20 liters per second of desalinated water will be produced. Because the plant is being built in a modular way, it can be expanded and it is estimated that it will benefit 22 thousand people in the future.

He specified that, according to the signed contract, the companies winning the bids will take approximately one year to build and equip the plant, and then they will operate it for a period of 19 years.

"In this way, with quality water, with more lighting, more pavement, remediation of the sanitary landfill, beautifying public spaces, as well as other actions in Puerto Peñasco, progress has been very noticeable and will continue to be noticed," said Kiko Munro.

For his part, Francisco Muñiz, from the Awasa and GBT Construction Company, communicated that this is a very important day for Puerto Penasco and the commitment of the companies in charge of this desalination plant is great, with plans to develop the project, in accordance with the law and total transparency. He explained that the most modern technology and energy efficiency processes will be used in the seawater desalination process, with 100% automation to guarantee the operation and maintenance of the plant.

He stressed that it is an environmentally friendly project which will comply with both national and international legal guidelines. The project is being completed by 100% Mexican companies, with Mexican technicians, who will rely many local workers and suppliers of Puerto Penasco to help provide work, machinery, materials, and supplies.

• 419,815 doses have reached Sonora, which have been applied to adults over 60 years of age and health personnel. Sonora has a population of almost 3 million people.

• Health personnel have received 50,326 doses

• Efforts will continue to vaccinate missing health personnel from the public and private sectors

So far, 419,815 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 have arrived in Sonora, of which 395,785 have been given to adults over 60 years of age and health personnel, informed Enrique Clausen Iberri. The Secretary of Health in Sonora specified that 345,459 of the total correspond to adults over 60 years of age in the 72 municipalities.

Regarding health personnel, he pointed out that 50,326 doses have been given to public and private sector personnel and that the procedures with the Federal Government will continue to include any people from this sector who have not been vaccinated and clarified that 24,030 doses are stored for 2^nd doses and for those who missed the first round of the established vaccination schedule in each municipality.

"The vaccination against COVID-19 in the continues and we would like to express our gratitude to all the authorities and health personnel of the different institutions that make protection against this virus possible," he commented.

Clausen Iberri also made it clear that the vaccination process against COVID-19 is being carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Health, the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), Sedena, Bienestar, and other authorities and in accordance with the National Vaccination Plan.

At least 16 people died and another 14 were injured after a head on collision accident near the municipality of Caborca, about 2 hours Southeast of Puerto Penasco.

A truck carrying mine workers and a small bus carrying tourists collided at around 3 a.m. at kilometer 156 of the Caborca-Sonoyta highway, near the entrance to the Penmont mine.

Reports indicated that the deceased were all passengers on the tourist bus, belonging to Transportes Ejecutivos Premiere.

The mining company, Minera Penmont, confirmed that 13 injured workers were in stable condition, while the truck’s driver was in critical condition.

All of the injured were treated at hospitals in Caborca. “As soon as the accident was known the emergency services were notified. Minera Penmont profoundly regrets this unfortunate accident and is in constant communication with local authorities to facilitate investigations” the company stated in a release.

• In the Sonora Stoplight Map indicates 7 municipalities which have decreased in risks, three increased and two remain unchanged

The fact that there is still no evidence of a third wave of COVID-19 infections in Sonora is the result of the comprehensive application of health contingency measures, which have paid off to mitigate the risks of transmission of the disease. The population should not stop with the additional hygiene and prevention actions, said Enrique Clausen Iberri.

The Secretary of Health in Sonora said that proof of this is that in the update of the Sonora Anticipa Stoplight Map corresponding to the week of April 26 to May 2, seven municipalities decreased in score, three increased, and two remained with the same score.

He specified that Huatabampo turned orange, which means high risk, by increasing the risk score from 13 to 17 points; at medium risk are Caborca, Hermosillo, Guaymas, Empalme, Cajeme, Agua Prieta and Cananea and at low risk are San Luis Río Colorado, Nogales, Cananea, and Puerto Penasco.

He explained that in addition to Huatabampo, the municipalities of Navojoa (from 11 to 13 points) and Agua Prieta (from 7 to 10 points) increased in risk; Cajeme fell from 16 to 14, Guaymas from 14 to 13, Caborca ​​from 12 to 11, Cananea from 8 to 6, Nogales from 6 to 5, Puerto Penasco from 6 to 5, San Luis Río Colorado from 5 to 3; and the numbers remained the same in empalme at 15 and Hermosillo at 13.

Clausen Iberri called on Sonorans to continue their reduced mobility since only in this way can the transmission of the virus be cut, coupled with the use of face masks, washing hands with soap and water, respecting a healthy distance, and avoiding crowds.

''Let us remember that the virus moves according to the mobility that we do, this is a call to lower mobility to stop its transmission. We must also continue with hygiene actions such as the rule of three: use of face masks, frequent hand washing, and healthy distance, '' he stated.

Sonora stands out nationally, ranking fifth in kidney transplants, and fourth in corneal transplants, according to the quarterly report carried out by the National Transplant Center (Cenatra), stated Enrique Clausen Iberri.

The Sonora Secretary of Health stated that Sonora ranks as the fifth entity with the most kidney transplants performed from deceased donors, and fourth with the most corneal transplants performed of national origin (Mexico allows import corneas from the United States, with prior authorization from Cofepris), in the period from January to March 2021.

Clausen Iberri mentioned that the General State Hospital (HGE) finished as the fifth hospital with the most corneal transplants performed, having completed seven in the period.

“It is a pride that Sonora is among the first national places in organ donation and transplantation, We are advancing in the culture of donation, therefore the importance of promoting, as a family, the desire to be donors will help to give life to others, even after the death of the donor ”, he highlighted.

He explained that there are 415 hospitals in Mexico licensed to perform transplants, eight of which are in Sonora - four in Hermosillo, and four in Ciudad Obregón.

Ernesto Duarte Tagles, director of the State Transplant Center (Ceestra), shared that on Thursday, April 29, in honor of the 25 years of the Mexican Transplant Society, a virtual talk was held, with the participation of many well-known transplant doctors. We want to know the "human side of doctors. Organ donation and transplantation is a very sensitive issue, which requires all possible tact and empathy, we need to learn how they have achieved it”, said Duarte Tagles.

As the Bank of Mexico nears completion of its current round of banknote design upgrades, Foreign Native comments on the latest reshuffle of historical figures gracing the bills

Mexican banknotes have always been colorful and varied, and over the years have seen their fair share of national heroes and heroines shuffled around the different denominations.

Benito Juárez, the 19th century president who is a particular favorite of president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has been upgraded to the 500-peso note from the 20-peso note, and now graces the front of both. A new 20-peso coin began circulating in April 2020, but is so far hard to come by with people treating them and even offering to sell them as collectors’ items.

In November 2020, the Bank of Mexico unveiled two new banknotes, the 1,000-peso and the latest 100-peso bills.

The new design of the 1,000-peso bill features the images of Francisco I. Madero, Hermila Galindo, and Carmen Serdán; and on the reverse side, the jaguar —the largest of the American cats— and appears to have passed muster with the hawk-eyed and ever-critical users of social media.

Not so the 100-peso note bearing the image of 17th-century poet Juana de Asbaje y Ramírez de Santillana, better known as Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, or simply Sor Juana. The design of the banknote is vertical, and someone somewhere noticed that a Venezuelan banknote with the picture of South American independence hero Simón Bolivar was also vertical, jumping to the conclusion that the Mexican government was emulating that country and its current misfortunes. (Never mind that the autonomous Bank of Mexico is responsible for the design and the quantity of bills and coins in circulation.)

The record was quickly put straight by a central bank official who pointed out on the same social media that vertically designed banknotes from Canada, Switzerland, and Aruba (a Dutch island just off the coast of Venezuela of all places) have been awarded ‘Banknote of the Year’ prizes in recent times. He recalled, as did others, that the 200-peso note commemorating the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence in 2010 was also vertical. That bill features independence hero Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who has now joined another favorite of the independence movement, José María Morelos y Pavón, on the newest 200-peso bill.

Which brings us back to Sor Juana, whose image is on the previous 200-peso bill. (She had been on an old 1,000-peso note in the days before Mexico knocked three zeroes off the currency in January 1993.) The change came around the same time that the feminist movement was carrying out protest marches in Mexico City, and some of the more feisty of the demonstrators had taken it upon themselves to indulge in some vandalism involving, among other things, spray paint. This being the era of the meme, a joke soon appeared on internet of Sor Juana graffitiing the new 200-peso note accusing the central bank of sexist discrimination. Sor Juana may not have been a feminist, at least not in the modern sense, but she was no shrinking violet. The best known of her works begins “Hombres necios que acusáis a la mujer sin razón”—You foolish men who accuse women without reason. The central bank might have felt the same way after the latest outburst. In fact, the new $100 peso bill went on to win the IBNS’s 2021 Banknote of the Year award.

Nopal is a common Mexican cactus with over 100 known species. The prickly pads of the cactus are harvested, cleaned of their spines, and cooked. They are available in a wide range of dishes and are prepared in several different ways. They can be bottled, canned, pickled, or diced up and cooked on their own. They are most commonly added to scrambled egg dishes and salsas or used as a vegetarian filling for tacos.

In Náhuatl, the word nopalli translates to fruit of the earth. Legend has it that a nopal upon which an eagle and a snake were engaged in mortal combat marked the location where the sun god Huitzilopochtli told the Aztecs to build the great city of Tenochtitlan, which means “the place of the nopal leaves.”

When it comes to taste and texture, nopales offer a slightly tart flavor and are crisp with a mucilaginous liquid. In most recipes, the gooey liquid is included in the cooking process.

Rice pairs perfectly with salsa verde, but jarred nopalitos are what really add the tasty zing to this dish. Jarred nopalitos are brined in vinegar, onions, cilantro, chiles and spices. Using jarred nopales in this recipe cuts cooking time in half, by not having to brine and cook the nopales. And at the end of a long day, this shortcut helps have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. This recipe uses cooked chicken, but you can add any protein you have on hand — fajitas would be great; shredded carnitas, or simply add roasted veggies or canned beans.

Rice baked in vibrant salsa verde sauce with nopales, fresh lime juice and chicken is the ultimate baked dinner recipe:

1 lb. tomatillos husk removed and rinsed

½ white onion

2 cloves garlic

½ cup cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups water

1 cup Mahatma rice

1 cup jarred nopales drained and sliced in half

2 cups fully cooked chicken diced

For tomatillo sauce: Place tomatillos, onion and garlic in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove tomatillos, onion and garlic and place in a blender, with ½ cup cooking liquid. Blend until smooth. Stir in fresh lime juice and salt.

For rice: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stir in 1 cup rice. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Stir together the rice, tomatillo sauce, nopalitos and fully cooked chicken. Bake for 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle with fresh lime juice and serve warm.

Most commonly known for its endless stretches of virgin beaches, its white sands, and its coastal resorts, here are ten facts about Mexico you may not be aware of.

1 – Mexico is the 14th largest country in the world, geographically, and the world’s 11th most populated country.

2 – 60% of Mexico’s population is made up of Mestizos – a mixture of North American and European blood.

3 – Over 60 indigenous languages are spoken in Mexico. Only India has more native languages.

4 – Mexico is one of the World’s Top 5 most bio-diverse nations on Earth. More than 30,000 plant species, 1,000 bird species, and 1,500 mammal, reptile, and amphibian species are native to Mexico.

5 – 39% of the Earth’s marine mammals either live in or visit the Sea of Cortes in their lifetime, and nearly all of the World’s Gray Whales are born just off the coast of Baja.

6 – Recently adding three to the list, Mexico now has 32 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which is more than any other country in the Americas.

7 – Each year, millions of Monarch Butterflies migrate thousands of miles (from as far away as Canada) to Michoacan and Mexico State, which is arguably the world’s oldest and most onerous of annual migrations.

8 – Mexico has over 29,000 archaeological sites to date, and new discoveries are ongoing.

9 – Mexico is home to the biggest bullfighting ring in the world, the Plaza de Toros, which seats about 50,000 people.

10 – Many foods coveted in cultures around the world originated or were first domesticated in Mexico including: Vanilla, Red Tomato, Chocolate, Chili Peppers, Avocados, and Corn.