I know the question on everyone’s mind this month is, “What the heck is that Marlin doing at the entrance to Calle 13?” Well, years and years ago there was a place called Hotel Playa Hermosa which was located where Peñasco del Sol is now – in and around that general area – before the port and hotel and commercial spaces were there. It was possibly the best hotel in town and according to our good friend, Enrique, when tourists asked about a place to stay, the common answer was, “look for the marlin” or “turn at the marlin”. And he also tells us that there indeed used to be Marlin in the waters out around Puerto Peñasco, hence the beautiful Marlin statue. Whether or not this is the actual reason for the Marlin Monument, it’s a good story and we’ll stick to it. The Marlin is indeed beautiful and even better at night, but the marlin has seemed to cause problems for vehicles. It now seems that you cannot turn left onto Calle 13 from the south, off Blvd. Benito Juarez. For as long as I can remember you have always been able to turn left there, and this will no doubt cause much confusion and a traffic nightmare. But as is the case with many “new” traffic installations such as topes, stop signs and stop lights, it seems like a good idea at the time, until the masses rebel and the city planners realize they’ve made a mistake and will reverse this. We can only hope that this is the case otherwise we will have to turn at the Circle K at Calle 11 on Benito Juarez and cut over on Luis Encinas just to get onto Calle 13. It is baffling, but one of those things that we have to just laugh at until it is corrected. Calle 13 is still a 2-way street so it really makes no sense. Nor does all of the parking on Calle 12, with the (over 50) palm trees. I suspect there is a larger master plan somewhere in the works.

Our weather has been absolutely gorgeous this “winter”. While temperatures are in the 80s in Arizona, we remain in the low to mid-70s. Perfect for getting out and seeing all of the new businesses and changes around town. To mention a few: Crazy Ed’s Satisfied Frog is open now, and located at the end of the Malecon and they invite you for Friday Night Tequila Sunsets. If you didn’t know, they were the owners of the restaurant of same name in Cave Creek which I did happen to visit a time or two. Another favorite place of mine in Scottsdale was Duke’s and they are now in Peñasco as well. Pretty cool. I am supposed to let you know that Giuseppi’s has “Italian Night” every Friday so you should go check it out. I’m sure Sandy is penning her “Eats” column for April so I don’t have to plug up the Editorial with all of the places she has eaten lately (there are a lot of them). Anew bar/grill, Hunters, located behind Licores Teña is getting some talk of late. Sandy was told to order the fruity drink “Casuela” – only order one to start because it is enough for two people. On a final note: Gloria’s Beauty Salon, which has been here in Peñasco since 1969, would like everyone to know that all of her services are done in her salon. Apparently there are people giving massages on the beach saying that they represent Gloria’s Salon, which they do not.

Odds and Ends…

  • The Cruise Ship Home Port is coming along quickly and may be open sooner than we think.
  • ATM’s that give U.S. Dollars are located at the Sonoran Sea and at Banorte on Fremont.
  • The El Golfo Run will go on and is slated for May 16th, 17th, and 18th, the full moon weekend.
  • I want to remind everyone that we do have a dry cleaner in town – Biosphera, who does an excellent job with all our clothes. And they do wash AND ironing, too.
  • Jill’s Consign & Design is still around and has some fantastic items. They are now locted on Blvd. Fremont between Josefa and Sinaloa, north side.

Just a few things of note. If you would like more information you can call Alicia or Sandy at the Rocky Point Times Office at 383-6325 and get directions or more info. And, if you would like to attend the El Golfo Run please let Alicia or Sandy know by phone or email at rockypointtimes@yahoo.com.

I would like to thank everyone for their patience as this paper will be a few days late. We had a little problem at the office – important papers were taken and a computer wiped clean which threw us back a few days between trying to recover the information and litigation. Next month we should be back on track. I would also like to mention that we have an awesome new salesman, Marco Zepeda. He is such a nice and honest person and if you own a business in Rocky Point you will be getting a visit from him. So, now there are three people that represent the Rocky Point Times Newspaper; Sandy, Alicia, and Mario. I guess I do too, but they won’t let me add my name to the list (yet).

If you have been to Rocky Point lately you will notice brightly painted S.O.S. stations along Hwy 8. I didn’t count the first half of the trip, but I believe there are about 10 of them along the highway. They are placed close to Peñasco and Sonoyta and I am hoping that there will be more placed in the 30 or so bare miles in the middle of the desert where they will really be needed. You can’t miss them (see the photo). They are powered by solar and have an emergency call button, a can for recyclable trash and one for regular trash, as well as a tank for what we assume is radiator water. These have been needed for a very long time and will help many travelers in distress. The Green Angel truck will still patrol the highway, so if you are in an area where there are no emergency stations then pop the hood of your vehicle and the mobile maintenance truck will be by shortly. Please stay with your vehicle and do not wander in the desert – someone will be by to assist you.

There is so much to say this month, but I have to cut it short so please check our Facebook page (Rocky Point Times Newspaper) for the latest content, events and goings-on in Rocky Point. Come down and enjoy our fantastic weather. As Tom O’Hare would sign off… Just another day in paradise.