We had an excellent start of summer and now we’re getting a little warmer, and a bit humid, but that’s okay because we are still a good 15° to 20° below Arizona temperatures. I suspect that’s why there is a steady flow of traffic on Hwy. 8 every day of the week now. It’s very helpful for you to shoot us a Facebook message or email if there is a border line-up, delay in traffic, accident or whatever you think is important for our readers and community – that way we can post it right away on Facebook and everyone will have the latest information. Isn’t social media great? Since we do have increased traffic, the border has attracted more vendors and window washers. So please go slow and watch all around you. Most of the vendors keep a safe distance from your vehicle, but some will step out in front of you or walk beside your vehicle while trying to wash your windows, so just be aware and go slow.

Las Vegas style gambling is coming to Rocky Point for the 8th year and it keeps getting bigger and better! If you’re not much of a gambler, it’s still a very fun night to come out and socialize (and you can always give your chips to me ?). On Saturday, July 6th, the 8th Annual Las Vegas Night for Charity Event will take place at the Sonoran Sky Resort on Sandy Beach. It’s always a lot of fun to see friends and meet new people…and gamble! You can play Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, etc. and there will be over 100 prizes given away and bid upon, from t-shirts to vacations and everything in-between. Besides having fun, the object of the night is to be the person with the most chips at the end of the night so you can bid on all of the fabulous auction prizes. The ticket price includes dinner, served by Cielito Lindo Fine Mexican Cuisine, and playing chips. There is also a full cash bar and all the proceeds go to charity.

It’s been a very busy month for all of us here at the Rocky Point Times and we have some exciting news. Drumroll please…We have built ourselves a new office!! Yay…and finally!! We’ve had some commercial lots for many, many years so we decided it’s time to get a fresh start and have a respectable office. We have started off small for expediency but will still have the library and we’ll have lots of parking and no leaky roof! So exciting! (And eventually we’ll have an all-around shelf for all of Mom’s frogs.) We delayed announcing the new office since construction had not begun as of the July paper being sent to the printer, but as of this writing the building is up, and the guys are going like gangbusters. I suspect we’ll be able to move in by the end of August or first of September. Our new office will be located off Samuel Ocaña and we’ll keep you updated as to when we will officially be moving. We are all very excited to get situated in our new office and will bring you all of the details and photos next month. Not to worry, we won’t move without letting all of you know first. Along with our new office building we will also be changing our office hours, but for now, all remains the same. I would like to send a HUGE THANK YOU to Jonni Francis, owner of Rocky Point Realty Group, she really spent a lot of time and went above and beyond helping us locate a suitable office space.

We’ve printed the updated agricultural information in this issue and will add an easy-to-read version to the General Information Pages that appear in every issue. These lists pertain to what is and is not allowed into Mexico – as far as food, plant and animal(s) items go, which includes dog and cat food as well as dairy, seafood, etc. We do have and agricultural office and officials at the border who do occasionally check to see what food items you are bringing into Mexico. I assume since they handed me this list at the border that they will be checking more often than they have been. (Nowadays just about everything you need or want can be found somewhere in Peñasco.)

Now that I have complained so much about the potholes, I feel obligated to give you a monthly “Pothole Post”…most have stayed filled…some not so much…The Coastal Highway is still a tire-chewing mess so drive only in the daytime.

Now is the time to carry extra water in your car if you have the space. During the summer months we see a lot of overheated vehicles on Highway 8, so perhaps you can help someone out with some extra water. The Highway is patrolled several times a day so if you have mechanical problems yourself, or run out of gas, pull over and lift up the hood of your vehicle. This is the “national” sign for “HELP ME”! And always feel free to help out a fellow motorist if you see someone with their hood up or waving a water jug at you. Mexico is one of the most motorist-friendly, and generally friendly countries I have travelled around. People really go out of their way to help you.

Speaking of motorist-friendly, I was headed out of town last month and a vehicle pulled up to me at the gas station while I was filling up and asked me if I spoke English and knew where Playa Encanto was. She said they had been driving all around and they were just completely lost. She was really upset so I told them to follow me and I led them out to the entrance of Playa Encanto – they were very happy and I felt good for helping them. But that’s not why I mention this. I mention this because we will be doing some long overdue work on our map over the summer so that it will represent our entire city, outlying beaches and resorts. There is no map that shows everything in an easy-to-read format, so we would like to provide that service for you, our readers, and advertisers. Once again, you will have everything you need to know located in one convenient place – The Rocky Point Times Newspaper!! We look forward to being your #1 Tourist Newspaper for the next 25 years!

The 4th of July is here and although fireworks are sold everywhere around town, most, if not all, of the resorts (and rentals) DO NOT allow fireworks on the beach so be sure to check the rules of where you are staying. Some of the resorts usually do put on a firework’s show so you won’t be missing out. Please remember to keep your pets safe as if you plan on lighting off fireworks be sure to donate to Red Cross and use extreme caution. Have a safe and happy 4th and a great July.