As my Dad, Tom O’Hare would always say in his Editorials…”Just Another Day in Paradise”. We have had an incredibly wonderful winter thus far. When my brother, Robert, who lives in Wisconsin, was texting me a week or so ago that they were suffering through -28 degree weather (with wind chill as if that matters), I was sending him photos of sunny Rocky Point in the low 70s. The days are just awesome when the weather is so nice – it’s hard to stay indoors. The weather is perfect for whale watching trips or kickin’ it by the pool, strolling through Old Port, walking the beaches, shopping and enjoying all of the outdoor patios on the Malecon and around town. We are so fortunate to be able to live in Rocky Point. My Mother, Sandy loves this great weather too but she also likes winter clothes so, lucky for her, the Rocky Point Times Office is like an igloo so she can wear her coats, and sweaters and boots.

While you’re out and about be sure to take the Rocky Point Times with you to help navigate the town with all of the road construction going on. As is life in Rocky Point, the detour signs are either way too confusing or non-existent so you might get to see a lot more of the town, as I have, trying to navigate around the paving. Here is what’s going on now:

– Calle 13 (Miguel Hidalgo), the street to our office is not open at the main Blvd Benito Juarez because some sort of monument/statue is being constructed of block, concrete and smooth rock work (see photo). It’s pretty big but we don’t know what it will be or when it will be finished. So, for the time being to get to Calle 13 heading south on the main Blvd Benito Juarez going south we must pass Calle 13, cross the railroad (after you STOP), go past Cosmos and Pane e Vino to Calle 11 where the Pemex and Circle K corner is and turn right and then another right on to Luis Encinas which will take you to Calle 13. Now, just today the end of Calle 13 is torn up completely, and totally blocked to traffic trying to get in and out of the Marina Plaza, and Peñasco del Sol Hotel areas. All I can say is they better get that cleared up and open soon.

– Calle 12 is the street south of Calle 13 and is now reconstructed and has many parking spaces (we don’t know why) and many (I stopped counting at 50) new beautiful palm trees.

– One half of Samuel Ocaña is closed at the north end of town. If you are coming in and heading straight to the resorts on Sandy Beach, you can still turn  right on Samuel Ocaña and watch the on-coming traffic  for a few locks, but it’s easiest to turn toward the Laguna Shores/Laguna del Mar exit at the intersection north of town (we call this the Ranch Road). Once you have made the slight right keep going for about 4km, cross the railroad tracks, turn left onto the connecting road that winds around to the resorts. Be careful because some trucks that are transporting boulders for the new cruise ship breakwater are traveling that road as well (see photos). Or, if you prefer to take Samuel Ocaña, you will be using only ½ of the road and you will have on-coming traffic to watch for during the first few blocks. Rocky Point’s HOME PORT was dedicated with a ceremony just before we went to print so we did get some photos of the Governor’s visit, and some photos of the plans. Some pretty cool stuff happening here in Puerto Peñasco (see photos).

– The main Blvd Benito Juarez is closed for re-construction from just south of Sam’s Club all the way down to Calle 26 (No. Reeleccion) where the Stadium is so if you are coming into town and want to go let’s say, to Giuseppi’s (now with Italian Nights on Friday and Saturday) on Fremont or Las Conchas, it’s best to just go left onto the wide Blvd. Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez (Samuel Ocaña going the other way) where Auto Zone is and reach Fremont from the north end of town

– Many other streets are having “mini-makeovers” and getting their potholes filled so be careful of cars swerving left and right to avoid the holes not yet repaired. Also be very careful driving at dusk around schools as the students get out of classed around 6:00 PM now and will walk right in front of your vehicle crosswalk or not. Last night leaving the office about 6:15 PM there were groups of teenagers running across the boulevard dodging between the cars and they all were very, very difficult to see.

– I’m sure by the time the paper hits the streets there will be another list of street closures and detours,so watch our Facebook Page for updates.

Hard to believe it is our 22nd year for the Rocky Point Times Newspaper. Where does the time go? So much has changed from our first editions. I think we should publish some photos of the good ole days. We all can honestly say we’ve had a ton of fun in Rocky Point and plan to have a heck of a lot more.  Stop by and say hi to Sandy who is in the office most of the time, and still trying to lure me from the beach to sit in the cold office. Hah! When she’s not in the office she’s out scouting new restaurants, taco stands, and hot dog carts. Next month she promised to report on Giuseppi’s Italian Nights (Fri & Sat) on Blvd Fremont, Campechana (seafood cocktail) from Don TEMO in Old Port across from the new Coffee Shop with freshly roasted coffee beans harvested from Chiapas, and Tacos Brisas (de carne asada) on Melchor Ocampo /Sinaloa, La Cochinita 2 (carnitas)on Josefa O de D/Calle 13, Don Jose (carnitas) on Calle 13 between Sinaloa and Josefa, her hot dog man on Constitucion/B Juarez…and probably a few more. She reports them first on our Facebook Page ROCKY POINT TIMES NEWSPAPER, so visit our Page and click the LIKE button to get all our posts.

Here are some photos of the breakwater construction taken in early January. The progress they are making is amazing so look to our Facebook Page for new photos. The cruise lines will be here faster than we know it. Oh, and it seems that flights to Peñasco have been temporarily suspended, but hopefully they will begin again this spring. Would love to see inexpensive flights from Phoenix. I’m sure a lot of things will come together when the cruise ship home port is finished. If you had told me 20 years ago that this little fishing village with hardly any paved streets would have high rise condos and cruise ships coming and going I would have said, “no way”. I feel lucky to have been here to witness the changes, but I also like the way things used to be.

On a serious note – for business owners in Rocky Point: Some of our records and facturas were removed from our offices in late January so if someone other than Sandy or Alicia contact you, please do not give them any payments or ad changes as they do not work for the Rocky Point Times Newspaper.  Our only contact Email is rockypointtimes@yahoo.com, land line 383-6325, VOIP (480)463-6255, and cell is 638-113-1986.  Hey!!, am I authorized? I guess not. Time for me to go and enjoy this beautiful day. Perhaps I’ll take Tom O’Hare’s Lemon Yellow Buggy for a spin…he would have loved that!

P.S. Mom says, “Thanks” to the man who graciously gave her an ice cold beer from his cooler at the end of her first long Friday in the office.