We find ourselves on the final day of 2014 amidst memorable stories from this past year in the life of Puerto Peñasco! While at first we had thought about a top 14 for 2014, it was soon apparent there were many more than just 14 top stories for the year. So, we hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane and hope these were some of your favorite stories from this past year as well! We look forward to many more activities and good times in 2015! Happy New Year!
Whales, Turtles, Seals, la Vaquita and El Pescado
Among top sightings of sea life from the world’s aquarium surrounding us – not to mention at the entrance to Calle 13 – we find January: Puerto Peñasco Whale Watching, El Pescado Monument meant to Herald Puerto Peñasco’s Roots. February: Jellyfish beaching and Seeking Sardine Solution in Port. July: 1st International Day of the Vaquita, Sea Turtle lays eggs in area of Sandy Beach – though in August: Turtle eggs succumb to high summer temperatures, but spirits were lifted again with Wounded Sea Lion in Cholla Bay Rescued
¡El Gallo!
Hometown boxer and WBA/WBO Flyweight Champion Juan Francisco “El Gallo” Estrada brought World Championship Boxing to Puerto Peñasco in April at the inaugural event of the new EXPO Convention Center! Throughout the year he faced competitors though successfully held onto his World Titles. September – Retains World Championship Titles December 6th bout ¡Felicidades, Gallo!
Music
From rock to country, ska to strumming troubadours, Puerto Peñasco was alive with music in 2014! For just a taste of what went on in 2014…. January: Luis Lugo presents David Aguilar to Puerto Peñasco, RCPM January Jam VII. Mark Mulligan stopped by several times in 2014 from Feb. through Nov. May: RCPM’s Independent, John Coinman Band June: Circus Mexicus XXIII July: Yahir Duran en Rocky Point August: Border Avenue picks Puerto Peñasco for new video, Acoustic soul with Stacey Joy (who also visited us in November), October: CheveFest and El Mastuerzo, Alfonso Maya helped celebrate our 3rd Anniversary November: Mogollon, Matt Farris, and the Black Moods rocked the 14th Rocky Point Rally and we enjoyed our talk with Matt Farris, plus Yuridia’s concert proved the EXPO Center could house grand events while troubadour Leonel Soto rounded out the Fall with a cozy concert at the ITSPP auditorium.
So many artists!
There never seems to be enough time to delve into the lives of all the artists living in Puerto Peñasco, or that come to visit…but we tried to get to know a few more this year! February: Local Artists take part in El Pescado Monument, Guillermo Munro Palacio publishes Novel “Hombres Valientes”, Roberto Ledesma: a sculptor among us. March: Socorro Gonzalez – elusive visual artist, More than 100 students enrolled in new INBA arts program, Destiny Dance Academy danced across borders, Guille – the Eternal Princess, Chavez film with ties to Sonora. April – Meet the artisans Jesu & Gabriel, Daniel Almada – Passion for Architecture. May – Artesanos en Movimiento, Hombres Valientes Book Tour. November – Workshop with filmmaker Lisa Ovies. December – Jordan Pino, Meet the artisans – Shell artisty by Jesu and Loly’s Tiles. Congratulations as well to the ongoing CineMartes Film Nights!
Out and about Puerto Peñasco – Events and Happenings
We’ll admit we had a hard time making it to all the events in Puerto Peñasco this past year, hence a 2015 resolution to carefully review the Event Calendar and start planning! Still, here are some additional highlights from the year (plus all those listed above under artists, musicians, etc.):
January – Home Run for Major League Coaches Clinic. February – Peñasco part of Mexican tourism campaign, Highlights from the 2014 Taste of Peñasco. March – Colorful success for Toma Color. April – Rocky Point Tri, Touring with CEDO, Carnival rides for Children’s Month. May – Tequila in Puerto Peñasco. June – ABC Film screening, Peñasco celebrates Día de la Marina, Biking – it’s all the Rage, 1st Wine Festival, The Links welcomes new golf director, Welcome Mar de Cortez Rotary Club. July – 3rd Sonoran Resorts Las Vegas Night. September – Equine Therapy born from family’s passion. November – 14th Rocky Point Rally surpasses expectations plus our 2014 Rocky Point Rally Mega Gallery. December – Winter Visitors and Out and About with Santa.
City and regional news
Roadwork, new statues, and a rebound in tourism were notably present throughout 2014! Plus don’t forget all the good deeds around town and ongoing work on the city’s dialysis center! January: COFETUR reports progress on home port, and even more Home Port progress. February: Dialysis Center a Vision with Heart, Fighting Poverty for 207 miles, Playa Bonita RV ladies pay it forward with blankets. March: Progress on Work to renovate Playa Hermosa access Colorado River Pulse. April: President Peña Nieto visits Pinacate. May: Inauguration of Peñasco Expo Center, Growth in Tourism to Puerto Peñasco. June: House Hunters International back in Rocky Point (by the way they were back in early December – airing TBA). July: Mexican Secretary of Tourism stops briefly in Puerto Peñasco, Traffic Opened on Blvd. Juarez. August: Wind Generator arrives in Puerto Peñasco, Increase in Visitors to Pinacate Biosphere Reserve, Ramped up Efforts for Clean Beach Certification. November: Boulevard to Convention Center to be named in honor of Cliftons, Amores de Peñasco School Achievements.
Kudos
We were honored in 2014 to receive kudos early in the year at the Annual Eddie awards, plus we took to the online airwaves by joining Beach Bar Radio and Radio Cachora (yes, one of our 2015 resolutions is to record our own notes once again for both!) Plus, our own Plinio Rivero was recognized in Morelos for his wonderful architecture…and MoKa was awarded one of the FECAS art scholarships for the coming year (more news to come on that – Congrats!)
Happy New Year! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Thanks for being a part of Rocky Point 360! See you in 2015!