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08.29.2010  The Vaquita porpoise may be living its last days in Mexico's Gulf of California. The demise of the species is imminent, says Chris Johnson, who's spent the last three years on a documentary, "Vaquita - Last Chance for the Desert Porpoise." Johnson hopes the film, available online, will help change the practice of gill netting, which has been wiping out the Vaquita year-by-year, one-by-one. Johnson believes that every Tweet, Facebook share, Digg or green thumb on StumbleUpon about his project could make the difference between life and extinction for the little porpoise.
If Johnson is right, the power of social media will be fully realized. If he's right on another front, the Vaquita will join its cousin, the Baiji, in the history books. The Baiji, also known as the Yangtze River dolphin, lived in the Yangtze River in China. In 2007, it was the first cetacean species to be declared extinct in modern times due to human activities.

Every Vaquita known to exist in the world—around 200— lives in a 40-square-mile area of the northern part of the Gulf of California. Its range is the smallest of any marine mammal. Johnson says gill nets, used primarily to catch shrimp, are the greatest single cause of mortality for the Vaquita, which swim into the nets, become entangled, and drown. Their death is labeled as "bycatch."
Johnson is with earthOCEAN, a media company based in Austrailia. The documentary, "Vaquita - Last Chance for the Desert Porpoise," was filmed as part of an international scientific effort, Expedition Vaquita, which set out in 2008 to find and document the last of the porpoise species.

"We had two goals for the project - the first was to film and photograph the elusive Vaquita porpoise and document the people racing to help it survive," Johnson says.
"The second and most important, was to create a much-needed tool for outreach efforts to communicate scientific findings and conservation recommendations for the Vaquita, while addressing the challenges for people in local communities."
That's where the documentary website, at vaquita.tv, comes in. It includes not only the film, but blogs from various experts.
In September 2010, earthOCEAN plans to distribute free DVDs to the local communities of El Golfo de Santa Clara and San Felipe Mexico, so people with limited internet access can see the film (and hopefully be inspired to help save the porpoise).
The Vaquita documentary was funded by grants from The Ocean Foundation and United States Marine Mammal Commission.
If something's not done in the next few years, experts say the Vaquita will be gone. Is catching shrimp really worth it? What if the Vaquita's plight could become as viral as a chain letter or Antoine Dodson YouTube video?

by Jeff Kart, Bay City, Michigan
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/can-social-media-save-vaquita-porpoise.php

Abril 9 2010. Hermosillo, Sonora - El objetivo de la actual administración estatal, es convertirlo en uno de los principales destinos turísticos del Mar de Cortés.  El Director Estatal de Fomento Turístico, Ing. Sergio Gutiérrez, definió al Golfo de Santa Clara como una prioridad en los planes de desarrollo turístico de Sonora.
El funcionario estatal reiteró el interés del Gobernador del Estado, Guillermo Padres Elías, por lograr que el Golfo de Santa Clara sea uno de los principales destinos turísticos del Mar de Cortés, lo que significaría la creación de fuentes de empleo en ese poblado costero.
El Director de Fomento Turístico participó en la reunión de la Asociación Corredor Turístico Mar de Cortés, conformada por propietarios de terrenos con frente de playa e integrantes de los ejidos Lagos de Moreno, La Frontera, Vicente Guerrero y la Colonia Melchor Ocampo, pertenecientes al municipio de San Luis Rio Colorado.
El presidente de dicha asociación, C.P. Luis Carlos Valencia Rosas, dio a conocer los avances en los trámites que están llevando a cabo para presentar ante el cabildo local un plan parcial de desarrollo, reconociendo estas acciones como el único camino viable a seguir para poder aterrizar las inversiones en el Golfo de Santa Clara.
En la reunión se aprobó por mayoría de votos la contratación de la empresa GVA Arquitectos, el despacho más reconocido en Latinoamérica en cuanto a desarrollos turísticos sustentables se refiere, y que se dará a la tarea de elaborar un  proyecto formal que se dividirá en tres etapas y será presentado a las autoridades correspondientes.
Este proyecto deberá tomar en cuenta el cuidado del medio ambiente en cada detalle como el material de construcción que se podrá utilizar en los complejos turísticos, ya que se debe cumplir con los requisitos de la Dirección de la Reserva de la Biosfera del Alto Golfo de California.
Kiosco Mayor / Redacción
redaccion@kioscomayor.com
http://www.kioscomayor.com/vernoticias.php?artid=27560&relacion=&tipo=principal4&cat=78

April 6, 2010.  SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. — Initial inspections found most public and private property in this border city escaped Sunday's earthquake with minimal damage, although an investigation was under way to determine the cause of a fire that happened early Monday morning that destroyed the Sears department store downtown.
Fidel Avila, director of San Luis Rio Colorado Civil Protection Department, said Monday afternoon that municipal and state officials were continuing to tour the city as part of an inventory of damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure stemming from the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that was centered about 40 miles southwest of San Luis, Ariz.
Hospitals, the Sonora state prison in San Luis and federal structures were among buildings under inspection to ascertain if they could continue to be occupied safely in the wake of the temblor, Avila said.
"We are asking the community to remain calm and stay informed through the radio and other media, but the city is tranquil and we have found no heavy damage," he said.
Electricity and water service were restored to the city early Monday morning after being disrupted in the earthquake, city officials said.
In the meantime, the multi-story downtown building near the border that once housed Dorian's department store was reduced to ashes and rubble, partly because the disruption in utilities stopped the flow of water to hydrants near the store, Avila said.
The fire started about 2:30 a.m. Monday in the building, acquired in recent years by Sears, and firefighters from the Mexican border city and neighboring San Luis, Ariz., worked into the afternoon to contain flames that had also damaged neighboring commercial structures.
Karin Meza, spokeswoman for San Luis, Ariz., said the Arizona border city sent its fire chief, Hank Green and five firefighters, a fire truck and tanker truck across the border to help contain the blaze.
Avila declined to speculate on whether the fire was sparked by the earthquake, saying authorities with the state prosecutor's office will investigate the cause. Quake-related damage, however, had been found in the building prior to the fire.
He added the earthquake caused minor damage to the building occupied by the state Fiscal Agency, which collects taxes and fee payments for state government.
Normal hours of business at that building, located a few blocks south of the border, and at nearby city hall were suspended Monday while structural reviews were completed.
Generally, building damage around the city was limited to fallen stucco or plaster or broken glass, he said.
Avila said fears following the earthquake led to rumors of an impending tsunami at El Golfo de Santa Clara, Son., prompting families from Luis Encinas Johnson, Independencia, Nuevo Michoacan and other communities near the Gulf of California to flee to San Luis Rio Colorado.  Those who needed a place to stay were put up in a temporary shelter in El Bosque de Ciudad, a tree-lined park on the south end of the city.
Some of the farming communities in the lower-lying valley south of San Luis Rio Colorado experienced flooding as a result of canal breaks caused by the earthquake, he added.
---
Donations sought for Mexico quake victims
The Mexican Consulate in Yuma is seeking donations of bottled water, nonperishable foods and diapers for families in Mexico evacuated from areas near the epicenter of Sunday's earthquake.
The magnitude 7.2 quake sent shock waves throughout San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., and Yuma County.
Numerous families in the agricultural valley southwest of San Luis, Son. have taken refuge in various shelters, among them a park on the south end of the border city.
For more information, call the consulate at 343-0066, 343-9600 or 343-9699. Or, contact Michelle Cuevas with the border city's chapter of Integrated Family Development, a social service agency in Mexico, at (653) 534-1430 or (653) 119-2400.

BY CESAR NEYOY
BAJO EL SOL
http://www.yumasun.com/news/san-57508-son-luis.html

March 02, 2010.  San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora.- Una partida de 50 millones de pesos para construir el malecón del Golfo de Santa Clara fue confirmada por el gobierno estatal a través de la Comisión de Fomento al Turismo, y se planteó la posibilidad de empatar la cifra con la Secretaría de Turismo federal para instrumentar un proyecto de infraestructura mucho más ambicioso.

El director general de Planeación de la Comisión de Fomento al Turismo del Estado de Sonora, Sergio Gutiérrez Esquivel, culminó ayer una visita de trabajo por San Luis Río Colorado en la que se reunió con inversionistas y ejidatarios del Golfo de Santa Clara, así como con autoridades municipales.

El funcionario de la administración estatal indicó que la Comisión de Fomento al Turismo, impulsará proyectos de desarrollo turístico en la ciudad y el Golfo de Santa Clara.

Ante la Asociación de la Riviera del Mar de Cortés, presidida por el empresario Luis Carlos Valencia Rosas, el servidor público extendió el interés del gobernador, Guillermo Padrés Elías, por detonar la región del Golfo de Santa Clara.

Los inversionistas solicitaron apoyo para elaborar un proyecto de desarrollo a corto, mediano y largo plazo a través de un despacho mexicano de consultores reconocidos a nivel mundial.

Gutiérrez Esquivel se llevó la propuesta y de antemano comprometió el respaldo del gobierno del Estado para detonar el turismo en la zona.

Ante las autoridades municipales, encabezadas por el alcalde, Manuel Baldenebro Arredondo, el director de Planeación de la Comisión de Fomento al Turismo manifestó la intención del gobierno del Estado por destinar recursos a la remodelación del primer cuadro de la ciudad.

Durante la reunión, el presidente municipal se mostró agradecido por el interés que el gobernador del Estado tiene por el bienestar de San Luis Río Colorado.

EVENTO TURÍSTICO.

A efecto de ultimar detalles en torno a la realización de las festividades a desarrollarse durante el lapso de Semana Santa en el poblado Golfo de Santa Clara, se desarrolló una reunión organizacional a la que asistieron titulares de las dependencias municipales que estarán involucradas en el tradicional evento turístico.

Paulina Capiz Carrasco, responsable del área de Promoción Económica y Turismo del 25 Ayuntamiento, quien informó lo anterior, dio a conocer que las conmemoraciones, recreativas y deportivas alusivas al período de la Semana Mayor tendrán lugar durante los días del uno al cuatro de abril.

La funcionaria del gobierno municipal comunicó que en la reunión de trabajo se acordaron aspectos importantes, entre los que mencionó la determinación de prohibir el acceso a los vehículos en áreas de la playa.

Al respecto, Capiz Carrasco explicó que la decisión de restringir la circulación de unidades motorizadas en áreas de la playa, se enfocan precisamente a evitar que surjan accidentes, donde los bañistas que acudan a disfrutar del evento, pudieran resultar afectados, puntualizó.

Asimismo, agregó que para lograr el control respectivo se contará con la participación de elementos de la Dirección de Seguridad Pública Municipal, e indicó que para establecer el compromiso de colaboración, Alejandro Tablero, comandante de la Policía Municipal, estuvo presente en la reunión donde se afinaron los detalles de coordinación.

Dijo que en la reunión de trabajo, el jefe policíaco anunciaría que para el despliegue de las acciones dirigidas al resguardo de la integridad física de los visitantes, la Dirección de Seguridad Pública asignará a por lo menos 70 elementos.

Agregó que el grupo operativo se distribuirá a lo largo del tramo carretero, así como en la cobertura de puntos específicos para inspeccionar que los automovilistas no conduzcan sus unidades bajo el influjo del alcohol, ya que se busca obtener una Semana Santa blanca, acentuó.

Tribuna de San Luis
Por Silvia García
http://www.oem.com.mx/tribunadesanluis/notas/n1538608.htm

March 9, 2010. GOLFO DE SANTA CLARA.- Representantes del sector productivo del Golfo de Santa Clara pidieron la cabeza del delegado Agustín Sánchez Osuna, a quien responsabilizan de los problemas que están aquejando a la comunidad en general.
Comentaron que el problema que se presentó con el desborde del arroyo ya se había anunciado, y que el delegado no hizo nada por limpiar el cauce, mismo que finalmente se salio de control.
“Nos dicen que nosotros tenemos la culpa por arrojar basura al cauce, pero ellos son la autoridad y deben de vigilar y a la vez sancionar a quienes tiran esos deshechos al arroyo”, manifestaron.
Joaquín Angulo dijo que además de éste, existen muchos problemas que el delegado no quiere solucionar y que no esperarán a que ocurra una tragedia para enmendarlos.
“Que se ponga a trabajar, que no nos pida que recemos para que no llueva y que no se formen estas lagunas en las calles, si no puede con el cargo que renuncie, así de fácil”, indicó el comerciante.
Otro de los inconformes aseguró que cuando era regidor y antes de ser delegado, Agustín Sánchez se la pasaba criticando y dando ideas, y que ahora que está en esos zapatos es tiempo de que ponga en marcha esos planes que tenía o que siempre pedía, que no es lo mismo estar afuera que dentro.
Criticaron que el delegado no quiera aceptar la ayuda de la comunidad y que siempre quiera hacer negocio de todo, además de no meter en orden a los comerciantes informales y que tienen puestos semi-fijos.
“Desde la entrada hay negocios de venta de alimentos y otros, colocándose en riesgo ellos mismos y los usuarios, ya que no dejan espacio para los andadores peatonales, están casi en el arroyo de circulación”, comentaron.
Image“Simplemente frente a la escuela primaria no hay paso peatonal, sólo negocios acaparadores, por eso los alumnos caminan por la calle, ¿qué está esperando para meter en orden a esos comerciantes?, ¿qué atropellen a algún alumno?”, se preguntan.
Entre los residentes inconformes por la falta de atención a los problemas de la comunidad está José Luis Gallardo, Carlos Alberto Tirado, Joaquín Angulo, Andrés González, Juan Ocegueda, Gilberto Marrón, Gilberto Marrón Fletes, Miguel Reyes, Martín Cárdenas y Aristeo Montoya.
Dijeron que ellos están dispuestos a ayudar al delegado con sus máquinas y con lo que saben hacer, pero que Agustín Sánchez no los toma en cuenta, que no quiere la ayuda que le brindan.
Finalmente, anunciaron la creación de un comité para la administración de los dineros que se recauden en las próximas fiestas de Semana Santa, y así hacer mejoras en el poblado.
“Necesitamos meterle al deporte, al mantenimiento de calles para evitar inundaciones, necesitamos dar algo al turista, quien finalmente es quien deja la derrama económica, principal sostén de las familias golfeñas”, añadieron.

Escrito por Juan Pedro Morales
La Prensa de San Luis.com
www.laprensadesanluis.com/content/view/8612/

February 20, 2010.  Beginning March 1, Americans and Canadians will be required to present passports to authorities in Mexico when traveling to that country by airplane or ship or when driving into the interior.
The requirement will not apply to those going no farther south than Mexican border cities such as San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., or Los Algodones, Baja Calif., or to the nearby popular Sonora tourist destinations of El Golfo de Santa Clara and Rocky Point.
"This measure will provide legal certainty and clarity (regarding visitation requirements) to foreigners in the process of entering the country," Mexico's National Institute of Immigration said in a news release announcing the new requirement.
Americans and Canadians are already asked to present passports to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at U.S. ports of entry on their return from Mexico.
Alejandro Salas, the institute's regional delegate for Sonora, predicted the new rule will have no impact on cross-border travel because "according to crossing statistics, we have found that nearly 95 percent of the Canadians that come to Mexico present their passports, and more than 90 percent of the Americans have that document."
The goal of the new rule, he said, is to lead the travelers who don't now travel into Mexico with a passport to do so in the future, he said.
Salas sought to ease any concerns the passport requirement might provoke among travelers.
"They are not restricting entry (into Mexico), they're only treating a passport as a document with international security standards," he said. "The (institute) is a national security agency, and the objective of this measure is that foreigners have that guarantee of security and legal certainty when they are in Mexico."
"This is something that for years has been practiced," Salas said. "Visitors have been showing a passport as a document of identity and nationality."
At land ports of entry into Mexico, the passport requirement will be applied to those visitors planning to go farther than 20 kilometers, or 12 miles, south of the border.
Visitors who plan to stay in the border cities typically will not be asked to present a passport at Mexican land ports, he said.

BY CESAR NEYOY, BAJO EL SOL
http://www.yumasun.com/news/mexico-56456-passport-border.html

October 30, 2009. SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. - Hotels, condominiums, vacation time-shares and other tourist attractions would spring up along a stretch of coastal highway between El Golfo de Santa Clara and Rocky Point, Son., under plans unveiled here Friday by a group of investors, landowners and other participants in the proposed project.

In all, the Sea of Cortes Tourist Corridor group wants to develop about 25 miles of beachfront property between two communities.

The group, formed in July, called a news conference Friday to present conceptual plans for the Collar de la Perla project prepared by the HOK Planning Group, a global firm that provides planning and design services for architectural and development projects.

"The first step (in the project) is the master development plan," said Guillermo Braniff, vice president of the Sea of Cortes Tourist Corridor group. "I think it could cost up to $2 million. If that first step goes well, the other investors in hotels, businesses and housing will follow."

In what would be the first stage of the project, developer Henry Altman, a former president of the Coldwell Banker affiliates in Central America, plans to build La Frontera Oasis consisting of 184 condominiums, a hotel with a boutique and spa, restaurant and 32 lots for homes along a six-mile stretch of the border, said Braniff.

Aside from Altman, the area's tourism potential could attract numerous other investors, said Braniff, "and I would be pleased if it were done by Americans, according to U.S. codes, because at the end of the day, 90 percent of the customers are going to be Americans."

Braniff is president and owner of the Mexico City-based Braniff Development Group, which also plans to invest in the project. He said the Sonoran coastline has advantages over Baja California as a tourism draw.

"First of all, we have a precious beach, without waves, and the upper desert (above the water) is a very important attraction for tourists. That's a beautiful combination of sea and desert. It's a precious place, and the principal advantage that we have is that we are hardly an hour and a half away from the states of California and Arizona.

"The quality of water and the beauty of the Sea of Cortes which, as Jacques Cousteau said, is the 'aquarium of the world.'"

The group's first task, Braniff said, will be to negotiate with various government agencies in Mexico to fund the basic water and electrical infrastructure to handle the development.

"We are struggling to find the resources. We are going to the municipal, state and federal level. And if it's necessary, to the president, so that the resources are dedicated for an environmentally sustainable development."

Attending the news conference was San Luis Rio Colorado Mayor Manuel Baldenebro, who signed a letter of support for the project. Even though his city doesn't currently have funding to invest, he said, "I will help them knock on doors at the state and federal level, with the secretary of tourism, wherever is necessary. I'll knock with one hand and when I get tired, I'll knock with the other. But this project must move forward, and as I've always said, development needs to be regional, with a hand from our neighbors."

The Sea of Cortes Tourist Corridor group brings together owners of property in the coastal area proposed for development; Petra Santos, who represents San Luis Rio Colorado as a federal lawmaker; directors of the city's International Industrial Park; plus other local investors such as Luis Carlos Valencia and Francisco Flores.

The current global recession, Braniff said, not only will not limit the project but actually "gives us time to prepare for when the economy does recover. We must take advantage of the time to prepare the plan and the infrastructure, so that when the economy does recover, we will be ready to receive investors with open arms."

BY CESAR NEYOY, BAJO EL SOL
www.yumasun.com/news/project-53862-group-braniff.html

09-27-2009.  The toll charged to travel the new highway to El Golfo de Santa Clara, Son., is undermining efforts to develop the fishing community's tourism potential, according to El Golfo residents and merchants who want the state of Sonora to reduce it.

Ramon Concha, a restaurant and hotel owner in El Golfo, said merchants and residents are prepared to go so far as to stage a blockade on the highway between San Luis Rio Colorado and El Golfo if state officials won't heed their concerns.

The state established a one-way toll of 94 pesos - about $7 in U.S. currency - after the opening earlier this month of the highway. It begins on the east side of San Luis Rio Colorado at Highway 2 and goes directly south to El Golfo, located on the northernmost end of the Sea of Cortez, then continues south to Puerto Peñasco, or Rocky Point.

Concha, one of the organizers of the campaign to reduce the toll, said the charge represents a financial hardship for tourists and El Golfo residents alike.

"We've already received complaints from tourists about the toll," said Concha, who established his businesses in the 1990s along El Golfo's beaches.

El Golfo traditionally has been a commercial fishing village, but state officials in recent years have sought to exploit its tourism potential by promoting its beaches to U.S. tourists seeking water recreation.

Under one incentive program, El Golfo fishermen who surrender their fishing permits to the federal government are given funds to start up tourism-oriented businesses in El Golfo. Some who have taken the government up on the deal are building cabins that will be rented out to visitors. At least 50 cabins are planned, bringing the total number of rooms available for visitors to 400.

"Those ventures aren't going to work if there's no tourism," Concha said. "We'll stay (in El Golfo) because we're well-established and we've been here a long time, but with a highway that is so expensive, I don't believe tourism will increase."

The new highway shaves 30 minutes off the time it used to take motorists to travel to El Golfo along an existing, narrower road that twists and turns through farmland in the San Luis Valley on the way to the gulf. There is no toll to use that road.

"Who is going to pay almost 200 pesos more to save less than a half-hour on the road?" Concha asked. "Tourists are going to choose to continue using the road that crosses through the valley."

The new two-lane highway was built with Sonora state funds but was turned over to a private company to administer. The state continues to set the toll charge.

Concha said the toll for the two-lane highway is excessive in light of the fact that the toll to use the lengthier, four-lane highway between San Luis Rio Colorado and Mexicali, Baja Calif., is 12.50 pesos one way.

He said El Golfo merchants and residents will bring their issues to Manuel Baldenebro, the newly elected mayor of San Luis Rio Colorado, in the hope he can prevail on the state to lower the toll.

"But if there's no response, the people are prepared to block the highway to make their case."

BY CESAR NEYOY, BAJO EL SOL
www.yumasun.com/news/golfo-53083-highway-state.html

09-20-2009 SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. - A new toll highway from this border city promises to help El Golfo de Santa Clara, Son., diversity its economy by drawing more tourists.

The new highway, which branches off from the existing El Golfo highway and provides a quicker route south from San Luis Rio Colorado, will be "a trigger" for tourism to the fishing village located on the Sea of Cortez, says Celio Angulo, El Golfo's municipal delegate.

And for those tourists who want to go farther south, it continues on to another popular beachside attraction, the city of Puerto Penasco, or Rocky Point.

Motorists who want to take the new route to El Golfo will pay a toll of 94 pesos, or a little more than $7 in American currency, to pick up the new highway on the east side of San Luis Rio Colorado, but Angulo said the tradeoff is a better, wider road that will shave 30 minutes off their trip.

Unlike the older, two-lane road that winds through an agricultural valley on its way to El Golfo, the new highway is a more direct route south from San Luis Rio Colorado. At the community of El Doctor, the new highway links up with the existing roadway, which has been rebuilt.

To access the highway, visitors from the United States cross the border at San Luis Rio Colorado and follow Obregon Avenue east from the city until they arrive at the toll booth.

Before concluding his term of office this month, Sonora Gov. Eduardo Bours came to San Luis to inaugurate the new highway at the toll booth, which is located near the future site of the commercial port of entry between the two countries.

While tourists have long visited El Golfo's beaches, commercial fishing has been the community's traditional economic pillar. But as catches have declined in recent years, the state and San Luis Rio Colorado have sought to attract more tourism to diversify the local economy.

"Diversification won't happen if there aren't visitors, and in order for more visitors to come, we need better highways," said Angulo who, as delegate, is the appointee of the San Luis Rio Colorado mayor to oversee municipal services in El Golfo.

"I believe that is the beginning for us to trigger tourism to the town."

And within the month, workers will start construction of a new exit from the highway to El Golfo, he said.

BY CESAR NEYOY, BAJO EL SOL
www.yumasun.com/news/highway-52925-golfo-new.html

www.gulfofsantaclara.com just received an official press release from the Rocky Point Convention and Visitors Bureau with tips on staying safe and having fun along Sonora's beaches this coming Labor Day weekend.

Puerto Peñasco México PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – News Services

LABOR DAY WEEKEND 

Each year during Labor Day, Arizonans pack up their cars and drive to Mexico to enjoy the beaches of Puerto Peñasco and other popular destinations along Sonora’s gold coast.   The Puerto Peñasco /Rocky Point Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) understands that safety is a concern and would like to ensure that your trip will be safe and fun when visiting Puerto Peñasco. There has been a lot of bad press this year about certain isolated incidents of violence in and around our city and the border towns between the USA and Mexico. Although we cannot say this doesn’t occur here, as it also does in many US cities, the safety and security are the primary concerns to us for our international visitors. To make your Labor Day weekend in Sonora safe and fun, we would like you to be advised of the following recent revisions and tips to travel requirements and Mexican law:

Mexican Law. While traveling in Mexico, American citizens are subject to Mexican law.  An arrest or accident in Mexico can result in a difficult legal or medical situation. Mexican law can impose harsh penalties for violations that would be considered minor in the United States, and U.S. citizenship in no way exempts one from full prosecution under the Mexican criminal justice system.   

Please be aware that excessive alcohol consumption and unruly behavior can still lead to serious problems with Mexican authorities.  Alcohol is involved in the vast majority of arrests, accidents, violent crimes, and deaths suffered by American tourists on holiday.  Disturbing the peace, lewd or indecent behavior, littering, driving under the influence, are all considered criminal activities by Mexican authorities. 

New Drug Law:  As of August 21, 2009, anyone caught with drug amounts under the “personal-use” limit no longer face criminal prosecution. The possession of drugs beyond the personal use limits can still incur severe penalties, including imprisonment without bail for up to a year before a case is tried, and imprisonment of several years following a conviction.  Also with recent border violence tied to drugs, the Puerto Peñasco /Rocky Point CVB strongly advises to stay away from placing yourself in any drug-related situations.

Mexico Insurance a Must:  When you travel to Mexico, don't forget to buy Mexico insurance as it is the LAW! Under Mexican law, it is a felony to not carry at least civil liability insurance issued by a Mexican-based company. If you have no Mexican liability insurance and you're involved in a crash, travelers risk of paying exorbitant fines and spending time in jail because in Mexico you're guilty until proven innocent. The majority of accidents that occur in Puerto Peñasco during Labor Day or other major holidays are caused by individuals driving under the influence of alcohol.  Travelers should exercise particular caution on unpaved roads, especially in beach areas. You can learn more about mexico insurance or to purchase a weekend insurance policy visit, www.ammexinsurance.com.  

TRAVEL Documentation:  On June 1, 2009, U.S. citizens returning home from Mexico, by land or sea, are required to present one of the travel documents listed: U.S. Passport, U.S. Passport Card, Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL), or Trusted Traveler Program Cards. If you don’t have any of these documents and plan to go over Labor Day weekend, YOU CAN STILL GO! Simply apply for a passport at your nearest post office or nearest passport processing location, and your receipt of payment along with a driver’s license will be accepted as a temporary passport when shown upon re-entry into the US. For more information, visit www.getyouhome.gov.

 Come on down during Labor Day weekend to Arizona’s beaches and take advantage of the great deals in town this year to enjoy the sun, sand, and sea in beautiful Puerto Peñasco/Rocky Point Mexico!

Sincerely,

Lic. Rafael Gonzalez Valenzuela

Oficina de Convenciones y Visitantes de Puerto Peñasco, A.C.

Blvd. Benito Juarez, Calle 11, Local No.2, Col. Centro.

Tel. (638) 388 04 44, (638) 388 04 46, Mexico: 01 800 552 2820

From USA: 602 288 6710

www.cometorockypoint.com

July 01, 2009.  Foreign nationals caught using fraudulent documents to enter the country through the San Luis port of entry are now being prosecuted for identity theft.

Since January, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has initiated a zero-tolerance policy targeting those who use false identification to cross the border.

According to the U.S. District Attorney's Office in Phoenix, 118 individuals were caught trying to enter the U.S. with fake documents at the San Luis port of entry during the first five months of 2009.

Each was charged with a federal misdemeanor.

The CBP said in an effort to ensure legitimate trade and travel, the identity and citizenship of everyone making entry into the United States is checked  to determine their admissibility and intent.

Brian Levin, CBP public affairs officer for southern Arizona, said most of the fraudulent documents they confiscate are border crossing cards, passports or visas from other countries. He said agents will also occasionally discover fake U.S. documents.

"The majority of these cases involve people who use documents belonging to somebody else. Others will alter an original document by adding their photo, or by using a document that is completely fake." 

Levin said some of the counterfeit documents are surprisingly accurate while others are easily identifiable as fraudulent.

"Our officers are trained to look for specific security features built into the documents. They are also trained to pick up on the features of a person to see if they are an impostor by comparing them to their photo ID or to other information in our database."

The CBP said in an effort to secure the border at the ports of entry, they screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel.

"We want people to know our officers have the opportunity to screen those who might be using fraudulent ID," said Levin.

"We are engaged in this fight and we want to put a stop to it to make sure everyone coming into this country is legitimate. We are remaining vigilant to intercept these type of crimes."

BY CHRIS McDANIEL, SUN STAFF WRITER
http://www.yumasun.com/news/documents-51180-border-entry.html

July 19, 2009.  The beaches at El Golfo de Santa Clara and other popular tourism destinations in Sonora are clean and will remain open to swimmers after environmental testing of the waters.

The results of the testing were announced at a recent meeting of officials from State Committee of Clean Beaches and Mexico's National Water Commission.

Also given clean bills of health in the monitoring program in the first half of 2009 were beaches at Rocky Point, Guaymas and Kino Bay.

All are popular vacation spots for water enthusiasts from around Sonora and neighboring Arizona.

El Golfo de Santa Clara, located about an hour's drive south of San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., is a popular destination for Yuma-area residents on holiday periods such as Easter and the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

Testing found that bacterial levels fell within suitable levels, according to state health officials.

Yuma Sun
Marco A. Flores, Bajo el Sol writer
http://www.yumasun.com/news/beaches-51573-testing-clean.html

July 13, 2009 10:52 AM.   Para elevar la competitividad entre los comerciantes y prestadores de servicio de la cosa sonorense del Alto Golfo de California, sus representantes e integrantes plantearon al gobierno de Sonora la necesidad de proyectos turísticos en la región.

El titular de la Secretaría de Economía (SE) del gobierno estatal, Francisco Díaz Brown, indicó que se acordó formar un grupo de trabajo para darle seguimiento a cada uno de los proyectos presentados.

En el poblado Golfo de Santa Clara, el funcionario se reunió con miembros de asociaciones de comerciantes, prestadores de servicios turísticos, además de dueños de puestos semifijos y ambulantes.

En la plática, el funcionario estatal recogió planteamientos relacionados con la necesidad de apoyos para darle alta competitividad a la actividad comercial y turística de la región.

En tanto, el dirigente de los comerciantes del lugar, Agustín Sánchez Osuna, manifestó que esa comunidad es visitada por más de 200 mil turistas de México y Estados Unidos cada año.

Mencionó que el poblado Golfo de Santa Clara se localiza en la costa sonorense del Alto Golfo de California, unos 115 kilómetros al sureste de esta frontera.

Dijo que es necesario promover una campaña de difusión a nivel estatal para que se visite esa comunidad, la cual cuenta con hermosas playas y una carretera costera que conecta a Puerto Peñasco.

A su vez, Díaz Brown agregó que el grupo de trabajo analizará caso por caso para conocer el tipo de apoyo que se requiere, ya que hay temas relacionados con el comercio, la pesca y el turismo.

Bajo el Sol
Marco A. Flores
http://www.bajoelsol.com/news/golfo-6863-proyectos-necesidad.html

El asueto estadounidense del "Memorial Day", el motivo.  La mayoría de los visitantes son paisanos que radican en ciudades norteamericanas.

May 25, 2009. San Luis Río Colorado, Son., - Más de 10 mil turistas de México y Estados Unidos acudieron a la costa sonorense del Alto Golfo de California durante el asueto estadounidense del "Memorial Day", que culmina hoy.

El vocal del Fideicomiso para la Promoción del Turismo, Ramón Concha Domínguez, mencionó que este año la afluencia fue principalmente de paisanos que radican en ciudades estadounidenses.

"También vino mucha gente de la región, son los que vienen a la fiesta que organizan las autoridades", expresó el empresario hotelero del poblado Golfo de Santa Clara.

En dicha comunidad, localizada 115 kilómetros al sureste de esta frontera, dijo que se concentró la llegada de los visitantes, quienes solicitaron diversos servicios turísticos y personales.

Expresó que en la playa se realizó una fiesta con juegos playeros, música en vivo y de sonido digital, baile, además de concursos de esparcimiento entre los visitantes.

Concha Domínguez comentó que personal de la delegación del ayuntamiento local solicitó una colaboración de 40 pesos por vehículo a los visitantes, para recabar fondos que permitan limpiar las playas.

"Esperamos que ese dinero se invierta en la misma comunidad, porque ha sucedido que lo usan para el gasto corriente de la misma Delegación", expresó el vocal del órgano colegiado de hoteleros.

Estimó que los visitantes fueron más de 10 mil, por el "puente" generado en la Unión Americana debido el "Memorial Day", que se conmemora este lunes y que recuerda a los soldados caídos en las guerras. (Con información de Notimex/MCH)

El Financiero en línea:
http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/ElFinanciero/Portal/cfpages/contentmgr.cfmdocId=191780&docTipo=1&orderby=docid&sortby=ASC

Apr. 9, 2009.  EL GOLFO DE SANTA CLARA, MEXICO - Glenn Taylor stands on the beach, feet buried in sand, watching pelicans dive into the blue waters of the Gulf of California.

"I can't think of a more beautiful place," the Yuma developer says.

The setting, a rustic fishing village about 90 minutes south of Yuma, is undeniably idyllic. And Taylor seems particularly proud of his vision for this sun-splashed shoreline: a resort hotel, golf course and about 600 ocean-view homes.

It would be a perfect marriage of American capital and Mexican real estate, he says, creating a $75 million development.

But, like many investors tempted south of the border, Taylor has seen his dream dashed by a legal battle over land. He's been threatened by stick-wielding squatters, victimized by vandals, spurned by Mexican police, courts and politicians.

Taylor, 59, says the squatters represent Ejido Golfo de Santa Clara, a cooperative of local shrimp fishermen. Under Mexican land-reform programs, poor farmers and other workers throughout the nation were granted communal tracts of property for their homes and sustenance.

There are about 28,000 ejidos in Mexico today, controlling half of the nation's land mass and most of its pristine beaches. Members do not own the land, but they have exclusive right to its use. They may sell the real estate only if they complete an elaborate legal process. As a result, foreign investors have had chronic problems related to communal lands, compounded by the fact that ejidos are politically potent.

Mexico tourism officials and real-estate promoters say that property investments are safe when done correctly and that only a handful of transactions turn out to be scandalous. Still, they admit, such controversies damage economies and reputations at the worst possible time - during a recession compounded by fears about border violence.

Taylor points to a vandalized RV on his beach, the only development after five years of futile dealings with politicians, police and courts.

"If there's anyone to be held responsible, it's the Mexican government," he says. "They know what's going on, and they won't do anything about it."

Negotiations begin

It began in 2004 when Taylor drove south looking for a Mexican beach house.

Instead of buying a casita, Taylor wound up forming an investment group, El Golfo Properties Inc., to buy 269 acres, much of it between the main street and the Gulf of California.

Taylor says the property, with an old restaurant and some bungalows, was appraised at $300,000. He negotiated for a year with Sergio Gutierrez Gomez Sr., an agent representing private landowners. The final deal: Gutierrez's group was to get $100,000 up front, plus 20 percent of gross revenues.

A veteran developer, Taylor did not go into the purchase blindly. He obtained title insurance and put the land in a bank trust, following Mexican laws.

Surveyors, architects and landscapers were hired to design the resort. On Labor Day weekend in 2005, Taylor began posting development signs, only to be confronted by about 40 angry locals.

"They told me, 'You're going to take down these signs and stop what you're doing, or we'll do it for you,' " Taylor recalls. "I called police. They wouldn't do anything."

Silvia Terrazas, a Mexican real-estate consultant who successfully acquired ejido property near El Golfo, says purchasers often wind up with no land after making large down payments. "There are a lot of problems with ejido land," she says. "There's a lot of fraud."

Ejido Golfo de Santa Clara has 20 members who never owned the nearly 2,000 acres of disputed seashore. Manuel Lopez, the group's president, says his cooperative was cheated by the government in 1972 when boundaries were drawn, with the beachfront going to a neighborhood collective known as Colonia Melchor Ocampo.

Ejido members sued for possession of the land. The complaint bounced through Mexico's justice system for 16 years before the Supreme Court ruled against ejido members in 1998.

Lopez contends the government is obliged to compensate ejidatarios for land they did not receive. Until that happens, he adds, members won't allow anyone else to use the beach.

"We accept the court decision, but we're still fighting it," Lopez says. "Fishermen have a right to exist, too."

Appeals to officials

Taylor decided to give up, figuring he could collect on his title insurance. But the insurance company rejected his claim because there is no dispute that Taylor owns the land - he just can't do anything with it because of the ejidatarios.

Taylor and a neighboring U.S. landowner wrote letters to Mexico's president as well as to countless other authorities on both sides of the border.

In summer 2007, Sonoran Gov. Eduardo Bours assigned a top aide, Oscar Lopez Vucovich, to resolve the El Golfo conflict.

Finally, in May, Vucovich proposed a solution: Taylor and other landowners would grant Vucovich authority to sell the entire beach, with proceeds being shared.

At the time, an 83-mile highway had just been completed linking El Golfo to Puerto Peñasco, dramatically increasing the value of real estate. Taylor says some of Mexico's most powerful economic and political figures were vying to buy up the coast. Yet the proposed deal contained no guarantee that American owners would get a fair return.

Taylor says he rejected the proposal, only to have Vucovich obtain authorization from Gutierrez, who negotiated the sale of the property to Taylor and whose group no longer owned the land.

The pact acknowledged Colonia Melchor Ocampo as rightful owner of disputed lands but gave ejidatarios a third of the money when those properties were sold.

Taylor says there was just one problem: He did not agree to anything. "We've been in court ever since," he adds.

Gutierrez could not be reached for comment.

Vucovich and Sonora's tourism director did not respond to interview requests.

"It's a black eye for Mexico," says Mitch Creekmore, Taylor's agent at Stewart Title Guaranty Co. "A pathetic situation."

Taylor's group has invested $850,000.

"There's too much money in it to just walk away," he says. So he tried again for a resolution, meeting with Lopez, the ejido president, who says that Taylor isn't the first to buy the property only to be scared off.

Lopez explains how to persuade his members: "If you come with a dollar in front of you, that's what they like. People want to know how much they're going to get."

by Dennis Wagner
The Arizona Republic
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/04/09/20090409elgolfo.html

April 8, 2009 - 12:43 PM.  SAN LUIS, R.C., Sonora - Four roadside police checkpoints, along with law enforcement officers on all-terrain vehicles, will be part of an effort to ensure tourists coming to El Golfo de Santa Clara this week will be safe.

Easter Week is a popular time for visitors from both Mexico and the United States to go to El Golfo, about 70 miles south of Yuma. The beach community is promoting "Semana Santa en el Golfo" (Holy Week in El Golfo).

The visitor protection effort has been dubbed Operation Carrusel. Paolo Navarro Hernández, the economic development director for San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., said that a total of 61 officers as well as members of rescue teams will be in charge of preventing accidents on the road to El Golfo, as well as in town, where they are expecting 55,000 tourists from Arizona, California, Baja California and San Luis Río Colorado.

Checkpoints will be set up close to Pozas de Arvizu, where the police will be stationed along with a rescue team, said Hernández. The town of Luis B Sánchez will have another checkpoint where officers will be joined by firefighters. The third checkpoint will be at La Flor del Desierto, where police will team up with rescue team members. The last checkpoint will be at Kilometro 91.

Police officers will be leading Operation Carrusel to ensure motorists are driving at moderate speeds since road conditions are not conducive to high speeds. There is some construction at Estación Doctor.

Hernández said they are hoping that the economic crisis will make the nearby beaches more attractive as vacationers try to cut costs.

As for San Luis, Ariz., the police department there will not have a checkpoint for vehicles heading south this long holiday weekend.

"It does not make sense to have two checkpoints since customs officials are already conducting inspections as vehicles enter into Mexico," according to San Luis Police Lieutenant Gerardo Torres. "We do not want to hold up vehicles any longer than we have to. We will have intensive patrol in the city during the later part of the week and weekend. There will be zero tolerance for DUI's and speeders."

BY GEOVANA RUANO FONSECA
http://www.yumasun.com/news/golfo_49227___article.html/week_santa.html

Operativo especial en reserva por visitantes
7 de abril de 2009.  San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora.- Con motivo de la gran afluencia de visitantes que arriban durante Semana Santa a la Reserva de la Biosfera Alto Golfo de California y Delta del Río Colorado, se implementará un operativo de Protección al Medio Ambiente, el cual tiene como propósito la prevención de ilícitos por la falta de aplicación de las normas que operan en los lugares tales como el Golfo de Santa Clara, la Ciénega de Santa Clara y la Zona del Delta del Río Colorado "El Zanjón".

Lo anterior lo informó la jefa del Departamento de Cultura Conservacionista María Jesús Martínez Contreras, quien señaló que en el Golfo de Santa Clara las acciones estarán coordinadas con la Delegación, pues tan sólo en esa comunidad se pronostica habrán más de 40,000 vacacionistas, las cuales año con año impactan con grandes cantidades de basura la playa y el mar.

La Delegación del Golfo operará la limpieza de playas a través de recorridos diarios y constantes para desalojar botes y depósitos de la basura acumulada, y así prevenir que se disperse hacia la playa o al mar, de esa manera, también se le brindará al turista una estancia más cómoda en las playas del Golfo de Santa Clara.

La basura que queda en la playa puede ser muy peligrosa para los ecosistemas, en especial los plásticos de las bebidas alcohólicas, pues son confundidos con alimento por las aves y fauna marina y mueren por su ingesta, en general la basura ensucia las playas reduciendo la afluencia del turismo, y por lo tanto los ingresos de la localidad.

El operativo dará inicio el Jueves Santo por la mañana y terminará el Sábado de Gloria al medio día, durante estos tres días, personal de la Reserva de la Biosfera estará ubicado principalmente en tres puntos: Riíto, la entrada al Golfo de Santa Clara y La Ciénega de Santa Clara en el ejido Luis Encinas Jhonson con el objetivo de entregar a los visitantes bolsas para la basura, proporcionar información sobre el Área Natural Protegida, resolver dudas a los vacacionistas, entregar folletería con información de los sitios que se pueden visitar en la Reserva y con información sobre las reglas de uso público.

Actividades permitidas para la zona turística del Golfo de Santa Clara: uso de acuamotos y cuatrimotos (sólo en zonas designadas), acampar, recorridos escénicos en embarcaciones, pesca deportiva, nado, kayakismo, veleo, fogatas (prohibido dejar el carbón sobre la arena), se recomienda a los vacacionistas llevar una lámina de metal o aluminio para hacer sobre ella su fogata

Actividades prohibidas: dañar o extraer plantas silvestres, colectar y molestar la flora y fauna marina, introducir vehículos a la playa, extraer fósiles y rocas, colectar conchitas, el uso de redes para pescar, subirse a las dunas (excepto El Machorro) y tirar basura en el mar y la playa.

El mismo personal hará recorridos por los diferentes campamentos que se establecerán en la Reservar con el fin de abordar a los visitantes y verificar que se cumpla con el reglamento de uso público.

La funcionaria federal informó: no tirar basura en carretera, ríos, playas y otros cuerpo de agua, llevarse la basura generada, no dañar letreros de la reserva, recoger restos de comida, acampar en lugares prohibidos, evitar encender fogatas, llevar leña consigo y usar estufas portátiles para cocinar, evitar encender fogatas, si así lo hicieran apagar completamente las llamas, usar vasos y platos de cartón.

Tribuna de San Luis
Por Brenda ROMÁN IBARRA
http://www.oem.com.mx/tribunadesanluis/notas/n1115161.htm

March 28, 2009 - 1:57 PM.  Some folks say the only thing dangerous about visiting El Golfo, Son., is the fact you might not want to leave.

  El Golfo, a  quaint seaside village that has entertained Yumans for years, is having quite a few of its fans in the United States come to its defense lately. Whether or not they agree with recent travel advisories involving Mexico, these folks agree that El Golfo should remain on everyone's go-to list for all things sun, sand and surf.

  One of the loudest supporters for El Golfo is Brian Krupski. The Arizona
resident loves the Mexican village so much that he's created a Web site dedicated to El Golfo: www.gulfofsantaclara. com.

  "El Golfo is one of the best-kept secrets in the Western Hemisphere," Krupski told The Sun. "...While it may not be everyone's idea of an ultimate vacation destination, if you like sand and sea, you will love El Golfo."

  The matter of safety and travel advisories comes at a troubling time for El Golfo, which is a popular destination for two upcoming traditions: Holy Week (Semana Santa) and spring break.

  On his recently launched Web site, Krupski tells his readers about all the kinds of recreation to be had in El Golfo, along with photos, maps, history and links to local businesses. The latter includes information for people who truly fall in love with El Golfo and need to find a Realtor.

  "The greatest attraction in El Golfo, I would say, is the off-road/ATV
experiences you can have there. As much as the dunes are popular west of Yuma, El Golfo offers a similar experience but with a beach and sea within a few feet to relax on or cool off after a day of riding."

  Called "the beach within reach," El Golfo is 90 miles south of Yuma along the Sea of Cortez. Yuma travelers get there via San Luis Rio Colorado, Son.

  "The town has sufficient enough amenities to attend to whatever needs its visitors require," Krupski added, "yet feel like a sleepy fishing village."

  In addition to off-roading, El Golfo is popular with people looking to camp out, sunbathe, hit one of the local cantinas or hitch a ride with a local fisherman for a spin out on the blue waters. The unadulterated beach also lends itself to hunting for shells or running with a kite.

  "Families love to come down and find a great spot along the miles of pristine, undeveloped beach to set up camp," Krupski said. "It's one of the favorite things tourists used to love to do in Rocky Point before all the development. If you ask anyone ... they will tell you (El Golfo) reminds them of Rocky Point 20 years ago."

  Krupski said he doesn't disagree entirely with recent travel advisories but stressed that Americans shouldn't be scared away from much quieter and calmer El Golfo.

  "Most of the recent travel advisories issued by organizations, universities or other entities for the most part were stereotyped, unsupported or misinterpreted. El Golfo and Rocky Point should not be put in the same category as Ciudad Juarez or Tijuana.

  "That would be the same as me saying don't travel to Newport Beach, Calif., because there has been a lot of recent gang violence and drug activity in Los Angeles.

  "The only violence I have heard when I have traveled to El Golfo has regarded the land disputes that happen from time to time in town," Krupski said. "The only other violence stories are those caused by tourists themselves with each other, during spring break or other events that attract thousands to El Golfo's beaches."

---
BY DARIN FENGER, SUN STAFF WRITER
Darin Fenger can be reached at
dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860.

Link to English Version:
http://www.yumasun.com/articles/golfo_48971___article.html/visiting_leave.html

Bajo El Sol Spanish Version:
Lo más peligroso acerca de visitar El Golfo de Santa Clara es... ¡Que no quieres regresarte
http://www.bajoelsol.com/articles/yuma_6452___article.html/peligroso_acerca.html

March 9, 2009.  PUERTO PENASCO, Mexico - State Department travel advisories and news reports about drug violence seemed a world away as Meghan Felts sipped a Bloody Mary and joined two girlfriends sunning themselves on a restaurant patio overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

Her husband was nervous when she and seven girlfriends decided to rent a beach house here, she said, but the only crisis to this point had been a fire on the stove.

“Nobody wanted us to come, but we haven’t run into any issues at all,” said Felts, a Flagstaff resident who works as a nurse.

  Across the bay from where Felts and her friends strolled among mariachis, shrimp peddlers and children hawking chewing gum, University of Arizona graduate student Kristen Yaffe read a book on a beach lined with motor homes.

  “My boyfriend has friends that come back and forth all the time,” she said. “I don’t think it’s enough of a risk to stay away.”

  That’s music to Arturo Rodriguez’s ears. As president of the Chamber of Commerce in Puerto Penasco, better known to many Arizonans as Rocky Point, he’s eager to tell everyone he can that this tourist haven is safe and open for business.

  With spring break at hand, it’s a bad time for Rocky Point to face an image problem, especially in Arizona, where a large majority of the area’s tourists come from.

  “The warnings are OK for certain cities, but the warnings are not valid for Puerto Penasco,” said Rodriguez in Spanish. “Puerto Penasco is doing what it can for people to know it is a safe, calm city.”

  A U.S. State Department travel advisory urges Americans to exercise caution because of violence among rival drug cartels and Mexican security services. It cites homicides, robberies, petty thefts, carjackings and public shootouts as cartels war over drug-trafficking routes on the Mexico-U.S. border.

  Arizona’s universities took note of the warnings and sent e-mails to students cautioning them to heed the State Department’s advice when making spring break plans. Arizona Western College recently urged its students to avoid Mexico over spring break.

  Rene Barranco, captain of the Puerto Penasco Police Department, is quick to note that the travel advisory highlighted Nogales, Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana, not his community.

  “In Puerto Penasco, there’s no violence against tourism,” he said in Spanish. “We do different operations to bring safety to all visitors.”

  That’s evident in soldiers armed with semi-automatic weapons traversing Puerto Penasco’s dusty streets. Barranco said it’s part of the cooperation among federal, state and local authorities intended to keep tourists coming.

  Rodriguez, the Chamber of Commerce president, said these steps are important because tourism is second only to fishing as the top industry here.

  “There were a lot of cancellations but we hope that people close by, especially in Arizona, come here for spring break,” Rodriguez said. “If tourism doesn’t come, we’re going to be even harder hit by the economic crisis.”

  Miguel Escobar Valdez, the Mexican consul in Yuma, said visitors to Mexico need only take the same precautions that they would when visiting any other country.

  "We've taken this opportunity to invite springbreakers going to Mexico to abide by the rules, the law and relevant codes of conduct, so everybody can enjoy a good time," he said.

  Alvito Robinson, a Tempe resident who has been fishing in Rocky Point long enough to become friends with a few business owners, said it isn’t fair to lump this community together with border cities experiencing drug violence.

  “They depend on people coming down here and spending all the American dollars so they can survive,” he said. “They’ve got kids to feed down here.”

  Roman “Jerry” Canez, who recently opened a seafood restaurant called Jerry’s, said he wants his first spring break to be a strong one.

  “We are a team, all Rocky Point, and the people not coming is bad for everything,” he said. “All businesses would suffer.”

  Jose Luis Gonzalez, a shrimp peddler, said the recession has already hit tourism hard because Americans have less disposable income to spend in Mexico. A decline in tourists fueled by fear would be devastating, he said.

  “We’re hoping for a decent spring break, something to get us by,” he said. “We’ll see by the volume of kids that we get this year whether all the stuff that the deans, I imagine, told college students is going to take effect.”

  In his experience, however, a bit of perceived danger rarely keeps college students from doing anything. It may even help, Gonzalez said.

  “Kids are kids, and basically what administration and parents tell them, they do the opposite,” he said. “We’re counting on that.”

BY DANIEL NEWHAUSER, CRONKITE NEWS SERVICE
http://www.yumasun.com/news/visit_48517___article.html/city_point.html

March 3, 2009.  Concerns about safety have prompted Arizona Western College to advise its students to refrain from traveling to Mexico or at least to take extra precautions when going south of the border.

The advisory, posted Tuesday on the college Campus Life Web site, comes weeks before the college's spring break and the Easter weekend, when many area residents go south of the border to such beachside tourist attractions as El Golfo de Santa Clara, Son.

  "Due to heightened safety concerns, AWC is highly recommending that students do not travel into Mexico," the warning says on the site, www.azwestern.edu/student_services/campus_life/. "If you choose to travel to Mexico please educate yourself in appropriate personal safety measures through the links provided above."

  The post includes links to travel advisories previously issued by the U.S. State Department.

  The advisories come amid heightened violence as the Mexican government battles powerful drug cartels in that country.

  Mary Kay Harton, AWC's interim associate dean for campus life, said the college's advisory will remain in effect indefinitely but covers the period of the spring break, March 29-April 4.

  More than 100,000 American teenagers and young adults travel to resort areas throughout Mexico for spring break, according to the State Department. Harton said she did not have an estimate for the number of AWC students who spend their break south of the border.

  Every year before spring break, AWC provides students with information about safe travel abroad, Harton said, although this is the first year the college has recommended against going to Mexico.

  She said the recommendation was prompted by recent violence around the country.

  AWC recognizes that many of its students have family in Mexico they plan to visit over break, Harton said. The college is advising those students to take extra precautions south of the border, she added.

  Paolo Navarro Hernandez, tourism director for San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., said he planned to contact college officials to discuss his concerns about the travel advisory, coming in advance of spring break and Easter weekend.

  Easter weekend alone attracts 55,000 Yuma-area residents and other Americans to El Golfo de Santa Clara, a fishing village on the Sea of Cortez that in recent decades has relied on tourist dollars for a greater percentage of its income.

  "That information is false," Navarro said of warnings about going to Mexico.. "Ours is a safe border and those unsupported comments affect us. We have never had incidents involving tourists (at El Golfo)."

  Navarro Hernandez predicted the college advisory will have little effect on Yuma-area residents who routinely visit El Golfo or who have family in Mexico, "because they know that El Golfo and San Luis are safe, because they come every year and nothing bad has happened to them."

  He said both sides of the border should be promoting tourism in Mexico at a time when an exchange rate favorable to the dollar gives Americans more buying power south of the border.

  "Imagine if I were to promote (shopping in Mexico by Mexicans by) telling them not to go to the United States because the dollar is more expensive and because of other issues there," he said. "But that is not our intention."

  The AWC advisory is the latest in a series of warnings to Americans relating to travel south of the border.

  Earlier this week, the Justice Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives urged college student to avoid Tijuana and Rosarito Beach, saying the two cities south of San Diego had experienced lots of drug-fueled violence. ATF is responsible for preventing arms from being smuggled into Mexico.

  The State Department's advisories, issued last month, urged travelers to Mexico to avoid areas of prostitution and drug dealing, and to take other commonsense precautions.

---

Geovana Ruano Fonseca of Bajo El Sol, John Vaughn of The Sun and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.yumasun.com/news/mexico_48346___article.html/students_south.html

Spanish Version: http://www.bajoelsol.com/articles/urge_6361___article.html/awc_break.html

March 1, 2009.  SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. - A group of 30 fishermen in El Golfo de Santa Clara are feeling desperate after losing their jobs because they do not have a license to fish sea trout or shrimp, which are sold in town and provide the biggest source of income to local families.

Residents said that last year they were unable to fish even though they had always worked in fishing boats in the upper Gulf of California because the owners of those boats turned them, along with their fishing permits, into the federal government in order to obtain financing for a business or tourism projects.

 Without a steady source of income, former fishermen have been working in stores, collecting clams, or laying brick, said Luis Alejandro Cruz, an unemployed fisherman who is part of a group that began to demand that the federal government give them fishing permits.

 The group was organized in January when local fishermen visited the town’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources office (known by its acronym in Spanish SEMARNAT), to ask for help in obtaining fishing licenses.  When they were unable to get help they held a protest for five days in front of the offices of Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, Mexico's equivalent of USDA, known by its acronym in Spanish SAGARPA, in Hermosillo, Son. They slept on the floor of City Hall waiting to be helped. They were only seen by the personal assistant to Fernando Miranda Blanco, director of SAGARPA in Hermosillo.

 The group took action last week by taking over the Rìo Colorado toll bridge in response to the federal government’s “insensitivity” to the critical situation the families are going through.

 On Wednesday, Blanco came to the fishing town and met with a group of fishermen asking that they be patient and promising that in two weeks they would have the documentation that will allow them to fish during the coming sea trout season.

 Cruz said that on Friday, the commissioner for National Commission of Aquaculture and Fishing, Ramòn Corral, will arrive to present the first permits for fish and shrimp to those who previously had one. The commissioner’s arrival gives them hope that their request will be approved.

 Blanco explained that the reason the process has taken so much time is because fishing permits had never been provided and that in the Gulf, the government stopped issuing new permits because their plan is to reduce the fishing work force to protect the California gulf harbor porpoise, or vaquita marina, a sea mammal that inhabits the upper Gulf of California and is at risk of extinction.

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BY GEOVANA RUANO FONSECA, BAJO EL SOL

http://www.yumasun.com/news/protest_48302___article.html/fishermen_fishing.html

December 17, 2008.  La oportunidad de convertir esta zona en un polo de desarrollo es la visión que tiene el gobernador Eduardo Bours Castelo y así lo manifesto ante decenas de residentes reunidos. Al confirmar el Pacto por el Desarrollo Económico del Golfo de Santa Clara, Bours Castelo fue felicitado por su cumpleaños 52 por lo que lo recibieron con las tradicionales Mañanitas. La gira seguirá con la inauguración del tramo de la Carretera Costera del Golfo de Santa Clara a Puerto Peñasco. A nombre de los vecinos, Carlos Agustín Sánchez Barajas pidió al Gobernador su apoyo para construcción de un relleno sanitario, un campo para jugae beisbol y una antena receptora para poder ver los juegos de beisbol que transmite Telemax.

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Sebastian Moreno / smoreno@elimparcial.com

GOLFO DE SANTA CLARA, Sonora

El Imparcial: http://www.elimparcial.com/busqueda/TraerNota.aspx?Numnota=346654

March 1, 2009 - SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. — The two travel alerts sent out by the U.S. State Department warning travelers about an increase in crime in border cities in Baja California and Sonora are really negative advertising to prevent American citizens from crossing to Mexico and spending their dollars there, said David Rojas Rojas, general director of the Mexicali COTUCO, the Comite de Turismo y Convenciones, the Convention and Visitor Bureau, known by its acronym in Spanish COTUCO.

 Rojas, who promotes tourism in Los Algodones, Mexicali and San Felipe, said it was obvious that the economic crisis in the U.S. is the reasoning behind curtailing American tourism in order to prevent dollars being spent in Mexico.

 “We are not minimizing the violence that exists in our country but we are doing well,” Rojas said pointing out that there is violence in the U.S. as well.

 “We know that in Las Vegas there were 4,000 crimes committed and that in San Diego several people have been kidnapped and nothing is said and no one is alerted,” he said.

 About spring breakers visiting San Felipe, Rojas said that hotels in the area El Cortez and San Felipe Marina already have a high number of rooms booked.

Just last week, San Felipe and Ensenada were filled with tourists participating in Fat Tuesday carnivals.

 On a final note, Rojas said local, state and federal agencies on safety worked cooperatively to provide a safe 2009 Caribbean Series, an international baseball tournament that takes place in Mexicali as well as past international expos such as Agrobaja, a farming and fishing exhibition, which will be March 12-14.

 “There will always be campaigning, but we want to make it clear that Mexicali is aware of the travel advisories and we take care of our visitors to the point of providing additional policing especially in tourist areas and events,” Rojas said.

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BY GEOVANA RUANO FONSECA, BAJO EL SOL
http://www.yumasun.com/news/ploy_48307___article.html/alerts_tourism.html 

March 21, 2008.  High gas prices? The safety of traveling south of the border?

If those concerns enter the minds of people thinking of vacationing in Mexico, it won't be apparent this weekend at El Golfo de Santa Clara - at least not according to Sonora tourism officials.

Easter weekend is expected to bring together more than 60,000 vacationers from the Yuma County, Arizona, California and Baja California to the beachside community on the Sea of Cortez.

Raul, Acedo Elias, subcoordinator of the Sonora Tourism Promotion Commission, said that represents an increase from a year ago, even at a time when people may be traveling less due to concerns about economic recession, tourist safety in Mexico and gas prices.

Other Sonora destinations also are receiving more visitors, he said.

Easter weekend and the Memorial and Labor Day weekends traditionally draw large numbers of visitors from the region to El Golfo, a fishing community that has become more dependent in recent years on tourist dollars.

Road crews have been resurfacing and restriping the highway between San Luis Rio Colorado and El Golfo in recent days in anticipation of the influx of visitors, Acedo said, and additional police officers will be on duty at highway checkpoints and at El Golfo during the holiday festivities.

Paolo Navarro Hernandez, tourism and economic development director for San Luis Rio Colorado, said the city is organizing recreational opportunities for El Golfo visitors this weekend, including a volleyball tournament, live music featuring local bands, plus dance and bikini contests.

BY GEOVANA RUANO, BAJO EL SOL
SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. -
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Geovana Ruano writes for Bajo El Sol, The Sun's Spanish-language sister newspaper, from which this story is reprinted.

http://www.yumasun.com/news/holiday_40523___article.html/son_colorado.html?orderby=TimeStampAscending&oncommentsPage=1&showRecommendedOnly=0