It’s hump day in San Felipe once again and the 8th Annual International Chili Cook-off is fast approaching.  There’s still time to enter your special chili and if you’ll go onto their page by clicking here, you can find out how to accomplish that.  It’s a fun time and I’m so sorry I’m going to miss it this year.  I’m going to stay with my daughter an extra couple of weeks and things being slow in San Felipe, it’s the perfect time.  Cory Dudley is at it again with his wood art and he sent me a couple of photos of “Sitting Bull”.  It’s a work of art.

From our local Mexican Ambassador, Martin Romo: “Hi friends, just to let you know today we had a meeting at COBACH High School, where Rotary International is supporting their program called INTERACT, a group of teenagers who will support with different activities helping the community. On May 8th, we will have a car wash at the city park, to raise funds to get our own tools and after that we will look forward in trim palms trees, clean several streets along the city and make plenty of activities for the benefit of the city. According to Pim Van Sisseren, a Rotary member, they are excited in share with this young community their vision to help each other. Young people must learn how to get involve into the community. Let’s support this new generation of talented people. I am involved in the group to support them as a honorary member. Thanks, Martin Romo.” Pim and his wife are sponsors for my goddaughter, Vanesia and are very active in education through the Rotary.  Involving the schools with the entire community is a very good thing.

Most all of us will agree that San Felipe has a bit of a cleanliness problem and with the stray dogs, a lot of times the garbage gets spilled and spread around.  Let’s not forget the plastic bag trees we all have after a good wind storm.  The point is and I think most will agree with me, it is a community problem and as such, we need to be diligent.  If not, tourists who come to visit will think we’re slobs so let’s try and prove them wrong.  Cleanliness is next to Godliness or so they say.  San Felipe is a beautiful little village and I have even been so brazen as to ask a tourist to pick up his garbage.  I have suggested quite a few times that the city invest in garbage bags for big weekends and pass them out at the arches.  Martin Romo has this to say: “Hi Kat.  Just to let you know. As a citizens united we must do something about the cleaning of our town. I have been thinking in make a special civil association to create a group of people who can be interested in give a different twist to our town. I feel embarrassed to tell you but I feel this is not the city we want to see, dirt very where. Most of the times the streets looks so bad, full of sand and trash especially downtown. We are too many people, we can get funds raised through concerts with local musicians, add new festivals or any new ideas can take place.

We can collect enough money in getting street sweeper and tools needed to keep our city clean and also in better conditions. In my own nobody will be disagree with this information but is it necessary to understand we can do it all together. Any comments I would like to be sent into your web site, because you are the Ambassador of the communication between San Felipe and the rest of the world. I have been sweeping the streets a lot of times which it is a honor and I know it is a tough labor. If any meeting can result after this comment I will be more than welcome to be the first in being on first line,with respect to all of you.  Martin Romo.

Wow – clean streets.  When tourists visit us, it’s always nice if they return home and talk about how clean and safe San Felipe is.  We have the safe down; we just need to work on beautification.  This is Mar de Cortez North, in front of La Vaquita Restaurant.