By: Gregorio Brady
 Are we in Seattle? In case you hadn’t noticed, Mazatlan has seen cool weather, gray clouds and on and off drizzle since Wednesday, June 4th, adding up to more overcast days than we’ve seen all year- not that I am complaining! Soon we will surely see the return of the blazing sun that makes summertime in Maz such a memorable season.
Ironically, it is precisely during this unusual spell of cloudy weather (brought on courtesy of Tropical Storm Boris, the second of the year) that TV Azteca has been in town, filming some of the many charms and attractions of La Perla del Pacifico for an upcoming broadcast special showcasing Mazatlan as one of the 13 Marvels of Mexico. Narrated by distinguished actor Rodrigo Camacho, the show will feature footage of the Malecon, the Cathedral, the Marina, the Plazuela Machado, and other highlights of the Centro Historico and beyond, as well as covering the thriving cruise ship phenomenon and the new convention center which is undergoing construction. All that’s missing is the city’s trademark blue sky and sunshine, but maybe the graphic engineers can superimpose a more characteristic image over the cloud background. The program will air on Azteca 13 at 2 PM June 28th, so don’t forget to turn on and tune in.
 Friday the 13th is not traditionally a bad luck day in Mexico, and this June’s Friday the 13th has turned out to be a fortunate date for the new Mayor Jorge Abel Lopez Sanchez’ administration: it’s the first day after federal historical preservation agency INAH lifted a week-long stop work order on the renovation of City Hall (known here as the Palacio Municipal). As home owners in the Historical District often discover, INAH is in charge of making sure that any remodeling or construction projects conform to the unwritten guidelines, rules and whims of the inspectors to ensure that Old Mazatlan maintains the distinctive traditional character that makes it one of Mexico’s 13 “Maravillas”. Showing that almost no one is exempt from its jurisdiction, the Mayor and City officials had to convince INAH of the validity of its plans, and now work has resumed. Full speed ahead!
The City is also making progress on the Mayor’s vow to pave 100 kilometers of Mazatlan streets during each of his 3 years in office. At a ribbon cutting ceremony in the Colonia Juarez, re-opening the freshly paved Calle 2 de Abril, Mayor Jorge Abel (as he likes to be called) remarked, “This is the beginning of accomplishing our goal of 100 kilomters paved this year- and maybe more, depending on the application of federal, state and municipal resources.”
 Two recent stars of the Mazatlan Venados beisbol team are making their names known in the big leagues. The brothers Gonzalez, Edgar and Adrian, are playing together with the San Diego Padres. Starting 1st baseman Adrian is hitting .295 with 18 home runs and 60 RBI’s (already, with most of the season still to go!), while younger brother Edgar at 2nd base is hitting a sizzling .322. And tomorrow, Saturday June 14th, is his 30th birthday! Keep up the good work, muchachos! (But don’t forget to come back to Mazatlan for some winter ball!)
Those springtime delicacies, the smelt-like “pajaritos” that run in easily netted teeming schools, arrived later than usual to Mazatlan’s shores and frying pans, but when they finally arrived they did it in a big way, well worth the wait. This year’s harvest has been one of the best in recent memory. The silvery fish are sold in buckets during the wee hours of the morning, at the lower end of Playa Norte (where the fishing lanchas are beached). The locals like to cook them sautéed with salt and garlic until crispy enough to eat bones and all. I like it that way, and I bet you will, too!
That’s all for now!
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