Que Pasa in Baja?

Same-sex marriages not approved in Baja. The reform that would have allowed same-sex couples to be legally married did not get enough votes to be approved by the State Congress.

The controversial reform would have needed at least 17 votes in order to be passed but it only received 15 supporters. There were 3 votes against it and 7 abstentions.

Several groups of people from both sides protested outside of city halls all over Baja to get exposure for their cause.

Two of the absentee voters, Claudia Agaton and David Ruvalcaba, were heavily criticized as opportunists and traitors because they had been supporters on social media against homophobia.

 

Rosarito desalt plant project canceled. The newly created “State Water Commission of Baja California” announced that it had decided to cancel the huge desalt project that was being built in Rosarito because it was too expensive for the State and they wouldn’t be able to bear the monthly cost of almost 8.5 million dollars.

The project was being built by a group of companies that had a contract with the state government to sell most of the water to them, with the remainder going to the Otay Water District. The State government is trying to get out of the contract on the basis that there was a breach of contract when the construction didn’t advance as planned.

“For starters, the project was just too big, it’s like buying a bus to take your kids to school, it’s a massive solution”, said Salomon Faz from the State Government.

The government is already in talks with the company to reach a mutual agreement, while it also looks for another place to build a new desalt plant with a smaller capacity.

Faz stated that even with the cancellation of this huge project, Baja had its water supply assured for the time being.

 

Ensenada police protest. The union for city police officers said that their members were going to be working under protest because their most basic needs hadn’t been met.

They are asking for wages that have not been paid and the lack of monetary support from the force when they have to be relocated to another district.

In order to avoid affecting the population directly, they decided to protest by not writing any traffic tickets, which they are hoping only lasts a few days or until their demands are met.

 

No wine parties this year! Provino, the association that unites most of the winemakers of the Guadalupe Valley, has released a statement saying that because of COVID-19, they won’t be able to hold any wine parties this year.

The wine parties would be celebrating their 30th anniversary this edition.

Santiago Cosio Pando, head of PROVINO, stated that these activities generated over $37 million USD last year alone, that will be lost this year to the Coronavirus.

 

Controversy over Playas toll booth stirs fight. Just one day after Governor Bonilla successfully “took over” the Playas de Tijuana toll booth while stating that it was going to be free for everyone passing through it, federal forces from the National Guard took them back from State Authorities and said they were not closing the toll booth.

Governor Bonilla said that the toll booths were put in place originally to pay for the development of the scenic road, but that by now the road should have been paid for by 4 or 5 times its value.

 

Baja 500 finally canceled. After going back and forth between the city and SCORE International, the city has finally put its foot down and decided to cancel the event completely.

SCORE had already announced that the Baja 500 race was being moved to August but got reprimanded by the city because they said they had not authorized that.

The plan was to have a no-spectators race in August, but the city government was afraid of fans and visitors’ agglomerations which could spark a sudden rise in COVID-19 cases.

This, along with the cancellation of the wine parties, will be a hard blow for the local tourist industry which were looking forward to these events in order to keep their businesses afloat during this tough pandemic.

 

Baja popped up in the Trump-AMLO meeting. According to the multinational company Sempra Energy, their $2 billion USD investment planned to expand operations on the “Energia Costa Azul” project was one of the main topics discussed by the two presidents.

The investment will be applied in a project to store, transport, liquify and distribute natural gas that would come from the USA and would be exported to several countries via Ensenada.

The complete project is expected to generate about 30,000 jobs, and bring much needed prosperity to both sides of the border.

 

Baja Congresswoman under fire. Montserrat Caballero, State Congresswoman from the Morena party, has been under heavy criticism this last week when she was caught drinking a can of Tecate Light beer while on a virtual congress session.

 

Rosarito closes beaches on weekends, again. Just a couple of days after the city had decided to reopen beaches for sports activities every day from 6:00 am to 10:00 am, city officials decided to completely close access to the beach on weekends.

The decision came after several beaches got packed with families that were clearly not there to participate in any sporting events.

The city said that they didn’t have enough personnel to monitor the beaches constantly while open, so they decided to close them on the weekends.

They are still open for sports activities, Monday to Friday, from 6 am to 10 am.

 

Sharp Healthcare offers FREE webinar. Dr. Andres Smith, global patient services medical Director at Sharp Chula Vista and President of Cruz Roja Tijuana, is offering a free online one-hour webinar this coming Wednesday, July 29 starting at 10:00 am.

Dr. Smith will discuss COVID-19 updates for the U.S. and Mexico, including current border status, what to do if exposed or have a positive COVID-19 result, and what to expect when seeking medical care.

For information or to register for the webinar contact Minerva Santos at (858)-499-4962 or email her at Minerva.santos@sharp.com

Support Your Local Locals

When Mexico declared a “public health emergency” in March, all non-essential activities were suspended through May. Then June. Now, perhaps through the summer, in many areas. Many of our local restaurants, places of business, gewgaw dealers, beauticians, etc. are still closed. Sadder still is that many of these establishments may never reopen.

Many of you, myself included, are still hesitant to return to normal – or “new normal,” to resume shopping, travel, and dining out.

There are many ways, however, that you can help keep our local economy alive:

Shop locally. Decrease the number of your cross-border shopping forays, and accept the local varieties of goods and servicers that we often substitute by patronizing Costco, Walmart, Home Depot and other American invasions to our culturally diverse enterprises.

If you are not yet ready to brave the elements and dine out, or prefer preparing your own meals, you can always “pay it forward.” Consider purchasing coupons or gift certificates at your favorite local eateries. This will help to ensure that they will still be around when you are finally ready to de-quarantine yourself.

If possible, keep your home workers employed. If you feel uncomfortable having non-family coming into the home, consider donating to those you employed prior to March.

You can also create “care packages” of food, clothing, educational supplies or other useful items to orphanages or food kitchens.

You can also offer “propinas” to people whose services you normally take advantage of when not in quarantine, like stylists and manicurists.

Always reach out to friends and family. Your weekly poker and game days may have been temporarily suspended, but stay in contact via phone, text, email, or even a Zoom gathering (these have been becoming more and more popular to keep people connected without exposing each other to unnecessary danger).

Many of us are in one or more of the high-risk categories, so it’s best to be prudent rather than reckless when it comes to our health and the health of those loved ones around us.

AMLO Will Approve Constellation Brands Brewery in Mexicali if it Doesn’t Affect Water Supply

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that the water supply must be guaranteed to the population of Baja California before allowing the Constellation Brands brewery to be built; otherwise, the brewery would be canceled.

He explained that the Secretariat of the Environment is reviewing the case and will be responsible for resolving the viability of the project that will have a total investment of 1.6 billion dollars and will generate about 30,000 jobs in the area.

“We have to reconcile, first the health of the people, we cannot leave the people without water. If there are other options with water for the people and water for the company, go ahead; if not, it can’t be done. That is the criterion, but you can do both when you are looking for options,” he said in a morning conference.

López Obrador recalled that the operating permit for the brewery was granted in the last six years, and now it will be up to his administration to resolve it, “of course protecting the people.

Earlier this year, Victor Toledo, head of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), and Blanca Jimenez Cisneros, director of the National Water Commission (Conagua), agreed that the project does not represent any risk of water shortage for the population of Baja California.

The head of Semarnat explained that the installation of the brewery will not have a negative impact on the water supply in this border valley, taking into account that the plant will require 5.8 million cubic meters, which represents a minimum percentage of its annual consumption.

 

With information from: Milenio

Baja California’s Gastronomy Brings Together Top Chefs in Tijuana

Hospitality, good music, flavorings, and gastronomy defined the first edition of Sabor a Tijuana, where 25 international chefs participated and shared their knowledge and culture through their dishes.

“Tijuana tastes like the arms of a mother who extends them to everyone who comes here so that they can do well,” said Miguel Ángel Badiola, president of the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Spiced Foods Industry (CANIRAC).

Chefs from different countries like Spain, Germany, the United States, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Mexico, from some of the top restaurants of the world, that have won Michelin stars and Repsol Suns, participated in the event.

“The fact about these chefs coming to Tijuana for the curiosity of what Baja California represents in the gastronomic field, not just to the local community but the international, it makes us feel proud,” president of Canirac said.

Sabor a Tijuana involved eight months planning with the idea that the participant chefs would be cooking only with local products, also making the biggest aguachile of the world, a paella contest rated by experts from Spain, as well as the laboratory “Metallica Vive la Vaca”, which consisted of roasting meats from different exotic animals.

Another characteristic from this gastronomic meeting was the installation of a 360 kitchen for attendees to witness the complexity of the elaboration of different dishes just like Oscar´s Calleja, head of Annua Restauant (winner of two Michell Stars and two Repsol suns) considered to be one of the driving forces in today´s kitchen.

The main reason for the event is to promote the gastronomic offer of Tijuana, Baja California, Badiola insisted. Also, to promote the goodness of local products, and recalled that Spanish chefs compared the event to Madrid Fusion in Spain, which is held in Europe.

“A dish can convey beauty, happiness, complexity and culture. With that slogan in mind, the festival was created were Tijuana and its gastronomy were the protagonists”, concluded the Canirac president.

Xano Saguer and David Lopez from Spain; Alvaro Clavijo and Harry Sasson from Colombia; Palmiro Ocampo from Peru; Paco Mendez and Berenice Madrigal from Mexico, as well Oscar Calleja from Germany, just to name a few, completed the guest list.

More than 45 stands and food trucks of food, wine, distillates, beer, and souvenirs, as well as conferences and other activities, completed the experience in the esplanade of the Caliente Stadium, which gathered, according to the organizers, more than 15 thousand spectators.

Tony Botella from Spain, added that the particularity of the region makes it enviable to many.

He pointed out that there are ingredients from sea and land, making Baja an endearing part of any chef´s kitchen.

Meanwhile, Michel, one of the attendees at the first edition of Sabor a Tijuana, said: “The attendance was very good, considering that for Tijuanenses these are complicated days because in December they spend a lot; however, I hope that this is not the first and last time of the festival. It has been a very good experience.”

 

In numbers:

  • 8 local chefs
  • 17 international chefs
  • 15 workshops
  • 12 conferences
  • 15,000 attendees

 

SOURCE: Milenio Diario

PHOTO: Sabor a Tijuana Facebook Page

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