The Alamos Presidente Victor Balderrama and his delegation were in town last week. He and I attended a Thursday morning meeting with the Mexican Consulate of Phoenix, the new representative of the Sonoran governor at the State Capitol and several key Consulate staff members. The Alamos Mayor briefed them on our SSC relationship and activities.
We also met with Scottsdale Mayor Ortega in an afternoon meeting at the Mayor's office. We were able to introduce several of the exhibiting Alamos artists, who went on to have a successful opening reception that evening 4/7 at the Alamos Art Exhibition at the Phoenix Mexican Consulate, 320 E. McDowell. The exhibit will be up in their third floor gallery until the end of this month.
The Alamos Culture Director and Director of Tourism were able to tour Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West. We are planning to approach the museum on the multi-cultural aspect of partnering to tell the story of Mexico and the American Southwest through the stories of Alamos. Some families from Alamos joined the Anza expedition that settled Los Angeles and San Francisco. We have many things in common: mining in Sonora and Arizona, indigenous people and their cultures and the influences of Mexican culture in the west.
Friday evening, the delegation were exposed to "the Nayo Jones Experience" in concert at the Tempe Center for the Arts. We are hoping to have Nayo play at next year's Alamos Jazz Festival.
The Scottsdale Fire Department is donating surplus fire equipment, including 20 refurbished fire turnout suits and the Alamos Fire Chief hopes to pick up the equipment by the end of April. - by Bob Rink, Alamos Chairman
