LOCAL

Ruidoso officials visit Sister City Puerto Peñasco

Shandra Keesecker-Rivero

Rocky Point 360

Village Councilor John Cornelius displays a plaque given to Ruidoso officials during a Sister Cities visit to Rocky Point, Mexico. He's flanked by Development Director Greg Cory and Village Clerk Irma Devine. Local city and tourism officials stand with them.

Rocky Point, Mexico -- In sharing such characteristics as being tourist areas and having an ebb and flow of residents with second homes, Puerto Peñasco and Ruidoso continue to seek ways to strengthen cultural, tourism, educational, and infrastructure ties under their Sister Cities Agreement signed in April.

At a press conference last Friday, Ruidoso Municipal Clerk Irma Devine, Community Development Director Greg Cory and councilor John Cornelius, noted similarities between Ruidoso and Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, on the Sea of Cortez.

These include having a relatively small full-time population that expands seasonally as thousands of tourists make their way to the area each year. It’s worth noting that while many visit Ruidoso for its mountains and skiing, Puerto Peñasco is the closest beach opportunity to Ruidoso!

Partly due to their fluctuating populations of both Ruidoso and Puerto Peñasco share the challenges of dealing with infrastructure, aging water lines, and meeting the needs of both residents and visitors.

During their lightning visit to Puerto Peñasco, the Ruidoso visitors sought to visit local attractions while also taking time to meet with representatives from the local city administration, members of the Chamber of Commerce, and educational leaders to explore opportunities for cultural, technological, business, and educational exchanges.

Peñasco Economic Development Director Jorge Valdez, along with incoming Tourism Director Luis Altamirano, accompanied the Ruidoso visitors throughout the day as they met with Mayor Kiko Munro and explored the Pinacate Biosphere Reserve.

They also toured hotel/condo complexes and viewed progress on the Home Port, before taking in some of the arts at the weekend’s Cervantino festivities where they were honored with a special recognition.