San Pancho, Nayarit - Clean-Ups
By Elvia and Geno Lamphiear
15 years ago San Pancho was a small village where some of the basic essential services did not exist - we did not even have garbage collection. It was very common to see garbage thrown everywhere. Backyards were a huge dumps - streets strewn with litter - parks, rivers, the beach and the jungle itself were dumps. We were literally swimming in garbage! We started the journey back then when, little by little, we removed the garbage from these places and San Pancho became one of the cleanest towns in the county!
 After finishing this enormous task, we organized clean-ups once a month with the children of the town. We chose working with the children because, sad to say, the older residents were pretty much set in their ways. These clean-ups went hand-in-hand with environmental classes to raise the childrens' awareness of the wild life and how we interact and effect each other as a whole.
To this day clean-ups are still performed. We have come a long ways and we even have garbage service three times a week!! San Pancho is now a very clean pueblo. We still have some issues (what town doesn't) but we are working on them. This week ten signs are to be put up to invite people not to throw garbage on our beautiful streets, beach, jungle or rivers. This signs are sponsored by Grupo Ecologico supporters and donors. Frank Smith and my wife, Elvia Garcia Palomera, have played a major roll in all of the above. Elvia organizing it and working it - and Frank working as well and also providing the funding for the expenses. Meals, drinks and then group t-shirts raffled away to the children at these clean-ups are used as motivational tools for the children to participate and to be proud of what they are doing. And - a good time is had by all!!!
Like everywhere, people need leadership. If leadership is not there, then nothing will happen. We believe that strongly. San Pancho is looking beautiful thanks to such leadership - and right now we are on the move to make it even more beautiful!
The rains are pretty much over, but we might get a couple of storms in November (we'll see). This is the time of the year when we go from mud to dust. We love it. It is green and bright. The small brooks are running - and talking about dust and cleaning. the main street is going to be all swept up to avoid all the dust from the horses and cars!!
A lot of good things are happening in San Pancho. A lot of very nice people are moving in and most of them are environmentally oriented. More and more people are jumping in to help make San Pancho a clean place to live!
On another note - there are rumors of Italian restaurants coming and a whole lot more. we will keep you informed in future articles!
Elvia & Geno Lamphiear
genolamhiear@hotmail.com
* This information is provide by María Elvia Garcia Palomera & Geno Lamphier, owners of Calandria Realty in San Francisco [San Pancho], Nayarit, Mexico
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