Basura, basura, basura! It seems to be the most-mentioned topic nowadays by the media and people in general. It’s as if we don’t know what to do to solve the problem of the careless disposal of our waste.

Creating laws the municipal authorities themselves don’t observe hasn’t worked. And carrying out clean-up campaigns only leaves the participants with a short-lived satisfaction, because they know the place will be just as dirty the following week.

Yes, cleaning up the median along the Sabalo Cerritos Avenue worked - but only because it was closed to the public afterwards. Does this mean all public areas we want to keep clean must remain off-limits to Mazatlecos because we’re so uneducated and have such bad habits? No, not at all. The solution is simple, if only the local authorities would put some energy into it.

It All Started When: At age 5, Mazatlan native Jason Leos was given an ultimatum by his mother, a gospel singer: Learning to play an instrument was not an option – it was a rule. “You have to play something,” she said. Jason started with the piano. His younger brother and older sister are musicians, too.

In just a few years, this tiny non-profit has made a huge difference to Mazatlan’s historic area