Guest Comment: Gone to the ‘model city’ in the sky

It was common for Nogales Mayor Ignacio J. Barraza to be pumped and out and about before sunrise, whether it was to get to a radio interview or a meeting out of town. His mantra was “just tell me where to be, what time to be and I’ll be there.”

He set a high standard for himself and he expected no less from city staff. So, when at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Deputy City Manager John E. Kissinger and city spokesman Juan Pablo Guzman were not completely surprised that the mayor was telephoning them to be by his hospital bedside first thing in the morning. Kissinger and Guzman were at University Medical Center in Tucson shortly after 6 a.m. Barraza died less than three hours later.

“Nacho thanked us for our support,” Guzman said. “He also encouraged everyone in Nogales to work tirelessly to make of Nogales a model community. He said he was honored to have served the Nogales community.”

No doubt.

Deep condolences and tremendous credit goes to his mother Jaimina who always supported her son in quiet desperation and in the shadows of public brouhaha. But who, on a few occasions and off the record, confided of her concern for her son’s health in light of the brutal politics that are apt to play out in Nogales.

From the outside, Nacho seemed to hold up well against his critics. Always a good mother, Jaimina knew better.

But alas, Nacho died living out a dream. It’s more than a lot of people can say. He didn’t finish what he started, but as Supervisor Manuel Ruiz said, let’s reach out to whomever fills the power vacuum at city hall and “continue his legacy and help take this community to the next level.”

Barraza was laid to rest Wednesday in a funeral service in Nogales. He was only 38.

Manuel C. Coppola is editor and publisher of the Nogales International.