Dec. 2013 “Published Monthly for SEAGO Member Entities, our Strategic Partners & everyone interested in Southeastern Arizona” Vol. 3, No. 12 Newsletter Spon- sorship Opportuni- ties Available! CLICK HERE for details. January Newsletter sponsor: Copper Queen Community Hospital He was husband, father, un- cle and friend, and so much more. Under his leadership Cliſton, Az unshackled itself from negativity. John Decker embraced all things good about Greenlee County, the Greenlee County Tourism Council, the Growing Green- lee economic development strategy and the promotion of Cliſton by focusing on prog- ress such as on Chase Creek. While we did lose a giant who served on the SEAGO Executive Board, his legacy is in tact. From one end of town to the other Mayor Decker leſt his positive mark, he supported the Cliſton Visitor’s Center and worked on the Historic Train Depot with his own two hands, he helped push through the purchase of a street sweeper, supported the first ever Colors of Copper Art Show, and he worked tire- lessly promoting Cliſton and Greenlee County. ere is a new star in the heavens above, it shines with the smile that belonged only to John Decker. Among the awards and certificates along the walls of the SEAGO Main offices visitors stop and stare at the brilliant colors and intri- cate details of the photographic stylings of artist Marjean Happe. e Unexpected SEAGO Art Gallery is just one of the reasons to visit the SEAGO offices located at 1403 West Highway 92 in Bisbee. Art for the sake of beauty Clifton Mayor Leaves Legacy Greenlee County population rises to 10,913, Cliſton reaches 4339 and Duncan grows to 869.
Transcript
Dec. 2013 “Published Monthly for SEAGO Member Entities, our Strategic Partners & everyone interested in Southeastern Arizona” Vol. 3, No. 12
Newsletter Spon-
sorship Opportuni-
ties Available!
CLICK HERE for
details.
January Newsletter sponsor:Copper QueenCommunity
Hospital
He was husband, father, un-cle and friend, and so much more. Under his leadership Clifton, Az unshackled itself from negativity. John Decker embraced all things good about Greenlee County, the Greenlee County Tourism Council, the Growing Green-lee economic development strategy and the promotion of Clifton by focusing on prog-ress such as on Chase Creek.
While we did lose a giant who served on the SEAGO Executive Board, his legacy is in tact. From one end of town to the other Mayor Decker
left his positive mark, he supported the Clifton Visitor’s Center and worked on the Historic Train Depot with his own two hands, he helped push through the purchase of a street sweeper, supported the first ever Colors of Copper Art
Show, and he worked tire-lessly promoting Clifton and Greenlee County.
There is a new star in the heavens above, it shines with the smile that belonged only to John Decker.
Among the awards and certificates along the walls of the SEAGO Main offices visitors stop and stare at the brilliant colors and intri-cate details of the photographic stylings of artist Marjean Happe. The Unexpected SEAGO Art Gallery is just one of the reasons to visit the SEAGO offices located at 1403 West Highway 92 in Bisbee.
Art for the sake of beautyClifton Mayor Leaves Legacy
A’kos Kovach, publisher and editorMargaret Dillard, copy/graphics editor
Items for publication are welcomed from SEAGO member entities and strategic partners. Copy must be submitted at
least 7 business days priorto the end of each month.
Letter to the Editor
When distributing the last few drafts of our July 1, 2013 population estimates, I told you that we were still working on Greenlee County and resolving some small differences with MAG for places in Maricopa County. We now have updated estimates for both counties. The upward adjustment for Greenlee County is a lot larger than I had anticipated, but it is supported by detailed housing units and occupancy information. It is also consistent with the hiring of more than 2,000 employees and contractors by Freeport McMoRan in the past couple of years. My thanks to those at SEAGO, Greenlee County, the Town of Clifton, and Freeport McMoRan who helped collect additional housing and population data. If you have any comments or questions, please let me know.. Thanks, Jim Qigui "Jim" Chang, Ph.D., State Demographer Office of Employment & Population Statistics Arizona Department of Administration
SEAGO has hired Cheryl Car-ty for its part-time Office Assistant position within its Area Agency on Aging depart-ment. Ms. Carty comes with many
years of experience in administrative du-ties. With a degree in English from New Mexico State University, her skills also encompass writing, research, editing, and graphic design. She lives in Sierra Vista where she enjoys writing and has a new up and coming travel blog - which she is very enthusiastic about!
SEAGO’s newest em-ployee: Cheryl Carty
Bisbee Chamber seeks new Executive Director The Executive Director has the overall
responsibility for the complete operation of the Chamber as it involves program, planning and operations, working under policy guidelines of the Board of Directors and acting in accordance with the poli-cies, procedures and bylaws of the Cham-
ber. The Executive Director is responsible to the Board for the full range of activi-ties: coordination of the program of work; organizational structure and procedures; motivation of volunteers; income and ex-penditures; maintenance of membership; employment, training and supervision of staff; interpretation of policy; maintenance of quarters; and long-range planning.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:EDUCATIONBachelor’s degree in business or related
field.EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS RE-
QUIREDAt least two years of experience in a
Chamber of Commerce or closely related environment which includes the following
skills and abilities Demonstrates a sense of vision for the mission of the corporation
Extensive knowledge of state and local government operations including the vari-ous legislative processes
CLICK HERE to read the full job description
Job seekers, would you like to find several jobs that fit your skills all in one place? Here is a terrific regional resource offered by Arizona Workforce Connection-Graham & Greenlee One Stops http://www.careeronestop.org/RED For further assistance or additional infor-mation contact: Kimberly Termain Business Developer/Outreach Coordinator Arizona Workforce Connection Graham & Greenlee One Stops Email: [email protected] Website: www.seazworkforce.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/AWCGG 1910 Thatcher Blvd. • Safford, AZ 85546 Phone: (928) 432-6932 ext: 302 300 N. Coronado Blvd. (Mail: PO Box 816) Clifton, AZ 85533
Dec. 7 - Willcox Christmas Apple Festi-val, 10 am to 4 pm Saturday. Events include a country crafts festival featuring hand-crafted arts and crafts and quality repro-ductions. Entertainment, door prizes and lots of fun.
Dec. 7 - Santa Fly-in, 9:00 am at ACE Hardware Parking Area, Sierra Vista. Sierra Vista Christmas Light Parade, 5:30 pm. Bundle up and watch us light up Fry Blvd! More than 80 entries. For info, (520 458-6940 or visit www.sierravistachamber.org
Dec. 7 - Clifton Festival of Lights, 5:30.Dec. 7 & 8 - Performance by Juni Fisher,
Folklore Preserve, 56 E. Folklore Trial, Si-erra Vista. Award-winning Western Art-ist Juni Fisher, Western Music Association 2009 Female Performer of the Year. Her al-bum “Gone for Colorado” has been award-ed a Western Heritage Wrangler Award by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City AND is the Western Music Association 2009 Album of the Year . For information, visit, arizo-nafolklore.com or call: (520)378-6165
Dec. 7 - Cowbelle Annual Bake Sale, Craft Sale and White Elephant Sale, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Crafts, clothes, house-hold items, pies, cookies, fudge and treats. Christmas stocking gifts. Raffle tickets $1 or 6 for $5. Cowbelle Hall on 10th Street & Pan America in Douglas.
Dec. 12 - View moon craters, and more. 6:15 pm, at Patterson Observatory, 1140 N. Colombo on the University of Arizona Campus in Sierra Vista just east of Cochise College. This event is free to all but dona-tions to the University South Foundation, which owns the observatory,will be grate-fully accepted.
Dec. 14 - Christmas on Main Street in Benson, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Street vendors, local entertainment and the Saint David High School Choir, tree lighting and a visit from Santa.
Dec. 14 - Duncan Festival of Lights, just after sundown.
Dec. 14 & 15 - “Let There Be Peace,” a presentation by Bisbee Community Chorus with the Lady Puma Singers. 12/14, 7 pm
and 12/15, 3 pm Donation requested: $10 per adult at the door.
Dec. 14 - Bisbee After 5 is a monthly art-walk that occurs on the Second Saturday of each month in Old Bisbee, Arizona. Over 20 galleries, shops, and restaurants stay open late, until 8 p.m. Come for the artists’ receptions, live entertainment, special pro-motions, and free raffle.
Dec. 15 - Holiday Tour of Historic Homes of Ft. Huachuca, 1:00 pm to 5:00
pm. Visit turn-of-the-century homes, still occupied by officers, on the National His-toric Landmark District of Fort Huachuca. These homes are beautifully decorated for the holiday season. $10-$12 per person.
Dec. 21 - Douglas On Ice Christmas Ice Skating Event, all day. Meet Santa 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, Ice Skating 10 am to 6:00 pm, Teen Ice Skating 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Placita Park in front of the Gadsden Hotel. For in-formation contact The City of Douglas Rec-reation Department at [email protected] or call (520) 417-7340
Clifton 17th AnnualChristmas Festival of Lights
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013Historic Chase Creek
Schedule of Events: Master of Ceremonies – Dale Thompson, “Disco Dale” Noon - Opening Ceremonies:American Legion Color Guard American Legion Women’s Auxiliary Kaleb Nabor – Musical NumberPresentation of the Festival Grand Marshals;World War II veteransClifton Social Club – facility open to the publicVendors open for businessFestival of Lights Mini Raffles-all day, night;winners need not be present to win- Noon - Horseshoe Tourney – Contact Carlos Mesa or Aaron NaborNoon-5 p.m.- Greenlee County Historical Society Open House w/refreshments Galleria Coronado “Center for the Arts” opens
Children’s ActivitiesWrist band fee $5.00 per childBounce Around features: 5&1 Sports Arena w/slide; 3 Lane Bungee; Joust Arena; 20x20 Sesame Street Adventure & Caterpillar Obstacle: Chase Creek Christmas Train Rides; Face Painting Art & Balloon Art by Trish Crum; 12:30 p.m. - Sacred Heart Choir1-4 p.m. - Craft site open1 p.m. - First Assembly of God - Children’s Bell Choir1:30 p.m. - Small dog-Chihuahua Races – Contact Ed NaborFestival of Lights Committee – Cake Walk Round 1- $1 per chance2 p.m. - Santa Claus makes his annual visit to the Festival Site!!! - Basket Ball Throw Contest – Contact Ed Nabor2:30 p.m. - MHS Pride Band 3:00 p.m. - Best Holiday Dressed Pooch Con-test3:30 p.m. - Festival of Lights Committee – Cake Walk Round 2- 4 p.m. Morenci High School Choir5 p.m. - Ugly Sweater Contest – Contact Ed Nabor5:30 p.m. - Vicky Murillo, Soloist- Festival of Lights Committee – Cake Walk Round 3- 6 p.m. -Festival of Lights-sponsored raffle Grand Prize drawing6:30 p.m. Festival of Lights Parade- “A Candy Land Christmas” 8 p.m. - Clifton Social Club DanceActivities and schedule subject to change.
MURAL RESTORATION - CON-GRATULATIONS DUNCAN PRIDE SO-CIETY!!! Doug Barlow, chair, of the Historic Mu-ral Restoration announced that monies raised to restore the mu-ral are now over $24 ,000 .00! ! ! ! Thank you Doug, Duncan Pride Society and each of you that donated and all the Duncan High School classes that donated! This will be an on-going fund raiser, as the budget will include advertising to bring people to Duncan. We will advertise all local attrac-tions which will include tours of the mu-ral and the Empie paintings owned by the Methodist Church. For those of you that don’t know, this is the 6’x 30’ mural titled
“Greenlee” that hangs in the DHS cafeteria. This original oil painting was completed for
the school in 1953 by Hal Empie. It is on one single piece of hand-stretched linen supported by homemade stretch-er bars. It shows the history of Greenlee County with over 40 life-size figures. At the time the painting was un-veiled, there were over 300 people from all over the
state to see it. Arizona Republic stated then that it was largest mural on one single piece of canvas in the southwest. This is a one-of-a-kind piece that is owned by the Duncan Schools... This restoration will last another 60+ years!! Donations can be made to the Duncan Pride Society 938-215-1641
by Dianne Vandell
Unique holiday shopping in Cochise County
The frenzy of holiday shopping is com-ing. Visitors can head to Cochise County to get away from cookie cutter stores and shop at local merchants and galleries. Here’s a taste of just some of Cochise County’s unique gifts and shopping experiences.
Amerind Museum & Amerind Museum Store (c) Amerind Museum
After touring the exhibits at the Amerind Museum in Dragoon, stop in the museum store (pictured at right). The staff prides it-self on its collection of authentic, museum-quality American Indian made arts and crafts. Their selection of Native American art and handcrafted items includes Tohono O’odham and Tarahumara baskets, Navajo weavings, Navajo and Zuni jewelry, and Pueblo and Mata Ortiz pottery.
Visit the Amerind Museum website for more information and directions. http://www.amerind.org/
Singing Wind Bookshop, Benson, Ari-zona
It was her granddaughter’s bedroom. She had always wanted a book shop, and this was how it all started. Today, shelves and shelves of books have almost taken over her home – or a good part of it – which is lo-cated on a working ranch.
Owner Winifred “Winn” Bundy opens her home on a daily basis and welcomes strangers into her Singing Wind Bookshop. She has a vast collection of books includ-ing history of Arizona and the Southwest. If you’re looking for something special, ask Winn where it is. She knows every detail of
CLICK HERE to read more ...
by Luanne Mattson |ExploreCochise.com
The story of the Arizona Folklore Pre-serve is the story of a dream-come-true for Mr. Dolan Ellis, Arizona’s Official State Balladeer. Dolan wanted a place where the songs and stories celebrating Arizona and our western heritage and culture could be performed and preserved.
Originally Dolan thought this center should be located in Fountain Hills, near Phoenix. However in 1990 he and his for-mer wife Rose visited southeastern Arizo-na’s Huachuca Mountains. They fell in love with this beautiful area, rich in history and folklore, and subsequently bought 15 acres in Ramsey Canyon.
Dolan founded the Arizona Folklore Pre-serve, and in June, 1996, started perform-ing at the Moffett House, a small 1920s ranch house located on their property. The tiny Moffett House Theater accommodated an audience of at most 30 closely-packed patrons.
In 2000 Dolan joined with the University of Arizona South to build his dream, the current Folklore Center with its state-of-the-art theater. The new building opened on Mothers’ Day, 2001, and is located on 4 of the original 15 acres. Dolan’s partner-ship with the University of Arizona South ensures the Arizona Folklore Preserve will continue to exist far into the future.
Artist-in-Residence Dolan Ellis performs at the Arizona Folklore Preserve one week-end a month. Guest artists entertain at Pre-serve shows the remaining weekends.
For information, visit, arizonafolklore.com or call: (520)378-6165
Folklore Preserve is one of Cochise County’ s hidden treasures
It amazes me how many times I hear people say that they are waiting for the right moment to start living their dreams and then they sit around for months, years, sometimes decades… and then nothing happens.
My friends who have children tell me that there is never a perfect time to have them. You just decide to have kids and then move forward. The same goes for change. There is never a perfect time for change either. You just go for it with everything you have, whether the circumstances are right or not.
Self-actualization is not effortless and it takes courage to embrace it. Success is not a straight line as many imagine; it’s rather complicated and sometimes downright difficult. No wonder many people are afraid of it. If you shoot for excellence in one area, it’s likely that other areas of your life will have to change too.
Also, once you start excelling, some people who are not on a committed journey of success like you are, might feel left behind, and therefore start resenting you, or making you feel guilty for your achievements. While it’s true that the higher you go the better the view, it’s also true that the higher you go the smaller the crowd. Some people just won’t be able to keep up with you… CLICK HERE to read more ...
How to Live Your Dream Life by Klaudia Kovacs
The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPS) Cooperative Agreement Program provides funding for eligible applicants for projects that address local environmental and public health issues within an affected community. The CPS program is designed to help communities understand and address exposure to multiple environmental harms and risks. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and federally tribal governments. The RFP closes on February 18, 2014.
For more information, please visit the following website http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-cps-grants.html
GRANTS
Program offers free phones for low-income residents
Leticia Valenzuela emerged from a tent on Mariposa Road with a smile, having just received a free phone that she can use to call her daughter when she heads out of town for school.
Under the tent, the 40-year-old Nogales resident, who can’t afford long-distance ser-vice at her home, qualified for a free phone through the Lifeline program, which uses fees levied on phone companies to provide universal access to phone service for low-income people.
Valenzuela wasn’t the only one lining up outside the StandUP Wireless tent in front of the Exquisito restaurant on Nov. 13. More than a dozen other people were wait-ing to see if they met the requirements.
by Curt Prendergast |Nogales International
Forgash House presses on with new director by Derek Jordan | Sierra Vista Herald
Two months into her new job as the di-rector of domestic violence services for Catholic Community Services of South-eastern Arizona, Christian Geye has em-barked on a mission to improve and expand the capabilities of area family shelters, de-spite reduced funding.
Geye has had little time to acclimate her-self to the drastic changes in how such shel-ters operate in southern Arizona compared to Washington State, where she previously worked.
“Washington State has one of the highest levels of unemployment benefits. They have really great VA benefits, and one of the oth-er things they do is they have a program for displaced homemakers,” she said recently from her office in the Forgach House in Si-erra Vista. “There’s not a program like that here in Arizona that I’ve found.”
What that means for area shelters, she has learned, is that their ability to assist their clients stems not from financial assis-CLICK HERE to read more ...
Arizona Workforce Connection One Stop Career Centers
CLICK HERE to read more
One-Stops connects employment, train-ing and education services into a coherent network of resources from the local, state and national levels. Customers are now able to locate a variety of employment-re-lated information, services, and programs through a convenient single point of access. The Cochise County One Stop Career Cen-ter delivery system is designed to be user-friendly and responsive, offering customers a choice in how and where they can find the information they need, including access to the Internet.
SE Arizona Workforce Connection is your connection to prospective employees,
businesses and vital community resources in Cochise County, Graham County and Greenlee County. We are dedicated to help-ing the economy by helping job seekers pre-pare to work and provide businesses with highly trained employees.
The SE Arizona Workforce Connection team promotes and supports a workforce system that offers employers, workers and communities across Cochise County amd Graham and Greenlee Counties workforce solutions that achieve and sustain econom-ic prosperity.
12/19, 1/16, 2/20, 3/20 . Tours begin in the US around 9am, and end at La Roca Restaurant in Nogales, Son. around 3-3:30. Tours end with a short presentation by the US Consul or the director of Economic Development for Nogales Sonora. Questions? Download our Cross Border Tour informa-tional sheet HERE. To register, please call Pat at Santa Cruz Community Foundation 520-761-4531 or email: [email protected].
After a four-year hiatus, the Sierra Vista Teen Center opened its doors on Novem-ber 2 giving teens a space that is truly their own.
Economic downturn and a deteriorating building forced the City to close the Youth Center in Veterans’ Memorial Park in 2009, leaving a recreational void for teens—the first in 25 years.
Although plans for a $6.5 million state-of-the-art facility were finalized in 2009, continued decline in City revenues has postponed construction.
After the closure, the community spoke out, especially during the 2013 Dream Your City project, about the lack of activities for youth—and specifically the need for a
youth center in the com-munity.
The City Council lis-tened and set out to open a temporary youth center in their 2011 strategic plan. After evaluating a variety of options, the best and most affordable solution was to lease a portion of a building owned by the Si-erra Vista Unified School District adjacent to Veter-
ans’ Park. This central and safe location is close to schools, the Cove, Veterans’ Park, and public transportation, making it easy for teens to access.
The City’s Youth Commission and 7-8th grade students at Joyce Clark Middle School have been an important part of the Teen Center planning process. With the youths’ feeback, the completely redesigned space incorporates many teen-friendly features, like an arcade and space just to hang out. At their request, the name was even changed from “Youth Center” to “Teen Center” to better reflect the segment of population the facility serves. CLICK HERE to read more ...
Sierra Vista Teen Center
As online holiday shopping continues to grow in popularity, it is becoming more and more important for folks to ensure there information is secured when making purchases online. All it takes is one mishap for hackers to obtain your information.”
Take these simple steps:• Secure your computer and mobile
devices. Be sure your computer and mobile devices are current with all operating system and application software updates. Anti-virus and anti-spyware software should be in-stalled, running, and receiving auto-matic updates.
• Ensure you use a strong password and unique password, which is not used for any other accounts. Set a timeout that requires authentication after a period of inactivity.
• Use mobile applications with cau-tion. Update all apps when notified
and disable Bluetooth and Near Field Communications when not in use to reduce the risk of your data-such as credit card number-being intercepted by a nearby device.
• Know your online merchants. Limit online shopping to merchants you know and trust. Only go to sites by directly typing the URL in the ad-dress bar. If you are unsure about a merchant, check with the Bet-ter Business Bureau or the Federal Trade Commission. Confirm the online seller’s contact information in case you have questions or problems.
• Consider using an online payment system or credit card. Where avail-able, you may want to use online payment services such as Pay Pal, which keep your credit card infor-mation stored on a secure server,
The City of Sierra Vista/SEAGO Hous-ing Rehabilitation program is looking for homeowners who would like to have their homes brought up to city code, including making home repairs. Qualification is sim-ple: the home MUST BE owner occupied. Maximum Grant amount is $50,000. If a home cannot be brought up to code and requested repairs completed for $50,000, the homeowner cannot be approved for assistance. By accepting this assistance a 10-15 year forgivable lien will be placed on the property based on the total amount used. This lien is necessary in case the homeowner decides to sell their home just to profit from this program. But for those truly interested in fixing up their place of residence, replacing windows, etc., this is a great program. Funds are available now for at least two homes. For more information contact Julie at 520/432-5301, ext. 203 or [email protected].
Sierra Vista/SEAGO RehabilitationProgramby Julie Packer
