editor: fred Miller August 28,2021 # 36 8/2022
Hello,
Welcome to Oregon...are you dry yet? The San Pedro is looking like a river, a small and muddy one, but nevertheless...Hopefully a couple inches added to the aquifer.
I've got a heavy heart because Gene Connors passed away last week. Gene was a good man that cared about the Bisbee community. As a councilperson he ably represented District 1 and among other things, introduced Bisbee's ordinance to legalize same sex marriage.
An alert reader mentioned there is another organization that provides the structure for you to write to prospective voters. https://postcardstovoters.org is a very efficient way to be active. Thanks to JD.
The Herald Review has been featuring Bisbee peeps and businesses a lot lately. Give a read below to the six noted. And I hope you support both our local papers; the HR, which has a digital sub sale going on, and the Observer cause you know the police beat notes are worth a buck just by themselves.
We have been in and out of Tucson for the past couple of months so the Wire has been a bit more sporadic. A combo of med vizs and family. We visited the desert museum-gotta go if you haven't; the Sculptures at the Jewsish Community Center-treat yourself to some amazing work; and Sabino Canyon Tram-a most impressive desert canyon site, although it is high water and the tour is a bit shortened, but still achy beautiful. The sunsets were gorgeoso.
fred
BISBEE STUFF
THE END IS NIGH FOR BISBEE OFFICE SUPPLY A sign on the door announced the closing at the end of August. &&&&&&&&&& NEW-2-U...CLOSED-2-U They be closed. Rumor has it a restaurant or another second/third/fourth/fifth hand store will be opening in the space adjacent to Mornings Cafe. &&&&&&&&&& WATER DEFENDERS SUCCESSFULLY DEFEND THEMSELVES Arizona Water Defenders' petitions for getting the Douglas Basin AMA on the ballot were challenged in court by two women. Judge Laura Cardinal ruled against the challengers and dismissed their complaints. The two female challengers that didn't live in the proposed AMA, were beyond the deadline for submitting their complaints Acting as their own lawyer, they clearly didn't understand the process of verifying signatures. As someone once noted "The woman who is their own lawyer has a fool for a client." AWD was represented pro bono by John MacKinnon. &&&&&&&&&& If you have an abundance of veggies in your garden, you can make a few shekels by giving it to the Saturday Market to sell and splitting the dough with them. Ana Borrajo, the all things food woman, is coordinating your goodies. Contact her at 520 236-8469 or anaseasonalkitchen@gmail.com &&&&&&&&&& STUDENT LOAN? Use this calculator to see if you are forgiven... https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2022/calculator-student-loan-debt-forgiveness/?utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere_trending_now&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert&location=alertBISBEE IN THE NOOZ An AZ Republic article detailing some of the history of community activist Kathy Sowden.
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Best Ghost Tour...Vote now! Vote often! There are only days left to vote for the best ghost tour according to USA Today.
https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-ghost-tour-2022/old-bisbee-ghost-tour-bisbee-ariz/?fbclid=IwAR1Gai1QWWN406QcE3R_LqEdMkuwSRfRpa6AXfh32UOnTANVCet9zG-BrqE .............. Hitching Post https://nabur.myheraldreview.com/post/hitching-post-62ffc6f2af0f0f35b53fb98b?utm_source=Sendgrid&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=SendgridAutomaticNotification .............. Killer Bee https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/cochise_county/bee-attack-in-sunsites-leaves-two-hospitalized-firefighters-injured/article_a06cb73e-1da5-11ed-902e-ab10d63a89af.html
.......... Los Tachos https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/bisbee/after-a-two-year-hiatus-los-tachos-is-back-and-busy/article_5e7ffac0-129c-11ed-adfe-ebb42e445951.html ......... Los Hermanos https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/bisbee/los-hermanos-carving-a-niche-with-top-shelf-mexican-cuisine/article_5828475e-11a7-11ed-82a4-a3ad5b57f3f3.html ......... Sense of Place Gallery and Greenhouse https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/bisbee/get-beautifully-framed-at-sense-of-place/article_c47a3b6e-12b1-11ed-b013-0b674500b22c.html .......... Artemzia Gallery and Foundation https://nabur.myheraldreview.com/post/artemizia-foundation-6301190c832fc06eb80acee0?utm_source=Sendgrid&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=SendgridAutomaticNotification .......... Mariposa Studio The wonderous Gretchen Baer and the lustrous Linda Santellanes talk about what, why, and how they do the art on the Mexican side of the wall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-81FNFreTw &&&&&&&&&& FREE ACCOUNTING CLASS
CC biz development is hosting a short class about accounting basics. If you are a sole owner or starting a biz, take this, it will save you headaches.
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DEVICE ADVICE
The library continues to have solid usable programs for us. This one is for peeps that would like to have more familiarity of their devices; smartphones, tablets, laptops. Questions answered by Donald Rimer. Tuesday August 30th 5-6:30. Contact Alison for more info; awilliams@bisbee.gov
&&&&&&&&&& BISBEE DISTRICTS ELIGIBLE FOR BLOCK GRANTS the Arizona Department of Housing has added two new Colonias to their list: Zacatecas Canyon and the Saginaw neighborhood of Bisbee. These new Colonias join Bakerville and Tintown as eligible to participate in the Colonias Set-Aside, a bi-annual competitive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding round. the City of Bisbee will seek Colonias funds for an owner-occupied housing rehabilitation pilot program in Saginaw. The first of two required Public Hearings on the matterwill take place at 7pm on Tuesday, August 30 th at 915 S. Tovreaville Road. Contact CoB or SEAGO for more info, &&&&&&&&&&
CLASS ACTION CLAIMS THAT MAY AFFECT YOU
There are several class action claims going on. This site gives most of them, keep scrolling down to reveal details. All have specifications as to who is eligible and deadlines to be included. These are active now:
Capitol One data breach; AT&T overcharge, T-Mobile data breach; Monsanto/Roundup risk when buying; Facebook like button 2010/2011; Apple.
Go here for details:
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SIGN UP TO SEND AZ SWING DISTRICT POSTCARDS
You can do this at home, it is not difficult, you are actually doing something. Quick messages to registered voters.
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OBSERVATION OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COUNTRIES
Kate, she of the superb hats, and Grady, he of the Step Up org, have done some serious traveling. Their latest trek was three months this summer in Portugal and Spain. They were struck by some interesting difference between those countries and ours.This is a short list...
1. No beef jerky in the stores.
2. Almost no homeless people. Really, I think we counted less than ten even in the big cities we visited such as Lisbon, Barcelona, and Madrid.
3. No gun violence. Portugal is the third safest country behind Iceland and New Zealand.
4. I only saw one golf course in all our travels.
5. Almost no full-sized pickup trucks. There are some trucks but they are very small.
6.. The beds have a bottom sheet but no top sheet. Instead, on top is a comforter.
7. I never saw any R.V. parks.
8. We never saw any massive RVs. The kind that gets 8 miles to the gallon. We call them, "Trump mobiles."
9. Almost all of the cars are stick shift.
10. Most of the coffee is strong and served in doll house-size cups. To get a larger cup of coffee, you ask for an "Americana coffee."
11. Restaurants usually open late, around 8 P.M.
12. We saw very few travel trailers and the ones we saw were pulled by sedans.
13. Almost no billboards on the roads.
14. We didn't see any crows.
15. We didn't see any buzzards.
16. I never saw a lumber yard. Most of the buildings are made of masonry.
17. Female bathing suits must be really cheap because most are made from about one square inch of fabric.
18. The highways are very clean. Almost no litter.
19. Lots of police in Barcelona drive Prius cars.
20. We did not see any thrift stores. I could not figure out why this is.
21. I did not see any squirrels
22. Most grocery stores have pig legs hanging from racks. The longer they have been hanging, the more expensive they are.
23. All the hotels and Airbnbs we stayed at have mini-splits for heating and cooling.
24. All the Airbnbs have induction stoves. We plan to get one because they have amazing features.
25. None of the windows have screens on them and no one has screen doors. There were not a lot of bugs but flies were somewhat bothersome.
26. In Portugal, if you are caught possessing dangerous drugs, you are sent to a recovery house and counseling, not to prison.
27. I talked to a young lady who was attending Portugal's best university. Her tuition was $2,000 a year! Her future graduate work would cost her $6,000 a year.
28 Everyone we talked to was sickened by the fact that Trump is so popular. Their view of the U.S. before Trump was a nation of rational, science-orientated, educated, forward-thinking citizens, the "Shining Light on the Hill." but now they are applied to see so many mean-spirited, racist, violent, climate-denier, uneducated low-lifers oozing out of the swamps. They all have great fear for the future of our country.
BISBEE ECONOMY
COCHISE COUNTY ECON STATS
If you are interested in the numbers behind most economic decisions made by cities and Cochise County, this is the place to go. I sometimes use their stats.
Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group (SAEDG) provides economic stats for businesses, non-profits, government, and individuals. https://cochiseeconomy.com/. It is a membership organization, however much of their data is available for non-members.
On the SAEDG website there is a wealth of economic statistics primarily about Cochise County and individual cities. In addition to weekly or monthly press releases detailing information about unemployment, wages, and sales tax, there is census information, community asset inventories, and statistical tracking of major county industries.
Much of the numbers work seems to be subcontracted to US Economics Research, a company owned by Robert Carreira, former director of Cochise College’s Center for Economic Research.
There are various funding levels for membership. A list of participating members is here: https://saedg.org/our-members. The board of directors can be found here: https://saedg.org/board-of-directors
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The national housing crunch has eased somewhat due to higher interest rates, however not much has been said about the competition for those existing houses. It would be interesting to know those stats for Bisbee although I suspect they are relatively low but quién sabe?....read here:
"With swathes of the United States in the midst of a housing crisis, it’s become harder for potential home buyers to compete with the oceans of capital vying for the very same properties. In 2021, a third of house sales in the United States were to buyers who did not actually plan to live in them. Over 5 percent of houses sold in the United States were straight-up flips, where a buyer gets a property and installs upgrades and improvements with the intention of selling the property again at a significant premium. A quarter of single-family home sales were to investors and landlords who want to rent out the property and not actually live in them. In the first quarter of this year, the flip rate was about 10 percent. "
Amanda Mull, The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/08/hgtv-flipping-houses-cheap-redesign/671187/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& HOUSES SOLD Ten houses were sold in July. 5/Warren, 4/San Jose, 1/OB. Down from the very active market in the last two years save for February/22 & Jan/21. And the total price $1,1764,875 was the lowest in the last 23 months. Por Que? Could be the rise of interest rates, could be fewer houses on the market, could be the weather, or ???? location ask/sold 940 W. Helen $112,500 307 Van Dyke $125,000/$117,00 400 Headstart Way $125,000 1231 S. Rio Vista $159,000/$150,000 221 Van Dyke $189,500 308 310 Mill Rd $199,,000 218A Ok $219,000/4205,000 227 Adsit $210,000 101 San Jose Dr. $229,000/$225,000 511 Mance $275,000/$250,000 .............. BUILDING PERMITS Permits for July totaled $436,667 with 25 residential permits of $270,540. They continue to follow the sales as new buyers and other residents, upgrade, fix, patch, and replace. There were no new build permits, but $166k of commercial activity. .............. SALES TAX (date is from actual sale two months prior) Too weird, hotel and bed taxes fell off the table in May. I dunno what happened because while not a strong month it usually is better than this. However, the 5% bed tax was $43k less than March. And the hotel tax was about $30k less. Restaurant/bar sales were down about $15k, although retail sales were up $5k and groceries up about $10k. Perhaps inflation was beginning to take a real hold and peeps where holding on to their money and staying home more. We'll see what happens in June sales. ........... ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION Borderlands Tarots LLC 302 Campbell Juliet Beaument Michelle Owens Digital Bisbee LLC Copper Queen Plaza, 2 Main St. Alisia Espirti 203A Bisbee Road LLC 203A Bisbee Road Michael Byrd AUCTIONS 2603 S. Swan Rd Bisbee October 18, 2022 11 am Cochise County Courthouse 203 Bisbee Rd. Unit G December 2, 2022 10 am Cochise County Courthouse &&&&&&&&&& Some Bisbee data from the 2020 census Go here for much more; https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?q=Bisbee%20city,%20Arizona&g=1600000US0406260 Population Bisbee: 4,923 (-11.7% from 2010) Population age distribution: 1.4/% under 5 (69 peeps) 14.7% under 18 (689 peeps) 85.3% 18 and over (2442 peeps) 36.5% 65 and older (1723 peeps) (double that of the state-17.6% in all Arizona) 64 to 74 24.3% 75 to 84 8.9% 85 & up 3.3% Poverty 16.9% Unemployment as of June/22 1.9% (up from 1.6% in May but down from 2.6% in June a year ago) Bank Deposits
In 2021, bank deposits in Cochise County (as of June 30) were up 18.1% - the biggest increase since 2008 and the second largest on record (with records back to 1994).
The 2021 increase is on the heels of a 12% jump in 2020, making it the largest 2-year increase on record.
Deposits were up in all cities in 2021, with the largest increases in Willcox (+25.2%) and Sierra Vista (+19.8%). Benson, Bisbee, and Douglas all saw bank deposits grow between 12.2% and 12.6%.
Border Crossings
In 2021, pedestrian crossings into the United States were up 3.8% at the Douglas Port of Entry and 28.8% at the Naco port (compared to 2020).The increase follows a decline of more than 38% at both Cochise County ports in 2020, the first year of the COVID pandemic and related travel restrictions. In Douglas, pedestrian crossings in 2020 were at their lowest level since 2004, with the 2021 increase still leaving annual crossings at near-record lows. In Naco, crossings in 2020 were at their lowest level on record (with records back to 1996), but the 2021 rebound returned crossings to levels in line with those seen from 2010 to 2016.
The number of vehicle passengers was up 30.1% at the Douglas port in 2021, following a 44% COVID-related drop in 2020. Vehicle passengers at Naco were up 22.5% in 2021, after falling 42% in 2020. Despite the strong rebound in 2021, vehicle passenger crossings remained at near-record lows at both ports in 2021.
Border TradeIn 2021, the value of international trade (imports and exports) passing through Cochise County's two ports of entry (Douglas and Naco) totaled $2.9 billion, up 27.3% from 2020. Exports totaled $1.2 billion (up 17.7%) while imports came in at $1.7 billion (up 35.3%). The Douglas port, which accounts for the vast majority of imports and exports through Cochise County, saw a 27.5% increase in trade volume (exports up 18%, imports up 35.1%), while the much smaller Naco port saw a 17.7% increase in trade volume (exports up 11.2%, imports up 65.3%). https://cochiseeconomy.com/economic-news/f/trade-through-cochise-county-ports-sees-strong-growth-in-2021
..............EVERYTHING ELSE..............
FREE ONLINE SKILL COURSES This is a tuition-free, six-month online learning program to help gain skills to pursue a job or continue your education. https://theamericandreamacademy.org/?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=16031&sfmc_id=75460796&sfmc_key=0031U00001oURUDQA4#howitworks &&&&&&&&& KEEP YOUR ACCOUNTS SAFE Most active scams in the past month are asking you for wire transfers or transfer via Zelle. Don't do it. These are some safety precautions to use >>>If you get a suspicious call, email, or text, don’t disclose any personal information until you verify it’s from a legitimate source. If you have any doubt, contact the company directly. >>>Only allow remote access to your computer when you’ve initiated the contact with a company you know through a verified phone number or website. >>>Always protect your card and account PIN. Be sure it is not easily guessable, do not enter it on another site, and remember that our team will never ask for it. >>>Set up 2-factor authentication (multiple ways to identify yourself) with the companies you work with to help keep your device and money secure. >>>If you suspect one of your accounts has been compromised, immediately change your user ID and password for your specific account and other important accounts. &&&&&&&&& FACEBOOK HARVESTS YOUR DATA Facebook offers websites a 'pixel' to embed on thier websites that will track their users. An astounding 30% of the top 100,000 websites have done so. Through a study it was found that 1/3 ofhospitals were sending sensitive data including prescriptions info, 100 anti abortion websites had the pixel embedded. There are some lawsuits pending against Facebook. Go here; https://themarkup.org/newsletter/hello-world/facebooks-pervasive-pixel And go here for participation in a study to help track the pixel. https://rally.mozilla.org/ &&&&&&&&&&& LITTLE KNOWN FAKE FACTS....
In the aftermath of the search of Mar-a-lago a few other things were unearthed beside super confidential nuclear files and 700 other secret files. There were: ...A phone log with calls to a number in Russia and a taped phone transcript of several calls to a 'VP' offering to sell 'nooclear stuff' for cheap cause it was 'hot', and ...228 Big Mac wrappers, 423 micky D plastic toys, and ...a well worn copy of the Feb 2007 Penthouse magazine featuring Stormy Daniels, and ...two photos of DT standing next to food stains on the wall with the caption, 'I think we can get bids on this'. and ...A detailed 2018 receipt from Walter Reed hospital for one breast enhancement for Melania Trump. Stamped paid by taxpayers. .............. Texas again..... Texas lawmakers passed a new law Monday that requires gun buyers to show proof of mental illness. “Starting today, all prospective firearm owners must be evaluated by a state-licensed physician and be able to document that they currently suffer from violent tendencies or are otherwise mentally disturbed,said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott,” .............. the gov's boys alway thinkin..... Thinking 'out of the box' by the gov's staff. Clearly they saw an opportunity to ship homeless people out of Phoenix and Tucson to live in the containers piled on the border. Two probs solved with one solution, and saving a ton of dough on those DC busses...for the outgoing (thankfully) gov! &&&&&&&&&&
TIPS FOR AIR TRAVEL I had a perfectly unremarkable flight to Chicago and back for a family reunion last month. Planes on time, smooth flights with good connections, and nothing out of the ordinary but from many reports that is not always the case, as it wasn't for two of my nephews. Below are some sage traveling tips. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/08/travel/travel-tips-flight-attendant.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article &&&&&&&&&&
PICKLEBALL INJURIES.... If you are playing or are thinking about playing, read this. "...pickleball experts note that the risk of injury isn’t higher than in other sports, but that the perception of risk is lower. " https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/20/health/pickleball-sports-injury.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220821&instance_id=69885&nl=the-morning®i_id=61005435&segment_id=101987&te=1&user_id=a6554dadaad9c455c1d11820a9266cd5
............... WORD...............
(I may have used these before, can't remember, but they are so good here they are again. )
These insults are from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words.
1. "He had delusions of adequacy ” Walter Kerr
2. "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.”- Winston Churchill
3. "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure. - Clarence Darrow
4. "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.”-William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
5. "Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"- Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
6. "Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it.” - Moses Hadas
7. "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” - Mark Twain
8. "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.” - Oscar Wilde
9. "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend, if you have one.” -George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
10. "Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one.” - Winston Churchill, in response
11. "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here” - Stephen Bishop
12. "He is a self-made man and worships his creator.” - John Bright
13. "I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial.” - Irvin S. Cobb
14. "He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others.” - Samuel Johnson
15. "He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up. - Paul Keating
16. "He loves nature in spite of what it did to him.” - Forrest Tucker
17. "Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?” - Mark Twain
18. "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.” - Mae West
19. "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” - Oscar Wilde
20. "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination.” - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
21. "He has Van Gogh's ear for music.” - Billy Wilder
22. "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But I'm afraid this wasn't it.” - Groucho Marx
23. The exchange between Winston Churchill & Lady Astor: She said, "If you were my husband I'd give you poison." He said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."
24. "He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln
25. "There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." -- Jack E. Leonard
26. "They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge." -- Thomas Brackett Reed
27. "He inherited some good instincts from his Quaker forebears, but by diligent hard work, he overcame them." -- James Reston (about Richard Nixon) —Robert L Truesdell