The Ajo Copper News is a Weekly Newspaper
Serving Ajo, Why, & Lukeville in
Southwestern Arizona since 1916.
|
Below are weekly news briefs Want to read it all? Digital images of entire back issues of the Ajo Copper News can now be viewed through links at SmallTownPapers. A recent issue (about
a month old) is available to all visitors to the site. An archive of
back issues is gradually being developed and may be viewed by site
subscribers.
Issues beginning with September 14, 2005, are now available, although
recently there have been several noticeable gaps. Two levels of
membership at
SmallTownPapers are currently free.
Better yet, SUBSCRIBE
to
the Ajo Copper News!SEARCH the Ajo Copper News
|
|
|||||
| Issue |
News |
Deaths,
Services |
Weddings, Births, Happy News |
| December 30, 2009 |
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
• Church services heralded the birth of
Christ. Santa made his traditional first stop in Ajo for the annual
celebration in the Plaza.• Dances and parties were planned to ring out 2009 and ring in 2010. • Programs at the library, sales, dances, and other events provided plenty for local residents and guest to do. |
• Thomas Cowdrey Sr., 67, died at a
Phoenix hospital on December 19, 2009. He was a resident of Why.
Services will be held at the VA Chapel on January 7. Burial will be in
Terre Haute, Indiana. • Guadalupe Perez Vega, 79, died at a hospice in Goodyear on December 21, 2009. Rosary was at Douglass Funeral Home on December 30. |
• Happy birthday Thelma Leatherwood. |
| December 23, 2009 |
MERRY
CHRISTMAS!
• The state superintendent of education,
Tom Horne, is again questioning the eligibility of students bused from
Lukeville to Ajo by Pima County to attend school here. The question is
not one of citizenship but of residency. Horne is reportedly planning
to run for attorney general.HAPPY HANUKKAH! HAPPY KWANZA! • Santa's first stop on Christmas Eve will be in Ajo where he will appear in the tower of Curley School before descending to his sleigh float and heading to the Plaza where he will talk with children. • Area churches held services celebrating the birth of Christ. • Local organizations and clubs held holiday sales, parties, and helped Santa get presents youngsters who might have been otherwise overlooked. • Border Patrol agents continued to seize drugs and arrest people in the country illegally. |
• Emetrio James “Terry” Marquez, 71, died in a Phoenix
area hospital on December 5, 2009. He was born at Darby Wells near Ajo.
Burial and military honors were held at the Hia-Ced O'odham cemetery at
Darby Wells. • Anthony B. Moreno, 61, died December 15, 2009, in Verde Valley. He grew up in Ajo. Memorial service will be held at the Catholic church in Cottonwood on January 9. www.westcottfuneralhome.com • Douglas Libby, 93, died at the Phoenix hospital on December 5, 2009. He was a winter resident of Ajo. No services are planned. Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services. • Patricia “Patsy” Richardson died December 5, 2009, in Glendale. She lived in Ajo in her youth. No service information. • Irene Nunnelly, 70, died in Sells on December 17, 2009. She was a native of Ajo. Graveside services in Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. |
• Mary Milarnie M. Semilla was born in
Goodyear to Milagros and Arnold Semilla Sr. of Manila, Philippines, and
Ajo. • Congratulations Nicolette David on graduation from Arizona Culinary Institute. • Congratulations Sara & Chi-Chi Olea on your 50th wedding anniversary. • Congratulations Blanca Montes on high school graduation in Bisbee. • Happy birthday Alicia Montijo. |
| December 16, 2009 |
• Three officials with the US General
Services Administration met with residents of the manufactured home
park at 55 Sahuaro. They reportedly have expressed interest in buying
the property but deny plans to exercise eminent domain. • Desert Senita Community Health Center has hired Nona Reynolds to be the director of their pharmacy. A facility is being built but no opening date has been announced. • The Ajo Community Golf Course is attempting to get the facility reinstated as a bond recipient. • A windstorm blew through town, uprooting some storage sheds and Christmas decorations. |
• Roberta Simpson, 86, died in Tucson On
December 12,2009. She was a longtime Ajo resident. Services were held
December 19; burial was in Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. • Sister Maria Canez died December 9, 2009 in Coolidge, She grew up in Ajo. Mass was celebrated December 16 in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Douglass Funeral Home. |
• Happy birthday Miguel Betancourt,
Joaquin Betancourt. |
| December 9, 2009 |
• Topics of at included renovation of
the Plaza depot, local law enforcement news, golf course bond issues,
and annual elections for council members. Carol Yokum, Jimmie Lou
Guzman, Ernie Green, and Arlene Dreste were all re-elected. • According to the Govern Services Administration, they are not exercising eminent domain at 55 Sahuaro but instead expressing an interest in the event the property owners want to sell. • Open houses, plays, art shows, holiday sales, history talks, and parties are keeping people in Ajo busy. |
• Karl George Smith, 74, died at his home
in Ajo on November 30, 2009. Services will be held at 11 a.m. on
December 12 at the First Assembly of God. |
• David Ornelas has joined the staff at
Tom's Pharmacy as a pharmacist. • Happy birthday Peggy Cole. |
| December 2, 2009 |
• Letters were sent to residents of 55
Sahuaro, a manufactured home park, announcing a "...need to acquire
land" by the US General Services Administration. in what appears to be
case of the government preparing to exercise eminent domain. • The state plans to close the Motor Vehicle Division office in Ajo. People will have to handle transactions over the Internet or, when personal visits are required at other state or third party offices. The office is one of twelve slated to close after US Department of Justice review. For more information visit www.azdot.gov. • Veterans plan to raise the flag in the Plaza on December 7, Pearl Harbor Day. • The Ajo District Chamber of Commerce members have elected Andrew Sisk, Ana Lopez, Cliff Hunter, Allen Dunstan, and Phil Cabello to serve on their board of directors. The CofC is holding a Santa Unique Boutique and a gingerbread house contest for the holidays. • There's a lot to do in the Ajo area, including library programs, holiday sales, movie nights, and an open house. |
• Armida Alvillar, died November 23, 2009,
in the
Casa Grande hospital. She was a lifelong resident. Mass 10 Monday Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church. Douglass Funeral Home. • Rita "Pili" Alegria Mariscales, 54, died November 20, 2009. She was an Ajo native who lived here most of her life. Rosary at Immaculate Conception Catholic church at 6 p.m. Friday, December 4; mass 10 a.m. Saturday, December 5. Douglass Funeral Home. • Harvey "Walt" Crowder died Sunday, November 22, 2009, in a nursing facility in Phoenix. He was a former Ajo resident. Private services are planned. • Jeanette Hagen, 80, died November 22, 2009, in a Tucson hospice. She was a resident of Why. At her request, no services are planned. |
• Alejandra
Molina was born in Phoenix on November 5, 2009, to Kenlyann Ortiz and
Eldon Molina of Ajo. • Happy 40th anniversary Angie & Harvey Sauls. • Congratulations Andrea and Alex Garmise. |
| November 25, 2009 |
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
• The school board met last week, hearing
about state budget information. They also took care of personnel
actions and approved policy revisions.• Repair on the roof of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church may be back on track, though the finding of asbestos will mean that volunteer labor will be curtailed. • Ajo Transportation will be replacing two of its buses that serve the Ajo to Gila Bend route. • Craft sales, concerts, and other holiday events herald the beginning of the holiday season. |
• John Trammell, 66, died at his
home in Ajo on November 16, 2009. A memorial service was held at the
VFW on November 24. Douglass Funeral Home. |
• Happy 50th anniversary Bob & Lorraine
Young! • Happy birthday, Lorraine Eiler! • Happy birthday, Lupita. |
| November 18, 2009 |
• Signing parties are being
held at the library in an attempt to form the street lighting district
that could keep the APS portion of Ajo from going dark. • A busy weekend will include a pancake breakfast and other food sales, a turkey shoot, Birds on Bikes turkey run, rummage sales, Bingo, the opening of Calico Quail Gift House, a silent auction, library programs, and a garden event. |
• Cruz J. Juan, 83, died November 11, 2009, at a nursing home on the Tohono O'odham Nation. Services were held in Ventana on November 15. Cole & Maud Gardens Chapel. | • Veronica Lela Pablo was born September
20, 2009, in Tucson to Melanie & Ernest Pablo Jr. of West Santa
Rosa. • Rozalin Marie Ayala was born November 10, 2009, in Prescott to Elisabeth Mackey & Chris Ayala of Bagdad. |
| November 11, 2009 |
• Topics covered at the Western
Pima County Community Council meeting
included street lighting, a map of Rocky Point, local schools, law
enforcement, community event calendar, an entrepreneurial food program,
library programs, and community-supported agriculture workshops.
Minutes of the meeting will appear on the WPCCC website. • A street fair sponsored by the Ajo District CofC and National Bank of Arizona will fill the weekend along with a home tour sponsored by the CofC, a roping sponsored by the Ajo Rotary Club, and several other events. • A quarterly county-led group met last week and discussed development services, economic development and tourism, the landfill, the golf course, the airport, comprehensive zoning, and health concerns. • Inoculations for both seasonal and H1N1 flu are available at Desert Senita Community Health Center and the Pima County Health Department. • Weather is cooler with highs under 100F and lows dipping down to 50-60F. |
• Sgt. Philip Workman, 36, died suddenly
October 19, 2009, during National Guard training in Utah. He was an Ajo
native. Services have been held in Phoenix. Regency Mortuary. • Dr. Robert Shapard, 87, died at a Tucson hospital on November 4, 2009. He was an Ajo resident. His ashes will be spread in the Pacific Ocean. Douglass Funeral Home. • Jessica Valenzuela, 41, died at her home in Ajo on November 6, 2009. She was a native of Ajo and a lifelong resident. Mass was celebrated Saturday in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church; burial was in Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. • Shelly Mildred Briggs, 93, died November 8, 2009. She was a former Ajo resident. Services were held November 13 at the LDS Church in Cottonwood. Valley View Cemetery. |
• Congratulations James Antone and Colleen
Seeley on becoming corrections officers. • Happy birthday, Luisa. |
| November 4, 2009 |
• Children and adults alike celebrated
Halloween with tricks, treats, parades, and parties. • Robert Rose retired as Ajo postmaster after serving here for over seventeen years. • Author Kristie Miller will be at the Ajo library at 10 a.m. on November 10 to discuss her newest book "A Volume of Friendship: The Letters of Eleanor Roosevelt and Isabella Greenway, 1904-1953". |
• There were no obituaries in the November 4 issue of the Ajo Copper News. | • Happy
birthday Bess Miller and Inez Hover, Jennifer Guthrie, Ralphie
Cubillas, Quettita Estrella, Eseranza Nicholson, Arcelia Munoz, Viviana
Gray, Sandra Leatherwood, Kristina Crowell, Ronnie and Donnie Whitely,
and Patti Bush. |
| October 28, 2009 |
• A fire Wednesday, October 21,
destroyed Ajo's Hidden Treasures, owned by Harold Ramsey. The building
at various times housed Western Auto, JC's Bar, Ben Franklin, a grocery
store, and a
bowling alley. Besides its eclectic merchandise, own Harold Ramsey's
vast collection of Hollywood memorabilia also went up in smoke. • A flu mist clinic is being planned for the school. Both Desert Senita Community Health Center and the Pima County Health Department have been offering both seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccinations. |
• Clifford Gaylin, 74, died
at his home in Ajo on October 25. A celebration of his life will be
held next spring. Douglass Funeral Home. • John Charles "Jack" Keenan, 89, died at a care center in Avondale on October 8, 2009. He was an Ajo resident. Graveside services were held in Cochise Memory Gardens on October 18. Hatfield Funeral Home. |
• Keshia Olea is the Ajo
Rotary Club's student guest for October. • The engagement of Dr. Katherine Schumacher and Captain Brian Bevan has been announced. • Happy Halloween birthday Kacy Tryon! • Welcome home, Ralphie Rendon! |
| October 21, 2009 |
• Ralphie
Rendon is recovering well from open heart surgery and may soon come
home to recuperate (see story below for October 14). • Many local agencies attended a mass casualty tabletop exercise led by John Wisner of the Pima County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security at the Ajo Ambulance training room. • In celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week, Cabeza Pieta National Wildlife refuge is holding two hikes. One will be at Charlie bell Pass and the other will be the first-ever guided tour of the Sonoran pronghorn recovery pen. • Ajo Cooks! is a new program that hopes to develop ways for local residents to earn extra cash to begin their own small food business. It's an International Sonoran Desert Alliance program. |
• Lee Edward Price, 81, died October 4,
2009, in a Phoenix area hospital. He was born in Rowood and lived in
the Ajo area his entire life. He was buried at the Lazy MT (Price
Ranch) on October 10. Douglass Funeral Home. • John R. Morgart died at his home in New Mexico on October 14, 2009, He was a former Ajo resident. Harris-Hanlon Mortuary |
• Sue Walter is the new chief of
interpretation at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. |
| October 14, 2009 |
• Ralphie
Rendon, a freshman at Ajo High
School, collapsed at football
practice Tuesday and went into cardiopulmonary arrest. He was
resuscitated by Ajo Ambulance personnel and flown to a Phoenix
hospital. He has suffered additional cardiac arrests while in the
hospital. He has since had all tubes removed and has been eating,
talking, and texting friends. He is undergoing open heart surgery to
correct a defect this Monday, October 19. • Discussion is being provoke as to which would be better for Ajo, a Disaster Action Team or a Community Emergency Response Team. DAT is a program of the American Red Cross. CERT has been active in Ajo in the past under the Pima County Sheriff's Department. • Flu season is starting. |
• No new obituaries in the October 14 issue. • A funeral procession made up largely of law enforcement vehicles carried retired CBP officer Steven Shelly from Ajo Federated Church to Ajo Cemetery. |
• Ermelinda Castillo has this month's yard
of the month, according to the Ajo Garden Club. • Happy belated irthdays to Susan Gilbert, Frances Ann Guthrie, and Francy Garchow. |
| October 7, 2009 |
• The AHS Homecoming 2009 Royalty are Queen
Luz Flores & King Junior Ortiz. Runners-up are Savannah McCasland
and Karl Harris. Other court members are Kyle Whitley, Keisha Olea,
Anthony Tamayo, and Chanel Garcia. Following an Alice in Wonderland
theme, the juniors' float took first place, the freshmen's float
second, the seniors' float third, and the sophomores' float fourth. The
football team lost to the Patagonia Lobos 28-0 and the volleyball team
lost all three games to the Lobos. • The Western Pima County Community Council met last Thursday. Topics included county programs and grants, the Lions' reading team, and local law enforcement. The county asked for input on local landfill hours. • The death penalty will be sought by the Pima County Attorney's Office for Loretto “Kyle” Alegria, 20, who is being tried for the June murder of 7-year-old Rhia Almeida in Ajo. • The Ajo/Gibson Volunteer Fire Department contained a garage fire last Friday, keeping it from spreading to the house or nearby buildings. |
• Steven E. Shelly, 60, died at his home in
Tucson on October 1, 2009. He was an Ajo native. Services were held in
Ajo Federated Church on October 6; burial in Ajo Cemetery. Douglass
Funeral Home. • Allen M. Orosco, 55, died September 26, 2009, on the Tohono O'odham Nation. He was a form Ajo resident. Rosary will recited at 5 p.m. followed by mass at 7 p.m. and an all night wake at the church in North Komlik. J. Warren Funeral Home. • Jean Dutcher, 78, died at her home in Ajo on October 4, 2009. No services are planned at her request. Douglass Funeral Home. • Lee Price, 81, died October 4, 2009, in Goodyear. He was a longtime resident. Private family services will be held. Douglass Funeral Home. |
• Happy 80th birthday and 50th anniversary
as a pharmacist to Tom Branson. • Happy birthday Frances M. Leon! |
| September 30,
2009 |
• AHS Homecoming Week! Parade at 4 p.m. Friday
followed by the football game against Patagonia Lobos at 7 p.m. • The Eric Marcus Municipal Airport north of Ajo is scheduled for some major improvements, including a secondary runway and a security fence. • Table Top Telephone will soon begin construction on the last leg of its fiber optic trunk. • Most local liquor purveyors passed a liquor license inspection last Saturday. Of the twelve inspected, eight passed, two had signage problems, and two had more serious violations. |
• Graveside services for Helen Walker, who
died in 2004, will be held at 10 a.m. on October 9 in Ajo Cemetery
where she will be buried by her husband, Robert Walker. |
• Happy 21st birthday Marcos Acosta! • Alizeano Francis Rojo was born in Tucson on August 7, 2009, to Natalie Mattias and Alonzo Rojo. |
| September 23,
2009 |
• The celebration of the sixth annual International Day of Peace in Ajo
spanned two days and featured a free community breakfast,
entertainment, more food, and fellowship. • The Parent-Teacher-Student Organization elected Fran Driver as president, Ken Kermode as vice-president, Aubrey Harper as treasurer, and Norma Ross as volunteer coordinator. • Temperatures were under 100F most of the week but promised to heat up for the coming week. • The Click It or Ticket: Next Generation operation will see deputies having zero tolerance for people who don't wear seat belts in vehicles. • The news briefs page was accidentally uploaded to the wrong spot on the site for two weeks in a row. Sorry! |
• Rachel Trujillo Hess died August 24,
2009, in Mesa. She lived most of her life in Ajo. Mass was celebrated
in Ajo on August 29; burial was in Ajo Cemetery. Crystal Rose Funeral
Home. • Jose Antonio Garcia, 71, died in an accident near his home in San Simon. He was a native of Ajo. Mass was celebrated at St. Simon Church in San Simon on September 4; burial was in San Simon cemetery. Marcus Funeral Consulting of Tucson. • Clell Morrison, 80, died June 13 during a trip in Colorado. Services were held June 23 in Walker, Minnesota. Dennis Funeral Home of Walker. |
• Louisa Soccorro Macias was born in Tucson
on August 18 to Adriana Lopez and Alfred Macias. • Anthony Vannasdale achieved his GED. • Happy birthdays Samantha Weber, Jr. Jr., Mia. |
| September 16,
2009 |
• A new program to assess pollution on Ajo
properties is separate from the Shaw Environmental effort. More
information on the Brownfield Grant
program is available online. • The Ajo Copper News volume number has switched to 86. The newspaper was founded in 1916 but the volume numbers have been off for decades. • The virtual fence continues to be controversial as equipment is tested and more towers are being built. • $106,689 in undeclared cash was seized at the Lukeville Port of Entry when officials stopped a black 2003 Hummer during a routine inspection in the southbound lane heading to Mexico. • A blood drive is being held at Walker Park on September 17. |
• There were no obituaries in the September
16 issue of the Ajo Copper News. |
• Happy birthdays Ashlee Durham, Danielle
Durham, and Cienna Nicole Goodwin. • Ann Lilia Vega, better known as Lily, received her bachelor's degree in parks and recreation management from Arizona State University. |
| September 9, 2009 |
• The Pima County Sheriff's Department
served more search warrants and made more drug-related arrests. • The Western Pima County Community Council met last Thursday. Topics included a street lighting district, a local community response committee, a new ground contamination assessment program, the upcoming International Day of Peace, and updates from the Pima County Sheriff's Department and US Border patrol. Minutes from meetings can be found on the council's website. |
• There were no obituaries in the September
9 issue. |
• Happy birthday Gia Ramirez. |
| September 2, 2009 |
• The Pima County Sheriff's Department says
an anonymous Crime Stop tip played an important part in drug arrests
last Monday. • The school colors poll had 52 response, most favoring retaining red & white with black as a trim color only. Several commented they wanted the school colors to remain red and white but thought black pants should be allowed for uniform pants. • The Western Pima County Community Council is resuming meetings after a summer hiatus. |
• Kenneth Davis Sr., 69, died August 26,
2009, at his home in Thatcher. At his request, no services were held. |
• Dr. Katherine Schumacher has completed
her residency in emergency medicine and is now an emergency room
physician at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, New York. • Happy 4th birthday Cory! • Happy 40th birthday Gery Krehbiel. |
| August 26, 2009 |
• Sonyota killings have made people even
more nervous about traveling into Mexico. • The first Red Raider football game of the season will be played Friday evening at Fort Thomas. • Used-flower barrel barrels in the Ajo Cemetery are being used by some people to dump their household trash, to the dismay of cemetery guardian Roberta Nixon. • A benefit dinner and dance is being held at the Elks Lodge Saturday evening to help newlyweds Leigh Anne (Hutton) and Rick Cecena. The couple were posing for wedding pictures at Puerto Vallarta when a railing gave way and they fell down a 15-foot cliff. Both are recovering from injuries. |
• Dr. Guillermo "Billy" López, 81,
died August 1, 2009, in California. He was an Ajo native. Mass was
celebrated August 10 in St. James Catholic Church in Davis, California. |
• Leigh Ann Hutton and Rick Cecena repeated
their wedding vows at Puerto Vallarta on July 8, 2009. • Reina Griffith has received her high school diploma through a home school program. • Jaydah Dre Arnold was born August 15, 2009, in Gilbert to Kyle C. Arnold and Nicole Danae Curci. • Happy birthday to Bob Fulkerson, Dick Ducic, Michelle Pacheco, Lesi Jones, and Ray Fober. • Concha Klinefelter Montes and Victor M. Ocejo were united in marriage on November 15, 2008, in Hereford. |
| August 19, 2009 |
• School started bright and early on Monday
morning. • Nancy Ness, a certified nurse's assistant, is the new school health aide. • At their August 13 meeting, the school board approved Erica Barragan as a substitute teacher, hired Maria Garcia, Carol Trevino-Jerez, and Francisca Lopez a cafeteria personnel, and appointed extra pay positions. • The Las Artes program at the International Sonoran Desert Alliance has started a new GED class. • An increase of 209 agents assigned to the Tucson Sector of Border Patrol could mean another increase in agents stationed locally. • Red Raider sports start soon. The football will play ASDB away on Friday, August 28 and the volleyball team will scrimmage there the same day. • The Ajo HOPE Coalition us planning two community-building events: a bicycle repair day and a yard clean-up day. |
• No new obituaries in the August 19 issue. |
• Madison Grace Oglesby was born in Mesa on
August 4, 2009, to Ann and Gary Oglesby. • Happy birthday to Joe Pacheco and to Joe David. • Happy 62nd anniversary to Otilia and Jose Mendez. |
| August 12, 2009 |
• School starts on Monday, August 17, at
8:10 a.m. for all students. There will be an open house at 6:30 p.m. on
Thursday, August 13, following a school board meeting at 5:15 p.m.. • Six new teachers are on staff at the school: Oscar Sisk, David Kasper, Melissa Zanot, Joanna Barr, Brad Harvey, and Erica Barragan. • Desert Senita Community Health Center is continuing its celebration of National Health Center Week. |
• George E. Rice, 89, died July 25, 2009,
in Phoenix. He was an Ajo resident. Memorial services were held in the
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on August 1. • Opal C. Myers, 99, died July 31, 2009, in Mesa. She was a former Ajo resident. Services were held in St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Globe on August 8. |
• Father Tony Navarria will celebrate the
fiftieth anniversary of his ordination on September 10. • Emma Elizabeth Torres was born in Chandler on June 24, 2009 to Veronica & Wilmer Torres Jr. • Happy birthday, Paulette Walters. |
| August 5, 2009 |
• Desert Senita Community Health Center
will be celebrating National Health Center week with a variety of
events, including an open house. • Principal Joen Painter has been in town since May, getting ready for a new school year. Painter replaces Fred Fout, who resigned. • Dr. Loren Wessel, a podiatrist who had been coming to Ajo once a month, has notified DSCHC he will no longer see patients here. • Dr. Kevin Acone is the new dentist at Desert Senita Dental Center where he will be working with Dr. Jennifer Lim. |
• Noah Peters Sr., 85, died at his home in
Sierra Vista on July 26, 2009. He was a former Ajo resident. A memorial
service was held July 30 at First Assembly of God in Sierra Vista. • Fay Christine "Chris" Bingham Yancey, 88, died July 2, 2009, in Surprise. She was a former Ajo resident. Services were held July 7 in Sunrise Funeral Home Chapel of Prescott Valley; burial was in Heritage Memorial Park Cemetery in Dewey. |
• Jeannie Morago is the new pastor of Ajo
Federated Church. Her official title is Lay Person Assigned. Morago
lived in Ajo from 1952 until 1989 when she moved to Yuma. • Shirley Martinez and Joe Hileman were united in marriage on Saturday, July 25, in Grand Junction, Colorado. |
| July 29, 2009 |
• School starts in Ajo on August 17. • The Pima County budget has been reduced from $501,413,093 to $494,640,645. • The new Kaity's Law, which offers domestic violence protection to people who are dating, has its roots in Ajo. The law is named for Kaity Sudberry, daughter of former Ajo resident Bobbie Sudburry and granddaughter of Jacque Boyd of Ajo. For more, visit KaitysWay.org |
• William J. Sparkman, 79, died July 9,
2009, in Lake Tahoe. He was a former Ajo resident. A memorial service
is planned for August 11 at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Lompoc,
California. |
• Heather Palmer and Brandon Alton Grissom
were united in marriage on July 31 in the Mesa Arizona Temple. • Rebecca Martinez was united in marriage with Cesar Varela on May 2 ceremony in Hawaii. |
| July 22, 2009 |
• Power outages hit the area hard -- the
biggest started Sunday evening when a storm passing north of Ajo took
out 48 power poles and 9 transmission towers, leaving Ajo, Gila Bend,
Why, and Lukeville powerless until Tuesday. The Red Cross set up a
shelter at the high school and APS handed out dry ice. • Though there aren't as many events in the summer as the rest of the year, there are still things to do. There will be karaoke at the Oasis Cafe on Saturday, a lasagna dinner at the Elks on Friday, an all-women's luncheon at the Baptist Church on Saturday, and an overnight camping trip to harvest organ pipe cactus fruit sponsored by ISDA and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. |
• Mary Ellen Salcido, 55, died July 17,
2009. She was an Ajo native and lifelong resident. Rosary will be held
Wednesday, July 22, at 6 p.m. on July 22 in
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Mass will be celebrated there at
9 a.m. on July 23. • Coy Dollar, no service information available yet |
Happy birthday
to Dominique Pacheco and to Gleason Antone. |
| July 15, 2009 |
• Property taxes may increase by 4.35%.
Total taxes on a house valued at $100,000 would go from $317.51 to
$331.33. A hearing will be held in Tucson on Tuesday July 28, before
the Pima County Board of Supervisors. • The school board hired a teacher and a school health aide and awarded several extra pay positions at their July 9 meeting. The also voted unanimously to approve the 2010 fiscal year budget and discussed school security systems. • A new notification system is being used in Pima County to give updates during critical incidents. Residents by sign up for the free service at www.safetyalertsgpc.com online. • Right now the school colors are red and white with black allowed only as a trim. Many students believe black should be added, citing the difficulty of keeping white uniform pants clean as just one of the reasons. Should black be added as a school color? Should students be allowed to vote on the issue? Send your opinion to opinion@cunews.info and mention whether you have attended Ajo High School or are an AHS graduate. |
• James Schnell, 50, died at his home in
Ajo on Sunday, July 12, 2009. He was an Ajo native. Graveside services
9 a.m. Saturday, July 18, Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral
Home. • Dale "Dennis" Osborne, 50, died July 8, 2009, in Phoenix. He was a former Ajo resident. Services 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 15, East Valley Church of the Nazarene in Mesa. • Richard "Dick" Vetter, 77, died July 7 in a Phoenix hospital. He was an Ajo resident. No services are planned. Douglass Funeral Home. • Tiburcio Fonseca Valenzuela, 73, died in Kingman. Mass St. Mary's in Kingman. Sutton Memorial Funeral Home. |
• Happy birthday to Nellie David and Joey
Call! • Deputy Michael Seeley was promoted to sergeant by the Pima County Sheriff's Department. |
| July 8, 2009 |
• Parade, plaza, pool, food, fireworks --
Ajo celebrated the 4th of July in the heat. • A flag and flagpole at Desert Senita Community Health Center were dedicated in memory of the late Dr. Wm. H. McDonald. • A fire, thought to have been caused by spontaneous combustion, caused damage to four storage facility units across from the NAPA store. • Desert Senita Community Health Center will receive $344,080 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. |
• Gordon Ray Cooper, 75, died June 6, 2009,
in Idaho. He was a former Ajo resident. Services were held June 12.
Summers Funeral Homes. • Beatrice Martinez, 75, died June 7, 2009, in a Phoenix hospital. She was a longtime Ajo resident. Memorial services were held June 12 in Phoenix. La Paz Funeral Home. • Diana Marshall, 59, died July 3, 2009, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is survived by family in Ajo. Services were held in Avondale. Thompson's Valley West. |
• Catalyst Summer Clements was born June
23, 2009, in Globe to Chanda Renee Clements and James Castaneda Jr. of
Miami. • Happy birthday Gayle Weyers - Abrahan Alvarez - Angelique Ramirez • Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Bernardo Alvarez Jr. |
| July 1, 2009 |
Happy
4th of July • The 4th of July is being celebrated with a parade, festival in the Plaza, events at the pool, and fireworks. • Dr. Kevin Acone will begin working at the Desert Senita Dental Center on July 20. He is moving to Ajo from the east coast. • A candlelight vigil was held Thursday, June 25, in memory of Rhia Almeida. A procession was held from her family home to the spot where her body was found. The funeral service and burial were held over the weekend in Kaka. • Ajo Ambulance and members of the Hikiwan District Council dedicated the ambulance service's Station 5, located in the Hikiwan Desert Trails RV Park. |
• Jesus Alvarez, 86, died at his home in
Ajo on June 26, 2009. Mass was celebrate in Immaculate Conception
Catholic Church on July 2; burial was in Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral
Home. • Edward Morris Young Jr., 75, died at his home in Powell, Wyoming, on June 19, 2009. e was a former Ajo resident. At his request, no services are being held. • Thomas E. Colquhoun, 79, died at a care center in Tucson on June 25, 2009. He was a longtime Ajo resident. Mass was celebrated in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on June 30. Douglass Funeral Home. • Rogelio R. Celaya, 63, died at his home in Laramie, Wyoming, on June 14, 2009. He was a former Ajo resident. Arizona services will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. on July 10 at VFW Post 1433 in Glendale. • Patricia Ann Woods Scott, 61, died in Lubbock, Texas, on June 26, 2009. Services were held July 1 in Texas. Bell-Cypert-Seal of Snyder, Texas. |
• Happy 50th anniversary Dick & Jan
Ducic. • Happy 50th anniversary Harmon & Deanna Kincaid. |
| June 24, 2009 |
• The
body of a young Ajo girl was discovered in a wash near the 500 block
of Ocotillo, about a block from her home on Solana, about 7 p.m.
Thursday, June 18. The child was identified as 7-year-old Rhia
Almeida. Kyle Alegria,
19, has been arrested by the Pima County Sheriff's Department a on
suspicion of first-degree murder. The little
girl had reportedly gone to the suspect's house to play with her
friend, the suspect's little brother. Download the front page
article here (caution, pdf file is 1.8 MB). • SAMHC Behavioral Services was at the school on Monday to help the students and staff deal with the death of Rhia Almeida. • Plans are being made for the 4th of July. Applications for the parade and booths are available at the Ajo Copper News. • Robert Vaughn is the newly-appointed manager for Pima County Parks & Recreation in Ajo. • Area residents are reminded that burning trash is illegal. Pima County Department of Environmental Quality can cited residents and impose $400 in fines. |
• Les Mead, 61, of Garnett, Kansas, die
June 14, 2009, in Kansas City, Missouri. He was a former Ajo resident.
Services were held in Garnett, Kansas. Feuerborn Funeral. • Ana Lydia Aguila, 65, died June 20, 2009, in a Phoenix hospital. She was an Ajo resident. Mass will is 10 a.m. on June 27 in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Douglass Funeral Home. • Francisca D. Castillo, 89, died June 20, 2009, at a Phoenix facility. Mass was celebrated in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on June 25; buiral was in Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. • Rhia Almeida, 7, died June 18, 2009 (see story at left). A candlelight vigil was planned for June 25; funeral services will be held in KaKa Village. |
• Happy Birthday Brandon Larremore and JD
Allen. • Happy 12th anniversary Paula & Joey. |
| June 17, 2009 |
• Two Ajo organizations, the International
Sonoran Desert
Alliance
and Desert Senita Community Health
Center, have been awarded grants by the Community Foundation for
Southern Arizona. The health center will use their $20,000 for a
digital x-ray system. ISDA use their $25,000 for program called
Ajo Cooks! that will create small cultural food businesses. • Teen drinking was the focus of the HOPE Coalition meeting last week. Many voiced concern over students opting for private parties, where alcohol was available, instead of attending the prom and the graduation night party. |
• Corinne (Fincher) Ray, 80, died May 26,
2009, in a hospice in La Grange, Georgia. She was a native of Ajo.
Services have been held in Fredonia, Alabama. Johnson Brown Service
Funeral Home of Lanett, Alabama. |
• Anthony Jake Severance was born May 20,
2008, in Bellevue, Washington, to Ruthie (England) & Shannon
Severance. • Happy birthday Mike Mekelburg. • The Rev. Roger Smith, pastor of Ajo Federated Church, is retiring after a decade in Ajo. |
| June 10, 2009 |
• The Western
Pima County Community Council met
for the last time this season on June 4. Topics included the street
light petition, county budget, changes at Pima County Natural
Resources, Parks & Recreation, local law enforcement, and library
programs. The meeting's minutes will be made available on the council's
website. • Nearly $1.5 million in meth was stopped at the Lukeville Port of Entry last week when CBP officers found over 20 pounds of the drug in a 2008 Pontiac Torrent. • New signs was being planned by Pima County. To serve on the signage committee for the Ajo area, call the International Sonoran Desert Alliance at 387-6823. • Development and tourism were discussed by a group composed of local business people, CofC personnel, county representatives, and a few others. |
• There were no new deaths reported in the
June 10 issue of the Ajo Copper News. |
• Happy birthdays to Dani Cowhig, Janet
Allen, Louie Walters. • Congratulations to JD Allen, Lonnie Guthrie, and Joe Hileman on becoming paramedics. |
| June 3, 2009 |
• Grad Night was a bust - instead of the
usual 40 to 70 students, only 4 paid admission and another 3 showed up
hoping to get in free. Organizers aren't giving up; they're already
thinking about next year's event. • The final Western Pima County Community Council meeting of the season will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 4, at the community center in Walker Park. • The Virtual Fence has a green light again. Construction for towers south of Ajo is expected to start in late July or early August. |
• Juras Joseph Antone, 50, died May 27,
2009, in Tucson. He was a member of the Tohono O'odham Nation. Services
were held in Santa Crew and burial was at Charco 27. J. Warren Funeral
Services • Clarence E. Courtney, 85, died in a Goodyear hospice on May 29, 2009. He was a longtime Ajo resident. Private services are being planned. Douglass Funeral Home. |
• Tristan Elias Garcia was born May 5,
2009, in a Phoenix area hospital to Rebecca Mann & Tristan Garcia
of Ajo. |
| May 27, 2009 |
• Linda Guan led the Ajo High School Class
of 2009 as their valedictorian with Kayla Leon as salutatorian.
Graduating as honor students were Mary Catherine "Katie" Fout, Ariel
Buckley Fry, Carolina Pasos, Renee Maria-Gloria Maldonado, Karla Pasos,
Stephanie Carrera, Ana Lorenia Mitchell, Anissa D. Aguila, Jesus Isaac
Arizqueta-Saavedra, Tatiana Marie Bush, Kyle Lewis Carpenter, Horacio
Y. Cubillas, Alejandro Flores, Hermann Lopez Gutierrez, Ana Maria
Lopez, Robert Wade Moss, Briseida Mariela Nunez, Athina Michelle
Padres, Dalia Emilze Perez, Candice M. Renner, Alicia Christina Rojo,
Richard Joel Roman, Bryan Andrew Runge, Loisana Torres, Francisco
Javier Valdez, and Edward Diego Vega. Retired school librarian Diane
Schumacher was the guest speaker and State Representative Pat Fleming
was the special guest speaker. • The swimming pool is open for the summer and other seasonal activities are starting. |
• Graciela Miranda, 75. died May 18, 2009,
in a Phoenix area hospital. She was a longtime resident of Ajo.
Services will be held Saturday, June 6, at 10 a.m. in Douglass Funeral
Home; burial will follow in Ajo Cemetery. |
• Jacquelin Jessi Diaz was born May 5,
2009, in Glendale to Bradi & Albert Diaz of Buckeye. • Happy birthdays to Crystal Thomas Ramirez, Lucian Ramirez, and Chad Coyle. |
| May 20, 2009 |
• Ajo High School graduation is Thursday,
May 21. Eighth grade promotion is Wednesday, May 20. Summer school for
kindergarten through twelfth grade will start June 1. Seats are limited
so students should be registered at the school as soon as possible. • Streetlights in the Arizona Public Service area are going out and not being replaced. There are two parts to the issue, says Scott Boyd. One is that parts of the old incandescent street bulbs are no longer available; the mercury vapor lights are still available but will be outlawed in 2011 under Project Dark Skies. The other is that APS can no longer collect streetlight funds the way it used to; a streetlight district must be formed in order to replace the old fixtures. • Temperatures ranged for a low of 66F to a high of 101F during the last two weeks. |
• Irma Park, 84, died May 6, 2009, in
Phoenix. She was a longtime Ajo resident. No services are planned. • Fred Helms, 68, died May 16, 2009, in Nevada. Services will be held in Chandler on June 20. • E. Rose Venables, 77, of Elfirda, died May 20, 2009, in Flagstaff. A graveside memorial service will be held May 30 in the Ajo Cemetery, followed by a celebration of her life at the Elks Lodge. |
• Happy birthday Miranda Yanez Kornack,
Mona Yanez and Don Weyers. • Cali Faith Sandoval was born in Sun City West on April 3, 2009, to Crystal DeWitt and Jose Sandoval Jr. of Ajo. • Kianna Lee Ivey was born in Phoenix on april 16, 2009, to Deanna Arviso and Jeremy Ivey of Ajo. • Kenneth M. Davis Jr. received a master of science degree from Liberty University in Virginia. • Jennifer L. G. Downey received a master's degree from Rio Grande University in Ohio. |
| May 13, 2009 |
• A meeting to air thoughts about the
Curley School bells controversy was held last week by ISDA. Some members of the Ajo community are
worried that ISDA will eliminate the carillon bells and want the volume
turned back up so the music can be heard. Some residents of the artisan
apartments say the bells are a disturbance and want the volume left low
or turned off. The digital bells sound the daytime hours and play tunes
on the hour; the apparatus, which cost more than $10,000, was paid for
by donations and installed in 1993. ISDA has another problem with the
bells: insurance issues have caused them to limit access to the
mechanism to their employees only. Comments may be made to ISDA at PO
Box 687, Ajo, AZ 85321. • The Western Pima County Community Council met May 7. The meeting covered residential property valuations, law enforcement issues, the Curley School bells, and the Oasis Theatre movie night project. • There will be no fees charged at the Ajo landfill for the time being. The county board of supervisors heeded Supervisor Sharon Bronson's request that Ajo be left without a fee for non-commercial use. • There will be higher fees for many Pima County Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation activities, though Tots and youth afterschool and summer programs will remain free. The main increases affecting Ajo will be swimming pool admission and field use. |
• Carmelita Corella, 98, died May 11, 2009,
in Tucson. She lived in Ajo most of her life. Mass in Tucson
Thursday. Rosary 1:30 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in
Ajo on Friday, May 15; burial follows at Ajo Cemetery. • Cindy Orr died May 7, 2009, in a Tucson facility. She was a longtime Ajo resident. Memorial service 2 p.m. Saturday, May 16 at Douglass Funeral Home |
• Julia Angel Fulkerson was feted as Ajo's
Woman of the Year by the Xi Gamma Pi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi. • Spencer Rolph Conway was born April 8, 2009, in Mesa to Heidi Grissom Conway and Josiah Conway of Maricopa. • Guadalupe Chavira Contreras Jr. was born April 16, 2009, in Goodyear to Sara & Lupe Contreras. • Benjamin & Abigail Markham LoManto were born in Scottsdale on April 23, 2009, to Rustell & Brian LoManto of Phoenix. • Nathan Markham was born in Surprise on April 23, 2009, to Michael & Amber Markham of Phoenix. |
| May 6, 2009 |
• The much feared swine flu arrived in Pima
County. Of the six known cases, four were on the Tohono O'odham Nation.
The flu strain has been milder than first anticipated but precautions
are still urged. • Marilee Williams will talk about the possibility of a childcare center in Ajo as part of National Women's Health Week. • The proposed landfill fee and increases in fees and program changes at Pima Country Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation will be on the county board of supervisors' agenda on May 5. • Two AVID students, both in the seventh grade but who completed the eighth grade courses, are asking for promotion to ninth grade. Superintendent Bob Dooley says he will consider the promotions after the two take a comprehensive exam. • The carillon bells, long a fixture at Curley School, are now the subject of debate. Many residents of the artisan apartments want them turned down or off. Other area residents want them sounding proudly. ISDA has an insurance dilemma. |
• Thelma Schnell, 89, died April 28, 2009,
at a care facility in Goodyear. She was a longtime Ajo resident.
Douglass
Funeral Home. • Santos Rios, 90, died at a Casa Grande Hospice on April 16, 2009. A former Ajo resident, she had been living in Casa Grande. Services were held in Casa Grande on April 20. |
• Happy birthday, Hilda Alvarez! • Happy 50th anniversary Bonnie & Richard Leppert! • Happy birthday Lari Krznarich and Katherine Schumacher. |
| April 29, 2009 |
• Cinco de Mayo and the Mexican Town
Reunion are being held in the Plaza this Saturday, May 2. Events start
at 9 a.m. and continue to 5:30 p.m., followed by a party at the
American Citizens Social Club, sponsors of the Cinco de Mayo fiesta.
The Mexican Town Reunion is an ISDA project. A talent show is planned
by the school for Thursday evening. • A state budget hearing was held in Ajo by members of the Democratic Caucuses. Legislators attending were Pat Fleming, Manny Alvarez, Jorge Garcia, Kyrsten Sinema, Daniel Patterson and Lynne Pancrazi. Local residents primarily expressed concern over education and health care. • The Pima County Board of Supervisors turned down most increased feed requests by the Pima County Natural Resources Parks & Recreation department but did approve increases for adult aquatics and field use. Increased fees for other areas are possible, as are sweeping changes in youth afterschool, summer, and preschool programs. |
• William Laubner Jr., 75, died April 24, 2009. He was a former Ajo resident and was making his home in Gu-Vo at the time of his death. Services have been held in Gu-Vo. Douglass Funeral Home. | • Happy birthday Donna Glass and Lilia Mia. |
| April 22, 2009 |
• Blue Ribbon week at the Ajo schools was
full of activities designed to bring attention to child abuse. It was
organized by student body president Katie Fout to coincide with Child
Abuse Awareness Week. • A planned power outage on the Tohono O'odham Nation will take place on Saturday, April 25. • The fireworks fund needs donations if the skies are to light up on the 4th of July. Donation checks, with "fireworks fund" written on the memo line, may be sent to the Ajo/Gibson Volunteer Fire Department, PO Box 909, Ajo, AZ 85321. Chief David Tibbitt says $3,400 must be raised just for the fireworks. Additional money will required for insurance and other costs. • Activities abound in town. Girls Scouts are having an All About Me program on Saturday, everyone is invited to Dicus Auditorium for live theater on Monday afternoon, the library has arts exhibits and other programs, and the county parks & recreation department offers sports and more. • The All-Ajo Reunion 2009 drew hundred of current and former residents to Rustlers Rooste in the Phoenix area on April 18. • Della Cole Mays was killed and David Fry seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 10 on April 18. They were on their way to the All-Ajo Reunion. |
• Della Cole Mays, 57, died April 18, 2009.
She was a native of Ajo. Services 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, Angel
Valley Funeral Home in Tucson. • Ruth Gertrude Morago, 89, died at her home in Sacaton on April 12, 2009, she was a longtime Ajo resident. Services Sacaton Presbyterian Church in Sacaton on April 18; burial East Sacaton Cemetery. Cole & Maud Gardens Chapel. • Dolores "Lola" Bustamante, 80, died in a Phoenix hospital on April 13, 2009. She was an Ajo native and lifelong resident. Rosary & mass Friday, April 24, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church; burial Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. • John R. "Jack" Chandler, 73, died at his home in Ajo on April 14, 2009. No services have been planned. Douglass Funeral Home. |
• Aiden Anthony Nogales was born March 20,
2009, in Safford to Anna Nogales. • Happy birthdays Christopher Allen, Ruth & Roy, and Aubree-Lia Sandoval. |
| April 15, 2009 |
• State
Representative Pat Fleming, State Senator Manny Alvarez, and members of
their caucus will be in Ajo on
Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. in the Ajo Community Center to
discuss the status of the state budget. • The Ajo school board accepted resignations from longtime teachers Jose Sepulveda, Tracy Sepulveda, and Julie Tiell; Jose Sepulveda and Julie Tiell hope to continue teaching under the Smart Schools program. The board also approved allocation of campus space for an athletic hall of fame, discussed out-of-state trips by student organizations and the school colors, and voted to approve budget cuts they hope will be restored by stimulus funds. • No decision was made on the controversial landfill ordinance by the Pima County Board of Supervisors. The hearing has ben continued to the May 5 meeting of the board. • Easter was celebrated at a sunrise community service as well as in local churches, homes, parks, and elsewhere. |
• Maria Bertha Carreras, 74, died in a
Tucson hospice on April 9, 2009. She was a longtime Ajo resident. Mass
was celebrated April 15 in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church;
burial will be in the Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. • Dolores Bustamante died April 13, 2009, Services are pending through Douglass Funeral Home. • Charles Corella, 61, died April 11, 2009, in Michigan. He was a native of Ajo. Mass is being held at 10 a.m. in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church; burial will be in the Ajo Cemetery. Life Story Funeral Homes and Douglass Funeral Home. |
• Happy birthday Ruth Runge, Audrey and Anissa Castillo, and Amanda and Lauren Weber! |
| April 8, 2009 |
• Easter sunrise services will start in the
Plaza about 6:30 a.m. Most area churches will hold Easter services and
some are observing Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. • More than 60 people attended the Western Pima County Community Council meeting last Thursday, Two of the hottest topics on the agenda were the Ajo landfill's hours and possible fees and the Neighborhood stabilization program. Other items included activities of Border Patrol and the Pima County Sheriff's Department, the Victim Witness program, childhood development, and ISDA's plans for the Plaza. The council's minutes appear on their website. • Anyone seeking a companion is advised to visit Pima Animal Care Center on Well Road to adopt a dog or cat. Adoption fees include mandated shots and neutering or spaying. |
• David Vega, 59, died February 2, 2009, in
Tucson. He was a native of Ajo. • Filberto C. Canez, 79, died at his home in Ajo On March 29, 2009. He was a lifelong resident. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Douglass Funeral Home. • Howard E. "Buck" Nixon Sr., 82, died April 4, 2009. He was a longtime resident of Ajo. Graveside services Saturday, April 11. • John Tysseling, 81, died January 26, 2009, in Texas. He was a former Ajo resident. Services have been held. |
• The Rev. Roger Smith was feted at an early farewell party following the Palm Sunday service at Ajo Federated Church. He will retire in June. |
| April 1, 2009 |
• Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson has
gone on record as opposing fees for the Ajo Landfill. • There were four arrests from the 978 vehicles that went through a sobriety checkpoint north of Ajo on March 15. Two were for DUI, one for an outstanding warrant, and one for an open container of Ajo. • There are lots of events going on, ranging from a jackpot roping with chuck wagon dinner and a swamp meet to lectures and seminars. |
• Sara Monreal, 90, died March 27, 2009, in
Tucson. She was an Ajo native and lifelong resident. Graveside
services were held April 2 in Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. |
• Happy birthday Mac McGrady and Pat Alley! |
| March 25, 2009 | • Joen Painter of Yuma has been hired as
the new Ajo school principal. • In addition to the cut in hours, a fee may now be charged to use the Ajo landfill. • Roads within Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Barry M. Goldwater Range, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, and adjeacent Bureau of Land Managment land will be closed on April 15 for the fawning season of the endangered Sonoran pronghorn. • Travel warnings can be found at www.travel.state.gov. |
• David Wesley Snell, 66, died March 20, 2009, in a Tucson hospital. He was a longtime Ajo resident. Services were held at Ajo Assembly of God Church; burial in Ajo cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. | • Congratulations
John-David and Kattie Allen! • Happy birthday Chloe! |
| March 18, 2009 | • Budget cuts at the Ajo schools are
relatively mild so far, but still present a hardship. • Hours are being cut at the Ajo Landfill, which will now be closed on Sunday and Monday and open limited hours the rest of the week. • Decisions about hiring a new principal have been briefly tabled by the Ajo school board. They are seeking a replacement for Fred Fout who tendered his resignation but is finishing his contract for the year. • The Ajo/Gibson Volunteer Fire Department is conducting their annual fund drive. Without generous support, the fire department cannot function. |
• Kay Francis Peterson, 69, died March 14,
2009, in a care center in Litchfield Park. She was an Ajo native and
longtime resident. Services Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m. in
Ajo Federated Church. Douglass Funeral Home. • Richard "Dick" Tracy, 79, died March 9, 2009, in Peoria. She was a winder resident. Cabot Funeral Home, Woodstock, Vermont. • Jesse Grazier, 89 , died March 8, 2009, in Sparks, Nevada. H was a former Ajo resident. The Gardens Funeral Home, Fallon, Nevada. |
• Happy birthday Lianna Castillo. • Andraya Celia Encinas was born January 16, 2009, in Gilbert to Jennifer Carrera ad Adrian Encinas. |
| March 11, 2009 | • The Sonoran Shindig headlines the weekend
that also includes a trio of one act plays, craft sales, tours,
seminars, and more. • Marge Hagen got probation for her latest criminal charges. She pled guilty to attempted forgery. • Discussions at last Tuesday's meeting of the Western Pima County Community Council included the Victim Witness program, the school budget, a program to reduce the number of blighted houses in Ajo, and updates from the Pima County Sheriff's Department and US Border Patrol. |
• William Nunnelly, 71, died March 5, 2009, in Tucson. He was a former Ajo resident. Douglass Funeral Home. | • Happy 94th birthday, Bernie Berry! |
| March 4, 2009 |
• Dr. Allen Lee, will join Dr. Carol
Johnson and the other providers at Desert Senita Community Health
Center. A second dentist is still being sought for Desert Senita Dental
Center. • The Ajo High School talent show was a hit, with some teachers surprising everyone with hidden talents. • The Indian Village Reunion on March 7 will be held outside the Ajo Museum. • A Season of Tradition at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument celebrates O'odham culture every weekend in March. • Classes, art shows, food sales, meetings, rummage and craft sales are keeping many people busy. |
• Joe J. Garcia, 88, died February
22. Mass will be celebrated Monday, March 2, at 10 a.m. in St.
Catherine of Sienna in the Phoenix area. • Juanita Mattia, 78, died February 20. Services were held in the Menager's Dam recreation hall on Saturday; burial was at Menager's Dam. |
• Happy birthday Carol Ann Guthrie, Ken
Kermode, and Joe Martinez. • Happy anniversary Ken & Dawn Kermode! |
| February 25, 2009 |
• The Ajo Amateur Radio Club has
volunteered to refurbish the benches in the Plaza. By an odd
coincidence, this year's Copper Phonebook features a picture of the of
the old benches as painted by local artist Diane Carnright. • Landfill hours will be cut to 40 hours a week. Before the new hours are set, input is being requested from the community. Comments may be e-mailed to district3@pima.gov and Sharon Bronson's office will forward them to the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality. • It's a busy weekend with the American Legion's chili cookoff and bazaar, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the museum yard sale, the high school talent show, food sales, lectures, workshops, and more. • Valuations on many area properties increased in the 2010 valuation notices mailed out recently by the Pima County Assessor's Office. The notices are not tax bills; the values are the basis used to determine owners' 2010 tax bills. |
• Interment for Wayne Stewart, will be in Ajo Cemetery on Saturday. Funeral services have been held in Globe. Miles Funeral Services. | • Former resident James Holt is recovering
from horrific facial injuries sustained at a roping event in Casa
Grande. |
| February 18, 2009 |
• The Ajo Community Golf Course greens have
been reseeded and trees pruned; however, equipment and buildings need
repair and membership and volunteerism are down. • Seven lots in Ajo will get makeovers through a grant to International Sonoran Desert Alliance through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Foreclosed or blighted property may be chosen for purchase by Pima County to be rehabilitated or cleared to remove the blight. • An increase in drug seizures on the Ajo area has been attributed not to increased drug trafficking but to an increase in staffing levels at the Ajo District of the Pima County Sheriff's Department. • Motorists may refuse a vehicle search but must be ready to be detained until a drug dog can be brought to the scene; if contraband is in plain sight, no consent for a search is needed. • Dr. Reed Ishak has started visits to Ajo to provide veterinary services. • Seven javelinas were found drowned near a large drainage culvert near the school after a storm brought rain, hail, and snow. Debbie Morrow of Pima Animal Care Center said the animals apparently got tangled in the brush as a five-foot wall of water engulfed them. |
• Soila
Alegria Kilpatrick, 79, died February 12, 2008. She was a longtime
resident and native of Ajo. Visitation and rosary will be February 16.
Mass will be February 17 in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
Douglass Funeral Home. • Freeman B. Hover, Jr., died February 9, 2009, in Tucson. He was a former teacher in Ajo. Mass will be celebrated March 1 in St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Tucson. Bring's Broadway Chapel. • Ernesto Mendoza, 71, died February 3, 2009, at his home in Gila Bend. Mass was celebrated in Gila Bend with burial in Pioneer Cemetery. Ganley's Mortuary. |
• Happy birthday Cary Lee! • Ariel Fry is the Ao Rotary Club's student guest for February. |
| February 11, 200 |
• Discussions
at last Tuesday's meeting of the Western
Pima County Community Council
included online courses available from Pima Community College, US
Border Patrol, Pima County Sheriff's Department, local schools, and
volunteerism. • Events this week include a school board meeting, dental center open house, garden club clean-up, a field trip, craft sale, art show, classic concert, lectures, and several Valentine events. • Gunshots heard north of town were a suicide attempt; the victim was transported to a metropolitan hospital for treatment. • When state legislators cut the state budget, among those affected was the Heritage fund. Locally, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church won't receive funds to repair the church roof and ISDA won't receive funds for purchase of the depot and renovation of a manual arts building. |
• Jack
A. Cameron, 93, died February 5, 2009, in Tucson. He grew up in Ajo and
lived here for many years. Services February 12 at Ajo Federated
Church; burial in Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. • Florene Nixon, 80, died at a hospice in Casa Grande on February 4, 2009. She was a longtime Ajo resident. Services February 14, Calvary Baptist Church; burial Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. • Helen Fay Blount died February 8, 2009, at a hospice in Surprise. Services February 16 at Ajo First Assembly of God; burial on Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. |
• Happy Valentine's Day! |
| February 4, 2009 |
• Desert
Senita Community Health Center will soon have a new physician. Dr.
Allen Lee is expected to start in about two months. • Vaudeville, a quilt show, and a fiddlers' contest all headline the weekend. Quilting in the Sonoran Desert is sponsored by the Ajo Piecemakers. the 13th annual Vaudeville Show is sponsored by the Ajo Community Players. The 31st annual Old Time Fiddlers Contest is sponsored by the Ajo Country Club/Ajo Community Golf Course. • Western Pima County Community Council meets February 5 in the community center in Walker Park. This meeting will focus on volunteers. • A narcotic cocktail with a street value of about $700,000 was seized by CBP officers at the Lukeville Port of Entry on January 29. It included 35 pounds of heroin, 6 pounds of methamphetamines, and 2 pounds of cocaine. |
• Father
Augustine Kattady, 74, died January 24, 2009 in Apace Junction. He was
a former parish priest in Ajo. Services were held in Apache Junction;
burial was in Tucson. Apache Junction Mortuary. |
• Rosemarie
Fales was named to the Fall 2008 dean's list at Pensacola Christian
College in Florida. • Happy birtday Joseph Jaye Bejarano. |
| January 28, 2009 |
• Drug
interdiction efforts at the Lukeville Port of Entry continue to stop
smuggling attempts large and small. Last week, more than 250 pounds of
marijuana were seized in four separate events. • Events this week include an open house at the Ajo Historical Society museum, Super Bowl parties, a gospel concert, the school's Hoopcoming, and more. Next week will be even busier with the fiddlers' contest, quilt show, rummage sales, and lots of food sales. • Two new vehicular laws went into effect at the first of the year. License plates holders cannot obscure the word Arizona at the top of license plates. All terrain vehicles with a an unloaded weight of 1800 pounds or less must now have a Motor Vehicle Division decal. |
• Rudy
Valenzuela, 37, died January 15, 2009, in Rimrock. He was a native of
Ajo living in Rimrock. Mass was celebrated in Flagstaff. Norvel Owens Mortuary. • Esther Romero, 59, died January 19, 2009, in Tucson. She was native of Ajo living in Tucson. Services were held at Childs Ranch. Douglass Funeral Home. • Wayne Stewart, 80, died January 11, 2009, in a hospice in Mesa. He was a former longtime resident of Ajo living in Globe. Services have been held in Globe. Miles Funeral Services. |
• Taylor
Ann Brandon was born in Mesa October 5, 2008, to Brian and Andrea
Brandon. • The engagement of Kori Elizabeth Gilliam to Matthew Allen adams has been announced. The bride-to-be is a former Ajo resident. • Happy birthday Kathy Murphy. |
| January 21, 2009 |
• The Ajo school board met last week,
accepting with regret the resignation of principal Fred Fout. Lisa
Rossi was chosen to head
school board with Amy Runge as clerk; other board members are John
Byrnes, Rose Cameron, and H.J. "Hop" David. The board also handled
other personnel matters and voted to suspend three students. • Author Stella Duarte will sign her books at the public library on January 25. • Recycle Ajo has reduced hours, a change prompted by the sagging economy. Many metropolitan recycling centers are refusing material, even that offered for free. • Pima County Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation continues its programs for youth and adults. • A concert by the Wilde Boys is the first program of the year sponsored by the Ajo Council for the Fine Arts and will be followed by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. ACFA is joined in sponsorship of many programs by the Tucson Pima Arts Council. |
• Frank
E. Ramirez, 81, died in Phoenix on January 16, 2009. He had lived in
Ajo since 1950. Mass was celebrated in Immaculate Conception
Catholic Church; burial was in Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. • William "Bill" Jones, 81, died in Avondale on January 13, 2009. He was a former Ajo resident. A memorial service will be held at the Elks Lodge in Ajo on February 7. • Margorie Mojica, 59, died December 13, 2008, in Maryvale. She was an Ajo native. Services have been held in Phoenix. Abels Mortuary. |
• Julian
Viviano Valenzuela was born in Chandler on December 23, 2008, to Amy
Valenzuela and Gerardo Robles. • James Holt is recovering after an accident at a roping event in Casa Grande. |
| January 14, 2009 |
• The Western
Pima County Community Council met Thursday with a large audience
in attendance. Items covered included an Arizona Public Service policy
change about power line extensions, the future of the Plaza, updates
from the Pima County Sheriff's Department, US Border Patrol, and Desert
Senita Community Health Center, as well as an open floor discussion.
Minutes of WPCCC meetings can be found on their website. • The International Sonoran Desert Alliance was awarded $500,000 for design and rehabilitation of the old train depot on the Plaza. • Local employers were reminded that the Arizona minimum wage increased to $7.25 on January 1. • San Simon School will resume session on January 20. An underground gas leak had forced the evacuation of students and faculty on January 5. |
• Edith
Denny, 86, died in Scottsdale on January 3, 2009. She had lived in Ajo
since 1954. Services were held in Douglass Funeral Home, burial was in
Ajo Cemetery. Douglass Funeral Home. • Juanita Noreen Leeper, 84, died December 26, 2008, in Henryetta, Oklahoma. She was a former Ajo resident. Services were held in Weleetka, Oklahoma. Shurden Funeral Home. |
• Alexander Angel Reyna was born in Goodyear on December 1, 2008, to Jeannie and Angel Reyna of Ajo. |
| January 7, 2009 |
• A local deputy has been trained to draw
blood in DUI arrests; she joins two others with similar training in the
Ajo District of the Pima County Sheriff's Department. • Work crews recently completed installation of a vehicle barrier along the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge's international border except for a small gap in rough, hilly terrain that will soon be filled. • The new Copper Phonebook is now out. It can be picked up at the Ajo Copper News, Olsens, and several other local businesses. It is also available by mail for $2 from Copper Phonebook, PO Box 39, Ajo, AZ 85321. • The breast cancer support group continues to meet in the public library. |
• Elviera
Elizabeth Elms, 62, died December 16, 2008, in Goodyear. She was a
former Ajo resident. Graveside services were held in Buckeye.
Thompson's Valley West. • William Gilbert Templeton, 81, died December 17, 2008, in Anthem. He was a former longtime Ajo resident. Services were held in Phoenix. • Al Gay, 81, died January 2, 2009, in Phoenix. He was a longtime resident of Lukeville. Services were held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. • Donna "Dege" Galles Floch died in Washington. She was a winter resident of Ajo. Services were held in Spokane Valley, Washington. |
• Mary
Millsap celebrated her 103rd birthday on January 3 in California. • John Paul Gagnon was born in Page on December 11, 2008, to Corina and Paul Gagnon. • Spencer Jay Manley was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, on December 28, 2008, to Randi Roland and Jason Manley. • Kali Tounge-V Cox was born September 25, 2009, to John and Vien Cox of San Diego. • Happy birthday Paula Krehbiel Call! |
| 2008 |
