 Over the decade plus that the Oracle Message Board has graced the land next to the Oracle Post Office controversy from time to time has raged. An early message highlighting Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's stand on immigration coupled with the attempted Oracle Bus Blockade attracted national attention (so much so that Fox News ran a segment featuring me and Babeu).  Vandalized five times since then, Kaz and I have sustained The Oracle Message Board and continued to build on its notoriety. The latest installment of the story concerns last week's move of the heavy-weight structure a few feet back from the post office property line. The move had nothing to do with the myriad controversies ... and everything to do with satisfying the terms of sale by the current owner to an unknown buyer (who may or may not renew the lease with the United States Postal Service).
While the post office may or may not survive in its current location one thing's for sure - The Oracle Message Board will continue to stand in the heart of Oracle as a beacon of free, creative experession fitting for our small unincorporated community of Oracle.  The recent revelation that Trump/Musk is looking to "privatize" the USPS puts the Oracle Post Office at risk of imminent closure. Our Post Office won't be alone. In small towns across the country hostile local post office takeovers will rip through rural America with a singular intent: Turn the USPS into a profit center for fat cats like Trump, Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg (who have likely never seen the inside of a post office or bothered to understand what local post offices mean to people like us and communities like Oracle). The irony here is that many small towns may have voted for their very own Post Office executioner. At the moment many of them have their heads in the sand.
Don't look to politicians like "our congressman" Juan Ciscomani to fight for us. His groveling behavior at the feet of Trump suggests he will mealy-mouth his way to a crass cave-in him and his DOGE boys. Maybe he'll even get a piece of the action, like a tip on a promising investment, if he's a really good boy. Watching predictable shit like this come down has gotten real old real fast. It's probably a good idea to try to get ahead of the story by calling it out for what it is: Greedy billionaire fat cats looking to screw people like us and reward...themselves. It's kind of a no brainer move for these guys and their coalition of the willing: Another profit center to squeeze for themselves and another vehicle to inflict pain on people who's hurt seems to thrill them and their ilk while further lining own pockets with our taxdollars. Reaction across rural/small town unincorporated Pinal County to "Recoding" our communities has been swift and pointed. What county officials described as "The Pinal County Development Services Code Update Draft" has provoked one of the biggest political fights since Kaz and I moved here in 1979. Back then we bought into "rural/small town" big time. Right off we got a short course in what that meant from our new neighbors and friends.
Here are the basics of what we learned early on: So much that needs doing will not be done by government - county, state, federal. We as a community have got to do much of it ourselves. This applies to most of what we value including organizing community activity spaces (the Oracle Community Center, churches); respecting and preserving local history (the Oracle Historical Society, area ranches like Triangle L and El Rancho Robles); protecting land from developer greed ( Pinal Citizens for Sustainable Growth, the Oracle Town Hall, myriad local comittees); starting/sustaining local businesses (Sue and Jerry's Parradise Ranch, The Patio Cafe, Casa Rivera's, De Marco's, Nona Maria's, Riot Grill, Simply Sandwiches, the Ore House, Cheeto Vibez, Waldo's Gym, Fast Fitness, Nature's Surprise Ranch (goatscaping), Oracle Auto Repair, Quality Paint and Body, Soule Construction); cultural inspiration (the Oracle Piano Society, Rancho Linda Vista, Triangle L, Rancho Robles); interring our dead (Oracle Cemetery Board). The pattern is that way too often the county has opted to put its finger on the scale against us locals and what we're trying to do. So far they have succeeded in generating relentless hassles that waste our time and money as we seek to protect and advance community and our way of life. ----------------------- A recent example is the bizarre assault on a stellar new business in Oracle - Way of Bean Coffee Club. The county claimed not enough spaces for parking, imaginary health code violations, selling homemade products (oh, my God!). And these same officials are in charge of "recoding" the entirety of unincorporated Pinal County.; - Another big turnout at the BOS meeting yesterday helped kill the controversial rezoning plan by unanimous 5-0 vote. Several Oracle residents joined the successful opposition in person while many others, including Kaz and myself, watched the live stream cheering them on.
The outcome was no surprise. The Board Chairman, Steven Miller, announced via a video that the zoning proposal was dead a day or two before the scheduled meeting. At the meeting itself one supervisor after another fell on his sword before the actual vote - each copping to having failed to consult with their constituents in development of the rezoning plan. Citizens raised key questions that weren't answered by any of the supervisors. Among them: What did the county (our taxes) pay for the rezoning plan? Why did the county select a firm - Michael Baker - with no rural life experience to build the plan. Lurking behind the political fray was the obvious: Many citizens believe Big Development is calling the shots (as usual) while kicking us rurals to the side. ---------------- Commentary: This fight over zoning reflects the divide between residents of the county who identify as small town/rural vs urban/suburban. Oracle has waged fights with urban-infused policy makers before ... in fact beginning in 1979 when Kaz and I first moved here we've been involved with battling against citified policy imperialism. And we sure weren't the first around here to take on these battles by any means. Alice Carpenter, the Protectors of the Santa Catalinas, decades of mobilizations by a mix of local leaders have challenged powerful forces undercutting Oracle's rural/small town identity. "Sometimes David Wins!" Citizens wonder how much this planning fiasco cost taxpayers. So far no answers.
300 plus pages of ugly verbiage that nobody except Big Development hirelings have time to read, digest, and comment on. Group to descend on County Board of Supervisors this Wednesday! We say: Kill it all, kill it now, fire the global planning group Michael Baker that created this monstrosity. ----------------- Supervisor recall talk begins...  Note: This has already cost county taxpayers a bundle! How much??? This firm doesn't come cheap: "Offices and locations with more than 4,500 engineers, architects, planners and experts across more than 85 offices in the U.S., Michael Baker is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services, delivering innovative solutions to complex infrastructure challenges."
From Oracle Piano Society Executive Director: "...just received notice that funds providing music education to low-income, rural children, awarded to the nonprofit I manage, will be delayed because the President issued an executive order pausing all Federal grants. Low-income, rural children..."
---------------------- Developing story important to Tri-Com residents  Phia (cello) and Daniel (clarinet) - ready to go!  OCC parking for persons with mobility issues This flagstone work blends seamlessly with the design and mission of the Oracle Community Center (OCC). Mobility challenged individuals welcomed and well accomodated!  Wall renewal for OHS. Designed to stand ...forever. Darrell fights retaining wall collapse in front of the Acadia Ranch Museum (OHS). Heavy lifting and fine craftsmanship turn back the years and help stabalize one of Oracle's finest historical assets.
 A mystery vandal is trashing political signs around Oracle. The same thing happened two years ago when several signs were ripped up and thrown in porta potties at the time of the Oracle Run. The perpetrator remains unidentified and is still at large.
So who's responsible is an open question. Messing with political signs is a felony under AZ law...which may be part of the thrill experienced by the sign vandal There has been speculation that because all the signs stolen, bent up and trashed support Democrats, the other party (and maybe its MAGA wing) is responsible. One such openly MAGAite accosted me on our own property two years ago, screaming, completely unhinged, when I declined to allow posting of a Trump/Pence sign across from the OHS.  Race Director Darrell Klesch reveals Michael Moore's charcoal rendering of Oracle's majestic oak puntuated landscape. (Oracle runner Jane Redmann drew the insert!) Klesch and Kaz just installed the work on The Message Board next to the Oracle Post Office.  Kaz and Darrell install Michael Moore's art work  Topping the run off will be award presentations of framed Michael Moore prints to triumphant runners (and walkers). The tough 10K run is one of Oracle's premier annual events drawing an appreciative audience from near and far.    Put composer/conductor Brian Holman (pictured here with Kaz) together with Steve Cook (Oracle Piano Society), Sharon Holnback (Triangle L), and Oracle Historical Society leaders (John Hernandez, Cinnamon Schiek, Kevin Armbrust), Damien Clinco (Arizona Historical Society) and what do you get? A remarkable co-mingling of talent and energy that produced a multi-media production for the ages right in our own back yard.
If there's such a thing as a classic Oracle creative collaboration, back-to-back performances of "The Mine with the Iron Door" at the Triangle L and OrCA, accompanied by a talented ensemble of young musicians, gave exhilirating life to Holman's score (with Steve Cook on the weather machine, of course).  Sue and Jerry Parra Our Mission: To Find Solutions on Aging in Oracle Elvia Schwenke, Sue Parra, Frank Pierson, Craig Anderson, Melinda & Bill Hutton, Lily Herron, Liz Lafarge, Ann Rose, Hector Lovemore, Darrell Klesch This small group of concerned residents in Oracle have come together to discuss and gather information about the elderly in Oracle. This group was formed because many of us over the years, have seen our friends and neighbors age or become ill and be forced into a position of having to leave their homes and community. It has become a heartbreaking fact because there are no assisted living homes or programs in Oracle. These are the issues this group intends to focus on, and hopefully help bring much needed services to Oracle. We have developed a simple survey to assess the needs of the elderly population and we need help in getting these surveys out to those who may need assistance. If you would like more information about this group, or would like to help us get the survey out to people please contact any of us below: Elvia [email protected] Sue [email protected] Frank [email protected] Lily [email protected] Craig [email protected] Liz [email protected] ------- Flyer text by Sue Parra
 Roxanne Garcia A Facebook post from the team leader of our local clinic: Update on the Mammoth Dialysis Center. We are officially closed now as most people in our community know. As the manager this has been a difficult time. Today was my last day and as I sat there in the empty clinic I couldn’t help but feel so sad for our community. We treated patients from Kearny all the way to Catalina. And all towns in between. This clinic provided life saving treatments, which are still available,but now are such a burden for local patients and family’s to get to. So many memories in that building. For the patients and staff we become like extended family because we see each other 3times a week. Between my staff and I we had over 70 years of experience in dialysis. I TRULY HAD A GREAT TEAM. Our clinic was one of the top performing clinics in Southeast AZ. We had high scores in all our quality measures. This tragedy boils down to profit unfortunately. We were not making a profit for the company. I appreciate all the local concern and commitment to trying to keep us open. I don’t believe any one person or local official could have changed the outcome though unfortunately. I’m trying to see a silver lining in all this, but I can’t.
Closure of this top performing clinic was a huge blow to all of us in Oracle, the Tri-Community and Copper Corridor.
 An Oracle resident asked some pointed questions about the huge water download from an Oracle fire hydrant. Below is the email in full with minor edits. ----------- Hi friends! There is another concern in town that people continue to come to me about. You have probably noticed the water trucks and tankers filling up there trucks in front of the trailer park coming into Oracle. This has been going on for months now. The rumor came out that it was water going to the construction site for the electrical project Sunzia (sorry if I spelled that wrong)! I have talked to a few of the truck drivers and they did confirm it was the Sunzia project. The county passed the buck to the Az Water Company, so I called them to ask a few questions. I talked to the office supervisor and he said it was an account that he couldn’t discuss. But without confirming it, he didn’t deny it was this project. I asked him about our water table being affected and reminded him of the Wilcox water debacle (running out of water). He said that only happened because they are a farming community. We do not have to worry about that happening in Oracle. He also said he could provide us with studies they have done to prove this. He was very cooperative and (I) felt confident he was being honest about it. I did tell him it was terrible that a company/project that the residents of Oracle fought against is now taking hundreds of thousands of gallons of water from us!!! But in the last couple of weeks, after I spoke to him, it seems they have totally ramped up the trucks coming into town. It’s not just all day Monday through Friday, they are now filling up all day Sat & Sun! It’s not just rental water trucks and an occasional tanker truck, it’s now several different tanker trucks a day! Sometimes 3 or 4 trucks are lined up! I just wanted to share this with you and ask if you have any real concerns about this? I will include some pics of the trucks.  One of the last times I visited with Gerardo Alcaraz he was recovering from a serious surgery in a skilled nursing facility in Tucson. He was in need of dialysis and was buoyed by being able to access the dialysis unit in Mammoth, about 10 miles from Oracle.  Gerardo Alcarez Today I ran into Gerardo in the Oracle Post Office. In our talk he told me the Mammoth dialysis unit was closed... to him and the many others dependent on the services of the facility all up and down the Copper Corridor.  That was the first I'd heard of it. Like me, most local residents were (and are) clueless ... unless you personally or a family member or close friend have needed dialysis.
"Nobody knew about the closure until it happened," Gerardo said. I promised him I'd do what I could to get the word out and help stir the pot ... so here I am trying to do just that. ------ ABC 15 article here: www.abc15.com/news/state/some-pinal-county-residents-concerned-over-lack-of-healthcare-as-dialysis-center-closes A month or so ago Kaz pulled me out of our back door to look way up at a huge oak next to our house. “See that?” “Yes, I see it. Oh, shit.” We stood pondering what to do about a huge limb that had snapped almost all the way through with die back already becoming visible, No telling when or how it would come crashing down. Kaz worried that sooner or later it would descend destroying everything in its path - maybe even one of us.  Tom and Amber Berryman We knew who to call because weeks before I’d taken a number from the Oracle Post Office bulletin board from a guy who offered local “tree service”. At the time neither of us had heard of Tom Berryman but I gave a call about some tree work we needed done. He turned out to be incredibly skilled not to mention well equipped and dispatched three dead oaks in a day and a half. In the process we learned he and his wife Amber had just moved to Oracle and live in our neighborhood. Kind of amazing!
So responding to our urgent call he arranges to come by after he gets off work in Metro Phoenix, no less. He and Amber show up with ladder, climbing ropes, chain saw, trailer and chipper and go to work. Tom and Amber had that dangerous broken limb cut, lowered, and chipped in a short order. Tom and Amber are building a local business (while he continues to work full time in Metro Phoenix). Another big plus for our neighborhood, town, and the trees we revere. Berryman's Tree Service - (928)231-4749   Heather and Andrew have begun to school us on the virtues of goatscaping! Goats are pretty remarkable creatures willing to take on some very tough assignments. Like helping to clear land overrun by catclaw and other noxious weeds.  Their work on the triangle of land around the Oracle Post Office is the subject of what's fast becoming local lore. They're so damn good at what they do! Even long time residents like Ruben Perez marvel.  By getting into the weeds, they quicken the hearts of property owners like Kaz and me looking to defend against the threat of fire while beautifying the terrain. And they add their own aesthetic touch by finding special places to rest and recuperate from their arduous work day!  Resting in the Women's Monument created by Fox McGrew and Darrell Klesch  They showed up early and went to work on the Triangle next to the Oracle Post Office.  Kaz and goat whisperer Lily Started on the western tip where American Avenue intersects with Old Mount Lemmon Highway.  When I arrived 15 minutes before the advertised start of today's Monday Lunch, the Oracle Community Center parking lot was full and the hall was packed. The OCC President delivered the news at the door: "Sold out!" Whaaat? I began to turn away when Kaz, who I had dropped off a few minutes earlier, waved a ticket in my direction and in I went.  Bailey Macneill I was very glad to make the cut!  Dana Mayorga The attraction was food prepared by the two women behind Oracle's buzzy new restaurant start-up - The Riot Grill. Judging by the wall-to-wall affirmation of the food and the enthusiam shared at the gathering we have a winner on our collective hands. It turned out there was enough for everybody! Maybe not a "miracle of the loaves and fishes" but mighty impressive.
If you're so inclined, offer support for this "boot strap" venture here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/riotgrill/riot-grill One disturbing fact jumps out from a reading of the Road Safety Assessment (RSA) study commissioned by Pinal County for American Avenue. Here it is: Many of the safety improvements identified in the document can and should be made right now! Here's an example:  That's one of several related to "road paintings" ... not just pavement striping but also stop bars that provide vital info to alert drivers how far to nose into cross traffic and crosswalks that slow traffic and alert drivers to pedestrians.
The engineering consultants also identify bushes obscuring driver's sight lines, warning lights not functioning, and signage mis-located. So what gives? Why not do what seems basic maintenance...immediately? Pinal County officials should carefully review the RSA document, identify what can and should be done right now, and authorize those actions without delay. -------------------------------- Because American Avenue is in so many ways Oracle's lifeblood, what happens next is a big deal for our town. The impacts on pedestrian and vehicular safety, local commerce, social, and religious life are considerable. By clicking in to the doc above you can get a sense of what several Oracle residents think should happen from here.
In the early 1970's the State of Arizona had big plans for American Avenue: Drive a high speed highway thru the center of town to facilitate truck traffic heading to Magma/San Manuel. Oracle residents got pissed off and decided to fight it. They made so much of a ruckus that the central planners in Phoenix had to back off. After town meetings and a big petititon drive, Oracle won. The "thru town" option was killed and the by-pass as we know it today was approved and built out a few years later.  Active Oracle citizens won a big victory. One of the first but definitely not the last.
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AuthorKaz and I moved to Oracle in 1979. The house we bought dated to the late 1940s. With little advance knowledge of the place, we set out to build a new life together, intending to settle in and raise a family. 
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