If you ever wondered why properties like this one - with a burned out trailer, an abandonned structure with door hanging open, and crap all over the place - escape the attention of Pinal County officials here's the answer.  The county will not move unless there is a citizen complaint.  After that, years down the road, something might happen by way of remediation if certain conditions prevail.  (In our neighborhood a burned out fifth wheel and a massive accumulation of trash took four years of neighborhood pestering to get action.)  The Board of Supervisors (BOS) is rethinking this bizare situation and might actually be on the verge of making changes to a completely broken system.  Let's hope so.  To unincorporated communities like ours it matters a lot.  Health, safety, fire threat not to mention property devaluing eyesores are at issue.  

  This property has been reported to Pinal County officials. It's much worse than these pics suggest.  Clear threats to the health and safety of children are present in a structure behind the trash pictured and a burned out trailer as images in a previous post reflect.  Slow walking remediation of this problem is not on county public works employees.  It's a fuction of rules and regs overseen by the Board of Supervisors.  

The fire last time...

  Fighting fires is a serious business.  So is reducing fuel loads.  Our town is fortunate to have dedicated volunteers to shepherd our efforts to safely burn brush and maintain Oracle's brush dump.

  Two recent structure fires testify to the ongoing threat.  Terrible as they were they could have been much worse if surrounding properties had been torched.

   Way back in 2017 Pinal County Open Space and Trails leader Kent Taylor spearheaded the Oracle Park improvement project.  Several neighbors got together to offer their perspectives and students from the UA's School of Landscape Architecture were enlisted to help out.  Then covid hit and things seemed to go sideways.  But Taylor persisted behind the scenes among other things figuring out a funding stream and responding to neighborhoods concerns. 

  Backed first by Supervisor Peter Rios, followed by Supervisors Kevin Cavanaugh and Jeff McClure, Taylor's efforts chugged along as plans were formalized and construction contracts bid out. 

  Then in early March construction crews began showing up.  That's when we knew the improvements were for real!

    Union Yes!

  It seemed pretty much impossible a few short months ago that a group of young students in the Tri-Community could pull together a band concert in the San Manuel School District Auditorium before the end of the school year. After all, most of the 30+ members had never played their instruments individually much less collectively before the new band program began in  the fall. 
  But skeptics (Kaz and I admit to being among them) failed to reckon with the talent, professionalism, and determination of Lorena Candelaria.  We know Lorena and her familly from church, Zumba, and the Oracle Community Center but had never been witness to her consumate skills in building a musical program from scratch with young people in a few short monnths.   In that regard the concert last night was revelatory!

  There are so many back stories to this accomplishment that I can't begin to detail them here.  There's the role of the Oracle Piano Society and the brilliant leadership of Dr. Stephen Cook and OPS board leader Rachel Opinsky (pictured above with Dr. Cook, Lorena, and congratulatory flower deliverer Kaz).  There's the vital role of music in educating the young recognized by Mammoth-San Manuel school leaders.  And there's Lorena's personal history teaching, raising a family and overcoming life threatening health challenges.
  (That's just for starters.) 
  "Amazing" is an overused word these days but here its richly deserved.  The band concert last evening in San Manuel was truly amazing.

  Cuba is distinguished by the magnificence of its arts and culture creatives.  Now upon return from our visit we can testify personally to this reality.
  It’s no surprise that the performative arts of Cuba resonated deeply with Kaz and myself.  After all we have lived in Oracle for more than 40 years and our town’s future, a bit like Cuba’s, depends in part on diverse artistic endeavors to sustain residents and attract visitors.   So now the “Oracle-Cuba connection” emerges as especially rich and timely.  
  While on our trip to Havana we couldn’t even begin to plumb the depths of Cuban sensibilities, we did experience enough to come away blown away by the energy and talent that graced performances we witnessed. To a person our group of 37 from the US felt the same way.

  One of several high points of our shared experience was a concert led by Aldo López-Gavilán himself.  When word of his concert spread, people of all ages and backgrounds flocked to the event. We overheard locals declare he could fill a stadium with fans of his musicality… on a day’s notice. 
  During an almost three hour performance Aldo summoned masters (many of them youngsters!) of keyboards. drums, and horns to join him on stage, contributing to a sense of collective accomplishment that was met with raucous approval by the audience (including us).  We came away believing Aldo and company were Cuban rock stars (or should we say “jazz stars”) true to their own unique calling.

  We applaud Steve and Bridget Cook and the  Oracle Piano Society for any and all efforts  to more deeply connect Oracle, Arizona  with Havana, Cuba now and into the future.

  Getting in and out of Cuba for a US Citizen is tricky.  Though it’s about as far from Miami, Florida as Oracle is from Sky Harbor, a maze of obstacles awaits US travelers … which is why most visitors determined to visit Cuba need a leader/guide.
  We had one such leader and a support institution.  The guide was Neil Birmbaum with Cuba Rhythm and Views.  Our supporting institution was the Oracle Piano Society led by Steve Cook.  Birnbaum is just quirky enough to be a good fit with Oracle residents like Kaz and myself.  And his team working with him in Cuba is open to sharing insights into “the real Cuba” allowing us to feel a bit like insiders.

  We did a lot of walking which was a challenge for me with a bum ankle and balance issues.  But I had a stick that helped out as did the supportive hands and shoulders made available at difficult moments.  
  One of the walk destinations was a daycare facility for pre-school age children run by the Sisters for the Love of God.  A ways up an Havana side street, a cavernous old building like so many in Cuba’s biggest city, housed the service.  The children under the nun’s care literally lit up the place.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Catholic Church in Cuba supports such a vital presence.  Exactly what it’s doing in a “communist” country is a bit of a mystery (along with many other mysteries unique to the island nation).

   Our visit was graced with the presence of these lovely youngsters,  (Yes, we had permission to take pictures.)

  If you take US government policy at face value, Cuba is a threat to our nation in the same category as Iran, Syria, and North Korea. So who would want to visit such a place after the previous administration declared Cuba “terrorist” in 2021?  Shouldn’t we, citizens of the most powerful nation in the world (and 90 miles from the Florida coast), be too frightened or politically “righteous” to visit?
  When the opportunity to spend five days in Cuba came our way through cultural visitation auspices of the Oracle Piano Society (OPS) we (mostly Kaz) did our own research.  Our enthusiasm was super charged by a musical performance sponsored by OPS.  Cuban pianist Aldo Lopez-Gavilan stunned us in last October’s event playing his own compositions.   In fact, that evening as we entered the Oracle Center for the Arts with no particular passion for jazz, I was personally won over … a true convert.
  Is this what the US government means by “sponsoring terrorism”?
  In fact, Aldo’s performance solidified our commitment to the Cuba tour … from which we just returned.  

                                  (More to follow)

Check out what's happening off Tiger Mine Road.

Landing fields blasted for supersized transmission towers.
----------------
  SunZia/Pattern rip up the environment in our region:vid here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=315tG_E7pWc
   Drew Kirk's drone's eye view:
https://www.facebook.com/100003989798004/videos/pcb.2818861061590193/767743985291447
---------------
   Pulled from Facebook post:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wEqgzJsOAE
------------------
  Robson pushed SunZia transimission line corridor away from SaddleBroooke Ranch with one letter!
https://images.edocket.azcc.gov/docketpdf/0000166089.pdf
  The effort to stop SunZia from completing a massive power transmission line through the San Pedro River Valley (and now Oracle) is gaining momentum
(https://protectthesanpedro.net/updates/).
  On January 17 2024 the San Carlos Apache, Tohono O’odham, Archaeology Southwest, and Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior, BLM, and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to stop the irreversible damage being inflicted. And on February 5 the same party filed a lawsuit against the Arizona Corporation Commission.

  Coming and going around Oracle, whether picking up mail, patronizing a local business, walking the neighborhood, or just plain hanging out, one of the top-of-mind questions of late is:  What’s happening with Way of Bean Coffee Club in its battle with Pinal County.  (Recall that a large group of concerned citizens went up to Florence last August to push back on county efforts to bring “The Bean” to heel.) 

  It seemed, despite the big numbers of folks making the trek to the county seat along with the numbers of letters and emails supporting Way of Bean, the county bureaucracy had dug in.  There came a “cease and desist order”, a blizzard of threats, deadlines set, and the possibility of the Bean’s closure .
  It’s difficult to know what turned the tide since the “deadlines” came and went but that tide has turned… in Way of Bean Coffee Club’s favor.  Was it public pressure?   Was it other businesses weighing in with similar grievances? Was it someone in Florence-command-central (like the county manager) deciding the fight wasn’t worth the problems it was creating?  Or was it all of the above plus a well crafted letter by  Way of Bean’s  owner/operator (Kristina Olivares) arguing her case?

  The upshot of all this is that the the county has backed off its complaints and reassigned the health department inspector in favor of a more relational guy… someone you might even want to have a cup of coffee with.  

's  When you stop to think about it, Oracle is a better place because a business owner backed by a group of residents and customers made their voices heard in a time and place that mattered.
  Maybe we need even more of this can-do spirit around here when it comes to other pressing issues - like the outrageous shakedown of SCIP customers by another government bureaucracy that's supposed to be serving the public good.
  What do you think?

NOTES FROM JANUARY 30, 2024 COMMUNITY MEETING RE: AMERICAN AVE  ROAD SAFETY ASSESSMENT (RSA)
  Meeting Location:   Oracle Community Center
  Meeting Date/Time: January 30, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
  Taken by Jean Wilcox, OSCR  (Thanks, Jean!)

  Organized by Pinal County, attended by Supervisor Jeff McClure and his assistant Trecia, County Engineer Chris Wannaker, Construction Operations Manager Dedrick Denton, Public Works Manager Charles Williams, Senior Transportation Planner Steve Abrams, and Craig Ricketts presenter from the consulting firm that conducted the RSA.
   Craig Rickett’s power point will be available from Pinal County after it is presented to the board of supervisors.  Data was collected by a subcontractor, United Civil Group.  The RSA provides qualitative estimates of safety and performance, and identifies opportunities for improvement.  (Name of Rickett’s company?).
   American Avenue right of way (ROW) varies in width from 200+’ on the western end, down to 100’ for most of American Avenue, with a constricted narrower width at the curve just east of The Bean where the road crosses a small wash, then widens to 100’ and up to 200’ at the east end. 

Several of us from the immediate neighborhood worked with UA landscape architecture students and Pinal County's Kent Taylor.  on this plan. Construction was scheduled to begin this month.

The original and newly arranged piano music of Johannes Brahms... left many in the audience "weak in the knees" (as Kaz put it).   "Thrilling", someone else said.  "Elevating and intoxicating," said another.  . 

  As it aged it moved from our back yard to an old water trap slab on our property. There it sat or decades...deteriorating but retaining sentimental value for both of us.  We had rescued it from the COD Ranch around the time of Elna Huggett's passing.

   When the time finally came to move it off property, we wondered who in the world might want it. Our first thought was perhaps the Oracle Historical Society (OHS).  Having become expert in the restoration of significant pieces of historical value we figured our nearly century old swing set might merit their interest.  Sure enough the answer to the "do you want it question?" was "Yes".

  So the four horsemen of the American Flag Gang showed up to take it on.  Equipped with a flat  bed trailer behind a sturdy pickup they hauled it off.  
  As of now - talk about going full circle - it's resting place when the restoration is complete is the American Flag Ranch (lovingly restored by OHS) which in past times was owned by the very same Huggetts who wiled away so many hours over so many years on that very same swing set.

The fact is that Biosphere 2 itself has been well documented and made known worldwide - but largely ignored by many of us B2 neighbors is the enduring impact on Oracle as a community.  Which happens to be a part of the larger story that requires local telling. 

Maybe a place to start is with individuals who played important roles in the Great Experiment itself and continued to put down deep roots in our town. Several are still around infusing Oracle with their personal and collective selves.

I don't know how to properly characterize folks like this.  "Leaders", "pacesetters", "history makers".  None of the descriptives seem to capture who they are and how they have impacted Oracle.

  I was making my way to the Oracle Post Office this morning when I spotted a guy bent over a machine of some sort on the steps of the Acadia Ranch Museum.  My curiosity got the best of me so I swung around and parked across the street by the Little Free Library to assess what was going on.  I should have known who would  be there - one of the members of the locally famous American Flag Gang. One or another of AFG always seem to be doing something on the Oracle Historical Society property by way of improvements. In this case, it was Kevin Armbrust melting some of the remaing ice slicks that posed a hazard to visitors who might stop in.
  Like many Oracle/Tri-Community residents Kevin has a powerful personal story that extends back into his days growing up in San Manuel, working for Magma Copper Company, being injured and dismissed when a load of pipe fell on him breaking his back...for starters.  All this got me thinking about how much we don't know about our friends and neighbors who matter so much in our home place.

  A talented group of young musicians help out doing food prep at Rancho Robles.  We really enjoyed their company and high spirits. 
  Which brings to mind Oracle's penchant for partnerships that build and reinforce the values of our town.  The Chamber Music Festival is a big winner! 

  Opportunities like this don't come down the pike very often - the right person, with the right experience, landing in the right  spot!
Lorena Candelaria:
   "I have been a “Oraclian” for 2 whole years now. The mothership hasn’t kicked me out yet!
I had the second seizure in the West elementary band room in Coolidge that forced me to retire. I truly thought I would never get to teach band again.
  "It’s amazing how life can change in just 2 years! I get to share music with kids again in the MSMUSD, even if it’s part time!
My heart is HAPPY and life is good! God is great!
  "Thank you to the Oracle Piano Society for making this venture possible for the local area kids and ME!!"

  By coincidence my brother, John, and I attended "masterclasses" in the same week.  His was in London mine, of course in Oracle.  John is a life long pianist. 

  He was raving about how great it was as a 79 year old who still takes regular lessons.  The sum total of my musical experience was taking guitar for 2 years at the age of 12.  So his experience was grounded differently than mine.  Duh!
  The fact is I had never observed a masterclass until the Oracle Piano Society/OrCA hit town.  At least not musically speaking.  Looked at as a teaching/learning experience without a music focus I've been in lots of them because I've had some great teachers in multip;le fields.  Some of the same qualities apply across the board.  To gardening, cabinet making, public speaking, organization building, child raising, every sport, writing, art appreciating, personal training, band.  On and on. Performance mastery, attention, care, inspiration, challenge, precision are all part of the mix in master- class practice.  This helps explain why Kaz and I appreciated the masters, students, and the impresario himself (at left in the above image) so much.

At best this looks like a nothing sandwich. Dubbed the "Harbridge Ark "by local folks checking it out.

At worst an ecological disaster in the making, 

Learn more here: www.coppercreekmine.com/subscribe/

Tiny Mammoth has some big growth plans
  Fading community looking to revitalize through annexation of 16,490 acres
  By Brian J. Pedersen Arizona Daily Star
Apr 10, 2008

  A mammoth land grab by one of Arizona's smallest municipalities is being hailed by town officials as a way to finally bring growth and revitalization to a long-stagnant community.
  Critics, however, say the moves made by Mammoth late last year could spell doom by stretching thin an already-stretched revenue stream.
  In November, Mammoth, a former mining town 30 miles northeast of Oro Valley, annexed 16,490 acres that increased the size of the town from just under one square mile to almost 27.  (To continue click the "read more" below)

  Located on Oracle's doorstep, the proposed development has a complicated history dating back to an annexation by the town of Mammoth in 2007.  It calls for several thousand new residences and a new school. This may have a big impact on our future with all kinds of questions that need answering.

  Talk about photogenic!  How about these leading lights at the Oracle Community Center.  But looking good played second fiddle to another gratifying community gathering - a Thanksgiving meal.