Javalina Chase Cycling Event

 This past weekend I had the opportunity to help at the Javalina Chase Cycling Event.  This was a successful economic development event for our county.  It just keeps getting bigger and bigger.  It brought money into our area for food, gas, and hotels.  The cyclists saw our charming little town and loved it.  

I was asked to be the Master of Ceremonies for the awards ceremonies and other activities throughout the day.

  At the beginning there was a 5K run/walk.
Here I am with the Hupps after the race.

 There were several disabled veterans who participated.
This gentleman let me try out his bicycle.

 Included in the day's activities was the regional finals for collegiate racing.
Here were a few of the collegiate racers.

 Helping with the awards was our own Greenlee County Rodeo Royalty.

 An awards ceremony was held after the Saturday events.

We had a large group of racers from Nogales.  There were also other teams from other towns.  They all seemed to have a good time.

A big thank you goes out to John and Pam Lieberenz who planned and organized this event.  They did months of planning to put this all together.  There were also many, many others who made this possible working at different locations throughout the race.

Way to go Greenlee County!!

How Small Counties Get a Say in State and National Issues

          As a small county official, you might wonder if we get a say in issues on the state and national level.  

          On the state level the county supervisors meet each month with supervisors from all over the state of Arizona in an organization called Arizona County Supervisor's Association.  Within this organization are three smaller groups - the small counties, medium counties and large counties.  We are part of the small counties group.  We work together on issues facing small counties. By working with other small counties we actually have the power to get legislation passed that benefits our county.  I earned the trust of my fellow county supervisors and became one of the Vice Presidents of the Arizona County Supervisor's Association.  

          The National Association of Counties is the group that works for counties on a national level.  This group meets several times a year to address issues that face the counties on a national level.  I was appointed to the Public Lands Committee.  Nine other supervisors and I were given the task of re-writing Public Lands policies for the nation. That was a position of great trust. To be able to make national policies when you are from a small county in Arizona is a huge thing.

          You don't get appointed to these leadership positions unless you win the respect and trust of the other county supervisors in the state and in the nation.  Serving with these groups was an honor.  I plan to continue to work with the other supervisors from our state and our nation to promote policies that benefit Greenlee County.  

          

How to Save Our Bank

          I know that many of you are concerned about losing our bank here in Duncan.  It has been a part of our community all of our lives.  Those most affected will be the businesses and the elderly.   Some of our elderly citizens will have a hard time getting to Safford to do banking.  

          One of our elderly citizens asked me to do something to keep our bank.  I went to the bank and asked what could be done to save our bank.  I was told that the most effective thing is to call the Customer Service Center to make a formal complaint.  This complaint center is run by an outside firm.  These complaints are taken very seriously and will be seen by many people.  The people who actually made the decision to close this bank will see these complaints as well as the organizations that monitor the banking industry.  

          Take a few minutes and call 1-800-497-8168 (Customer Service Center).  We need to let them know how important our bank is to us.

The Right to Bear Arms

 

           Late the other night I got a call from my son telling me he and his brothers had been drawn for elk.  Hunting has been an important part of my family's life. It was an activity I could do with my sons and daughter that brought us closer together.  I cherish the many hours we spent together building memories and retelling them!

          The right to bear arms goes further than just the enjoyment of hunting.  It is our second amendment.  That means it was the second right our forefathers thought was important for us to have.  It was second only to our rights of freedom of speech and religion.  I will always support our right to bear arms.