OFF THE RIM:
Gazette creates new blog, discontinues print edition
By Jim Keyworth
Gazette Editor
And so it’s over.
After 179 issues, the Rim Country Gazette is discontinuing its print edition – victim of the economy, victim of ignoble tactics by a competitor that very much wants its monopoly back, and, to a degree, victim of the times.
Newspapers are failing everywhere. Bigger and better newspapers than the Gazette.
But we are making no excuses. And actually, we’re proud of the product we created – the best and fairest newspaper in the Rim Country – and of how long we lasted.
It’s been exhausting, exhilarating, exasperating.
But in the end, we ran out of time. We ran out of money.
What we didn’t run out of was heart.
In considering a final headline for this issue, several came to mind – each with a good rationale behind it.
Assistant Editor Paty Henderson’s choice:
“What a ride”
Because it was exhilarating to create a newspaper from scratch – almost overnight – that stood for the right things. We were a ragtag, undermanned group, and for over three years we’ve been running twice as hard to keep up.
My choice of a final headline won’t surprise you:
“God help us now”
Because it is exasperating to think about the new state of journalism in the Rim Country. I wish I could recommend a paper for you to read now that the Gazette is gone – but I can’t. The choice you have left is between really bad journalism and manipulative journalism.
I will read neither. If I were a businessperson, I would advertise in neither.
Advertising is a good thing, but there are two radio stations that are trying to play fair for you – KMOG and KRIM. That’s where I would place my advertising dollars.
This paper began because of Payson’s theft of Star Valley’s water via the Tower Well. It began because some journalists and some politicians were not being honest with you.
The original Gazette investors gave us free rein to go where we wanted. Some people saw us as a shill for Star Valley, especially in our early days. We find it ironic that right now it’s the other guys who are shilling for Star Valley.
And we’re very proud of the fact that Gazette Correspondent Matt Brabb’s front page story about the Tower Well in last week’s Gazette is being hailed by politicians on both sides of the aisle as the fairest, most honest piece written on the subject of Star Valley water.
And while I’m on the subject of the Brabbs, Matt’s wife Mitzi has made a wonderful, even spectacular contribution to the Gazette the last few months. She is a professional in every sense of the word, and together the Brabbs could have maintained this paper’s excellence for many years to come.
And there are so many others.
The Consort, who put up with so many weekends filled with nothing but the Gazette – and who graciously allowed herself to become a character in this 179-week drama.
Our great volunteer columnists and photographers. Shelley Schadowsky who designs the most beautiful paper in the Rim Country. The investors who put up the money that let us get this far.
Paty Henderson and George Binney, the lead managing investor, have been rocks of stability and support. As was Al “The Butcher” Poskanzer, a managing investor and elk murderer. Through some pretty turbulent times, we were always on the same page.
The ad team, led by Sheelah Golliglee, did a yeoman’s job trying to keep us afloat. Art Russo and Tiffany Williams were wonderful.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention Ann Haver-Allen, my original partner in founding this venture. We have gone our separate ways, but fair is fair.
There were others who weren’t around at the finish line. Carol LaValley. Pia Wyer. Jenny Dennis.
Those of us who did stick it out are proud that we went down swinging, that we never compromised our principles, that we are walking away with our heads high
Despite what happened, we still believe in journalism. We believe in its mission in a free and democratic society, and we hate to see it minimized or misused.
Personally, it’s time for me to slow down. The Consort and I hope to spend a little more time in Denver with family and friends, but our primary home will still be the Rim Country.
I want to continue to teach my creative writing class at GCC, and one day teach a similar course in Denver. That would be perfect.
I also want to spend some time writing – just for me. Some poetry for sure, and wherever else the pen leads.
But I’m not walking away. And neither are a solid core of Gazette columnists and contributors.
We have created a blog at www.rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com. There we will continue to post our columns, your rants and letters, and such political coverage and commentary as we deem necessary and appropriate.
We want you to be a part of this. In fact, that’s why we’re doing the blog – to keep the wonderful core of Gazette people together and united.
We may disagree on particular issues. We may be left or right. Payson or Star Valley. Pro or anti growth.
But we are the people who care about this community. We are the people who care about quality of life. We are the people who believe all sides deserve to be heard. We must not lose our voice.
Together, we can all do our best to continue to keep the other paper honest. Or at least to expose their dishonesty.
Send your rants, letters and other contributions to peoplesgazette@gmail.com. Or you can post your comments right on the blog.
So thanks to you all for your ongoing support. And remember to tune us in at www.rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com.
And who knows, The Newspaper of the People might just return in print one day. Properly capitalized and knowing what we’ve learned these past three years – we’d run the Payson Roundup right out of town.
In the meantime, stay vigilant, stay involved, and stay the course.
Unlike what we watch on TV, the bad guys win more often than they lose in this life – but “for one brief, shining moment,” we sure had them squirming. In the process, their entire editorial team – top to bottom – was replaced.
In the end, the best headline is the simplest:
“It’s over.”
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Mitzi Brabb bids readers farewell
Dear Readers,
It has been such an exhilarating and rewarding experience to have had a chance to get to know so many Rim Country residents while writing for the Gazette. I will miss my new contacts as much as I will miss this paper. Thanks for believing in us and trusting us with your heartfelt stories.
I hope to maintain an ongoing online relationship with the Rim Country Gazette, but will also be focusing more on my family and other writing projects. My foremost plan is to publish a book anthology with a collection of stories from war veterans.
If anyone has a special story to share or would like to be interviewed, please contact me at (928) 478-4803 or email me at mitzi@rimcountrygazette.com. Thank you and God Bless!
Mitzi Brabb
Gazette Correspondent
It has been such an exhilarating and rewarding experience to have had a chance to get to know so many Rim Country residents while writing for the Gazette. I will miss my new contacts as much as I will miss this paper. Thanks for believing in us and trusting us with your heartfelt stories.
I hope to maintain an ongoing online relationship with the Rim Country Gazette, but will also be focusing more on my family and other writing projects. My foremost plan is to publish a book anthology with a collection of stories from war veterans.
If anyone has a special story to share or would like to be interviewed, please contact me at (928) 478-4803 or email me at mitzi@rimcountrygazette.com. Thank you and God Bless!
Mitzi Brabb
Gazette Correspondent
This ain't Denmark, but something's rotten
Guest Commentary
By Al Poskanzer
Gazette Investor
The Gazette is calling it quits. It was a good run. Unfortunately, the Rim Country and especially the people of Payson have lost an important watchdog.
Just like one-party rule is bad for our federal and state governments without loyal opposition, the health of our town will hang in the balance. The so-called good old boys network will surely rule our town with no one to hold them accountable.
The last time they were not held in check, they flushed three-quarters of a million dollars down the drain by giving it away to a private developer to build a water pipeline for HIS own private developments – a sweetheart deal that screwed all of us.
Just take a good hard look at Payson and decide for yourselves who we are, what we are, and where we are after decades of rule by local special interests and power brokers. Payson is a town that has no vibrance. There is little to do here, save for a few events now and then that few participate in. There is no culture, few decent restaurants, no downtown where we can shop and entertain ourselves.
What do we have? We have some of the worst slums and blight in the state – a result of years of neglect by an old boys’ network. Take a short drive down Main Street from the Beeline. Turn left on McLane, then left on Phoenix Street and drive around that area. Drive down Colcord and over Frontier Street and you will see much the same in residential areas.
How did we get here? Neglect! How on earth can we even talk about promoting tourism when parts of Payson are such an eyesore? Even the south Beeline has a ramshackle appearance.
Then we have the Main Street fiasco. If they were serious, they would develop a genuine plan that would include a master plan for the development, financing and partnering with private developers and even possible eminent domain where necessary. But, nooooo…. There is no real thought; no real support; and no vision for the future.
Vision? Who cares about vision? If they were serious, they would look at other towns that have revitalized their historic districts, towns such as Tombstone, Old Town San Diego, Old Sacramento, Bisbee, downtown Flagstaff, and numerous others.
I recently visited Sisters, Ore., a town with a mere 2,000 residents. What a great little place with all kinds of shopping and things to do – and NO slums!
Has anyone on the council even made an effort to clean up and revitalize Payson? The answer is NO! Why? THEY SIMPLY DON’T CARE. If it doesn’t satisfy their interests, why bother?
Then, what boneheads allowed Walmart to come in and dominate the center of Payson, putting all kinds of small businesses under? Sure prices are cheap and many have menial jobs. But where would we be without Walmart? We’d have many more shops and boutiques that might actually thrive. We might even have stores like Target and Staples.
And what do we have now by way of news media? Without a watchdog like the Gazette, we have a newspaper that chums up with the old boys network and even the mayor.
It’s no wonder the Roundup will not write anything disparaging about certain groups like the chamber of commerce and the town government. Its publisher has managed to worm his way onto a number of boards in town, such as the chamber board, the Rodeo Preservation Alliance board and the Mogollon Health Alliance board.
It makes them money. As an example, the Roundup’s relationship with the Rodeo Preservation Alliance has given them an opportunity to publish the “Official” Rodeo Guide. Just think of the advertising dollars they raked in from that.
Such relationships also lead to inappropriate power and influence. For example, who else has been involved with the Mogollon Health Alliance – none other than our mayor, Kenny Evans, who has been the president of the board.
Here we have the publisher of the local newspaper and the mayor sitting on a board together. Does anyone really believe that our local newspaper will print anything critical of the town government as long as such a relationship exists? Why has the town government actually claimed that the Roundup is the “official” paper?
Without the Gazette, who will be the watchdog now? Clearly the Roundup doesn’t care, and why should they? The Town council doesn’t! We passed two sweeping ironclad ethics policies for the town in 2007 and this new council just quietly swept it under the carpet.
Under these policies, they were required to provide comprehensive ethics training for all members of government. No such training has ever taken place, and I would not be surprised to learn about all kinds of violations if we could get our noses under the tent. Without watchdogs like the Gazette and as long as the local newspaper is in bed with the mayor, it ain’t happenin’, folks!
And just who is part of this old boys’ network anyway? Many times, we have referred to it. The response is always a challenge to identify actual persons. This is disingenuous as hell! Those involved know full well that for us to name names can create legal liability; so they are simply taunting us.
It is the special interest groups in town that have had power for years and years: the developers, the old guard families, the real estate community, business people with a stake in what the town council does or doesn’t do, and yes, perhaps a certain religious group. Just look at the make up of our town council.
We have had a lousy town government for decades because of the special interests. Seems to me that the people of Payson have to drain the swamp. But how do we do that without a watchdog like the Gazette?
Of course, if someone actually put the cash together, we could always bring the Gazette back. Or perhaps even buy the Roundup. Then you’d see things happen! For sure! Interesting thought, eh?
In the meantime, my advice is twofold: Firstly, the town elections are coming up in the spring. Just look at who has alliances with special interests and vote for those who do not!
Secondly, READ THE NEW RIM COUNTRY GAZETTE BLOG! Just go to http://rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com/. It might even get habit forming!
By Al Poskanzer
Gazette Investor
The Gazette is calling it quits. It was a good run. Unfortunately, the Rim Country and especially the people of Payson have lost an important watchdog.
Just like one-party rule is bad for our federal and state governments without loyal opposition, the health of our town will hang in the balance. The so-called good old boys network will surely rule our town with no one to hold them accountable.
The last time they were not held in check, they flushed three-quarters of a million dollars down the drain by giving it away to a private developer to build a water pipeline for HIS own private developments – a sweetheart deal that screwed all of us.
Just take a good hard look at Payson and decide for yourselves who we are, what we are, and where we are after decades of rule by local special interests and power brokers. Payson is a town that has no vibrance. There is little to do here, save for a few events now and then that few participate in. There is no culture, few decent restaurants, no downtown where we can shop and entertain ourselves.
What do we have? We have some of the worst slums and blight in the state – a result of years of neglect by an old boys’ network. Take a short drive down Main Street from the Beeline. Turn left on McLane, then left on Phoenix Street and drive around that area. Drive down Colcord and over Frontier Street and you will see much the same in residential areas.
How did we get here? Neglect! How on earth can we even talk about promoting tourism when parts of Payson are such an eyesore? Even the south Beeline has a ramshackle appearance.
Then we have the Main Street fiasco. If they were serious, they would develop a genuine plan that would include a master plan for the development, financing and partnering with private developers and even possible eminent domain where necessary. But, nooooo…. There is no real thought; no real support; and no vision for the future.
Vision? Who cares about vision? If they were serious, they would look at other towns that have revitalized their historic districts, towns such as Tombstone, Old Town San Diego, Old Sacramento, Bisbee, downtown Flagstaff, and numerous others.
I recently visited Sisters, Ore., a town with a mere 2,000 residents. What a great little place with all kinds of shopping and things to do – and NO slums!
Has anyone on the council even made an effort to clean up and revitalize Payson? The answer is NO! Why? THEY SIMPLY DON’T CARE. If it doesn’t satisfy their interests, why bother?
Then, what boneheads allowed Walmart to come in and dominate the center of Payson, putting all kinds of small businesses under? Sure prices are cheap and many have menial jobs. But where would we be without Walmart? We’d have many more shops and boutiques that might actually thrive. We might even have stores like Target and Staples.
And what do we have now by way of news media? Without a watchdog like the Gazette, we have a newspaper that chums up with the old boys network and even the mayor.
It’s no wonder the Roundup will not write anything disparaging about certain groups like the chamber of commerce and the town government. Its publisher has managed to worm his way onto a number of boards in town, such as the chamber board, the Rodeo Preservation Alliance board and the Mogollon Health Alliance board.
It makes them money. As an example, the Roundup’s relationship with the Rodeo Preservation Alliance has given them an opportunity to publish the “Official” Rodeo Guide. Just think of the advertising dollars they raked in from that.
Such relationships also lead to inappropriate power and influence. For example, who else has been involved with the Mogollon Health Alliance – none other than our mayor, Kenny Evans, who has been the president of the board.
Here we have the publisher of the local newspaper and the mayor sitting on a board together. Does anyone really believe that our local newspaper will print anything critical of the town government as long as such a relationship exists? Why has the town government actually claimed that the Roundup is the “official” paper?
Without the Gazette, who will be the watchdog now? Clearly the Roundup doesn’t care, and why should they? The Town council doesn’t! We passed two sweeping ironclad ethics policies for the town in 2007 and this new council just quietly swept it under the carpet.
Under these policies, they were required to provide comprehensive ethics training for all members of government. No such training has ever taken place, and I would not be surprised to learn about all kinds of violations if we could get our noses under the tent. Without watchdogs like the Gazette and as long as the local newspaper is in bed with the mayor, it ain’t happenin’, folks!
And just who is part of this old boys’ network anyway? Many times, we have referred to it. The response is always a challenge to identify actual persons. This is disingenuous as hell! Those involved know full well that for us to name names can create legal liability; so they are simply taunting us.
It is the special interest groups in town that have had power for years and years: the developers, the old guard families, the real estate community, business people with a stake in what the town council does or doesn’t do, and yes, perhaps a certain religious group. Just look at the make up of our town council.
We have had a lousy town government for decades because of the special interests. Seems to me that the people of Payson have to drain the swamp. But how do we do that without a watchdog like the Gazette?
Of course, if someone actually put the cash together, we could always bring the Gazette back. Or perhaps even buy the Roundup. Then you’d see things happen! For sure! Interesting thought, eh?
In the meantime, my advice is twofold: Firstly, the town elections are coming up in the spring. Just look at who has alliances with special interests and vote for those who do not!
Secondly, READ THE NEW RIM COUNTRY GAZETTE BLOG! Just go to http://rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com/. It might even get habit forming!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Spade Ranch model dedication in October
By Mitzi Brabb
Gazette Correspondent
The elderly gentleman took his time ascending the stone steps that led up to the old ranch house, built some 130 years ago. As he strolled along the weathered porch, weak boards creaking beneath his feathery weight, the man shook his head.
“It’s sure deteriorated a lot since we last saw it two years ago,” he said with sadness in his voice. “I sure hope someone starts restoring this old place soon.”
“It’s a good thing you built that model so that everyone will remember and appreciate the Spade Ranch House the way it once was,” his wife said.
A faint smile came to Lee Davis’ face, and his wife Dora recognized the subtle look of pride that lit up his face when he thought of his historical masterpiece.
Earlier in the year Davis dedicated two and a half months to create a miniature replica of the old ranch house located in Camp Geronimo, north of Payson in the shadow of the Mogollon Rim.
With time, patience, and an incredible attention to fine detail, Davis completed the model using an amazing 1,605 individual pieces. Although the sideboards and shingles were fashioned out of craft sticks, he also used rocks, sticks, and other natural elements collected from the area to make his replica as authentic as possible.
Davis was first drawn to the ranch house when he saw a photo of it in a newspaper two years ago. It was just a small photo that mentioned that it was being used by Boy Scouts in the Camp Geronimo area for a summer program.
Camp Geronimo, owned and operated by the Grand Canyon Council, has been a permanent summer home for the Boy Scouts since 1956. Today they still traipse through the shambles of the house, learning bits and pieces about its history and hearing the wild tales of the surrounding area, including one about the man buried adjacent to the porch, and another one about the Mogollon monster.
The gathering area for the scouts is situated just outside the old house, which itself is nestled deep in the heart of the forest. Far away from civilization, it is the perfect setting for ghost stories such as these.
Local historical author Gail Hearne has taken on the task of gathering as many historical facts about Spade Ranch as possible so. She will present her findings at the dedication of Davis’ model at the Rim Country Museum, slated to be held in October.
Hearne admits that it’s been difficult to uncover many solid facts about the Spade House, including who built it and who inhabited it. There are no paper trails that can be traced back definitively to the truth.
However, after months of research she has managed to collect enough data to attach to the display at the museum. An article by Hearne detailing her findings regarding the mystery of the old ranch house can be found on the Gazette blog at rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com.
“During the research process, I found the history of the Spade brand particularly fascinating,” she said. “Pioneer homesteaders William Craig and Paul Vogel established the brand in 1887.
“Through the years, land ownership and grazing rights for the Spade brand changed multiple times. As a result, cattle bearing the Spade brand roamed under the Mogollon Rim for seven decades, ending In the 1950s when Walter Cluer sold the land and kept the brand.”
Although Lee and Dora Davis will be leaving this week for their winter home in Apache Junction, they will return to Payson to attend the dedication of his Spade Ranch model at the museum.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Davis, a sparkle still gleaming in his eye.
Gazette Correspondent
The elderly gentleman took his time ascending the stone steps that led up to the old ranch house, built some 130 years ago. As he strolled along the weathered porch, weak boards creaking beneath his feathery weight, the man shook his head.
“It’s sure deteriorated a lot since we last saw it two years ago,” he said with sadness in his voice. “I sure hope someone starts restoring this old place soon.”
“It’s a good thing you built that model so that everyone will remember and appreciate the Spade Ranch House the way it once was,” his wife said.
A faint smile came to Lee Davis’ face, and his wife Dora recognized the subtle look of pride that lit up his face when he thought of his historical masterpiece.
Earlier in the year Davis dedicated two and a half months to create a miniature replica of the old ranch house located in Camp Geronimo, north of Payson in the shadow of the Mogollon Rim.
With time, patience, and an incredible attention to fine detail, Davis completed the model using an amazing 1,605 individual pieces. Although the sideboards and shingles were fashioned out of craft sticks, he also used rocks, sticks, and other natural elements collected from the area to make his replica as authentic as possible.
Davis was first drawn to the ranch house when he saw a photo of it in a newspaper two years ago. It was just a small photo that mentioned that it was being used by Boy Scouts in the Camp Geronimo area for a summer program.
Camp Geronimo, owned and operated by the Grand Canyon Council, has been a permanent summer home for the Boy Scouts since 1956. Today they still traipse through the shambles of the house, learning bits and pieces about its history and hearing the wild tales of the surrounding area, including one about the man buried adjacent to the porch, and another one about the Mogollon monster.
The gathering area for the scouts is situated just outside the old house, which itself is nestled deep in the heart of the forest. Far away from civilization, it is the perfect setting for ghost stories such as these.
Local historical author Gail Hearne has taken on the task of gathering as many historical facts about Spade Ranch as possible so. She will present her findings at the dedication of Davis’ model at the Rim Country Museum, slated to be held in October.
Hearne admits that it’s been difficult to uncover many solid facts about the Spade House, including who built it and who inhabited it. There are no paper trails that can be traced back definitively to the truth.
However, after months of research she has managed to collect enough data to attach to the display at the museum. An article by Hearne detailing her findings regarding the mystery of the old ranch house can be found on the Gazette blog at rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com.
“During the research process, I found the history of the Spade brand particularly fascinating,” she said. “Pioneer homesteaders William Craig and Paul Vogel established the brand in 1887.
“Through the years, land ownership and grazing rights for the Spade brand changed multiple times. As a result, cattle bearing the Spade brand roamed under the Mogollon Rim for seven decades, ending In the 1950s when Walter Cluer sold the land and kept the brand.”
Although Lee and Dora Davis will be leaving this week for their winter home in Apache Junction, they will return to Payson to attend the dedication of his Spade Ranch model at the museum.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Davis, a sparkle still gleaming in his eye.
RIMSHOTS: Rumsey is Rodney Dangerfield of parks
By Noble Collins
Gazette Columnist
Within the town of Payson lies one of the nicest and most versatile public parks of any in Arizona.
Its 40-plus acres contain covered ramadas for picnics, hiking trails, basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, a skateboard rink, baseball and softball diamonds, soccer fields covered with Astroturf and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
The park is well maintained and inviting. It even has a large separate area where dogs can exercise their bodies, and a wonderful public library where people can exercise their minds. It is not fenced in, nor is there a gate to keep folks out.
It also appears to be one of the least known areas within the town, if you ask around. I know. I did.
Ask folks the name of this park or even where it is, and watch the blank stare on some faces. Ask if they know the name, Rumsey Park, and you'll get mostly “yes” answers, but many who still can't tell you much about it.
Ask young people in particular to tell you about Rumsey Park. I did, and I was surprised at how little is actually known. Rumsey is the Rodney Dangerfield of parks.
Perhaps the most definitive document telling the story of Rumsey Park is a newspaper article done some time ago by Payson historian Stan Brown.
I have borrowed from it liberally for this article. Other documentation about the park only exists in bits and pieces, here and there. Some of it is well organized. Some is contradictory or confusing. As far as personal interviews, history is remembered quite differently by various people.
This account is an attempt to pull together as much of the real story as possible, but even so, some parts are still incomplete or difficult to describe with perfect accuracy. I invite anyone with real knowledge about the park to contact this author, either to add information or to correct errors. The following is pretty well documented, though:
As with most things dealing with Payson history, the rodeo played an integral part. The town itself was only incorporated in 1972, but the rodeo had been a centerpiece of the community for many years, giving Payson a special identity and the people something which was widely shared and enjoyed.
If there was a problem, it was that the rodeo never had a real home for most of its life. It was frequently moved from place to place due to crowd needs or property issues.
At one time or another it was held on Main Street, Pieper’s Field (the old sawmill grounds), back on Main Street, and for a long period of time on the Wilbanks Ranch just west of town.
More or less permanent stands were built there, and the beginnings of the Northern Gila County Fair resulted from folks bringing in their prized produce and canned goods to display. The annual gathering took on the name “August Doin's” and a festival atmosphere was enjoyed.
After a long period, the Wilbanks family decided in 1957 to sell their property, and it was offered to the chamber of commerce (the rodeo sponsor) for $2,500. The offer was turned down, and this resulted in a frantic effort to relocate the rodeo.
The property at the intersection of highways 87 and 260 was suggested, but it was Forest Service land. Even so, an arrangement was made and the Rodeo was moved there for a few years. No improvements were allowed to the property, however.
Enter Mr. Dale Rumsey, a land baron from either Phoenix or California (accounts differ.) There was a listing for a Rumsey Company on South 23rd Street in Phoenix which apparently belonged to Dale Rumsey, his brother Donald, and his wife.
Actually, Mr. Rumsey did not appear, but a Mr. Milt Franz was on the scene buying up land for the Rumsey family. The land where Basha's is now located and the land where Walmart now stands are two of many properties he eventually acquired.
Another piece of property, amounting to just over 20 acres, west of where Walmart is now located was acquired from the Forest Service. Depending on the source, this property was acquired by Rumsey for “the express purpose” of giving the Rodeo a home. Certainly it did him no harm to have the town's most popular event staged on his property, and no doubt this added value to his other holdings.
Once the new property was acquired, the Rumsey family did, in fact, make an arrangement with the chamber to use this property as a rodeo grounds. In 1961, the chamber purchased 10 acres from Rumsey to establish a permanent rodeo home. The property was later valued at $7,000 dollars an acre, but it is not clear that the chamber paid that much. It was, however, more than the original Wilbanks offer.
In 1968 grandstands were built along with several other amenities. Lumber for the stands was donated by Kaibab Industries, although several sections of bleachers were constructed of steel, some left over from the grandstand on the Wilbanks Ranch. Food booths were located underneath the stands, and many people recall the wonderful smells coming from them during rodeo week.
Later, as the area was more developed, some folks noticed more objectionable odors coming from stalls and pens, and this would play a part in the final move to another location. For 27 years, though, the rodeo prospered on the land that now holds a soccer field on North McLane Road.
By 1976, the chamber paid off the mortgage and donated the 10 acres to the new town of Payson. The town had begun to study the possibility of building
a public park, and negotiated with Mr. Runsey for the remaining 10 acres.
Having a total of 20 acres qualified the property for a grant from the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Commission (AORCC). Mr. Rumsey then sold seven acres to the town and donated an angular piece of three acres. For this donation, the new park was to be named Rumsey Park. AORCC granted $383,295 for construction and landscaping. It is said that George Randall graded land for the baseball field on his own bulldozer.
The park became a huge success, so much so that an expansion became desirable, and Payson obtained a long term land use permit from the Forest Service for 40 adjoining acres. Several small parcels were actually purchased including one for building a large swimming pool complex.
A grant was obtained, again from AORCC, for this purpose. Mr. Willard Taylor was Mayor of Payson at the time and instrumental in obtaining the grant. The pool was named for him.
In time, the remaining Forest Service land was deeded to Payson. U.S. Congressmen John Kyl and Eldon Rudd moved the bill through Congress.
On July 4, 1976, a formal inaugural of the original 20 acres of Rumsey Park was held. Attending the celebration was Mr. Dale Rumsey, and it was apparently his first and only appearance in Payson. As the additional land was acquired, it became known as North Rumsey Park.
The Rodeo was continuously held in Rumsey Park for 27 years. A fair amount of money for expenses was often generated from slot machines and other forms of “unofficial” gambling in various clubs around town.
In 1995, however, the old wooden stands were judged a fire hazard and the company issuing insurance refused to write a new policy. The grandstand was burned to the ground with the Payson Fire Department keeping watch. It is said that Mr. Bill Armstrong struck the first match. Some of the steel bleachers were salvaged.
The intent was to rebuild on the property, but encroaching housing developments and objections about odors and traffic were beginning to raise concerns. Mr. Barry Swartwood then stepped forward and donated some land just south of town for a new rodeo arena,
The rodeo was moved, but Rumsey Park continued to thrive and supply the people of Payson with wonderful outdoor facilities. It remains a monument to people with a vision and a drive to provide their town with something special – something to contribute to the health and enjoyment of their bodies and the serenity of their minds.
Every person in Payson should know and appreciate the effort.
Gazette Columnist
Within the town of Payson lies one of the nicest and most versatile public parks of any in Arizona.
Its 40-plus acres contain covered ramadas for picnics, hiking trails, basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, a skateboard rink, baseball and softball diamonds, soccer fields covered with Astroturf and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
The park is well maintained and inviting. It even has a large separate area where dogs can exercise their bodies, and a wonderful public library where people can exercise their minds. It is not fenced in, nor is there a gate to keep folks out.
It also appears to be one of the least known areas within the town, if you ask around. I know. I did.
Ask folks the name of this park or even where it is, and watch the blank stare on some faces. Ask if they know the name, Rumsey Park, and you'll get mostly “yes” answers, but many who still can't tell you much about it.
Ask young people in particular to tell you about Rumsey Park. I did, and I was surprised at how little is actually known. Rumsey is the Rodney Dangerfield of parks.
Perhaps the most definitive document telling the story of Rumsey Park is a newspaper article done some time ago by Payson historian Stan Brown.
I have borrowed from it liberally for this article. Other documentation about the park only exists in bits and pieces, here and there. Some of it is well organized. Some is contradictory or confusing. As far as personal interviews, history is remembered quite differently by various people.
This account is an attempt to pull together as much of the real story as possible, but even so, some parts are still incomplete or difficult to describe with perfect accuracy. I invite anyone with real knowledge about the park to contact this author, either to add information or to correct errors. The following is pretty well documented, though:
As with most things dealing with Payson history, the rodeo played an integral part. The town itself was only incorporated in 1972, but the rodeo had been a centerpiece of the community for many years, giving Payson a special identity and the people something which was widely shared and enjoyed.
If there was a problem, it was that the rodeo never had a real home for most of its life. It was frequently moved from place to place due to crowd needs or property issues.
At one time or another it was held on Main Street, Pieper’s Field (the old sawmill grounds), back on Main Street, and for a long period of time on the Wilbanks Ranch just west of town.
More or less permanent stands were built there, and the beginnings of the Northern Gila County Fair resulted from folks bringing in their prized produce and canned goods to display. The annual gathering took on the name “August Doin's” and a festival atmosphere was enjoyed.
After a long period, the Wilbanks family decided in 1957 to sell their property, and it was offered to the chamber of commerce (the rodeo sponsor) for $2,500. The offer was turned down, and this resulted in a frantic effort to relocate the rodeo.
The property at the intersection of highways 87 and 260 was suggested, but it was Forest Service land. Even so, an arrangement was made and the Rodeo was moved there for a few years. No improvements were allowed to the property, however.
Enter Mr. Dale Rumsey, a land baron from either Phoenix or California (accounts differ.) There was a listing for a Rumsey Company on South 23rd Street in Phoenix which apparently belonged to Dale Rumsey, his brother Donald, and his wife.
Actually, Mr. Rumsey did not appear, but a Mr. Milt Franz was on the scene buying up land for the Rumsey family. The land where Basha's is now located and the land where Walmart now stands are two of many properties he eventually acquired.
Another piece of property, amounting to just over 20 acres, west of where Walmart is now located was acquired from the Forest Service. Depending on the source, this property was acquired by Rumsey for “the express purpose” of giving the Rodeo a home. Certainly it did him no harm to have the town's most popular event staged on his property, and no doubt this added value to his other holdings.
Once the new property was acquired, the Rumsey family did, in fact, make an arrangement with the chamber to use this property as a rodeo grounds. In 1961, the chamber purchased 10 acres from Rumsey to establish a permanent rodeo home. The property was later valued at $7,000 dollars an acre, but it is not clear that the chamber paid that much. It was, however, more than the original Wilbanks offer.
In 1968 grandstands were built along with several other amenities. Lumber for the stands was donated by Kaibab Industries, although several sections of bleachers were constructed of steel, some left over from the grandstand on the Wilbanks Ranch. Food booths were located underneath the stands, and many people recall the wonderful smells coming from them during rodeo week.
Later, as the area was more developed, some folks noticed more objectionable odors coming from stalls and pens, and this would play a part in the final move to another location. For 27 years, though, the rodeo prospered on the land that now holds a soccer field on North McLane Road.
By 1976, the chamber paid off the mortgage and donated the 10 acres to the new town of Payson. The town had begun to study the possibility of building
a public park, and negotiated with Mr. Runsey for the remaining 10 acres.
Having a total of 20 acres qualified the property for a grant from the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Commission (AORCC). Mr. Rumsey then sold seven acres to the town and donated an angular piece of three acres. For this donation, the new park was to be named Rumsey Park. AORCC granted $383,295 for construction and landscaping. It is said that George Randall graded land for the baseball field on his own bulldozer.
The park became a huge success, so much so that an expansion became desirable, and Payson obtained a long term land use permit from the Forest Service for 40 adjoining acres. Several small parcels were actually purchased including one for building a large swimming pool complex.
A grant was obtained, again from AORCC, for this purpose. Mr. Willard Taylor was Mayor of Payson at the time and instrumental in obtaining the grant. The pool was named for him.
In time, the remaining Forest Service land was deeded to Payson. U.S. Congressmen John Kyl and Eldon Rudd moved the bill through Congress.
On July 4, 1976, a formal inaugural of the original 20 acres of Rumsey Park was held. Attending the celebration was Mr. Dale Rumsey, and it was apparently his first and only appearance in Payson. As the additional land was acquired, it became known as North Rumsey Park.
The Rodeo was continuously held in Rumsey Park for 27 years. A fair amount of money for expenses was often generated from slot machines and other forms of “unofficial” gambling in various clubs around town.
In 1995, however, the old wooden stands were judged a fire hazard and the company issuing insurance refused to write a new policy. The grandstand was burned to the ground with the Payson Fire Department keeping watch. It is said that Mr. Bill Armstrong struck the first match. Some of the steel bleachers were salvaged.
The intent was to rebuild on the property, but encroaching housing developments and objections about odors and traffic were beginning to raise concerns. Mr. Barry Swartwood then stepped forward and donated some land just south of town for a new rodeo arena,
The rodeo was moved, but Rumsey Park continued to thrive and supply the people of Payson with wonderful outdoor facilities. It remains a monument to people with a vision and a drive to provide their town with something special – something to contribute to the health and enjoyment of their bodies and the serenity of their minds.
Every person in Payson should know and appreciate the effort.
Rant & Rave - September 30
Editor’s note: Please continue to submit rants and raves to peoplesgazette@gmail.com or to Gazette Editor, 7736 N. Toya Vista Road, Payson, AZ. They will appear on our blog at rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com.
Bravo to all the friends of the Gazette. To those tireless volunteers who showed up each week to fold and wrap, stuff and deliver the paper of the people to the people. Bravo to the citizens who willingly gave of their own personal hard earned money to provide funds to support a community paper that gave voice to its citizens who all too often went unheard. Bravo to the employees who made sacrifices as part of their commitment to make this dream a reality. And bravo to you, the readers, who supported, read, wrote and called, knowing that you would be heard whether you agreed or not, whether you were on the left or in the middle. The Gazette was listening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At a time when the offices of many well established papers have closed their doors and others are finding it difficult to survive, the Gazette embarked on an uphill battle providing a paper that did not censor its readers for disagreeing with its owners or management. The Gazette used its voice to share truths and bring into focus issues by providing facts about the events affecting our town and its management. The Gazette was not a paper for the good ol' boys, but a paper representing the grand ol' flag and our right to be heard. The Gazette had but one goal – to be the voice of the people. And for that we thank each and every one of you for your part in making the Gazette an honorable paper. Payson is a better community because it had a Gazette and its sense and sensibility will be missed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So we had to put up with Kenny's false promises during the last election about all of the great things he was going to do if elected mayor. I remember him promising to lower our propane bills, get free medical care for seniors, improve education, and get citizens involved in government. We all know none of these were accomplished. I guess there is one more promise he is not planning to live up to. That is his promise to serve for only one term. He sure seems to be lining himself up to run again. Hopefully an honest citizen will chose to run against him so we can have a choice. This time we will need to exercise it with more care and not get swept up in the great marketing campaign again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aw shucks! Looks like folks are writin' letters pickin' on the "Ol'Cowboy." Well, here's a little advice. Just stick to the truth...and you can write whatever you want to...although I generally disagree with you. Como whatever.
(Editor’s note: We will be keeping an eye on Jinx from our blog at rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com. Join us.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s interesting now that Brooke Utilities has to answer to the Arizona Corporation Commission. Mesa del Caballo has been at Stage 1 or 2 for the last two weeks when it’s been at least a year since we’ve seen Stage 1! Stage 3 (no watering of plants) started in April and changed daily to Stage 3, 4, or 5, with a shocking Stage 2 for a few days. How convenient Brooke Utilities was able to postpone the Sept. 22 meeting with the ACC. Is it really that easy to blow smoke and make people forget?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If the editor of the Gazette truly believes that there's no leash law in the forest, he hasn't bothered to do ANY research on the subject – like visit a Forest Service website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I noticed a small group of extremists with their signs today at highways 87 and 260 saying the president is a liar, calling for his impeachment and stating that he is trashing the constitution. I respect your right to your opinion, however I wonder where you were when George Bush squandered a surplus and ran up a record deficit, lied about the need to go to war and trashed the constitution with the Patriot Act. With your hypocrisy noted, It appears that your protest is less about Obama's polices and more about that fact that you can't stomach the fact that he was duly elected as President of the United States. Remember, we live in the United States of America, not the Divided States of America.
~~~~~~~~~~
I would like to know why the people of Payson are so forgiving. The woman, young or not, who stole baby from Wal-Mart should not go unpunished. If she stole items instead of a cat she would be in jail and have a stiff fine. Home Depot, watch your kitty.
(Editor’s note: From what we’ve heard, the people of Payson would like to get their hands on the person who took Baby. It’s the law that’s forgiving.)
Bravo to all the friends of the Gazette. To those tireless volunteers who showed up each week to fold and wrap, stuff and deliver the paper of the people to the people. Bravo to the citizens who willingly gave of their own personal hard earned money to provide funds to support a community paper that gave voice to its citizens who all too often went unheard. Bravo to the employees who made sacrifices as part of their commitment to make this dream a reality. And bravo to you, the readers, who supported, read, wrote and called, knowing that you would be heard whether you agreed or not, whether you were on the left or in the middle. The Gazette was listening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At a time when the offices of many well established papers have closed their doors and others are finding it difficult to survive, the Gazette embarked on an uphill battle providing a paper that did not censor its readers for disagreeing with its owners or management. The Gazette used its voice to share truths and bring into focus issues by providing facts about the events affecting our town and its management. The Gazette was not a paper for the good ol' boys, but a paper representing the grand ol' flag and our right to be heard. The Gazette had but one goal – to be the voice of the people. And for that we thank each and every one of you for your part in making the Gazette an honorable paper. Payson is a better community because it had a Gazette and its sense and sensibility will be missed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So we had to put up with Kenny's false promises during the last election about all of the great things he was going to do if elected mayor. I remember him promising to lower our propane bills, get free medical care for seniors, improve education, and get citizens involved in government. We all know none of these were accomplished. I guess there is one more promise he is not planning to live up to. That is his promise to serve for only one term. He sure seems to be lining himself up to run again. Hopefully an honest citizen will chose to run against him so we can have a choice. This time we will need to exercise it with more care and not get swept up in the great marketing campaign again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aw shucks! Looks like folks are writin' letters pickin' on the "Ol'Cowboy." Well, here's a little advice. Just stick to the truth...and you can write whatever you want to...although I generally disagree with you. Como whatever.
(Editor’s note: We will be keeping an eye on Jinx from our blog at rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com. Join us.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s interesting now that Brooke Utilities has to answer to the Arizona Corporation Commission. Mesa del Caballo has been at Stage 1 or 2 for the last two weeks when it’s been at least a year since we’ve seen Stage 1! Stage 3 (no watering of plants) started in April and changed daily to Stage 3, 4, or 5, with a shocking Stage 2 for a few days. How convenient Brooke Utilities was able to postpone the Sept. 22 meeting with the ACC. Is it really that easy to blow smoke and make people forget?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If the editor of the Gazette truly believes that there's no leash law in the forest, he hasn't bothered to do ANY research on the subject – like visit a Forest Service website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I noticed a small group of extremists with their signs today at highways 87 and 260 saying the president is a liar, calling for his impeachment and stating that he is trashing the constitution. I respect your right to your opinion, however I wonder where you were when George Bush squandered a surplus and ran up a record deficit, lied about the need to go to war and trashed the constitution with the Patriot Act. With your hypocrisy noted, It appears that your protest is less about Obama's polices and more about that fact that you can't stomach the fact that he was duly elected as President of the United States. Remember, we live in the United States of America, not the Divided States of America.
~~~~~~~~~~
I would like to know why the people of Payson are so forgiving. The woman, young or not, who stole baby from Wal-Mart should not go unpunished. If she stole items instead of a cat she would be in jail and have a stiff fine. Home Depot, watch your kitty.
(Editor’s note: From what we’ve heard, the people of Payson would like to get their hands on the person who took Baby. It’s the law that’s forgiving.)
Local woman's scalloped corn wins national honor
By Mitzi Brabb
Gazette Correspondent
Last April Karen Fausz of Thompson Draw attended a NASCAR race at the Phoenix International Raceway, as she does every year. At one point she managed to tear herself away from watching her racing icon, Jeff Gordon, long enough to visit some of the booths set up alongside the raceway.
As she stopped by the booth representing Libby’s Vegetables, the well-known American canned food company, she accepted a coupon from one of the attendants. She was soon convinced that she should submit a favorite family recipe for their contest entitled, “Get back to the Table,” designed to encourage families to get back together at the dinner table like they used to.
Fausz wrote down and submitted her recipe for “Scalloped Corn”, and forgot all about the contest.
Then, in July, Fausz and her husband Bill were just getting back home after attending an out of state funeral when they were flooded with phone messages and emails.
“Did you enter a contest?” her daughter asked.
“Not that I can remember,” responded Fausz .
But as she combed through her emails the word “Libby” stood out and jolted her with surprise as she learned that she was a potential finalist for the contest she entered while attending the race. She quickly followed up with FedEx and got the legal paperwork finished for the contest just in the nick of time.
At that point Fausz could not believe that her simple four-ingredient recipe was chosen out of the hundreds, if not thousands, of contestants who had submitted recipes during NASCAR events or via the internet.
Then, as soon as she was used to that idea, she learned that she had made the top five out of 25 semi-finalists, and would be making an all expenses paid trip to New York for the finals.
On Sept. 15, this family woman from somewhere no one else in the contest had heard of was flown to the Big Apple, picked up in a limousine, and driven to Manhattan where the corporate contest was held.
While she was there, she was able to sample all the other contestant’s recipes prepared by professional chefs, including her own Scalloped Corn dish. She was convinced that another contestant would win the grand prize.
Then the moment came when the celebrity judge, country western singer Sarah Evans, announced the winner.
“I thought they said Kathi Kivi , because that was who I thought would win and her name was stuck in my head,” said Fausz.
But when people started congratulating Fausz and shaking her hand, she realized that she had just won the grand prize, a four-day all expenses paid trip to the Daytona 500 NASCAR race next year.
The race, held in Florida will take place just before Valentines Day next year. Fausz says that she and her husband will not only be celebrating Valentines day at Daytona Beach, they will also consider it a part of their 50th wedding anniversary celebration, which will occur just a few months prior to the race.
“Bill got a good snapshot of me with my mouth wide-open at the contest,” Fausz laughed. “I’m so excited,” she continued with a trill of enthusiasm in her voice. “It’s the first time I’ve really ever won anything in my life.”
Below is Karen Fausz’ secret Scalloped Corn recipe. It was created by her grandmother, but was perfected by Fausz.
Scalloped Corn
Ingredients
· 3 can (16 oz.) Libby's corn (do not drain)
· 3 eggs
· 1 whole roll Ritz crackers
· 1 1/2 lb cheddar cheese
· pepper to taste
Instructions
Use both juice and corn; crush crackers by hand; add beaten eggs and half of cheddar cheese. Stir into a pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until egg is set & cheese is gold and crusty. Be sure to put remaining cheese on top before you bake.
Gazette Correspondent
Last April Karen Fausz of Thompson Draw attended a NASCAR race at the Phoenix International Raceway, as she does every year. At one point she managed to tear herself away from watching her racing icon, Jeff Gordon, long enough to visit some of the booths set up alongside the raceway.
As she stopped by the booth representing Libby’s Vegetables, the well-known American canned food company, she accepted a coupon from one of the attendants. She was soon convinced that she should submit a favorite family recipe for their contest entitled, “Get back to the Table,” designed to encourage families to get back together at the dinner table like they used to.
Fausz wrote down and submitted her recipe for “Scalloped Corn”, and forgot all about the contest.
Then, in July, Fausz and her husband Bill were just getting back home after attending an out of state funeral when they were flooded with phone messages and emails.
“Did you enter a contest?” her daughter asked.
“Not that I can remember,” responded Fausz .
But as she combed through her emails the word “Libby” stood out and jolted her with surprise as she learned that she was a potential finalist for the contest she entered while attending the race. She quickly followed up with FedEx and got the legal paperwork finished for the contest just in the nick of time.
At that point Fausz could not believe that her simple four-ingredient recipe was chosen out of the hundreds, if not thousands, of contestants who had submitted recipes during NASCAR events or via the internet.
Then, as soon as she was used to that idea, she learned that she had made the top five out of 25 semi-finalists, and would be making an all expenses paid trip to New York for the finals.
On Sept. 15, this family woman from somewhere no one else in the contest had heard of was flown to the Big Apple, picked up in a limousine, and driven to Manhattan where the corporate contest was held.
While she was there, she was able to sample all the other contestant’s recipes prepared by professional chefs, including her own Scalloped Corn dish. She was convinced that another contestant would win the grand prize.
Then the moment came when the celebrity judge, country western singer Sarah Evans, announced the winner.
“I thought they said Kathi Kivi , because that was who I thought would win and her name was stuck in my head,” said Fausz.
But when people started congratulating Fausz and shaking her hand, she realized that she had just won the grand prize, a four-day all expenses paid trip to the Daytona 500 NASCAR race next year.
The race, held in Florida will take place just before Valentines Day next year. Fausz says that she and her husband will not only be celebrating Valentines day at Daytona Beach, they will also consider it a part of their 50th wedding anniversary celebration, which will occur just a few months prior to the race.
“Bill got a good snapshot of me with my mouth wide-open at the contest,” Fausz laughed. “I’m so excited,” she continued with a trill of enthusiasm in her voice. “It’s the first time I’ve really ever won anything in my life.”
Below is Karen Fausz’ secret Scalloped Corn recipe. It was created by her grandmother, but was perfected by Fausz.
Scalloped Corn
Ingredients
· 3 can (16 oz.) Libby's corn (do not drain)
· 3 eggs
· 1 whole roll Ritz crackers
· 1 1/2 lb cheddar cheese
· pepper to taste
Instructions
Use both juice and corn; crush crackers by hand; add beaten eggs and half of cheddar cheese. Stir into a pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until egg is set & cheese is gold and crusty. Be sure to put remaining cheese on top before you bake.
How to have fun in frugal times
By AnneMarie Eveland
A young couple recently asked me how they could have fun in such tough economic times. Here are a few ideas:
De-stress. A simple way to eliminate stress: Breathe! As we consciously take a deep breath, it alkalizes our system and brings us into the present moment. It helps to slow down our racing minds. It is the first gift we get; the last one to go.
Chunk it down. Just do one thing at a time. Completing things gives you a sense of having some control over your life. Stop ahead of fatigue and acknowledge your work.
Carve out quiet time. Even a few minutes for you to reconnect with your inside Self – a place where no one can go but you.
Become Good Stewards of Finances. Instead of trying to afford something new, ask yourself, “What will happen if I DON’T buy this, or go out?” I recall my family spent only what we could afford to pay with cash, didn’t buy frivolous items, reused and fixed everything instead of disposing of things. We have become a disposable world; it costs less to buy new than to fix what we had. Accept the challenge to see if you can fix it or do “without” instead of consuming more.
Reward Relationships. “Disposability” has permeated our culture. We dispose of people when they don’t please us, becoming relationships of convenience for our needs, rather than mutually satisfying outcomes. Nurture your relationships.
Entertaining shoestrings. We’re high consumers instead of creative producers. Here are some ways to entertain ourselves instead of paying someone to entertain us:
Monopoly. Pull out that old board game you have sequestered in the closet from childhood and play it a new way. One pragmatic version I created is to tape onto each property on the board “services,” such as child or adult sitting service for a night, secretarial services, cooking a meal, dog walking, haircuts, auto oil change, yard work, house cleaning, any talents for the prize properties. Redeem the services or gift them to friends or family.
Potluck Dinners. The simply joy of sharing a meal and rekindling simple conversations. I recently ran across a book of riddles containing fun brain teasers. We entertained ourselves royally with interesting mental gymnastics.
Practice being in the “here and now.” Avoid worrying excessively about futures of which we have little control. Discard regrets of the unchangeable past. That’s why it’s called “passed.” Remember the Serenity Prayer … the wisdom to know the difference between what we can change and what we need to accept.
Think BIG. We often hear “Don’t sweat the small stuff. It is all small stuff.” Not bad advice. As we minimize our hurts and maximize the halos in others, we are twice blessed. It brings out the best in you and uplifts others too.
Walking. There are so many places here in the Rim Country to walk and see beauty around us. And walking is one of the best exercises to expand our “feeling good” levels and strengthen our limbs. Take a friend, walk and agree to talk about pleasant happy things, not gloom and doom. You will be amazed how such a simple activity will enhance your immune system and raise your endorphins – besides enjoying the company of a friend.
Believe! In yourself, in others, in whatever you wish to call “a bigger picture, a higher Being.” Find a way to trust the life process rather than blocking opportunities with negative outlooks.
Keep a “Joy Book.” Find a blank book; cover it with your own personal creative design. Each day write something you enjoyed about your day. Is it that second cup of coffee the waitress gave you with another smile and without charge? Were you moved by the tenderness of a couple holding hands, the playfulness of two puppies, the gentle breeze of nature, that incredible sunset, or your child saying, “I love you.” You get the picture – gratitude. The more we notice what we are grateful for, the more gratefulness presents itself in our lives.
When I gave JOY books to my friends, I said, “Just write your joys. Don’t date your entries.” When our brain re-reads our handwritten joys, it also brings back those heart-warming good feelings we had in the experience.
If we look for the great gift in our small daily joys, we cannot help but shout, Hurrah for Humans!!
A young couple recently asked me how they could have fun in such tough economic times. Here are a few ideas:
De-stress. A simple way to eliminate stress: Breathe! As we consciously take a deep breath, it alkalizes our system and brings us into the present moment. It helps to slow down our racing minds. It is the first gift we get; the last one to go.
Chunk it down. Just do one thing at a time. Completing things gives you a sense of having some control over your life. Stop ahead of fatigue and acknowledge your work.
Carve out quiet time. Even a few minutes for you to reconnect with your inside Self – a place where no one can go but you.
Become Good Stewards of Finances. Instead of trying to afford something new, ask yourself, “What will happen if I DON’T buy this, or go out?” I recall my family spent only what we could afford to pay with cash, didn’t buy frivolous items, reused and fixed everything instead of disposing of things. We have become a disposable world; it costs less to buy new than to fix what we had. Accept the challenge to see if you can fix it or do “without” instead of consuming more.
Reward Relationships. “Disposability” has permeated our culture. We dispose of people when they don’t please us, becoming relationships of convenience for our needs, rather than mutually satisfying outcomes. Nurture your relationships.
Entertaining shoestrings. We’re high consumers instead of creative producers. Here are some ways to entertain ourselves instead of paying someone to entertain us:
Monopoly. Pull out that old board game you have sequestered in the closet from childhood and play it a new way. One pragmatic version I created is to tape onto each property on the board “services,” such as child or adult sitting service for a night, secretarial services, cooking a meal, dog walking, haircuts, auto oil change, yard work, house cleaning, any talents for the prize properties. Redeem the services or gift them to friends or family.
Potluck Dinners. The simply joy of sharing a meal and rekindling simple conversations. I recently ran across a book of riddles containing fun brain teasers. We entertained ourselves royally with interesting mental gymnastics.
Practice being in the “here and now.” Avoid worrying excessively about futures of which we have little control. Discard regrets of the unchangeable past. That’s why it’s called “passed.” Remember the Serenity Prayer … the wisdom to know the difference between what we can change and what we need to accept.
Think BIG. We often hear “Don’t sweat the small stuff. It is all small stuff.” Not bad advice. As we minimize our hurts and maximize the halos in others, we are twice blessed. It brings out the best in you and uplifts others too.
Walking. There are so many places here in the Rim Country to walk and see beauty around us. And walking is one of the best exercises to expand our “feeling good” levels and strengthen our limbs. Take a friend, walk and agree to talk about pleasant happy things, not gloom and doom. You will be amazed how such a simple activity will enhance your immune system and raise your endorphins – besides enjoying the company of a friend.
Believe! In yourself, in others, in whatever you wish to call “a bigger picture, a higher Being.” Find a way to trust the life process rather than blocking opportunities with negative outlooks.
Keep a “Joy Book.” Find a blank book; cover it with your own personal creative design. Each day write something you enjoyed about your day. Is it that second cup of coffee the waitress gave you with another smile and without charge? Were you moved by the tenderness of a couple holding hands, the playfulness of two puppies, the gentle breeze of nature, that incredible sunset, or your child saying, “I love you.” You get the picture – gratitude. The more we notice what we are grateful for, the more gratefulness presents itself in our lives.
When I gave JOY books to my friends, I said, “Just write your joys. Don’t date your entries.” When our brain re-reads our handwritten joys, it also brings back those heart-warming good feelings we had in the experience.
If we look for the great gift in our small daily joys, we cannot help but shout, Hurrah for Humans!!
Comedy of terrors during killer bee attack
By Mitzi Brabb
Gazette Correspondent
It was just another day for 17 year old Skylar Dineen-Johnson. The high school senior was doing homework when she heard her two dogs crying wildly outside, desperately pawing at the door.
Dineen-Johnson ran to the door and realized her dogs were being attacked by bees. She ran to her room, threw on some jeans and a hooded pullover sweatshirt and rushed out to rescue her dogs.
But as soon as she opened the door and stepped outside it was as if she were stepping into a terrifying Steven King novel. A swarm of bees immediately attacked her.
She yelled to her 11-year-old brother, who was in the house watching TV. “Help me! Help me! Call 911.”
Dineen-Johnson ran up and down her upper Round Valley neighborhood screaming for help. She stopped, dropped and rolled, she got up and ran again, she screamed some more, but the swarm kept coming.
One of the neighbors saw her and called 911, but the operator told him that Round Valley wasn't in their jurisdiction and he should call the sheriff’s office.
Within five minutes, all her neighbors heard her blood-curdling screams and her parents, who were just up the road, came rushing home.
Finally, a hero arrived! A neighbor arrived at the scene with a man who had come up from the Valley to give chiropractic care to her horse. Clell Husher did not hesitate. He immediately ripped off his shirt and began hitting the bees off the young victim.
By then her mother was also yanking bees off her daughter. Her father rushed to the truck to find something to help remove the bees, but he never made it back out of the vehicle; not for at least another hour as a horde of angry bees turned on the truck and began smashing into the glass and swarming the entire vehicle.
About that time another neighbor, Mick Umbenhauer, arrived, apologizing profusely for unleashing the bees by removing a cover from his well. He told the family that he was checking to see how dry the well was, and when he removed the wooden lid he was surprised to see rows of yellow. That’s when the attack began. The man escaped to his truck after suffering some 50 stings. The bees then apparently became attracted to the noise of his neighbor’s barking dogs.
Finally, about 10 minutes after the nightmare began, an ambulance and a fire truck arrived. They loaded Dineen-Johnson into the ambulance and put an oxygen mask on her face.
When all the emergency care professionals had left, Christopher Johnson was still trapped in his truck. The young boy was still alone in the house, and other victims, such as Umbenhauer, had not been treated.
Amanda Johnson, the mother of Dineen-Johnson, says she begged a firewoman to do something about the bees still attacking her husband’s truck.
“You have to call poison control; we’re not going to help you,” she reportedly responded.
“My son was on the phone with 911 for an hour and a half. The woman kept him calm, because he was so frightened and didn’t know what was going on,” Johnson added.
Dineen-Johnson was transported to Payson Regional Medical Center.
“We were still killing bees in the emergency room,” the girl said.
She was later flown to Phoenix, where she was treated and then released after two days in ICU at Banner Health. She had upwards of 300 stingers removed from her scalp alone, and another 100 from the rest of her body. The crazed Africanized (or “killer”) honeybees had gotten underneath her clothes and had stung her in her ears, her mouth, and eyes as well.
Back at the house, neither the sheriff nor any other emergency personnel had shown up to rescue the boy or his father. Once again, it was the neighbors who came to the rescue.
Joe and Tiffany Wanderer arrived with a fire extinguisher and began battling the bees until they could safely remove the boy as well as his father.
Dineen-Johnson had suffered the most horrific experience of her life, and the aftermath of the attack brought additional devastating news. Her two beloved dogs had both died from the terrorizing attack.
Cubby, her Maltese Yorkie, died at the scene. The family’s Queensland Heeler, Jake, was rushed to Payson Pet Care where she received two days of excellent care. However, 500 bee stings were just too much. Jake got to see his family one last time before he died.
A week after the attack, Dineen-Johnson was still pulling stingers out of her skin and had to be taken to an eye doctor for an emergency procedure. One remaining stinger had worked its way through her eyelid and was scratching the surface of her eye. Dr. Troy Ford removed the embedded stinger at no charge.
Although Amanda Johnson is grateful to all her neighbors who helped, she is disgusted by the way everything else was handled. She called the Payson Fire Department to complain about how rude one of their employees had been. The employee denied the accusation, but Fire Chief Marty DeMasi assured Johnson that proper protocol had not practiced.
Julie Ballard, a veteran paramedic said, “The assaulting agent (bees) should have been removed from the victim before she left the scene. Also, the child should not have been left alone in the house, and it was unethical to leave the husband in a truck that was still under attack.”
Johnson was also upset about how the media handled the situation. A week after the incident happened, the Payson Roundup came out with its own version of the story.
“Almost all of it was wrong,” Dineen-Johnson said. “No one from the paper even bothered to talk to us about it. They didn‘t even get my name right,” she added.
The Roundup story gave brief mention about the incident and the deaths of the dogs before veering off on the topic of disappearing honey bees.
“People don’t need to know about where the honey bees are going right now as much as they need to know that there are Africanized bees within the community attacking people,” said Johnson.
“People need to be warned and need to be prepared for such an attack.”
There are many sources of information available online. One, www.utahcountybeekeepers.org, can help you prepare for this kind of situation. Suggestions include running inside and directly into the shower. They also recommend running, and covering yourself as much as possible. They advise against making loud noises or jumping into a pool of water because the persistent bees will wait.
Although the incident in Round Valley was unexpected and the bees should soon be migrating towards a warmer climate, Johnson warns that everyone should be prepared.
Gazette Correspondent
It was just another day for 17 year old Skylar Dineen-Johnson. The high school senior was doing homework when she heard her two dogs crying wildly outside, desperately pawing at the door.
Dineen-Johnson ran to the door and realized her dogs were being attacked by bees. She ran to her room, threw on some jeans and a hooded pullover sweatshirt and rushed out to rescue her dogs.
But as soon as she opened the door and stepped outside it was as if she were stepping into a terrifying Steven King novel. A swarm of bees immediately attacked her.
She yelled to her 11-year-old brother, who was in the house watching TV. “Help me! Help me! Call 911.”
Dineen-Johnson ran up and down her upper Round Valley neighborhood screaming for help. She stopped, dropped and rolled, she got up and ran again, she screamed some more, but the swarm kept coming.
One of the neighbors saw her and called 911, but the operator told him that Round Valley wasn't in their jurisdiction and he should call the sheriff’s office.
Within five minutes, all her neighbors heard her blood-curdling screams and her parents, who were just up the road, came rushing home.
Finally, a hero arrived! A neighbor arrived at the scene with a man who had come up from the Valley to give chiropractic care to her horse. Clell Husher did not hesitate. He immediately ripped off his shirt and began hitting the bees off the young victim.
By then her mother was also yanking bees off her daughter. Her father rushed to the truck to find something to help remove the bees, but he never made it back out of the vehicle; not for at least another hour as a horde of angry bees turned on the truck and began smashing into the glass and swarming the entire vehicle.
About that time another neighbor, Mick Umbenhauer, arrived, apologizing profusely for unleashing the bees by removing a cover from his well. He told the family that he was checking to see how dry the well was, and when he removed the wooden lid he was surprised to see rows of yellow. That’s when the attack began. The man escaped to his truck after suffering some 50 stings. The bees then apparently became attracted to the noise of his neighbor’s barking dogs.
Finally, about 10 minutes after the nightmare began, an ambulance and a fire truck arrived. They loaded Dineen-Johnson into the ambulance and put an oxygen mask on her face.
When all the emergency care professionals had left, Christopher Johnson was still trapped in his truck. The young boy was still alone in the house, and other victims, such as Umbenhauer, had not been treated.
Amanda Johnson, the mother of Dineen-Johnson, says she begged a firewoman to do something about the bees still attacking her husband’s truck.
“You have to call poison control; we’re not going to help you,” she reportedly responded.
“My son was on the phone with 911 for an hour and a half. The woman kept him calm, because he was so frightened and didn’t know what was going on,” Johnson added.
Dineen-Johnson was transported to Payson Regional Medical Center.
“We were still killing bees in the emergency room,” the girl said.
She was later flown to Phoenix, where she was treated and then released after two days in ICU at Banner Health. She had upwards of 300 stingers removed from her scalp alone, and another 100 from the rest of her body. The crazed Africanized (or “killer”) honeybees had gotten underneath her clothes and had stung her in her ears, her mouth, and eyes as well.
Back at the house, neither the sheriff nor any other emergency personnel had shown up to rescue the boy or his father. Once again, it was the neighbors who came to the rescue.
Joe and Tiffany Wanderer arrived with a fire extinguisher and began battling the bees until they could safely remove the boy as well as his father.
Dineen-Johnson had suffered the most horrific experience of her life, and the aftermath of the attack brought additional devastating news. Her two beloved dogs had both died from the terrorizing attack.
Cubby, her Maltese Yorkie, died at the scene. The family’s Queensland Heeler, Jake, was rushed to Payson Pet Care where she received two days of excellent care. However, 500 bee stings were just too much. Jake got to see his family one last time before he died.
A week after the attack, Dineen-Johnson was still pulling stingers out of her skin and had to be taken to an eye doctor for an emergency procedure. One remaining stinger had worked its way through her eyelid and was scratching the surface of her eye. Dr. Troy Ford removed the embedded stinger at no charge.
Although Amanda Johnson is grateful to all her neighbors who helped, she is disgusted by the way everything else was handled. She called the Payson Fire Department to complain about how rude one of their employees had been. The employee denied the accusation, but Fire Chief Marty DeMasi assured Johnson that proper protocol had not practiced.
Julie Ballard, a veteran paramedic said, “The assaulting agent (bees) should have been removed from the victim before she left the scene. Also, the child should not have been left alone in the house, and it was unethical to leave the husband in a truck that was still under attack.”
Johnson was also upset about how the media handled the situation. A week after the incident happened, the Payson Roundup came out with its own version of the story.
“Almost all of it was wrong,” Dineen-Johnson said. “No one from the paper even bothered to talk to us about it. They didn‘t even get my name right,” she added.
The Roundup story gave brief mention about the incident and the deaths of the dogs before veering off on the topic of disappearing honey bees.
“People don’t need to know about where the honey bees are going right now as much as they need to know that there are Africanized bees within the community attacking people,” said Johnson.
“People need to be warned and need to be prepared for such an attack.”
There are many sources of information available online. One, www.utahcountybeekeepers.org, can help you prepare for this kind of situation. Suggestions include running inside and directly into the shower. They also recommend running, and covering yourself as much as possible. They advise against making loud noises or jumping into a pool of water because the persistent bees will wait.
Although the incident in Round Valley was unexpected and the bees should soon be migrating towards a warmer climate, Johnson warns that everyone should be prepared.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Himalayan Hairball regular Gazette reader
Photo by Jim Keyworth
Kleo, The Consort's Himalayan Hairball, is a regular Gazette reader, but she mostly looks at the pictures.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Gazette readers around the world
Contributed Photo
The Rim Country Gazette is read throughout these United States, including this enthusiastic audience that just got off the narrow gauge train in Silverton, Colo.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Whole truth about the graying Gastronome
(The following was written for “Gastronome” Columnist Gary Bedsworth’s 70th birthday, an event that was celebrated last Saturday by a congregation of Rim Country notables and not-so-notables. If you don’t know Gary, please indulge his friends as they use this space to remind him how really old he is.)
The halcyon days of Gary Bedsworth’s youth are over – way over.
That’s a kinder, gentler way of saying the Gastronome is really old. Seventy to be exact.
If you read his column in last week’s Gazette, you saw a photo of the young, debonair Bedsworth in his heyday as a steward for Pan Am. Alas, those days are gone.
The Bedsworth we know and love today shows the wear and tear of a lifetime spent wining and dining. Some might even consider him a poster child for profligacy.
As Bob Edwards put it so well: “Gary is living proof that you can eat rich food and grow very, very old.”
But we did not gather Saturday afternoon to demean or belittle Gary, but to bury him – or at least to lament the fact that he is closer to that side of the scale than the other. To that end, some of those in attendance contributed some special anecdotes.
Here are some of the things I learned about Gary:
Ed Blair, a man of God, speaks only the truth. Ed wonders about the license plate on the front of Gary’s truck that reads “R TRUCK.” Ed has it from a higher authority that, being Gary’s, it certainly couldn’t stand for “Redeemed Truck.” The only other option then, one Ed insists was confirmed by the Holy Father himself, is “Ridiculous Truck.”
Further insight into Gary’s vehicular proclivities comes from Ted Harman.
Ted says the boat launch at Carnero Lake has been renamed Bedsworth’s Bog in honor of a new technique Gary devised for launching canoe, trailer and SUV all in one move. The lesson Gary learned that day: the gooey mud of Carnero Lake converts a four wheel drive vehicle into a no-wheel drive.
But now it’s time to get personal. Judy Shafferkoetter talks of Gary’s “sweet, dry” personality that turns “sour” when he least expects it. “If Gary were a salesperson,” Judy observes, “he would be broke.”
Richard YaDeau notes that wherever he goes, Gary tries to set up a young chef’s culinary competition – and not without motive. Actually two motives.
First, this is Gary’s way of finding out where to eat, and second, he hopes there will be young culinarians to feed him when he is in his dotage – a time, Richard observes, that is fast approaching.
He also notes Gary’s exquisite taste in fine wines, and I quote: “The best wine Gary has ever tasted is the next wine he can talk you into serving.”
And from Kathy Baas, we learn that Gary has a curious habit of making dishes the rest of us cannot pronounce with recipes that contain ingredients nowhere to be found in the Rim Country.
Linda May says one of the funniest things about Gary is his undying commitment to an organization known as La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, an international gastronomic society founded in 1950 in Paris to revive the traditions of the royal guild of goose roasters chartered in 1248. The Chaîne is dedicated to bringing together those who share a mutual interest in cuisine, wine, and fine dining in a spirit of camaraderie.
“Gary got Roy and Al to join this old order of some cooked goose from the l500s,” Linda recalled. “They wear ribbons and ‘pots and pans’ around their necks and probably consume about l0,000 calories per meal.”
Now this is top secret information, but Linda says when they inducted Al, they had a sword ceremony on the top of the Valley Ho hotel in Phoenix and she didn't know if they were going to whack off his head and send it flying across the rooftops or bring out a pig and stab it to death and put it on a spit right there.
Linda also brings to our attention the funny clothes Gary and other chefs wear, including spring-loaded shoes and hats that look like they’re made out of old baby blankets.
She closes with a reminiscence of a fund raising party held at their house for Edwards when Gary decided to flourish his culinary artistry by preparing four elk dishes using the poor beast slaughtered by Al “The Butcher” Poskanzer. Linda says that since that fateful day, the elk have never returned to the neighborhood for fear of becoming the next elk tartare – proof, indeed, that Gary’s reputation has preceded him.
Each of the people quoted above also said something nice about Gary, but we’re out of space, so we’ll summarize that side of Gary with the words of Noble Collins, who called him that rarest of combinations – a gourmand, a bon vivant and a skilled fly fisherman.
To that, we add this postscript:
Gary, when your imminent day of reckoning comes, may the creator be a member of La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, and not an elk or any other creature you’ve had occasion to “prepare.”
Because if he is the latter, we have it on good authority from Councilor Blair that “The Gastronome” will most assuredly spend eternity with “The Butcher” Poskanzer in a place where the temperature is always a perfect 350 degrees.
The halcyon days of Gary Bedsworth’s youth are over – way over.
That’s a kinder, gentler way of saying the Gastronome is really old. Seventy to be exact.
If you read his column in last week’s Gazette, you saw a photo of the young, debonair Bedsworth in his heyday as a steward for Pan Am. Alas, those days are gone.
The Bedsworth we know and love today shows the wear and tear of a lifetime spent wining and dining. Some might even consider him a poster child for profligacy.
As Bob Edwards put it so well: “Gary is living proof that you can eat rich food and grow very, very old.”
But we did not gather Saturday afternoon to demean or belittle Gary, but to bury him – or at least to lament the fact that he is closer to that side of the scale than the other. To that end, some of those in attendance contributed some special anecdotes.
Here are some of the things I learned about Gary:
Ed Blair, a man of God, speaks only the truth. Ed wonders about the license plate on the front of Gary’s truck that reads “R TRUCK.” Ed has it from a higher authority that, being Gary’s, it certainly couldn’t stand for “Redeemed Truck.” The only other option then, one Ed insists was confirmed by the Holy Father himself, is “Ridiculous Truck.”
Further insight into Gary’s vehicular proclivities comes from Ted Harman.
Ted says the boat launch at Carnero Lake has been renamed Bedsworth’s Bog in honor of a new technique Gary devised for launching canoe, trailer and SUV all in one move. The lesson Gary learned that day: the gooey mud of Carnero Lake converts a four wheel drive vehicle into a no-wheel drive.
But now it’s time to get personal. Judy Shafferkoetter talks of Gary’s “sweet, dry” personality that turns “sour” when he least expects it. “If Gary were a salesperson,” Judy observes, “he would be broke.”
Richard YaDeau notes that wherever he goes, Gary tries to set up a young chef’s culinary competition – and not without motive. Actually two motives.
First, this is Gary’s way of finding out where to eat, and second, he hopes there will be young culinarians to feed him when he is in his dotage – a time, Richard observes, that is fast approaching.
He also notes Gary’s exquisite taste in fine wines, and I quote: “The best wine Gary has ever tasted is the next wine he can talk you into serving.”
And from Kathy Baas, we learn that Gary has a curious habit of making dishes the rest of us cannot pronounce with recipes that contain ingredients nowhere to be found in the Rim Country.
Linda May says one of the funniest things about Gary is his undying commitment to an organization known as La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, an international gastronomic society founded in 1950 in Paris to revive the traditions of the royal guild of goose roasters chartered in 1248. The Chaîne is dedicated to bringing together those who share a mutual interest in cuisine, wine, and fine dining in a spirit of camaraderie.
“Gary got Roy and Al to join this old order of some cooked goose from the l500s,” Linda recalled. “They wear ribbons and ‘pots and pans’ around their necks and probably consume about l0,000 calories per meal.”
Now this is top secret information, but Linda says when they inducted Al, they had a sword ceremony on the top of the Valley Ho hotel in Phoenix and she didn't know if they were going to whack off his head and send it flying across the rooftops or bring out a pig and stab it to death and put it on a spit right there.
Linda also brings to our attention the funny clothes Gary and other chefs wear, including spring-loaded shoes and hats that look like they’re made out of old baby blankets.
She closes with a reminiscence of a fund raising party held at their house for Edwards when Gary decided to flourish his culinary artistry by preparing four elk dishes using the poor beast slaughtered by Al “The Butcher” Poskanzer. Linda says that since that fateful day, the elk have never returned to the neighborhood for fear of becoming the next elk tartare – proof, indeed, that Gary’s reputation has preceded him.
Each of the people quoted above also said something nice about Gary, but we’re out of space, so we’ll summarize that side of Gary with the words of Noble Collins, who called him that rarest of combinations – a gourmand, a bon vivant and a skilled fly fisherman.
To that, we add this postscript:
Gary, when your imminent day of reckoning comes, may the creator be a member of La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, and not an elk or any other creature you’ve had occasion to “prepare.”
Because if he is the latter, we have it on good authority from Councilor Blair that “The Gastronome” will most assuredly spend eternity with “The Butcher” Poskanzer in a place where the temperature is always a perfect 350 degrees.
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