Globe Mayor Shipley will serve on NALEO Board

By: Linda Gross

The 2010 Conference of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials just wrapped up last week and Globe’s Mayor, Fernando Shipley, was one of seven new members elected to a three year term on this prestigious 23 person board which includes State Senators, Councilmen, School Board Members, and other leaders at the local, State and National levels.

Globe Mayor, Fernando Shipley, was recently appointed to the NALEO Board for a 3 year term. The organizations' constituency includes more than 6000 Latino officials.

NALEO, formed in 1976, is a non-partisan organization which helps build leadership skills and facilitate “full Latino participation” in the American political process. It’s constituency includes more than 6000 elected and appointed Latino officials. … Continue Reading

Private Prison Predicament

The news this week regarding a riot and lock down at the Eloy prison where 13 prisoners pummeled a guard when he tried to break up a fight over an X-Box and the escape of three murderers from a Kingman prison both have one thing in common.

They are both private prisons.

Since Globe is now “on the short list” for a private prison of their own, it is time every voter in this community evaluate the proposal and the ramifications of placing a private prison in town.

Private prisons have a long and inglorious track record of problems like the ones in the news last week.  … Continue Reading

Saving Benji,Claraclause and Grandma

By: Linda Gross

(Reprint from GlobeMiamiTimes-Summer Edition)

The first faces to greet you as you walk into Past Times Antiques are rescue dogs – every one. Toby, Lucy and Benji were all rescued by Cheryl and Richard Brazell, just hours before they were to be put down. The story repeats itself further down, where the owners of the Drift Inn, already parents to two dogs- and adamant about not adding a third, found themselves with a little white fluff of a dog when the animal control worker placed “Claraclause” in Lisa’s arms just before Christmas last year and said, please take this one. It’s her last day. … Continue Reading

The Five and Dive Tour : Summer Zen

It’s a fact that Arizona Summers are sizzling hot and, as a rule, most sane people will spend the next six months in a mall or on their couch in air-conditioned comfort in front of their Big Screen.

Not Bikers. Bikers are always breaking the rules.

Few things in life will keep one from riding. They’re like those mail carriers who brag:

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stay us from the swift completion of our appointed rounds”

Bikers? They have a different motto.

“Whatever it is, it’s better in the wind.”

So, this summer, long after the last of the winter visitors have left for cooler climes, and even lizards have disappeared under their rocks to get away from the heat, we’ve designed a Summer Road Tour for The Children of the Wind. … Continue Reading

Globe’s Tex-Mex Fest showcases talent

Javier Reynoso and his 'dancing horses' performed on Saturday

By Linda Gross

The Tex Mex Festival 2010 held at Globe’s Community Center did not have a shortage of great entertainment during the two day event. From Reynoso’s performance with his dancing horses, to the powerful performances by three Mariachi bands from Phoenix and Tucson, the colorful and well executed dancing of Ballet Folklorico tenochtitlan, the latin sound of New Frequency and, of course the two headlining bands: Tierra and Little Joe Y Familia, those in attendance were treated to teriffic performances! … Continue Reading

Mariachis take the Big Stage-Tex Mex Festival

The women of Mariachi Sonido de Mexico deliver an elegant performance

By Linda Gross

The afternoon winds and storm clouds kept many away from yesterdays full venue which included performances by three exceptional mariachi bands from both Phoenix and Tucson. But for those who braved the weather, the line up of mariachi bands delivered an full day of exceptional performances by three of the region’s best mariachi bands. … Continue Reading

Tex-Mex Festival in Globe this weekend!

By Linda Gross

This coming weekend, the Globe community will host one of the largest community events in recent history.  A Tex-Mex Festival in celebration of Cinco de Mayo will be held at the Globe Community Center both Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1. The City of Globe and Los Vecino y Companeros have each put up $16,000 to bring two major bands to the area for this event, along with a host of other entertainment including dancing horses, mariachi bands, Ballet Folklorico dancers and, of course, the crowing of the Queens.   The bands, Tierra and Little Joe y Familia are two of the biggest names in the industry and will be headlining the evening’s entertainment on both Friday and Saturday.

… Continue Reading

14 Facts: Dog Park vs Little League

An Open Letter of response by Thea Wilshire, Chairperson of Globe’s Parks and Recreation Committee

Darin, thank you for posting this article to encourage better communication and to start to clear up the inflammatory misinformation that is being spread by a few.  And, Jim, thank you for your comments.  You state, “…it is my observation that more ‘homework’ is required.  Before a recommendation or decision to relocate the Dog Park is made, City Officials really need to complete a fact-based utilization review as to the best community use of the current facility.”  I agree with you wholeheartedly and want to let you know that this has been a part of our work all along.

As chairperson of the City of Globe’s Parks and Recreation Committee, I’ve been a part of this discussion from the start and have tried to share all the information I have with all the people involved.  To that end, let me add some background info on this discussion, some findings from our on-going “fact-based utilization review,” and several comments on this issue.

1.  If I didn’t know better, I would think from this article that the meeting you described was the first meeting called about the dog park. Rather, this was a continuation of an on-going series of discussions that the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee started with dog park patrons.  I called the first meeting at the dog park right after I heard that there was talk of changing the status of the park.  I have had hours of discussion with dog park patrons since then and over 2 hours of our publically-posted and open-to-all Parks and Recreation Committee meetings have focused entirely on the dog park.  There has been an invitation for input and dialog all along, as well as transparency each step of the way.  Despite accusations to the contrary, there have been no “secret” meetings, no petitions from Little League, and no powerful business people making demands about the field.

2.  As I shared at the first dog park meeting, this discussion started when our harsh winter weather and frequent storms put the renovations of the Claypool Little League ball fields way behind schedule.   With new city government and what they perceived to be a more open administration, the Little League folks who had left Globe started asking questions about getting back onto the fields they created in Globe.  Based on their questions and investment into those fields (they had raised the funds and done the extensive work to create the fields), the situation was investigated and the lack of any records or council action about the creation of a dog park was noted. … Continue Reading

Dog Park Do

The Urgency and Importance of “Home Rule”

By: Dr. Thea Wilshire, Councilwoman District 2 Globe

OK, some English please!  “Alternative Expenditure Limitation”?  Huh?  And, even the simpler “Home Rule” name doesn’t explain much on the surface.  So what exactly is this item and why is it on the Globe primary election ballot?

In 1980, Arizona voters approved a tax reform package that placed limits on expenditures for cities and towns.  This means that regardless of the money coming into the community or their actual needs, the city cannot spend over the state-imposed ceiling.  The limit is the community’s 1979-1980 budget with a small cost-of-living increase built in for each subsequent year.  However, the cost-of-living increases have come no where near to keeping pace with actual costs of supplies and services, so the limits set 30 years ago are now less tax reform and more economic shackles.  Fortunately, a back door was built into the legislation wherein local voters could approve an exception to state-imposed expenditure limitations and decide locally what is best for their own city or town.  This back door is lovingly referred to as “Home Rule.”  … Continue Reading