Saguaro News Newsletter of the SKP Saguaro Co-op Benson, Arizona February 2015 One View from the Board Today as I write this article, I am looking at the Annual Report cover and my first thought is Oh the changes we have seen! For those of us who are not Originals, just looking at the cover gives us an idea. Speaking of changes, more are soon to come at the 2015 Annual Meeting, February 5 at 10 am. To Doug Coughenower, Maxine Vert, and Kirby Wilson: we will have to say thank you and jobs well done. I will save my remarks about that for Annual Meeting. We look forward with anticipation to which three of the six candidates will be elected and bring new talents and personalities to the board. Last but not least, which Bylaws will pass, bringing us more change? Annual Meeting Day is a fun day for all. We see many friends we haven t seen in a while. We end the day with Norma Taylor s Out Takes 12. If you haven t attended one of these, it is a fun evening of entertainment by your friends and neighbors. What an uncomfortable word for many of us. We like the way things are. Change brings out many emotions: fear, anger, anxiety, distrust, excitement, joy, enthusiasm, and/or renewed energy. All these emotional reactions to change are normal. When we consider changes in our Co-op we need to be sensitive to the past but not be anchored by it. If there were never any changes, we would not have the beautiful Co-op we have today. Committee members and leaders are also changing. If you have issues with how a committee functions, sign up for that committee and help with solutions. Committee sign-up sheets will be picked up at 5 p.m. January 31. Have you found your new challenge? (See One View from the Board on Page 7)
Food Auction It's "Food Auction" time again. The auction is scheduled for Saturday, February 21. Brian Tratner will be the auctioneer, and Mary Bertzyk will be his sidekick. The auction is sponsored by Helping Hands to raise funds for Cactus Wrens. Welcome Committee The Welcome Committee hasn't been quite as busy this month. We have called on a total of 40 guests between December 15, 2014 and January 15, 2015. Twenty-four of those had coupons and none have joined the hot list. Carol Kemp, Welcome Committee Chair There are three awards this year. 1. The Golden Spoon" and $50,00 for the highest combined amount of money earned by one person. 2. A $50.00 award for the full meal that brings in the most money. 3. A $50.00 award to the person bringing in the highest amount for a single food item. Sign up sheets will be on the clubhouse bulletin boards soon. Cactus Wrens will again provide a meal. There will be more details on Channel 5. We appreciate all your cooperation at this fun event. Kelly Edwards, Helping Hands Food Auction Chair Tabs For Ronald McDonald House Do you know there is more aluminum in the pop tops than in the whole pop, beer or soup can? I have five receptacles for collecting those tabs. They are on can crushers by the dumpsters, the porch and outside west doors of the Clubhouse and on the bulletin board in the Clubhouse. I take those tabs to the Benson VFW and they take them to Tucson to the Ronald McDonald House. This is where parents can stay for a very minimal fee while their child is in the hospital. I turn in at least a filled gallon plastic bag every month with a big SKP sign on the bag! Help us build another Ronald McDonald House in Tucson. Loretta Williams Casita Open House Tour Would you like your casita to be included in the Open House Tour during the Silver Selebration on Tuesday, March 17th? If so, contact Linda Rubin at 239-877-1099 or at lrubinontheroad@gmail.com. Linda Rubin February 2015 Page 2 Saguaro News
Four very big events are scheduled. Our Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 5 at 10 a.m. The 2014 New Leaseholder Party will be held on Thursday, February 19 at 3 p.m.. We ask everyone to bring finger foods and, please, come to meet our new leaseholders. Our annual Food Auction will be held on Saturday, February 21 at 1:30 p.m. Please bring baked goods and/or other food items to the Clubhouse between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Viewing will take place at 12:30 p.m. This is one of the biggest fund raisers for the Cactus Wrens and is enjoyed by everyone. At 3:30 p.m. Sloppy Joes and chips will be served, after which the auction will continue. From The Clubhouse So, friends and neighbors, there you have it again. Linda Rubin and I hope to see you at some or all of the above events. Ingrid Kluegel & Linda Rubin, Clubhouse Co-Chairs The month will end with the Wedding Anniversary Party on Saturday, February 28 at 3 p.m. Please watch Channel 5 for more information on all the above activities. After all the above work, it is time to dance and enjoy entertainment. On Thursday evening, February 5, Norma Taylor will present Out Takes 12, which is always a lot of fun to see and listen to performances by our own residents. On Friday, February 6, Raleigh J. will play for our dancing pleasure. Doug Miller and Bob Blenderman will entertain us on Saturday, February 14 following Valentine's Day Dinner in the clubhouse. On Sunday, February 15 at 7 p.m. don't miss the Freddie & Sheila Show, two fantastic entertainers. The entertainment portion for February will end with dancing to the Shane Stewart Show. BUNCO has been moved to Thursday, February 12 at 5 p.m. due to the Annual Meeting on the preceding Thursday. Ice Cream Social Our Ice Cream Social is Sunday, February 1 at 7 p.m. We will be celebrating those who have birthdays and/or anniversaries in February and August. Those people will receive free ice cream while others pay 50 per generous scoop. To reduce our trash, please bring your bowl and spoon. See you in the Clubhouse. Out Takes 12 Last call for acts for Out Takes 12! Jan Petring Out Takes 12 is Thursday February 5 (the night of the Annual Meeting) and time is running out. If you haven't scheduled with Norma yet, call NOW! If you need any help, call her at 520-586-0114. It'll be a great show. Look forward to it, plan to attend and see your friends and neighbors display their talent. Norma Taylor February 2015 Page 3 Saguaro News
One of my first jobs, working in commercial television, was as a camera operator on the Jackie Gleason "Honeymooners" TV series on CBS. The year was 1956. Television was relatively new to most people and the programs offered by the local stations and networks were always entertaining. The commercials were interesting and also entertaining because they were usually done "live" and there was always a chance of a "slip-up". Channel 43 Art of Stillness; What Veterinarians Know That Physicians Don't; The Wonderful And Terrifying Implications Of Computers That Can Learn. The next time some one asks you, what these TED Talks are all about, you'll be able to tell em. By the way, the "Honeymooners" is still being broadcast, on television, all over the world. How's that for a success story? More about our programs, next month. Leo O'Farrell, Channel 43 Today, commercial television is poor with few choices. Many of the endless commercials are insulting. All is not lost. There are two, possibly more, broadcast outlets offering fine, uninterrupted, TV fare. One, of course is PBS, the other is our very own Channel 43. Take the time to tune in and see for yourself the wonderful array of programming that awaits you on our SKP owned and operated Channel 43. For example, each and every week, I promote on Channel 5, a program series entitled "TED Talks". The program airs daily, from 12 noon until 1 p.m. and again, from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. If you don't know about TED Talks and have never seen a program, put it on your "to do" list. The program series, TED Talks, is a global set of conferences run by the non-profit Sapling Foundation, under the slogan of "Ideas...Worth Spreading". TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) was founded in 1984 and its early emphasis was technology and design, consistent with its Silicon Valley origins. It has since broadened its focus to include talks on many scientific, cultural and academic topics. Some recent program titles included: What Your Doctor Won't Disclose; Meet the Mom who started the Ice Bucket Challenge; The Informal Study Group Formed To Debate Casita Colors Issue On January 12, a group of a dozen interested leaseholders met to discuss possible solutions to the current controversy over casita colors. Some recent decisions by the Architectural Committee concerning acceptable colors led to the circulation of a petition asking that the Architectural Committee follow its own guidelines on color. The group will continue to discuss solutions that may include the development of a catalogue of acceptable colors and the revision of the Architectural Committee guidelines. There was some discussion that the current guidelines that state a color must be a subdued desert pastel might be altered to include some more vibrant colors. This group hopes to attract more members who are interested in mending the current process and relieving the Architectural Committee of the burden of attempting to interpret guidelines that many consider too vague. Please watch Channel 5 for information concerning the time of the next meeting. John Gill and Kay Trudo Saguaro News Page 4 February 2015
Flying Gunslingers Head for Boot Hill You ve probably seen them: small grey airplanes drifting along over the park or over Tombstone. Usually in pairs, they are a fairly common sight. They re not very noisy and are often seen relatively close to the ground. These small gray warbirds are the US Air Force s flying gunslinger, the A-10 ground attack aircraft. Officially known as the Thunderbolt II, they are commonly referred to as Warthogs or simply Hogs. Warthogs are odd looking planes. They re propelled by two jet engines mounted in separate housing at the rear. The wings are To add to its ugly duckling image, the Warthog has a big nose. The nose extends well beyond the front of the wings. It s this big nose that contains the business end of the aircraft, a huge seven barreled Gatling gun. The gun and the pilot sit in an armored bathtub in the nose designed to protect them from ground fire. The gun system alone is bigger than a vintage VW beetle. Unlike most warbirds, the A-10 was designed around its oversized gun rather than the gun adapted to the basic airframe. Since it was introduced, the capability to use smart bombs and missiles has been added but its oversized gun remains one of the Hog s defining features. The A-10 and the gun it carries were designed in the 1970 s to destroy Soviet tank armies flooding through the Fulda Gap and into West Germany. Fortunately the cold war ended without a Soviet invasion and the Warthog was never used to destroy Russian tanks in Europe. While it wasn t used in the war it was designed for, Warthog has seen combat many times. Recently Warthogs served successfully in both Iraq wars and in Afghanistan. long and straight unlike the swept back wings seen on most jets. Wing shape, however, is determined by how close to the speed of sound an aircraft operates, not its type of propulsion. Designed deliberately to fly low and slow, Warthogs plod along at about half the speed of sound eliminating the need for swept back wings. The tail of aircraft is also odd, with twin rudders, a usual design for a modern plane. Ground attack aircraft like the A-10 are well regarded in the US Army because of the close air support they ve provided to ground forces. However, Warthogs have never been loved by the upper echelons of the Air Force, despite their combat successes. The A-10 is the only specifically designed ground attack aircraft the US Air Force has ever built. Over the years USAF repeatedly tried to get rid of this red headed step child of an aircraft. With the wars in the Middle East hopefully winding down the Hogs are again on the chopping block. The Warthogs we see operate out of Davis Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson. Davis- Monthan is also known as the boneyard, where excess military aircraft are mothballed, stored and eventually scraped. See Flying Gunslingers on Page 7) February 2015 Page 5 Saguaro News
Recently the Singing Wind Book Store had an authors day. This is a great place to gather information on our area and more. The following tales have been gleaned from materials found at the bookstore and locally. Though some facts can be verified, these tales are regarded as true, but probably embellished. Tombstone had fortune-seekers, troublemakers, and its share of political intrigues. Women played a lesser-known part in those dangerous days. Movies have emphasized the male adventurers. Women were present as more than dance hall beauties. Drugs were on the scene too, particularly laudanum (opium). This may have been the end of Celia Ann Mattie Blaylock, who was listed as Wyatt Earp s wife in the 1880 Census. Before and after that time, she worked as a prostitute in Western towns so they might not have been married. Anyway, laudanum with alcohol ended her life. Our Valley mines and active in developing Arizona Territory into a state. Most well-known was Nellie Cashman from County Cork, Ireland. She was called the miner s angel and made her living from her Nellie Cashman Mattie Blaylock There was a red haired beauty, named Juanita by Apaches who happened to stop by the day she was born. Juanita grew up in Kansas after her father died. Well-educated, she married a man whose brother was Charles Lynch, an executive with Jerome copper restaurant and hotel. She also bought and sold some profitable mines. It was said that no one ever left her place hungry, but they had better not criticize her cooking! Later, when she became ill in Alaska, she entered a hospital, which she helped found, in Victoria. Her death was widely reported in the U.S. in 1925. A postage stamp with her photo was printed in recognition of her importance. More recently, Ethel Robertson Macia, the Lady of the Rose, appeared on NBC s Wide Wide World in 1955. Ethel had been sent to University of Arizona as a young woman, but had to return home to care for her siblings when her father was slain by robbers in 1899. Her mother had died several years earlier. Ethel worked at the Cochise County (See Our Valley on Page 7) February 2015 Page 6 Saguaro News
Our Valley (Continued from Page 6) Courthouse and became a knowledgeable historian for Tombstone. A young couple, Henry and Mary Gee from Scotland, lived in the boarding house for the Vizina Mining Company. They eventually built their own house and Mary s family sent her some cuttings to be planted there. One of the cuttings was planted at the Arcade Hotel which eventually became the Rose Tree Inn and so it became the fabulous bush that is listed in Guinness Book of World Records. By that time, Ethel and her husband had nourished and supported the bush to its gigantic size. In April, when the tree is covered with white blossoms over an 8,500 square foot area, Tombstone holds the Rose Tree Festival. A bit of history about the Rose Tree: it was discovered in Canton, China by William Kerr who brought plants to London for the Royal Society. It was named for Lady Banks who was the wife of the Kew Gardens director. There are many stories about the ladies roles in these rough mining towns but this one has only the name of a man involved. There was a Thomas N. McCauley who was apparently a wheeler-dealer. He held fancy events to get investors for his mines. On one occasion, he brought out a bevy of secretaries from Chicago. He decided to hold a dance and the ladies decided they should all have a shower to get ready for the festivity. The girls all had a bath but the mine had to shut down due to lack of water in this arid place. At about 20 gallons a minute, it took a while to replenish and keep the mine going. There are plenty of stories out there yet. Women made their ways as cooks, prospectors, soiled doves, teachers, etc. Sometimes, the cemeteries hint at their histories but much can only be guessed. It was a rough, tough era that lasted relatively few years as Arizona grew from Mexican land grants into a United States state. Jean Holloway-Burkhart One View from the Board (Continued from Page 1) At the last Board Meeting we honored the Library Un-committee and Russ Minor. Twenty-four volunteers keep the library organized for our reading pleasure. Russ Minor single handedly planted 189 cacti to make us a beautiful garden. Thank You! One thing never changes in this Co-op. We have a dedicated group of volunteers that keep us going. Thank you everyone. Have a fun February. Carole Melander, Board Secretary Flying Gunslingers (Continued from Page 5) When the local Warthogs take off and land they can see the fate that awaits them in the row upon row of mummified aircraft surrounding the runway. So when you see one of these ugly ducklings fly over you might want to smile and wave. Hog pilots, forced to fly low and slow, could actually see you. The crews may well appreciate a friendly gesture as they wait to see if their valiant old mounts will be consigned to aircraft Boot Hill. Rick and Sharon Pearson Mothballed A-10 at Davis-Monthan AFB Saguaro News Page 7 February 2015
SKP Saguaro Co-op 600 East Saguaro Drive Benson, Arizona 85602 Phone: 520-586-7343 FAX: 520-586-4683 SkpSaguaro@gmail.com www.skpsaguaro.org Office Manager Tisha Luzadder 520-586-7343 Facilities Manager Doug Miller 520-686-0009 Lot 222 Saguaro News Editor Jeannine Wainwright Send newsletter submissions to: SaguaroNews@gmail.com Published October through April Deadline is the 15th of the previous month Read Saguaro News on the web at www.skpsaguaro.org/skp-saguaronewsletter.html Saguaro News Page 8 February 2015