A Bittersweet Broadcast Love Story: KIKO Radio signs off after serving the community for over 60 years
By Jenn Walker
The closure of a small-town radio station may not come as a surprise to young generations or those living in large cities, but for a small community like GlobeMiami, the end of local radio station KIKO in recent months comes as a huge blow.
The community enjoyed what the station’s founder referred to as “little town radio” for more than six decades.
“I was sad that it closed,” former KIKO news anchor Liz Mata says. “But, change is inevitable… Social media and the internet have pretty much ‘dinosaured’ a lot of media.”
James Barter, more affectionately known by locals as “JB,” spent the last 20 years on air at KIKO radio.
“I used to think it was in the hundreds,” he says, referring to the number of local listeners. “But I think it was in the thousands.”
According to RadioInsight, a radio industry news outlet, KIKO was sold in July of last year by John Low’s 1TV.com in a package deal, along with a Phoenix-based station, to Orozco Broadcasting for $2.4 million.
After months of trying to find other means to broadcast, the station officially went off air in December of last year.
Spanning 60-plus years, KIKO served as a source of entertainment, information, and local connection. Of course, it was a go-to for listeners to catch country, pop, rock n’ roll, Larry King, sports, and broadcast news.
Yet, it also offered the stuff of small-town variety: the morning call-in show “Open Line,” “The Money Tree,” a sort of trivia contest where callers could win $20 or more, and the daily “Trading Post,” (long before the days of Craigslist or the Internet). Locals could tune into high school football and basketball games, community interviews, coverage of yard sales and church bake sales, or afternoon Apache programming geared toward the San Carlos Apache population.
“I’m having a hard time adjusting,” JB laments, reflecting back on it all.
Up to the station’s final days, JB had known the same routine: wake up every morning at 5 a.m., get to KIKO by 5:30, have a quick breakfast, put on the national news on air from 6 to 7, and then get on the air live. His segment included a weather report, Mexican music, sports, oldtime rock n’ roll, the Trading Post, oldies, and call-ins from around town
, Continued on page 18
Gila College earns preaccreditation/candidacy status
By David Abbott
It has been nearly two years since Gila Community College leadership announced its intent to separate from Eastern Arizona College to the harsh criticism of its constituents, but in January the slings and arrows were deflected when the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) approved pre-accreditation/candidacy for the institution.
As of July 1, GCC will gain independence from EAC after a lengthy and tense standoff that will now mercifully come to an end, and the Gila County institution will become Arizona’s newest community college.
“I think the stars were aligned and everything just seemed to be primed,” says Dr. Janice Lawhorn, GCC Interim President and one of “the two Jans”—Dr. Jan Brocker being the other— who led the monumental effort. “The institution has tried to do this for 20 years, but when you have a five-member volunteer board and no support, this becomes a monumental task.”
With a solid board comprised of business and community leaders from both northern and southern Gila County—the Globe-Miami region and Payson, basically—and a tremendous amount of knowledge of the system Lawhorn accrued over her 22-year career at EAC, GCC leadership did in 18 months what was previously a pipe dream.
GCC, Continued on page 17
KIKO Radio
Interim GCC President Janice Lawhorn says the college has been working toward accreditation candidacy status for the last 20 years
Publisher
Linda Gross
Editor
Patricia
Creative
Contributing
David
Patti
Linda
David
Contributing
Linda
Yevette
From its early days in the late 1800s, the game of baseball has given America some of its greatest quotes to live by. From the players to the coaches and managers to the movies, the lessons of the game have made us wiser, and often made us laugh. (??)
Take Yogi Berra’s famous reminder, “It ain’t over, till it’s over.” In tough times, this quote encourages us to stay in the game, collaborate with our team, and seize every opportunity to win.
We’re excited that the Arizona Base Ball Territorial League will be hosting the final tournament of its season in Globe this April. Here in Globe-Miami, we will combine the tournament play with Old Dominion Days this year, bringing the history of baseball and mining together in four days of events, lectures, and exhibits sure to entertain.
The tournament has been named in recognition of the Old Dominion Mine and Old Dominion Days, and the winner will take home a copper trophy befitting the importance of copper, baseball and local history.
This Old Dominion Cup isn’t just another tournament—it’s a celebration of baseball’s enduring spirit, a tribute to tradition, and a chance for legends to be made. We hope you’ll join us on the field in April for a memorable experience that harkens back in time.
Copyright@2025
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Office:
On another note of history, we say goodbye to KIKO radio and the legacy of small-town talk radio, which Willard Shoecraft so ably created decades ago. Others picked up the banner over time, ultimately giving us over 50 years of community life on the radio (p. 1).
Shoecraft was unlike any station owner, according to all who knew him. He believed in the strength of bringing the community together through radio. He brought us Open Line, the Pet Parade and The Trading Post, and could be found supporting every club, organization and event that came his way. The walls of KIKO were lined with appreciation plaques and awards that he and those who followed after earned through their years of service to Globe-Miami. It is quite the legacy.
The Gila Historical Museum has recently added a new room for rotating displays and will unveil its first new exhibit, featuring photos and memorabilia of KIKO radio, with a reception on Saturday, March 1, from 4-6 pm.
So, as we celebrate our shared history this Spring, we hope you will join us!
Regards,
Linda Gross, Publisher
"Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona."
– Journalist & Author, George Will
Advertising
THANK YOU KIKO RADIO: I want to express my sincere appreciation for the dedicated service that KIKO Radio provided to our community for 66 years. While I am saddened to see them close, I understand the reasons and challenges behind the decision. KIKO Radio began its journey in 1958 with the vision of Willard Shoecraft. The Shoecraft family maintained KIKO Radio until 2008, when the new ownership was announced under the current owner, John Low.
I truly want to acknowledge the positive impact that KIKO Radio had in our Globe-Miami community. Thank you, JB, for the weekly morning show and for the opportunity to share our information about our city on Open Line. Thank you, Liz Mata, for keeping us up to date on the most current news. Many of us enjoyed the Saturday show and music with the late Willie Powers and hearing where all the yard sales were. And most of all, thank you Lucy Rodriguez for all your dedicated years of service keeping the radio station going. All of you will be missed as part of our everyday routine.
BUSINESS LICENSE APPLICATIONS: The city has updated their Business License application to a new form in 2025. The new form will help streamline the process with a more professional format and a new program for better record keeping. All businesses within the city limits of Globe are required to have an annual business license to operate legally ensuring compliance with state tax reporting and local laws. There were some concerns and comments about the information being asked to submit. If you look at the old and the new application, nothing has really changed about the information, just a little more professional format. One big concern was having to submit a copy of your driver’s license for proof of identity. Those concerns were heard and the change was made to not keep a hard copy of the driver’s license. If you are applying in person, you will still have to present a driver’s license for identity and license number. If you are applying online, you will have to submit a copy of your license, and once verified, the copy will be destroyed.
FEE SCHEDULE UPDATE: At the January 28th meeting, council had a detailed discussion on the process to review and update the city’s fee schedule. Staff has been researching and working on the long list of the various city fees for service over the past year. These updated fee recommendations will now be presented to the various council work groups for review prior to moving forward to the next step for advertisement and public hearings on the changes. The goal of these updates is for the purpose of cost recovery.
VISION ZERO PROJECT: At the January 28th meeting, an updated presentation on the Vision Zero project was heard. This project is a component of the Safe Streets 18-month demonstration grant that was awarded to the City of Globe by the Arizona Department of Transportation in the amount of $154,846.00.
Vision Zero is a National Safety Program with a goal to eliminate traffic deaths and life changing injuries by 2040. Vision Zero components focus on reducing automobile speed in the project area
with priority areas being intersections, corridors, and crosswalks. The City of Globe project will concentrate on our historic downtown corridor on Broad Street.
There are many components to the project as we move forward. These include hiring an independent third party to conduct a townhall meeting to create focus groups to get input and ideas from the community. This third party will follow this project for the 18-month period to collect data that will be used to submit for a future grant for the implementation phase that will expand to other streets in our city.
HILL STREET SCHOOL APARTMENTS
AVAILABILITY: The recent report provided to the city by the property manager of the Hill Street Apartments shows that there are 20 units out of 64 still available. They consist of 4-studios, 15one bedrooms, and 1-three bedroom. These units are all based on income. For more information, contact Debra Espinoza at 928-255-5605.
MICHAELSON BUILDING PROJECT GRANT:
Bryan Seppala from Resolution Copper presented the City of Globe with a grant award check in the amount of $150K in support of the Michaelson Building project that will foster partnership entrepreneurship and growth in our community.
FOOD INSECURITIES INITIATIVE PROGRAM
GRANT: At the January 28th meeting, Robin Bradford, Huddleston, from Freeport McMoRan presented the City of Globe a grant award in the amount of $28K for the Food Insecurities Initiative Program that will be provided by the Globe Library. This program will provide education for the healthy eating and cooking initiative. More information on this program timelines and schedule will be advertised in the future.
12-INCH WATER LINE REPLACEMENT TO FAIRGROUNDS: At the January 28th meeting, council approved an increase to the city’s procurement authorization to $2,000,000.00 for Job Order Contracting Construction Services in accordance to A.R.S.Title 34. This approval allows the city to move forward to sign a contract with Apache Underground for the replacement of 1.5 miles of 12-inch water line with Ductile Iron Pipe water line to the Fairgrounds in the amount of $1,471,058.00. The city was awarded 2.1 million dollars from the United States Army Corps of Engineers 595 Grant Program with a city match of 700K for a total amount of 2.8 million. The excess of the grant will used to cover the cost of an environmental assessment of the work areas and for the rehabilitation of Well #4.
COFFEE WITH THE MAYOR: I want to thank those who attended my first “Coffee With The Mayor” event on January 15th. There were lots of questions asked about what is happening in our city that I was able to update them on. These meetings give you the resident the opportunity to get the most recent information for the purpose of transparency. This event will continue every third Wednesday of the month. Thank you to Copper Cities Coffee for hosting this event. The next meeting will be on February 19th, at 1:00 pm at the same location, Copper Cities Coffee, 1100 N. Broad Street, Suite F.
A Tale of Two Kates
By Linda Gross
Join award-winning author and historian Chris Enns on March 8th from 2–4 PM at the Gila Historical Museum in Globe for an unforgettable exploration of Western women.
Inspired by a childhood love for Westerns sparked by True Grit, Enns began incorporating the untold stories of pioneering women into her radio newscasts. “I added historical minutes to the newscast and started writing about these inspiring women,” she recalls, “and when I couldn’t find their stories, I began creating them myself.”
Over a remarkable 30-year career, Enns has authored 53 books renowned for their meticulous research and captivating storytelling. Her latest work shines a spotlight on two of the most iconic Kates in Western lore.
Discover Big Nose Kate—Kate Elder—in her groundbreaking biography, drawn from long-hidden diaries and family notes provided by Scott Dike. Learn about her early life, her scandalous affair with Doc Holiday, and her defiant stance against the Earps.
Equally compelling is Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton agent, featured in The Pinks: The First Women Detective, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Praised by the Pinkerton Agency’s president for its elegant presentation and rich detail, this book uncovers the extraordinary achievements of a true trailblazer.
Don’t miss this engaging talk, followed by a book signing and Q&A session, as Chris Enns brings to life the stories of these trailblazing women who redefined the Old West.
Hosted by the Gila Historical Museum, 1330 N Broad Street, Globe, AZ.
Chris Enss. Courtesy photos
Chris Enss (center) shown with Pulitzer Prize winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin and her producing partner Beth Laski
The Ripple Effect of Wildfires A Changing Landscape for Home Insurance in Globe
By Carissa Pool
Wildfires have become an increasingly devastating force across the western United States, with California recently bearing much of the brunt. But the impact of increasing wildfire risk doesn’t stop at state lines. For communities like Globe, evolving insurance industry assessments are reshaping the home insurance landscape, leading to excluded coverage in certain areas, rising premiums, and growing uncertainty for homeowners.
The insurance industry, already under strain from the escalating frequency and severity of natural disasters, has been forced to reassess risk on a national scale.
“Some carriers have completely pulled out of the market,” says Matthew Storms, a local insurance agent in Globe. “If they’re unable to raise rates to offset wildfire-related losses, they often choose to non-renew existing policies or stop writing new ones altogether.”
This trend isn’t isolated. A 2022 study by Harvard Business School found that when insurers are prohibited from raising rates significantly in one area, they often compensate by increasing premiums in less-regulated states. This “crosssubsidizing” spreads the cost of catastrophic events across the entire country.
The impact is acutely felt in Globe, where insurance coverage has been excluded across large areas due to increasing wildfire risk. Fernando Shipley, local insurance agent and Globe City Council member, notes that the problem began after recent local fires.
“Insurance companies started to non-renew existing policies based on perceived fire danger in the area,” he explained. “What’s frustrating is that much of the overgrown vegetation that posed a fire risk has already been burned, yet insurers don’t see it the same way.”
Manufactured homes have been particularly hard hit, with many insurers ceasing to write policies for these properties altogether. Homeowners who do manage to find coverage often face stringent “firewise” requirements, such as clearing vegetation and installing fire-resistant materials, or they may encounter significantly higher premiums.
Insurance companies increasingly rely on advanced technology and data analytics to determine risk. Storms highlights the use of third-party data to assess wildfire history, vegetation density, and proximity to fire departments.
“Thousands of data points are pulled into the system to evaluate eligibility,” he says, adding that rural areas closer to vegetation and farther from fire stations are the most likely to be affected.
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) score, which evaluates the effectiveness of local fire departments, is another critical factor. Fortunately, Globe’s fire department has a high ISO score, reflecting its preparedness and training.
“Our community definitely benefits from having a highly trained fire department,” Storms pointed out.
Both insurers and local governments are emphasizing the importance of fire mitigation. Shipley points to efforts in Globe, such as the city’s collaboration with the Forest Service to clear vegetation and establish fire lines. The city also constructed a helicopter pad for fire response, ensuring faster access to water during emergencies.
Storms encourages homeowners to take proactive measures to protect their properties.
“Simple steps like clearing vegetation, following firewise guidelines, and staying updated on your policy can make a big difference,” he advises. “Maintaining a relationship with your insurance agent is also crucial—they can help you navigate changes and find potential discounts for mitigation efforts.”
The stakes are high for Globe. Without affordable and accessible home insurance, property values could decline,
and residents might be forced to leave the area.
“If insurance doesn’t cover homes, people won’t buy them,” Storms warns. “We risk losing important community members.”
The challenges also extend to the business sector. As Shipley notes, commercial insurance has faced similar restrictions, which could hinder economic growth and deter new enterprises from setting up shop in Globe.
While the situation is daunting, there are reasons for optimism. Local initiatives, like those led by the Globe Fire Department and city council, are making strides in wildfire prevention and response. The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions offers resources for homeowners, including the Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool (AMRRP), which can help those struggling to find coverage.
Looking ahead, Arizona’s Resiliency and Mitigation Council—a group comprising government agencies, firefighters, researchers, and insurance professionals— is studying long-term solutions to the state’s wildfire challenges. Their findings, expected in 2025, could pave the way for innovative policies and practices.
The changing insurance landscape serves as a stark reminder of the interconnectedness between natural disaster risk and the insurance market. For Globe, the path forward will require collaboration between homeowners, insurers, and local governments. By investing in fire mitigation, maintaining strong fire department capabilities, and staying informed, the community can navigate these challenges and work toward a more resilient future.
For homeowners concerned about their coverage, the message is clear: stay proactive, stay informed, and stay engaged with your local insurance agent. Together, Globe can weather this storm.
What fire risk in Globe looks like on a map in comparison to other areas. Sourced from wildfirerisk.org
Fernando Shipley, local insurance agent and Globe City Council member, noticed a shift in the home insurance landscape after recent local fires.
Matthew Storms, local insurance agent, encourages local homeowners to take proactive measures to protect their properties from wildfires. Pictured here by G-Hill overlooking the town of Globe
Risk of Fire in Globe in comparison to other communities throughout the country. Sourced from wildfirerisk.org
Fee recovery schedule critical piece of Globe’s future sustainability
By David Abbott
As Globe City Council works to update its Strategic Action Plan in preparation for setting the 2025/2026 budget, Council has prioritized creating a sustainable model for the future.
One important aspect of future fiscal sustainability is updating the City’s fee schedule for everything from administrative costs to development to utilities in order to recover cost of services staff provide for individuals looking to develop in Globe, thereby reducing the financial burden to taxpayers.
“We want to be sure our planning is fiscally sound, not just to have the financial resources in place, but we’re also focused on bandwidth,” says Assistant City Manager Linda Oddonetto. “Do we have the proper staff in place that can meet the demand on the city for quality service. The City Council is also focused on investing in infrastructure, because if we don’t maintain and improve our infrastructure we cannot attract economic development.”
Since 2018, the City of Globe has embarked on a mission to increase economic development, repair existing infrastructure and create a sustainable model for growth in the future.
City leadership has implemented its plans, working to maximize the municipal tax base by seeking outside funding through grants and loans offered through federal and state government as well as private partnerships with businesses and nonprofits, which frees up tax dollars for additional improvements.
As part of its efforts to modernize and expand public service, for example, the City is working to build a new fire station with modern safety improvements at the former site of medical offices on Ash Street. The $13 million project is in the early planning phases, but would not be possible without the help of grant funding.
Those funds would not be available without a significant expansion of the City’s internal capacity to deliver projects, including a position dedicated to identifying and applying for grants through various agencies.
“Money that comes in from grants is critical to moving these big projects forward, so the City working towards them is a great thing,” Oddonetto adds. “Each department’s staff are the technical experts who help to create the scope and narrative for the grant applications, but what’s even more important than getting grants is managing them and keeping them.”
While there have been bumps in the road, including the COVID pandemic, wildfires and monsoon floods, the City has ably navigated unforeseen events and maintained its trajectory towards sensible growth.
In order to facilitate that growth there has been a need to increase City staffing to accommodate increased workloads in several departments that have been leading the evolution of Globe’s workforce.
As the City seeks to modernize, it has been working with out-of-date processes, such as building codes that were enacted in the early part of the century and a fee structure that is equally out-of-date.
“City fees are not something that we make money on, but we can’t subsidize new development either,” says Mayor
Al Gameros. “We don’t want to be in the red with our fee schedule, it’s more about raising fees to recoup the costs of services. What this really means is that the services are being paid for by those who are being served, and not subsidized by all residents. We want to be to the level where we’re at break-even point so we can sustain it.”
The proposed fee structure was rolled out at the January 28 Council meeting and over the course of the next few weeks, Councilmembers will meet in four workgroups to fine-tune the details for implementation by the end of the fiscal year in June.
The new fee schedule for residential and commercial sanitation services has been posted on the City’s website—per Arizona statute—as the first step in the process of adopting the new fees.
City Manager Paul Jepson explained the need for the increases at the recent Council meeting, reporting that an audit of one large development project identified about $30,000 in lost fees, either because Globe’s rates were outdated or because prior leadership never put cost recovery fees in place that other cities have been charging for many years.
Jepson said that “in a perfect world” the City would be able to recover 100% of its expenditures on a project— inspections, research, paperwork or a number of other obligations performed by City staff—but 60% to 80% is a target most cities strive to receive. Globe’s current recovery rate for development projects is about 30%, meaning citizens pay about 70% of the costs.
He said some developers are “shocked” when they find they do not have to pay certain fees in Globe that are de rigueur elsewhere.
“By collecting proper and reasonable fees for what we do, we’re actually saving money for the taxpayer to make sure that they’re not footing the bill for growth,” Jepson said. “This is not just development services. This is for public safety and public works.”
He added Council’s actions are in response to the past six years of increased economic and development activity,
and in addition to making fiscal sense, it telegraphs Globe’s identity as a destination for people and businesses.
“We’re not changing every fee, but we’re taking a comprehensive look at everything and making sure that we’re not missing anything,” Jepson said. “We are a modern, growing, professional city. The way we run our development services, the way we run our fire and police departments, the way we run our court and administration, we need to do so in a professional manner and do it consistently and fairly. We need to be up to speed with our peers in other jurisdictions.”
Mayor Al Gameros says that although Globe has a population under 10,000, the reality is the City regularly serves more than 34,000 residents, being a regional hub at the crossroads of several key highways. He believes modernizing municipal government is key to the future of Globe and that this is a key next step in that process.
“Previously, we weren’t ready for our current rate of growth because we had to have the right staff in place to be ready for it,” Gameros says. “We could not have done it with the staffing capacity that we
had back in ‘18. We had to bring on the professional staff that’ll help us and to be ready for plan reviews, inspections, grant submissions and other vital functions. That’s what it’s all about."
Councilman Mike Pastor, a lifelong resident and member of a family representing five generations in the Globe-Miami region, says that over the course of his time as a public servant—he has served both on City Council and as a County Supervisor—he has seen growth that has been chaotic at times. He believes the new fee structure will give Globe’s leadership an opportunity to have more control over what is surely to come.
“We have to provide fire protection, we provide police, we provide all the services that somebody would need to develop or become a successful entrepreneur in the community,” Pastor says. “People have a hard time understanding that the codes are there to protect them, and not there to punish. We need to protect our residents, their homes and businesses, and protect the new development coming in. That’s why we need to have current development fees and requirements in place to protect everybody.”
Council at the work session updating the SAP in 2024. Courtesy Photo.
The swearing in of re-electing councilmembers Mayor Al Gameros, and Councilmen Freddy Rios and Mike Pastor.
Low snowpack threatens to derail 2025 Salt River expeditions
By Jenn Walker
Typically around this time of year, whitewater rafting companies are preparing to take adventurous souls on guided tours of the Salt River, which boasts the earliest river season in the U.S., winds through a 2,000-foot deep granite canyon, and offers dramatic views of remote Arizona wilderness, all just within an hour’s drive from Globe-Miami. The Salt River rafting season usually takes place in March and April.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of precipitation this winter, the odds of such tours being offered this year may be slim.
The touring company mild2wild has pushed Salt River rafting expeditions back from March 1 to the middle of March, according to Alex Mickel, founder of the company.
“It is possible we might not be able to open this season,” he says.
“We are hoping to see a change in the weather pattern in the last part of winter,” he adds. “Next month’s precipitation will be critical in determining what kind of season we have.”
Brian Ellis is the company president of Wilderness Aware, which has offered trips on the Salt River since 2002, when he first joined the company.
“With current snowpack, it’s looking pretty unlikely that there’s going to be enough moisture to have any kind of season at all there, this year,” Ellis said. “We haven’t made it official, but we’ve also sent word out that it’s probably not going to happen.”
He anticipates making a definitive decision by mid-February.
“There would have to be significant snowfall over the next week or two, in order for us to be able to have any kind of season at all,” he added.
Wilderness Aware has kept track of snowpack data since the company began offering tours of the Salt River. For this time of year, this year is the lowest snowpack-wise the company has seen in their 20-plus years of data. The only other year on record with such low snowpack was in 2006.
“Current flow on the Upper Salt is, I think we looked at it yesterday, and it’s like, 160 cubic feet per second, which is just kind of trickle,” Ellis says. “Last year, for example, peak season was over 10,000 cubic feet per second.”
“Most people think that 800 cubic feet per second is adequate flow,” he continues. “But that’s one of the challenges of the Salt, right? It’s this amazing river, but we’re 100 percent at the mercy of Mother Nature. That’s one of the cool things that makes the Salt so special, is that it is a wild river. There’s no dams. Everything comes right out of the White Mountains.”
“We are always thrilled when we get to operate there and appreciate everything the White Mountain Apache Tribe and The Tonto National Forest do to keep these amazing canyons open to the public,” Mickel says.
“February and March can be very wet in the mountains, fingers crossed,” he adds.
Bookings for whitewater rafting expeditions on the Salt River fill up incredibly fast. Both mild2wild and Wilderness Aware Rafting are now taking reservations for the 2026 season.
To learn more, check the companies’ websites:
Cobre Valley Center for the Arts
Doors open at 6 pm Casino tables open at 6:30pm
Admission: $50 per person includes complimentary drink from the bar, casino bucks, catered appetizers –Vida E Cafe, live raffles & entertainment
*Dress up to get more casino bucks and be entered into the costume contest.
Get your tickets online or reach out to your local Globe Rotarians!
Mild2wild: mild2wildrafting.com
Wilderness Aware, Inc dba Arizona Rafting: inaraftaz.com
Tours are also offered by Salt River Rafting, visit raftingsaltriver.com.
For more information, please contact Cami Lucero, State Farm (928) 425-4444
“Quality
Adventurous spirits enjoying normal white water rafting conditions during a better season with outfitters Arizona Rafting on the Salt River. Photo provided by Arizona Rafting
Miami Unified School District
Miami Unified School District
SPONSORED CONTENT
Building Student Agency
By Richard K. Ramos, Ed.D., MUSD Superintendent
At Miami Unified School District (MUSD) No. 40, staff members are focused on moving from teacher-centered to student-centered learning environments. In a studentcentered classroom, students take charge of their learning and actively participate in the educational process. Obviously, no one can take the place of a classroom teacher so please don’t take these statements out of context. It is still believed the teacher has the greatest influence on student achievement, no doubt. Nevertheless, as educators, we are rallying behind the mission to develop students who take on leadership roles in the community. The changes over the last two years have had a positive impact on Senior Esperanza Zazueta. She explained, “Through various extracurricular activities and projects, I have had the opportunity to develop essential skills such as problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. These experiences have not only helped me to become a more effective leader, but also to better understand the value of perseverance, critical thinking, and innovation.”
As MUSD focuses on building student agency, leadership is taking center stage. Our vision is to ensure our students graduate from Miami Junior Senior High School (MJSHS) with lifelong skills to succeed in college and/or career. MUSD aspires to provide a high quality education in excellent schools by equipping our students with strategies to find opportunities while overcoming barriers in today’s global market. Therefore, we are promoting learning environments where the focus is on the needs of each child. When planning, teachers consider each student’s abilities, interests, and goals for learning. The teacher’s role has shifted to a facilitator by providing support, resources, prompting, and guidance. Students are expected to collaborate, participate actively, think critically, and demonstrate flexibility to be productive leaders in the community no matter what endeavors they pursue.
To build student agency, MUSD has established student leadership conferences at both the junior and high school levels. Each of these conferences have consistently promoted ways for students to experience inquiry methods, stimulate curiosity, and harness their exploration skills while learning inside and outside of the classroom. There is a huge emphasis on fostering student ownership by reinforcing students’ initiative to take responsibility in their environment. According to Coach Brandon Powell, “Our students have developed some very critical skills that have advanced their leadership capabilities such as accountability and integrity as well as communication, and teamwork.” By engaging the students in school pride and belonging, we are listening to their ideas and providing them with a voice to enhance the learning environment where they spend an inordinate amount of time from dayto-day. Listening to our students has been the formula to success over the last two years.
During the leadership conferences, our students learn to work together, define problems and solutions, and reimagine what junior high and high school could look like in the 21st Century. The first leadership conference was held on September 13, 2024 and we are preparing for
the next on February 7, 2025. During the first workshop, students worked in teams to develop a definition of a Vandal. One group shared, “A Vandal means to show support within our school and community. Vandals take pride and set examples for others in our community. As a Vandal, we never give up, instead we get back up, and try again. As Vandals we show leadership in our school and community. As a Vandal, we follow our dreams.” Through this team-based exercise, it is obvious to see the maturity and ownership students have in their learning environment and the community at large.
One of the highlights of the student leadership conference back in September was when students began to imagine and redesign what high school could look like in the future. Students had the opportunity to work together and sketch those opportunities on draft paper. While brainstorming ideas in groups, students discussed ways to renovate buildings, offered advice for campus landscapes, and identified staff members who are making a difference in the lives of students. After the first leadership conference, Freshman Andrew Brown said, “The leadership and overall management in Miami has definitely changed the environment. The people are changing with it and you can’t only see it, but you also feel it. Really, its changing for the betterment of the students and staff.” This statement reinforces how students feel empowered to lead projects like redesigning the future of their own education.
The next student leadership conference is February 7th and students will have the opportunity to engage in two significant activities. During the first activity, students will give input using a S.W.O.T. analysis where they will identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats in MUSD after experiencing the first semester. The results of the S.W.O.T. analysis will provide a chance for school administration and teachers to review the feedback and plan for a more productive 2025-26 school year. For the second activity, leaders will be the continue redesigning high school. Students will work collaboratively to identify skills students need most to succeed in today’s competitive world market. In addition, they will design an ideal daily school schedule and identify what personal learning looks like in order to provide an equitable education. Also, students will take a look at school budgets and determine ways to spend district resources to best serve students in academic and extra-curricular activities. Finally, student leaders will give input in the areas of safety, technology integration, family engagement, career and technical education, and dual enrollment. Garnering student input will promote the ownership desired to move MJSHS forward, especially when it comes to creativity and critical thinking. It is easy to see how MUSD is fostering buy-in from its student population to develop a working system.
Moving from teacher-centered to student-centered classrooms promotes student agency. At MJSHS, students are taking on leadership roles, providing district leaders with feedback, and establishing a sense of belonging at every level of the organization. In addition, students are developing integrity and accountability, skills that will help
them succeed now and throughout their lifetime. Senior Nevaeh Figueroa indicated, “Taking ownership is very important, especially in the Town of Miami, where people ignore what needs to be done. I like to get things done as soon as possible, no matter how much time and effort it may take.” Future leadership workshops will serve to further advance student ownership as they contribute ideas to redesign MJSHS for the future. In an effort to meet the needs of every student walking through the door, it is imperative to listen to the children who are living the school experience. Senior Esperanza Zazueta concluded, “My time at Miami Junior Senior High School has taught me that learning and leadership are not just about academics, but about developing a growth mindset, and being committed to continuous improvement. I am excited to take these lessons with me as I move forward, and I am grateful for the foundation and support I have received during my time at this school.” Providing students with leadership opportunities establishes student agency and enhances their 21st Century life skills to succeed in college and/or career which is the purpose of our existence.
Students participate in team building exercises to learn the significance of collaboration.
Senior Esperanza Zazueta addresses the audience about the impact students make in the community.
Students brainstorming ideas to define what it means to be a Vandal.
Students design individual pieces to a jigsaw puzzle they assemble at the Leadership Conference.
The 155 Steps: New Plans for Miami’s Keystone Stairs
By David Sowders
Big plans are in the works for Miami’s historic 155-step Keystone Stairs, as the first phase of extensive renovation plans takes shape. It is a project intended to draw more visitors to the area and illuminate the town’s mining history.
The initial phase of the Historic Keystone Stairs Project will include remodeling walkways and concrete steps from the foot of the stairs to their second section, and adding retaining walls next to the stairs, said Miami Town Manager Alexis Rivera.
A contractor was chosen for the first phase on January 27th. The Miami Town Council voted unanimously to award the bid to Accelerated Construction and enter a construction agreement.
Rivera said work would start within 10 days of Council approval and was anticipated to take 40 to 60 days to finish, weather permitting. Safety, he added, would be “one of the critical, important elements,” along with preservation of the stairs. Retaining walls will be critical to avoid erosion when it rains.
Another project goal is to replace missing handrails along the stairs.
“I think over the years they just kind of weathered,” said Evelyn Vargas, the town’s economic development director and a member of the non-profit organization Hearts of Miami Engaged (HOME), which conceived the project.
“We would like to get the rails the same if we could, but we’re also going to have to be ADA compliant, so we’ll probably have to put a second rail maybe 18 inches high to protect smaller children who are walking up the stairs,” she added.
The Town received a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of approximately $200,000 in 2022 to fund the design, engineering, and construction of this initial phase. Rivera said more funding would be needed to continue the restoration to the top of the stairs – and that is where HOME will come in.
But first, a bit of history:
The original concept for the Keystone Stairs goes back to around 1910. The Daily Arizona Silver Belt reported on Jan. 15, 1910 that a survey for a “step road” in Miami would occur within the next two days. The projected stairway would follow an existing trail that started next to the Gila Valley Bank building on Gibson Street.
“There was a trail there back in the day that workers would use to get up to the mines,” said Miami Town Councilmember Jose “Angel” Medina Sr. “There were many, many mines here.”
The stairs were still just a proposal in March 1915, when three men came to the Town Council for financial assistance. A fourth man, H.Ogle Tunis, presented tentative plans for the stairs (during the
same Council meeting, Tunis was appointed Town Engineer). Land was to be donated by the Miami Townsite Company.
Work on the stairs began in mid-April 1915, with Town Engineer Tunis in charge and an estimated cost of $900. Half the money was donated by citizens, half by the Town of Miami. The Silver Belt reported the steps were five feet wide with iron pipe handrails – and would be illuminated with lights donated by the Miami Electric Company.
“The walk will be finished in about ten days and will be a great convenience to the residents of Miami Hill in their trips to and from the business sestion [sic] of the town,” said the Silver Belt.
Today, the Town of Miami is looking to revive the stairs for different purposes.
“I think a lot of different people along the years had the idea to renovate the Keystone Stairs because they’re such a great part of Miami mining history,” Vargas said. “When HOME was looking at it, our idea was to put a story along the stairs as part of the fundraising, so we wanted to put silhouettes of miners, and benches, and make storyboards that told stories of miners of the old times.”
HOME’s fundraising ideas also include placing small mining equipment along the stairs, dedicating individual steps to relatives who worked in Miami’s mines, and, eventually, sponsored lookout decks. Vargas said some donations for those decks had already come in. There is also hope to eventually bring light back to the stairs so they can be used at night.
For now, HOME plans to work side by side with Accelerated Construction on the first phase.
Steps in good condition will not be modified,Vargas said, stating that there are a few areas where they will have to be repoured, but the original sand finish will be restored. The renovation will also probably include removal of the stairs’ current red and white paint.
“We want to keep them pretty much to as original as we can because we want people to experience what the miners experienced,” he added.
The project is very challenging, Rivera said, due not only to fundraising but also geography and access.
“It’s a very expensive project, very difficult for delivery [of concrete] because of the high elevation and the narrow area,” he said. “At the same time, we as a town need to fix the roads. It’s necessary in order to have a very approachable way to use the stairs.”
To that end, Rivera said the Town is pursuing different grants for street repair.
“There are a lot of little details that need to be put in place to finalize this project,” he added.
More than 100 years later, it is hopefully only a matter of time before the Keystone Stairs are brought back to life.
A photo with a view of the Keystone Stairs, taken at the end of Keystone Avenue in Miami in 1920. Photo courtesy of Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum
Welcome to Globe-Miami
Miami Historic District
Globe Historic District
Creating Opportunities – Building Futures
CVIT’s Early Childhood Education Program Inspires the Next Generation of Educators
By Carissa Pool
Cobre Valley Institute of Technology (CVIT) is paving the way for future educators through its Early Childhood Education (ECE) program. Launched during the 2023-2024 school year, this initiative equips high school students in grades 10 through 12 with essential skills and handson experience to succeed in the early education field. As community needs and opportunities grow, the program aims to become a vital resource for developing and retaining future teachers.
It is well known that Arizona faces a significant teacher shortage. In its fall report, the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association stated that as of September 2024, 25.4 percent of teacher vacancies across the state remained unfilled, while 52.2 percent were filled by teachers who did not meet the state’s standard certification requirements.
Recognizing these challenges, CVIT designed the ECE program as a long-term solution to build a homegrown workforce of passionate, qualified educators.
Kayla Van Cleve, Human Resource Manager for the Globe Unified School District, said that while the district is fully staffed currently, they have relied on international teacher partnerships to meet demand.
“Hiring international teachers is a practice utilized by many districts throughout the state of Arizona and has been proven effective for meeting the state’s needs for certified and qualified teachers,” she said. “Teacher education programs, like the ECE program at CVIT, are vital to help meet the needs of our district and districts throughout the state.”
“The program was developed to address a shortage of educators,” explained Aja DeZeeuw, Central Campus Counselor at CVIT. “By growing our own educators from the community, we’re addressing retention challenges and creating a sustainable pipeline of professionals who understand our region’s unique needs.”
Mike O’Neal, CVIT Superintendent, echoed the program’s importance: “There’s a significant need for this type of training in our community. While we value the contributions of international teachers, having locally trained educators creates lasting stability.”
The program, which began with five students in the 2023-24 school year, has grown significantly. Eight students joined in the fall 2024 semester, followed by six more in the spring of 2025.
The ECE program prepares students to apply for the National Child
Development Associate Certificate or the Paraprofessional Praxis certification, giving them a direct pathway into the workforce or higher education. Partnering with Eastern Arizona College (EAC), the program offers dual-enrollment courses, and students who complete the program earn a Certificate of Proficiency. Some courses even transfer to state universities, creating a seamless transition for those pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
“Our collaboration with EAC and Gila Community College has been instrumental in creating seamless pathways for our students,” DeZeeuw said. “Students can start here, continue their education through Gila Community College when it opens in July of this year, or participate in EAC’s bridge program with Arizona State University to earn a bachelor’s degree while staying close to home.”
One of the program’s standout features is its hands-on approach. Students participate in observation hours and practical classroom activities, including health and nutrition planning, infant development, and lesson creation. This semester, the program’s two secondyear students will complete observation hours at Copper Rim Elementary, gaining invaluable real-world experience.
For high school senior and secondyear ECE student Nessa Choi, the program has been a turning point. A Globe High School student, Choi joined the program to explore her passion for teaching and has since decided to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education.
“This program gave me the experience I needed to confirm that teaching is my future,” shared Choi. “Meeting so many passionate instructors has been inspiring. Their organization and dedication to this field are things I look up to. Through this program, I’ve learned not just about teaching but also about myself.”
Choi’s involvement isn’t limited to the classroom. She has honed her skills through community outreach, such as teaching art and drama classes at local elementary schools and mentoring younger students through Globe’s Summer Youth Musical Theatre Program. These experiences have enhanced her ability to empathize, manage classrooms, and plan effective lessons—essential skills for any educator.
The ECE program’s success is a testament to the vision of Erika Flores, who founded the program. Her goal was
to develop a local talent pool of educators who would stay in the Globe area rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere. That vision continues under the leadership of Adjunct Instructor Sharon Navarro, who took over the program last spring.
“We are incredibly grateful to the teachers and administrators who allow our students into the local schools to observe teachers and students firsthand,” Navarro said. “These teachers are sharing their expertise and passion for education, which is helping to strengthen this program and encourage our next generation of teachers.”
As the program enters its second year, DeZeeuw and the team at CVIT are optimistic about its future. Applications for the upcoming semester open in late February, with DeZeeuw actively visiting local high schools to encourage participation.
“We’re committed to growing this program and helping more students earn their certifications. This is not just about filling jobs but creating a generation of passionate and well-prepared educators,” DeZeeuw said.
With a curriculum rooted in experiential learning, community engagement, and academic achievement, CVIT’s Early Childhood Education program is a beacon of hope for both aspiring educators and the community they will serve. As students like Nessa Choi prepare to graduate and embark on their professional journeys, they represent the culmination of a program designed to inspire, educate, and uplift—one classroom at a time.
CVIT’s Fall cohort of students (L-R): Joyanna Hopkins, Zailey McDaniel, Kimberly Guardado, Amielle Mallari, Keirstyn Jenkins, Kylie Jenkins, Megan Freeman, Gabrielle Estevane. They represent Globe, Miami, Ray and San Carlos High Schools.
Mike O’Neal, CVIT Superintendent
Point in Time Count: Finding People Experiencing Homelessness
By Marie A. Fasano
In the midst of near freezing temperatures in late January, trained volunteers ventured out to various sites in Gila County – St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Globe, Set Free Church, Winkleman, and the Hayden Public Library – to identify people experiencing homelessness at one point or one day in time.
If a homeless person was in an unsheltered environment, living in the forest or desert, in their automobile, trailers without water or electricity, in an outbuilding, abandoned building and other places the homeless might be staying in the community, they were asked to complete a survey.
The first question asked, “Where were you staying on the night of January 22, 2025?”
The volunteers are part of the AZ Balance of State Continuum of Care (CofC), a coalition of local communities providing services to the homeless. The CoC is a network of services serving people who are experiencing homelessness, including stakeholders from public, private, and nonprofit sectors of the community regardless of funding.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), supported by the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH), has conducted this “Point in Time Count” for the past five years. This provides an annual snapshot of those experiencing homelessness at this single point in time, with an opportunity to collect some basic information about those people who are unsheltered. HUD uses the PIT Count data to measure progress in ending homelessness.
Those at risk include individuals experiencing homelessness for a year or more consecutively, or four episodes of homelessness in a three-year period (totaling one year of homelessness).
The Point in Time Count will also give Gila County a look at the population of people experiencing homelessness for one day in time. From this data, they can look for more grants to come into the County to address this issue, and hopefully place more people in stable housing.
“There was much more community engagement this year,” said Isabel Iprado-Toledo of Globe’s Community Action Program (CAP). “Volunteers wanted to help.”
“One of our biggest barriers when conducting this survey was the severe cold weather,” noted Iprado-Toledo. “The week of the PIT count, temperatures were in the low 40s, making it harder to identify where the individuals were located. A few of the things that we were able to provide for the unsheltered were a pair of gloves, socks, and a beanie and these items brought light, excitement, and hope to them.”
The individuals were also offered lunch, hygiene products, flashlights, blankets, hats, hand warmers, and jackets.
“The barrier of transportation is significant,” said Hannah Lynch at CAP. “Globe-Miami is not excluded from this as getting unhoused individuals to events during counts can prove difficult. We combat this by establishing on foot teams of two or more to hit the streets and go to where the unhoused are more commonly found vs asking them to come to us.”
Tim Gonzalez, current president of the Homeless Coalition of Cobra Valley, was instrumental in conducting the recent Point in Time Count at St. Paul’s Methodist Church.
Gonzalez worked for Horizon as a Behavioral Health Technician for several years and learned how to connect people to services.
Helping the homeless and those with addiction issues is an important part of Gonzalez’ personal mission.
“I’ve been homeless,” he said. “I don’t like seeing people homeless.”
Gonzalez, who was born in Miami, shares his story to help others combat addiction.
“My mother and sister helped me. My whole family was wonderful,” he said. “They supported me for years until
I became clean and sober in 2009.”
“Often you find a person with physical or mental health issues who is motivated to make a change,” he adds.
He refers to this as their ‘moment of clarity.’ This is the time when you help them move into stable housing, and then provide supportive services to meet their physical and mental needs.
In 2020 in Southern Gila County, 13 households were counted homeless. In 2024, 36 households were counted living in an unsheltered environment. So far, in 2025, there were 38 unsheltered people counted in the Southern Gila County area. The increase in numbers could be because a greater effort was made to identify the homeless or because there are more homeless people in the area.
For people looking for services such as help with utilities, rent or housing, contact Isabel Iprado-Toledo of the Community Action Program at the Gila County Community Services Offices: 5515 S Apache Ave., Suite 200, Globe, AZ 928-402-8695
iprado-toledo@gilacountyaz.gov
Tim Gonzalez can be reached at 1964homelesscoalition@ gmail.com or at 928-961-3141.
Large sign in Payson announcing the PIT count. Courtesy photo
Members of the Homeless Coalition volunteering for the PIT event held on January 23rd in Globe. L-to-R: Kayle Lathrop, Hannah Lynch, Isabel Prado-Toledo, Geneva Gilmer, Tim Gonzales (Director of Homeless Coalition) Tammy Akovenko. Not pictured: Susan LaRiviera and Billy Travis. Photo by LCGross
Tim Gonzales with volunteers at the Payson office. Courtesy photo
SCUSD includes parents in programs aimed at improving student outcomes
By David Abbott
The San Carlos Unified School District (SCUSD) is working to help students in the district and educate parents to give them the skills they need to help their children succeed.
Through the Parent Educator Program, SCUSD offers tools and support to help ease the burdens many parents face on the San Carlos Reservation.
“Not only are we reaching the students, but we’re meeting with their parents to feed, educate and support them and give them the skills to help their child be successful,” says SCUSD Assistant Superintendent Shawn Pietila. “It’s an important aspect of our outreach to try to improve the situation the students are in, to help make their lives easier and their chance for educational success better.”
The Parent Educator Program was established in 2018 by SCUSD Superintendent Dr. Deborah Dennison, with the curriculum initially funded by a grant from First Things First and the San Carlos Apache Tribe. The program was designed to benefit students and their parents as well as District staff members and the San Carlos Apache community at large.
In addition to parenting classes, there are resources meant to create a network of support to help solidify the family foundation. There is also a focus on teaching San Carlos Apache culture, history and language in order to keep that heritage alive and give parents and students a stronger sense of community.
The program includes monthly parent events at each of the District’s schools, community events and even parenting classes for incarcerated parents, who receive certificates for the completion of the parenting courses offered.
Utilizing resources from the Native American Fathers and Families Association (NAFFA), the District offers the 12-week Fatherhood is Sacred/Motherhood is Sacred Program that “defines the purpose of life, brings understanding of the sacredness of the role of a mother and father and explains the importance of how valuable our native heritage is to our people.”
The 14-week Linking Generations By Strengthening Relationships Program
helps parents “build on their current capacity to engage in healthier relationships with their partners, children, workplace and their community.”
Also from NAFFA is Addressing Family Violence and Abuse, another 14-week program intended to “stop the violence and abuse by teaching correct principals of devotion and support to uplift and help those who choose to use violence and abuse in their families.”
Additionally, the Parent Educator Program receives funding through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to help students overcome the challenges related to homelessness and also accesses resources through the Arizona Adverse Childhood Experiences Consortium (ACES).
“The NAFFA classes are designed to define the purposes of life and bring understanding of the sacredness of the role of a mother and father,” says Lead Parent Supervisor Cheryl Haozous. “It explains the importance and how valuable our Native Heritage is to our people.”
Haozous began her career a the SCUSD as Communications Director in 2014, but has been leading the Parent Educator Program since its inception.
San Carlos Apache language and culture are integral to the Program and are popular with the students, their parents and even grandparents.
The Apache parenting class incorporates Apache history and with lessons of pre-reservation themes, principles and techniques. Seth Pilsk, from the U.S. Department of Forestry, has provided material for classes and Ken Duncan from the Yellow Bird Productions leads regular Monday and Wednesday night classes where he shares Apache songs, stories, arts and crafts, history and the Apache language.
“It’s such a soul soothing class,” Haozous says. “In a recent class, we had our kids introduce themselves in Apache, say where they came from, their clans and grades and every single kid knew how to do it in Apache. This is a crucial part of our identity.”
Jaymee Dean, Parent Educator for the SCUSD Intermediate School, who is set to begin one of the NAFFA courses, says the cultural aspect of the program helps parents get involved, but it also
brings together generations of San Carlos Apaches around a shared cultural identity.
“The parents come in and get really involved with, ‘how do you say this, and what does that mean?’ Dean says. “The grandparents actually fill in when we can’t pronounce some of the words, and they’re very good at helping the other parents say it as well.”
The Parent Educator Program works to educate parents, grandparents and guardians, but also partners with San Carlos Apache Healthcare, assisting parents in establishing a “medical home” and “dental home” for their children to ensure access to consistent health care.
They also do occasional home visits to distribute clothing, hygiene items and other necessities and help address truancy issues.
Education aside, there is one thing that always brings participants together and that is food.
“You mention food and everyone’s ears kind of perk up, and they’re like, what kind of food?” says San Carlos High School Parent Educator Shanice Chatlin. “The kids are so eager for clothing and shoes, just so excited, but when you say food, they’re willing to stand there and listen or talk a little longer.”
Leaders of the SCUSD Parent Educator Program invited elders and parents to the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness Area for a recent San Carlos Apache Cultural Center's Clan Pilgrimage Series event. Several San Carlos Apache Tribal programs were also involved in the project. The purpose of the trip was to bring awareness of where the different Apache bands came from before they were placed on the Reservation at Old San Carlos. San Carlos is made up of many different bands from all over southern Arizona. Photos provided.
The first Fatherhood is Sacred/Motherhood is Sacred high school class receives certificates of completion 2019.
Cheryl Haozous has been the Lead Parent Supervisor for the SCUSD Parent Educator Program since its inception in 2018.
Parent Educators were on hand to distribute schedules of classes for SCUSD parents and handed out cups and stickers to the children at a San Carlos Apache Health Care Dental Fair.
Celebrating a grand tradition of baseball and mining
Globe Miami Times and the Cobre Valley Arts Center are excited to host a gallery exhibit of local baseball legends in conjunction with the Old Dominion Cup Tournament featuring the Arizona Territorial Baseball League April 26 - 27th.
The Exhibit will be hosted in the main gallery of the Arts Center for April.
Featured in the Gallery show will be the Smoke Eaters and the Frank Tippet story. He is perhaps best remembered in Globe as the Deputy Gila County Attorney and later Gila County Attorney in the ‘40s and Globe City Attorney in the ‘80s.
But according to his memoirs dictated to his wife Dorothy late in life, his real passions were always baseball and swimming.
When he arrived in Miami in ‘23, he had been on his own for many years making his way from Akron Ohio where he worked in a rubber factory to Miami, where he found work as a converter foreman for the International Smelting and Refining Company.
In his own words, he tells about how he talked the mine manager into starting a baseball team:
In 1923, L. O. Howard was General Manager of the International Smelting & Refining Co., where I worked. I was quite a baseball player and had organized a team known as the Smoke Eaters for the smelter. I wanted to get some financial help from the Company, since I had previously worked in the rubber factories in Akron, Ohio, where the factories sponsored all forms of athletics, including baseball, basketball, and boxing. I suggested this to Henry Allen, Chief Clerk at the smelter, and Ben Franklin, Chief Timekeeper. They advised me that L. O. Howard hated baseball players since he had previously employed them and they were all “goldbrickers.” I allowed as to how I had been fired from better jobs than the one I had and was going to tackle the lion in his den.
I got an appointment with Mr. Howard and in conversing with him for about an hour, I sold him on the idea that he would have more contented employees by sponsoring our baseball team to which he agreed, and I left his office with a blank check to purchase uniforms, bats, balls, catchers’ equipment, umpires’ equipment, and all the necessary incidentals. Mr. Allen and Mr. Franklin were very pleasantly surprised, and Mr. Howard became an avid baseball fan and parked his Cadillac in the third base area at all of our games. We won three Twilight League pennants and presented Mr. Howard with the trophies on the mantle in his office. Frank Tippet Frank
A Grand Tradition: Call to the Public
A new major exhibit on Territorial Baseball and our baseball heritage will open on April 25th to kick off the Arizona Territorial Base Ball Tournament in Globe.
Brought to you by the Gila Historical Museum, Cobre Valley Center for the Arts and Globe Miami Times, it looks at early baseball in Globe-Miami, from the players to the local mines who supported their play, like Frank Tippet and the Inspiration Consolidated Smelter in this months issue.
We would love to include your family members and memories of baseball and ask all who have photos and stories to share to contact us no later than April 1, so we can include your family members in the show.
Contact Linda Gross, Globe Miami Times, at editor@ globemiamitimes.com with the subject line: Grand Tradition. Or call her at 928-701-3320 with questions.
You can also drop off photos and stories at the Gila Historical Museum/frontdesk.
Cobre Valley Center for the Arts Presents: A Grand Tradition
–Baseball in early Globe-Miami
Reception and Talk by Author John Tenney Friday, April 25th • 5-8pm
$20 each
Tickets available at the Chamber of Commerce and online thru Eventbrite as of March 1
Author John Tenney wrote the bible on Territorial Baseball and will be in Globe for the Exhibit Opening and at the Old Dominion Cup Tournament at Central Field. His book, "Territorial Baseball in Arizona 1863-1912" explores the early baseball teams.
Review: “The hitherto unexplored early years of baseball in Arizona are brought to life by John Darrin Tenney’s research and an abundance of memorable images. In this detailed study, Tenney explores such key subjects as the origins of baseball in Arizona, the formation of the state’s first town and company teams, the efforts of women and minorities to take part in the national pastime, and the merry adventures of the early barnstorming squads.”
– Peter Morris, author of A Game of Inches and Cracking Baseball’s Cold Cases
Tippet 1923
Frank Tippet
The Smoke Eaters at Central Field. Circa ‘22 Standing: Shorty Schwarz, S.McNulty, Bennet, Dick Muller. These are the only names we could find on the back of the photo.
GHS FFA Students excel
GHS FFA students are showing just how smart and talented they are. Out of 10 areas, GHS FFA placed 1st in four areas, had one first place winner (Nevaeh Guerrero) for a non-team event, and many other 1st, 2nd and 3rd place individual awards in the Gila Southern District Field awards earlier this week. Special recognition and gratitude to our FFA Advisor/Ag Teacher, Mrs. Dixon, and the many volunteer coaches that dedicate their time and energy to help our students achieve.
Bowen (Manager)
Cheryl Haynes (Exec Director) and Sand Powell (Board Member) accept
$50 donation to kick off the afternoon.
Globe Unified School District: Christa Dalmolin East Superintendent, Ana Vargas, Raymond Baker Globe robotics teacher, Jeremy Johnson principal.
Dr. Richard Ramos Superintendent, Ana Vargas community engagement advisor of Miami Unified School District
Fort Thomas Unified School District – Shane Hawkins Superintendent, Brenda Astor principal advisor Native American affairs, Ana Vargas, Jason Stanley principal, Jessica Wright administrative assistant.
EVANGELINA PEREZ QUIJADA, February 16, 1939 – January 30, 2025, age 85, of Mammoth, passed away at her home. Eva was born in Arivechi, Sonora, Mexico. (BM)
CHARLIE RAYMOND TURNEY, June 10, 1948 – January 30, 2025, age 76, passed away at Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix. Charlie served in the Marines during Vietnam, then worked as a heavy equipment operator in the mines. He later was a correctional officer at CCA Prison in Florence. (LM)
JUSTIN CHRISTOPHER CHAVEZ, August 31, 1987 – January 29, 2025, age 37, of Kearny, passed away in Mesa. (BM)
MARY WILMA BAILEY, August 14, 1944 – January 28, 2025, age 80, passed away at her home. Mary was a buyer for Phelps Dodge and Freeport-McMoRan. She was originally from New York state. (BM)
ROBERT LEONARD IRVING SR., April 3, 1949 – January 27, 2025, age 75, of San Carlos, passed away at San Carlos Healthcare in Peridot. Robert worked as a seasonal firefighter for B.I.A. Forestry and was born in Superior. (LM)
JANICE DARLENE KIDD, April 24, 1957 – January 26, 2025, age 67, passed away. Jan worked at Cobre Valley Community Hospital as a housekeeper and a cook. She was originally from Lindsay, California. (LM)
JUDY ANN DUWYENIE, November 1, 1952 – January 26, 2025, age 72, of San Carlos, passed away at Haven of Globe. (LM)
LEONARD LANG, October 26, 1966 – January 25, 2025, age 58, of Peridot, passed away in Phoenix. He was born in Globe. (LM)
LOUVELLA JEAN COFFEY, November 29, 1944 – January 24, 2025, age 80, of Florence, passed away. (LM)
THOMAS FELIX ARRONA, June 6, 1943 – January 23, 2025, age 81, passed away. (LM)
DAVIS KENNETH DUDE SR., January 29, 1938 – January 19, 2025, age 86, of Peridot, passed away. He worked for forestry as a mechanic and later at the copper mines. (LM)
RENE CASTILLO, May 12, 1955 – January 19, 2025, age 69, of Globe, passed away at Hospice of the Valley – Lund Home in Gilbert. (LM)
GCC, continued from page 1
The move will localize control of the institution and save somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.5 million a year in overhead costs.
Additionally, it will allow GCC to continue to offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) through Cobre Valley Institute of Technology, which will also part ways with EAC.
“We’re ecstatic that they’ve got their pre-accreditation status,” says CVIT Superintendent Mike O’Neal. “We need each other to help meet the educational and the workforce needs of our community, so we’re just happy. It’s a step forward and we can continue to offer our programs to our students.”
One aspect of public concern for the separation was a widely held perception that CVIT’s nursing program—one of the top in the state—would crash and students might not be able to graduate on time or be shut out until all the issues were settled.
But the program is still fully intact, and if everything goes as planned with the State Nursing Board in its May meeting, students will be able to continue to pursue certifications unimpeded.
O’Neal says some of the harsher criticism came because the public “didn’t have all the facts” because GCC leadership was constrained by personnel and other issues that could have subjected the college to lawsuits.
“The leaders have kept their cool and they didn’t get their feathers ruffled from the community when they took that lashing,” O’Neal says. “They understood people’s emotions were involved and just kept going and plugging away.”
He added that if there are any glitches or unforeseen circumstances along the way, CVIT can temporarily partner with another Career Technical Education District (CTED) to continue the programs uninterrupted. O’Neal does not believe that will be necessary, though, and has confidence in the GCC Board and leadership.
According to Lawhorn, Nursing Program licensure is a multi-step process that will take about four months. While the application to the State Board of Nursing was submitted last October, it was not reviewed until candidacy status was earned. Between February 7 and May, the application will
IN LOVING MEMORY
EVA RIVERA, November 6, 1937 – January 19, 2025, age 87, passed away. (BM)
LISA MARIE NASH, January 14, 1978 – January 18, 2025, age 47, of Peridot, passed away in Peridot. (LM)
RANDALL SCOTT KINNARD, April 30, 1962 – January 17, 2025, age 62, of Globe, passed away. (LM)
RAMON R. BAEZA, February 20, 1929 – January 17, 2025, age 95, of Miami, passed away at his home. Ramon worked at Inspiration Copper for over 40 years. He was originally from Marfa, Texas. (BM)
GERALDINE KEY, August 18, 1953 – January 16, 2025, age 71, of Mesa, passed away at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa. (LM)
GERALD LEE TABBY, March 13, 1959 – January 16, 2025, age 65, of San Carlos, passed away at CVRMC. He was a roofer and was originally from Schurez, Nevada. (LM)
KENNETH LESTER ROBINSON, October 3, 1962 – January 16, 2025, age 62, of San Carlos, passed away in San Carlos. Kenneth was a game ranger and volunteered with the fire department. He was originally from Lawton, Oklahoma. (LM)
JOSEPH PACHECO, December 18, 1956 – January 14, 2025, age 68, passed away. He was employed by ASARCO at the Hayden smelter from 1976 to 2020. He was born in Ray. (BM)
ALICIA "ALICE" CASTILLO, November 28, 1953 – January 14, 2025, age 71, of Superior, passed away in Gilbert. She was originally from Bowie. (BM)
ANITA “ANNIE” HERNANDEZ HINOJOS, May 8, 1951 –January 13, 2025, age 73, passed away in Tucson. Annie was a pillar of the Winkelman-Hayden community, serving as mayor, vice-mayor, councilwoman, board member of numerous agencies, and as Hayden Senior Center Director for almost 40 years. She was born in Phoenix. (BM)
JOSE PATRICIO DOMINGO DODGE, April 25, 1926 – January 12, 2025, age 98, of Superior, passed away at his home. Domingo fought in WWII and then worked for Kennecott for 33 years, retiring as a shovel operator. He was originally from Puerto de Luna, New Mexico. (BM)
be reviewed by both the SBN and the State Board of Education.
Should the program get all of its necessary approvals, it will be licensed in the weeks before GCC becomes a standalone institution.
“We’ve done everything we needed to do to be ready for this process,” Lawhorn says. “But we still have to jump through the hoops of the Arizona State Board of Nursing, which is understandable.”
The relationship between GCC and EAC soured in late 2022 when EAC cut off communications between GCC and key personnel needed to run the college, including students and other employees.
This led to a vacuum of information for students and staff, which in turn fueled much of the frustration that overflowed in the August 2023 forums after GCC announced its intention to part ways with EAC.
The partnership was necessary for GCC to maintain accreditation, so when EAC announced it would terminate the relationship in September 2023, chaos ensued. EAC eventually relented, giving Lawhorn and the GCC board additional time to find a partnership to maintain accreditation.
They initially worked through the Higher Learning Commission, one of seven regional accreditors operating in the U.S. But when their efforts came to nought, the Board pivoted in February 2024 to work with the ACCJC, which had extended its reach in 2019, opening the doors for institutions such as GCC that had previously been outside the accreditor’s jurisdiction.
So now, after a year-and-a-half of intense and exhaustive work, GCC will become completely independent and will have two years from July 1 to go from candidacy status to full accreditation.
It will still be a heavy lift, as there will be a lot of hiring and infrastructure building to accomplish, but all indications are that independence is achievable within that timeline.
In its letter announcing preaccreditation, ACCJC commended the college for its “ability to foster a sense of belonging and community with its students,” as well as “providing multiple opportunities for engagement, particularly with its older adults and high school populations via dual enrollment and career technical education partners.”
“On behalf of the Commission, we wish
RUBY-RAY GALVAN, January 2, 2025 – January 10, 2025, of Miami, passed away at Phoenix Children's Hospital in Phoenix. (LM)
ANTHONEY "ERNIE" BREWER SR., August 23, 1951 – January 8, 2025, age 73, of Miami, passed away. Ernie served in the US Army in the 82nd Airborne and worked as a heavy equipment operator in the mines. (BM)
RACHEL THOMPSON, July 16, 1943 – January 8, 2025, age 81, of San Carlos, passed away at San Carlos Apache Healthcare Center in Peridot. She was a seamstress, cradleboard maker, and teacher of traditional and cultural practices and values. (LM)
QUINTIN CLARK, April 24, 1964 – January 6, 2025, age 60, of San Carlos, passed away in Scottsdale. (LM)
MAMIE LEA ROTHWELL, November 10, 1931 – January 6, 2025, age 93, passed away. She was a powerhouse operator at the Magma Copper Company for 25 years. She was originally from Calhoun County, Arkansas. (LM)
CHARLES E. WINDER, April 12, 1947 – January 5, 2025, age 77, of Globe, passed away. Charles spent 21 years in the military. He grew up in Alexandria, Louisiana. (LM)
BONNIE BEESON, February 5, 1949 – January 5, 2025, age 75, passed away. (BM)
HARLENE MARIE HOLIDAY, September 8, 1973 – January 4, 2025, age 51, of Miami, passed away. Harlene worked as a server, cashier, and in customer service. (BM)
ROBERT "ROB" CLARK ALLEN, March 11, 1951 – January 3, 2025, age 73, passed away at CVRMC. Robert was originally from Clarksburg, West Virginia. (BM)
LIANA BEAD NEZ, March 25, 1965 – January 3, 2025, age 59, of Parker, passed away at Heritage Healthcare Center in Globe. She was originally from San Carlos. (LM)
DANNY JOE RICE, SR., September 17, 1954 – January 1, 2025, age 70, of Florence, passed away at his home. Danny ran the Gene Rice air conditioning and glass work company with his brother Lanny and later worked for the Department of Immigration and the Public Transit Authority in Phoenix. (LM) (LM= Lamont Mortuary BM=Bulman Miles Funeral Home)
to express appreciation for the diligent work and thoughtful reflection that Gila Community College undertook to prepare for this review,” the January 21 letter stated. “These efforts confirm that peer review can serve the multiple constituencies of higher education by both ensuring and encouraging institutional quality and effectiveness.”
In addition to local control and saving the funds that would have gone to EAC, once GCC is fully accredited, it will be able to further expand its offerings and build infrastructure on both the Payson and Gila Pueblo (Globe) campuses in the future.
“I think the leadership of the two Jans was instrumental in getting us this far,” says GCC Board Vice President Mickie Nye. “I think the board is very cohesive. I don’t think there’s been a problem at all, but the leadership of Dr. Lawhorn and Dr. Brocker has been critical.”
In the future, Nye, who owns the Dairy Queen on East Ash Street, wants the leadership of the college to be recruited from local, Gila County talent that “you can meet in the grocery store.”
“The kids in this community, the businesses in this community, and our towns, everybody needs this college to
succeed,” Nye says. “We need to grow this as a full-time, daytime and nighttime college, not just CVIT and high school classes, but we need to really grow our campuses in both Payson and Globe.”
Nye adds that in the future, that growth might include dorms to expand the student population, but for now the focus is on the next steps in the process.
There will be two informational and celebratory town halls scheduled at both campuses in March. The first will be at the Gila Pueblo Campus, 8274 South Six Shooter Canyon Road, Globe on Tuesday, March 4, at 6 p.m. The second will be at the Payson Campus at 201 North Mud Springs Road on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.
“The whole community has been extremely supportive with an outpouring of emails and thank yous and congratulations,” Lawhorn says. “It’s truly been a community project in that sense. We’re breaking away from the temporary and going to a permanent solution for the residents of Gila County and for the State of Arizona. But more importantly, this solidifies local control and is our opportunity to be more nimble and work more closely with our community.”
“Now I’m unemployed, at 85, and looking for what to do today, so I’m having a good time, hah!” he laughs. “I’m just going to live the quiet life, I guess.”
The closure of the radio station puts an end to an era that began in 1958 with the work of Willard Shoecraft, a self-taught radio broadcaster, founder of KIKO, and eventual inductee of the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
“He had a very unique broadcasting presence,” recalls Mata of Shoecraft. “People just loved him.”
Shoecraft moved to Globe in 1943, just four years after working a gig right out of high school at KGLU in Safford, and accepted a job at Globe radio station KWJB.
On June 13, 1958, Shoecraft took KIKOAM 1340 on air for the first time. The station originally broadcast from the Copper Hills Hotel lobby, until Shoecraft acquired Inspiration Copper Co., where he built a mobile-home park and relocated KIKO headquarters.
With Shoecraft’s oversight, KIKO evolved into a full-fledged studio, what JB refers to as the “Taj Mahal of radio stations in America.”
“There’s not another one like it,” JB says proudly. “Every radio station I ever went in was like a closet. One room. This place had sales desks and rooms, and it had men’s and women’s bathrooms, it had an office for Lucy, an office for Willard, four production rooms, and an interview room in the front for anyone who came in to be on the air. It was just incredible. And the property is huge… It’s in perfect condition. It’s no doubt the best radio station in America.”
Just before KIKO’s debut in June 1958, The Arizona Daily Star published an article highlighting Shoecraft’s unwavering determination and work ethic, reporting that the entrepreneur joined a team of diggers to dig a ditch for an electric line for the new station. At that time, the 37-year-old was both owner and manager of the station. What reportedly left bystanders especially awestruck, however, was that Shoecraft carried out the task despite a handicap he’d
had since a childhood accident – missing both legs.
He seemed to quickly gain the admiration and respect of the community.
“He was just one hell of a guy,” JB says fondly. “There was nobody like Willard Shoecraft that I ever met in my life.”
“He went on to let nothing stop him from achieving success, and he was recognized by the industry, by the state of Arizona, as being one of the best people in radio, in the history of radio,” JB adds.
In 1979, Shoecraft launched KIKO-FM with what was reported as “the highest FM signal possible, carrying 80 miles into Phoenix.”
Aside from a brief break with the station when Shoecraft intended to retire – according to the LA Times, he sold the stations in 1987 for $1.75 million and bought back the AM station in 1988 for $125,000 – he ran the station until his death in 2000. His family continued to run the business as Shoecraft Broadcasting, Inc. until the transfer of the stations’ licenses to 1TV. Com in 2008. The former trade magazine Broadcasting & Cable reported that the sale amounted to $1.025 million.
By this time, Shoecraft had molded the station into something that became deeply ingrained in the community. He created a gold standard for small-town radio – a torch that those like JB and Mata carried through the station’s last years, along with Lucy Rodriguez, the station manager.
“That woman has single-handedly run that station for years since [Shoecraft’s] passing,” Mata says of Rodriguez. “Managing the employees, keeping our affiliations with the Diamondbacks and Suns and the Cardinals… She’s done it,on her own.”
Over the years, the station saw the talents of many who became household names in the community, including news anchor Ted Lake, and early morning radio host Gene Pearsall (who also managed the station). And, there was Pete Oviedo.
Thomas Torrez remembers watching his grandparents, Pete and Eliza “Leecha” Oviedo, put together content for KIKO’s Mexican music program “La Hora Mexicana,” as a kid growing up in Miami in the ‘60s.
Sometimes they worked in KIKO’s recording studio, and sometimes they worked in the recording studio on the lower level of their home on Bailey Street, where Torrez’ grandfather had two walls nearly filled with shelves of 78 rpm LPs (vintage records).
“He and grandma would typically tape his Sunday program down there,” Torrez recalls. “They would go down there and have their equipment all powered up; they would make sure that [my brothers and I] understood we needed to be quiet.”
“There were times we were banished,” he laughs.
The rest of the week, his grandparents broadcast “La Hora Mexicana live,” directly from KIKO’s recording studio, which he remembers as a double-wide trailer at the time.
“Grandpa had poor vision,” he explains, “so grandma did a lot of the background, detail work. She would write huge notes on paper so grandpa had his script and his playlist.”
“There’s a lot of hours that they would put in outside the studio, outside the actual program, just to keep it going,” he adds. “But it was a living, they seemed to like it, and they were a good team.”
They would take a lot of song requests that Torrez’ grandmother would write down and later search for in her husband’s record collection.
When it was time to play a song, Pete would signal Leecha, and she’d very gently lay the record needle on the correct part of the record to start a song.
The program opened with “La Marcha de Zacatecas,” a historic folk song, Torrez remembers. The show ran more than 40 years from the time Pete started it in Morenci through the time he brought it to Globe, up until his retirement from KIKO in 1979.
Later, Torrez’ father, Manuel Torrez, Sr., would follow in Oviedo’s footsteps, producing a KIKO program in the evenings called “Noches Alegres” for several years.
Meanwhile, JB’s interest in radio developed even before KIKO’s inception. It was something he had wanted to do since he was 17, when he walked into KWJB with a high school classmate.
“When I went in there and saw what was going on, why, I wanted to be a DJ,” he remembers.
After graduating from Globe High School in 1957, JB went to take radio and broadcast classes at ASU. Not long after, once he had his own show on the campus radio station, he was offered a DJ position in Squaw Valley. He dropped out of college and traveled there, only to find the spot had been given to someone else.
He didn’t pursue radio after that; instead, he spent the next 30 to 40 years in the food and beverage industry as a bartender and, later, a restaurant manager.
Eventually, he wound up back in Globe, or what he refers to as the “village of his youth,” as a restaurant manager at Jerry’s.
Every couple of weeks, he would write and record spots for KIKO radio to promote Jerry’s, which he gave to Rodriguez.
During that time, he also got to know Shoecraft.
“When I got through in the production room, I’d be walking down the hall, and I’d hear this, ‘hey you!’” JB recalls. “And so I’d go in and sit down with Willard, and we would chat for 10, or 15, or 20 minutes, and we’d trade stories like crazy.”
In 2002, shortly after JB decided to “call it a day” and left his position with Jerry’s, Rodriguez invited him to work at KIKO. JB jumped at the opportunity.
“So then I spent the next 20 years, not in food and beverage anymore, but back in radio!” he exclaims. “Oh my gosh!”
“I was there at 5:30 in the morning, every morning, without fail,” he adds, barring the one occasion the electricity went out at his house because of a snowstorm. “I loved the job.”
In more recent years, KIKO listeners also got to know the voice of Mata, originally from Miami, as she reported local news on KIKO until the summer of last year.
“I just always had a love and passion for [radio],” she says, adding that she was one of those kids who carried around a recorder with a mic. “I was always pretending that I was interviewing people.”
KIKO RADIO, Continued on page 19
JB was the voice of the Trading Post for over 20 years. Taking the often handwritten notices from listeners like the one he is holding, and broadcasting to his loyal listeners who tuned in every morning to hear what their neighbors were selling. Photo by LCGross
This note was still in the mailbox when news of the closing was announced.
As an adult, she initially spent years working in the chip industry in Phoenix. Later, she returned home to Miami with a goal in mind.
“I’m going to love my job this time,” she remembers telling her husband.
So, in the late 80s, she applied to work at KIKO and was hired by Shoecraft.
“Are you going to put a woman on the airwaves, ever?” she remembers asking Shoecraft.
He asked her if she was up to the task. She agreed to audition and read some scripts.
“You’re hired,” she remembers him saying.
“As destiny would have it, I ended up as a news broadcaster,” she says.
She learned the craft hands-on, trained by Shoecraft, and Lake, who acted as her mentor and had been with the station since KIKO’s beginnings.
“Working at the radio station with them, they kind of just took me on board and trained me,” she recalls.
She learned the ins and outs of news reporting and commercial production from them.
“I sincerely feel that I learned from the best,” Mata says of Shoecraft. “I always admired his sound, his presence. I was able to master my craft by taking what he taught me and applying it.”
Like JB, Mata started her days at 5 a.m. For the next couple of hours, she assembled and produced her daily news segment, conducting interviews, gathering recordings, talking to law enforcement, fire agencies, and local government.
Around 7, she would get down to the station with her manuscript and record the news. By 7:30, she had the morning news covered.
“And I never felt like I worked a day at KIKO,” she says. “I was a perfectionist about my audio production, and I would really have to discipline myself to be mindful of how many hours I was there, because time flies when you’re happy.”
She worked at KIKO full-time until the early to mid-90s, when her daughter left for college and Mata wanted to find higherpaying work to support her. She continued to work collaboratively with KIKO on a parttime basis.
Mata returned to KIKO full-time around 2018 to replace Roland Foster, who was preparing to retire.
“When I was in news, in broadcasting… I would always try to not sensationalize on the negative, speak the facts, and be considerate of people hearing what was being said.”
This approach was especially important during the COVID pandemic.
“My objective was to try to keep people out of panic, keep them just informed with the facts, staying away from all politicization of the circumstances,” she recalls. “There were times where there were so many deaths, I wouldn’t even do obits… It was very hard.”
Another memorable broadcast experience for Mata was when the Town of Miami flooded.
“I had someone call me and say, you know, there is water rooster-tailing off of the bridge that crosses the highway in Miami, and that water is coming on to the highway,” she remembers.
“I drove down there to get a beat on that, and my gosh, by the time I drove close to the Pinto Valley turn-off, in Miami by the park, the water was two-foot deep there, and I remember standing there watching and going, ‘you stupid, Liz,’” she laughs. “I went to the radio station, got on the mic, and I advised people to please, find higher ground if they could.”
And, there was the Telegraph Fire in 2021. Mata was forced to evacuate her home, but she was still on the airwaves every day broadcasting from Mesa, providing updates on the acreage consumed and what the containment numbers were.
“Those were probably the most memorable events in broadcasting, were the
fires, the floods, and COVID,” she concludes.
Carlton Cyrus Rahmani, a broadcast engineer who spent his childhood in Globe, has fond memories of KIKO, which he shared both on Facebook, alongside hundreds of others after the closure of the station, and directly with Globe Miami Times.
“I was listening to KIKO since my family moved to Globe in late 1979,” he recalls. “KIKO radio was the first broadcaster whose call sign I remember. We called it ‘K-I-K-O’ AND ‘KEE-KOE.’ No one bickered over it, because either way it was catchy.”
Now Rahmani works for Louisiana’s oldest TV station, WDSU, in New Orleans, and credits the station with kindling a bit of his interest in broadcasting.
“If I had the money, I’d buy the station, transmitter, and license and just keep
broadcasting, keeping it eclectic, like I remember it,” he says. “It was America,” he concludes. “Small town, diverse, made for and by the community…KIKO will be missed.”
KIKO RADIO, continued from page 18
Interviews of law enforcement, fire agencies, local government and community leaders were done at this table. Photo by LCGross
Liz Mata was trained by Williard Shoecraft and Ted Lake. Courtesy photo
