LLC SINCE 2006
By Patti Daley
Isaac Caruso Muralist
Barry Johnson, 35, is heading into his 18th fire season. “That feeling you get when you’re successful with the people around you,” he says, “that’s what keeps me coming back.” Barry has been on 21-day assignments and once worked 38 hours straight on a grass fire outside of Buckeye. He cautions about the huge grass crop right now in Tonto National Forest, and in Arizona in general. “This is the thickest grass since 2005, which was a very busy year for Arizona,” Barry says. “Everybody sees it. Everybody knows it.” The Tonto National Forest Service has been working hard to create buffers and reduce fuel (any vegetation that can burn). The burnout conducted around Quail Run in advance of the Woodbury Fire served its community well. “We’re doing our best,” Barry says, “although the workforce is not as large as everyone thinks.”
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Where’s The Beef?
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A FIREFIGHTING LIFE Globe-Miami Farmers Market Returns to City Hall By Thea Wilshire
Copper Mining in the Corridor
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Freshly picked apricots, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic; local honey; homemade bread, jams, and cookies; plants and flowers; and handcrafted soaps made special with locally produced ingredients… these are but a few of the many treats available to Globe, Miami, and San Carlos residents at our local farmers market. Returning on June 6, the Globe-Miami Farmers Market will now open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Globe’s Veteran’s Park (the green space in front of the Municipal Building). The market runs until September. Farmers markets are growing in popularity around the country, particularly with initiatives to create sustainable local food systems and to support health by increasing access to nutritious food. Farmers markets allow people to taste the freshest and tastiest vegetables and fruit available, some picked that very day. Customers know where their food comes from, support local growers, nourish themselves, and enjoy the seasonal foods of their region. Farmers Market, Continued on page 10
A Look At COVID-19
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The market will be moving back to city hall this season where they started out. The location is popular with both vendors and customers because of the shade, easy access and park amenities. Photo by LCGross.
Firefighting Life, Continued on page 20
BACKYARD BIRDS OF GLOBE-MIAMI “On most days I will have at least 9 feeders for the hummingbirds. You can almost hold the feeder and they will still come and feed while you are holding it.” – Judi Story by Patricia Sanders; Photos by Judi Holmes
or summer color, writer Patricia Sanders and bird expert/ photographer Judi Holmes offer a look at the beautiful backyard birds of our area – starting with the gorgeous and feisty hummingbird. The rufous hummingbird is the best flier of all hummingbirds and will outcompete other hummingbirds at the feeder. These hummingbirds also migrate farther than any other hummingbird – more than 2,000 miles each way to Mexico and Panama – and they can cross the Gulf of Mexico without stopping. The rufous hummingbird will remember where hummingbird feeders are and will come back to the same ones year after year. If a feeder has been removed, they will try to find it. Experts believe hummingbirds have existed for millions of years. Adult males buzz when they fly – females don’t. Backyard Birds, Continued on page 22
