May/June Globe Miami Times - 2023

Aiming for Greatness

tripled enrollment in the

arms and firearms

Story by Patti Daley

Photos by LCGross

A year ago, there was no 4-H Shooting Sports Club in Gila County. Today the club boasts a roster of 35 kids and a waiting list. Nine of the kids are state medalists and three will compete at the 2023 Nationals, the last week in June.

“It was amazing how fast we could get it going,” says AJ Schaible, 17, “and amazing how fast we were able to get to this competitive level.”

The 17-year-old Miami High junior qualified for the Arizona national team in three events. He’s also a youth leader for the 4-H shooting club and its co-founder.

“Without AJ we would not have shooting sports,” says Carol Ptak, a 4-H leader inspired by his interest and initiative.

Teaching Kids About Guns

“It’s important to teach people what a gun is and what it can do and what happens when you do something wrong with it,” says AJ.

See SPORTS CLUB Page 32

Miami High School enters a new era with the departure of Principal Glen Lineberry

Lineberry’s nine-year tenure at the helm of MHS will end at the beginning of June, but he leaves behind a school that is measurably better than the one he walked into nearly a decade ago.

It took a few years to build momentum for change, but once that happened the work toward improving the academics and culture of the school really took off.

“The first thing we did was to sit down and consider what it is we needed to provide our students within the long-term and answer the question, ‘when they graduate, what have we given them?’” Lineberry says of his early days as principal. “What we settled on is that the

students we graduate need to be literate: Not just with literacy skills, but a habit of literacy because reading isn’t just decoding letters and words, it’s being habituated to gathering information and communicating it well.”

Before that could happen, the Miami Unified School District rolled up its sleeves and began a concerted effort to rehabilitate a building that has been in use since 1967.

LINEBERRY, Continued on page 34

Story by David Abbott. Photos by LCGross

The new track around the refurbished football field on the campus of Miami High School is a visual reminder of the stabilizing effect solid, long-term leadership can bring to an institution, and under the guidance of Glen Lineberry and Dr. Sherry Dorathy, the school has recaptured some of the shine that made it one of the best schools in the state for many years.

The 4-H Shooting Sports Club in Gila County has

program which includes archery equipment, pneumatic

Mindy Teague supervises while Draydin Sullivan takes aim at the target.

Lineberry leaves MHS better prepared for the future thanks to his work over the last nine years.

Open Saturdays 8–11am, June-Sept.

Globe, AZ

150 N. Pine Street

(Downtown Globe at the park in front of the municipal building)

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Every year, GMT’s May/June issue celebrates and honors our high school graduates – each and every Tiger, Vandal, and Brave gets their picture in the paper in recognition of their accomplishment. Messages from principals Lineberry, Mrozinski, and Stafford speak for us all as we congratulate our graduates and cheer them on as they take a giant step toward becoming the leaders of GlobeMiami and San Carlos’s future. Every individual makes a unique contribution to their community, and we’re excited to find out how 2023’s grads will impact us all.

It’s fitting that all the rest of the articles in this month’s paper in some way or another highlight the difference that an individual can make.

In the case of Principal Glen Lineberry, who has served at MHS for nine years and will be moving on to new pastures, it hardly seems necessary to say more. Principal Lineberry has made an indelible impact on every MHS student during his tenure there – as well as on the physical campus itself. His dedication, empathy, and humor will be much missed and long remembered.

Patti Daley’s piece on AJ Schaible, Carol Ptak, and the 4-H Shooting Sports Club shows how one person’s passion can inspire others to join in and make something wonderful happen. Sixteen-year-old AJ had a vision of a shooting club for Gila County, and he took the initiative to find out how to make it happen. Others noticed – including co-founder Carol Ptak – and soon a group of adults were

contributing their energy to the effort, too. As a result, Gila County now has a 4-H Shooting Sports Club with a membership of kids ranging in age from 10 to 17. The club attended the state championship in February and brought home nine medals – not bad for a group only a few months old. And for its teenage cofounder, AJ Schaible, a great achievement that shows what a single person with passion and initiative can accomplish.

David Abbott’s well-researched piece on fire prevention highlights another aspect of individual impact. Fire prevention in the region is a collaborative effort of multiple agencies and organizations, including the Tonto National Forest Globe Ranger District, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and the Forestry Department, with funding coming from the USDA. It also requires cooperation with Gila County Emergency Management, the Cattle Growers Association, and the Globe and Tri-City Fire Departments. But fire prevention also comes down to every single person who cares enough to pay attention and abide by rules that keep our forests and communities safe. Every individual’s caution or carelessness makes all the difference. Let me take this opportunity to say congratulations and good work once again to 2023’s graduates. The community will notice – and appreciate – the choices and contributions you’re about to make. You remind us that we all can, and do, make a difference.

Warmly,

Patricia Sanders Editor

Publisher Linda Gross Editor Patricia Sanders

Creative Designer Jenifer Lee

Contributing Writers David Abbott Patti Daley Linda Gross Patricia Sanders

Contributing Photography Linda Gross Tory Satter

Advertising Deadline:

You already know that your class has had one of the most challenging and intense high school experiences of recent decades. You’ve navigated immense change and unpredictability, and have been forced to make sacrifices you never foresaw.

Now, you’re graduating into a world where change and unpredictability will be normal - a world very different from the one when you started high school a few years ago.

In some ways, this new world will bring rich opportunities. Some have predicted what they call the Age of Acceleration – the possibility that as the world puts the pandemic in the rearview mirror, all of the innovations that people and companies were forced to create during Covid will now turbocharge the economy as it gets back on a normal footing.

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Your experience during Covid and all the upheavals that went along with it has taught you adaptability, resourcefulness, patience, discipline,

independence, and the value of community and connection. You’ve gained confidence from knowing you can endure a high level of uncertainty and change, and still get your work done while finding ways to enjoy your life and stay connected. You’ve gained all these strengths whether you know it or not, and it’s true even if you still feel pain and grief over the losses you’ve experienced.

As you go forward, all this will serve you. And you will need it. You’re entering a world unlike the one your parents and even your older siblings found when they graduated high school.

The world is going to keep changing at an ever faster rate, in ways no one can predict.

But you’re prepared.

Your biggest challenge will be that no one will be able to guide you. As much as they might love you and want to help, your elders won’t be able to give you specific advice, because they won’t know how.

Let their love and support be enough. You’ll need to rely on your own best judgment. You’ve earned the right. Look to your wisest peers for insights, because they’ll be encountering the same challenges as you.

Most of all, learn to trust your intuition - your own inner wisdom about the path to follow and actions to take. That wise inner voice can be hard to hear in today’s noisy, frantic world, but if you take time to cultivate peace and stillness, such as by spending time outdoors, alone, you’ll be able to find it. If you hear more than one voice, pay attention to the quietest one - it will be the wisest.

You’re setting out into a world like there’s never been before.

But you’re prepared.

Make it better. Make it beautiful. Make it your own.

– From the sta at Globe Miami Times

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

– A. A. Milne

Globe Council makes historic visit to Washington DC to lobby support for long-term planning

By David Abbott

In the weeks leading up to final approval of its updated Strategic Action Plan (SAP), members of Globe City Council and administration sojourned to Washington DC to attend the National League of Cities gathering and to meet with elected representatives and agencies as they sought additional funding for a number of infrastructure projects.

The five-day trip—a first in the history of Globe—also allowed City leadership to put faces to names that might otherwise remain anonymous in the minds of state and federal officials.

“One of the many benefits of our trip was meeting with other elected officials and their staff from all over the United States,” says Globe Mayor Al Gameros. “We came away with an understanding of what they do in similar situations we’re finding ourselves in.”

Gameros says in addition to “face time” with the people making funding decisions was the educational aspect of the sessions. The delegation attended workshops that explained the very complex system of funding available for local projects and provided details on how to apply for and receive grants and loans through federal appropriations.

In addition to Gameros, Councilmembers Mariano Gonzales, Fernando Shipley, Jesse Leetham and Freddy Rios attended, along with City Manager Paul Jepson and Economic & Community Development Director Linda Oddonetto.

Much of the work done in DC was associated with the City’s updated SAP, a three-year action plan—or roadmap—for City Council that has been in the works for months and was presented at the May 9 Council meeting in Globe.

For the past several years, Council has been guided by the most recent SAP, approved in 2019 and covering a three-year period through 2022. Despite a multi-year pause caused by the COVID pandemic and a series of wildfires and floods, that set of “goals and objectives” is well on its way to implementation.

“We will continue building on the progress and momentum of the past five years,” Gameros says of the new plan. “Many of the projects that we set in place a year or two ago are now coming to fruition. We are committed to the priorities of the SAP, and remain focused on completing the more long-term projects that will take more time to fund and implement.”

Thanks to lobbying efforts and staff working to identify and pursue grant money, the City has acquired $2.7 million for upgrades to its water delivery system as well as $750,000 for the Michaelson Building business incubator and workforce development project. That funding comes through Congressional Direct Spending via USDA Rural Area Development funds.

The City was also able to get state funding to the tune of $2.8 million for the $5 million Connie’s Bridge project, expected to be completed by October, and $100,000 from the Army Corps of Engineers to begin important work on the McCormick Tunnel Project to repair a vital piece of downtown flood mitigation.

The City has also been able to acquire more than $2 million for the Cottonwood Bridge project through the Arizona Department of Transportation.

While the updated SAP continues to support existing projects, it also acts as a bridge to the future and offers a vision for the community beyond basic infrastructure needs.

“We’re starting to see the vertical builds of some of the things that we’ve been working on for the past few years,” says Councilman Freddy Rios. “We’re actually seeing the fruits of all that work, with the swimming pool and the Hill Street School housing project. That’s what keeps us moving forward, and our Strategic Action Plan keeps us on track.”

In addition to projects such as a new fire station on Ash Street, rebuilding underground infrastructure and expanded housing opportunities through the Northeast Corridor Project, Council is also focused on improving the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

The updated SAP includes strategies to improve internal and external communications and marketing. Under the plan, the City will continue to seek funding for a multitude of projects that will build upon the success of the past few years.

While a focus on economic development will play a key role in Globe’s future, Council intends to continue creating a welcoming atmosphere and to make historic

downtown Globe a destination location to the benefit of residents and visitors alike.

Improved downtown lighting and access to wifi, as well as additional parking on an increasingly busy Broad Street, are crucial to the future. The City also is planning to create new recreational opportunities and further improve the visitor experience by adding wayfinding signage, historical plaques, EV charging stations, exercise equipment and downtown water stations, as well as more biking and jogging trails and other outdoor improvements.

There are also plans in the works to re-establish a Parks and Recreation Department to manage city parks after that department was eliminated more than a decade ago.

“Previous Councils had to do what they had to do, but now, 11 years later, we’re working to create a Parks Department,” says Councilman Gonzales. “I have high hopes that the City of Globe our Council and staff are working to build will be a strong and vibrant community for generations to come.”

Gonzales was appointed in 2019 after the untimely passing of Mike Humphrey and was elected to his council seat last year. He spent nearly 30 years in emergency management at the state level and was a natural fit for the public safety subcommittee created by Council to study and update the SAP.

Along with District 3 Councilman Jesse Leetham, Gonzales represents the wide-ranging makeup of the current Council, both in age and experience.

Globe native Leetham is not yet 30 years old, but brings experience, youth and energy to Council. He has survived cancer and spent years in the gaming industry and as a casino manager. Along with his husband Oscar, he is raising a 4-year-old daughter.

“I’m a firm believer that if you want something done, you can’t sit on the sidelines and wait for it to be done,” Leetham says. “Council has maintained and implemented a strong SAP, one the community can get behind and can actually see come to life.”

Leetham was appointed to both the finance and

quality of life subcommittees and intends to use the tools he acquired in DC to help make life better for everyone in the Globe community.

He credits City staff members for the progress that has been made on Council priorities in recent years.

“We have an amazing staff that makes it their mission to ensure that the SAP isn’t something that is just another thing sitting on a shelf,” he adds. “We as a council believe that building and bringing a plan like this to life can only happen through discussion and collaboration with staff and community as well as our many partners.”

The trip to Washington took place from April 25-29 and consisted of four days of meetings and educational seminars hosted by the National League of Cities.

The meetings with representatives were organized through the City’s contracted lobbyist and included introductions and personal meetings with Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly, as well as Congressmen Eli Crane, Greg Stanton and Rubén Gallego.

Presentations to the Army Corps of Engineers and the USDA garnered pledges of $16 million for seven city projects.

“It was a great learning experience for all of us who made the first-time trip to DC,” Councilman Rios says. “There’s major funding available for communities in the infrastructure bill and no shortage of infrastructure needs in Globe. Our team did an amazing job writing the complex proposals and then putting information briefs together to present to the legislators and agencies we went to see so they had an advanced knowledge of our agenda.”

Councilmembers report that one thing they learned is that what is happening in rural communities is not unique to Arizona, and small towns throughout the country are facing similar economic and infrastructure challenges.

“You can talk about Republican or Democrat all you want, but every one of them said the same thing,” Gonzales says. “Things are tough all over, but there are many federal funding opportunities now available. Now it’s up to us to compete for those dollars and bring them back to our City.”

City Manager Paul Jepsen, Mayor Al Gameros, Councilmen: Mariano Gonzales, Fernando Shipley, Jesse Leetham, Freddie Rios and Economic Director Linda Oddonetto in front of the Capital.

MAYOR’S MONTHLY REPORT

AL GAMEROS | CITY OF GLOBE

WASHINGTON DC TRIP For the first time in the history of the Globe City Council, members of the council attended the 2023 National League of Cities conference in Washington DC from March 25 through March 29. Those attending were Mayor Al Gameros, Councilmembers Freddie Rios, Fernando Shipley, Jesse Leetham, and Mariano Gonzales. Also attending the conference were City Manager Paul Jepson and Economic Director Linda Oddonetto. The conference this year provided vital information and procedures to access the millions of dollars of infrastructure funding available.

With the coordination of the city’s Washington lobbyist, personal meetings were arranged on the final day with Senator Sinema, Senator Kelley, Congressman Crane, Congressman Stanton, Congressman Gallegos, Army Corps of Engineers, and the USDA. During these meetings, we were able to make personal presentations in their offices on seven pending city projects that require millions of dollars to complete. The legislators were very thankful for these presentations as they moved forward to finalizing their budgets. We want to thank our amazing staff, who prepared the documents that were used in our presentations.

FUTURE WATER SECURITY At the request of the City Council, the staff made a presentation on the city’s water history, supply, infrastructure, and a recommendation for the security of our future water supply. The presentation included a breakdown of all of the city wells and gallons used on a daily and annual basis. Information was also presented on the amount of storage capacity in the city and the miles of water line in our system. It was concerning to hear about the amount of water loss that occurs in our system annually through leakage, water breaks, and evaporation. The reason for the presentation is to

begin the discussion and planning to address water losses and conservation for the future. There are many ideas that can be implemented by the city and all of our residents as we work together for our city’s future. These discussions need to begin now as we are accelerating our plans for some limited growth in our city.

THE NEW CITY OF GLOBE BRAND

Council approved the new City of Globe branding as presented by staff and Local First. It was time for a new and refreshed brand that would replace the 2018 approved city brand that featured Arizona to the Core. It is a much simpler rendering that gives a welcome message with the Pinal Mountains and their sunsets and sunrises. It also features GLOBE in large letters as the centerpiece and the date of incorporation indicating its history. The process was made possible by funding from Local First Arizona and included public meetings for community input. It is always a good idea to refresh a brand to fit the present times.

FEMA RE-MAPPING A presentation was made to Council by FEMA representative Michael Bishop regarding the flood plain re-mapping project in Globe and throughout Gila County. This project will review the current mapping flood plan to see if they are correct or will need to be adjusted. There are various phases of the project that could take up to four years to complete. The process includes analyzing 815 miles of land, 16 miles of streams, sixty-four structures, and a hydrology review of the water. Phase 1 is anticipated to be completed in February 2025.

OUTDOOR LIBRARY OUTDOOR

SPACE At the March 14 meeting, the council approved a contract with Rodriguez Construction for the Library Outdoor Space renovation project. This project is scheduled to begin in May. The

total amount for the completion of this project is $44,760. The awarded grant will cover $21,400 of this amount, and the city will contribute $23,360. The project encompasses the outdoor space to the North of the library but does not include any upgrades to the teepee.

COTTONWOOD BRIDGE PROJECT

The City of Globe was notified that we have been awarded a $2,822,565 grant for the replacement of the Cottonwood Bridge from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The funds awarded are part of the federal funding that is allocated to Arizona for special infrastructure projects. This bridge was another one that was identified as needing replacement during inspections. We want to thank our staff for their hard work and persistence to help secure these funds.

COMMUNITY CENTER POOL

UPDATE On April 21, City Council and staff were given a tour of the pool now that there is water in it and where we are now with completion. I was amazed at the size and entire layout of the pool and recreation site. It is truly a top-notch facility that our entire Globe-Miami community will enjoy and be proud of. It is a site for all ages to enjoy recreation and events, and an amazing competition swimming area. There are still some projects that need to be completed prior to opening. These include the chlorination system, fencing, some concrete work, and the completion of the interior of the shower and bathroom entrance. The contractor, Structural, is pushing hard for a completion date around the latter part of May. Once the shower-bathroom building is complete on the interior, it will be close to opening.

RECOVERING POPPY PLANT

SEEDPODS Our community has seen an amazing super bloom of poppies this year, which has brought many visitors to the area to see them. We would like to capture as many of the drying seedpods as we can when the time is right so we can bag them and spread them even more throughout the community for next

year. The big question is when is the right time to cut the poppies. This varies from year to year, based on how recently they received rain and how robust the plants are. This important time frame could occur in the latter part of May. If we all work together, we can recover and spread the seedpods even further, making next year even more amazing. My request is that all organizations that work along the highway work together to accomplish this task, including ADOT, City of Globe, Freeport McMoRan, Allegiant, Trash Mob, and families that have an Adopt a Mile.

FIRST FRIDAYS First Fridays have become a monthly signature event and continue to grow each month with more participation from downtown businesses, vendors, and cruisers. Everyone is invited to participate in the downtown cruise that begins at 5:30 pm. We invite the community to come downtown and support the participating businesses and enjoy live music, food trucks, and vendors. Anyone wishing to set up a vendor booth during any First Friday event may do so at no cost by contacting Linda Oddonetto or Melissa Steele at 425-7146.

Copper Cities Community

Youth Players

is proud to present The Spongebob Musical! Youth Edition

Sign up for our Workshop

June 5-9 for ages 8-18

Play practice June 12–July 18

Performances July 19-22

Kelly Stennerson Director

Call the Center for the Arts for details and to sign up: 928-425-0885 or email Kelly at globecccyp@gmail.com.

to

feature winning dish from this year’s Jr. Beef Cook-Off

Chef John Wong is proud to present the winning dish from this year’s Jr. Beef Cook-Off, which will be available from May 25th to May 27th. All proceeds from the sale of this dish during this time will go towards supporting the local 4-H program.

The team of Cooper-Munkewitz, made up of Reevis Cooper, Casper Cooper, Lorali Cooper, and Layla Munkewitz, won the hearts and taste buds of the judges with their dish of Mediterranean Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce and a side of grilled watermelon with chili and honey sauce. They met with Chef Wong to discuss the recipe and presentation, and together, they are proud to see their recipe represented on BRAVO’s menu.

So mark your calendars for May 25th - 27th and make a date with BRAVO to sample team Cooper-Munkewitz’s winning dish of meatballs in yogurt sauce!

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CONGRATULATIONS!

CLASS OF ‘23

GLOBE HIGH SCH L

Isabella Alpizar Kaelene Analla Keiana Anderson Mariana Angeles Arissa Aunquoe

Sarah Barajas

Precious-Blessing

Eleanora Bernstein

Robert Bigando Taylor Bowan Jerome Brown Ezra Campbell Jeremiah Campbell

Jillianne Canete Rogelio Contreras Kendra Corso

Cali Dalton Robert Day Johnathan Demers

Kaleb Joseph

Christian Dominguez

Makena Dzera Hailey Eichler Damon Encizo

Bendle Derhammer

“Whatever you choose for a career path, remember the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.”

— Chadwick Boseman

GLOBE HIGH SCH L

Gabriel Gonzales Joshua Graham

Aliyah Greene Paxton Hansen

Corey Harrison

Damien Hawkins Leticia Hernandez

Rosa Hernandez-Maloy

Allie Jagles Jaci Jensen-Jones

Ryliegh Justice Liwanu Keahna

Calvin Kindelay Vaughn Lomayaktewa Aubrey Lopez

Daniel Lopez, Jr.

Nicole Lovato

Dominic Magana

Noelle Mallari

Joaquin Mariscal

Isaiah Mata-Palmer

Kaleigh May Bryson McIntosh

Christopher Moran

Isabel Mull Emma Murgatroyd

Tayshaun Nosie

Wendsler Nosie III Anthony O’Brien Taylor Oddonetto Corry Phillips

Sonia Pichardo

Joshua Quam Preston Quintana Marietta Quitano Spencer Rodriquez Malia Roten Gabriel Salcido Maxton Satter Brandon Shorty

Kera Smith Nevaeh Smith Devani Solberg Caitlin Steele Vernon Steele Tayha Tarron Robert Titla Kaydance Tober Khylee Tulk Gabriel Valdez

Anasco EscobedoSissi Escorza Grace Foxworth Shanell Francis Sebastian Gabbard Jared Garcia Arianna Gonnie

Andrew Gonzales Sanchez

GLOBE HIGH SCH L

Dear Graduates of Globe High School Class of 2023,

Let me offer you my heartfelt congratulations on reaching this momentous milestone in your academic journey. Your unwavering dedication, tireless work ethic, and exceptional organizational and time management skills have propelled you to this great achievement. You are truly the shining stars of our community, and I have no doubt that you will continue to shine brighter in the future.

As you embark on your next adventure, take a moment to reflect on all those who

have supported and guided you along the way. Give thanks to your parents, family, friends, teachers, and mentors who have played a pivotal role in your success. Their encouragement and guidance have paved the way for you to become the amazing individuals you are today.

Now that you have achieved this significant milestone, you have the power to make a difference in the world. I am confident that you will use your remarkable leadership skills to create positive change in the communities you live and work in. You are the future leaders of our world, and I cannot wait to

see the impact you will make.

This graduation is just the beginning of your journey to creating an incredible future. Go out into the world with confidence, enthusiasm, and a hunger for success. I am thrilled to see the amazing things you will accomplish in the years to come. Remember, you are always part of the Tiger family, and we will always be proud of you. Congratulations again and GO TIGERS!

Sincerely,

Mike Mrozinski Globe High School Principal

Scholars

PRINCIPAL MROZINSKI’S MESSAGE

KEIANA ANDERSON

SARAH BARAJAS

KENDRA CORSO

ELEANORA BERNSTEIN

MAKENA DZERA

GRACE FOXWORTH

JOSH GRAHAM

PAXTON HANSEN

JACI JENSEN-JONES

NOELLE MALLARI

TAYLOR ODDONETTO

GLOBE HIGH SCH L

SENIOR SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

#5 Senior Defender Taylor Oddonetto dribbles the ball downfield and makes the cross. Oddonetto was solid on defense against the Palo Verde Titans, registering three steals in the game.

Senior Gabe Gonzales pinned his opponent thirty seconds into the second round. Gonzales is a two-time state champion.

#7 Senior Max Satter sends the ball forward through the Morenci defense.

Senior Isabel Mull placed 20th at the Miami Invitational with a time of 26 minutes and 43 seconds. The Lady Tigers came in 5th out of the 9 teams present.

Senior Wendsler Nosie III drives to the lane for two points for the Tigers. In the second half of the January 4th game, Nosie scored his 1,000 high school career point on a three pointer.

Senior Guard Shanell Francis drives to the basket for the Lady Tigers.

Senior Joaquin Mariscal placed 9th with a time of 19 minutes and 29 seconds in the Miami Invitational. He was the highest-ranked local runner.

Senior Outside Hitter Kaydance Tober high above the net for a kill against Bisbee at the St. Augustine Invitational Tournament.

Senior Setter Taylor Oddonetto led the Tigers to a number one seed in the tournament after going 3-1 on the opening day.

Senior Running Back Gabe Gonzales breaks a run open down the sideline for 34 yards. He finished the night with 44 yards and 1 touchdown for the Tigers. Senior Kaleb Derhammer tees off for the Tigers.

Senior Tayshaun Nosie brings the ball down the court against the Valley Christian Trojans.

PHOTOS

MIAMI HIGH SCH L

Anya Acosta Matthew Aguirre Morgan Alexander JayKob Armenta

Jasmine Arriaga Shannobi Bartholomew Hailey Beall

Jadea Brown Emily Byington Iasic Castillo Larenz Combs Dennis Davis Nicholas Encizo Pricilla Falquez

James Fierro Kyra Fitzpatrick Justin Fletcher Javen Flores Johnathan Flores Kyra Fitzpatrick Blayze Garcia

MIAMI HIGH SCH L

Gabe Garcia Justin Garcia Angelo Gatewood Gabriel Gatewood Olivia Gonzalez Patricia Gonzalez Jaycob Goss

Aidan Guthrey

Daniel Gutierrez

Andre Hayes Isaac Horne Josephine Klindt Dylan Mancha Nea Mancha

Jilliyn Marin Elijah Martinez Victoria Maybury Nicholas Moore Hailey Moreno Sara Nesbitt Angel Pena

Jaime Pena Ruthie Perez Uriel Perez Jaden Peru Kaleb Petty Anna Randall Allie Roberts

Stephenie Roberts Salvador Valdovinos Seth Salas Macarrhea Shaffer Jaxon Silvers Kayla Tetors Kyra Thornbrugh

Rogelio Torres Eric Troglia Ashlyn Valtierra Hayden Van Haren Izak Villalobos Kyra Wagner Cesar Yniguez

Rodriguez

MIAMI HIGH SCH L

PRINCIPAL LINEBERRY’S MESSAGE

Dear Seniors, soon to be Graduates,

Each year’s class is different from the ones who went before, and each reminds me of a song or two. Sometimes that song is obvious, but it was a bit more difficult this year for a couple of reasons.

First is the old pandemic thing that keeps hanging around. You came into high school the first year of Covid – we were reading about it at Christmas and by spring break the Governor was closing us down. We managed – packets and lunch deliveries that spring, Chromebooks in July, hybrid schedule by September – and together we came through in reasonably good shape.

We all learned we can focus on the hard things that happened, or we can choose to move forward, and that brought to mind The Worst is Done by Weyes Blood:

But they say the worst is done

And it’s time to go out

Pick up where we left off from

They say the worst is done

And it’s time to find out what we’ve all become

She’s singing about growth mindset, the idea that wherever we find ourselves, we can bemoan what got us there or we can choose a path forward and get moving. It’s not always easy – sometimes we’re really down a hole, or we’re too beat up or too lazy to take action – but it is always doable. I know this because I’ve many times chosen to get a move on, and sometimes been a layabout, and things always improve once you’re in motion.

The second new thing about writing to our graduates this year is that I’m leaving with you. Just like it’s time for you to spread your wings and enter life as educated adults, it’s time for me to move on to the next adventure. We’re all going to find it exciting, even exhilarating, but also more than a little scary. Any time we shift from the usual to the new means risk and trepidation, the fear of failing, but that’s the path of growth and personal fulfillment.

There will be challenging times, times when things don’t go your way, when you have to pull your head back up, look ahead, and get to work. A friend of mine gave a graduation speech recently in which he said, “You get the treatment you are

willing to accept.” He’s right. You will get the treatment you’re willing to accept in your career, in your personal relationships, and in public.

When you’re criticized, take a hard look and see if you’re responsible; if you are, apologize and fix it. But for those times when people take shots at you and you’ve acted righteously, listen to Denzel Washington: “You’ll never be criticized by someone who is doing more than you. You’ll always be criticized by someone doing less. Remember that.”

And that brings me to Don McLean’s Everybody Loves Me, Baby, which would be my walk-up song if principals had them:

… ‘Cause I’ve used my talents as I could I’ve done some bad, I’ve done some good I did a whole lot better than they thought I would so C’mon and treat me like you should

You’re ready for the next stage. You know stuff – probably not so much as you should, but far more than you realize – and you’ve learned that the key to succeeding is just to do the work.

And you’re Miami Vandals. There are things we don’t have in rural places, but there are also real sources of strength. Tap into those. Whether you’re staying here or leaving forever, the Vandal qualities of knowledge, civility and character will go with you.

Good luck and God bless the Vandals.

Glen Lineberry Principal

National Honor Society

LARENZ COMBS

DENNIS DAVIS

JOSEPHINE KLINDT

DYLAN MANCHA

JILLIYN MARIN ROGELIO TORRES ERIC TROGLIA

MIAMI HIGH SCH L

Thank you Seniors for keeping the Vandal sports tradition alive!

Vandal Sports say a fond farewell to our seniors:

Girls Basketball

Allie Roberts

Baseball

Matthew Aguirre

Larenz Combs

Gabe Garcia

Aidan Guthrey

Andre Hayes

Nick Moore

Angel Pena

Jaime Pena

Jaden Peru

Izak Villalobos

Track and Field

Jaycob Goss

Golf Kaleb Petty

Tennis

JayKob Armenta

Emily Byington

Iasic Castillo

Justin Fletcher

D ylan Mancha

Jilliyn Marin

Jaxon Silvers

Eric Troglia

Cesar Yniguez

Softball

Elijah Martinez

Sara Nesbitt

Anna Randall

Allie Roberts

Kyra Wagner

Boys Basketball

JayKob Armenta

Eric Troglia

Nick Moore

Jaden Peru

Kaleb Petty

Volleyball

Nea Mancha

Anna Randall

Allie Roberts

Wrestling

Gabriel Gatewood

made us proud!

Football JayKob Armenta

Larenz Combs

Gabe Garcia

Angelo Gatewood

Gabe Gatewood

Jaycob Goss

Daniel Gutierrez

Angel Pena:

Jaime Pena

Jaden Peru

Jaxon Silvers

Eric Troglia

Cheer

Anya Acosta

Pricilla Falquez

Emily Byington

Senior Sara Nesbitt makes the tag at home for the third out in the inning against Willcox.

#7

Senior Max Satter sends the ball forward through the Morenci defense.

Senior Izak Villalobos makes contact against the Bulldogs.

Senior Quarterback #3 Daniel Gutierrez Jr. out runs the San Tan Charter defense on this 30 yard scamper down the sideline.

Senior Running Back Larenz Combs breaks two tackles on his way to a 20 yard run.

Senior Allie Roberts went three for four from the free throw line against American Leadership Academy –Anthem South.

Senior Forward Aidan Guthrey drives down the lane looking for two.

Senior Kaleb Petty sends one long off of the tee box. Senior Guard Jaden Peru plays some high flying defense looking for a block.

Senior Setter Angelique Ontiveros sets up the Lady Vandal hitters.

PHOTOS BY TORY SATTER

SAN CARLOS HIGH SCH L

Trevan Alvarado Ariana Ayze

Carter Bartlett Demitria Belvado Bethany Bendle Kyvin Betom Young Erreya Blackwater Cooper Boni Jr.

Olivia Boni Irvin Bonito

Shauna Brooks Aubrie Burdette

Kristiana Bylas

Robert Casoose Anessa Cassadore Jessica Cervantes

Matthew Chacho Leland Chatlin

Monique Chatlin Ken Church Jordan Cook Jacob Dillon

Aaronson Dosela Breann Dude

Rheyanna Dude Noah Duwyenie

Adrea Elgo Destiny Ferreira Ciara Galson Raquel Garcia V’Shonn S Gilson Lilianna Gomez

Antonia Gooday Michael Haney

“Do all the other things, the ambitious things- travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunesbut as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness.”

—George Saunders

SAN CARLOS HIGH SCH L

Anthony Miller Kerwin Miller

John Mull Jaynie Newman

Michael Nelee Jr. Shuan Noline Marquilius Norman

Andreas Nosie Nicholas Nozie

Mariah Olivar

Jazmine Palmer Julian Pechuli

Desirae Phillips Isaiah Phillips Joseph Pike

Loren Pinal Jr. Tayshaun Polk Ally Preston Jasmine Reede Tyra Reede Jaselyn Robertson Adrea Russell DeAndre Salaba

Michael Slater Autumn Sanchez

Mackenzie Schurz Jermaine Smith Tanya Stauffer Chastity Steel Shyrene Steele Lori Stevens

Darius Swift Jasmine Tonay Gabrielle Victor April Waukazoo Anita Wesley Elliot Whiterock Chloe Wiley Elija Woodbury

Romeo James Rocky Johnson Frankie Johnson Hope Kenton Nicole Kenton Kashuan Key Tyronn Kitcheyan Jarek Lechuga

Tenisha Logan Camryn Longstreet Christian Martin Andreas Martinez Keyon Martin Luci Martin Lewis May Diego Mendoza

Devin Harris Jennie Henry Anisha-Rose Hoffman Elija Hooke Harrison Hooke Horace Hudson Andrew Hutnak James Iyua

SAN CARLOS HIGH SCH L

STAFFORD’S MESSAGE

Dear Graduating Class of 2023,

Congratulations on your incredible achievement! You have persevered through a challenging time, and your hard work and dedication have paid off. You have proven that you can overcome any obstacle and achieve your goals. Your ability to overcome the obstacles post COVID-19 presented is a testament to your endurance and resilience.

As you move forward, remember that you are capable of achieving anything you want. You have the skills, knowledge, and determination to succeed in whatever you choose to do. Whether you go on to college, start a career, or pursue your passions, we have no doubt that you will make a positive impact on the world. Remember to always give back to your community and remember the customs and culture that made you who you are. Be proud of your heritage, letting it shine, and share your customs with others no matter where you pursue your dreams and ambitions.

– Author Unknown

We are proud of each and every one of you, and we know that you all will continue to make us all proud in the years to come. Don’t forget to thank those that got you to this point and whose guidance will continue to move you forward in life. This positive influence could be a teacher, family, and/or friend. You have all made a mark on San Carlos High School, setting an example of the possibilities and opportunities, that cannot be replicated! Congratulations again on your graduation, and best wishes for a bright and successful future! Braves are courageous, Braves are Resilient. Braves will succeed! Go Braves!

We are so proud of our students who completed certifications in the Career and Technical Education programs in the following fields.

Graphic Design

Darius Swift

Raquel Garcia

Jennie Henry

Rheyanna Dude

Hope Kenton

Hospitality/Culinary

Luci Martin

Kaylee Phillips

Shyrene Steele

Digital Communications

Hope Kenton

Ag Science

Romeo James

Jasmine Reede

Mackenzie Schurz

ARIANA AYZE 3.98

ROMEO JAMES 3.85

PRINCIPAL

SALABA

MACKENZIE SCHURZ 3.70 JASMINE REEDE 3.52 KEN CHURCH 3.40

“Always remember who you are and what you stand for, even when the world tries to change you.”

SAN CARLOS HIGH SCH L

SENIOR SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

San Carlos Braves Captains Seniors #70 Loren Pina Jr., #10 Diego Mendoza, #20 Ken Church and #52 Joseph Pike head out to the coin toss before their home opener.

Senior Running Back Jermaine Smith battles through a tackle from the NFL Yet defense.

#10 Senior Guard Camryn Longstreet lays up two points for the Lady Braves 71-18 win over Willcox.

Senior Tyronn Kitcheyan is averaging more than one strikeout per inning pitched. He also leads the team with a .562 batting average.

Senior John Mull drives into the lane before dishing it off for one of his many assists in the game.

Senior Jaynie Newman puts the bat on the ball in a high scoring game against the Alchesay Falcons.

Senior Chloe Wiley placed 2nd overall at the Miami 5,000 Meters Varsity Invitational with a time of 22 minutes and 57 seconds.

Senior Romeo James finished strong for the Braves with a time of 24 minutes and 32 seconds.

Senior Frankie Jones focuses on the catcher’s mitt as she pitches one over the plate.

Senior volleyball players Senior Trevan Alvarado is ready to take on his opponent from Thatcher High School.

Cobre Valley Institute of Technology CLASS OF

Congratulations! You did it!

CVIT Class of 2023, I know that I’ve only gotten to work with you for one year, but in that short time, you have blown me away with your work ethic, sacrifice, and talent. You are some of the most witty, fun, and caring students I have ever had the chance to work with. I am so proud of each and every one of you, and I want you to know that I see you. I see the athletic events you’ve had to miss. I see the endless Starbucks and Monsters you’ve consumed to have the energy to study. I’ve seen you run from practice to class, from class to work, and watched you balance in some cases a full college schedule, on top of your high school schedule and everything else.

When I got the opportunity to become a counselor for CVIT, I jumped at the opportunity to work for a district whose sole purpose is to connect students with outstanding educational opportunities in the career and technical education, or CTE world. What I didn’t realize is how quickly you all would become special to me, and how fun it would be to watch you grow, learn, and succeed in your programs. You ARE the next generation of leaders in first responding, industrial trade, and the medical profession, and I can’t wait to see where your future takes you.

Congratulations, and best wishes!

Aja DeZeeuw (Ms.

D) Central Campus Program Counselor

CVIT Program Completers 2022-23 Congratulations

NURSING ASSISTANT

Sativa Carrazco*

Yancy Chavez Mezquita*

FIRE SCIENCE

Andrew Gonzales*

James Henderson

HVAC-R

Carter Bartlett

Rogelio Contreras

Kaleb Derhammer

Daisha Dosela

Davian Elgo

Justin Garcia

Gabriel Gonzales

Jarek Lechuga

Cameron Mabbitt

Salvador Rodriguez

Gabriel Salcido

Jeffrey Sanders

Anthony Schaible

MEDICAL ASSISTANT

Mariana Angeles*

Elexa Barajas*

Aliyah Cheney*

Gabriella Guerrero

Rylee Long*

Estella Maes*

Isabel Mull

Sonia Pichardo*

Josephina Roman

Kaydance Tober*

PHLEBOTOMY

Jayden Lofgreen

Kendra Corso*

Jasmine De Los Reyes*

Brilyne Fansler*

Sofia Lopez*

Noelle Mallari*

Emma Nordin*

Contessa Webb*

WELDING

Douglas Ashby*

Ezra Campbell

Añasco Escobedo Sanchez

Johnathan Flores Castañon

Jared Garcia

Angelo Gatewood*

Javier Gonzalez

Kody Guerra-Medina

Samuel Hogan*

Jaimison Long

Joshua Quam

Richard Rabb

Joaquin Sandoval*

Rogelio Torres

WILDLAND FIRE

Johnny Arbizo

Gabriel Garcia

Daniel Gutierrez

Francisco Mancinas

Chiara Marquez

Angel Peña

Jaime Peña

Keiston Pool

Madison Rivas

*Students designated with an asterisk successfully passed the technical skills assessment for their program

1st Year Nursing Assistant Group Welding Group

Cobre Valley Institute of Technology

Fire Science Group HVAC

L to R: Kaleb Derhammer, Daisha Dosela

L to R: Gabriella Guerrero, Sonia Pichardo, Elexa Barajas, Noelle Mallari, Eleanora Bernstein, Josephina Roman

L to R: Richard Rabb, Douglas Ashby, and Guest

L to R: Jasmine De Los Reyes, Sativa Carrazco

L to R--Brilyne Fansler, Sofia Lopez

L to R--Roman Sandoval, Javier Gonzalez

Avi Deatherage

Hunter Franco Oliver Tavares

Emma Monsees

Saige Courtney

Mianah Leetham

Paisleigh Henderson

Kenzlee Dennhardt

Demmi Marin Brady Bowyer

San Carlos Varsity Softball

GLOBE-MIAMI-SAN CARLOS SPORTS

PHOTOS BY TORY SATTER

Miami Varsity Tennis

Globe Varsity Softball

Senior Jaynie Newman puts the bat on the ball in a high scoring game against the Alchesay Falcons.

Senior Justin Fletcher is 5-9 for singles matches for the 2023 season.

Junior AnnMary Terrence is 6-10 overall for the Lady Vandals. The Lady Vandals are ranked 4th in their section.

Senior Chloe Wiley hits the high pitch into the outfield to score a run for the Lady Braves.

Senior Eric Troglia is 11-17 overall on the 2023 season. The Vandals are ranked 4th in their section.

Senior Frankie Jones focuses on the catcher’s mitt as she pitches one over the plate.

Sophomore Ashton Leverance slides into home but was tagged just before reaching the plate.

Junior Teagan Mercier winds up to deliver a pitch. The Lady Tigers finished 4-4 in region play. Junior Arianna Gatewood is down and ready at short stop for the Lady Tigers.

Capturing

Prevention is key to upcoming fire season

By David Abbott

As fire season draws near, the Globe Ranger District is bracing for whatever the summer will bring, after a relatively quiet year since Telegraph rained fire and brimstone—followed by monsoon flooding—on the Globe-Miami region.

Thanks to the short lull and increased federal funding, regional agencies have been completing necessary work to clear out underbrush and other fuels that have sprouted up due to recent increased precipitation and cooler than normal temperatures.

“We’ve been incredibly busy with the prescribed burning of fuel in several remote areas,” says Barry Johnson, Fire Management Officer for the Tonto National Forest (TNF) Globe Ranger District. “We’ve hired a fuels battalion chief and a fuels technician for the Globe Ranger District, and they’ve built one heck of a program.”

Much of the recent work was done during the last two weeks of April in cooperation with the San Carlos Apache Tribe and covered a 1,174-acre area at the Timber Camp Recreation Area.

The project, dubbed the Highway Tanks Tribal Forest Protection Act (TFPA) fuel reduction project, was intended to “treat” national forest lands abutting tribal lands in one of the more remote areas of the TNF.

Treating is the process of reducing the amount of fuel by thinning, prescribed burning and pruning.

Reserve Treaty Rights Lands (RTRL) crews, provided by the San Carlos Apache Tribe, worked alongside forestry department crews thinning underbrush in national forest lands near Timber Camp and Jones Water, a primitive campsite about 17 miles north of Globe on Highway 60.

The RTRL program employs and trains members of the San Carlos Tribe, and certifies them so they can go into the field.

Thanks to $32 million in funds available from the USDA for a wide range of projects throughout the west, the multi-agency work will help reduce the chances of fire in a place that is difficult to navigate due to its remoteness and lack of nearby infrastructure.

The funds will also be applied to “crossboundary projects” on Apache Sitgreaves and Coronado National Forest lands as part of the Forest Service’s 10-year strategy to address the wildfire crisis.

“We entered into a 638 agreement with San Carlos Apache Tribe, and they came out and helped us with the burn,” Johnson says. “The mix of leadership was from the Forest Service and the Tribe. We had people from both sides in key positions, so it was really a good collaboration for our first one.”

“638” refers to Public Law 93-638, also known as the Indian SelfDetermination and Education Assistance Act, which was passed in January 1975 and was intended to provide indigenous tribes “full participation ... in programs and services conducted by the Federal Government for Indians.”

The 2018 Farm Bill allowed tribes to “take over the management and functions of the federal government under the TFPA with certain conditions.”

Working with the Forestry Department, tribal employees did much of the prep work and implementation of the project and enhanced the manpower available from the Globe Ranger District.

“The RTRL crew did probably 80% of the firing on these units, because they’ve been running chainsaws for the last three months in this area, prepping burn blocks and doing a lot of hard work,” Johnson says. “To reward them for their work, they did some of the funnest parts of prescribed fires and actually lit the fires.”

The Sonoran Desert has been classified as a national priority landscape because of its diversity and fragility. Available funding helps implement the USDA’s wildfire crisis strategy, outlined in a January 2022 publication titled “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: A Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving Resilience in America’s Forests.”

In a “call for decisive action,” USDA and the Forest Service laid out a strategy to increase fuel reduction efforts by “up to four times current treatment levels in the West.”

“Wildfires have been growing in size, duration, and destructivity over the past 20 years,” the document states. “Growing wildfire risk is due to accumulating fuels, a warming climate, and expanding development in the wildland-urban interface. The risk has reached crisis proportions in the West, calling for decisive action to protect people and communities and improve forest health

and resilience. It will take a paradigm shift in land management across jurisdictional boundaries to reduce risk and restore fireadapted landscapes.”

Between 2015 and 2020, more than 10 million acres of forest land burned nationwide due to increased wildfires. Residents of Globe, Miami, San Carlos and many smaller communities in the region were hit hard with a number of disastrous fires between 2018 and 2021.

The USDA strategy will develop partnerships to treat an additional 20 million acres of National Forest Service Lands, treat up to an additional 30 million acres of “other federal, state, tribal and private lands,” and develop a long-term

plan beyond 10 years.

Johnson says his department has been meeting with members of the San Carlos Tribe every other week for more than a year. He added that he is also in regular discussions with the Gila County Cattle Growers Association and other agencies throughout the region, including Gila County Emergency Management as well as the Globe and Tri-City fire departments to coordinate prescribed burns or prepare for the worst.

Planning for a prescribed burn is difficult and can take 18 months to two years to put in place. Since the Sonoran

FIRE, Continued on page 30

Photos by USDA Forest Service

A healthy prescribed burn takes out the underbrush while leaving the trees in tact.

Monitoring the burn lines.

Desert is so environmentally sensitive, each burn must get reviewed and approved through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Limiting factors once that process is completed are wind and weather as well as fire restrictions in place at any given time.

Many of the landscapes treated by the Forest Service benefit from some form of fire, and prescribed burns can provide an artificial means when natural fires are suppressed. According to Johnson, Ponderosa pines exist in a “fire adapted ecosystem,” and in a natural state these trees thrive when fires burn through every three to six years. Those fires can also

kill competing, invasive species to allow Ponderosas to flourish.

“Ponderosas love to have fire to clean up the surface fuels, the timber litter, some of the brush and grasses underneath,” he says. “I’ve got a quote in my office that says, ‘Better fires of choice than fires of chance.’ We want the burning to stay in control. We don’t want to kill everything, we want to treat it.”

After two relatively wet summers, Johnson says the National Weather Service forecast this year is for above average temperatures and below average precipitation, which could make fire season shorter, but increase the amount of fuel available.

“If you look at Flagstaff, in the third week in April last year there was a 20,000acre fire in the timber, but this year there’s still snow up there,” Johnson says. “We had 200% to 1,000% above normal snowpack this winter in Arizona.”

Johnson adds that the month of June is “always a worry,” and cautions the public to be extremely careful from Memorial Day to July 4.

“People should be very careful with any ignition sources because that’s the crunch time,” he says. “A fire that starts with a human cause at the end of May or in June won’t get any weather relief until the beginning of July, if at all, and we might even get more dry lightning.”

Johnson hopes to bulk up his own department soon and fill some new management positions in order to get some relief for his department, which has worked itself to exhaustion several years in a row.

“It’s challenging, after Woodbury, Bush, Gin-Griffin, Salt and Telegraph all in the last five years,” Johnson says. “The firefighters are like, man, when are we going to catch a break? Last summer was pretty tame and mellow, but we always have to be prepared.” u

FIRE, Continued from page 29

Beginning the prescribed burn at Timber Camp.

Reducing fuels, by burning the underbrush, reduces the potential for large fires to occur.

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IN LOVING MEMORY

VINCENT PORTER, November 20, 1938 – April 27, 2023, age 84, passed away at Haven Health in Globe. Vincent worked as a log cutter, at the tribal store, on the fence crew and in several other jobs.

(LM)

THOMAS JOSEPH BRIERLEY, May 19, 1934 – April 24, 2023, age 88, passed away at CVRMC. (LM)

VICTORIA JEAN CLARK, January 19, 1945 – April 24, 2023, age 78, of Kearny, passed away. Vicki was active in the Kearny community, including as a writer for the Copper Basin News and with Pioneer Days and the Kearny Elks. (BM)

EVERETT MARGO, October 4, 1946 – April 24, 2023, age 76, of Peridot, passed away at his home. Everett worked as a laborer in construction.

(LM)

DUANE EDWARD PALMER, June 24, 1967 – April 24, 2023, age 55, of Miami, passed away at his home. Duane was an electrician and also drove long haul trucks. He was originally from Baltimore, Maryland.

(LM)

JOSEPH TERRENCE STEADMAN, August 27, 1977 – April 24, 2023, age 45, passed away in Miami. Joe was a carpenter. (BM)

SHEENA ROSE ELTHIE, August 1, 1994 – April 24, 2023, age 28, passed away in Tucson. Sheena was a medical assistant. (LM)

LEANDER KENTON, March 30, 1958 – April 23, 2023, age 65, passed away at Banner Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert. Leander worked as a seasonal firefighter for the BIA Forestry and as a security guard for the old Lake Store in San Carlos.

(LM)

HEIDI MARIE KAY, April 21, 1963

– April 23, 2023, age 60, of Globe, passed away at her home. Heidi was originally from Tucson and was active in the senior community. (LM)

SAMUAL FLOYD HICKS, June 28, 1968 – April 23, 2023, age 54, passed away. Sam was originally from Sikeston, Missouri. (BM)

ROBERT WILLIAM BOWYER, June 29, 1943 – April 22, 2023, age 79, passed away. Robert worked in the mines for over 30 years and later for ADOT. He was originally from Charleston, West Virginia. (BM)

JENNIFER ANN CASSADORE, February 25, 1966 – April 22, 2023, age 57, of San Carlos, passed away at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa. Jennifer worked as a poker dealer. (LM)

JESSICA ANN LOPEZ, November 28, 1975 – April 22, 2023, age 47, of Globe, passed away in Miami. Jessica worked as a CNA for Heritage Health Care, and also worked for Judy’s Cookhouse for many years. (LM)

MARTINA BERLEE BUSH, August 12, 1982 – April 21, 2023, age 40, of San Carlos, passed away at her home. Martina worked for Game & Fish, Sunrise Kia Area, and Honda Casino. (LM)

KRYSTAL LYNN ASTOR, January 9, 1985 – April 20, 2023, age 38, of San Carlos, passed away at North Mountain Medical Rehab Center in Phoenix. Kre worked for the San Carlos Forestry Camp Crew for two years before becoming a mother and homemaker. (LM)

KENNETH BLACK JR., June 23, 1974 – April 18, 2023, age 48, of San Carlos, passed away at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson. Kenneth worked as a laborer in construction and as a seasonal firefighter. (LM)

GEORGE LEGASPE WILLIAMS, August 18, 1926 – April 14, 2023, age 96, of Miami, passed away

at his home. George was an instrument technician with Shell Oil. He served in the Pacific Theater during WWII. (LM)

HELEN AUDREY REECE, November 23, 1942 – April 14, 2023, age 80, of Globe, passed away. Helen served as Justice of the Peace in Winkelman for 20 years. She performed nearly a thousand weddings. (BM)

THERESA CAROL SALMERI

December 16, 1951 – April 14, 2023, age 71, passed away at her home. Theresa was a corrections officer and retired from the Globe Prison. (LM)

MARK EDWARD LOPEZ, August 7, 1973 – April 12, 2023, age 49, passed away at his home. Mark worked in construction as a supervisor for MLC Service. (LM)

AMY SUZANNE DENTON-BENITES

January 19, 1978 – April 12, 2023, age 45, passed away. (BM)

JOSEPHINE FLORES HERRERA

WILLIAMS, August 16, 1930 – April 10, 2023, age 92, of Miami, passed away at CVRMC. (LM)

NICHOLASA PALOMAR GARCIA,

December 21, 1927 – April 9, 2023, age 95, passed away. Nicky worked at CVRMC as a cleaner for over 20 years. (BM)

THOMAS MICHAEL YURKOVICH,

September 29, 1935 – April 9, 2023, age 87, passed away in Globe.

Thomas was a systems engineer for IBM and a semi-professional hockey player from 1957 to 1969. He represented the USA as goalie in the 1964 Olympic Games. (LM)

VESTA MAE BARROWDALE, April 6, 1953 – April 9, 2023, age 70, passed away. Vesta worked in the Morenci and Miami mines in the tank house and smelter, and later founded Mid-State Childcare and Nutrition, a nonprofit. (LM)

MICHAEL ARMAND MCDEVITT

June 22, 1997 – April 6, 2023, age 25, passed away. Michael hoped to become a doctor. He was originally from Tucson. (BM)

GLORIA HERRERA KNIGHT, March 26, 1945 – April 5, 2023, age 78, passed away. Gloria worked as an aide, housekeeper, and kitchen staff at Cobre Valley Community Hospital. (LM)

MARIA L. “LICHA” MANRIQUEZ

January 3, 1936 – April 4, 2023, age 87, of Dudleyville, passed away at her home. Licha was originally from Douglas. (BM)

GERALD LEE PHILPOT SR., October 23, 1960 – April 4, 2023, age 62, passed away. Gerald founded Mountain Air Heating and Cooling, Gila Energy Management, and Green Tree Construction. (LM)

CAROLINE MAJOR, March 7, 1965 –April 4, 2023, age 58, of San Carlos, passed away at Honor Health Hospital in Phoenix. Caroline was originally from Solomon, Arizona. (LM)

JAY DEE DILLON, June 3, 1978 –April 2, 2023, age 44, passed away in San Carlos. (LM)

SHAWNA MARIE KENTON, August 16, 1990 – April 2, 2023, age 32, of San Carlos, passed away in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Shawna worked as a server in the fast food industry. (LM)

LOUIE PACO CONTRERAS

September 14, 1946 – April 1, 2023, age 76, passed away at Chandler Regional Medical Center. He was originally from Bisbee. (LM)

PATSY MARIE SNEEZY, January 1, 1957 – April 1, 2023, age 66, passed away. Patsy worked in administrative positions and in healthcare. She was a Spirit of the Mountain Runner protecting Mt. Graham and Oak Flat. (LM)

Kids are willing to listen because they want to use the gun.

“As a young kid it gets your attention,” he says. “The danger.”

AJ went through hunter safety courses at age 9. He already knew a lot about guns from his father and grandfather; he began shooting at age 3. The course did teach him a lot about hunting, he says, a sport he enjoys with his mother. He’s been shooting bows for nearly half his life. He also participates in team roping, takes HVAC courses and works at Cal Ranch.

At some point his 4-H group lost their leader to other priorities, and for two years he was without shooting sports. AJ went to talk to Renee Carstens, the 4-H Cooperative Extension agent at Gila Pueblo Community College. The Arizona 4-H Shooting Sports Program is funded through the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension program, and its purpose is to promote positive youth development through the safe and responsible use of archery equipment, pneumatic arms and firearms.

“You can be a junior leader at age 16,” AJ explains. “I’m a responsible young adult that is ready to teach and ready to bring this club to a whole new level.”

Leadership –Getting Things Started

“Hey, we’re partners now,” says Carol Ptak in a call to AJ. “Let’s get this started.” Ptak is a rancher, small business owner and championship dog trainer with a desire to share her knowledge with youth. She became a 4-H leader in 2020 because it is the requirement for working with 4-H kids in Gila County. She had to pass a background check, have her fingerprints taken, and study 18 hours for Level 1 training in a skill area. A competitive shot gunner in her twenties, Carol is now qualified to instruct youth in rifle shooting and archery. She is also the Gila County Representative for the State Shooting

Sports Committee.

“Gila County has issues with drugs, teen pregnancy, suicide,” notes Carol. “When you can get kids involved with something positive, what a difference it makes. It will stay with them the rest of their lives.”

Shooting sports, Carol notes, take a good deal of discipline and both physical and mental strength.

“Kids learn self-control,” she says. “Safety. Safety first. It’s better that they learn in a controlled environment.”

You can’t start a 4-H club midyear, but you can start an interest group, according to Carol, and that’s what she and AJ did. They both got certified to lead, acquired a half dozen air rifles, and started shooting last June. On October 1, they formed a club. They are allowed only seven kids per leader. The club filled within 36 hours.

Then AJ persuaded his mother, Mindy Teague, to get qualified in rifle and archery, and Carol convinced her husband, Jim Ptak, to qualify in shotgun. Duke Vance joined the leadership team to support his sons’ interest, qualifying for shotgun and pistol.

AJ is now a qualified 4-H leader in pistol, shotgun, rifle and archery. The kids under his leadership range from age 10 to 17. The experience is developing his communication skills and teaching him a lot.

“It’s showing me how to be a leader,” he says.“It brings a level of responsibility to every action I take.”

Carol Ptak takes her dog-training kids to the dog show in Tucson so they can see what excellence looks like and how competitions are run. It’s been an exciting and effective part of the program, so when she heard that the Arizona 4-H Shooting Sports State Championship was happening in February, she encouraged some kids to go – the ones that showed up for practice over the summer, always followed all the safety protocols, can “kind of hit something down range,” and have a really good attitude.

“That was a key thing,” Carol says. “We had to have kids that had a really good attitude.”

(LM= Lamont Mortuary. BM=Bulman Miles Funeral Home)

SPORTS CLUB, Continued from page 1

SPORTS CLUB, Continued on page 33

Ryan Waggoner with his son, Guy and daughter Ryan.

Duke Vance observing while Liam Lingen takes aim.

PHOTOS BY LCGROSS

The Club recently raised $11,000 at a May 13th fundraiser, far exceeding expectations and ensuring they had the funds needed to send their team to national but also for general shooting sports education and purchasing much needed equipment for the club.

“That money will provide dividends in this community for years to come,” said Carol Ptak.

SPORTS CLUB,

Continued from page 32

She was fully aware the kids were unprepared, but for AJ, it was game on.

“I knew that it was a step we would take in the future,” he says. “I didn’t know it would be our starting point.”

Community Engagement

With a few hours of coaching, borrowed equipment, and $80 air rifles, nine kids went off to the state championships. Carol served as a range safety officer to “suck up as much knowledge” as she could. She found herself handing out medals, and half of them went to Gila County kids.

“Nine medals came home to Gila County,” says Carol, proudly, “and a couple of championship buckles.”

Four kids from Gila County qualified for the Nationals and three plan to compete –Chantel Jordan (air rifle), Sierra Orosco (air pistol), and AJ Schaible (air rifle).

The club moved quickly to outfit the kids with top quality rifles. Now these Gila County kids are training with national level coaches at the Coolidge VFW and bringing that training back to the club.

“It’d be cool to bring a medal home for Gila County,” says AJ, pondering the Nationals. “We have the heart to push through, and if not go in and win, we’re going to go in there and learn.”

The Gila County 4-H Shooting Sports club needs $14,000 to cover the costs of

equipment and travel to Nebraska. The kids made presentations to the Rotary, the American Legion, VFW, Lions Club, and the Gila County Supervisors. A portable air range garnered $200 at First Friday and baked goods and beverages brought in another $331. The Elks donated space for a pulled pork dinner with raffle and auction. Chantel’s family donated the pig. By early May, the team had raised over $8,000.

“This was the smallest leap of faith I’ve ever had to make,” says Carol.

“I 100% trusted this community to get behind these kids.”

Lee at Dominion Firearms is providing free coaching and access to his pistol simulation. The Globe-Miami Gun Club has allowed the kids to shoot there for free.

To help raise funds, they raffled off a rifle, and the tickets sold out so fast that they are going to do another raffle with five prizes. They’ve asked the 4-H shooters to do an exhibition after the Nationals.

“They have been so dedicated to those kids,” says Carol. “We’re the envy of the state because of the facilities we have.”

In return, the 4-H kids are helping at the range and earning service hours. Last month, they cleaned an overgrown section that had not been used in almost ten years. It involved a lot of weed whacking, raking, and painting old silhouette stands. With the 25 kids that showed up, the work was completed in two hours.

“It’s more fun than people think because you’re with people you want to be with,” says AJ. “You’re there because you want to be there.” u

Club leadership includes Jim and Carol Ptak and Mindy Teague (Back row) with the kids who will be going to Nationals: AJ Schaible (3rd place air rifle, 3rd place small bore rifle (by 1 point!!), national championship competitor in air rifle, coleader of the club), Chantel Jordan (3rd place air pistol, 4th place air rifle, national championship competitor in air rifle) and Sierra Orosco (3rd place air pistol, 4th place air rifle, national championship competitor in air rifle).

Carol Ptak, club leader for rifle and archery, teaches Weston Wong about loading a rifle safely.

AJ Schaible offers some coaching to Chantel Jordan, a national championship competitor in air rifle.

Campus renovations

Lineberry, who worked at San Carlos High School as a teacher and assistant principal for four years before he was hired at Miami, says they started out small with new paint around the campus as the administration sought funding to help pay for the larger projects to come.

“The facilities had been allowed to slide. We had dozens of roof leaks and heating and air conditioners systems that didn’t work,” Lineberry says. “We didn’t have much of a budget, so we started off by just doing things like painting doors around the campus.”

In order to fund the initial work, the district enlisted Freeport-McMoRan, which pitched in to help rehabilitate the science labs and the shop classroom that had been shut down because the ventilation systems no longer functioned properly.

What followed over the course of the decade was a total facilities overhaul that was just recently completed with the resodding of the football field and a new roof on the high school.

“We’ve gradually done an enormous amount of stuff,” Lineberry says. “We fixed up the baseball field and built a new varsity softball field; we’ve redone the tennis courts and we’ve painted the entire facility.”

Under Lineberry’s leadership, the auditorium has also been rebuilt to the benefit of the entire community and internet access has been improved throughout the campus.

Getting instructional spaces functioning again allowed the school to expand educational opportunities to include more arts, science, math and Career and Technical Education.

Improving school culture

creating a campus-wide culture of personal responsibility and respect.

On Lineberry’s first school day, there were four fights at the high school that often had 100 to 200 physical altercations annually, he says.

“We’ve worked to reduce confrontation within the building and only had two fights in the high school last year,” Lineberry says.

“We’ve done this by teaching students the idea that we’re a community and we work things out rather than fight.”

Part of the strategy included reducing drug, alcohol and tobacco use on campus.

use, including alcohol bottles, needles, burnt pieces of tin foil or marijuana joint remnants.

That number has been reduced to 20 to 30, according to Lineberry, who credits the reduction to the school’s efforts to get students to take the issue seriously and creating an atmosphere that discouraged drug and alcohol abuse.

One tool used was the Arizona Youth Survey (AYS) of eighth, 10th, and 12thgraders conducted every two years by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. The voluntary questionnaire asks students to self-report alcohol, drug and tobacco use, as well as gambling, firearms, gangs, school safety, family issues, and other matters.

The survey also assesses “the presence of ‘risk’ and ‘protective’ factors that can affect anti-social behavior by adolescents,” according to ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy.

“We’ve worked with our kids to take this seriously and have seen self-reported student use and exposure has dropped off sharply,” Lineberry says. “When the pandemic hit, kids reported far less use of tobacco and vaping devices, and far more use of alcohol because they were not on campus. It led us to believe that the data we’d collected was pretty accurate.”

At the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, the District rolled out a new theme throughout the school known as “There is NO ‘D’ in Miami – No Drugs, No Drunks, No Dummies, No Drama.”

The program was funded through a High School Health and Wellness grant from the governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family and included teacher training called “Capturing Kids’ Hearts,” encouraging “respect for all” throughout the District.

Lineberry also reduced pages and pages of rules of conduct and dress c odes to a handful of rules that addressed specific problems that were causing disciplinary challenges.

“We worked to shift away from the idea that discipline is consequences: it involves consequences and we hand those out freely, but we do it by sitting with the student and the disciplinary matrix and looking together to see what the prescribed consequence is,” Lineberry says. “We’re not Pollyanna. We understand that too many of our kids are doing things we wish they weren’t doing, but if you can make campus a place where that’s not done, they will use less, and if the message gets through to them they have a place where they can nurture that approach.”

Academics and extracurricular activities

Miami High School was established in 1916 and during the heyday of mining in the region was one of the premier schools in Arizona, with winning athletic programs

and classrooms that produced students who went on to become state and national leaders.

“Miami is interesting in that the school is more than 100 years old and there was a time when it was probably one of the very best high schools in the state,” Lineberry says. “This was a town that was doing well economically and was mixed socioeconomically. The people who ran the mines lived here and their kids went to school just like the people who went in with pickaxes, so the schools were well supported. They produced a lot of really solid people.”

Academic and athletic excellence was rewarded by statewide championships in sports from basketball to wrestling, and for many years the Arizona Association of Student Councils held its State Student Council Conference in Miami.

But the mines closed, people moved away, and public school funding formulas changed. A shift towards standardized testing altered the way students were taught. Lineberry says that none of those factors were Miami-specific problems, but general challenges for public education that hit economically challenged rural areas harder than well-funded schools in the state’s population centers.

“We punch above our weight on curriculum, but have a long way to go in terms of rigor as measured by standardized test scores,” Lineberry says. “But those test scores are written for suburban, middle-class kids by people whose kids are suburban, middle-class kids. They’re wellintentioned, but they don’t get us where we need to be.”

In order to create a more focused curriculum, MHS bulked up its math program up to calculus and the science program through advanced physics.

Lineberry also added filmmaking, poetry and creative writing to the curriculum.

The District worked out an agreement to bring zero-tuition, dual-enrollment classes through Northland Pioneer College. The program that allows high school students to take college-level classes for credit eventually moved to Eastern Arizona College to bring it closer to home.

Lineberry also revived the CTE program to seven career paths, including culinary arts, graphic and web design, early childhood education, journalism, agriculture, construction, and software and app design. CTE prepares students for “real life” jobs and in order to help prepare them for the world beyond high school, CTE became a requirement for graduation.

“We wanted to build choices into the curriculum just like you build choices into the diet when you’re feeding kids,” Lineberry says. “Kids don’t come to school for five-paragraph essays and geometry proofs: They come to school to see their

Shawn Pietila has spent four years as athletic director and assistant principal and will take over as Principal of the highschool when Lineberry leaves.

friends, to participate in sports and other extracurriculars and to take the electives they like.”

He adds that in order to get the most out of the school’s resources, MHS realigned teaching assignments and adjusted hiring practices so that every teacher in the building is highly qualified in the area they teach.

To balance out the academic side of the equation, the District also focused on bringing back sports programs that had been dropped over the years, including wrestling, track and cross-country.

As part of the overall facilities upgrades, the floor of the gym has been refinished and the football field was moved eight feet to accommodate the new rubberized track. There is also more coordination between sports departments at MHS and Lee Kornegay Intermediate to set younger students up for success once they get to high school.

“We brought back track after a 20 or 30year absence from the school, we brought back wrestling after a 15-year or so absence from the school, and we’ve added cross-country for the first time since the ‘70s or ‘80s,” Lineberry says. “We did this because there are kids who are interested in it, but we also did it to help our multi-sport athletes stay in shape during the off-season.”

Institutional stability

While Lineberry survived and thrived for nine years at the helm of MHS, the renaissance of the District could not have happened without stability throughout the entire organization, beginning with Dr. Dorathy, who is in her 10th year at the helm.

“Continuity in leadership is huge,” Dorathy says. “Because they’re on the ground and you’re not having to retrain a new person, it helps us implement district as well as school initiatives. They know the importance of the programs. They know the importance and the impact it can have on student achievement. I am here to support

my admins, my teachers, and my staff, and they are way more important than I ever will be.”

Dorathy believes her role is to support administration, staff, and students to implement District policy to further the educational goals of the institution. She says that learning to communicate is a big part of that, and when there is continuity, that gets a lot easier.

In the two decades prior to the hiring of Dorathy and Lineberry, MHS had eight principals, and the MUSD had five superintendents. According to Lineberry, it can take two to three years for an administrator to settle in, and if there is a new principal every other year, forward momentum and teacher respect are difficult to achieve.

“That kind of turnover has a whole lot of negative impact,” Lineberry says. “When you’re the new leader in an organization, it takes a while to identify the strengths and the places that need work, then it takes time to identify and design a solution set that fits the particular context. If all of that work just gets stuck in a folder in a file drawer because there’s a new superintendent or principal coming in, then you’ve lost all of that and in the meantime, made no forward progress.”

For Dorathy, who has worked in the San Carlos and Miami education systems for more than three decades, consistency and expectations go handin-hand with stability.

“With building administrators being long-term, consistency happens much more easily,” Dorathy says. “People know what to expect, not just from me but from their building, to support students to increase academic achievement.”

Dorathy says that affects everything from student discipline to staff retention and morale.

The seeds of stability planted when she took over the District are paying off now, as the upcoming school year will see all three schools in the MUSD — MHS, Lee Kornegay Intermediate and Charles A. Bejarano Elementary — led by long-term instructors who have been promoted from within: incoming MHS principal Shawn Pietila; 20-plusyear veteran Kevin Hull; and Rhiannon Oldfield, a former MHS English teacher

for more than a dozen years.

Pietila has been athletic director and assistant principal under Lineberry for four years, so has plenty of MHS-specific experience to begin his tenure.

Janet Acevedo has taught and coached generations of Miami and San Carlos students — including Pietila’s wife, Crystal, who now teaches and coaches at the school — and has seen her share of administrative turnover in her 30-plus-year career. She is a third-generation MHS graduate and has been teaching at MHS for 17 years. Prior to that Acevedo was at San Carlos High School for 12 years after beginning her career at Camp Verde.

In addition to the numerous principals she’s seen in Miami, she also worked for eight during her time in San Carlos. She says she is glad to see stability as her career eventually winds down.

“Shawn’s a good guy, so I think as far as transition goes, it’s gonna be smooth for him and for us,” Acevedo says. “Glen has brought a lot of really good things to the district and has probably been a good

mentor for him.”

Acevedo gives Lineberry a lot of credit for the improvements to physical education infrastructure, including projects she wanted to see completed since she first started working there.

In addition to funds for site improvements, the District also received COVID funding to purchase PE equipment as well as air filters for the entire school to help with the overall health of everyone on campus.

Institutional stability also helped the schools get through the COVID pandemic, which was not a small feat in a remote, rural part of the state without the resources of larger urban centers.

“Because we worked so well together, our admin team knew what my expectations were,” Dorathy says. “People were probably sick to death of me sending out memos or robocalls to keep them informed, but I figured if I over-informed, at least they couldn’t accuse me of trying to keep a secret.”

For Lineberry, who will move on to a network attempting to fill instructional gaps for rural students and schools, and teaching in principal preparation programs, the successes of MHS are not the work of one individual, but of everyone from the community, at every level up to the superintendent’s office.

“Improvements have come due to continuity and tenacity,” Lineberry says. “Many things the district tried did not work the first time and had to be rethought or rejected outright in favor of a new tack. This is really not me. It’s not administrators. This is a result of student effort, of significant teacher effort, of a really deep and continuing support from our district office and from the governing board. This is a school with really helpful and positive traditions. Half our faculty are alums, and there’s an embedded sense of community within the school that we have worked to support and recognize and where necessary, rebuild.” u

Lineberry was instrumental in bringing the indy film, Apache Leap, to the big screen and introducing students to the art of film making. It was featured in the line up when the high school hosted MountainFilm World Tour in 2019.

Miami Superintendent, Sherry Dorathy, says continuity of leadership in the district has been key to tackling long-term goals.