County Flood Control Official to Speak at WPCCC Meeting
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YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 Ajo, Pima County, Arizona Wednesday, September 3, 2014 Volume 90 Number 52 ©2014 County flood control official to speak at WPCCC meeting Bill Zimmerman, deputy director of the Pima County Regional Flood District will be the featured speaker as the Western Pima County Community Council resumes meeting after a summer break. The meet- ing will start a 7 p.m. this Thursday, September 4, in the community center in Walker Park, 290 W. Fifth St. Zimmerman will address flood control issues in Ajo and Why, a topic that has aroused interest since recent heavy rains. Also attending the meeting will be Deb Miller, special assistant to Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson. She usually arrives at the meeting site early in order to talk to people with specific concerns. Representatives from local law enforcement agencies, the health center, the school, parks & recreation, and other entities are expected to attend and be available to answer questions. The meeting will conclude with A Minute to Spiel when community members who have signed up may talk about events and subjects of special interest. WPCCC is an informally elected, non-governmental community council that provides opportunities for information sharing and public discussion on community topics. Its monthly meetings are open to the public. It was an icy waterfall as members of the Desert Senita Community Health Center staff, family, & friends took the ALS ice bucket challenge last Friday. Donations were accepted for Local response group organizations helping those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s is always looking for volunteers Disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the The Community Response Committee of Ajo works behind the spinal cord. scenes to train local agencies and individuals to prepare for emergen- cies of all kinds. The committee can’t do it all, however, and volunteers ALS challenges Ajo Primary election are needed. As the ALS ice bucket challenge went viral, Ajo did its part. Facebook “Our fall-break exercise will be held in October and we really need was full of videos and the Desert Senita Community Health Center staff had few surprises as many volunteers as possible to step up by the end of September so we Though results are not yet final, took the plunge last Friday. can prepare them to assist with the scenario,” said Aubrey Harper, shel- Two names often popped up in the challenges. One was Chuck most of the primary election races ter and volunteer coordinator for the group. She added that volunteers Corella, who lost his battle in 2009, and the other was Meliton Avalos, appear to be decided. Details on are always welcome. who is fighting the disease. the tabulation can be found at the Harper and fellow volunteer coordinator Gigi Ortiz may be contact- Corella’s sister, Mary Ann Corella Foran, helped out at the health Arizona Secretary of State’s site ed at Desert Senita Community Health Center at 387-5651. center challenge, passing out information about the Jim Himelic http://www.azsos.gov/election/ Duties of volunteers include setting up the community shelter in the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory at the University of Arizona’s and on the Pima County elections school gym, placing cots in the sleeping area, staffing a registration College of Medicine. Jim Himelic was married to the Corella’s cousin, site http://pima.gov/government/ table, and posting signs in the shelter for the various areas, such as a Diana Pesqueria Himelic Dawley, who is from Ajo. After Himelic’s elections_department/ medical triage area, dining area, commons, men’s and women’s show- death from ALS, his friends and family created a foundation to battle In the race for governor, ers. the disease. Republicans picked Doug Ducey The scenario for the October exercise will be known ahead of time Donations to the foundation may be sent to Jim Himelic Memorial from a field of six to face the by only a handful of people, noted Harper, so response committee mem- Fund/UAF, PO Box 42972, Tucson, AZ 85733-2972. Their tax identifi- lone Democratic challenger Fred bers and volunteers will need to be somewhat rehearsed in a number cation number is 86-6050388. Their goal is to raise a million dollars for of possibilities, ranging from floods and fire to chemical spills and an research. More information is available on their website www.jimhime- DuVal. extended electrical outage. licfoundation.org online. There were three Democrats “We would prefer to meet volunteers ahead of time to give them a Avalos, a member of the Ajo High School class of 1983, has been vying for two spots on the bal- mentioned in many challenge videos. Diagnosed in 2011, he is deter- lot for State Representative for little more thorough training, but we can also walk them through the day mined to live life to the fullest. His family and friends have formed District 4, Charlene Fernandez, of if need be,” said Harper. Milt’s Mighty Warriors and are taking part in the Walk to Defeat Jose Suarez, and incumbent Lisa Several community members will also serve as actors in the sce- ALS. Donations can be made at http://webaz.alsa.org/site/TR?team_ Otondo. Otondo & Fernandez will nario. They will portray people in need of help in one way or another, id=280023&fr_id=10113&pg=team online. His sister, Carol Avalos face Republican Richard Hopkins which should add an element of realism that was missing in some of the previous scenarios that used inflatable dummies. Harper said she will Wells is co-captain of the team. in November. be involved in preparing the script for actors who will be coming to the Desert Senita Community Health Center has a link to donate to the Neither Democratic incumbent ALS Association on their website at http://desertsenita.org/news/2014/ shelter as part of the scenario. Lynn Pancrazzi nor Republican als-ice-bucket-challenge online. The time commitment for volunteers is minimal, according to Connie Uribe were opposed in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Harper. She said the exercise will likely run about 3 hours with an hour their primaries for State Senator Gehrig’s disease and outside the US as Motor Neuron Disease (MND) discussion to follow, and training can be anywhere from a few minutes or Charcot’s Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that for Disrict 4. to online courses to day-long classes with the Red Cross. Volunteers attacks motor neurons in the brain (upper motor neurons) and spinal Locally, there will be just may also be asked to fill out a short questionnaire afterward to survey cord (lower motor neurons) and affects muscle function. The motor neu- one contested election on the their experiences. rons control the movement of various voluntary muscles including the November ballot. Democrat John The Community Response Committee is comprised of personnel diaphragm. Associated with the loss of the ability of motor neurons to Peck faces Republican Malin from DSCHC, Pima County Sheriff’s Department, US Border Patrol, function in ALS, the various muscles cells waste away (atrophy), result- Lewis in the contest for justice of Ajo Ambulance, Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers, Organ Pipe Cactus ing in increased muscle weakness. Ultimately, accumulated loss of mo- the peace. National Monument, Ajo Improvement Company, and other local or- tor neurons makes it impossible for voluntary control of normal muscle ganizations and individuals. “It is very much a community thing,” said function. Justice of the peace Harper. FEMA official John Wisner comes from Tucson to oversee the exercises and regular meetings. Harper pointed out that the gym is also WEATHER REPORT candidates will a certified Red Cross shelter. An electrical generator is stored at the TEMPERATURES Max Min appear in forum PCSD office on Well Road and supplies for about 70 people are stored Sunday, Aug. 24 98˚ 77˚ John Peck and Malin Lewis in a shelter trailer in town. Monday, Aug. 25 97˚ 74˚ were their parties only candidates “If and when Red Cross is requested to respond to an Ajo area emer- Tuesday, Aug. 26 97˚ 76˚ on the primary election ballot and gency, they will bring supplies for many more,” said Harper. Wednesday, Aug. 27 100˚ 76˚ automatically advanced to the Thursday, Aug. 28 103˚ 75˚ A Disaster Action Team, or DAT, is also being planned. Team mem- general election ballot. Weekday weather informa- bers would receive more extensive training and would not need to wait A forum sponsored by Western tion is provided by Freeport- for Red Cross arrival before initiating certain response actions. Harper McMoRan. Pima County Community Council is the contact for anyone looking for more information about DAT. For the week, expect sunny will be held Tuesday, September “Ajo has always served Ajo,” said Harper. “People come together skies, highs in the 90s and lows in 16, in the Ajo Ambulance meeting and say, ‘Here’s some clothes’ or ‘Here’s a place to live till you get Raider Sports the 70s according to weather.com room, to allow voters to meet the back on your feet.’ We are just doing the same sort of thing with better Page 8 online. candidates and ask questions. preparation and training. Please join us!” Ajo Copper News, September 3, 2014, Page 2 Esker Matteson Lavell Harris from Brigham Young University. Ajo Church From 1949 to 1951 he served of Christ in the East Central States Mission Meets at 1351 N. Sartillion for the Church of Jesus Christ of 8:30 a.m. Sundays Latter-day Saints.