YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1916 Ajo, Pima County, Arizona Wednesday, January 15, 2014 Volume 90 Number 19 ©2014 Supervisors elect Bronson as chair Supervisor Sharon Bronson, whose District 3 includes Ajo, was elected chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors on January 7. Bronson’s 7400-square-mile district includes all of western Pima Coun- ty and shares more than 130 miles of international border with Mexico. “I am delighted to have the confidence of my colleagues, and look forward to continuing our efforts to create a better life for all of us in the county,” said Bronson. “My interest is, and always has been, to do what I can to provide parity, equity, and a voice for all our community members. My district includes the most far-flung communities in Pima County, and some of the most challenged. “A rural place like Ajo – which I get to visit often – is as deserving of first-class representation as any urban center, and I feel a responsibility to focus attention, where I can, on finding solutions to issues common to us all.” Bronson was first elected to the board in 1996, and has focused her efforts of economic development, job creation, and balanced smart growth strategies. She served as a member and board co-chair of Tuc- son Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc., and is a member of Visit Tucson, formerly known as the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau. She is a member of the environment, energy, and land use steering committee of the National Association of Counties. Bronson, instrumental in the development and implementation of the county’s Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, has also served as president of the County Supervisors Association of Arizona, and president of the What are a pair of gravediggers like Jose Castillo and Jim Reiman, a retired cop like Bob US/Mexico Border County Coalition. Harral, and a hair-trigger, trench-coat-wearing motel detective like Nolan Aguilla doing gathered She succeeds Ramon Valadez, who had served as chair since 2010. around a mysterious exotic plant? One way to find out is to attend the three one-act plays at Dicus Richard Elias was elected vice chair. Auditorium this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. See the ad on page 3 for admission information. Ajo lecture Stolen items on space launch may be claimed Personal items that have been to be given twice stolen from homes and later re- Ajo community members will covered by deputies are stored in have two chances to learn more an evidence room until claimed by about the University of Arizona’s their owners. A number of stolen asteroid-sample return mission. items are currently being stored at UoA representative Anna Spitz the Pima County Sheriff’s Depart- will give two talks on Thursday, ment Ajo District office on Well January 26. The first will be at 10 Road. a.m. at the Salazar-Ajo Library. There is a process involved to The second will be 2:15 p.m. at reclaim stolen items, noted local Dicus Auditorium. The public is detective Luis Bejarano. welcome at both presentations. “People desiring to reclaim OSIRIS-REx (Origins stolen jewelry and other personal Spectral Interpretation Resource items need to be able to give us a Identification Security Regolth description of the item in detail,” Explorer) is scheduled for a 2016 said Bejarano. “It’s not like a lost- launch to Near Earth Asteroid and-found; we’re not going to dis- 101955 Bennu. After a two-year play a row of jewelry on the table trip, the probe will arrive at the and let someone pick out a piece. asteroid and spend about 500 days A receipt of purchase or photo of mapping the asteroid from a dis- the owner with the item are good tance of three miles. things to bring us, along with an After the asteroid is well- estimated time period of when the mapped, OSIRIS-REx will ap- item was stolen.” proach the asteroid, extend its ro- Items that are held too long in botic arm and take a sample. Ajo or are requested as evidence in The mission team hopes the University of Arizona representative Anna Spitz will be in Ajo Thursday, January 16, to talk a trial in Tucson are sent there, but probe will return to Earth with a about the OSIRIS-REx mission. She will give two presentations on Thursday: one at 10 a.m. at may still be claimed, according to 60-gram to two-kilogram sample the Salazar-Ajo Library and one at 2:15 p.m. at Dicus Auditorium. The public is welcome at both Bejarano. He said the process will in 2023. events. likely take longer in those cases. 101955 Bennu is a carbona- He said it is important that people ceous asteroid. Carbonaceous understand that if a personal item materials are potential sources was stolen but never recovered by of carbon compounds and water. deputies, it obviously won’t be in Bennu’s diameter is estimated at the PCSD system. 500 meters, about the length of “To start the process to reclaim five football fields. a stolen item, call the Ajo District Bennu will have eight near- office at 387-8539 and ask for a approaches to the Earth between time to meet a deputy at the of- 2169 and 2199. The over-all fice,” said Bejarano. “Each case chance of impact is around .07% needs to be reviewed, so under- for all eight encounters. stand there will be some delay in The events are sponsored by reclaiming items.” NASA, UA, AUSD, PTSA, and the Pima County Public Library. WEATHER REPORT TEMPERATURES Max Min Sunday, Jan. 5 64˚ 46˚ Monday, Jan. 6 67˚ 41˚ Tuesday, Jan. 7 71˚ 41˚ Life Enrichment Organization with the help of community volunteers Mike MacFarlane and Wednesday, Jan. 8 71˚ 45˚ Anita Phelps gave the American Citizens’ Social Club a new look recently. A total of 61 man-hours Thursday, Jan. 9 69˚ 44˚ were involved in the exterior work. Updated earth tones were used to complete an 8-color scheme Weekday weather information designed by Rick Shumway. “It was a nice and rewarding challenge to try to turn a 1950s building provided by Freeport-McMoRan. into something more modern through color,” said Shumway. He noted that the time and material For the week, expect sunny AHS Sports skies, highs in the 70s and lows in involved were provided by Life Enrichment Organization through its Paint Our Town project. To Page 9 volunteer with the effort, contact LEO at 520-334-5997. Photo by Robert Sorrels the 40s according to weather.com Ajo Copper News, January 15, 2014, Page 2 Frank Krznarich Letter to the editor Rollover saw one Ridiculous or not flown to Phoenix Editor: Sirens from emergency vehi- Everyone who helped with cles were heard last Friday during the Christmas Eve festivities and the lunch hour as units responded December 24, 2013 especially the Ajo Volunteer Fire A magnifying glass was reported stolen; it was later found. Two inci- to a single-vehicle-rollover near Department is very much appreci- milepost 32 on Highway 85 north dents of loud music were reported as disturbing the peace; peace was re- ated. of Ajo. Responding agencies were stored. A woman violated a court order; peace was restored. As for the night in question, Pima County Sheriff’s Depart- December 25, 2013 [See letter in the December 25 is- ment, Ajo Ambulance, Ajo/Gib- A report of an undocumented alien on Rosser Road was reported; depu- sue.] I was there only because I ties were unable to locate him. saw the tree lit up and wanted to son Volunteer Fire Department, December 26, 2013 know why. The audience seemed Arizona Department of Public Raymond Nava-Serratos, 26, was arrested on a fugitive warrant. Three to be enjoying themselves stand- Safety, and the Gila Bend Fire De- undocumented aliens were turned over to US Border Patrol in two sepa- ing around their fires and listening partment. rate incidents. A domestic-violence disturbance was reported; peace was to the music. I’m sure the night A lone occupant, reportedly restored. A motor vehicle rollover with injuries and a fatality occurred at Frank Eli Krznarich died in an would still have been memorable a local resident, was treated on milepost 25 on SR85. accident north of Ajo on December without lighting the tree. scene and flown by med-evac heli- December 27, 2013 26, 2013. Apparently more was read into copter to a Phoenix hospital. DPS Jehovah’s Witnesses were reported disturbing the peace in the 500 block He was born on January 4, my letter than was written. is conducting an investigation of of Morondo; they were asked not to return. Drug paraphernalia was found 1943, in Clarkdale to Joseph & Let me clarify the point I was the incident. in the backyard of a vacant residence. A bicycle was reported stolen. Jessica Mary (Grenko) Krznarich. making. Garcia, 30, was cited and released for driving with a suspended license. There is no place like being He was a 1961 graduate of Ajo December 28, 2013 home in Ajo on Christmas Eve. High School. Residential forced entry and burglary was reported in the 800 block of This is proven year after year A veteran, he served two tours West Solana. Criminal damage to a vehicle was reported in the 700 block of by the crowd that gathers in the of duty in Vietnam. Wild Sagebrush Lane. BUY OR SELL Plaza many of whom have re- After returning to Ajo he was December 29, 2013 with an ad in the hired by Phelps Dodge and com- A purse was stolen from a vehicle in the 400 block of North 2nd Avenue.