Mar. 2014 “Published Monthly for SEAGO Member Entities, our Strategic Partners & everyone interested in Southeastern Arizona” Vol. 4, No. 3

Deming Career Fair

March 6.

Details on page 6!

MarchNewsletter sponsor:

“Friends of the Frisco”

The San Francisco River is virtually un-known outside of Greenlee County, despite its arresting beauty and its status as one of Arizona’s few perennial rivers – those that flow through all four seasons. It is the larg-est tributary to the Gila River, and its 2,700 square mile watershed spans wild moun-tainous tracts in two states. With elevations ranging from 3400 to 8000 feet, most of ‘the Frisco” watershed is inaccessible except for a few spots along its short jaunt through New Mexico.

Then, just upstream of its confluence with the Gila, the river makes a dramatic appearance in southern Greenlee County, bisecting the Town of Clifton. Historic Clifton also serves as the seat of Greenlee County and home to thousands of copper mine workers and their families. And, more than once, after heavy rain or snow events upstream, the Frisco brought trouble to the town.

Local rancher Richard Kaler and Duncan resident Deborah Mendelsohn were tour-ing popular recreation zones in the sum-mer of 2010, documenting littering in the floodplain as part of a project of the Gila Watershed Partnership. In one heavily-used area, they noticed two people pick-

ing up beer cans and other campsite refuse as they hiked upstream. They were Nancy Gregory, an educator with a long history of nature stewardship in Africa as well as the U.S., and Ludie Henning, a geologist with Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold. The four talked for awhile and exchanged phone numbers.

Nancy and Ludie reported the chance meeting to their friend Terry Johnson, a

A Chance Meeting Led to “Friends of the Frisco” by Deborah Mendelsohn

Volunteerism is actually a two-way street. First there must be some structure, structure demands leadership and leader-ship provides vision. Then, hopefully, these elements are woven together in such a way that the public supports the vision – the goals – of this organization.

Such is the case with the Friends of the Frisco, a non-profit group headquartered in Greenlee County, and totally devoted to solving the various maladies any living river faces: high water events, humans that leave behind litter and debris as well as out-right illegal dumping ( a problem in both rural and urban settings). Add to this mix problems caused by fires such as the Wal-

A salute to the Friends of the Frisco-another Growing Greenlee stakeholder

surveying supervisor with Freeport McMo-Ran, and within weeks Friends of the Frisco was born.

The “Friends” are now a familiar sight along the river. Volunteers hand out gar-bage bags and handsome San Francisco River guidebooks to everyone they meet,

all the while picking up trash and hauling it back to dumpsters provided by Greenlee County and the Town of Clifton. The group has attracted gifts of financial and other support from Free-

port McMoRan, United Way of Graham County, and several other Greenlee County businesses, and has drawn more than 300 volunteers of all ages to its many events.

For more information about the Friends of the Frisco visit their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-the-Frisco/154517074566871 or email Deborah Mendelsohn here: innkeeper@simpsonhotel.com

low Fire which leveled large tracts of forest upstream.

But instead of ‘waiting for someone else to fix it’ this group of volunteers has adopt-ed these problems and has begun a monu-mental campaign of education and clean-up activism.

With Tourism growing exponentially literally hundreds of residents and visitors find their way to the swimming and fishing

holes, while off-road travelers and campers are also increasing in numbers. The Friends are working with local authorities and the private sector to address the need for trash disposal and access to porta potties.

With great respect, we pay homage to all the volunteers that support the Friends of the Frisco trash pick-ups and those who help repair damaged drainages in the wa-tershed.

Please support the Friends with your time, talent or treasure find out more by liking their page on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-the-Frisco/154517074566871 or contact them: friendsofthefrisco@gmail.com

by A’kos Kovach

San Francisco River Clean-up Day

8:00 a.m.

1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Meet at the first ramada, Clifton RV parkAssignment of teams and clean-up areas

BBQ for volunteers, back at the RV park

Every child under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian . We will provide trashbags and drinking water . Bring gloves, hats, shovels, rakes, water bottles, cameras, snacks

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010Clifton, Arizona

www.gilawatershedpartnership.com/friends_of_the_friscoNancy Gregory (720) 401-0808 or Terry A. Johnson (928) 965-7842

Photo by Terry A. Johnson, www.reptilist.com

The Turning Point Monthly March 2014, page 2

Five Payroll Tax Mistakes to AvoidIf you have at least one employee,

you’re responsible for payroll taxes. These include withholding federal (and, where appropriate, state) income taxes and FICA tax from employees’ wages as well as paying the employer share of FICA tax and federal and state unemployment taxes. The responsibility is great and the penalties for missteps make it essential

Read more ...

SBA Celebrates Black History Month

SBA’s Associate Administrator for the Office of Entrepreneurial Development Tameka Montgomery shares her story as we honor entrepreneurs during Black History Month. You’ll also find statistics about minority owned businesses from a 2013 report by SBA’s Office of Advocacy.

Read more ...

You need to know how long it’s going to take to start recouping your investment in the franchise concept you’ve chosen. You certainly shouldn’t have to guess how long it’s going to take for you to see some green.

In A Franchise, When Does The Money Start Rolling In?

If you’d like to find out when the money will start rolling in, keep reading. I’m go-ing to show you how to get that money question answered.Read more ...

The Triple Bottom Line Tool helps opti-mize and communicate investment align-ment with economic, environmental, and social performance– what’s referred to as the triple bottom line or TBL. Investors, economic development professionals, and decision-makers can use the TBL Tool to:

• Configure development investments for maximum returns

• Consider and prioritize alternatives

• Communicate investment align-ment with TBL goals

•An orientation to the TBL Tool is pro-

vided in this brief video. Important infor-mation is also included in the User’s Guide and in our FAQs.

The Agurban - an Agracel Publication

Manufacturing’s Renaissance Depends on Skilled Workers

Global shifts in costs, processes and con-sumer purchasing habits put the U.S. in a position to revitalizing its manufacturing sector and enhance businesses and indus-try at home.

The only thing missing is enough skilled workers to maintain the momentum.

The average U.S. manufacturing worker is in their late 40s or early 50s, so many will be retiring in the next 10 to 15 years. While many states and universities have de-veloped programs that train some workers in specific industries or for specific compa-nies, there is no major program to point to that has solved the industry-wide issue.

Under the guidance of the National As-sociation of Manufacturers, GE Appliances President and CEO Chip Blankenship has been selected to head a team that will try to address the problem in ways that can be applied to multiple sectors and states.

The ideas so far are outgrowths of existing plans:• Increase partnerships w/government bodies;• Develop training programs with schools and

colleges;• Encourage students to earn engineering and

technology degrees;• Organize businesses to create training;• Create incentives for existing workers to re-

train for positions.

One of the biggest focuses will be encour-aging students to study technology that re-lates to manufacturing and engineers. The U.S. can become a hub of innovation for de-veloping and building the robots that may operate the manufacturing lines of tomor-row.

Blankenship was right when he said fu-ture workers that invest their skills in do-mestic manufacturing “could be the saviors of our nation’s economy.”

Full story ...

The last several Agurbans have focused on manufactur-ing, and this week’s is no exception. We have discussed a number of issues relating to manufacturing, with labor being a key factor. If the United Sates wants to continue to grow its manufacturing base, skilled labor will be required. The National Association of Manufacturers is guiding a team to look at this critical component of manufacturing.

Three business news topics from the U.S. Small Business Administration

The Turning Point Monthly March 2014, page 3

is issued at the beginningof each month by the

SouthEastern ArizonaGovernments Organization

Economic Development District.

1403 W. Highway 92, Bisbee, AZ 85603(520) 432-2622, ext. 210

To subscribe, email:akovach@seago.org

A’kos Kovach, publisher and editorMargaret Dillard, copy/graphics editor

Items for publication are welcomed from SEAGO member entities and strategic partners. Copy must be submitted at

least 7 business days priorto the end of each month.

Create killer content your audience will love and share

Content drives business, and at any given moment buyers are searching for informa-tion that will inform them, educate them, or help them solve a problem.

Discover the top seven characteristics – and seven best practices – for develop-ing content that resonates with your target audience, no matter where they are in the buying cycle.

Gila Health Resources Announces New Website

Gila Health Resources can best be de-scribed as a “Culture of Caring”. It’s an envi-ronment where training and experience are valued, education and growth are encour-aged, and a team of skilled professionals come together every day to deliver high-quality healthcare in a caring and compas-sionate manner.

Arizona Game and Fish Department offers additional Heritage Grants award opportunity

The Arizona Game and Fish Department announced the availability of additional Heritage Grant awards in two categories for the 2014 grant cycle. Grant proposals will be accepted until Friday, March 14 at 5 p.m. MST in the environmental education and outdoor education categories.

Applicants should review the revised Heritage Grant eligibility funding windows documents (eligibility criteria) and appli-cation forms at www.azgfd.gov/w_c/heri-tage_apply.shtml to obtain specific guid-ance for goals and objectives listed within

$30,000 in grants available for environmental and outdoor education projects

each grant category.Application proposals can be submitted

either electronically to rbeck@azgfd.gov or mailed directly to Arizona Game and Fish Department, ATTN: Wildlife Grant Administrator, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086. No faxed applications will be accepted.

More information on the grants and ap-plication forms can be found at www.azgfd.gov/w_c/heritage_apply.shtml or contact Robyn Beck at rbeck@azgfd.gov. For more information on the Heritage Fund, visit www.azgfd.gov/heritage.

Friends of the Frisco Approaches Stewardship in Multiple Waysby Deborah Mendelsohn

“We see a difference since we start-ed going out and talking with people who are out there camping or fishing or just partying,” says Friends of the Frisco co-founder Terry Johnson.

“There seemed to be less and less new litter on the ground each time we were out picking up trash. People would see our T-shirts and say, ‘Hey, we’ve heard about you. Look how clean our campsite is!’ This kind of thing happened again and again. But there are always the outliers, the few who leave piles of beer cans and worse. So our job is never done.”

Johnson and other Friends of the Frisco see a number of roles for the volunteer group, extending beyond their traditional river clean-up events. Some recent capacity building sessions with SEAGO’s Ákos Ko-vach helped the group clarify its plans for a broader range of activities.

Friends of the Frisco wants to encour-age Greenlee County businesses to adopt a highway mile by assembling volunteer groups to help with the required quarterly clean-ups. The Friends also want to collab-orate more with four-wheeler clubs, whose

Read more ...

Leveraging resources and making you aware of the ways and means to elevate your profile in the media is part of our mission here at SEAGO. Why learn the hard way? Let’s review some best practices that you can deploy right away >>>

from www.act-on.com

Regional Calendar of Events

The Turning Point Monthly, March 2014, page 4

Cross-Border Tours March 20 & May 15, 2014. Tours begin in the US around 9am, and end at La Roca Restaurant in Nogales, Son. around 3-3:30. Tours end with a short pre-sentation by the US Consul or the director of Economic Development for Nogales Sono-ra. Questions? Download our Cross Border Tour informational sheet HERE. Visit our website at www.bordercommunityalliance.com to find out more about our Cross Bor-der Tours. To register email ptrulock@gmail.com or call 520-398-3229.

UPCOMING EVENTSGREENLEE COUNTY,

AZ

.MARCH 6, 2014- New Mexico Workforce Connection Career Fair, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Deming Event Center

MARCH 9, 2014 - Duncan Thunder starring Troy Olsen of Nashville Fame and Reid Richins

APRIL 11 & 12, 2014 - Spring Rampage, Greenlee Co. Fair-grounds

APRIL 12, 2014 - Greenlee Co. Mud Drag Series

APRIL 11 & 12, 2014 -Javelina Chase Bicycle Event

Mar. 5 - Michelle Cann Pianist Concert, 7:30 pm at EAC Lee Little Theater. Adults: $10, Students: $5 avail-able atRichards Music and the Chamber of Commerce

Mar. 6 - New Mexico Workforce Connection Career Fair, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Deming Event Center..Job Seekers-CLICK HERE! Employers-CLICK HERE! or call: 928-432-6932 ext 302

Mar. 5 - Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group luncheon, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at Cochise Col-lege in Benson. Please RSVP: george@saedg.org.

Mar. 6 - Preparing Your Business for the Javalina Chase, 6:00-9:00 pm at The Simpson Hotel.

Mar. 6, 13, 20 & 27 - Farmer’s Market, 1000 am-2:00 pm at the Train Station in Clifton.

Mar. 14 - 2014 Financial Education Workshop, 9:00 am at the Douglas Visitor Center. Please confirm to douglas@sre.gob.mx or call (520) 34-3107. Read more ...

Mar. 19 - Greenlee County Tourism Council

Mar. 26 - Duncan Pride Society, 5:30 at the Senior Citi-zen Center

Mar. 27-30 - Crossroads Gathering & Ranch Roping Event, Benson, Arizona. For info: info@bensoncham-beraz.com.

Mar. 28 - Southern Arizona Legislative Luncheon Update, 11:45 am - 1:00 pm. Hilton El Conquistador Resort. For info: Jbustamante@asba.com or call (520) 327-0222. Register here!

From Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group -

SAEDGSAEDG is hosting a luncheon at Cochise College in Benson on 3-5-14 from 11:30 - 1:00PM. There will be up-dates on the following projects:Benson Clean & Beautiful - mural project - Lisa Hill, UAS update for Cochi-se County - Mignonne Hollis, Rosemont Copper Mine update - Rod PacePlease RSVP to george@saedg.org if you can attend.

Apr. 1-3 - 2014 New Mexico Economic Development Summit, Hobbs, NM. For info, visit nmural.org or call (575) 397-2030.

Apr. 10 - Career Fair, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, Windemere Hotel & Conference Center, Sierra Vista. Register to participate.

April 25 - The Second Annual Growing Greenlee Opportunity Summit will be held in Clifton

May 1 - Douglas Youth Empowerment Fair at Douglas High School. If interested in participating, please fill ou the online registration form. For info, aromero@cenpatico.com or call (480) 273-7308

The Turning Point Monthly, March 2014, page 5

Mayor Garino guest speaker at Arizona Forward Luncheon

Nogales Mayor Arturo Garino partici-pated in a panel discussion on the econom-ic potential of cross-border commerce be-tween Arizona and Mexico at the Arizona Forward luncheon on Thursday, February 20 in Tucson, Arizona.

Mayor Garino was invited to speak about trade, tourism, and investment opportu-nities between the State of Arizona and Mexico. Mayor Garino was joined by Pedro Valenzuela, Director of Import – Export Operations for Offshore Group; Lea Mar-quez-Peterson, President of the Tucson

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and moderator Gabriela Rico, Arizona Daily Star. Read more ...

Smithsonian Travel Exhibit Comes to Douglas

The Arizona Humanities Council is sponsoring “Journey Stories,” which is part of Museum on Main Street – a collabora-tion between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide. As part of the tour in Cochise County, the following presentation will be held in Douglas:

Cactus Cadets: The Douglas Army Air Field in World War II - Established in the spring of 1942, Douglas Army Air Field was one of Arizona’s largest and most important training bases.

Saturday, March 8, 2014 1p.m. -2 p.m.Douglas Williams Home1001 D AvenuePresented by historian Erik Berg Border Air Museum Open House3200 10th StreetDouglas, AZ2 p.m. – 5 p.m.Refreshments will be served

Frost & Sullivan just published their executive summary of “Beyond the Hori-zon: A Look at How Technology is Chang-ing the Events Industry.” This was a good program about the ever-changing events industry. If you haven’t watched the we-binar replay, this quick read will give our readers the facts on this huge industry.

Download the Executive Summary The paper covers key topics from the webinar, including:• Overview of the meetings and

events industry• Challenges faced by planners and

suppliers• The role of technology in evolv-

ing eventsI hope you enjoy this high level look at

the impact of meetings and events. One key takeaway is how technology can help planners save time, increase efficiency, and better manage costs for their events. To learn more about event technology, here’s a great place to start.

Beyond the Horizon: A Look at How Technology is Changing the Events Industry

Greenlee County, ADOT sought input on trails study at two public meetings

Meetings were held in Duncan, Clifton on Wednesday, Feb. 26th.

Greenlee County and the Arizona De-partment of Transportation sought input and suggestions at two recent public meet-ings focused on a study to create an inter-connecting system of multiuse trails in southern Greenlee County.

Both meetings for the Southern Greenlee County Trails Study were held on Wednes-day, Feb. 26 at Duncan Town Hall, 506 SE Old West Highway, from 3 - 5 p.m. and the Clifton Train Station, 100 N. Coronado Blvd, from 6 - 8 p.m.

The purpose of the federally funded Plan-ning Assistance for Rural Areas (PARA) study is to improve access to destinations and natural resources in the southern por-Read more ...

from our friends at Cvent.com

Keep updated on the latest policy and research, success stories, best practices, high-lights and event listings from the Economic Development Administration (EDA).

CLICK HERE to subscribe to the Innovate@EDA Monthly Update!

The Turning Point Monthly, March 2014, page 6

JOB SEEKER INFORMATIONDeming Career Fair

Thursday,March6,2014•10:00amto2:00pmDeming Convention Center

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION!Meet Hiring Employers

Locate Community Resources for Job SearchResearch Educational Training Opportunities

Dress appropriately to present yourself in a professional manner.Bring copies of your resume with you.

Southwest New Mexico Council of GovernmentsP.O.Box2127•SilverCity,NM88062(575)388-1509•info@swnmcog.org

Arizona Voices is the first statewide civic engagement platform of its kind, where you can rate pending legislation and discuss issues that impact Arizona. All viewpoints are welcome so long as comments are respectful. www.AZVoices.govRead more ...

Introducing Arizona Voices

Mohave County Restoration of HURF

In a recent publication by the Ameri-can Society of Civil Engineers, American roads were ranked in the top ten of Amer-ica’s most dangerous infrastructure prob-

lems. According to the ranking, the level of investment in roads across the country is insufficient and projected to result in a decline in conditions and performance. In a report catered for Arizona, it was noted that driving on roads in need of repair costs Arizona motorists $887 million a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs. Currently, the Federal Highway Adminis-

by Supervisor Buster Johnson

Read more ...

How Do You Get There From Here?

Read more ...

First, look at the Transportation Section of SouthEastern Arizona Governments Or-ganization’s (SEAGO) website (http://seago.org/?q=transportation-0) this section is full of useful information and tools for those needing more information about trans-portation programs, transit programs, and planning activities throughout the SEAGO Region and the State.

Next look at Transportation’s main page which provides readers access to informa-tion concerning Traffic Safety Programs and the Arizona - Sonora Border Master Plan. The Transit Advisory Committee

by Chris Vertrees | SEAGO Transportation Planner

About SEAGO AAAby Wanda Leikem

Southeastern Arizona Governments Or-ganization Area Agency on Aging program reports to, and is impacted by, the State Planning for the Aging in each of our four counties. We currently have a representa-tive, Charlie Brown, on the Governor’s Ad-visory Council on Aging (GACA), which was established by state law in 1980.

This statewide body consists of fifteen members appointed by the Governor to serve three-year terms. The purpose of the Council’s is to advise the Governor, Legisla-ture and relevant State Departments on all matters and issues relating to aging to in-clude the administration of the State Plan

Read more ...

Read more ...

Benefiting our neighbors – CDBG by Bonnie Williams |CDBG Program Manager

Community Development Grant funds (CDBG) are used by local governments to meet at least one of three National Ob-jectives, as mandated by the federal agen-cy of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The most widely used National Objective is “Benefiting primarily low-to-moderate income people” (i.e. >51% of the population).

The income status of the beneficiaries of a project is determined in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, the last Census did not capture the information HUD needed to determine which Census Block

The Turning Point Monthly, March 2014, page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SEACAP Housing AssistanceContact Cecilia(520) 287-5066(800) 293-1144Leave Message

SEACAP Tax HelpMake appointment,

Drop off your paperwork or File at

myfreetax.com/seacap Nogales: (520) 287-5066Bisbee: (520) 432-5401

Willcox: (520) 384-3120

EMPLOYER REGISTRATIONDeming Career Fair

Thursday,March6,2014•10:00amto2:00pmDeming Convention Center

WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATIONCLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

Benefits of Registration:-Increase visibility! Advertising and Promotion

-Recruit candidates! Screen candidates & collect resumes (current & future hiring needs)

-Increase efficiency! on-the-spot interviews for qualified candidates

Southwest New Mexico Council of GovernmentsP.O.Box2127•SilverCity,NM88062(575)388-1509•info@swnmcog.org

Read more ...

• Register for the 2014 Washington Policy Conference-March 23-26.

• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Holds Hearing on Surface Transportation Reautho-rization

• EDA and IEDC to Host Webinar on IMCP Competition

• New EPA Report Demonstrates the Economic Benefits of Infill Develop-ment

• FHWA Roadway Safety Notewor-thy Practices Database: An Annual State-Local Safety Summit Nets Mil-

• UAS in Cochise County• Benson’s Mural Program• The Rosemont Copper Mine prog-

ress• Red Horse Wind Project• Business Luncheon set for 3-5-14Read more ...

by Susan CraigMuch of Arizona’s water infrastructure

is more than 30 years old and is deteriorat-ing. Replacing and rehabilitating water in-frastructure will cost cities, towns and their residents billions of dollars over the coming decades. Aging water lines, leaky pipes and inefficient pumps are all too common.

Don’t be too alarmed. In most cases, we are not in an emergency situation and our water is still safe, but awareness and action

are needed to keep it that way. Don’t wait until your water pipes and storage tanks fail, flooding neighborhoods and threaten-ing water service. Avoid being the breaking news that sweeps across the nation.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), $7.4 billion is needed over the next twenty years to im-prove public drinking water infrastructure in Arizona. An estimated $6.9 billion is needed for Arizona’s wastewater pipes and treatment facilities and stormwater man-agement systems.

However daunting these investments seem, they are vital to public health and the economy.

What can utilities do? Make the invest-ment to improve infrastructure. Think

Ailing Water Infrastructure – WIFA Can Help

Read more ...

TRADE TIPS: Cross-Border News and Events in the Pacific Corridor

Read more ...

Upcoming BC/WA Trade Events - March-June 2014

A salute to our Cana-dian Trade Commissioners and U.S. Com-mercial Officers

Aerospace and Defense Supplier Summit

Globe 2014 Cross Border Terroir Wine & Food Event6th Surrey International Trade Awards

Reception Canada/USA Trade and Compliance

Seminars

The Turning Point Monthly, March 2014, page 8

5 Ways to Stand Out (Just Like a Star!)by Klaudia Kovacs | MySuccessConsultant.com

Recently I have had the good fortune to be a Public Speaker for several different companies and organizations. As pictures arrived after each event, I start-ed noticing what makes a per-son stand out in a photo.

It doesn’t matter what busi-

ness you are in, you too will be in situations where your pic-ture will be taken with others. It’s good to know how you can stand out in these photos...

CONTINUE HERE.

On Thursday, February 20th in the House Transportation Committee, HB2692, legis-lation that would appropriate $119 million from the state general fund for the Depart-ment of Public Safety (DPS) in lieu of any HURF revenues, will receive a hearing.

Ultimately, the allocation of HURF rev-

enues and appropriations for DPS will be determined by the enactment of the state budget later in the legislative session. How-ever, by singling out this issue now, Legisla-tors and the Governor will potentially have their support or opposition on record. Also, successful passage of this bill prior to the budget will make it very difficult to reverse course with the budget bills.

Reinforcing his support to stop the

HURF raiding, the bill was introduced by House Speaker Andy Tobin and has an ad-ditional 55 sponsors, well over half of the Legislature.

Again, while consideration of the bill will

put lawmakers’ positions on record, it can also be used to gauge the level of public support to end the HURF raids. Please con-tact your legislators and express your sup-port for HB2692. If you are able to reg your bill position in person or electronically for the Committee hearing, please do so.

Rural Transportation Legislative Update

The quality of America’s transportation infrastructure, once the envy of the world, continues to deteriorate further every year as evidenced by our consistently descend-ing international rankings.

Many states have not waited for federal action and have proactively increased their own level of transportation investment. While just a year ago, Arizona’s funding lev-els were average, we now rank 42nd in the nation. Arizona and federal revenue sourc-es have not been increased or adjusted for inflation in over 20 years. While modern-izing how we pay for our infrastructure to include securing adequate and sustainable

STOP TRANSPORTATIONFUNDING RAIDS

More information HERE ...

2014 Bill Matrix HERE ...

SEAGO EDD regional update

A quick recap of SEAGO Region activi-ties in the last 30 days

It’s a great day in SE Az~! We’ve enjoyed some strong successes in

the SEAGO Region and even beyond our ‘normal boundary’. Since last month we have made progress in Sierra Vista, No-gales, Benson, Bisbee, Willcox, Safford, Pima, Clifton, Duncan & Morenci.

Tourism is making a come back, and as the SEAGO EDD is a member of the Co-chise County Tourism Council (CCTC) it is important to note that the CCTC continues to lead the state in progressive tourism-related goals and objectives that are consistently met. The CCTC is also actively engaged in helping to nurture the resurgence of a Santa Cruz Tourism Coun-cil. Further, the Greenlee County Tourism Council (GCTC) continues to mature and grow while adding bigger and better proj-ects and events.

In fact, on Feb 18, a first ever meeting was held that brought together the CCTC, GCTC, Friends of the Frisco & Friends of the San Pedro. This meet-greet and share event took place in Willcox, where the lo-cal Chamber of Commerce arranged for an very interesting tour of the Aridus large scale grape crushing facility. All-in-all this was a true learning and growing experi-ence. Part of the meeting was dedicated to ‘capacity building’ with regards to adding volunteers and improving self- promotion.

Another first ever event took place on Feb 19 and Feb 20 in 21st century Morenci. The Greenlee County Housing Forum brought together a number of local support services groups, Gila Health Resources, a builder, an architect, a developer, National Bank of Ar-izona, the USDA, the Southwest New Mex-ico Council of Governments, Zero-Mod Housing & construction (how to live off the grid in a solar powered home), Huachuca Mountain Insurance agency, Long Realty, SEAGO Housing, SEAGO Economic De-velopment, Greenlee County government and the Town of Clifton all of whom had booths to showcase products, services and opportunities.

On Feb 24 we were privileged to address the Safford City Council during a well at-Read more ...

by A’kos Kovach