There’s a new show
in town:
On page 2
50 CENTS
Migrant worker
VOL. CXXVII NO. 9
law faces lawsuit
By Armando Bezies
THE TOMBSTONE EPITAPH
Jim Graham is having an
increasingly difficult time find-
ing the labor force needed to
harvest his yearly crop of a half-
million pounds of pistachios.
As co-owner of Cochise
Groves, a 160-acre pistachio and
grape farm near Willcox, Ariz.,
with his wife Ruth, Graham
needs to hire additional tempo-
rary workers every year to get
the job done. He is also presi-
dent of the Cochise County
Farm Bureau.
“It’s difficult to find people
that are interested in doing this
type of physical work,” Graham
said.
According to Graham, about
90 percent of lettuce in the
United States is produced in
Yuma during the winter. In order
to harvest the crop, a labor-
intensive force is needed to
process the lettuce. A consider-
able part of this labor force is
comprised of migrants, without
whom the lettuce would simply
not get picked.
“If the law remains, the econ-
omy would suffer a drawback,”
Graham said.
After Gov. Janet Napolitano
signed a new law in June that
punishes businesses for hiring
undocumented workers, a group
of 12 organizations filed a law-
suit against the state and the
county attorney’s offices chal-
lenging it.
The new law, known as the
employer sanctions law, requires
the 15 county attorney’s offices
around the state of Arizona to
file a civil suit in court when it
discovers that a business has
knowingly hired undocumented
workers.
Although the law does not
give specific instructions as to
how the process should work,
county attorney’s offices around
Arizona have come together to
establish a system. In order for a
business to be investigated there
must be a complaint form filed
against it with the respective
county attorney’s office.
If the investigation shows the
business employed an undocu-
mented worker, it could face a
PHOTO BY ARMANDO BEZIAS
Community rallies for boy’s cancer treatment
John Graham works his pistachio farm.
By Stephanie Hall
THE TOMBSTONE EPITAPH
Thanks to the generosity of
people from Tombstone to
Tucson and from Bisbee to
Benson, Isaiah Martinez and his
family were able to get their hol-
iday wish.
On Christmas Day, the
Tombstone first-grader, who
was diagnosed with a rare type
of brain tumor in September,
began his new treatment at the
Burzynski Clinic in Houston.
It was nothing short of a
Christmas miracle for the
Martinez family, who as of
November did not know how
they would pay for such a costly
treatment.
Isaiah’s grandmother, Trudy
Altamirano, is able to talk about
MRIs and hospital scares while
carefully keeping her emotions
10-day license suspension for a
first offense and could lose its
license altogether on a second
offense.
When the law went into
effect Jan. 1, any prosecutions
on behalf of the state’s county
attorney’s offices were suspend-
ed until the end of February,
when a decision would be
reached. After some delay, U.S.
District Judge Neil Wake
reached a decision on Feb. 7 in
favor of the state. The plaintiffs,
however, plan to appeal the
decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals.
For now the fate of Arizona
businesses is uncertain because
the suspension of prosecutions
may be lifted, according to
Cochise County Attorney Ed
Rheinheimer.
The language of the law does
not specify how the county
attorney’s offices are to handle
the prosecutions.
“Kind of overlooked in the
statute is that there weren’t any
instructions for the counties to
determine what kind of proce-
dures towards taking com-
plaints,” said Rheinheimer. “It’s
disappointing that the legislature
didn’t provide any guidance.”
Under the new law, every
business in the state of Arizona
must undergo an additional
process when they hire new
employees. This process con-
sists of verifying new hires’
information with the federal “E-
Verify” program, an online sys-
tem that analyzes government
databases to identify applicants’
eligibility to work in the United
States.
According to the Arizona
Farm Bureau, one of the 12
organizations suing the state of
Arizona and the county attor-
ney’s offices, it is unconstitu-
tional for the state to mandate a
business’s hiring process
through a third-party contractor
to verify the eligibility of
employees. The bureau says that
the federal government does not
require the additional verifica-
tion process when hiring new
workers.
“We need secure borders,”
G R O U P S/page 2
in check. But when she talks
about the fundraisers organized
by her family and members of
the community over the past
months, she chokes up.
“Everybody’s just done so
much,” she said. “I mean, we’ve
got $15,400 in the bank right
now.”
As high as that seems, how-
ever, it’s only enough for two
months of Isaiah’s medical
costs, which are just under
$8,000 per month.
So the fundraising continues.
It’s an ongoing mission for the
Altamirano and Martinez fami-
lies, who are constantly organiz-
ing spaghetti dinners, selling
bracelets and spreading the
word.
The families organized a car
wash Feb. 9 and 10 in Tucson.
On March 1 and 2, Coke, Fritos
and Wal-Mart are donating
Help wanted
at animal shelter:
On page 3
NO TOMBSTONE IS COMPLETE WITHOUT ITS EPITAPH
127 YEARS IN THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE
ONE COUPLE’S TREASURE ...
PHOTO BY NICOLE HOCEVAR
Junk is hardly just junk to John and Sandy Weber, whose Rattlesnake Crafts shop 20
miles outside of Tombstone sells everything from guns to electric toothbrushes affixed
Mine dangers elude local teens
with rattlesnake tails. For more, see story, page 4.
vide a small string of barbed
wire to protect from uninvited
By Sara Moore
guests. One only has to look at
THE TOMBSTONE EPITAPH
When it comes to closed or the graffiti along the entrance of
the mine to know these precau-
abandoned mines, residents and
officials agree: KEEP OUT. tions haven’t been very effec-
tive. It has become somewhat of
Tombstone residents likely
don’t think much of the count- a tradition in Tombstone for
high school students to enter the
less silver mines peppering
town. Most of the mines haven’t old mines.
“It gave us something to do,”
been active in more than 20
years. The closed mines within said Connie Cray, a resident for
38 years. “That’s the kid of
city limits have boards and gates
on their entryways to ward off things we did when we were
kids, if we weren’t doing that we
trespassers.
Just outside of town, howev- would have been out in the
er, abandoned mines only pro- boonies drinking.”
snacks and drinks to be sold out- “We had to turn people
side the Wal-Mart in Marana. away,” he said. “And some who
All the proceeds will go to came and got turned away still
Isaiah. donated their $40 for the cause,
On Jan. 27, Isaiah’s great- even though they couldn’t golf.”
uncle Oogie Altamirano and A second tournament is
other volunteers organized a being organized at Turquoise
golf tournament at the Turquoise Valley Golf Course in Bisbee,
Hills Golf Course in Benson. tentatively planned for late
It was a huge success, said March or earl April.
Herb Linn, Turquoise Hills gen- Trudy Altamirano said she
eral manager. With more than was very grateful for the support
120 players, it was the biggest family and friends like Oogie,
tournament the small course has Mary Ellen Hoover, Stephanie
ever hosted, in terms of players, Warren and Maria Gordon, who
he said. have organized events and
“We had eight people teeing raised money.
off at once on some holes,” Linn “The golf tournament was a
said. “There were golf balls fly- really big success and we’ve
ing all over the place!” been so busy was really haven’t
Oogie Altamirano said the had the time to properly thank
tournament raised more than everybody,” she said. “I really
$5,150 from hole sponsors, appreciate everybody who
donors and the $40 participant organized it and came out. I hes-
fee. itate to start naming people
Real estate woes
in Cochise County:
Cray admits to going into the
mines to smoke and drink.
“There was nothing to do in
Tombstone in those days,” she
said. “We had no business being
there, they were closed off.”
Nonetheless, Cray now real-
izes how dumb and scary it was
to enter the mines.
High school students today
follow in Cray’s footsteps, tear-
ing down “No Trespassing”
signs and entering unsafe mine
shafts. Most residents are
unaware of the possible dangers
of old mine shafts.
“You don’t think about that
because so many people helped
out and I don’t want to miss any-
body.”
The money from the tourna-
ment will help fund Isaiah’s
month-to-month medical costs,
but it was the initial help from
donation jars in Tombstone busi-
nesses, school district donations,
and individual contributions to
the family’s bank account that
funded the trip to the Burzynski
Clinic in Houston and the first
six weeks of treatment, estimat-
ed at $20,000.
Dr. Burzynski’s treatment,
antineoplaston therapy, is FDA
approved for clinical trial, but is
not yet recognized by insurance
companies, said Trudy
Altamirano. She said, however,
that when the family looked at
the numbers, they knew they
F A M I L Y/page 2
On page 3
kind of thing when you’re a
teenager,” Cray said. “It was
really stupid, we could have got-
ten killed.”
In Arizona, mine related
tragedies are not uncommon. In
September 2007, two young sis-
ters fell into a 125-foot shaft
while riding an all-terrain vehi-
cle in Northern Arizona.
Thirteen-year-old Rikki Howard
was killed, while her 10-year-
old sister Casie Hicks remained
hospitalized for weeks after the
accident.
“Stay away from them,” said
M I N E S/page 2
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE HALL
Anissa Gonzales, 5, raises money for her cousin
Isaiah, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.
LOCAL EDITION
Trollies
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2008
feud over
the News
By Kenny Johnston
THE TOMBSTONE EPITAPH
At the regular meeting for the
board of police commissioners
Feb. 12, Lee McKechnie, the
owner of Tombstone Trolley
Tours, voiced his concern
regarding what he felt was a
biased newspaper article.
McKechnie said the article
was not impartial because the
writer, Dusty Escapule, is the
owner of a rival trolley service.
The article, which ran in the
Tombstone News on Feb. 8, said
McKechnie’s trolley violated
numerous traffic and city ordi-
nances, and garnered signs that
were unapproved by the Historic
District Commission.
McKechnie said his signs are
permitted and he has never
received a traffic violation.
“I think I would know if I got
a violation or a warning,” he
said. “We’ve never got a com-
plaint to the trolley, the
Marshal’s office, or the tourist
center.”
McKechnie’s trolley service,
which he started last March,
makes about eight trips every
day, moving about 100 people
back and forth from Boot Hill,
McKechnie said.
“In the article, he clearly
states that I’m making viola-
tions. Tourists might read this
and that could be damaging to
me.”
Tombstone Marshal Merlin J.
Smith said the problem is more
likely to be a business dispute
than a legal issue.
“There hasn’t been a single
complaint except from rival trol-
ley businesses,” he said. “We
just try not to get involved.”
Smith said during the meet-
ing that if the Marshal’s office
were to really crack down on the
local trolleys, which do make
minor infractions from time to
time, they would have to crack
down on everyone, including
tourists.
“Tourists stop in vehicles to
slow down and take pictures, we
don’t give out a lot of tickets to
them,” he said. “If we enforce it
on one person we enforce it on
everybody.”
An occasional small viola-
tion isn’t the biggest worry of
the local authorities.
“There’s not a whole lot of
concern unless safety is
involved,” Smith said.
Still, the article causes con-
cern for McKecnhie, who feels
his trolley is a valuable asset to
Tombstone.
“We feel like the trolley is
one step forward for Tombstone
and things like this article are
two steps back,” he said.
“Negative advertisements hurt
everybody.”
New troupe aims to rejuvenate gun shows
PAGE 2
By Laura Hawkins
THE TOMBSTONE EPITAPH
Tombstone’s newest acting
troupe will be performing its
fourth saloon show Friday
evening at Big Nose Kate’s
Saloon.
In an effort to counteract
what they consider a failing
local entertainment industry,
members of Tombstone
Huckleberry Productions have
honed their acting skills to pro-
vide “authentic” improvisational
comedy every week, as an
extension of their “Tragedy at
the O.K. Corral” spectacle.
“Tombstone suffers from
tourist disappointment,” said
founder Stephen Keith, who
created the for-profit company
in April 2007. “We are trying
to give them a real show with
real actors.”
When he first visited
Tombstone in 1999, the black
jack dealer from Cripple Creek,
Colo., said he felt let down.
Having performed in theater for
30 years and in Renaissance
Family awaits MRI
from page 1
couldn’t afford not to go to Dr.
Burzynski.
“Everywhere said 1 percent
[survival rate],” she said. “Dr.
Burzynski gave us a 40 to 50
percent chance of survival. So
we had no choice.”
Right now, Isaiah remains in
Tucson because he has labs
three times a week, as well as
physical therapy. Mainly, his
grandmother said, it’s to keep
him near the hospitals.
Just last week, in the early
hours of Feb. 11, the family had
a small scare when they found a
lump on the back of Isaiah’s
Mines hazardous, costly to close
neck. They rushed him to the
hospital, where it was deter-
mined to be a harmless side
from page 1
Sam Layne, Deputy State Mine
Director of Abandoned Mines in
Arizona. “I’m an old miner, I’ve
been at this 40 years, and it still
hurts. It never ends.”
There are an estimated
100,000 dangerous closed mines
in Arizona, 698 in Cochise
County, according to State of
Arizona Department of Mines
and Minerals. Compared to
other states, Arizona has low
mine related injury reports, said
Layne.
“Nobody has gotten hurt in
any of the (Tombstone) mines,
but the potential is there, believe
me,” said Carey Granger, who
works as a guide the Good
Enough Mine Tours. “I tell peo-
ple if you want to go into the
mine, come talk to me.”
The Good Enough Mine tour
opened last March, allowing vis-
itors the opportunity to safely
travel the passages between the
city streets. Unlike many of the
closed mines in Tombstone, the
Good Enough Mine has been
cleaned out and inspected for
safety by Arizona State Mine
Inspectors and the U.S.
Department of Labor Mine
Safety and Health
Administration. Workers took
out rickety bridges built nearly a
hundred years ago, painted low
hanging rocks to help avoid head
injuries, added lighting, and
closed off areas which would
unsafe to visitors. Regardless of
all these precautions, everyone
who enters the Good Enough
Mine is required to wear a safety
vest and a hardhat.
The Good Enough Mine has-
n’t been active since the 1980s,
and in that time, people have
been using it as a dumping
ground, said Granger.
“We found stuff while we
were cleaning out the mine,”
said Granger, pointing to a pile
Founded on the Southwestern frontier by John P. Clum, May 1, 1880
Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
Design Editor
Photo Editor
Copy Editors
fairs all over the country, he said
there was a definite dearth of
quality in local entertainment.
“Re-enactment is not really
theater,” he said. “It’s the
scourge of Western theater.”
The members
of Keith’s crew
have been care-
fully selected — “Re-enactment is
most are well
not really theater;
versed in
improvisation it’s the scourge of
and many make a
Western theater.”
significant part
of their living as – Stephen Keith about 130
hired actors.
They must also
be age-appropri-
ate and bear a close resemblance
to the characters they wish to
portray. “When you got a
wrinkly, prune-faced retiree
playing Wyatt Earp, it’s pretty
pathetic,” Keith said. “Tourists
have been complaining for years
about it.”
Formerly an actor for the
O.K. Corral, Keith started
Tombstone Huckleberry
Productions as a way to make a
effect of the steroids he is taking.
“As you can imagine, we
spend a lot of time in hospitals,”
Altamirano said.
The family is awaiting the
next scheduled MRI, which will
show whether Isaiah’s tumor has
grown, remained stagnant or
shrunk since he began the treat-
ment in December. Isaiah’s
grandmother said she has come
to fear MRIs.
“When we got to Houston,
they did an MRI and his tumor
had grown since November,”
Altamirano said. “So if [the
MRI on Feb. 20] stays the same
or goes down, they said we
should celebrate.”
PHOTO BY LAURA HAWKINS
Garbage collected in the Good Enough Mine.
of cans, candy wrappers, and
even parts of an old washing
machine. “We have no idea why
they’re here.”
Most of the garbage found in
the mine are remnants of past
illegal trespassing.
“Ask anyone who grew up
here, they probably partied (in
the mines),” said Granger.
What people don’t realize is
just breathing in an old mine can
be dangerous, said Granger.
While the Good Enough Mine is
naturally ventilated, many other
mines have areas of “bad air”
where the air lacks oxygen or is
full of chemicals. Breathing for
too long in these areas can be
fatal, he said.
If the air doesn’t kill you,
there’s always the risk of rock
falls, insects, abandoned explo-
sives, and small animals such as
rodents whose fangs and feces
can carry diseases, said Layne.
Layne worked to help close three
lead mine shafts west of
Tombstone along Charleston
Matt Andazola Armando Bezies
Stephanie Hall Allie Gilliland
Michael Caruso Kenny Johnston
Nicole Hocevar Derek Jordan
Laura Hawkins
Ellen Guill
Matt Kielty
living doing acting. Because the
organization is for-profit,
employees earn about 10 per-
cent of the ticket price after
other costs, which averages
about 35 cents per ticket, said
member
Jeremey
Caron of
S i e r r a
Vista. Last
F r i d a y ’s
s a l o o n
s h o w
brought in
Actor spectators,
he said.
R e -
enactors at the O.K. Corral daily
gunfights are paid a flat rate of
about $15 per day and attract
crowds of nearly 200 several
times daily, Jeremy Caron said.
Because most local re-enact-
ment groups are non-profit, val-
ues tend to differ.
“Our sole purpose is to raise
money for organizations in
Tombstone,” said Wild Bunch
leader Bill Traywick. “All the
COURTESY OF THE ALTAMIRANO FAMILY
Isaiah Martinez and Dr. Stanislaw R. Burzynski
in December in Houston, where the boy began
treatment for a brain tumor.
Street leading to Sierra Vista.
With the help of the Bureau of
Land Management, passersby
can’t even tell the mines were
ever there. That’s because inspec-
tors such as Layne not only fill in
the shafts to prevent unlawful
entry, they also restore the ground
and reseed the area, he said.
Of course, these safety and
environmental precautions don’t
come cheap. For a simple proj-
ect such as the Charleston
mines, the cost can bounce as
high as $5,000 per shaft, said
Layne. Often times, endangered
species of bat make their home
in these abandoned mines mak-
ing the cost skyrocket up to
$40,000 per shaft, said Layne.
The Arizona Mine Inspector’s
Office can’t legally destroy the
habitat of an endangered
species, so special access has to
be built in the closed mine to
allow the bats to come in go
while simultaneously disallow-
ing human access.
Because of state budget
STAFF
Davida Larson
Sara Moore
Nick Owen
Christine Sullivan
money we make goes to charity.”
The members of Tombstone
Huckleberry Productions, who
reside in Tombstone as well as
Bisbee and Sierra Vista, are con-
tent with their roles in the group.
In contrast to their 5 p.m. shoot-
out on Fremont Street, the saloon
show is entirely unscripted and
based on audience interaction. In
the 1881 rusticity of Big Nose
Kate’s as a stage, patrons can
play Pharaoh, sing along to Old
Western favorites and participate
in a Can-Can contest.
Ben Caron, the group’s 32-
year-old pianist from Hereford,
joined the group after seeing an
advertisement simply reading
“Actors: paid job.”
“I was the only person who
answered the ad,” said Caron,
who started tap dancing at age 8
and playing the piano at 16. He
is also a founding member of
Bisbee Repertory Theatre, which
has since dissolved.
“I believe tourists are hungry
for this type of entertainment,”
said Wyatt Earp actor Michael
Christie of Sierra Vista. “They
problems, mine inspectors have
to be selective about which
mines they choose to shut down,
said Layne. Although they gen-
erally try to fill in the most haz-
ardous mines, all abandoned
mines can be dangerous to
untrained explorers.
“Through the years, there has
been a lot of money spent to
make these mines safe,” said
Layne.
Many of the Tombstone
mines, although not active, still
hold active claims on private
property. Therefore, it is the
landowner’s responsibility to
make the mine safe and keep out
intruders, said Layne.
“Owners of mines go to great
lengths and expenses to make
these mines safe, and vandals
will tear down what they’ve
done,” said Layne.
Closed mines are required to
have barriers and signs in place
to warn pedestrians of potential
hazards.
To educate the public on the
dangers of entering abandoned
mines, U.S. Department of
Labor Mine Safety and Health
Administration has launched the
“Stay Out – Stay Alive” cam-
paign in towns such as
Tombstone, which serves to
warn people of possible dangers
in old mines. The Department
also offers a 24-hour hotline to
report unsafe mine access and
mine emergencies.
It is likely that injuries in
closed mines are unreported,
said Layne. When someone
enters a mine, they’re trespass-
ing on private property.
“Arizona is growing so rap-
idly, what used to be rural is
now right on the edge of town,”
said Layne.
Residents need to be aware
of the risks in store when enter-
ing a mine so simple teenage fun
doesn’t turn into a local tragedy.
Editorial Policy
The Epitaph encourages letters to the editor, but reserves
the right to edit for style and space. Please limit letters to 300
words.
The local edition of The Tombstone Epitaph is published by
the students of the University of Arizona Department of
Journalism under the direction of Professor Terry L. Wimmer,
Ph.D.
Use of the name is by permission of the owners of the
Tombstone Epitaph Corp., publishers of the National
Tombstone Epitaph. The corporation grants permission for the
use of the name of the local edition of The Tombstone Epitaph
on February 2, 1975.
don’t just want to see a gun
show and go to the bar. They
want the bar to be the show.”
The 36-year-old Christie is a
stunningly close approximation
of Wyatt, with blue eyes and
dark handlebar mustache. He
was almost immediately
received in Tombstone. With lit-
tle acting experience since high
school, Christie sought employ-
ment at the O.K. Corral, where
he was simply told to get a cos-
tume and come back. “They
weren’t very receptive,” he said.
No sooner was he browsing
in a costume shop for authentic
Wyatt get-up then did the clerk
ask what group he was with.
“None,” he replied, and was
soon invited to join Tombstone
Huckleberry Productions, which
was in between cast members at
the time. “I was hired on the
spot,” he said.
A fan of Tom Clancy, action-
adventure novels and, of
course, old Westerns, Christie
values versatility in acting.
That’s what brought him to
improvisational comedy.
Groups object to
verification system
from page 1
said Joe Sigg, director of gov-
ernment relations for the
Arizona Farm Bureau. “We
want to see the system fixed.
The federal government is not
regulating the border situation
as it should be, and as a result of
this law, the responsibility is
falling completely on the backs
of Arizona businesses.”
The farm bureau argues that
the new verification program is
at this point flawed and not
ready to be mandated by the
state. An employee could poten-
tially apply for multiple jobs
with the same identification
information and be approved by
the federal program at each
instance.
According to Sigg, multiple
undocumented workers with the
same identification information
could still be verified in accor-
dance with the new Arizona law.
At the same time, businesses
that hire them following the
newly mandated process could
still face the penalty for a first-
time offense, which is a 10-day
business license suspension.
Sigg said the 10-day suspen-
sion could be a “death sentence”
for any business. On a second
offense, a business could lose its
license altogether.
The bureau is working with
the state legislature to weaken
employer sanctions without
weakening the bill itself, Sigg
said. “Employers have to be
found of knowingly having
hired undocumented workers.”
Under the new law, the coun-
ty attorney’s office is responsi-
ble for investigating allegations
of businesses suspected of hir-
ing undocumented workers, said
Doyle Johnstun, chief criminal
deputy county attorney for
Cochise County.
“If we get information that an
employer knowingly has hired
an illegal, then what the law tells
us to do is that if we investigate
and it’s true, then we sue them in
court through a civil suit and ask
for their license to be revoked,”
said Johnstun.
According to Johnstun, the
FROM THE COCHISE COUNTY WEB SITE
John Graham’s Cochise Groves pistachio farm.
FEBRUARY 15, 2008
COURTESY OF TOMBSTONE HUCKLEBERRY PRODUCTIONS
An actor portrays Earp family foe Ike Clanton.
“The toughest part is think- bers are experienced and typi-
ing on your feet,” he said. cally cover for one another.
“Sometimes you kind of blank
out for a moment.” Luckily
though, he said, the cast mem-
WHAT’S NEW
Two new bills introduced
into the State Legislature on
Feb. 8 seek to create an
Arizona Temporary Worker
investigation consists of ques-
Program. If passed, the pro-
tioning the employer as well as
gram created by the bills
other workers. If needed, busi-
would allow employers like
ness records as well as employ-
Jim and Ruth Graham of
ment forms and identification
Cochise Groves, as well as
documents are looked at to
other businesses in the agri-
determine whether or not to file
cultural sector who have dif-
a suit. Once the suit is filed, it is
ficulty finding workers dur-
up to a judge to make the final
ing harvest season, to legal-
decision.
ly hire certain migrants.
At this point, no complaints
Only workers with Mexican
or suits have been filed in
citizenship would be eligible
Cochise County.
for the program.
Another plaintiff in the case
As an advocate of a guest
against the sanctions law is the
worker program, Graham is
Arizona Chamber of
opposed to an open-border
Commerce, which represents all
policy. With a guest worker
businesses in Arizona. Although
program, he said that the
the chamber is in support of
agriculture sector and
penalties towards businesses
migrants seeking jobs would
that knowingly hire undocu-
benefit from a legal collabo-
mented workers, officials said
ration. “We’ll be able to get
there are negative consequences
the help we need when they
for businesses that abide by the
need it,” he said.
new law as a result of the flaws
According to one of the
in the E-Verify program.
authors of the bill, Sen.
“If a human resources person
Marsha Arzberger, D-
makes a mistake, the whole
Willcox, employers would
company shuts down,” said Ann
hire the workers they need
Seiden, director of communica-
from Mexico by submitting
tions for the Arizona Chamber
applications with photo-
of Commerce. “That is really
graphs and fingerprints of
scary for an employer and puts a
each worker for a back-
lot of responsibility in that
ground check by U.S. and
employee.”
Mexican government agen-
According to U.S.
cies. There would be no limit
Citizenship and Immigration
as to how many workers an
Services spokeswoman Marie
employer could hire, howev-
Sebrechts, the E-Verify program
er the employer would be
is constantly being improved. As
responsible for the cost of the
of the summer of 2007, it con-
application, fingerprinting
tains a photo-screening tool that
and the background check.
employers can use to further
Each worker would
deal with identification theft.
receive a two-year “tamper-
“The E-Verify program started
proof legal worker card,”
out as a series of pilot pro-
which would be delivered to
grams,” she said. “It was never
them in Mexico. The work-
meant to identify identification
ers could enter the U.S.
theft.”
legally and work only in the
Sebrechts said that a worker
state of Arizona. The work-
would have to steal the entire
er’s status in the U.S. would
identity of another person in
be an ‘employer sponsored
order to fraudulently bypass the
legal worker.’ Arzberger said
current version of the E-Verify
the workers would not be cit-
program. The system is
izens or permanent residents
designed to pick up individuals
of the U.S., therefore they
using someone else’s Social
would not have the same
Security number.
rights as citizens to travel
Sebrechts would not com-
freely between states.
ment as to whether or not the
As a border state, she said
system was adequately ready for
Arizona has a greater respon-
use as part of a state mandate.
sibility to move in its own
direction to find a solution
for immigration. These bills
are the first of their kind in
the U.S., as far as an individ-
ual state having its own guest
worker program.
According to the press
release, the other author of
the bills, Rep. Bill
Konopnicki, R-Safford, said
that Arizona businesses need
this program because they
are economically suffering
for lack of an adequate
workforce.
- Armando Bezies
Contact Us
Department of Journalism
University of Arizona
P.O. Box 210158B
Tucson, Arizona 85721-0158
e-mail: twimmer@email.arizona.edu
phone: (520) 626-6575
Annual Subscriptions
Annual subscriptions are available by send-
ing a $25 check to the department address.
Expanding animal shelter needs helping hands
FEBRUARY 15, 2008 PAGE 3

PHOTOS BY DAVIDA LARSON

The Tombstone Small Animal Shelter, a no-kill facility, depends on volunteers like Peter Estrada (left) and workers like Kay Thomson-Towner (center) to keep going.
By Davida Larson
THE TOMBSTONE EPITAPH
Demi twitches her stubby
black tail, springs off her
haunches and bounds across the
gravel-covered yard.
She leaps into the air, twist-
ing her black-speckled torso into
a position Greg Louganis would
envy, stretching her chin higher,
up, up into the sky, and then
“Squeak!”
The 4-year-old German
shorthaired pointer mix trots
back over the rocks, clutching
the coveted yellow ball in her
jaws.
the only no-kill, non-profit ani-
mal shelter in Cochise County,
lives for the thrill of the chase.
She’s a bird dog, a born hunter.
But she doesn’t get out like
she should.
That’s because there aren’t
enough people to play with her.
The shelter, which recently
expanded, is in urgent need of
volunteers, supplies and mone-
tary donations.
Tonyia Hallen, secretary and
treasurer of the shelter, said
they’ve seen a surge in the num-
ber of dogs and cats coming
through, including “loads and
loads” of kittens.
They built a new cat room to be
More cats housed means
increased numbers that need to
be spayed or neutered, vaccinat-
ed, fed, socialized and cleaned
up after.
“We need volunteers for dog-
walking, playing, socializing,
training – all that,” said Kay
Thompson-Towner, president.
“It gets them out of that kennel.”
She laughed and scratched a
panting Demi on the head. “We
need to go to more parties,” she
said. “Maybe we’ll go to Big
Nose Kate’s and check it out.”
Thompson-Towner said vol-
unteers are at the top of her list,
but she always needs food, dog
biscuits and cat treats, toys,
kitty litter.
Bobcat, a muscled brown
tabby with the steely-eyed glare
of a Wild West gunfighter, lives
in the new cat quarters.
His left eye is sealed shut
from infection, but his stare is so
threatening it would send a
mountain lion racing for cover.
Bobcat has lived a hard life.
He’s a feral feline who lived
large on the streets of
Tombstone, scrounging for
scraps of food in restaurant and
hotel dumpsters.
He was safely trapped and
brought to the shelter, but staff
can’t even touch him for fear of
attack.
the shelter won’t put him to
sleep.
Although he won’t appreci-
ate it, Bobcat will be neutered
and given medical care, proba-
bly for the first time in his nine
lives.
He’ll be sent to live as a barn
cat, earning his keep as a mouser
and receiving food and housing
until the end of his days.
Thompson-Towner said anti-
social or unruly animals like
Bobcat can reside at the shelter
until an appropriate living situa-
tion has been found.
They would also like to con-
struct a dog play area and
expand further, Thompson-
But in order to do that, they
need more help.
The shelter receives annual
and semi-annual cash donations
from Hell’s Belles, the
Tombstone Vigilantes, the
American Legion and the Fort
Huachuca Thrift Store.
Hallen would not comment
on the amounts donated, but she
said the contributions are “size-
able.”
Gordon Anderson of the
Larian Hotel, is a self-pro-
claimed animal lover and
donates old sheets, towels, and
blankets to the organization on a
regular basis.
He said he gives because
“I don’t think people in
Tombstone care enough,”
Anderson said.
The Tombstone Small
Animal Shelter is located on Old
Bisbee Highway just south of
the fire station on the right-hand
side. Their adoption fee for both
dogs and cats is $25.
They provide low-cost spay
and neuter services for pet own-
ers in financial need.
For more information on
how to donate, or to adopt a
needy feline or canine, contact
Hallen at 520-457-9313, or
Thompson-Towner at 520-457-
2545.

Real estate crunch hits Cochise Season proved uneven

Demi, a resident of the
Tomstone Small Animal Shelter, able to accommodate more of them. blankets, sheets, towels and He’s not domesticated, but Towner said. “nobody else does.”

By Ellen Guill
THE TOMBSTONE EPITAPH
for girls’ basketball team
Cochise County provides no
shelter from problems in the
national real estate market.
Just ask Earl Gray, who has
been trying to sell his house in
Bisbee for the past nine months
without a single potential pur-
chaser or hint of interest. Gray
said the problems he is having
with his house, located at 304-A
Curve St. in Bisbee, and many
other homeowners in Cochise
County are having with their
properties, are reflective of the
national economy and status of
the real estate market.
“When we bought this house,
Bisbee real estate was on the up
and up; now everything’s at a
stand still,” he said. “Because
of the problems with the hous-
ing market, nothing is moving.”
Homeowner Evan Waters
nodded in agreement.
“It’s a short story,” said
Waters, who has two houses in
Cochise County up for sale.
“Nothing is happening.”
The average sales price for
an existing home in the West has
declined in the past two years,
from $371,300 in 2006 to
$365,700 in 2007, according to
the National Association of
Realtors.
The county is feeling the
effects of the housing slump in
America due to the sharp rise in
foreclosures that began in 2006.
According to the National
Association of Realtors, irre-
sponsible lending to higher risk
PHOTO BY ELLEN GUILL
Earl Gray has been trying to sell his house for
nine months.
cent in 1996 to 20 percent in
2006, giving millions of unde-
sirable potential borrowers the
means to buy their dream home.
The American market has seen
the effects of this irresponsible lend-
ing through rising foreclosure rates
from borrowers who either took
loans they knew they could not
afford, or loans they did not under-
stand. Consequently, according to
the Economist, nearly 1.3 million
properties were foreclosed upon in
2007, up 75 percent from 2006.
There are currently 110 prop-
erties up for auction in Cochise
County and 98 bank-owned
properties up for sale, according
ing at the market price or less,
and more often than not, people
are looking for bargains.
Highfield said she sees more
and more foreclosures in
Tombstone all the time.
“We sell about twenty houses
a year and see about three to
four foreclosures a year,” she
said. “These are small numbers,
but they are relatively like the
national market.”
David DiPeso, owner of
DiPeso Realty and Appraisal
located in Benson, said he has
also seen a decline in the market.
“Our take is that a lot of buy-
ers and investors are out there,
they’re just waiting for the mar-
ket to decline more and the prices
to go down before they buy,” he
said. “Offers now are usually
low or below the asking price.”
According to the Economist,
U.S. banks reported a loss of
approximately $130 billion as of
January from foreclosures, a
loss that affects current interest
rates for owners and potential
estate marketplace; Tombstone
buyers, and also the economy.
has two properties up for auction
“You have to remember, nothing
and two bank-owned properties.
will move until something is sold,”
Barbara Highfield, owner
said Gray. “And the only thing mov-
and a broker for the company
ing right now are the prices for food
Tombstone Real Estate, said she
and produce.”
has seen significant changes in
U.S. Treasury Secretary
the real estate market in
Henry Paulson called the burst-
Tombstone since problems in
ing housing bubble “the most
the national real estate market
significant risk to our economy”
began to rise.
in a statement this year, but
“Two years ago, the market
Highfield said the Tombstone
was really strong,” she said.
market will always have poten-
“We had multiple counter offers
tial buyers because of the town’s
on properties and people were
history.
bidding more and paying more
“People want to live in
than the asking price. Now,
Tombstone because it’s
that’s all gone away.”
By Nick Owen
THE TOMBSTONE EPITAPH
The girls of the Tombstone
Yellow Jackets varsity basket-
ball team missed their goal by
only one game.
One game was the difference
from being in the regional tour-
nament and an abrupt end to the
season. The Yellow Jackets had
to beat Bisbee their last game,
but just didn’t
have enough to
pull out the win
and finished
“We can get to be something special
with an 8-16
(1-11) record. if we work hard in the summer.”
“I’m proud
that the girls
kept battling,”
said Coach
Mike Bunnell.
“All the girls kept battling and
never gave up.”
A common problem on
young teams is the ability to gel
and acquire team chemistry.
“The season went well.
There was no drama, we all real-
ly got along,” said Cheri Aitken,
a junior guard. “Chemistry real-
ly increased as we played
together and got to know each
other, but I thought we would do
a lot better.”
They may not have made the
regional tournament, but Coach
Bunnell said he proud of the
way his team was able to come
together despite being so new to
ferent backgrounds. directed in a way to benefit the
“We learned how to play team. It is the leader’s responsi-
together as a team which is dif- bility to harness that energy and
ficult because they’re not all focus other players.
Tombstone kids, they didn’t But the Yellow Jackets
grow up together,” he said. “We could never find the one or two
have kids from a lot different players to rally around and
communities around the area, look to.
but we learned what it is to be a “We didn’t work together as
team and play as a team.” a team; there was too much indi-
Sometimes problems arise viduality,” said Jeanette
that are out of the team’s con- Armado, a senior guard. “We all
trol: Two seniors failed to make tried [to be leaders]. The seniors
tried to push. We
were getting better
towards the end. I
wish we would
have started how
we ended.
Now the focus
– Mike Bunnell is on next season
Coach and Coach
Bunnell is excited
about their
grades and weren’t allowed to chances.
play for a majority of the season. “We have a good nucleus,”
Those two seniors represent- he said. “I think we can gel to be
ed a lot of experience the team something special if we work
missed out on, experience they hard in the summer.”
desperately needed. There are two in-coming sen-
“We didn’t have the varsity iors in particular that Coach
playing-time because most of Bunnell said will have a major
the kids came from junior varsi- impact on the team. One is
ty last year and there’s a big dif- Laurie Devere, “a post player
ference in speed and experience who came a long way and really
from junior varsity to varsity,” worked hard in the weight room
said Coach Bunnell. and at practice.” The other is
He said the biggest disap- Cheri Aitken who plans to fill
pointment of the year was not the leadership role.
having any leaders. Young “I’m going to try to step up
teams are known to give a lot of and push everyone to continue
energy and effort, but that ener- to improve and play hard,” said

Tombstone and
borrowers increased from 9 per- Tombstone,” he said. each other and being from dif- gy has to be controlled and Aitken.
to RealtyTrac, an online real She said now people are buy-

by the United increased from 400 to 600 men in the first year

the Great War

States and its of the war.
allies. The war years accentuated what Taylor
In fact, Taylor describes as a more than 20-year-long second
said, about 90 boom in Tombstone, beginning in 1902 and
percent of all ending in 1923.
manganese used Cochise County’s population exploded dur-
in World War I ing this time period, from about 10,000 resi-
It’s no secret came from dents in 1900 to 47,000 in 1920, according to
By Matt Andazola that Tombstone in Tombstone. data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
its heyday was a The mining Aside from its mines, Tombstone contributed
operation itself many of its young men to the war effort.
THE TOMBSTONE EPITAPH
place of uncom-
Ask almost anyone, and they will tell you mon luxury, espe- had changed as “In small towns like Tombstone, all of the
Tombstone during World War I was probably a cially in the West, well, once the young men who were able answered the call,”
desolate, creaky hodgepodge of crumbling and Taylor said Phelps Dodge cor- Taylor said.
saloons and tumbleweeds. those people who poration bought Newspaper articles in the Epitaph archives
“They have no clue,” said Don Taylor, a stayed in Cochise County’s suggest that many of the men to be drafted into
writer and Tombstone historian. Tombstone most lucrative service were of Mexican descent, prompting
Far from being a ghost town in the years between the first COURTESY OF THE ARIZONA HISTORICAL SOCIETY mines in 1902. many migrant laborers to leave the area.
between its initial silver boom and the advent mining boom and Arizona Governor Thomas Campbell (right, in with the white hat) greets troops Though the cor- The American Legion’s Tombstone post 24
of old West tourism, he said Tombstone in the World War I clam- from his state as they return from World War I in 1918 in El Paso, Texas. poration profited is named after Roy Fourr, a prominent young
early 1900s “had every modern convenience ored for more of the most from the Tombstone resident who was killed in Prussia,
that was available at the time.” ing World War I, however, was a different mat- area’s mines, the local economy saw gains as said Tombstone mayor and former American
same.
City residents had two gas companies, three ter than it had been during the silver years. well. Legion President Don Aiton.
“They had been spoiled, so once the econo-
water companies, two ice companies, five ice Most of the money during the war came “You still would have had all the miners, all He said the American Legion post has
my turned itself around, sure, they wanted to
cream parlors, fresh seafood every day and a from the war itself, and depended on income the people who actually processed the ore into another connection to World War I: a framed
be just as prestigious in the 1880s.”
racetrack. The city also had had phone service from less-precious metals like lead and man- bullion — so it was all here,” Taylor said. letter to a Tombstone soldier, signed personal-
Financing the city’s decadent lifestyle dur-
since 1882. ganese, which was used in chemicals and paint In Tombstone alone, the mining workforce ly by President Woodrow Wilson.
 FEBRUARY 15, 2008
Desert junkyard
Story by
Derek Jordan
Photos by
Nicole Hocevar
THE TOMBSTONE EPITAPH
Just outside Tombstone,
a 20-minute drive down a
washboard dirt road leads to
one of the most interesting
sites in Cochise County.
Nestled in the outskirts
of Gleeson, amidst the vast
open plains and rolling hills
dotted with small shrubs
and the occasional cactus
and cattle guards, lies John
and Sandy’s Rattlesnake
Crafts.
The name may not sound
too astounding to anyone
who’s been to Cochise’s
most popular tourist desti-
nation, but the unassuming
nature of its title, hand-
painted on wooden signs
along the dirt road, adds to
the initial surprise. Coming
around the last bend in the
road, the open spaces give
way to row after row of
ancient, rusted artifacts
from all over the world.
For more than 15 years,
73-year-old John Weber and
his wife Sandy have been
PAGE 4
roaming the deserts near of a cannon that had split,” officers, there are certain extent of their contact with
their home for rattlesnakes he said. limits to what they can do. potential customers is limit-
to make into various gifts The Webers found them- “They’ll be surprised ed to a casual greeting and
and for various “junk,” as selves in Arizona about 28 when we grab a few snakes maybe answering a ques-
John puts it, to place around years ago. After deciding a and leave and there’s still tion or two, and the method
their home and shop. change in their lives was one or two left in their of payment is nothing more
“We found a lot of peo- needed, they packed up shack,” Weber said with a than a large wooden cash
ple were more interested in their things, left lucrative smile. According to Weber, box sitting in front of the
the junk we had state law lim- trailer.
lying around than its the killing “You can’t do that in the
the rattlesnake “J u n k ” d o e s n ’ t d o j u s t i c e t o t h e to four dia- city,” he said. The origin of
gifts,” he said. mondbacks said box dates back to a
It may be the eas- a n c i e n t b a l l a n d c h a i n , o r t h e and four period when Sandy was on
iest way to describe d o z e n s o f r u s t e d o l d r i f l e s , o r M o h a v e vacation, and John
the assortment of snakes per remained home.
items strewn about t h e 5 - f o o t t a l l s t o n e g r i n d i n g person a day. “I’m kind of a recluse,”
in organized rows, w h e e l , o r t h e c o u n t l e s s h a n g - “One way he said, so instead of taking
but “junk” doesn’t we got each customer’s money
do justice to the i n g p i e c e s o f o l d c u t l e r y t h a t around that himself, he placed a box
ancient ball and r a t t l e i n t h e c e a s e l e s s b r e e z e . was by get- outside. “We’ve never wait-
chain, or the dozens ting [Sandy] ed on them since then.”
of rusted old rifles, a license Even he is surprised at
or the 5-foot tall stone careers in northern Illinois too,” he said. the honesty that customers
grinding wheel, or the and headed to Phoenix. So with nothing more show sometime. Once, after
countless hanging pieces of “Let’s get out of here and than a pair of chaps and a 4- returning from a three-day
old cutlery that rattle in the do something different,” foot long “snake stick,” the vacation, they found more
ceaseless breeze on this Weber said of their attitude Webers had found a new than $300 in the box,
small property just east of at the time. “I was tired of calling. including a $100 bill. As for
Tombstone. paper-shuffling.” “She does about half the vandalism and theft, Weber
Once collected through a The inspiration for their work or more,” he said of reports that there’s “almost
series of outings with a new jobs came after he saw his wife. none. Maybe in the early
metal detector, the majority a snakeskin headband for As their little business days every once in a while
of new items come via $50. “I thought, ‘I could do got started, Weber took something was stolen.”
trades online, or simply that,’” he said. Weber once notice of the attention paid During the busiest time
from people who want to had a hobby of catching to the assortment of things of year, December through
add to the collection, Weber snakes while attending the they had placed outside. May, Weber estimates that
now says. University of Florida. Most of it was found out they rake in about $600-
“One guy brought a piece After they began their in the desert with a metal $700 a month in snake-
new venture, Weber found detector and at flea markets, related sales.
there was a bit of a learning he said. Being so well known in
curve. After years of trading such a small community has
“The stuff we made was snakeskin wallets and its advantages.
pretty crude,” he said. He knives and snake vertebrae “A lot of the locals come
and Sandy learned how to earrings to local ranchers out here when they have
lace from his son, through a for more stuff to display, visitors,” he said. “A lot of
“slow and painful” process. they eventually outgrew organized tours will stop
“We weren’t skillful crafts their original idea. Now the here.”
people,” he said. However small trailer that holds all of After years of collecting
tough it was, they were their snake-related items, and hunting, the excitement
motivated to figure it out. including a real rattlesnake and desire has begun to
“I really didn’t want to go tail attached to an electric wane. “It’s tapering off,” he
back to work,” he said. “We toothbrush — “The kids said. New hobbies have
got a little advice here, a lit- love that,” Sandy Weber stepped up to take their
tle advice there, but we said — is dwarfed by the place, however.
learned kind of on our surrounding cacophony of “We’re kind of inspired
own.” memorabilia. If it weren’t by rocks,” he says.
While they learned the for the highly organized Evidence of such can be
tricks of their new trade, manner in which it was dis- found among materials sur-
Weber was hired by his for- played, it wouldn’t be diffi- rounding the Webers’ home:
mer company to expedite cult to dismiss it as a junk- the rows of brown, rusted
local businesses. “It let us yard. A homemade brochure items, punctuated by spots
live this life,” he said of the given to paying customers of gleaming stones. Huge
extra income it afforded numbers the “primitive and geodes dot the landscape of
them. western collectibles” at their yard. “We used to rock
After living in the city over 5,000 pieces strong. hound,” he said, “You don’t
for a few years, they decid- Despite not having any find anything good any-
ed to find a quieter place to sentimental value on any of more. People have been
settle down for good. “We the items set about, none of rock hounding in Arizona
wanted to be remote, but them are for sale. If a lucky for years.”
still have the niceties,” tourist strikes a chord with All this time spent wan-
Weber said. This desire lead them, however, they may dering the desert, looking
to a road trip across the walk away with more than a for semi-precious stones
state, which eventually took snakeskin bracelet. and hunting down snakes,
them to Gleeson, where, “If they’re nice and one would expect the
while traveling along one of they’ve bought something, Webers to have had one or
the many dirt roads, they then we’ll let them have two brushes with danger.
came across a rattlesnake something,” he said. “It’s Surprisingly, however, after
for the first time. Sandy just junk to us.” years of snake hunting, nei-
took this as a sign and just They continue to go out ther has had the unfortunate
as they had before, the in the summer months to luck of being bitten. In fact, Walking along the rows ing their tops. A sign on one
Webers packed up their find snakes, just as they the closest he’s ever come of old basin tubs and hatch- table says “Free for
things and moved to have for the past 20 years. to being bitten was by a ets, Weber likes to think Children.”
Gleeson. “We make the stuff all snake that came within a about the past lives of his “We get a lot of fami-
It wasn’t long before year, except during the foot of his hand. objects. lies,” he said. “Parents have
their hobby caught the humid months when the “We don’t take chances,” “It reminds you of what to drag their kids away.”
attention of local ranchers. glue won’t stick,” Weber Webers said. Though they people had to put up with,” John and Sandy’s
When they found unwanted said. carry a snake bite kit in he said. Rattlesnake Crafts is open
snakes in their shacks or The easy-going lifestyle case, he cites television pro- In front of the snake every day from dawn to
stables, ranchers knew just that Weber and his wife grams that show snake bite crafts trailer sits a series of dusk, and is located 15
who to call. Since the have attained for them- victims as all the inspiration ascending tables, each glit- miles east of Tombstone off
Webers are hobbyists and selves is reflected in their he needs to stay plenty clear tering from the assortment Gleeson Road.
not official animal control business practices. The of danger. of polished stones decorat-