The river communities all had a great observance of Hallowe’en. The Great Pumpkin and Trunk or Treat sponsored by the Copper Basin Chamber of Commerce was one of the best (and best attended) events in years. Good planning paid off, as there were fewer lines to stand in and something for everyone to enjoy. The Town of Winkelman sponsored a haunted house and other activities at the old barber shop, thanks to the work of local residents. The San Pedro Valley Lions held a Trunk or Treat in Mammoth.
On top of all, local residents sponsored Ballin’ for Jovanna, a softball tournament to benefit the family of Jovanna Martinez Calzadillas, who was severely wounded by the Las Vegas killer. A great number of teams, several of them from out of town, came to play. There were two days of softball and raffles and food and music, all taken in by lots of caring people.
Well, things will stay busy in our part of the world. On Friday, November 3 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Norman’s IGA in Kearny is sponsoring a free social for retirees. Come to talk. Come to see your friends. Share some of your old pictures of the area. Yes, there will be good refreshments too.
The next day, let’s all head to the Hayden/Winkelman Schools auditorium for the CCAB (Copper Communities Action Board) concert that evening. Who knows? You might know several of the performers, and the cost of your ticket benefits the CCAB’s work.
We’ll talk more about this next week, but the Fall Festival and Kearny Car Show in Kearny will be on Saturday, November 18, Veterans Day. Remember, the cars arrive early and leave around noon, so don’t miss the action. The Fall Festival will continue through the afternoon. This is an event sponsored by the Copper Basin Chamber of Commerce for all the towns, with the great help of the NAPA Store in Kearny.
One sign of a healthy community is a healthy, active Chamber of Commerce. The Copper Basin Chamber is sponsoring a membership drive this month, and is seeking businesses and individuals who want a more vital area in which to live. Stop in and see Kelly Towne at the chamber office in the Pinal County Courthouse in Kearny, or speak with current chamber members, especially Ginger Chester, president of the chamber board. The chamber is growing, thanks to the response of so many people.
A healthy community displays its health with clean streets, nice yards, and good areas for recreation. In Kearny, a group of volunteers, under the banner of “Journey for a Clean Kearny” has sponsored cleanup days, done plantings around town, and encouraged the painting of some of our public buildings. The young people in the Ray Schools have been involved too.
On Wednesday, November 15, at 10 a.m. the clean up group will have a meeting for the express purposes of making plans for future events and for gaining new members of the group. If you care for Kearny and want to help clean it up, please consider attending. And if people from other copper towns want to pick up some ideas, gather some of your friends and come join in. For more information, contact Town Manager Anna Flores at 520-363-9781.
By the way, it’s Trekker Season on the Arizona Trail, and our winter members are also on their way South.