Danieal Kelly, the third of Andrea Kelly’s nine children by five fathers, was 14-years-old when her curled, 42-pound body, starved body was found on August 4, 2006. Police and paramedics were called to Danieal’s West Philadelphia home and when they opened her bedroom door, the stench of decay hit them. Danieal, who had been dull for several hours, was on a dirty mattress surrounded by feces. Maggot-infested bedsores covered her back. She had been on the mattress for such a long time, the shape of her body was imprinted into the mattress. A grand jury recount was released this week, indicting nine people and describing Danieal’s life of pain, neglect, abuse and eventual death.

Danieal Kelly suffered from cerebral palsy and, according to a grand jury report, her mother was said to be “embarrassed by her disabled daughter, didn’t want to touch her, take her out in public, change her diapers or make sure she had enough fluids.” According to a tall jury report, Andrea Kelly’s family and friends constantly confronted her about Danieal’s deteriorating condition, but while she would promise to get befriend for her, she failed to do so, and eventually banished the concerned relatives from her home. While Danieal’s condidtion worsened, Andrea Kelly was said to have entertained, attended classes and tended to her other children. Danieal was not enrolled in school or given medical attention. The picture stated that Andrea Kelly “rebuffed one of her sons when he begged her several times to call 911 to get help for Danieal in her final days.”

The house where Andrea Kelly lived with her nine children was in squalor, with mattresses on the floor. Kelly’s other children are now in foster care, including the baby she gave birth to the fall after Danieal’s death, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to reports, Daniel Kelly, long separated from Andrea Kelly, had custody of Danieal and her brother Daniel in 1995, when he moved to Arizona and lived with a girlfriend who cared for the girl. Those years are documented with photographs of her riding a pony, at a party at a bowling alley, and smiling with classmates in her special needs class. When Daniel Kelly broke up with his girlfriend in 2001, the girl was withdrawn from school. In 2003, he returned to Philadelphia and asked his estranged wife and her other children to move in with him. Soon after, he moved out, abandoning Danieal to Andrea Kelly’s care.

Danieal was supposed to be under the supervision of Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services (“DHS”), but a grand jury investigation has uncovered gross negligence in this girl’s care. A 258-page grand jury report documented that neither DHS nor the now defunct, non-profit agency MultiEthnic Behavioral Health Inc., which was out-sourced to follow Danieal’s case, had even seen the girl or properly reported on her care during their tenure. Neighbors contacted DHS numerous times reporting that Danieal was in danger, but those complaints were ignored. Anthony Miller, the father of some of Andrea Kelly’s children, called the DHS hotline on April 20, 2005. The grand jury states: “Mr. Miller said he was moved to make the report to DHS because ‘I seen Danieal Kelly upstairs in a hot room laying in pee, no curtains, no blinds, no fans, just laying in pee.’” Mr. Miller said no one from DHS ever contacted him.

Nine people have been indicted in her death: her mother, charged with slay, and her father, charged with endangering the welfare of children. In addition, four social workers, suspected of falsifying home visits and progress reports, have been charged with crimes including involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, forgery, tampering with public records, conspiracy, endangering the welfare of children. Three of Andrea Kelly’s friends were charged with perjury for lying to the grand jury about the girl’s condition before her death.

The Philadelphia Inquirer this week reported that Assistant Health Commissioner Carmen Paris resigned the day after the release of the astronomical jury report. Paris was acting health commissioner and oversaw the Medical Examiner’s Office in August of 2006 when Danieal was found slow. Paris allegedly tried to cover up the details of Danieal’s death and told the doctor who performed Danieal’s autopsy and a supervisor in the Medical Examiner’s Office “not to speak to anybody,” not even homicide detectives, about the case. While Paris has not yet been charged with a crime, District Attorney Lynne Abraham said charges could not be ruled out.

Danieal’s case was brought to the public’s attention in late 2006 when the Philadelphia Inquirer published a series of articles focusing attention on the failings of DHS, particularly on the case of Danieal Kelly, and over 20 other children who died while they or their families were supposed to be under the supervision of DHS.

Follow up article on parents’ suit against City
Follow up article on sentencing of mother

_________________
Sources:
http://icad.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/neglecting-neglect-of-danieal-kelly/
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-08-01-517921951_x.htm

To some he was Frank, to others Fran, but Francis R. McGovern (Francis Raymond Albert), owner/editor of the Minneapolis Daily American, was an icon when it came to old-time fiery newspaper editors, publishers and owners who believed in digging late the scenes to report the news factually, with no holds barred. His drive to finish wasteful government spending and over-taxation never ended.

Even more important, Francis R. McGovern showed me how, rather than being objective, most newspapers have their maintain slant; their own ideologies. By asking specific questions, reporters can gear their articles to reflect only what the paper’s owner wants the public to know, and only one side of an issue. (Read later about Minneapolis’ Metrodome costs and McGovern’s “MN Taxpayer PowerBloc.”) The Minneapolis Daily American’s purpose was to break the newspaper monopoly in Minneapolis, MN and give “the other side of the story,” so readers could learn both sides of important issues, and thus execute their bear informed decisions.

Yet as I write this, Fran McGovern’s name doesn’t pop up on any search engines. Like many others who influenced the lives of multitudes besides making an impact on taxpayers, politicians and reporters, Francis McGovern, best known for his newspaper, the Minneapolis Daily American, died before computers became a news medium. So now there is only hard copy available of his publications and his history, mostly on microfilm and in a student term paper at the MN Historical Society.

As a reporter for the Mpls. Daily American from 1973 to McGovern’s death in 1990, I intend to rectify that. This historical/biographical article will include not only McGovern’s Mpls.Daily American, but other publications that relied on him, such as Air Scoop, the Minneapolis Annals, the East Minneapolis Argus, and the Minneapolis Daily Herald, besides some people featured in his paper, and some “name-dropping” throughout.

Perhaps it’s Francis R. McGovern’s life history that drove him to start the Daily American and persist in keeping it alive, because the writing bug struck him at an early age. Born in Watertown, Wisconsin, he originally studied to become a foreign missionary during high school and college. But during high school at St. Paul’s Mission House (now known as Divine Word Seminary) in Epworth, Iowa, he was their sports editor, and before graduating from Sacred Heart in Girard, Pennsylvania, he was the college’s news editor.

Because his father died when he was eight years old, McGovern was raised by his mother (Mary Elizabeth Weimer) along with siblings Hugh, Robert, Cletus and Gertrude. During the depression, McGovern’s odd jobs included working on a railroad section gang, being a bus boy, fry cook, selling Watkins products door-to-door, and selling newspapers.

World War II and Air Scoop: In 1943 Francis R. McGovern signed on as a naval air cadet, but in his own words, he “washed out.” But at this time he also started Air Scoop, a Naval Air Force paper. I take McGovern telling me he taught himself the style of writing for newspapers, honing his skills by meticulously copying other newspaper articles longhand onto sheets of paper.

For the rest of his stint, McGovern served as a deep-sea diver aboard a sea-going rescue tug. (They disarmed mines and tugged disabled carriers and other ships to safety.) McGovern’s eldest daughter, Mary Helen, recalls him telling her that, “this little wooden tugboat was one of 80 that went out, and only five returned. At one time during an ordered blackout, while they were in mined waters, a school of dolphins appeared and led them through safely.” She also recalls that, “when the captain learned that my dad could cook, he made him head cook on the tugboat.”

Navy Days & Meeting Kaye: When McGovern was stationed in London, he had an internship with the London Times. According to Bill Hamm, who wrote a term paper in 1966 entitled “Francis McGovern and his struggles against a monopoly press,” McGovern also spent much time “conversing with Lord Beaverbrook, publisher of the Daily Express, the world’s largest newspaper.” Hamm wrote his term paper for Professor Edwin Emery’s History of Journalism class at the University of Minnesota. The MN Historical Society in St. Paul has a copy on file. http://www.mnhs.org/index.htm

While McGovern was on leave, he went to a USO dance in Washington, D.C., where citizen volunteers were teaching military personnel how to dance. McGovern became enamored with Kathryn, the young woman who paired with him. She had left her family’s farm when she was 18, and moved to the District to work as a secretary in the White House. Soon the two were inseparable.

The Annals and the Argus: Francis McGovern continued serving overseas, while Kathryn (Kaye) continued working in D.C., but they corresponded regularly, and he proposed to her by mail. After he returned to the U.S., they got married in 1945 in Minneapolis, MN, and that same year he published and edited the Minneapolis Annals, a weekly shopper on the East Side.

In 1950, McGovern was first a reporter, then was promoted to editor of the East Minneapolis Argus, a weekly community paper owned by Emmet Duemke. At the same time, McGovern’s brother Cletus, who worked there from 1950 to 1960, worked on circulation before being promoted to business manager. According to Bill Hamm’s paper, when Francis McGovern began at the Argus, its circulation was 2,000. When he resigned in 1960, not only had circulation risen to 27,000 during those ten years, but the Argus had become Minneapolis’ largest weekly newspaper.

Afterwards, during 1960 and 1962, McGovern published 13 Twin City neighborhood shoppers and two magazines. He also wrote freelance articles, for the Catholic Bulletin and national magazines, on two topics he knew first-hand: newspapers, and how to raise children. During this time, Fran and Kaye also ran their 450-acre riding ranch, Fort Cody, in Big Lake, MN, with help from their children. (Their nine children, beginning with their eldest, are Francis C., Mary Helen, Patrick, Theresa, Kathryn, Michelle, Debbie, Angela and Michael.) I quiet remember Fran’s fond memories of how, when they had the ranch, they taught handicapped children how to ride horses. And McGovern’s daughter Kathryn says that charitable groups and Catholic nuns and priests regularly came to ride.

Minneapolis Daily Herald: All along, Francis McGovern had yearned to have his own paper in order to compete with Minneapolis’ only daily newspaper, the Minneapolis Star in the evening, and its morning companion paper, the MinneapolisTribune (they merged in 1982). Newspapers were basically the only way to get the news in those days. There were no news stations like CNN on TV, radio news was limited, and there was no internet. But McGovern was financially strapped.

Then on April 12, 1962, opportunity arose when the presses for the two papers suddenly came to a screeching close. According to Hamm’s term paper, “a strike was called by the mercurial driver’s union, and they were joined on the picket lines by members of the mailers’ and typography union.” The combined circulation of both papers was 500,000 at this time, he wrote.

On April 27, 1962, McGovern presented a proposal for a new Minneapolis paper to Mpls. businessman Maurice McCaffrey. Hamm explained that not only was McCaffrey the founder and director of a local ad agency, and formerly an advertising manager for the Dayton’s department store, but he was committee head of many civic organizations.

McCaffrey agreed to back the new paper, whose offices would be in the Delmac Building on 4^th St. and East Hennepin, and “…within 96 hours, the Minneapolis Daily Herald was rolling off the presses under the guidance of its publisher, McCaffrey, and its editor, McGovern,” Hamm wrote. “Front page congratulations appeared in the first issues from such political dignitaries as Mayor Naftalin, Congressman Walter H. Judd and Congressman Clark MacGregor.”

The Star and Tribune strike lasted 116 days. Meanwhile, Hamm said that after five months, the Mpls. Daily Herald, “…had managed to achieve a peak circulation of over 159,000. Both the New York Herald Tribune and the London Times labeled that feat ‘journalistic genius’.” (McGovern’s eldest son, Francis C., who was sports editor, also worked with the news division on rewrites, copy editing, headline writing, photo assignment and layout.)

“Nevertheless, rather than fighting the newly resumed Star and Tribune,” Hamm said, “publisher McCaffrey decided, against McGovern’s wishes, to cessation up shop; the combined payroll costs of the Star and Tribune amounted to over $15,000,000 yearly, a figure that the conservative McCaffrey did not, even if he could, want to compete with.”

Mpls. Daily American: McGovern’s daughter Mary Helen recalled that when the Herald was shut down, “My father cried. But he became positive never again to be anything but the full owner of his possess paper.” As a result, McGovern again sold articles to national magazines, besides publishing travel guides and “shoppers” for Minneapolis and St. Paul, but now his focus was on organizing what he would eventually call—The Minneapolis Daily American. The Star and the Tribune monopoly, which had reigned since the 1940’s, would be broken. Minneapolis would no longer be a one-newspaper town.

According to Bill Hamm, “In November of 1964, McGovern began to make over 200 speeches in a six-month span in an attempt to sell charter subscriptions as a means of capitalizing his proposed” newspaper. The subscriptions were to be paid in advance of publication. Although McGovern raised extremely less than his desired goal, his dream became a reality. According to his notes and the MN Historical Society’s library catalog records, he put out four “preview issues” of the Minneapolis Daily American in 1964; during May, June and July. The first issue was on April 30, with the last on July 18.

By January of 1965, McGovern had acquired printing equipment and installed it at the old Emrich Bakery Building at 26^th and Bloomington Ave. On Jan. 12, the Daily American resumed daily publication with a 24-page format, and was hailed with acclaim. Hamm wrote that McGovern received “letters of ‘well-wishes’ from such men as Wheelock Whitney and J. Edgar Hoover.” Publications such as “Editor & Publisher and Ad Age featured in their pages the Daily American’s climb to reality.”

Unfortunately, Minnesota suffered a record-breaking harsh winter in 1965, and on April 19 the paper was again forced to cease publication. Hamm wrote, “Out of 700 carriers recruited to deliver the Daily American, only 70 showed up on the first day; the temperature that day was -17 below zero. The Daily American had over 27,000 subscribers at its onset, but the distribution problem reduced that number to 12,000 by the time the paper was suspended.”

The McGovern children will never forget how their newsstands were knocked over, the papers yanked out and strewn along the streets, all in the name of competition. Daughter Mary Helen recalls, “The six unions bled us dry, and the theft from and desecration of the corner newspaper boxes…”

Furthermore, Francis McGovern was a man of principles, who refused to cater to causes he didn’t believe in, and he forthrightly reported the news. According to daughter Kathryn, who was quoted in his obituary in the Dec. 26, 1990 issue of the Mpls. Star Tribune, “He ran into many problems—a monopoly press, union contracts, newsstands being ripped off, the worst weather in the spot in years. But what really killed the newspaper was a story he ran about money passing hands between liquor lobbyists and manufacturers. After that, he kissed all of his liquor ads goodbye.”

McGovern went succor to making speeches and sending out letters. When publication resumed on Jan. 1, 1966, it was as a four-page newsletter, until he could raise enough capital to return his paper to its 24-page format. In April of 1967, the Minneapolis Daily American was again full-sized. This time, according to Hamm, “the first four successive issues sold 24,000, 32,000, 40,000 and 76,000 issues respectively.”

But McGovern’s obstacles remained as tenacious as he was to overcome them. He originally had a three-year lease at the Emrich Building, and was actually able to stay there for six years, but then he was forced to leave, and that was disastrous. At this time the Daily American smooth had everything necessary for their major press operation, including their Linotype press, other machines, and tables for laying out the page plates. McGovern had to abandon his titanic printing equipment. It would have cost nearly $20,000 to move it, and he couldn’t raise the money. Therefore, in 1971, the Daily American’s offices moved to 2909 Nicollet Ave., where the paper was run off on a Gestetner mimeograph machine during various periods of time.

When I was hired on as a reporter in February of 1973 and joined the other staff members, the paper contained 24 pages, was being published weekly, and cost 50 cents a copy. Running it was still a concerted family distress, with Fran and Kaye at the helm. Kaye quiet primarily handled the bookkeeping and circulation, while other family members lent their own particular capabilities.

Besides collected being News Editor/Managing Editor, daughter Mary Helen had a column called “Minnesota Heartbeat,” which Fran described as, “a column that is supposed to catch the feelings and emotions of people in this station.” On the opposing end, there were McGovern’s probing editorials, later called “Editor’s Scratchpad.”

Staffer Cheryl Baker, who filled various capacities at the paper, also wrote a chatty yet insightful column called “Letter to: Cheryl.” Subscribers often called her “the blond bombshell.” She and McGovern used to intrigue me with stories about how, in the “old days,” members of the Hell’s Angels would drop by the office, plop into our chairs, prop their legs up our desks and chat with them. Despite the outfit’s notoriousness, they had quite an amicable relationship with Fran.

Then there was the “Night Prowl” column by the ever-elusive Patrick Cunaard, who cruised the back streets at night and insightfully reported both the gritty and heart-rendering night life that most of us never peep.

We also ran a column, “Inside Pro Wrestling,” by a young wrestling reporter named Mick Karch, who went on to become an AWA Announcer. After 1992, Karch hosted the cable access show, “Slick Mick’s Bodyslam Revue,” for about seven years, and he has been known as “The Stammer of Minnesota Wrestling” since 1988. I still have a copy of the issue sporting a describe of Mick Karch shaking hands with Nick Bockwinkel in 1973, when Mick was president of “The Bockwinkel Brigade” fan club.

In each issue, there also were hard-hitting “Letters to the Editor” from our subscribers, advertising, news and human interest articles, and then the grit. For instance, when attacks were made against public officials, the Minneapolis Daily American quickly investigated and uncovered the truth.

As an example, the Sept. 14, ‘73 thunder of the Daily American reported how mayoral candidate Gladys Brooks, as a means of getting elected, was challenging then-Mayor Charles Stenvig’s bid for re-election by criticizing his handling of the Mpls. Police Department. Calling the department inefficient, she basically accused Stenvig of letting it fall apart. In rebuttal, Stenvig clarified her accusation by pointing out that, “The FBI report on the seven major crime areas show we are 3 to 1 better than the national average this year.”

When Brooks charged that the public needed more visibility of police on the street, Stenvig again set the record straight: “The previous administration took foot officers off their beats before I came in. We put them back into the loop area; we added the canine corps. Mrs. Brooks sat on the Ways and Means Committee…that refused to give us more manpower. She was in a position to help the police force, and she didn’t.”

The article, an exclusive to the Minneapolis Daily American, ran a small notation at the end: “When Mrs. Brooks made her charges, the Star-Trib said the Mayor was unavailable to comment. However, the Daily American experienced no spot in reaching the Mayor.”

Francis McGovern was a staid proponent for free enterprise, as shown in an Oct. 5, ‘74 article concerning George Holter, owner of the Richfield Bus Co. Because Holter had refused to comply with a Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) ruling that his company could not raise its bus fares, Henn. Co. Dist. Court Judge Donald Barbeau had ruled that Holter’s company was in contempt of court. Holter felt the authority to regulate such matters as bus fares should revert back to the Public Service Commission, to give independent owners like him “a fairer shake.” Holter’s response was, “I don’t think a competitor should have the right to tell me how to operate. Where do they (the MTC) need justification for such a small fare increase (between 12 ½ cents and 30 cents)? ” According to Holter, the MTC had already reached the point where their taxes were higher than his fares.

“I could have raised my fares years ago, before the MTC came into power, but I didn’t because the government said that private enterprise had to help fight inflation. We’re guilty of saving the taxpayers money. And the MTC will still have to raise its fares, even if they are subsidized, if costs continue to go up.

“The MTC is saying they want to take us over,” Holter added. “But I can guarantee, if they took over, they might put on more buses, but they wouldn’t be nearly as dependable as we are. And that’s what people want, dependability.” The Richfield Bus Co. is still alive and living up to its dependability. http://www.richfieldbus.com

Francis McGovern’s features also covered the lives of many prominent Minnesotans. In an article about Bernard Casserly, former reward-winning editor of the renowned Catholic Bulletin, the Daily American’s June 29, ‘73 issue explains how, since grade school, Casserly’s life ambition had been to become a reporter. After graduating from the U of M in 1939, he spent five years as a merchant marine. In 1947 he became a reporter for the Mpls. Star, moved on to other newspapers, and then worked his way up from a reporter at the Catholic Bulletin. Twelve years later, he became their editor. Now known as the Catholic Spirit, there’s an online obituary about Casserly, who died Sept. 18, 2008.
http://thecatholicspirit.com/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=473&Itemid=27

As for human interest, the Mpls.Daily American ran articles on many “average” local folks who were just starting their mission in life, and have since “made it.” For example: Back in Feb. of ‘73, we ran a spread on 6-year-old Jeff Lee, who idolized Mark Spitz. Jeff’s story begins when he was two, flapping his arms in the family’s pool, determined to tread water like everyone else. By the time he was 4, he had developed his maintain overhand stroke. Admiring the success not only of Spitz, but of his sisters, who swam competitively with the Tonka Swim Club, self-taught Jeff joined the club when he was six so he could compete, too.

Shortly thereafter, a swimathon was held so club members could raise money to attend a meet in Indiana. The number of laps allowed was limited to 200, but 6-year-old Jeff blew it. Instead, he swam 3 miles, or 265 laps of the pool—65 additional laps—in 2 hours.

After that, Jeff swam competitively for 17 years. He was 1984’s Minnesota Swimmer of the Year, a 5-time All-American, Plot Record holder and held every record at Richfield High when he graduated, besides winning titles from the U of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1987 he qualified for the USA Olympic Trials, and then coached competitive swimming for high schools such as Richfield High, Mpls. Southwest High (where he was voted Section 5AA Coach of the Year) and Bloomington Jefferson.

In 1998 he became head coach for the Barracuda Aquatics Club, a USA Swimming Club that trains and prepares beginning competitive swimmers to national qualifiers for competition. In 2007 he became president and head coach of the club, where he now devotes his time. http://www.offtheblocks.org/barracuda

Charlie Wiederholt, 22, from Miesville, MN, had already won various medals in bronco riding when the Daily American ran an article on him in 1973. Because his father had recently passed away, he stopped riding to aid choose over the family’s restaurant. Now Charlie not only is a heavily-medaled circuit rodeo champion, but he still owns Wiederholt’s Supper Club, in Hastings. http://www.equestrianmag.com/news/charlie-wiederholt-swrha-non-pro-10-08.html

That same year, Fran McGovern also ran a feature on young Minneapolitan Harold Berglund, who had quit his job in the U of M Wilson Library’s circulation department to become an artist, particularly to work on the surrealistic tradition. Berglund now lives in Sweden and is a highly-accomplished painter, mostly working on still-lifes. His website is at http://www.hberglund.com

Wasteful Spending: Examples of Francis McGovern’s articles on wasteful spending included: “Local freeway ramp built 16 years ago at cost of $185,000 never opened to traffic; rebuilt at cost of $480,000,” and “$151,000 of taxpayers’ money aged to build fence around private junkyard.”

Finding enough space with affordable rent continued to challenge McGovern throughout the years. After 2 ½ years, the Minneapolis Daily American again had to move, this time because McGovern’s rent had been raised for the third time during their short stay, combined with a lack of air conditioning and vandalism.

Over time, the now-adult McGovern children left the paper to pursue their own quests. Since my specialty was writing human interest articles, when daughter Mary Helen left in 1974, I took over her “Minnesota Heartbeat” column, too. Eventually, Cheryl Baker also left. We were then at 1513 E. Lake St.

Soon the grown children of original subscribers were subscribing on their own. Members of the Armed Forces, such as Kevin Goplin, even subscribed while serving overseas. After Kevin returned, he eventually became our printer and mailer.

NEWSLETTER format: In Oct. of 1980, the Minneapolis Daily American switched to a 4-page newsletter format published five days a week. Francis R. McGovern was now 60-years-old.

METRODOME STADIUM (RealCost): The MN Vikings and MN Twins originally played outdoors at the Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. In 1979, when proposals were underway to build a new, indoor domed stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Francis McGovern began warning taxpayers that the cost to build it would soar well over $100 million, rather than the $55 million authorized by the legislature.

To prove this, McGovern kept a tally using two sets of books: the one publicized by the media, besides another one he kept that delineated additional expenses accrued in building the stadium that weren’t factored in as fragment of the stadium’s cost.

“No one has admitted that the cost of installing electricity, phones, plumbing, etc. will be borne by the taxpayers,” McGovern wrote. “And the cost of additional traffic control downtown will also come out of the taxpayers’ pockets.” He added that, “Everybody’s forgotten, but the taxpayers gave away 500 acres on a land deal for the stadium, and they’ll pay to fabricate a new juvenile detention center to replace the one which now sits on the stadium site.”

McGovern’s forecast proved true. As of April 21, 1981, the “Official Book” released to the public (covered by city bonds) totaled $55,400,000. Meanwhile, McGovern’s Second Book, the “steady” tally in the Minneapolis Daily American showed, for example: an additional $16,400,000 paid by Mpls. property taxes for the Center Village Ramp (from Mpls. property taxes); $491,000 for sewers and water (from Mpls. taxpayers); and $12,100,000 for the Gateway Ramp, Bus Terminal and Skyways (from taxpayers and federal grants). Also, part of a 7-county area liquor tax and Mpls. liquor and hotel/motel tax went to cover $8,601,072 for the Debt Service Fund.

“They never mention that the land on which the dome sits would be collecting $25 million a year if free-enterprisers were operating in the misnamed area—Industrial Square,” Fran McGovern wrote in Dec. ‘83. “They tore down the juvenile detention center. Now you’re spending $17 million to build another one. Yet that’s part of the cost of the stadium.” McGovern’s book showed $16,300,000 for the Juvenile Center ($12 million from businessmen, $6 million from Mpls. taxpayers, and $8.2 million from County taxpayers).

Construction of the Metrodome began in Dec. 1979 and it was completed in April 1982. According to the Daily American’s accounting, the final cost came to $166 million—not $55 million, as reported by the major media.

CHILDREN in the WORKPLACE: The McGoverns believed in children being raised by their parents during their formative years. In addition to theirs growing up at the Daily American, staffer Cheryl Baker’s delightful daughter, Shamara Baker, grew up there. And seven years after I was hired, my husband Price and I had our daughter, Shira Ariel Levenson, who grew up there, too. At first, Shira relaxed on various staff-members’ desks in her infant seat and jabbered with them. Fran and Kaye helped change her diapers, and Kaye encouraged me to drape a blanket over one shoulder and discretely nurse Shira so I could cease in the office dwelling instead of going into an empty room.

As a toddler, Shira sat on Fran McGovern’s knee, learning to spell short words besides beginning addition. Once she could walk, she became our “copy girl.” Subscribers called her “the office baby,” and unprejudiced before turning three, she began opening our MN Taxpayer PowerBloc conventions (covered below).

Occasionally Fran and Kaye left work early and brought Shira home with them so I could cease and work. Shira already loved musicals and plays from watching them with Mark and me, but the McGoverns sealed her love for the theater. At their house, the three often made up little plays and performed them until I picked her up. Now she’s an actress, but like most creative people, still has her day job.

When Shira was 9, she had her own column in the Daily American, called “Shira’s Scratchpad.” Subscriber Robert Stein, a cartoonist, did an illustrated rendition of one of her “stories” so she could see it in comic form. It was printed in the Dec. 13, 1989 notify, and Mark and I detached have a framed copy hanging on our wall at home.

The MINNESOTA TAXPAYER POWERBLOC (a revolt against MN’s tax/spend politicians): In Sept. of 1983, Francis R. McGovern founded the non-partisan “MN Taxpayer PowerBloc” as a Mpls. Daily American promotion, in anticipation of the Nov. ‘84 elections to the MN House of Representatives. Because Minnesota was among the highest-taxed states in the U.S., the purpose of the PowerBloc was to enlighten taxpayers as to why and how they could vote only for State Representatives who vowed to “cut assist and maintain Minnesotans’ taxes at the per capita average of all 50 states,” which included “meat-axing” reckless spending to the same extent.

To achieve this goal, McGovern held monthly PowerBloc Conventions, urging everyone throughout the state to attend: DFL’ers and Independent Republicans, subscribers and non-subscribers; even House candidates and those up for re-election. Guest speakers showed taxpayers that, to quote McGovern, “they have the power to control their own income and paychecks, rather than to leave the control in the hands of arrogant politicians who have achieved and beget power by confiscation of taxes to pass around and buy their constituencies.”

Congressmen such as Vin Weber, Representatives including Dennis Schulstad (Minority Leader), David Jennings, Cal Ludeman, Don Valento, and Gaylin Den Ouden, and Senators such as Charlie Berg, Don Storm and Pat Kronebusch lent their advice and support.

Back in the 80’s, local precinct caucuses were held in March. Prior to the ‘84 elections, McGovern also urged everyone to relieve their caucuses so they could introduce and urge others to vote for a PowerBloc Resolution, and become a delegate or elect delegates who would befriend it.

To reach more taxpayers, Fran McGovern entailed a “pyramid affect,” urging everyone who attended his conventions to bring 2 or more people unacquainted with the PowerBloc with them, and in turn urging those people to bring 2 or more newcomers to the next convention, etc. The scheme worked.

After 200 people attended his initial convention in Sept. of ‘83, 600 gathered at his Oct. convention at the River Palace. One thousand taxpayers braved a sleeting blizzard to go to the Prom Ballroom in Nov., ‘83, and the audience reached over 2,000 at the Leamington Hotel in Jan. ‘84. As the crowds kept growing, they later packed into the Northrop and Mpls. Auditoriums, even coming from nearby states.

Francis McGovern’s PowerBloc Conventions were dynamic. Initially, audiences were entertained by the Dick Macko Orchestra. My daughter Shira became part of the opening ceremonies just before her third birthday. McGovern introduced her as “Shira Levenson, the youngest member of the PowerBloc movement.” Standing on a chair onstage, she would rap a gavel on the lectern for attention before saying, “Everybody please stand up.” Then Richfield’s Fred Babcock VFWPost color guard would file in and present their flags. Once they were assembled, Shira announced, “We will now recite the Pledge of Allegiance,” and she led everyone in the Pledge. McGovern chose Rep. Kenneth (“K.J.”) McDonald, who put his heart into promoting the PowerBloc and its ideals, to be chairman and moderator of the conventions.

Speakers were tax victims, experts and legislators who gave cutting-edge testimony on the misuse and abuse of taxpayer money in Minnesota, showing how taxpayers could empower themselves to stop it. For example, Dr. Ken Snell, who was leading a catch tax revolt in Michigan, spoke at the Feb. ‘84 convention. In April ‘84, Jack Ardoyno’s topic was “A Better Education for Less Money,” while Sen. Marion “Mike” Menning explained his “Turn it Around 180 Degrees” drive, and Rep. McDonald spoke on “Accentuate the Positive.”

James Davidson, founder & chairman of the National Taxpayers Union, spoke on “The Taxing Tragedy” at McGovern’s May ‘84 convention, while MN Representatives James Heap, Ray Welker, and K.J. McDonald, along with editor Don Larson, from Don Larson’s Business Newsletter, covered “A Billion and a Half Spending Spree.” The evening concluded with various legislators signing a PowerBloc Declaration, in which they vowed to uphold the PowerBloc’s intent.

Allan Brownfield, who was the associate editor of the AIM Report, published by Washington, D.C.-based Accuracy in Media, also spoke at one of McGovern’s conventions. (AIM is a non-profit, grassroots citizens watchdog group that monitors the U.S. media for fairness, balance and accuracy in U.S. news reporting.)

Meanwhile, outlying cities such as St. Cloud, Bertha and Ham Lake held their own PowerBloc meetings. “People who were apathetic about politics; taxpayers who had never voted before…we brought them into the political process,” McGovern noted.

INSIDE SECRETS: Francis McGovern swore that no employees, his family included, worked as long and hard, and for as little pay, as his own. (He himself worked 16-20 hours a day putting out the paper.) Obviously, as our mentor, he was helping us advance in our careers, but the work was self-fulfilling. Also, we stayed because we admired Fran and the Minneapolis Daily American.

Every cent possible was used to keep the paper alive, and staunch subscribers often contributed. Meanwhile, Francis McGovern’s principles ruled. He couldn’t afford to repair his house’s exterior when his neighbors complained, yet later in life he refused to plot out Social Security, insisting the money should be there for those who truly needed it. When a prominent birth control organization approached him, he refused to run their ads because he was pro-life.

Despite our different religions, my daughter Shira often joined the McGovern clan to celebrate Christmas and Easter at Fran’s house. She never made it on Christmas Day in 1990. Fran McGovern died on Christmas Eve.

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) brought a large wreath to McGovern’s funeral service. An attached note said they had lost a dear friend.

Francis R. McGovern always vowed that he would die before he finish, and he kept that promise. The last vow of the Minneapolis Daily American, dated Dec. 28, 1990, was compiled and published by his son Francis C. I did the typesetting, and Kevin Goplin printed it. The front page headline read:

PUBLICATION CEASES WITH THIS ISSUE
The Voice is Stilled

In Memoriam
Francis R. McGovern: Jan. 11, 1920-Dec. 25,1990
Kathryn McGovern: 1922-May 25, 2004
Cletus McGovern: 1923-Aug. 21, 2008
Mary Elizabeth McGovern: 1889-1973
Cheryl Baker: 1945-Aug. 10, 1982

Feel free to add your memories or comments in the comment area at the very bottom of the pages, and please forward this article to anyone you know who might be alive to.

The ‘08 Presidential Campaign promises to be appealing, whether it is informative is yet to be seen. All of the candidates talk about it being time for a change in the United States, and each Presidential hopeful has published on their campaign website the changes they plan to implement during their 4 or 8 year tenure; unfortunately, many voters do not take the time to review these plans, compare the plans with other candidate’s, and think critically about the effects the implementation of these plans would have on the United States. Deciding whether these changes proposed by the respective candidates will be excellent or detrimental to the Nation is the main objective of each voter.

There are currently six people who, at the time of this writing, are still in the race for the most powerful location in the world: President of the United States of America; they are: Democratic candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Mike Gravel; and Republican candidates John Mc Cain, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul.

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES

Barack Obama

Many Americans inquire where Obama’s loyalties lie. Ethnicity? Heritage? Race? Or the country? In this country, when racism is spoken about it is typically referring to individuals whose skin is black; no one wants to mention what is sometimes referred to as “reverse racism,” or racism based on a person whose skin is NOT black. This is a subject for another article, but I mention it here, to make a point: There are NO races, religions, or ethnic groups that have not experienced hate crimes, racism, racial profiling, and discrimination, not to mention that the African Americans were not the only group to have been enslaved.

So why do many other Americans ask Obama’s loyalties? Because of his ties to Muslim and Islam, as well as some accusations that the church with which he is a member actively participates in reverse racism. An in-depth investigation into the Trinity United Church of Christ reveals no reverse racism; the church does relieve pride in ethnicity, hurry, and heritage, but there is no evidence that anyone has been turned away because he or she is not sunless.

As to Obama’s Muslim and Islamic ties, there is no shame in embracing one’s religious heritage, regardless of what that heritage is; this country was built on religious freedoms. However, Obama has never claimed to be any religion other than Christian. That Obama is arguably the top running Democratic Presidential Candidate speaks volumes to this country’s progression in tolerance, despite criticisms on his religion, heritage, and even his middle name, “Hussein.” It is a fact that none of the candidates running for President are the first, nor will they be the last, to face discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, heritage, weight, age, gender, health, appearance, or any other descriptive aspect.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Obama has not popular any campaign monies from PAC’s or lobbyists in Washington, as other candidates have had no qualms in accepting. This demonstrates to me strength of character and good ethics on his part, as well as the ability to stand behind what he says in his campaign promises (namely to end lobbyists’ role in writing national policies, governmental secrecy, and wasteful spending).

Obama’s plan for change is well organized, centrally located on his website, and very reader top-notch. His promises are, for the most section, what the majority of Americans want to hear, and they are not so different in breadth from his opponents. While they sound a bit ambitious to realistically be able to implement in a 4-year period (with the bureaucratic red tape that so often blocks change) this ambitiousness, too, is not so different from his opponents. Very few people are naïve enough to believe that most of these promises will be kept, or even half; however, if they were, Obama could easily go down in history as the Greatest American President of all time.

Hillary Clinton

Clinton’s Presidential race has, without a doubt, been damaged by her husband’s indiscriminative antics during his tenure in the White House, the most primary being the Monica Lewinski debacle. Although, you have to commend Hillary on keeping her composure in the public arena during this fiasco; I readily admit I would not have handled it quite so well!

The Clinton campaign had no qualms about coming out swinging, but then the Clintons have always been aggressive on the campaign trail. It worked well for Bill’s campaigns, but is it damaging Hillary’s? I wonder if critics do not want Hillary to show a softer side, she is a woman, but if she did, would critics then say that she is weak and would not make a good President?

Clinton has an extremely detailed plan on how she plans to follow through with her campaign promises, but it is not centrally located; multiple pages have to be pulled up to conception everything, and the links are sometimes difficult to find. Interestingly enough, one-quarter of Clinton’s campaign website home page is taken up with a contribution/campaign donation banner (link).

Mike Gravel

There is not a lot that can be said about Mike Gravel. Gravel has been MIA in the political arena since 1981. He has been excluded from Democratic debates, because sponsors do not contain he makes for a viable, backable candidate (CBS News). He is suing “pro-Hillary 527″ for running an ad on YouTube that he claims will violate the law IF it is aired on television, since 527 is not registered with the Federal Election Commission. This move reeks of desperation.

The YouTube video prominently displayed in the center of his website homepage is, well it’s pathetic! I found it interesting that there were no pictures of Gavel on his website, with exception to the one in the “Gavel Gear” section that is a campaign poster for sale as fraction of a small donor package for $1000. What exists of Gavel’s stance on issues is minimal at best and does not cover all the issues on the table. This, to me, is the equivalent of a Kindergartener running for the Miss America title.

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

John McCain

John McCain’s crowning glory is his history of serving in the military and being a POW in Vietnam. Then there is his political career that blossomed in 1982 with his election the Arizona House of Representatives. McCain is without a doubt, the forerunner for the Republican nomination.

As a side note, Arizona Central offers some sharp information about McCain’s infidelity to his first wife (as allegations have arisen recently about more allegations of infidelity to his second wife), his history of flipping on issues in prior elections, and several incidents sharp the loss of his temper with former running mates and others. (A link to Arizona Central is located in the references section.) Question is: Does the United States need a President with difficulty controlling his anger? Or would the Unites States benefit from a leader who refuses to relieve down and is quick to fight? And do we need someone else in a position of power who will philosophize the American public what they want to hear, instead of the truth?

McCain clams to be ‘willing to address the fundamental problem of health care;’ however, he does not have a clear concept in which to do so. The “details,” if you can call them that, are very vague and reminiscent of the unusual President Bush; it looks like a pretty cake, but you go to cut it and find out it is nothing but an empty box with elegant icing. McCain’s stance on the issues is presented more logically than Clinton’s, but not as well presented as Obama’s; it is easy to find, but requires multiple clicks to net any detailed information on the issues, that turns out to be not so detailed after all.

Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee is probably the most conservative candidate in the running for President at this time. Huckabee makes no secret that he wants Roe vs Wade overturned and does not support the woman’s right to choose; that alone should knock him out of a majority of votes. Huckabee wants to eliminate all federal income and payroll taxes, gift, estate, social security, medicare, and self employment taxes; this sounds good, but will cutting federal spending make up the inequity? At the same time, he believes a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq is a mistake. How does he plan to finance a war without taxes when the national debt is over $9 TRILLION and is growing by approximately $1.6 billion dollars each day? Huckabee’s website is laid out in an easy to find manner; his stance on the issues are set out in black and white with no apologies, but are his policies logically and fiscally sound? Or is Huckabee just whistling in the wind?

Ron Paul

Ron Paul has had a consistent political career (no flip flopping on issues) and has been dubbed “Dr No” because he has “opposed so many things in his political career,” specifically, anything “not explicitly authorized in the U.S. Constitution” (Chicago Tribune). Paul’s stance on issues is laid out in more detail than many of the other candidates and in an easy to read format, and, at least to me, Paul’s stand on political issues make a lot of sense. About the only issue that may present a problem is his stance against abortion and partial birth abortions; although, he wants to leave the issue of abortion up to the states, removing it from federal jurisdiction.

Paul consistently pulls in large crowds and colossal monetary donations. Wait On for Paul is a bit like an undercurrent, you are not quite sure where it is, until you step into the water; although Paul is not favored to win the GOP nomination for the Republican party, one wonders if this undercurrent could tranquil push him through and keep his name on the ballot for the real election day.

Negative Politics

Obama has come under fire from his opponents for his “flowery speeches.” However, one does not get elected into holding any public office without being charismatic, which includes the overuse of rhetoric in public speeches. Sometimes, I wonder if being able to spin a situation into having a pleasurable outlook is not part of the job requirements. Having charisma and the ability to give eloquent speeches are a requirement for any leader; in my opinion, no one was more skilled at this than Martin Luther King. It says a lot about the speaker’s leadership skills when their speeches live on into a modern millennia. King’s “I have a dream” speech continues to move people, myself included, and will undoubtedly continue to motivate and inspire the next generation and the generation after that.

It was pretty clever of Obama’s campaign to turn the political attacks from Clinton into attacks on Obama’s supporters. It was a trick or a slight of hand to take voters’ attention off of the issues and to make voters or Obama’s supporters to feel personally attacked by Clinton. It was a cheap ploy that very few were naive enough to fall for; so, it was followed by the preemptory “truce” offered to Clinton from Obama, which was nothing short of rhetorical bull to show himself in a more obedient light by “taking the high road.”

It is a known fact that no one is fond of negative politics, but negative politics serve the purpose of demonstrating a candidate’s character and forces candidates to defend their unusual policies, proposed future policy changes, and voting history.

It is time for a change, but not a change based on skin color, gender or any other basis that does not in any scheme dictate how well or poorly a candidate can lead our country. I personally care about the color of a presidential candidate’s skin, gender, or any other triviality about as considerable as I care how many times a day they pass gas. All these are descriptors of the person that has no bearing on how he or she will perform in leading the most powerful country in the world.

Even a candidate’s honest values do not play a huge role in whether he or she can do an acceptable job as President; many good Presidents have been known for their extra-marital activities and some for unethical and illegal behaviors, just have a look at the Watergate debacle if you want an example. Candidates should be evaluated by what politics he or she stands for, and whether those politics and the candidate’s stance on said politics make sense both logically and fiscally for the Nation. Character is an important indicator or what type of President the candidate will be, and as such, should be given careful consideration.

References

Arizona Central Click here to view this article.

Obama ‘08 campaign website www.barackobama.com/

CBS News Click here to view this article.

Chicago Tribune Click here to belief this article.

Clinton ‘08 campaign website www.hillaryclinton.com

Gravel ‘08 campaign website www.gravel2008.us

McCain ‘08 campaign website www.johnmccain.com

Huckabee ‘08 campaign website www.mikehuckabee.com

Paul ‘08 campaign website www.ronpaul2008.com

Tucson, Arizona — Though many folks in Tucson feeling the economic crunch wouldn’t dream of buying an iPhone for themselves, some Tucsonans fair got some for free. Well, sort of. Tax-payer dollars, specifically Homeland Security funds, are being ragged to provide more than 130 Apple iPhones to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

Some Tucson citizens are fretting the cost of the service plans that will be needed for these hundred-plus phones, and some don’t see the need for them in the first site. On a KVOA article response comment, a man who called himself “Eric George” voiced his opinion: “This… iPhone is nothing but the command staff’s need for another play toy, so the neighborhood kids can “ooh” and “ahh”.”

However, reaction on the street seems to favor the decision to give Tucson and Pima County’s finest a new tool to add to their arsenal. “I think it’s astonishing,” said a woman outside a Northside Tucson grocery store when asked for her reaction. “These guys are putting themselves out there every day….they need all the help they can catch”, the unidentified woman went on to say.

And “help” is exactly what these iPhones mean for police working Tucson and the surrounding area. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has issued each detective in the department their own iPhone; all 132 of them. Assuming rotund label, at a imprint tag of between $199-600 for various models of Apple iPhones, that would put anywhere from a $25,000 to more than $50,000 dent in Arizona’s Homeland Security funding. The trusty amount spent on the iPhones in unconfirmed.

The thing that makes Apple’s iPhone so unique and appealing to law enforcement is Cop Link. What is Cop Link? A user-friendly, criminal records data-bank that functions sort of like any other iPhone application, or ‘app’. iPhone’s Cop Link feature offers time-saving, touch-screen access to important information on criminals, such as mug shots, essential “be on the lookout” information, images of stolen cars, and more. The access to Cop Link, coupled with the iPhone’s overall flexibility and mobility, accomplish the phone an invaluable new tool in high-tech law enforcement.

Gone are the days of the Wild West, where the Sheriff rode in on horseback and dragged the town drunk to the pokey. Now, expect to witness smartly-dressed men and women in sleek, unmarked cars, fiddling with high-end PDAs while planning their next crime-fighting move. With the iPhone, Pima County Sheriff’s Office detectives can conduct important, potentially life-saving research right out in the field. Previously, the police may have had to relay information over the radio to a dispatcher, spelling out most things for clarification. Then the dispatcher could regain information on computer systems and transmit it back to the officers. This is time-consuming and often inconvenient for police when conducting their duties.

Now, thanks to funds provided by Homeland Security, detectives in the Pima County Sheriff’s Department won’t have to wait for important data, and can learn about the people they are dealing with out on the streets more quickly. Using their iPhones with access to Cop Link, described by Lupita Murillo on KVOA news as “Google for law enforcement”, the Sheriff’s office can respond to crime more efficiently and have the most up-to-date information on warrants, court dates, rap sheets, mugshots and more, right at their fingertips.

By and large, distributing iPhones to the detectives within the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is a bold, forward-thinking move that may prove a powerful step in staying ahead of the crime-fighting curve. Police can better protect a community when they have the best, most reliable information at a glance. The iPhones with Cop Link should help bring both the police who use them and the community who are protected by them more up to speed, and with that comes an almost priceless peace of mind.

Sources: Monday News Coverage, 10/05/09, KVOA Tucson

I don’t know if you have ever heard the saying, “You never know who you are getting” and it is so true. It’s better to be safe than sorry. These days with all the access and information we can obtain from a computer, there are ways to do some background checking on the person you are about to date, or are currently dating.

Below are some very indispensable links which provide important criminal, civil and other information about people in Pima County, Tucson, Arizona.

1. The website http://www.jp.co.pima.az.us/ allows you to do a public records search by last name and first name (optional). It will search for civil, criminal and traffic cases in the Pima County Justice Courts. If there have been any of these types of charges against the person you are investigating, you can view all of the information within each document, such as the date of the charge(s), reason for the charge(s), the names of the plaintiff(s) and defendant(s), the status of the charges and the case, the judge’s decision if the case has been closed, etc. It is very important to know if your date has had any criminal charges against him, or her.

2. The websites http://www.cosc.pima.gov/ and http://www.cosc.co.pima.az.us/ allows you to do a public records search by last name and first name (optional) for Superior court records. This website shows cases and documents filed, including marriage licenses, divorce documents and Wills. This website shows the names of the plaintiff(s) and defendant(s), the type of document it is, the date it was filed, but the official detailed document can only be viewed by going downtown to the Courthouse. The Courthouse is located downtown at: 115 N. Church Avenue. It is important to know if your date is hiding any important information from you, such as if he or she was married and/or divorced before.

3. The website http://www.recorder.pima.gov/ is the Pima County Recorder’s Office website. On this website is a link to do a public search of documents recorded from 1987 to the recent day, by typing in a person’s last name. The website shows the names of the party(ies) the documents involved, the type of document that was recorded and the date it was recorded. The full original document can only be viewed with an on-line subscription, or by going into their office which is located downtown at: 115 N. Church Avenue.

4. The website http://www.asr.co.pima.az.us/ is the Pima County Assessor’s Office website which allows you to do a property search by last name. This website shows very extensive property information current and past. Some of the extensive information which can be viewed are a detailed description of the house and property, images of the house and property, its value, tax information, the date and type of recorded information about the property, etc. Most importantly, this is valuable information to see if your date owns a home, or property in Pima County with someone else, such as if he, or she still does with their ex-husband, or ex-wife.

5. The website http://www.to.co.pima.az.us is the Pima County Treasurer’s Office website and on there is a link to do a property search by last name. This is a simple website which just reveals property tax information for that party, if any. The results will be the taxpayer(s) address and detailed information about the amount of property tax that is paid. This is a faster version of #3 above to see if your date owns a home, or property in Pima County with someone else, such as if he, or she still does with their ex-husband, or ex-wife.

If you are in another state and you would like to do a background check on your date, start off at the website: http://www.searchsystems.net/ On this website you can locate your state and then city and watch what information is a free public record and the links will be provided.

Here I will rupture down a few of my favorite Fly-over Country movies. This is by no means a comprehensive look at what hayseed cinema has to offer, but these films do, in one way or another, nick to the very bones of Middle America.

About Schmidt (2002)
New Line Cinema

Directed by Alexander Payne

During the filming of “About Schmidt”, director Alexander Payne found several production assistants meticulously picking the lint off sweaters worn by some of the extras. He shooed them from this task saying “lintless” sweaters were not “real”. And so it was with Payne’s own meticulousness that he crafted a mirror image of his home state, Nebraska. Hollywood can put a sparkling veneer on any setting and often does. Even rundown ghettos have received idealized makeovers courtesy of Hollywood. But when Payne hoists his mirror over Nebraska, he shows us as it is. A status of simplicity and beauty. And maybe even a little lint.

About Schmidt is the story of former Omaha insurance actuary and recent retiree, Warren R. Schmidt, played by Jack Nicholson. When his wife dies unexpectedly, Warren sets out on a quest of self-discovery in the great RV he’d begrudgingly bought at the request of his dearly departed. But Warren has had a lifelong struggle with mediocrity. He was unexceptional as an insurance man as well as husband and father. And so it’s no surprise that Warren turns out to be no talent in the self-discovery department either. As he rumbles across the stark and dazzling plains, rediscovering his past, he decides to make the disruption of his daughter’s wedding the destroy to his journey. Or maybe not. Sadly, the influence Warren seems to have on the one person who still matters to him is miniature.

Reviews of “About Schmidt” from east and west coast critics were uniformly very clear. Payne, in his third outing as a feature director, superbly came into his own and showed the flashes of brilliance that would permeate his follow-up “Sideways”. Also common to the reviews were descriptions of the bleak Omaha backdrop. Indeed, Payne picked a wet, late winter in which to film “About Schmidt”, giving much of the film a predominantly grey hue. But the bland and unfortunate Warren Schmidt himself should not be interpreted as a metaphor for the setting. Though he is a dreary person, he does not necessarily inhabit a plain and depressed place. What is indicative in Schmidt of where he comes from is quietness and humility. Plains people generally are not loud talkers. Like Schmidt, they rarely notify the attention of a room upon arrival. Many Nebraskans are not keen to “rock the boat” as it were. But Great Plains residents are often straight forward and basically honest. The kind of people who will level with you. In this way, Warren Schmidt represents a photo image of Nebraska. He is a quiet, unassuming man. A snapshot of so many 60-somethings. But Schmidt’s melancholy is not a reflection of the situation of existence in Omaha as some coastal perspectives seem to imply. He is a simple man and, though unexceptional, a appealing character study.

Nicholson drew an Oscar nomintation for his portrayal, perhaps largely due to the absence of the glamorous and cocksure “Jack” in his performance. “About Schmidt” was one of the best films of 2002 and a fantastic fly-over movie. It remains an exciting and often hilarious reflection of life on the modern-day prairie. Lint and all.

Coen vs. Coen.

The next two films are by Joel and Ethan Coen. Born in Minneapolis, these “hayseed” auteurs have gone to the well of fly-over locations several times to broad finish. Starting with rural Texas in their debut “Blood Simple”, the Coens have situation films in such varying places as Arizona, Mississippi and, most notoriously, their home state of Minnesota.

Fargo (1996)
Gramercy Pictures

Directed by Joel Coen
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

“This is a true fable.”

So begins the Coen Brothers’ “Fargo”. It is known to many Coen fans now that the resemblance to the sincere story on which the film is based is about as remote as the icy stretches of highway between Fargo and Minneapolis. But while the Coens admit they embellished a bit, the fact remains, fiction or not, this is among the truest looks at fly-over country Hollywood has ever produced.

The film opens with car salesman Jerry Lundergaard (William H. Macy) arriving in the town of Fargo, North Dakota, where he arranges for his wife to be kidnapped so that he can collect a ransom from his millionaire father-in-law. But the contract kidnappers (played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) turn out to be a grisly pair of keystone criminals. While they manage to pull off the kidnapping with little difficulty, Jerry’s “no rough stuff” kidnapping plot begins to go terribly awry when his contract men end up killing three people in rural Minnesota.

Enter Brainerd detective Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand).

Police uniform aside, Marge looks the part of a wide-eyed country rube and one might assume that she has never investigated a homicide before. But once on the crime scene, she pieces together the triple murder with the deftness of Columbo without so much as a shift in expression. Unlike the gritty urban cops that typically populate Hollywood movies, Marge’s logical re-telling of the events come out in a comically Midwestern matter-of-fact fashion: “Okay, so we got a state trooper pulls someone over, we got a shooting, and these folks drive by, and we got a high-speed pursuit, ends here, and then this execution type-deal.”

Taken on the surface, some Minnesotans surely cringe as they watch “Fargo”. The characters approach across as rather simplistic in nature and the Scandanavian-American accents go over-the-top in some cases. The Twin Cities itself looks like an uninviting Siberia with skyscrapers. But the Coen Brothers do not earn fun of Minnesota so much as they “roast” it. They color their characters with a deep shade of “Minnesota-nice” and while the people of the Upper Great Plains are not uniformly like the characters in Fargo, Jerry Lundergaard’s the-heck-ya-means and ya-darned-tootins accomplish for an hilarious juxtaposition when peppered among the horrifically violent events in the film. And that’s what makes “Fargo” so remarkable. The Coens have taken what they do best, which is crime-gone-wrong and put it in the setting they know best, Minnesota. The result is a true classic of American cinema in general and fly-over cinema in particular. The Coen’s greatest achievement in taking a snapshot of Middle America is in the dialogue of Fargo. Reprinted here is a sample of some of their best:

Here a Brainerd police officer named Gary questions a man who may know something about one of the killers.

MAN “How ya doin’? ” GARY “Mr. Mohra? ” MAN “Yah.” GARY “Officer Olson.” MAN “Yah, right-o … So, I’m tendin’ bar there at Ecklund & Swedlin’s last Tuesday and this little guy’s drinkin’ and he says, ‘So where can a guy find some action – I’m goin’ crazy down there at the lake.’ And I says, ‘What kinda action? ‘ and he says, ‘Woman action, what do I look like,’ And I says ‘Well, what do I gaze like, I don’t arrange that kinda thing,’ and he says, ‘I’m goin’ crazy out there at the lake’ and I says, ‘Well, this ain’t that kinda place.’” GARY “Uh-huh.” MAN “So he says, ‘So I earn it, so you think I’m some kinda jerk for askin’,’ only he doesn’t use the word jerk.” GARY “I unnerstand. ” MAN “And then he calls me a jerk and says the last guy who thought he was a jerk was dead now. So I don’t say nothin’ and he says, ‘What do ya assume about that? ‘ So I says, ‘Well, that don’t sound like too good a deal for him then.’ ” GARY “Ya got that right. ” MAN “And he says, ‘Yah, that guy’s dead and I don’t mean a old age.’ And then he says, ‘Geez, I’m goin’ crazy out there at the lake.’ ” GARY “White Bear Lake? ” MAN “Well, Ecklund & Swedlin’s, that’s closer ta Moose Lake, so I made that assumption.” GARY “Oh sure.” MAN “So, ya know, he’s drinkin’, so I don’t think a whole great deal of it, but Mrs. Mohra heard about the homicides out here and she thought I should call it in, so I called it in. Kill a story.”

Folks, welcome to the Midwest.

“Fargo” is an honest and funny satire and one of Hollywoodís best screenplays. Though some Minnesotans may select offense to the Coen’s skewers, they shouldn’t. This is a gentle ribbing done, I contain, with a great deal of affection by the state’s premiere filmmakers.

Raising Arizona (1987)
20th Century Fox

Directed by Joel Coen
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

H.I. McDonough, the man embodied by Nicholas Cage in “Raising Arizona”, is a cartoon. This assertion comes from Cage himself, saying in a number of post-production interviews that he had based the character on Woody Woodpecker. But like cartoons of the animated kind, the best ones, for all their slapstick and impossible physics, usually have some element of reality. Often that reality comes as a symbol of some human trait. Wily Coyote, for example, symbolizes dogged determination. Pepe Lapew, the blindness of love. H.I McDonough is not the best surface representation of folks in the Southwest, but like the great cartoons before him, he does represent their most universal trait. H.I. is the free-spirit of the Southwest personified.

“Raising Arizona” begins with a lengthy narrative on the events of H.I.’s checkered past. We see his numerous prison stints as the result of an armed-robbery habit. He tries to go the straight and narrow, but, as he says, “Things are hard with that sumbitch Reagan in the White House”. H.I is earnest in his attempts to turn his life around and gets his best chance through an unlikely courtship with Edwina (Holly Hunter), the police officer who always books him. Shortly after they settle into “marital bliss”, H.I. and his bride are shocked to discover that Edwina is infertile and because of H.I.’s past felonies, they are not allowed to adopt children. But as chance would have it, Nathan Arizona, a local furniture mogul (Trey Wilson) and his wife have just given birth to quintuplets. So H.I. and Edwina pursue the only option they feel they have: Siphon off one of those Arizona Quints. What follows is a caper story done Coen-style as H.I. and Edwina attempt to stave off the authorities, blackmail-attempts, an appocalyptic vigillanti and a couple of H.I.’s ancient inmates who are bent on cashing the baby in for the reward money.
H.I. is a certain brand of redneck that can only be found in the Southwest. A land unencumbered by the kind of dense population spreads found in the east, it is a region of almost unimaginable beauty where rock formations jut out of the ground like stout abstract sculptures and the very desert sands dust the land like pastel brushstrokes. It is no wonder a man with as dire of finances and legal trouble as H.I. would remain so carefree. The southwest feeds souls. Even a two-bit criminal’s soul. With “Raising Arizona,” the Coens stray as far from realism as other outings such as “The Hudsucker Proxy” or “Barton Fin”k, but the result of their effort here is a theater of the absurd for fly-over country. So while the film may look to be nothing more than a farcical, keystone caper, like the great absurdist plays of Beckett and Pinter, a mere scratch below the surface reveals characters of striking realism.

“Raising Arizona” marked the beginning of the Coen’s emergence as fly-over country’s preeminent filmmakers, a title they would solidify just 9 years later with “Fargo”. It is modern slapstick at its best and a hilarious explore at the “thinking man’s” redneck. If “About Schmidt” and “Fargo” hold vanity mirrors to their Midwest settings, “Raising Arizona” holds more of a funhouse mirror to its.

The last of the fly-over country films that I will look at is the only one that’s not ostensibly a comedy.

Five Easy Pieces (1970)
Columbia Pictures

Directed by Bob Rafelson

“Five Easy Pieces”, another Jack Nicholson starred vehicle, is the narrative of bourgoise classically-trained pianist turned blue-collar S.O.B., Robert Dupea. We find Dupea hiding from his upper-class family somewhere on the fringe of flyover country in rural Southern California. A fitting position since the focal point of this movie is Dupea’s self-imposed alienation from everyone and everything in his life. Dupea can’t make himself fit into any setting and the not-quite urban/not-quite rural oil-rig environment provides the perfect backdrop for a look into this character.

What is so striking about Dupea is that, despite his emotional detachment, he physically blends into both blue-collar and bourgois life. Dupea can sit in a bowling alley, sip beer, verbally abuse his girlfriend (played by Karen Shaded) and pick up other women as the girlfriend sits, heartbroken, outside in the car, and we possess he is such a man. But, just as powerful, we enjoy he is the man who, in the refined setting of his father’s Pacific Northwest estate, plays a moving fragment of Chopin by rote. The key, as Dupea himself points out, is that he is emotionally dead.

As it pertains to fly-over country, “Five Easy Pieces” is one of Hollywood’s best. Though the oil-rigs that utilize Dupea sit conclude enough to Los Angeles to cause traffic problems on one of his morning commutes, this film could have objective as easily been set in Oklahoma or Texas. Of particular note are the characters who surround Dupea while in the blue-collar setting. His girlfriend, Rayette Dipesto, and his oil-working buddy Elton, played by Billy Green Bush, are clearly beneath Dupea culturally and intellectually. On the surface, they would seem to be ignorant, rural stereotypes personified, but a closer look reveals them to be profoundly introspective (however simple in nature). Rayette and Elton want better lives, but they seem to be trapped in their maintain personal ruts. They wander through life just as much as Dupea but, unlike him, they limit their search for something better to the blue-collar environment they are used to. Instead of stereotyping the rural American underclass, Rayette and Elton are the very complex personalities on which the stereotypes in lesser movies are based. These characters best represent the subtle difference between well-crafted, realistic fly-over bumpkins and their superficially offensive counterparts.

No overview of “Five Easy Pieces” would be complete without mention of the famous diner scene. It is appropriate that this is the most remembered scene from the movie since truckstop diners are a staple of the fly-over landscape. But the irony of the diner scene’s popularity is that “Five Easy Pieces” is much more than those five minutes — as great as they are. It is a richly crafted character study, full of inspiring dialogue and superb acting. The movie packs an emotional wallop, yet has a surprising sense of humor. And nearly 40 years after it’s filming, stands as one of the best glimpses of Middle America (its Southern California location notwithstanding) ever laid down on celluloid.

In my third and last installment of Cinema Hayseed, I will compare and contrast what makes some fly-over flicks great with what makes others not-so-much.

Regulated by the states in which they are filed and finalized, divorces records are located within the offices of that state. Characteristically, the records are found at the local Prothonotary Office or other county office located at the local county courthouse.

The essential information about divorced couples is included in the divorce records. This includes their full names, the wife’s maiden name, the beefy home address at the time of the divorce, the name of the county in which the couple filed for the divorce, and the resultant date on which the divorce was finalized. The divorce certificate also contains a unique identification number. Some states include the number but not the names of the children who were seventeen years of age and under on the divorce records.

Since the husband’s name is faded for filing purposes for divorce records, your search should be conducted using the man’s name even if the divorce records you are looking for belong to a woman.

If you are requesting a copy of a specific divorce record in Arizona, it is not necessary to provide information that is not requested. However, if you are conducting a genealogical search that goes back quite a bit in time and you are requesting much older records, additional information might prove helpful to the search. This is especially the case with records dating prior to 1900, which are often imprecise in details or difficult to locate. In those cases, the more information that you can provide, the quicker the search will end.

Unfortunately, if you do not know the name of the county where the divorce was filed, you should search for that information. It is possible that a simple Internet search or telephone call to your local county office can provide that information if you have the address of the couple at the time of the divorce. Unfortunately, if you don’t have the address or the name of the county, then you will need to carry out a county-by-county search or a search for spouses. Each county does assess a fee for all searches even if they are not productive. Therefore, this can become quite expensive.

A search for spouses, both past and current, will produce the names of all spouses along with their addresses at the time that they were married. Using this information, you can get the name of the county and continue your search at the county courthouse.

As a general rule, a basic search takes somewhere between two and ten days. This depends on several factors including the divorce date, the amount of information that was provided, the number of available staff at the courthouse, and the time of year.

You must include your personal information such as full name, unusual address, relationship to the individual whose divorce records you are requesting, and the reason for your search. Additionally, the courthouse charges a small fee that ranges between five and fifteen dollars.

A more efficient and timely search will take residence to find divorce records in Arizona if you follow these steps. Print or type each full name and address clearly including the beefy name of both the husband and the wife and the maiden name for the wife. Keep your request brief.and limit each request to one divorce document.

Include the nicknames and alternate spellings that may have been used for the individuals. Include the rotund address of the individual at the time of the divorce with the street, city or town, county, and state. Include the date that the divorce was finalized or include a time frame with a short span of years for the search. Expect to pay an additional fee for searches such as this.

Include personal contact information with a daytime and evening telephone number. You can also include e-mail address or a fax number. Include your relationship to the individuals who are listed in your request. Include the reason you are making the request for the divorce records. Print your full name and sign your request. Include a fragment of identifying information such as a photocopy of your driver’s license. Include a self addressed stamped envelope with your inquire. Date your request.

A list of the local county courthouses that provide divorce records in Arizona is provided in alphabetical order:

Apache County

Apache County Clerk
P.O. Box 365
Saint Johns, AZ 85936
Telephone: (928) 337-4364

For birth/death records:

Office of Necessary Records
2727 West Glendale Ave PO Box 3887
Phoenix, AZ 85030-3887
Telephone: (602) 364-1300
Fax: (602) 249-3040

Cochise County

Cochise County Clerk
P.O. Box CK
Bisbee, AZ 85603
Telephone: (520) 432-9364

Coconino County

Coconino County Clerk
100 E. Birch Ave.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001-4625
Telephone: (928) 779-6536

Gila County

Gila County Clerk
1400 E. Ash St.
Globe, AZ 85501-1414
Telephone: (520) 425-3231

Graham County

Graham County Clerk
800 W. Main St.
Safford, AZ 85546-2829
Telephone: (520) 428-3310

Greenlee County

Greenlee County Clerk
Webster Street
Clifton, AZ 85533-1027
Telephone: (928) 865-3872

La Paz County

La Paz County Clerk
P.O. Box 730
Parker, AZ 85344
Telephone: (520) 669-6131

Maricopa County

Maricopa County Clerk
201 West Jefferson
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Telephone: (602) 506-3360

Mohave County

Mohave County Clerk
401 East Spring Street
Kingman, AZ 86401-0003
Telephone: (928) 753-9141

Navajo County

Navajo County Clerk of the Superior Court
P.O. Box 668
Holbrook, AZ 86025
Telephone: (928) 524-6161

Pima County

Pima County Clerk
150 W. Congress St. Rm 194
Tucson, AZ 85701-1707
Telephone: (520) 740-8522

Pinal County

Pinal County Clerk
P.O. Box 827
Florence, AZ 85232-0827
Telephone: (520) 868-6000

Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County Clerk
P.O. Box 1265
Nogales, AZ 85628-1265
Telephone: (520) 287-2221

Yavapai County

Yavapai Clerk of Grand Court
Prescott, AZ 86301-3803
Telephone: (928) 771-3100

Yuman County

Yuman County Clerk of the Court
198 S Main Street
Yuma, AZ 85364
Telephone: (928) 329-2170

Tucson, Arizona — Though many folks in Tucson feeling the economic crunch wouldn’t dream of buying an iPhone for themselves, some Tucsonans just got some for free. Well, sort of. Tax-payer dollars, specifically Homeland Security funds, are being used to provide more than 130 Apple iPhones to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

Some Tucson citizens are fretting the cost of the service plans that will be needed for these hundred-plus phones, and some don’t see the need for them in the first place. On a KVOA article response comment, a man who called himself “Eric George” voiced his opinion: “This… iPhone is nothing but the command staff’s need for another play toy, so the neighborhood kids can “ooh” and “ahh”.”

However, reaction on the street seems to favor the decision to give Tucson and Pima County’s finest a new tool to add to their arsenal. “I assume it’s wonderful,” said a woman outside a Northside Tucson grocery store when asked for her reaction. “These guys are putting themselves out there every day….they need all the help they can get”, the unidentified woman went on to say.

And “help” is exactly what these iPhones mean for police working Tucson and the surrounding area. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has issued each detective in the department their gain iPhone; all 132 of them. Assuming chunky label, at a price tag of between $199-600 for various models of Apple iPhones, that would do anywhere from a $25,000 to more than $50,000 dent in Arizona’s Homeland Security funding. The actual amount spent on the iPhones in unconfirmed.

The thing that makes Apple’s iPhone so current and appealing to law enforcement is Cop Link. What is Cop Link? A user-friendly, criminal records data-bank that functions sort of like any other iPhone application, or ‘app’. iPhone’s Cop Link feature offers time-saving, touch-screen access to significant information on criminals, such as mug shots, important “be on the lookout” information, images of stolen cars, and more. The access to Cop Link, coupled with the iPhone’s overall flexibility and mobility, make the phone an invaluable new tool in high-tech law enforcement.

Gone are the days of the Wild West, where the Sheriff rode in on horseback and dragged the town drunk to the pokey. Now, expect to examine smartly-dressed men and women in sleek, unmarked cars, fiddling with high-end PDAs while planning their next crime-fighting move. With the iPhone, Pima County Sheriff’s Office detectives can conduct important, potentially life-saving research right out in the field. Previously, the police may have had to relay information over the radio to a dispatcher, spelling out most things for clarification. Then the dispatcher could find information on computer systems and transmit it back to the officers. This is time-consuming and often inconvenient for police when conducting their duties.

Now, thanks to funds provided by Homeland Security, detectives in the Pima County Sheriff’s Department won’t have to wait for important data, and can learn about the people they are dealing with out on the streets more quickly. Using their iPhones with access to Cop Link, described by Lupita Murillo on KVOA news as “Google for law enforcement”, the Sheriff’s office can retort to crime more efficiently and have the most up-to-date information on warrants, court dates, rap sheets, mugshots and more, right at their fingertips.

By and great, distributing iPhones to the detectives within the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is a bold, forward-thinking move that may expose a powerful step in staying ahead of the crime-fighting curve. Police can better protect a community when they have the best, most reliable information at a glance. The iPhones with Cop Link should help bring both the police who use them and the community who are protected by them more up to speed, and with that comes an almost priceless peace of mind.

Sources: Monday News Coverage, 10/05/09, KVOA Tucson

Arizona! The first things that comes to mind are deserts, cactus and triple-digit temperatures. These descriptive words are accurate, as a good portion of Arizona is desert. But Arizona is a area that offers a expansive deal more that unprejudiced arid terrain and sweltering summers.

The Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is located in the northern part of the state. The Colorado River’s relentless erosion has exposed over 2000 million years of geology to visitors and scientists from around the world. Other Arizona geological treasures include the Barringer Meteor Crater impact site, the Petrified Forest, the Painted Desert and the incredibly glorious formations near Lake Powell, most notably,The Wave.^1,2,3

A lesser known fact about this state is that a exiguous over a quarter of Arizona is forested land. The world’s largest stand of Ponderosa pines is located, again, in northern Arizona. The tree line begins near Flagstaff and moves into the White Mountains area in the state’s northeastern corner

But what visitors and many residents of the dwelling are not aware of is that Arizona has over 1000 documented caves, karsts and caverns. Organizations dedicated to locating and documenting Arizona’s caves predict an estimated 3000 more caves will eventually be explored and added to the list of recent cave locations. Scientists, including geologists, archeologist and experts in cave preservation, have unruffled an incredible amount of information from the different type caves in desert and gigantic areas of the plot. An impressive list of caves and their topographical locations and coordinates are found in “Caves of Arizona: An Index To The Topographic Maps on Which They Are Located”, by Jack D. Mount.⁴

A cave or cavern is the property of the owner of the land on which it is located. It is necessary to get the owner’s permission to explore the status. According to the Arizona Cave Survey, all caves and caverns in Arizona are protected by state law and, if ignored, fines can be as much as $150,000.

The majority of Arizona’s cave sites are found on government land; the Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, for example. A very small percentage are found on private land.

The paleo-geologic history of Arizona tells of horrific volcanic activity. At one point, an inconceivable burst of energy caused an up-thrust which all but cut the state in half. The result is a positive formation now known as the Mogollon Rim. To the north of the rim lays the Colorado Plateau which is dotted with docile proof of active volcanoes. Mt. Humphreys, thrusting into the tundra zone at 12, 637 feet, is part of the San Francisco Peaks range that consists of a series of prehistoric volcanoes. Volcanic activity created most of the caves in the northern part of Arizona.

Lava River Cave, a lava tube, is located about 45 minutes north of Flagstaff. It is 3,820 feet long, the entrance an unassuming opening in the ground. The cave’s average temperature is around 34 degrees so it is not current to find ice throughout the cave in both summer and winter. Flashlights or lanterns are necessary in the tubes pitch black depths. The tube was formed when the top, sides and bottom of a lava flow cooled and hardened on the outside while molten lava continued flowing inside the walls. Scientists date Lava River Cave at around 700,000 years broken-down.⁵

Moving farther north and west, the Ample Canyon Caverns is what is known as a “dry cavern”. It is the 3^rd largest of its kind in the world. There is no water here to seep through limestone and gradually change the cavern’s interior. As it plunges over 20 stories down, layer upon layer of geological periods such as Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Devonian are revealed.⁶ This is another favorite destination for scientists, including those who study fossils.

Located in southern Arizona, Colossal Cave offers speleologists an example of a dormant cave. Originally formed by water seeping through limestone, this now dry cave maintains its impressive display of stalagmites and stalactites. Located 22 miles southeast of Tucson, it was often used by outlaws as a hideout in the tedious 1800’s. But long before its 3700 ft elevation made it the perfect place to hold off the law, prehistoric cultures had made it their home. Very little of this cave has been explored.⁷ Its passages will be a source of continued exploration and study for many years.

One exceptional cavern, originally owned by the Kartchner family, is now an Arizona State Park. It took over ten years from the time the Arizona legislature approved the acquisition of the land in 1988 until all parties, including world-renowned specialists in the preservation of caving environments, had done everything they could to insure the caverns would remain as pristine as possible.

In a written history of the discovery and events leading up to the opening of the James and Lois Kartchner Caverns State Park in November, 1999, Randy Tufts and Gary Tenen, who discovered the caverns, tell the amazing story of the need to protect the caverns location. Even more amazing is the telling of the commitment to secrecy by everyone involved in the process that extended even into the halls of the Arizona House and Senate. Many challenges had to be overcome to start this natural wondet.⁷

The Caverns’ Big Room and the Rotunda/Throne Room display colorful stalagmites and stalactites, soda straws, white columns and helictites. Names like Totems, “turnip” shields and brushite moonmilk describe other world-class formations that have spent eons developing within the cave’s soaring ceilings and massive chambers.

Kartchner Caverns’ Tall Room is closed from slack April until mid-October to protect the myotis bats that return there every year to have their young. This ritualistic migration from Mexico must be protected in order to maintain the caverns’ aesthetic ecosystem. Other areas of the cavern remain open year round. Located 12 miles from Benson, Arizona, Kartchner Caverns is listed among the top ten caverns in the world.

Grand Canyon Caverns, Colossal Cave and Kartchner Caverns offer guided tours. The lava tube is a self-guided tour. Always remember that while caving can be an amazing adventure, an inexperienced person should never go into a cave or cavern without an experienced guide.

If you are interested in learning more about Arizona’s caves and caverns, contact the Arizona Region Association or the National Speleological Society. A list of grottos, individual groups of cavers representing different areas of the state, can be found on the Arizona Cave Survey website.*

^{1 www.americansouthwest.net}

^{2 www.meterocrater.com}

^{3 www.petrified.forest.national-park.com}

^{4Reprint of an article appearing in: Pimeria: Bulletin of the Map Collection, University of Arizona}

Library, vol. 23, nos. 4&5, September-December 1992, pages 1-8 [Z881.A7 U55 Main & Spec. Coll.]

⁵ www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/lava-river-cave.shtml

⁶www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001822.html

⁷www.arizona-leisure.com/colossal-cave-arizona.html

⁸ www.arizonacavers.org, “Discovery and History of Kartchner Caverns,Arizona”, written by Randy Tufts and Gary Tenen, published in the Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, August 1999.

⁹ arizonacaves.org*

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is America’s toughest Sheriff, at least that is what he promotes himself to be. He has many critics as well as many followers. Currently, his practices are being criticized by Amnesty International, American Civil Liberties Union, Arizona Ecumenical Council, American Jewish Committee, and the Arizona Chapter of the Anti-defamation League. His jails are quoted as being “cockroach infested hellholes” and “hell on earth” by several inmates and critics. Not only are conditions in his jail said to be horrendous, but his treatment of inmates and practices have gotten out of control.

The Early Years
Joseph M. Arpaio was born June 14, 1932 in Springfield Massachusetts and is of Italian Heritage. His mother died while in childbirth and he was raised by his father who was the owner of a grocery store. After Arpaio completed high school, he worked for his father until the age of 18 and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served from 1950 to 1954 in the Medical Detachment Division. After his discharge from the army in 1954, he moved to Washington D.C. and became a policeman. Arpaio moved to Las Vegas and served there for about six months before he was given a position with the Drug Enforcement Administration where he worked his way up to head of the DEA department in Arizona. In 1992, he campaigned for office of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and has been re-elected several times, in 1996, 2000, 2004 and again in 2008.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio has done many colossal things for the Arizona community and has also situation great examples for other deputies and states. Recently, however, he has racially profiled illegal immigrants insecure the Hispanic community. He’s focused so much on immigration that he has forgotten to do more important things that actually help the community and stop murderers, rapists and drug dealers. Some of the programs he has created and build into effect include:

*Bike Registration
*Block Watch Programs
*Child Identification and fingerprinting
*Project LifeLine (provides free cell phones to domestic violence victims)
*STARS (Sheriff Teaching Abuse Resistance to Students)
*An annual camp for kids near Payson, AZ

Changes to Jail Operations
While not everyone will agree with the changes and procedures of his jails, some programs have truly benefited the staff, and even the inmates. He serves inmates surplus foods including outdated and oxidized green bologna and has limited meals to twice daily. Pornographic material has been banned after complaints from female officers. The inmates frequently and openly masturbated and harassed officers by commenting on their anatomy compared to the nude photographs and publications. In February of 2007, he started a radio status, KJOE, that broadcasts from the basement of the County Jail. It is broadcasted five times per week for four hours each day. The music played is classical, opera, Frank Sinatra hits, patriotic music and educational programs.

Tent City
In order to control over-crowding, Arpaio created Tent City which is located outdoors and is an extension of the Maricopa County Jail. Toilets, showers and a spot to eat are in a more permanent building. This extension saved tax payers $70 million dollars by using tents instead of building a new jail. Many people are against Tent City because at times, the temperature under the tents can reach up to 150 degrees in the Arizona summer heat. Some of the amenities that Tent City provides to the inmates are fans and water under their tent during the heat season. In 2003, when the temperature reached 110 degrees outside, Arpaio told complaining inmates “It’s 120 degrees outside in Iraq and the soldiers are living in tents and they didn’t commit any crimes, so shut your mouths”.

The Effort Begins
When Arpaio learned that inmates were stealing their jail house underwear, he decided to dye them pink. To his surprise, the inventory improved and he proceeded to dye the socks, bed sheets, shirts and towels pink as well. Sheriff Joe began selling his pink boxers as a fund raiser for his Sheriff’s Posse Association. His website states:

Help Joe Arpaio, “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” prevent youth violence and protect America. Sheriff Joe is now making his replica of pink underwear and handcuffs available to the general public through the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Youth Assistance Foundation (YAF). All proceeds go toward the obvious mentoring of the youth within Maricopa County, Arizona.

Shortly after, allegations surfaced accusing him of mis-using funds received from fund raising sales. When confronted, he refused to provide an accounting of the money. This was also the beginning of several publicity stunts that would land the Sheriff on several news broadcasts.

Policy on Illegal Immigration
In 2005, Arizona passed a law making it a felony to smuggle illegal aliens across the border punishable with two years in prison. County Attorney Andrew P. Thomas stated that persons being smuggled could be considered co-conspirators to the smuggling and could be charged by the same law. The law’s sponsor stated that this law was never intended to target the immigrants themselves, only the smugglers.

Arpaio almost immediately demanded that his deputies arrest any illegal immigrants that they came across with. He was quoted in the Washington Times saying “If you come here [illegally] and I catch you, you’re going straight to jail…I’m not going to turn these people over to the federal authorities so they can have a free ride to Mexico”. Arpaio commenced immigration sweeps all around the Phoenix Metro Dwelling.

Guadalupe, a city of ¾ square miles which is 40% Yaqui and 60% Mexican-American, is one of the poorest communities in Arizona. Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies constantly harass and arrest anyone who looks Hispanic. He has arrested just aliens and citizens even when they protested and advised him they were factual.

In April 2008 he and Guadalupe Mayor, Rebecca Jimenez, got into a heated argument after she accused him of coming into her town to arrest 26 people, 5 of them illegal immigrants, under false pretenses. Arpaio proceeded to tell Jimenez that if she didn’t like it, she had 90 days to destroy her contract with the Sheriff’s office and get someone else to patrol their town. The town is so small they they are not able to afford their own Police department so they rely on the Sheriff’s office to patrol their town. When Arpaio was accused of using the Guadalupe scuffle to gain more publicity he stated that was ridiculous and if he wanted to create publicity for himself he would have told Guadalupe to collect another police department to patrol their town…

March 3, 2009 Arpaio received a letter from the U.S. Department of justice which notified him that there would be an investigation of his policy on illegal immigration stating his enforcement methods may unfairly target Hispanics and Spanish speaking people.

Lawsuits
From 2004 to November 2007, Arpaio had about 2,150 lawsuits in the U.S. District court and hundreds more in Arizona. He had 50 times more prison-condition lawsuits than New York, Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles combined. A class action lawsuit was filed by attorney Debra Hill and the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of jail inmates. By mid 2007, Arpaio had $50 million in claims that had been filed against the Sheriff’s Office in Maricopa County.

Inmate Deaths and Injuries
Charles Agster was a 33 year outmoded, mentally challenged man who was dead objective three days after being forced by Sheriff’s officers into a restraint chair. Officers placed a spit hood over his face and strapped him to a chair where he had a seizure and lost consciousness. A lawsuit filed by his family resulted in a $9 million dollar verdict against the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Scott Norberg died in 1996 after being arrested for assaulting a police officer in Mesa, Arizona. According to Amnesty International, Norberg was handcuffed and face down when he was dragged from his cell and placed in a restraint chair; A towel was also placed over his face. When his body was found, deputies accused Norberg of attacking them. The cause of death was positional asphyxia. Allegations surfaced of the deputies destroying evidence of the abuse but Arpaio cleared the officers of any wrong-doing. A suit filed by Norberg’s parents resulted in $8.25 million dollars.

Brian Crenshaw was legally blind and mentally disabled when he suffered fatal injuries in jail while being cared for by the deputies. Crenshaw’s family filed a lawsuit and they were awarded $2 million dollars. Arpaio and his officers were accused of destroying digital video evidence of the events.

Jeremy Flanders was attacked by inmates in Tent City. He was assaulted with rebar tent stakes. These tent stakes had been used in a prior riot by inmates and were never secured after the fact. “[There is] evidence that among other things, the Sheriff and his deputies had actual knowledge that prisoners used rebar stakes and poles as weapons and did nothing to prevent it”, said the plaintiff. Jeremy was awarded $635,532 but the damage had been done, he suffered permanent brain harm due to the attack.

Richard Post was arrested in 1996 for possession of marijuana. He was placed in a chair restraint by guards and his neck was broken in the process. The event was caught on video and shows deputies smiling and laughing while Post is being injured. Due to the injuries, Robert Post has lost most of the exercise in his arms and was awarded $800,000 dollars.

Debra Braillard was listed as a diabetic inmate on her health records. Cell mates state the nurse did not give her insulin and detention officers ignored her pleas. She died of diabetic shock from a lack of insulin.

Clint Yarbrough suffocated in a jail restraint chair December of 2005. On April 17, 2007 the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved a $1 million dollar settlement to his family.

Jose Rodriguez died in a pool of his maintain vomit on the floor of the jail cell. Cries for help by other inmates were ignored. Dehydration, fever and twitching contributed to his death.

Deputies Misbehave on a Prostitution Sting
Undercover officers arrested over 70 people for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution from several homes and massage parlors around Phoenix. Records demonstrate that several officers undressed, fondled the breasts and genitals of several massage parlor employees and allowed their penises to be fondled while trying to convince the women that they were not undercover officers. 60 cases were thrown out of court due to the misconduct.

Botched Raid
In 2004, the Sheriff’s office SWAT team raided an Ahwatukee home looking for illegal weapons and armor piercing bullets. A few moments after tear gas canisters were shot into the home, a fire erupted and destroyed a $250,000 home. The armored personnel vehicle careened down the street and rolled onto a neighbors parked car smashing it and causing $4000 in damages. As if that were not enough, a SWAT team member drove a ten month old puppy back into the blazing home where he later died engulfed in the flames. The dog’s owner, Andrea Barker, tells how the Sheriff’s SWAT team laughed at her: “I was crying hysterically, I was so upset. They [the deputies] were laughing at me.” No weapons (other than an antique shot gun a pistol which were apparently legal) or armor piercing bullets were ever found.

Harassment of a Reporter
June 11, 2008 Ray Stern, a reporter for the Phoenix New Times, was surrounded and intimidated by several deputies while trying to examine public records at the City of Phoenix records office. Stern contacted County attorney Gary Verburg who came down to the building to tell the deputies that Stern was allowed to view the public records. A Conflict Resolution Manager from the office brought out an Arizona law book and pointed at the share saying that Stern had every right to opinion public records during business hours. Attorney Gary Verburg again notified the officers that Stern had every honest. After hearing this, the deputies threatened Stern with an arrest if he continued to search the pubic records. Things got so out of control that the Phoenix police had to be called to help and warn the deputies not to arrest Stern resulting in a brief standoff.

Attention Seeker?
“He never met a microphone he didn’t like. That’s what some people say about Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and he admits he gets a lot of publicity. Arpaio says his is the most famous sheriff’s office anywhere. ‘And everybody knows the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — even on the moon,’ he quipped. Arpaio says he needs to go before the media to salvage the message out that he’s arresting illegal immigrants,” says the Channel 5 website in Phoenix.

*Pink underwear
*Green bologna
*An army tank
*Inmate Idol (his version of American Idol)
*A semi parading his name all across town
*Transporting inmates on the light rail with media all over the place
*Over-exaggerating publicity about illegal aliens and arrests

These are objective some of the attention seeking acts this Sheriff is guilty of. Arpaio has separated hundreds of Hispanic families. He has left children without a father or mother, in some cases without both. Being deported to Mexico leaves a child in a very difficult decision. Do they grow up without parents or do they uproot their novel life and move to a country they don’t know just to be close to their illegal parents? Arpaio should go after murderers, rapists, and drug dealers. Illegal immigrants are not criminals. Wanting to better your quality of life is not a crime and if it were easy to come to this country legally, there would not be as many illegals.

What about the inmates that are being injured in jail or lose their lives to the sadistic deputies and guards? They made mistakes in their lives but they are still human and don’t deserve to die or be mistreated by power-filled deputies and guards. After all, the Sheriff is supposed to be here to protect and serve… he’s not here to make himself famous.

“The sheriff has focused on his illegal immigration raids so much that since 2005, more than a dozen bodies of homicide victims have turned up in the West Valley in Arpaio’s jurisdiction. He’s been too busy rounding up undocumented tree trimmers to go after the hardened criminals responsible for those murders. As a result, the people who depend on him for their police protection are at stout risk,” says Dan Saban’s website. Dan Saban ran for sheriff in 2008 against Joe Arpaio. It’s time for a change. We need someone who will go after ALL criminals, not just a racist Sheriff who will only focus on illegal immigrants and who wants to be famous.

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Sources:
http://www.kpho.com/news/14217811/detail.html
http://www.arpaio.com/wordpress/? p=5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/04/04/20080404n-faceoff0403.html
http://www.sabanforsheriff.com/2008/blog/viewtopic.php? p=211