THROUGH IRISH EYES

An Emerging Leader!

2012-02-02T17:48:00.004-07:00

On Tuesday of this past week, DUSD had the privilege and honor of having Daniel Hernandez visit. Daniel was the intern working for Congresswoman Giffords that awful day in January, 2010.

He first visited Douglas High School where he spoke to our seniors about civic responsibility and the importance of voting. They took voter registration packets for the students to fill out who are 18. He told the students that he was just working as an intern and going to school and because of the events that day, has been thrust into the national limelight. He told them that you never know what might happen and how it can become a positive, despite a tragedy.

Each month, I meet with parent reps from each school to discuss different issues happening in the District. So I invited Daniel to speak to them. Many of our district office employees, as well as our administrators, wanted to hear him speak. So we had a packed house!!

Daniel's talk was powerful at so many levels. He spoke of kindness and the importance of respect. He talked about working together for the common good--which is so lacking in our society and especially in politics.

He also told the story of what happened that horrible day. He told about being asked by Gabe Zimmerman to work that day even though he had already put in a 40 hour week. He said he got there a bit late, as did Congresswoman Giffords, which was unusual. He was helping people sign in and what assistance they might want from the Congressional Office when he heard someone yell "gun" and then shots were fired. He ran up to the area and saw many casualties. Because he had gone through the Certified Nursing Assistant program in high school, he had some medical training. When he determined that some were dead, he then saw the Congresswoman laying at an angle. He said he had hoped she had been able to get down and out of the way, but when he got to her he saw the bullet had gone threw her brain. He saw that she was suffocating in her own blood, so he propped her up against him and cleared her nose, etc., so that she could breathe. He also had her against him trying to stop the flow of blood. He said she was alert and talking.

When the medical team came and they were going to take her to the hospital, he went with her so he could talk to her and tell her that they were getting in touch with her parents and with her husband.

He then talked about what an inspiration she has always been. He told of election night in 2008 when it looked like she was going to lose. He remembers going to her room to give her some cake that his mom had made and she talked to him about the importance of continuing to try to make difference no matter what.

Tuesday night I went to a Democratic rally at my dear friend, Susan's, house. Many candidates were there and Daniel spoke again.

It was getting late and it was time for him to drive back to Tucson. I had asked Teresa to come to the lunch with the parent council. I didn't realize that he had talked to her. I asked him to come and meet her and he said he already did at the lunch. But he stopped and went over and sat down next to her and talked to her for about 10 minutes. To me, this showed so much of the character that he has.

Daniel is wise beyond his years. It is hard to imagine that he is only 22 years old and just turned 22. He currently sits on the Sunnyside School Board in Tucson, and as he told us, the only two offices he can run for at his age are school board and dog catcher.

Daniel also has incredible charisma. Having this charisma will win him votes if he decides to run for office in the future. But along with the charisma is a man of integrity, vision, and a true caring for people.

I sent him an email thanking him for taking the time to come to Douglas and today I got a response from him thanking me for the opportunity to talk to our students and parents.

If Daniel Hernandez is our future, we have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to look forward to in our future leaders. Young people get a bad rap at times, and Daniel gives hope for the possibilities.

No matter what your political persuasion is, you have to respect this young man and what he stands for!!

What an incredible young man we have in Arizona for our future!!!!

Touching Moments

2012-01-29T12:40:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week, watching the State of the Union address, there was a very touching moment when President Obama hugged Gabby Giffords. That was something seen by millions of people all over the world.

Sometimes touching moments can come from the most unexpected day-to-day experiences.

There is a saying that everything happens in threes. I have experienced that a few times in my life. However, yesterday it truly happened in threes--touching moments that I would never have expected.

I don't like to have to go to Walmart to shop, but there aren't many other options down here now that Safeway closed. As I was going down an aisle, a darling little boy was so excited to see me. He said "hi" and I responded and asked how he was. He told me he was fine. As we passed, I heard him tell his dad--El presidente de la escuela!!! It made my day!! There have only been a few times a child has known me. And that is something I truly miss after so many years at an elementary school

Teresa and I usually go to 5:00 o'clock mass on Saturday evening. Tonight, neither of the deacons or the altar server were there. Father Gilbert was all by himself. Everything went fine, but when it came time for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, there was no one to help Father with the preparation.

As he started preparing, an elderly (and very distinguished) gentleman came forth and went up to the altar to assist. This wonderful man is almost 90 years old and suffers from the early stages of Alzheimers. He is always at 5:00 o'clock mass and is often one of the Eucharistic Ministers. It is always touching for me to see him participate, despite the fact that he has oxygen with him and has a bit of trouble getting around. I have known him all of my life. Our families' friendship goes way back and I went all through school with his children.

However, what happened last night was amazing! I am sure at one point in his life he had been an altar boy. He helped Father with the water and the wine and all of the preparation. He then went down to where the altar server sits and knelt down right on the carpet (and I can tell you I wouldn't be able to do this.) He then became the bell ringer during the consecration. After that, he went about his way and did his Eucharistic Minister duties. Just watching this tonight was so powerful. I have given him a ride home a couple of times after church. My admiration for him is immense!!   I believe there was a message in what I saw tonight!

Right after I came back to Douglas last year, there was a terrible accident right after the 5:00 o'clock mass. I was up at the cabin, so I wasn't there, but Teresa was. Two ladies were crossing the street to get to their cars when a drunk driver hit them. Both of them were seriously injured.   One of the ladies hit is the wife of the rancher who was killed here almost two years ago, so there was a lot of media coverage.

The other lady is elderly and she had several broken bones and was hurt quite badly. Both of them have been back in Douglas for quite some time and seem to be doing fairly well. Last night, I walked out of church with Shirley. She uses a cane and you could tell she is still in a lot of pain. However, she ALWAYS has a big smile on her face and a hug to give.   We walked her to her car and chatted. She is so upbeat and positive despite everything that has happened to her. She is a beautiful lady--both on the outside and the inside. My admiration for her is also immense!

Robert Louis Stevenson said, "The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life."

How true that was for me todayI The simple acts of shopping and church were some of the sweetest things in life!

"Complimentary?" Name Calling?

2012-01-16T19:13:00.001-07:00

Can being called a name ever be complimentary? Believe itor not, I believe this to be true!!! Yes, it is true and this is comingfrom someone who never allowed any student to call another student aname..............

Last Tuesday was my birthday and I just happened to be up in thevalley for state meetings on the committee I sit on. I had received anemail earlier from Barb, my former secretary, asking if I was going to be up inthe valley any time soon. She said she would like to have a "little"happy hour with my Gilbert friends.

The timing was perfect and I was excited to see some of thepeople who have meant so much to me over the years. As I walked in, they started singing a song that my dear friend, Jan, made famous. It should end with "she's a lovely lass." However, the version that I have heard sung many times substitutes "lovely for "horse's and a word that rhymes with lass." Hence, this is the time to reflect on the title of this post!!!

I was so touched to see SO MANY of these wonderfulfriends!!!!!!! When I left to come to Douglas, I truly left in aweek. Although I feel that there has been closure, I have to say that Itruly miss the wonderful relationships that I had with so many wonderful peopleover the years. And it was so awesome to see so many people there!! I can't even begin to say what this meant to me.

I love my job down here in Douglas! I feel rejuvenated andI feel that there is a reason that I came here. At the time that I moveddown here, I thought it was going to be because of my dear Aunt Teresa. And it has been. However, I truly believe that there was anotherreason. And because of that belief, I know that my job down hereisn't finished.

Putting all of those reasons aside, I would just like to say howmuch last Tuesday meant to me on a personal level. Today I was readingthe many cards that I received. I have to say that there were tears in myeyes when I finished. I truly cherish those wonderful relationships andhope that no matter what life brings, I will always know that my time at that wonderfulschool was also a blessing for me in many ways.

So thank you to all of my wonderful friends for making thisbirthday so special!! Words can't express how much it meant to me. Love all of you!!!!!

2012--Happy New Year

2011-12-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

I have been reflecting on this past year and so much that has happened. I haven't kept up with my blog and the enjoyment I get from writing. It seems that so much of what has happened in my life has not been "blog material" so to speak.

I truly believe that is has been a blessing for me and so many ways to be back here in Douglas. Being with Teresa has been good for both of us and I have valued our time together.

I do miss the times with the cousins up in the valley and know that they are going out tonight. We had such wonderful times on New Year's Eve through the years. Lots of laughter and fun! I look forward to that in the future.

I also miss the dear friends that I have had for so many years. It is wonderful to get together whenever I have an opportunity when I am in the valley. However, it has been great to renew old friendships and make new ones down here!!

So as the New Year arrives, here is an Irish Blessing for those of you who read my blog:

May you have the hindsight to know where you've been

The foresight to know where you are going

And the insight to know when you have gone to far.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2012

Thanksgiving Vacation (The Road Trip)

2011-11-27T19:12:00.001-07:00

This is a work of fiction based
on facts that truly happened.

Names have been changed
to protect the elderly.

Once upon a time, a long time educator decided to put her hat in as a candidate for the superintendency of a small town along the Arizona/Mexico Border, where she grew up. This educator, also known as Cheela, applied for this position because her elderly Aunt T. Elizabeth was living in this small border town in the house where she was born in 1922. Tia was the only one of the seven siblings who grew up in this town who was still alive. She let all of the family know that she had absolutely NO intention of moving from this house where she was born and from this town that she dearly loves. In consultation with several of the "cousins," Cheela decided to apply and low and behold, she was named the superintendent in July, 2010.

There have been many stories that have occurred over the course of the time between July, 2010 and November, 2011. Many of those stories have been unbelievable and would have been thoroughly enjoyed by Cousin Felipe, who died prior to Cheela's term as superintendent. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the job, Cheela hasn't been able to write about them on this blog. However, Cheela feels that reality television would not even believe them. The only consolation for Cheela is the fact that a certain retired CIA agent would have!!

And now to get to the "meat" (or turkey) of this story. Thanksgiving weekend 2011 was fast approaching. Cheela and Tia planned to spend the holiday in the valley with family. Unbeknownst to Cheela, Tia invited two of her elderly friends to ride up to the valley with them. So Wednesday morning, Cheela loaded her SUV with luggage, tamales, Tia, and the two pugs, Diego and Lucy. The first stop was at Elena's house. Now Elena is 91 and is legally blind and a bit hard of hearing. All she had with her was her suitcase and oxygen tank. They then picked up Nani, who brought her "foo foo" dog along. It took the pugs a bit of time to get use to the idea that there was actually a "foo foo" dog in the car. They were not pleased.

The trip to the valley was uneventful. Nani's daughter was going to pick her up at a shopping center where there was a wine store. While waiting for the daughter, Cheela went in to the store to see if they had her favorite Irish Ale, which they did. They also had a wine tasting going on and Cheela suggested to Tia, Elena, and Nani that they might like to go in and taste a bit of wine. They didn't at that point, although Cheela really wanted to!

Thanksgiving went well and Sunday rolled around and the return trip was planned. Cheela and the pugs picked up Tia at her daughter's house in the eastern part of the valley. They then drove to another town and picked up Elena and her suitcase and oxygen. They then went back to the shopping mall and picked up Nani, the "foo foo" dog, her suitcase and several other items.

On the way back, they listened to football games on XM as Nani was very interested in the outcome of games because she had bet on them. They stopped for gas midway and Tia and Elena had to use the restroom. This took quite some time. Nani stayed in the car with "foo foo" listening to the football games and somehow the car doors were locked. When Cheela tried to get the keys, the "foo foo" dog tried to bite her. However, that worked out fine and they proceeded on their trip south.

Arriving in the border town about 4:00, Cheela took Nani home first. After unloading her several items, she discovered that one box was a case of wine. It was quite a struggle getting that up the steps to the house. At one point the "foo foo" dog tried to get out of the house, and when Cheela tried to stop him, he growled and snapped at her. However, everything was finally in the house and they could proceed to the next drop off. Now Elena is legally blind and had some difficulty opening her door. However, Cheela helped her get her one suitcase and oxygen into the house without too much of a problem.

Next stop, Tia's home where she was born........... She had to be let out in front of the house so that she could disarm the alarm. Cheela asked Tia to get out of the car quickly so that the pugs couldn't escape and run for a better life. Tia doesn't hurry, but the pugs didn't escape either! So around the block they went and opened the garage door. After all of the luggage, etc. was unloaded and the pugs were safely in the back yard, Cheela put the garage door down. As she went into the backyard, she noticed that Tia had a broom and a device that elderly people (and prisoners who are picking up trash) use to pick things up. In addition, Tia was looking for the two garbage cans that weren't on the rack and weren't in the yard. She has paid a child down the street $5 to put the garbage cans back in the yard after they were emptied by the city. Unfortunately, both garbage cans were in the alley and completely full. Cheela went to the alley to put the garbage cans back on the rack. However, she was only able to pick up one, as the other was too heavy.

So Cheela went back to the garage and into the backyard, only to find Tia bending over the swimming pool. This pool is about two feet above ground and two feet below. Tia had the "pick" trying to get the plug off of the drain as the pool had rain water in it. Cheela was very concerned that Tia would fall head first into the pool and she wasn't sure how she would explain that to the police and to the family. So Cheela immediately took the device and removed the drain cover. Tia then took the broom and tried to sweep the leaves out of the way so that the rain water would go down the drain--not the leaves. Cheela was not sure what the result of that endeavor was as she went into the house looking for her Irish Ale!

Although this could be considered a work of fiction, IT IS THE HONEST TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!! How could anyone make something like this up? Cheela is hoping that there will be some award for this short story, maybe even having it made into a movie or a sitcom!!!

Who would have "thunk" there could be so much adventure like this here on the border??????????

Pug Tales--Volume 4

2011-11-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Recently I had to attend a conference in Rio Rico for three days. This is usually never a problem as Teresa is here to take care of the pugs or the conferences are in the valley so they go with me and stay with one of the kids. However, Teresa was still up in the valley and it had completely slipped my mind that I needed to find someplace or someone to take care of Lucy and Diego.

I did a web search and found a place in Hereford (near Sierra Vista) called"Goin' to Grandma's" (a bed and biscuit kennel) and all of the testimonials were great. So I called and asked if they could stay there. I had all of their shot records sent to them, but they needed the vaccine for kennel cough. Our vet down here was out of town but I found a place in Sierra Vista where I could get the vaccine and give it to them myself. Thank goodness it was not a shot, but a spray in their noses.

So off went Lucy and Diego to the pet resort. When we got there, I signed them up for Camp BowWow so that they could play with the other dogs each day. When I left them, they looked so pathetic and I felt bad. It was a really nice facility so I knew that they would be well taken care of!

Were they ever glad to see me when I went to pick them up. That morning, they had been to the groomers so they were all clipped, brushed, and washed!! They even received a report card--they did very well!

Teresa got home a day or so later. Diego started to have a cough and it was kind of bad. I told her I would make an appointment with Dr. John (our vet down here and long time family friend). The next morning when I was getting ready for work, he was coughing quite a bit. Teresa wanted me to call Dr. John at 6:30 a.m., but I waited until they opened. Dr. John works with all of the ranchers around here with their horses, etc., so he is on the road quite a bit. He doesn't have an actual office because of this, and works out of the back of his truck. He was out that day, but we could go in Saturday. So as I am getting ready to take him in, Teresa decides she needs to go with me. Now this is the same person who was not very thrilled about me bringing both of them down here when I moved down here!!!!

Diego is doing fine, but was on some medication. Every day I was questioned to make sure that I had given him his meds.

Last weekend, we spent the three days up at the cabin. The pugs love the mountains because they can run free. I found out the day we were at the vet's office that there is a vaccine out for rattlesnakes which I will be getting that for them soon.

Can't help but love those pugs!!!!!!!!!!

Saying Goodbye to My Dear Friend, Pat O.

2011-10-25T20:01:00.007-07:00

I received a dreaded phone call as I was coming home tonight. I knew that I would receive this phone call any day now. Last week, Pat's wonderful daughter, Kerry, sent me an email telling me that her mom was in the final stages of her life. I received her email while I was at a conference and it took me quite a bit of time to respond because of the tears.

Many years ago, when I went to teach at Patterson Elementary in Gilbert, I met Pat. She was hired as an instructional assistant and she was assigned to my grade level. There began a friendship that has lasted for many years.

Pat became an integral part of my classroom community. She was loved by the children and respected by the teachers. Over the years, I feel that I grew as a teacher. However, that growth would not have happened without Pat O. in my professional life. But even more than that, was Pat in my personal life. Pat was always opinionated and you could count on her telling you what she thought. However, this was always done in a very respectful way.

Through my years of teaching at Patterson, Pat was always the one to help me get my classroom ready for the first day. She kept me on track with my lesson plans. She worked with individual students and groups. She ran off all of the papers that were needed for the students. She took care of their problems on the playground. And every year when I took my students on the Bisbee/Tombstone trip, Pat was right there with us. The children and the parents loved her!!! And so did I! I know that I was a good teacher and will always carry those years with me with pride. However, my being a good teacher was also because of Pat's dedication and friendship to me. I will always value what she did for me and for the children I taught. She truly loved them and I know she loved me.

After many years at Patterson, several of the teachers decided to move to Houston Elementary when it opened. Pat moved with us. After one year at Houston, I went to the District and then the next year to Gilbert El. Pat then came to Gilbert El with me for a few years before she retired.

Through the years we have remained friends. As with many friendships, time goes by without seeing each other. I was busy being a principal and Pat was busy being retired. So we didn't see a lot of each other.

Last March, her daughter, Kerry, let me know that she had cancer. The day her email came brought tears to my eyes. It was so hard to hear this news. So many of those wonderful friends from Patterson have passed and I didn't want to hear this about my dear friend, Pat.

I was able to visit with her over the course of the next few months when I went up to the valley. She was the same Pat O. I know that she was proud of me being a superintendent.

Probably my favorite Pat O. story has to do with the cemetery plots that her husband, Chuck, bought many years ago. He purchased two plots at the Catholic cemetery on Baseline in Mesa. A few years after that purchase, the Gilbert District purchased land from the Diocese of Phoenix to build a new school for the District. I will never forget Pat's comment, "I am going to be on playground duty for eternity." When I was talking to Kerry tonight, she said that they were putting a whistle in her casket.

In August when I was in the valley, I was able to spend some time with her. I was able to tell her how much she meant to me and to tell her that I loved her. That doesn't always happen in life. I will always feel at peace that I was able to have that conversation with her.

Kerry said that Pat died the way she lived. That was with her family surrounding her. I know that she and her beloved, Chuck, are reunited tonight. And I know how much her children and grandchildren meant to her. She talked about them often and how proud she was of them. When I visited with her over the last few months, her children and grandchildren were surrounding her. What a legacy she and Chuck left!!!

Pat Ofenloch was a dear friend and I will always cherish that friendship. Tonight when I got home from work I got the phone call from Kerry as I was getting out of the car. After our conversation, I came into the house and reflected on the many years that Pat has been in my life. There is a saying that making a difference in the life of a child is of the utmost importance in life. I can truly say that Pat made a difference in the life of many children in her years as an IA.

"Those we love our never really gone as long as their stories are told." Thank you, Pat, for all that you have done for me over the years. I will always cherish the stories and your friendship.

I hope to get up to Gilbert for the funeral, but I may not make it. If I don't, her stories will always be in my heart. So my dear friend, Pat,

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Doesn't Seem Possible!

2011-10-06T01:00:00.003-07:00

It was nine years ago today that my mom died. There has not been a day that has gone by that I haven't missed her. My being back here in Douglas with Teresa would have made her so proud. It has done my heart good to hear so often from people who loved her. She was a remarkable person and I am proud to have been her daughter.

She would have been 94 years old on Saturday. Wow!!

Last year we didn't have our family dinner together to remember the good times and the fun times. We will all be together next week, so I am hoping we can get together to tell stories, especially for Cameron. It is so important for him to remember her. In the words of my favorite author, Carmen Agra Deedy, "Those we love are never really gone, as long as their stories are told." And there are so many stories to tell about Margaret Shannon!

September Summaries

2011-09-18T15:21:00.011-07:00

It has been awhile since I have written anything on my blog--almost a month. A lot has happened in this past month, but not necessarily things I can write about here!

We usually spend Labor Day weekend at the cabin. It has become something of a tradition with Kerri, Cam and various friends. However, this year Cave Creek is still closed because of the fire. Teresa and I did go up a few weeks ago and it is amazing what rain can do. It was very green and things are really starting to come back. However, the massive amounts of rain have caused the creek to change course in many areas. You can tell where the water has made a new route. It was just good to see that there was not damage from flooding at the cabin.

Because Teresa was gone, I had to figure out someplace that was "pug friendly" if I wanted to go anywhere over the weekend. I did find several places that would accept pets. The only problem was that the pets have to be very good--no barking, don't get up on furniture.....all of the things that my pugs do!! I finally decided upon the Triangle T Guest Ranch in Dragoon. So the pugs and I loaded up and headed to Dragoon which is about an hour from Douglas. It is in a beautiful spot called Texas Canyon right off of I10 between Willcox and Benson. The rock formations are amazing!! The ranch is great with horses and ranch dogs and a saloon right in the middle. However, the pugs aren't exactly ranch pugs and they didn't take too kindly to being on a leash when the other dogs (and horses) weren't. We ended up staying just one night because of this. I would like to go back with Cam as I think he would love the ranch---minus the pugs!!!

September brings the Arizona School Board Association's yearly law conference. School law is a huge field and I find myself talking to our school's attorney on a regular basis. The law conference is excellent with much pertinent information. Bonnie, our assistant superintendent, two of our Board Members, and I went to it this year. It was at the Camelback Inn which is a beautiful resort. The highlight of this year's conference was being able to hear Sandra Day O'Connor speak. What an incredible lady she is!! She is feisty and a hoot to listen to. She told a story of getting to see Eleanor Roosevelt when she was a young girl. Justice O'Connor grew up in southeastern Arizona on a cattle ranch. She went to school in El Paso and the first lady came for a visit. She talked about how much charisma Mrs. Roosevelt had. Then she shared how she never told her father that she had met and admired Mrs. Roosevelt because her father was a rancher who never liked President Roosevelt.

She also shared about her time in the Arizona Legislature. She told us that she often would have a barbecue at her home with legislators from both parties. She said that eating and having a beer together enabled them to work together to solve problems in Arizona. Too bad it isn't that way still!

She talked about the fact that we aren't teaching our students about government. She has a website that she has created that allows kids to go on the site and play games to learn about civics. The website is http://www.icivics.org

We were all excited to see Justice O'Connor. Bonnie was the most excited because both of her sons are lawyers in California. She wanted to get a picture of the Judge to send to her sons. Well, it got even better than that!! I had gone out to get some water at a break and when I came back in, Justice O'Connor was sitting in the back of the room. I quickly went to where we were sitting and got Bonnie and my camera. Justice O'Connor was gracious enough to let us take a picture with Bonnie.

I have had many wonderful mentors in my professional life over the years, especially Leona Shreve and Wally Delecki. I have learned so much from them in so many ways. When I moved to Douglas a little over a year ago, I knew I could always call or email them with a question. However, I have been fortunate to have a great mentor down here in Ray Borane. Ray has been a long time family friend and was my high school Spanish teacher. He was the superintendent in Douglas for many years and has a middle school named after him. He was also the mayor of Douglas for about 12 years and has held positions at the state level in education, as well as advisory boards. He was the interim superintendent prior to me getting the job. This past year he has helped me immensely. A few weeks ago, we were talking about how much different being a superintendent is today. I have to be involved in every aspect of the district. Because we are in school improvement, there are a lot of tasks that I have to be involved in that are required by the state and feds. He offered to continue to help me, but we needed to do it in an official capacity. So at the last Board Meeting, Ray was hired as a "special assistant to the superintendent" for the whopping sum of $1.00 per year!! One of his many duties and one that keeps him quite busy is his being a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, Southwest Border Task Force. And as I told him last week, this makes me feel important--his two BOSSES are Janet Napolitano and me!!!!

There has been a world of difference between this September and last for me. With a year behind me, I feel much more confident in my ability to be able to do some great things for Douglas Unified. We are back into the swing of the school year and I am looking forward to some wonderful accomplishments this year!!!

An Incredible First Day

2011-08-21T20:25:00.007-07:00

Douglas Unified School District welcomed all of our staff back on August 3. All faculty and staff came together at the newly named James A. Brenden Auditorium. We started a new tradition by having a slide show of all 25 year employees. Because this was a first, we had to catch up and honor all of those 25 years and more. We will be honoring all of these long time, loyal employees at a Board Meeting in the near future.

Last year when everyone was back, I had only been on the job for a very short time. What a difference a year makes!!!

This year I gave a short speech because we had a wonderful speaker following my address. Last December, I attended the Arizona School Board Association conference on servant leadership. We had two excellent speakers. I have written about one in an earlier entry, the author of the Paradoxical Commandments. He was excellent!

However, the second day's speaker was probably the most incredible motivational speaker that I have ever heard, and I have heard many over the years. Her name is Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch. In all of the years that I have ever attended conferences and have heard great speakers, I have never been so moved by someone that I actually stayed to try to talk to her. And I was able to talk to her and she was amazing!!

Consuelo grew up on the border in Texas. So much of what she said had true meaning for me even though I am not Hispanic. What she said truly touched my heart. When I talked to her, I told her I was from Douglas. I told her that I would love to have her come to Douglas and talk to our staff. She promised me that she would.

When I got back to Douglas, I contacted her company. Consuelo is one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the U.S. She is a retired officer in the U.S. Army and was on track to becoming a general. She promised her mother that she would give back to the Hispanic community and so she retired from the Army to start her company. Needless to say, she is able to command "big bucks" for her services. DUSD doesn't have big bucks so I didn't pursue her coming after I found out the cost. In about March, her assistant called me and asked if we still wanted her to come to Douglas. I told her of course but that we couldn't afford her. Well, Consuelo was true to her word about wanting to come to Douglas. We negotiated the price and I can tell you that she truly gave us a deal!!

I was so excited about this that I immediately sent a message to our Governing Board. One of our Board Members is the County Manager. He made arrangements for Consuelo to talk to his supervisors and the City of Douglas and the Chamber of Commerce asked her to speak to parents and members of the community.

She was AMAZING!! We had an excellent turn out for the community night. The next morning, Consuelo spoke to our staff. It was UNBELIEVABLE. Her message is so powerful. What touched me the most was that she dedicated her talk to me!!!

I feel honored and privileged that this incredible woman came to Douglas with her message of hope. She said that public education is the purest form of democracy. She also said we have to save our children because they are the future.

I had so many staff members tell me how much her talk meant to them. They could truly relate to her and where she came from. I am hoping she will come back to talk to our high school kiddos.

Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch is my hero!! I cannot begin to express my gratitude that she chose to come to Douglas!! WOW!!!

I am putting a video of her on this post. Please take a few minutes to listen to what she has to say. Her message is one of hope and inspiration. (You can turn off the music on the playlist by hitting =)

"ONEderful" First Year"

2011-08-01T19:11:00.004-07:00

It is hard for me to believe, but tomorrow I will welcome back all of the teachers in Douglas for the start of the 2011/12 school year! It was one year ago July 26 (exactly one year and one week) that I started this new journey in my life. After 39 years in the Gilbert District, I returned home to Douglas and 858 14th as the superintendent of Douglas Unified.

And what a first year it has been!! Last year when I addressed everyone, I had only been on the job a few days and literally knew almost nothing about the job and what I was going to be doing. What a difference a year makes!!!

I have learned so much over the last 12 months and many, many ways. There have been ups and downs, just like any other job anywhere. I have reconnected with old friends and made new ones. And I absolutely love the people I work with on a daily basis.

It has been great being here with Teresa. Since my mom died in 2002, it has sometimes been hard to come down here for a visit. However, that has changed now that I am living in this wonderful, old home.

The pace of life is so much slower here and that is a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of a big metropolitan area. The weather in this part of the state is, in my opinion, the best in the world. We have the four seasons. The summer monsoons are awesome. It rains almost every day--with lightning and thunder. Most nights I sleep upstairs with the window open and the fan on--no cooler at all.

I had forgotten some of the truly funny things that happen in the news in a small town. I remember doing a post awhile back about some things that were written in the Bisbee paper that would NEVER make it into the Arizona Republic or the Tucson newspapers. A few weeks ago, I was cleaning out the 14,000+ emails in my school computer. As I was doing this, I was listening to the local radio station. Every morning, there is a program called "The Trading Post." People can call in and sell items, try to find items, or make community announcements. A lady called in who lives in the valley (farming community). She asked if the person who owned the cows that were walking around her yard, to please come and get them. She said that the cows were thirsty and were drinking out of the kiddie pool in the yard. And on top of that, the dogs were chasing the calves!!! Needless to say, I had a little chuckle over this. I was curious to hear the next day's broadcast to see if this same lady might be selling beef!

One of my favorite things is the number of inflatable swimming pools (not kiddie ones) that are in the front yards of people's houses. There are two right across the street from the house. It is great to watch the kids having such a good time in the front yard.

And a week ago Friday I knew I finally had arrived and was accepted back in Douglas. During the day, I had two visits from different people. This is unique to a small town (I think). The comfort level is different here and it is okay just to drop in for a visit or to ask a question. That was how it was when I was growing up here, but it hadn't happened until recently!!

What an adventure this has been!! It is one that I would never have predicted would have happened. I know that it is great for me to be here with Teresa so that she is able to stay down here, but I have to say that it has been just as much a blessing for me!!!

We will see what tomorrow will bring!!!

What Happens on a Cruise Stays on a Cruise!

2011-07-30T14:19:00.006-07:00

Earlier this month, I went on my first ever cruise!! Several months ago, my dear friend and former boss, Leona, asked me if I would like to go on this cruise with several people that I worked with through the years in Gilbert. She was able to get a great deal for this seven day cruise--the only catch was that I had to join AARP. Now I know how old I am, but I have dragged my feet on joining this organization and I am not yet retired!! Anyway, because it was in July, I figured it would be okay to go. My "old" friend, Mary Larson was my roommate which was great for me.

I flew from Phoenix to New Orleans on Saturday, July 9. We were all staying in the same hotel that night. I was able to spend some time in the French Quarter with Jill and George. We had a great time!!

Sunday we all met out front and went down to the pier to get on the ship. It was very interesting how they got everyone on board the ship in a fairly timely manner!

Since I don't get car sick, I figured I wouldn't get sea sick--wrong!! The first night I was a bit queasy and it continued into the second day. Got some meds and some wrist bracelets and was much better. However, I couldn't look at the ocean with the boat moving. That also went away--thank goodness.

The first day was spent at sea. On Tuesday we arrived in Costa Maya, Mexico. It was beautiful. I decided not to do anything that day, but just walk around.

Wednesday we arrived in Routan, Honduras, another beautiful place. We did a tour of the island and saw some of the native dancers perform.

Thursday was spent in Belize. Mary, Judy, Tom and I went to a private beach and spent the day swimming and relaxing. The water was great!!!

On Friday, we arrived in Cozumel. The ocean there is absolutely gorgeous. The shopping in Cozumel is suppose to be the best. We walked around all of the shops. I actually bought a very nice ring for myself and one for Kerri for her birthday. I really like Cozumel and would love to go back and spend some time there.

Saturday was another day at sea. We arrived back in New Orleans early Sunday. Since my flight wasn't until late, several of us went on a tour of New Orleans. We saw the horrible destruction that happened with Hurricane Katrina. They are STILL recovering. The houses that they are now building are very interesting. They are kind of on stilts.

Speaking of recovering, I am still recovering from a week of fun!! It was back to work on Tuesday and it is has been BUSY. However, it was great to get completely away--no phone and only one day of email.

It was wonderful spending the week with such great old friends. Thank you, Leona and Sam, for all that you did. Leona really outdid herself. Each morning we had a newsletter!!!

It was great spending time with Mike and Dottie, Judy and Tom, Jill and George, Nancy and Wally, Brad and Liz, and some of Wally's and Nancy's friends. I had so much fun.

Going on a cruise is definitely worth it and I hope to have another opportunity to do this in the future!!

The Cabin in the Chiricahaus in the Aftermath of the Fire

2011-07-03T19:56:00.004-07:00

The Coronado National Forest has been closed since the Horseshoe II fire started May 8. This fire was officially over this past week and is one of the five worst fires in Arizona history. I have been anxious, yet apprehensive about going up to the cabin.

Friday I was able to get a special permit from the Forest Service to go up and do clean up, etc. So Kerri, Cameron, Teresa and I drove up to Cave Creek today. The drive from Douglas looked much like it does every summer before the monsoons start up. One would never know that a horrific fire took place very near.

As we drove into the canyon, everything looked fine. The only noticeable difference is that we saw a lot of deer. Usually we don't see them until dusk. Two stood at the side of the road and looked at us. We had the pugs and I was expecting some barking. Maybe they sensed the sadness for their fellow animals trying to survive. We also wanted to be very careful with them up there as there could be animals other than deer who may not be as okay to see them!

Everything in the forest is extremely dry. Trees had dead leaves and there are a lot of fallen, dead leaves on the ground and absolutely NO water in the creek.

As we turned off on the South Fork road, I was really dreading what we would find. Once again, deer were there. And you could tell that there had been a fire. However, not like I thought it would look. I was in northern Arizona after the Rodeo-Chedeski fire and it was no where as bad as that. But it is so dry and I have never seen it as dry. As we continued on the road, you could tell there had been a fire, but would never know that it was such a horrible fire.

Approaching the cabin and going across the bridge, there was a huge pile of logs that had been cut right on our property. The cabin looked great, except for the incredible dryness. Across the road and up the mountain, it was obvious that there had been a fire. The fire went all the way up the mountain, but it didn't burn everything. My greatest concern will be what will happen when the rains come. We have been worried about the creek, but I think there is going to be some changes made when the water comes down the mountain across the road.

We stopped at the Portal Store. It was actually a bit busy, which is good. I wanted to give them some business. They have great lip gloss and candles made by a local artisan. I also found a beautiful pair of copper earrings with hummingbirds that I bought.

So now we are in a holding pattern waiting for the much-needed monsoons and what may happen then. I am just so grateful that the cabin was spared and that everything looks as though a little rain and mother nature will take care of the problems.

The Chiricahuas are one of the most beautiful spots on earth in my opinion. I love going up there. This cabin has been in our family for 50 years and the memories that I have of the many visits can never be erased by fire or water. I just want to continue to make memories on my favorite spot on earth--God willing!

Forty Years of Wedded BLISS!

2011-06-19T19:45:00.007-07:00

Teresa, Cameron and I just got back from our weekend in the valley. We were there to attend the 40th Wedding Anniversary Celebration for my cousin, Cecilia and her husband, Jay. Their six children surprised them with a party on Friday evening.

We all were waiting for them to arrive at St. Mary's Basilica around 6:30 Friday evening. They were coming under the pretense of a church choir concert. Yaya belongs to the choir at St. Mary's. We had a "play by play" commentary from Katie about where they were and when they would arrive.

Cecilia and Jay got to the church around 7:00 p.m. They were accompanied by Dave and Meg from Idaho and their two beautiful girls, Bisbee and Piper. I can honestly say that I think they were very surprised--at least Jay was--Cecilia might have had a little inkling.

Everyone stood and said "happy anniversary" together as they walked into the church. Father Alonso, a Franciscan priest from St. Mary's, had them renew their wedding vows. Austin, their oldest grandson, read a reading. It was a simple and quick ceremony.

After that, we went to the Social Hall which is underneath St. Mary's for dinner and fun!! So many of our family events have been held at St. Mary's--both joyful and sorrowful. Many people were there to honor Jay and Cecilia! All of her children were there with their families---Monica, Derik and Austin, Tyler, and Parker; David and Meg and Bisbee and Piper: Mark and his girlfriend, Annie, Jeremy, Mattox and Cole; Katie and Bob; and Matthew. Of course, all of her sisters were there!! Many of our cousins also came. And their many friends through the years were in attendance.

Cecilia and I have always been good friends. Although we are cousins, she is still my very dear friend. I have always been able to count on both Jay and Cecilia over the years. They have ALWAYS been there for me and I truly appreciate it--more than words can express.

Cecilia is one of the truly good people of the world and Jay has been by her side through thick and thin! I so love and admire both of them. We can't pick our relatives, but we can pick our friends. It is so nice to know that they are my friends!! Love you both, Jay and Cecilia, and here is to 40 (well maybe not 40) more!!!

Many Memories Made in May

2011-06-11T12:43:00.005-07:00

Wow!! It is hard to believe that a whole school year has gone by so quickly! Moving down here to Douglas last July was such a whirlwind event and school started right after I arrived down here. I can truly say "I hit the ground running."

What a year it has been!! So many events occurred, both good and not so good. However, I truly feel blessed to be here in Douglas and I really love my job.

May is always a busy month because of it being the end of the school year. So many events take place this month and it is very different from a district point of view.

I have mentioned in previous posts that the only regret I had leaving Gilbert El was that I never had closure with the kids and families. Well, the wonderful Gilbert El PTSO eliminated that regret for me. They had wanted to do a reception for me and we could never find a good date. We finally found a common time that worked for everyone. I was very nervous about this event for some reason that I can't explain. However, it was a WONDERFUL evening. Many families came by and it was so awesome to get all of the hugs from the kids. There were even high school kids who came by, too!! PTSO is putting a plaque in the library of me so that the kids will be able to see it.

I think that what has meant the most to me over the years is the relationships I have had with some of our more "energetic" kids that I spent a lot of time with. Several of these kids and there families were also there. There was a mom there that I didn't recognize. She came up to me and introduced herself. They were new to Gilbert El this year and she said she had heard so much about me that she wanted to meet me. Wow is all I can say!

Back to Douglas and the last week of school brought completion ceremonies at the two middle schools. Friday was the DHS graduation. I knew that I was going to give out the diplomas, but didn't quite expect it to be so awesome. All of the educators wore gowns with our Masters' Hood. That is a great touch! Shaking hands with each graduate, handing them their diplomas, and having my picture taken with each of them was very special to me!! After 20 years of kindergarten graduations, these students knew which hand to offer to shake and which hand to take their diplomas in! I came home very tired that night, but it was a good tired.

As I reflect on this first year, I feel good about what has been accomplished. Our Governing Board is very supportive and our district leadership team is coming together and I truly believe we are going to be able to do some great things this next year. I love the people I work with. I never had an assistant principal so it has taken some getting use to having an assistant superintendent. I can honestly say that I could not have picked anyone better than Bonnie if I had been doing the hiring. Together, we are quite a team!

The Horrible Destruction of Forest Fires

2011-05-15T13:18:00.001-07:00

Last week, a terrible fire started near our cabin in the Chiricahua Mountains near Portal, Arizona. It is about an hour's drive from Douglas. You can see the smoke from a very long distance. All week I have had several people who have kept me informed about this fire. Last May, another fired burned in about the same place. They newspaper say this fire is caused by people. Unfortunately, this desolate area is a hiding place for drug traffickers from Mexico.

This morning, I received a call from a friend who also has a cabin not far from ours on the other side of the canyon. She was on her way up to see what she could find out. Her son works for the forest service and called her last night saying that the fire had taken a turn in another direction. It had been heading south, which would have meant that it was in the wilderness area. However, during the night it took a turn and appears to be heading back towards our area.

The last time I was up there a few weeks ago, it was so dry. I can't remember a time that it was this dry, especially in May. The creek always ran all winter and dried up for about six weeks in the summer. There was very little water a few weeks ago.

I can only hope and pray that the firefighters can contain this horrible fire before it destroys too much. This is my favorite spot on earth and cannot imagine not being able to enjoy it. I will keep posting on the Twitter part of my blog as I get more information. Below is a link to a story from the Sierra Vista Herald.

http://www.svherald.com/content/news/2011/05/14/horseshoe-2-fire-hurting-several-small-businesses

A Memorable Mother's Day

2011-05-08T19:16:00.004-07:00

Mother's Day-2011--It is ironic that this is the first Mother's Day that I have spent in Douglas since my mom died in 2002. And even more ironic, it is the first Mother's Day in many, many years that I have been all by myself. Teresa went to California earlier this week leaving me with Lucy and Diego. Of course, the good thing about the pugs, is that no matter what, they are always glad to see me!

I am not one to go to the cemetery very often, but I was able to go today and spend a few minutes there at the plot where my mom is and our Mary is also buried. Mary, who took care of Judy and I and was a part of our family for as long as I can remember, died three years ago. She was buried on the Mexican Mother's Day, May 10th.

It has been a busy weekend for me. Yesterday, our DHS baseball team played in the first round of the state tournament. I attended the game and it was a great game. Unfortunately, Douglas lost 4 to 2 in the 11th inning. The boys played their hearts out and displayed great sportsmanship. Our girls' softball team won their first game and will be playing Notre Dame in Scottsdale on Tuesday. I am up for state meetings and hope to be able to attend the game!

I then went to dinner with my high school friends. This wonderful group of people have started a scholarship for DHS students to attend Cochise College. We chose two people to receive a $500 scholarship. Our class is the only class that has done something like this.

This afternoon, I worked at the Mother's Day Cake Auction for the Douglas Area Retarded Citizens. This is the 48th year that there has been an auction to raise money for this wonderful cause. I felt privileged to be asked to spend a few hours of my time to assist with raising money.

DARC has been an amazing program here in Douglas,. I attended their yearly dinner several months ago. Gary, their director, talked about what the members of DARC are able to do in the community. They provide "meals on wheels" for local senior citizens every day. In addition, they have janitorial contracts at various businesses including City Hall. Gary said that the workers from DARC pay over $60,000 in income tax each year. This is truly what it is all about. This incredible program gives these citizens an opportunity to be productive members of society.

For many years after Teresa retired, she did the books and payroll for this program. After Phelps Dodge moved their western division offices to Phoenix and after the smelter closed, PD donated the old Douglas Hospital to DARC. My mom was instrumental in making this happen. The hospital was converted into apartments for the DARC members to live in and enables them to be self-sufficient members of the community.

This afternoon I had a wonderful conversation with Gary who told me how important my mom and Teresa had been over the years in helping to make DARC what it is today.

The three people who started this auction 48 years ago were Mrs. Heizey, Mrs. Elliot, and Mary Causey. Mary was the mother of my dear friend, Sandra Sanders. I was talking to Liz Ames, who was the mayor when my mom was on the city council. As she said, what a wonderful legacy these three women left in Douglas. I called Sandra to tell her I was there and had to leave a message. Her mom was one of the loveliest people I have ever known. The first year they raised $150 and last year over $20,000. The auction is held in the Gadsden Hotel lobby and is carried over the local radio station, KDAP. It is truly an involvement of the entire community.

I continue to feel blessed to be involved in all of these wonderful experiences--even when I am all by myself here in Douglas!!!!

High Tech Religion

2011-05-04T19:17:00.001-07:00

Those of you who know our Aunt Teresa know what incredible faith she has. Her daily routine includes saying her rosary and novenas. She also goes to Mass during the week as often as she can. I have always admired her genuine faith.

As a child, we never went anywhere in the car without saying the rosary using her novena booklet. This was an expected part of any trip that we went on.

Her book of novenas and prayers is well-worn. She has them in a black cover that is filled with various prayer cards and held together by a rubber band. I can remember going to Phoenix and her visiting a religious store to purchase different prayer cards and her novena booklets.

Last Sunday she was telling me that the booklet was falling apart and she didn't think she was going to be able to find a replacement for it as the religious stores that would have them are no longer around. I told her that I would look online and see if I could find one to order.

I "googled" the novena booklet and found several sites that had copies, one of which was Amazon. Needless to say, she was thrilled. So I ordered her a new one.

A little later as I got on my computer, I noticed that they had the novena book on Kindle. I checked it out and it was the real deal. So I downloaded it and put it on her iPad. Once again, she was thrilled, but a little apprehensive.

Monday morning she was up early for some reason. As I was getting ready to go to work, I noticed her sitting in her chair saying her rosary with her iPad on her lap! She was so excited that she could use her Kindle app to say her prayers. She is able to adjust the font so that it is large enough for her to read it easily. And she said, it was exactly the same prayers as in her novena book!!

I absolutely loved seeing this!!!! I think it would make a great commercial for Apple. There has to be a certain niche out there that this would appeal to!! I love technology and all that it brings to enhance our lives. And this definitely is something that has enhanced her life. Teresa is almost 89 years old so you can imagine what she has seen in her lifetime as far as technology is concerned. For me it was priceless to see her using the iPad to say her prayers---truly HIGH TECH RELIGION!

Teresa went out to California this morning to spend some time with the nieces and nephews that she loves so dearly. Our cousin Romy's daughter, Angelica, is making her confirmation this weekend and Teresa will be there for that. She was so excited to go to see everyone. What a blessing she is to our family!!!

The Passage of Time and Torches

2011-05-01T20:53:00.010-07:00

This past week has been an awesome one for me in so many ways. Although most of them have been for personal reasons, it still goes back to my career and my previous life as a teacher and a principal, and as a mother.

In the early 1980's I taught third grade at Patterson Elementary School in Gilbert. I had previously taught special education in the district. I have always loved Arizona history and so much of the early history took place in southeastern Arizona where I grew up. In addition, Arizona's economy for many, many years was tied to the copper industry. Growing up in Douglas, I was immersed in the copper industry as Phelps Dodge was a major part of the economy down here. In fact, I was able to go to ASU for four years because I was able to work at the smelter here in Douglas during the summers and during vacations and the pay was great.

My great grandparents moved to Bisbee in 1903. Both of them were from Ireland and my great grandfather, Matthew Roughan, was a miner. He moved to Bisbee from the silver mines in Leadville, Colorado. My grandparents, Katherine Roughan Scott and Edward Scott were married in Leadville in 1902. They moved to Douglas, Arizona in 1912 (the year that Arizona became a state) as my grandfather was a conductor on the Southern Pacific Railroad. So our family history is steeped in the history of Arizona.

As a result of this love for my roots, I wanted to share this history with my students. So I started taking my third graders to Bisbee and Tombstone. We spent the first day in Tombstone and then spent the night in Bisbee at the high school gym. The next day we did the mine tour. I was the first teacher in Gilbert who took a class on an overnight field trip and I remember having to go before the Board to ask permission. I did this trip for 10 years and it was an incredible experience for my students and did so much to build community in my classroom.

I remember when Kartchner Caverns was discovered, but not yet opened. My plan was to have my students experience this also. But then I became an administrator and no longer was able to do this trip.

One of my wonderful teachers at Gilbert El started taking her students on this trip a few years ago. Cameron was in Mrs. Dawn's class and was able to have this incredible experience. And of course, she added Kartchner Caverns to the trip, as well as the Arizona/Sonora Desert Museum. Kerri did her student teaching with Dottie and had the opportunity to have this experience.

So this year when I moved to Douglas, I checked with our policy down here and it was possible for the students to stay at one of our schools.

Last week both classes had their field trips. The kids and parents were able to stay at Ray Borane Middle School which is a block from the house. It was the original high school and has a big gym which is much like the one in Bisbee. I had all of the kids over both nights for bean burros, salsa, and hot dogs. It was so much fun!!

My high school friends, Susan and Elsa (and their husbands, Brian and Jesus) came to help serve both nights. We had about 30 kids and 20 adults in the backyard. What was so funny was that the kids loved jumping into our "home made pool." Lucy and Diego were in their glory!! And Teresa loved every minute of it!! One of the funnier moments was when Brian heard a couple of the Gilbert El kids talking about Lucy and Diego. They were commenting on how protective the pugs were of me. However, one of the kids insisted that they were not pugs, but were PIT BULLS! Lucy and Diego are as far away as any dog could be from a pit bull!

I am so proud that Kerri has carried on this tradition. I was so proud of how she told her kids and parents about the house here in Douglas and her heritage and family roots! Her class came Tuesday and so we had a sort of "rehearsal" for Wednesday when the Gilbert El kids came.

I was so EXCITED all day Wednesday for the arrival of the kids. I cannot express how important this was to me. I have mentioned previously about not having any closure to my 20 years at Gilbert El.

Everything was ready for dinner and I was just waiting for the call from Dottie. When she called and told me they were about 10 minutes away, I went out and waited in the front yard. I could hear the bus coming down the street before it arrived.

And the hugs from the kids and parents brought tears to my eyes!! I know that I was so excited to see the kids, but what meant the most was that they were so excited to see me!! It reinforced my feeling that being an elementary princiPAL was truly what I was. It has always been my belief that the role of a principal is to ensure the best for the students in every way possible. I never wanted my students to be afraid of me, but I always wanted them to be respectful of my position. I believe that discipline must be "taught" and not necessarily be just a "consequence." This was reinforced when I talked to a young man who I saw a lot over the last few years for his behavior choices. When I asked how he was doing, he told me he was doing good. He then told me that he always knew that no matter what happened, he always knew that I cared about him. We both were a bit teary during that conversation. He had come into the kitchen while I was getting something and we had a chance to talk privately. I gave him a big hug, which was reciprocated. That conversation meant the world to me!!

I love my new position down here in Douglas. I feel as though I can do some things that will make a difference on a whole different level. However, being an elementary principal is absolutely the best job in the world!! I could never imagine a better experience than I had those 20 years. I am blessed to have been able to be a part of shaping the lives of so many young people who are the future of our country. WOW!!!

She Has Officially "Gone to the Dogs!"

2011-04-25T17:14:00.006-07:00

I never thought it would truly happen, but Aunt Teresa has officially "gone to the dogs." She wasn't real excited for me to bring the two pugs down here, but she has actually become quite attached to them, especially Diego (aka James).

Every day she walks down the street to the mailboxes to get the mail. A couple of days ago, she decided to take Diego with her. Now he isn't real fond of leashes after the bad experience he had when he was a little puppy (a previous blog entry). However, he has now figured that a leash means getting to go somewhere. Lucy not only knows what a leash is, but even gets excited when the word is even mentioned.

So I had to hold Lucy when Teresa took Diego on the walk. He walked very well and came back very happy. He needs to go a bit farther on his walks as he is on a diet (sort of). Since moving to Douglas, he has gained a few pounds!!

The next day Teresa took Lucy on her jaunt to the mailboxes. Lucy isn't the best walker. She tries to bite the leash and tends to run up and back. At one time, poor Teresa was wrapped around the leash. I can just hear the family if I had to report how she fell!!

But Diego had a FIT when he was left behind!!! He was out in the front yard running up and down, howling and crying. Our other dogs always seem to want to make a break to "look for a better life." But not Diego.... he never wants to go out of the yard as he knows that he has a good life.

That was until yesterday! Teresa moves a bit slowly and when she opened the gate, Diego made a beeline out of the gate. He has never tried this before. He ran as fast as his fat little puggy feet could carry him down to the mailboxes. He was hellbent on his mission to go to the mailboxes. I went after him and he wasn't interested in anything other than getting to the mailboxes. It was hysterical!! I am not sure what exactly he thought he was going to see there when he was left behind, but he came back with me just fine.

So today, Teresa took Diego on the leash down to the mailboxes. He was very content with his trip. Poor Lucy---I doubt that she will get to go anymore.

SO IT IS OFFICIAL!! OUR AUNT TERESA HAS
BECOME A PUG LOVER!

The Ultimate Compliment!

2011-04-15T22:04:00.005-07:00

So many of the events that have happened since I have moved to Douglas in my new position, are not things that I can write about on my blog. I think that may be one of the reasons that I haven't written a whole lot over the past few months. Living here in Douglas with Teresa and learning a new job and reconnecting with people has been quite an experience. I haven't had a whole lot of time for other "things" in my life.

Although I know many people here, it has taken me several months to make connections and to reconnect. I have mentioned in previous entries that it has been amazing to me how fast the trust has come for me in my new position. I never in my wildest dreams thought that would happen so quickly.

With education cuts happening all over the country, this is certainly a very trying time. It seems that our country, and particularly Arizona, doesn't value the importance of public education and what it has meant to the U.S.

So the past many weeks has been spent trying to develop a budget that will have the least impact on our students and on our staff. Our district is a large employer in the community and we have a lot of great support from the community. The faculty and staff in our district are incredibly dedicated and I continue to be in awe of what is accomplished in this poor, border town. Our kids are amazing, too. It says so much about the sense of community that exists here.

Today our leadership team met with certified and classified representatives to discuss recommendations that are going to be made to the Governing Board next Tuesday. We have been able to find a way to make cuts as painless as possible.

I firmly believe that we have to involve all of the stakeholders in decision making. So as I went through the good, the bad, and the ugly of what we will be proposing, one of the classified participants looked at me and said, "You are Margaret!" This man served on the City Council and knew my mom. He had told me one other time that I sounded like her, but when he said that today, I took it as the ultimate compliment that anyone could give to me!! And I truly believe that is exactly how he meant it....

I have thought all evening how to put this into words. I don't know if I can express the depth of emotion that those three words brought to me. I can only hope that I can be half of the kind of person that Margaret Shannon was. I have always been proud to be her daughter, but to have those words uttered today..........all I can say is WOW!!

Alice Walker says "My Mother handed down respect for possibilities--and the will to grasp them." Those words have a powerful meaning to me. I hope I will continue to have "the will to grasp those possibilities."

There is not a week that goes by that someone doesn't say something to me about my mom. It continues to happen. I know that she would be proud that I am here now. But more important than that, I am proud to be in this wonderful community. Hopefully, I can give something back to this community. I am grateful for the opportunity to be here!!!

Timely Message

2011-04-09T20:24:00.008-07:00

At the Arizona School Board Association conference in December, there were two of the most inspiration speakers I have ever heard. Dr. Kent Keith was one of them. He wrote this when he was 19 years old. His words have been used by many influential people over the years. I truly believe in what he says and this has been tested recently. My last post was very timely with some events that happened this past week. I just want to share them as I believe they are very powerful. The other speaker was incredible also. She is probably "the most inspirational speaker I have ever heard!" I will post more about her later. In the meantime, these words are what I believe we all need to live by. I am keeping the wonderful song by Rascal Flatts on this post. Please listen to the words of this song!!!

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

A Very Important Gift

2011-04-03T16:53:00.006-07:00

For some reason, I haven't been keeping up with my blog writing like I have in the past. I think I may have a bit of a "writer's block." However, this has even carried over into my love of reading. I haven't read for awhile until this afternoon. Although I am busy, I don't think that is the reason. Maybe the quiet afternoon today without having to go to the valley, Tucson, or any place else and the time I spent actually reading a new book, will help to unlock whatever has kept me from this blog. I hope so, because I miss reading and I miss writing.

I have actually been thinking about writing about this gift for some time now. Maybe trying to make sure that I impart what I want to say has been formulating in my mind and how I will be able to get it down into words...................

Just before Christmas, I went to lunch with our Governing Board President. He was instrumental in me being named the Superintendent of Schools down here. His term of office was up the first of January. He had been an invaluable support for my first six months on the job.

He had a gift bag to give me with some words of wisdom behind the gift. He told me that it was not an expensive gift, but it came with a lot of meaning. So I opened it and found a hunter's compass. Mr. H. is a hunter and he told me that he believes that not only does one need a compass when out in the wilderness, but also in our daily lives.

He said that he has always found that you need to know what direction you are going in and then forge ahead in that direction without deviating. He wanted me to have this gift to help me when times are tough and decisions have to be made.

I was very touched with this gift for many reasons. I know that people in a position of leadership must have a sense of what direction they need to be headed in. John Maxwell said that "A Leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." I absolutely agree with that quote. I also believe that includes the courage to especially "go" the way.

I have thought of this gift over the last few months, but more importantly, I have thought about the words that went along with it.

There have already been many, many decisions that have had to be made--some minor, but many of them have been major. Although I have had to make decisions in my life and career in the past, none have had the potential to impact so many people like they do know.

I have also thought about his words about seeing the direction where you are headed and not deviating from that direction. While I agree with him on this, I also feel that sometimes a detour must be taken in order to get to the final destination. That detour might take me off course for a time, but I also think it provides me time to "see other sights" along the way.

I will always cherish the gift of this compass and the words that went along with the gift. I hope that I will always have the wisdom to know that I am headed in the right direction and the courage to make sure that I follow that path--even with a detour here and there!!

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference."

Passage of Time and Wonderful Memories

2011-03-02T18:09:00.007-07:00

I think that one of the hardest parts of growing older, is the fact that all of the people I looked up to growing up and through the years, are no longer here among us. Growing up in a small town, I was so fortunate to have so many people of my mom's generation who have meant so much to me. Coming back to Douglas after all of these years has really brought that home. Going from place to place and seeing homes that I spent a lot of time in over the years but now belong to someone else brings such a feeling of nostalgia. The memories I have are something that I will always cherish!!

A week doesn't seem to go by that I don't hear about the passing of one of these in what Tom Brokaw calls "The Greatest Generation."

On February 6, a great lady left this life after 95 1/2 years--Marge Littrell. Marge is the mother of my dear friends, Elise and Ann. I can't remember ever not knowing Marge. The Littrells lived down the street from us when we were all young. I remember playing "Cowboys and Indians" in the front yard with them. I remember playing in their second back yard which was so cool when we were kids.

When we were in high school, Elise and I teased her mom by calling her Phyllis for Phyllis Diller. My mom's middle name was Olive so we used to always say, "here comes Phyllis and Olive!" They never said a word to us about that and if you knew my mom, you would find that hard to believe.

Marge was very good friends with my mom and Teresa. They were bridge players together for many years. Because of this and the fact that "us kids" were friends, meant that we spent a lot of time together over the years. Last July, I took Teresa to Tucson to celebrate Marge's 95th birthday. She was as sharp as a tack and just as witty as ever!!

Last Saturday, we went to Tucson for a party to celebrate Marge's life. She didn't want a funeral, but wanted everyone to have fun. I love that philosophy. And she would have been thrilled to see everyone there to celebrate her life, just as they were there last July to celebrate her 95th birthday.

Pictures of the Littrell family were all around, along with a lot of "momisms" that Elise and Ann posted. They had a very nice booklet put together with a story of her life.

It concluded with Marge's favorite ditty that she even entertained the nurses at the CCU with. Here it is and I can still hear it being said in Marge's voice:

THE GOLDEN YEARS

I CANNOT SEE, I CANNOT PEE,
I CANNOT CHEW, I CANNOT SCREW,
MY MEMORY SHRINKS, MY HEARING STINKS.
NO SENSE OF SMELL, I LOOK LIKE HELL.
THE GOLDEN YEARS HAVE COME AT LAST,
THE GOLDEN YEARS CAN KISS MY ASS!!

And the final two lines, "Marge will be sorely missed by the many people who loved her. Que vaya bien, Marge!"

I feel so fortunate to have had people like Marge as part of my formative years and then into adulthood. I will miss her!

There is a Chinese Proverb that says, "One generation plants the trees, and another gets the shade."

I am so thankful for the "shade" in my life provided by the elders like Marge Littrell!!

BRRRRRR............................It's Been Rather Cold Outside!!

2011-02-04T16:10:00.007-07:00

The weather all over the country has been very cold, but it seems to be the norm in places other than Arizona. Winters in Douglas are always much colder than in Gilbert. I had forgotten how cold it can get here. Daytime temperatures are usually great, but once the sun goes down, it can get rather chilly!

Earlier this week, the weather forecast was calling for extremely low temperatures all over Arizona. And was this forecast ever accurate!!

Thursday morning when my alarm went off at 5:00, I could tell it was very cold. I am so glad to have my electric blanket and the new gas heater upstairs. But even with the heater, it was still cold.

I got up to get ready for work and went to take a shower--NO HOT WATER! Not only was there no hot water, there was no water coming out of the faucet when I turned it to hot. There was plenty of cold water, but with the temperature around 14 degrees, I wasn't quite ready for a COLD SHOWER! So I brought everything downstairs hoping that the downstairs bathroom would have hot water. Too much to hope for I guess..............

So as I was trying to figure out how to wash my hair or at least wet it down enough so that it wasn't sticking straight up all over, I got a call from Edna at the district. Power was out in different parts of Douglas and water pipes were frozen. She didn't have any water either. So I told her I would be at the office in about 10 minutes so we could figure out what to do.

I got to the office about 6:00 a.m. and it was bitter cold. Edna and Bonnie came soon after. Bonnie brought her curling iron with her. At least there was some hope for her!!!

After talking to our maintenance and transportation guys, I made the decision to call off school for the day. We actually have two "snow" days so we were okay with our mandatory days. We then started the process to notify everyone--calling the principals, sending an email to parents, putting it on the website and calling the Governing Board Members. I called the three Tucson television stations and asked them to announce it. When I called Channel 9, the young lady who answered is from Douglas and is a graduate of DHS.

Everything went smoothly considering that we had over 4,000 students and their families to notify. Five of our buses wouldn't start because the batteries were frozen. There was no water in the cafeteria at the high school so no meals could be prepared or served, and various other issues at the other schools.

After listening to the news and all of the power, gas and water outages and the forecast that it wouldn't even be above freezing on Thursday, we made the decision to cancel classes on Friday also. The concern was for when it did go above freezing and what might happen with pipes at our schools. All of our school buildings for the most part are old buildings.

As the day wore on, I was glad to hear that many other districts in southeastern Arizona and in Tucson were also canceling school. This is a big decision that impacts so many people and it came down to me being the one to make that call......

Around 11:30, I got an email from a reporter from Channel 9. She was heading down to Bisbee and Douglas to do a story on our school closures and the weather. She wanted me to be available to be interviewed. I told her that I would love to be interviewed (lie-lie), but I had not had the "opportunity" to take a shower that morning and didn't feel that I should be a representative for Douglas Unified School District under those conditions. She laughed and asked if I could get someone else. In the meantime, I tried to figure out how I could be "presentable." I even tried to call my hair dresser to see if I could get a shampoo, etc. No one answered. I can only assume that they had no hot water either!! So I called our Assistant Superintendent, Bonnie, and told her that she "had to take one for the district." She did an awesome job when it was shown on the 6 o'clock news!!!!

This morning it was a whopping ONE DEGREE!!! I do not think that I have ever been anywhere when it was this cold!!! Right now it is a very warm 48 degrees outside and it actually feels like a heat wave!! It is suppose to get down to 12 or 13 overnight, but the forecast after this looks much better.

The sad thing is that there are broken pipes all over our district. As the day warmed up, the water in many of the pipes broke. It would have been a disaster if we had students at our schools today. Our maintenance guys will be working all weekend and probably longer to fix things. I am hoping that insurance will help as I imagine it is going to be costly.

As for me, still no hot water; still now shower; I actually have been heating water on the stove for various reasons. I am hoping that I will be able to wash some clothes for work next week, but the thing I am most worried about is NO SHOWER!

As I have said before, moving to Douglas has been quite the adventure!!!

"WISHING" THE BEST FOR THE NEW YEAR!

2011-01-24T19:54:00.013-07:00

It is 24 days into the new year and I haven't written much in a long time, and much has happened. I have thought about some things to write on my blog, but just haven't taken the time to sit down and write. Writing is usually an outlet for me in so many ways, but I haven't really felt the need lately. Lots of things have gone on in January. Teresa and I had a visit from a wonderful cousin /nephew who we haven't seen in many years. It was so great to catch up with him. He stayed for a week and did all kinds of things around the house. Then a visit from my wonderful (ex) administrator friends from Gilbert with a night in Bisbee and dinner at Cafe Roka and then Douglas and carne asada on Saturday. And this past week, another visit from my cousins from Alabama, Kathy and Lynn. On Saturday, I had a visit from Lorie and Art. Lorie is a wonderful kindergarten teacher at my former school. She and Art were here for a funeral. I am so glad they stopped by. It has been an eventful month!!

On Wednesday I have to go back up to the valley for a budget meeting and a conference on Thursday followed by a new superintendent seminar on Friday. I had hoped to be able to see some of the wonderful friends that I truly miss. I don't ever want to overstep my bounds and interfere with anything that is happening at my old school. It is an incredible place for children, families and staff and I don't ever want to get in the way of anything there.

I am so glad to be here in Douglas. However, I never was able to bring any closure to the 20 years I spent at Gilbert El. The move down here happened so quickly, that there just wasn't a time to make that happen. I love my job in so many ways. The only part of it that I truly miss is the interaction I had with the students (and families). Every time I go anywhere with our assistant superintendent, I am constantly reminded of that. Bonnie was the high school principal and she has wonderful connections with the students she worked with. They absolutely love her!! To me, that is what it is all about and I miss that so much!!

Today, one of my former teachers sent me a story that one of her students wrote. It brought tears to my eyes.... My only regret is not having had the opportunity to say good-bye. These children impacted my life in so many positive ways through the years and I will always have a special place in my heart for them.
I do believe that things happen for a reason...... I just wish I had the opportunity to say good-bye...

I always try to find a song to go along with a post and what I feel. I love this one by Rascal Flatts! The words sum up my feelings for the people who were such an important part of my life for so many years.............

"ARRESTING" Developments May "WARRANT" Concern!

2010-12-09T19:05:00.010-07:00

Several years ago before Kerri finished her degree and became a teacher, she worked for a computer/advertising company. It was a very good job and she did very well. The particular product that they were trying to market just didn't quite make it. As a result, she got laid off from that job.

I still remember the day that she came to tell me about it. Because education has always been very important to me, I told her that if she had a degree, this probably would not have happened! Was I ever wrong given how things are today. I now that she wasn't thrilled to hear my "speech" and she was getting ready to leave school. And guess what happened????? Yes, we had a lock down that lasted for two hours and she was stuck with her preacher mom during that time.

She decided to go back to school and was able to get medical insurance through ASU. Cameron needed insurance and in order for me to put him on the district insurance, I had to become his guardian. So we went through the legal process so that he could be covered.

Over the years, I think we had forgotten about this and nothing ever happened. Then in September (according to Maricopa County) I received a letter telling me that I had to fill out paperwork and either stay his guardian or not. With the move down to Douglas, it was lost in the shuffle.

In November, I received a notice saying that I was to appear in court on December 14th along with Kerri and Cameron about whether or not the guardianship would continue.

I have had to go up to the valley way too many times over the last few months between the state committee I still am on and different meetings, etc. I knew that this particular date would not be good as I have another conference in Phoenix on Thursday and Friday. Plus I thought it was the date for my state committee.

After several phone calls and emails, I downloaded what I thought was the appropriate paperwork to file. I filled it out and followed the directions very carefully--or so I thought!! I was told that it needed to be at the Superior Court by December 1st in order for the date to be changed.

I was in the valley earlier this week for meetings and when I got home last night, I saw the envelope that I had sent. Because it was late, I didn't open it until this morning. There was a checklist form telling me that I had not sent it to the correct place and that NOTHING I had sent was any good. I sent it to the Juvenile Court when it is actually a Probate Court case. The problem is that everything on the website said it was Juvenile.

So I very "politely" called and had to leave a message. At least I was able to leave a message because earlier it was busy all of the time. I explained what had happened and waited to hear something. When I hadn't heard anything by late afternoon, I tried email. I got a response quickly and the lady "suggested" that I call her and explain what had happened.

So I called her and very nicely went through everything that had happened since September. I very nicely told her that I knew she probably wouldn't remember having a conversation with me, but that we had talked and she had told me how to proceed. I continued to "very nicely" explain that I was no longer living in the valley and that date was a very bad time for me. She informed me that I could possibly get the paperwork done and to them in order to get a later court date, but I wasn't sure I wanted to take that chance again. I again "very nicely" asked if there was anyway it could be postponed until later that week or the following week. She "not so very nicely" told me that it couldn't because they were very busy and then informed me if I didn't show up on Tuesday, there would be a WARRANT OUT FOR MY ARREST!!!!!!!

I CAN SEE THE HEADLINES NOW!!!!!

Obviously, I have no choice in this matter unless I want to go to Tent City for awhile and wear PINK UNDERWEAR!! So I will once again drive up to the valley after work on Monday and take two vacation days so that I don't have to drive back on Tuesday and then back again on Wednesday for the conference with our new Board members on Thursday and Friday!!

I can tell you those words "warrant out for your arrest" scared the you know what out of me!! All I can think of is all of the awful things that go on and I am going to be arrested for being my grandson's guardian so that he can have health insurance and not filling out the proper paperwork even though I thought I had..........

I wonder how Sheriff Joe feels about PUGS??????

A Nostalgic Look at DHS Graduates From Long Ago

2010-11-19T16:19:00.025-07:00

A few weeks ago, I brought home a notebook from my office that came from Douglas High School. In it are the lists of every student who has graduated from Douglas High School since 1906 until 2010. It listed the names and the date of the graduation. As I looked through it, I recognized so many names of people I knew and people that I had heard of since early childhood.

Teresa spent a couple of hours going through it and talking about different people and how she knew them. It was really cool to hear some of the stories. She called her friend, Eleanor, and told her that she had found Eleanor's mother's name--I believe in the class of 1912. She and Eleanor chatted and reminisced for a bit.

It was fun looking back at my class and the names of all of the people that I graduated with. Judy's name was there, along with saying that she was the Senior Class President. I saw names of so many friends from Douglas--Tom and Sandra, Cornella, Dennis and Jerry, Lorie and Art.....I thought about how I could put some of these as a blog entry and finally figured out how to put some of these lists on my blog.

So I am dedicating this blog (never done a blog dedication before) to Tom and Sandra, Cornella, Dennis, and Jerry, my Phoenix Scott Cousins, my San Francisco Scott Cousins, and my Sacramento Park Cousins!! I also found a song by Kenny Chesney that really fits. Listen to the words!!!

If you are from Douglas, see if you recognize a name or two!!!

GRADUATES – 1924

Anderson, Helen

Baldridge, William

Bates, Evelyn

Beecroft, Lela

Benson, John

Benson, Mary

Bollweg, Henry

Brown, Louise

Cansler, Kathryn

Cox, Marion

Dailey, Mildred

Dent, James

Dietrick, Nellie Alma

Edwards, Elizabeth

Good, Joe

Flores, Ysaias

Foreman, Mildred

Frost, Sara

Glenn, Harriet

Greene, William

Hanigan, Edna

Hanigan, Ruth

Hood, Billy

Hurley, Lenes

Ilitzky, Lillian

Islava, Rodolfo

Jacks, Mildred

Johnson, Jack

Jones, Jessie

Kirby, Edith

Kirby, Florence

Krentz, Bertha

Laux, Raymond

Littell, Robert

Marchling, Henry

Magee, Joseph

Meloy, William

Mitchell, Mary

McCord, Willierose

McCoy, Grace

McGee, Scottie

Nemeck, Raymond

Olson, Mary

Perrin, Lyman

Powles, Earl

Rettig, Margery

Speer, Ruth

Rork, Charles

Rork, James

Sanders, Tom

Sohlotzhauer, Elbert

Scott, Matthew

Smith, Dorothy

Stillman, Rowena

Tetley, Jack

Thompson, Alice

Titus, Lucile

Welch, Ruth

Witte, Georgia

(59)

May 23, 1924

GRADUATES – 1925

Alexander, Thelma

Appel, Fred

Arnout, Sara

Arnold, M.J.

Bryan, Bessie

Buckles, Glendora

Cooper, Jack

Cutler, Russell

Dawson, Ethel

Denno, Ray

Dicus, Eunice

Elvey, Henrietta

Finnicum, Lola

Foss, Ted

Garcia, Edelmira

Gillespie, Ella May

Gibbs, Laura

Gmahling, Cecillia

Hale, Katie

Herring, Norman

Hiatt, Everett

Good, Billy

Houck, Dorothy

Huish, Helena

Houle, Louise

Jenkins, Billy Glee

Lamar, Esther

Lemons, Inez

Mann, Jennie

Mason, Mabel J.

Matson, Daniel

Miescher, Emma L.

Miescher, Verna

Morrisey, Joe

Nelson, Leo

Parker, Fern

Parrott, Ira Belle

Patterson, Robert

Perry, Elwood

Pettit, Ira

Rahl, Frances

Reay, Herbert

Reid, Virginia

Reidy, Cornelius

Sanchez, Manuel

Sanders, Eula

Scott, Marvin

Sears, Agnes

Semolich, Dorothy

Sherman, Jack

Sperry, Helen

Squires, Ada

Stevens, William

Stewart, Lillie

Street, Robert

Tetley, Edward

Travis, Blanche

Wallace, Ruth

(66)

May 22, 1925

GRADUATES – 1927

Adams, Margaret

Beard, Kathleen

Bennett, Frances

Beecroft, Dora

Blum, Edith

Borcherding, Henry

Bryce, Bessie

Burnett, Cora

Burton, Louise

Bush, Charles

Cary, Douglas

Causey, Joseph

Cavin, Nathan

Chapman, Neva

Colvin, Alice

Colvin, George T.

Dillman, Ralph

Dixon, James

Donohue, Ruth

Evans, Jack

Fain Thelma

Fish, Franklin

Gilmet, Amelia

Granger, Oscar

Grantham, Robert

Harding, Emily

Harding, Harry

Hasty, Haden

Haynie, Amelia

Herbert, Elmo

Herbolich, Annie

Hopkins, Ina

Hudzietz, Archie

Huish, Charles

Johnson, Mary Louise

Jones, Elizabeth

Jones, Fred

Karrh, Marion

Klingensmith, Barbara

Levy, Alfred

Magana, Hermogenes

Maiden, Aileen

McGuire, James

Miller, Isabel

Moore, Bernice

Moore, Sidney

Morris, Paul

Naught, Rollyson

Neers, Jane

Nemick, Frances

Parra, Juana

Phillips, David

Pratt, Glenn

Ratliff, Agnes

Rice, Elmo

Rivera, Bertha

Roark, Elizabeth

Ruiz, Enrique

Ryder, Sarah

Schlotzhauer, Wesley

Schwamm, Alice

Seeley, Richard

Shotwell, Louis

Sparr, Margaret

Vickers, Lessie

Whitehead, Bert

Woods, Ted

Wright, Douglas

(68)

May 27, 1927

GRADUATES – 1928

Anderson, Mildred Cantwinwine, Dorothy

Arevalo, Virginia

Arthur, Eleanor

Bebb, Glenn

Benson, James

Beumler, Elizabeth

Blalock, Ione

Bohenhammer, Lee

Branham, Ryan

Brown, Edwin

Cary, Clinton

Causey, Paul

Colvin, Margaret

Cummins, Frank

Cummins, Lola

Decker, Lydia

Franklin, William

Gooding, Margorie

Grosso, Rosie

Guevara, Jesus

Harding, Billy

Harris, Marguerite

Herbert, Sylvia

Hiatt, Thelma

Hood, Allan

Huish, Genevieve

Jacks, Frances

Johnson, Theoda

Jones, Carl

Karrh, Paul

Kelley, Dorothy

Massey, Marion

Maxon, Louis

McCord, Emmett

Miller, Leslie

Nalley, Leonard

Patterson, Nettie Mae

Park, Edwin

Paxton, Katherine

Peryam, William

Piper, Elizabeth

Prescott, Arthur

Reay, James

Ruiz, Eloisa

Samuels, Lena

Sanchez, Leandro

Sanders, Elgin

Sanders, Frank

Sanders, Louise

Scott, Virginia

Semolich, Mary Ellen

Slaughter, John

Valdez, Edmundo

Young, Harry

Wetzel, Phillip (61) May 25, 1928

GRADUATES – 1946

Amador, Rosemary

Anderson, Winifred

Andrews, Gay

Ayers, Fern

Baker, Annabell

Camarena, Damaris

Churchyard, Ada

Clancy, Barbara

Coen, Kenneth

Conrey, Jacqueline

Cota, Pablo

Cota, Gemma

DeLucas, Norman

Diaz, Alexander

Diaz, Raymond

Downey, Patricia

Durazo, Mona

Elias, Armando

Elias, Celida

Fields, Richard

Fierros, Mario

Ferguson, Raymond

Frost, Anne

Gibbons, Bobbie Jean

Gobble, Carol

Grisham, Jefferson

Gutierrez, Jesusita

Hagaman, Harry

Hall, Claude

Haight, Jack

Harvey, Louise

Hartman, John W.

Harper, Joie

Haymore, Donna

Hickcox, Edward

Hicks, Flora Dell

Huber, Leona

Huish, Glen

Hunt, Lynn

Koontz, Verna V.

Lambert, Patricia

Lewis, Lisbeth

Lillywhilte, Velda

Martin, Ramona

Melon, Mary

Miller, Allene

Moore, Bertha

Moorland, Colleen

Moorhead, Norma

Morales, Laura

Nalley, Ethel

Nelson, Esther

Otis, Glendora

Ortiz, Sarah

Pinedo, Carmen

Paque, Robert

Pendleton, Edwin

Pinedo, Rose

Pinedo, Sam

Portzline, Ethel

Rich, Frances

Rivera, Maria

Rhodes, Kenneth

Runcell, Olive

Rubalcava, George

Ruterman, Mildred

Scott, Billy

Seale, Fern

Simon, Elizabeth

Simon, Georgiana

Smith, Shirley

Smith, Walter

Soto, Albert

Thomasson, Bennie

Walley, Olga

Woodword, Ed

Beecroft, Charles

Negri, Albert

Smith, Howard R.

(80)

May 24, 1946

What a trip down memory lane!!

Living (in a ) History Museum

2010-11-17T20:12:00.014-07:00

Over the last few months of living here in Douglas, I have talked and written about how nice the slower pace of life has been for me. As is with so many things, a lot of things are good about life being slower. However, there are always a few glitches to the good stuff!!! Getting things done takes just a tad bit longer here.......

My grandparents bought the house here at 858 14th St. in 1918. It was built in 1915 and the story is that my grandfather watched it being built and told my grandmother that he would love to buy the house and would if it ever was sold. My mom was just a baby when they moved in and Teresa was born in the dining room in 1922. So the house is 95 years old and our family has lived in it continuously for the past 92 years! This would be amazing anywhere, but is particularly hard to imagine in Arizona.

The weather in Douglas is very different than the valley. Although it does get hot in the summer, it cools off at night. We have always had a cooler in the hall between the upstairs and downstairs and it works very well for most days in the summer. The cooler had to have a board put over it so that the cold air couldn't come in!! The winter brings freezing temperatures at night, but the days are really nice. This past week, temperatures have been very cold during the night. It has been 27 to 30 degrees every morning for the past week. Even the pugs have needed the electric blanket!
There hasn't been a heater upstairs for quite some time because no one slept upstairs. Since I came, Teresa decided to order a heater. Getting it ordered and installed has taken a bit of time. As I said, things move much slower down here. Thankfully, I have had an electric blanket upstairs because it has really been cold. When I got home today, the heater had finally been installed. I will be able to get ready upstairs tomorrow morning!
When the bathroom had a leak earlier in the fall, it took about two and a half weeks to get a new toilet....... Sometimes I feel as though I am camping!!!!

The downstairs is heated by a furnace in the floor between the living room and the dining room plus a wall heater in the bathroom. In a discussion with Teresa earlier, she told me that the furnace was installed in 1945. It is the same furnace today!!!
And probably the best story of living in an old house........ When I had the little problem with the bed in the space that it barely fit and I had it moved.......well, it has felt like it has been on a slant ever since. So I asked Teresa to ask Eddie when he came to finish the heater to check the bed and see if it maybe wasn't on the frame just right. It was, but guess what???? Yes, it is true....The floor has moved over the years and is not even!!! Hopefully, I can put a blanket or something between the mattress and box springs so that it will be even!!!

So as I enjoy the slower pace of life, I also have also reflected on such a different way of life without central heating and cooling, etc. I have been able to laugh (sort of) without a bathroom for a few weeks and needing to have an electric blanket to stay warm!! I have to say that it continues to be a wonderful experience and I feel blessed (and thankful) to be back here. 858 14th Street is just a house, but it is truly a HOME to me, to my kids, and to many of the other members of the extended Scott Family.

Ninety two continuous years is an amazing statistic!!!

Homecoming! It truly has been one for me!!!

2010-10-31T16:46:00.008-07:00

One of the most exciting parts of my job is being able to be a part of high school sports. The Douglas Bulldogs have had a good season with 7 wins and 2 losses. It looks as though they are going to make the playoffs this year. At the home games, I have been able to stand on the sidelines and that has been so cool!!! Our new artificial turf is awesome!!! The facilities here are second to none as far as I am concerned.
The week before Fall Break was Homecoming Week. Lots of festivities happened all week. On Thursday, the annual Homecoming Parade was held with each class sponsoring a float and the Homecoming Royalty presented. The whole town turned out for the parade down G Avenue. The air evac helicopter started the parade out by flying down G Avenue. I was a judge and got to sit on the upper deck of the Gadsden Hotel. Seeing all of the floats brought back memories of high school when we had two floats being built in our backyard one year and my Uncle Johnny giving up his truck and helping us with the floats!! Teresa went with me to watch the parade.It had been suggested when I interviewed for this position, that maybe I would want to be in the parade with my trike and the pugs. Needless to say, I didn't volunteer for this and no one remembered and I am thankful for that. However, my friend, Lorie who teaches at Gilbert El and is from Douglas, thought it would be funny to try to get one of her friends who is a teacher down here, to decorate my trike. Fortunately, the staff still doesn't know me well enough and know my sense of humor, so she wasn't willing to go there. She did bring the box with the decorations over and I did put them on my trike for some pictures for this post. So thanks, Lorie!!!!
After the parade, a bonfire was held out by "D" Hill. The Douglas Police and Fire Departments were on hand to assist. The kids were all pumped up and I even got to address the football team!! ONCE A BULLDOG, ALWAYS A BULLDOG!! The parents cleaned up the "D" on "D" Hill and lit it. It looked great!!! (Look carefully at this picture.)
The whole town has been excited about the team. Last Friday's game was filled to capacity. Douglas and Amphi were both undefeated in league play. Unfortunately, Amphi came out on top, but the Bulldogs played a good game!!

Small towns have such great traditions. I had forgotten about so many of them. I continue to feel blessed to be a part of all of this. It has truly been a great experience all the way around for me.

NAPO--My new signature statement!

2010-10-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

At the end of September, I was contacted by KGUN television out of Tucson to do an interview. Of course, I am always a bit nervous when the media is involved. I have had a lot of experience with reporters trying to twist what has been said, and trying to make a story!! I didn't think this would be any different, but it was the first time that I have been interviewed and filmed. The reporter and the cameraman came to my office and we spent about 15 minutes "chatting." It started out okay...... The reporter then tried to get me to say something about what had happened previously in Douglas. I was very careful and didn't go where he was headed. I truly felt that he wouldn't ever use the story because it wasn't negative enough. Well, last Thursday it was aired on the 10 o'clock news. I didn't know about it so I wasn't able to see it. However, several people said that they felt it was very positive!!

I got an email from a friend who lives in Tucson over the weekend. She told me that she saw the news and was going to have a pin made for me that says NAPO (NOT A PUSH OVER)!!!! So this is going to be my new signature.....................

Sheila Rogers, NAPO

New mood for a new school year in Douglas - KGUN9 On Your Side, Tucson News, Weather & Sports

New mood for a new school year in Douglas

Reporter: Joel Waldman

DOUGLAS, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) - Two tumultuous years. It's how many would describe the tenure of former Douglas Unified Schools District Superintendent, Earl Pettit. And, over those last two years, some in Douglas argued a few of its school board members acted more like the children it was supposed to represent.

But, now, many hope "a commitment to excellence", the district's motto, also includes the adults running it. There's a new woman in charge, Superintendent Sheila Rogers.

"I was a teacher, a director, a principal. I've never had any issues of any kind and I'm confident in my abilities to lead this community," remarked Rogers.

Douglas is a community Rogers knows well. Her grandparents settled in Douglas back in 1912 . And, Rogers was raised there too. "I attribute who I am today to being, having grown up in Douglas. And, when I found out this superintendent seat was opened, I felt like it would give me an opportunity to give back to the community that gave me a whole lot," said Rogers.

It's a community that went through a whole lot. Douglas is still healing from the fallout of a nasty battle between former Superintendent Earl Pettit and two current board members, President Chuck Hoyack and member Patricia Lopez. A third, embroiled board member, Ed Rivera, has since resigned.

The frequent verbal smack downs, along with at least one other administrative leave, and a slew of board agendas aimed at picking Pettit apart, ultimately led to his firing six months ago. Pettit, in return, slapped the district with a multimillion dollar lawsuit.

"At this point we still don't really know why Mr. Pettit was targeted? Do you have any idea why your predecessor was targeted?" KGUN9 asked. "I have absolutely no idea!" said Rogers. "And you don't care to know?", KGUN9 pressed. "No, I want to move forward," replied Rogers.

"Do you think the root of the problem with Mr. Pettit and Mr. Hoyack was really just a personality conflict?" KGUN9 asked board member Mario Ramos, Sr., " That's something only Mr. Hoyack would have to answer himself. I don't even want to try to think what the problem was," replied Ramos, Sr..

Some suggest it all started over Stevenson Elementary and its' ELL, or English Language Learners' program. There was a virtual mutiny against it, led by principal Rafael Orrtiz. But, when Pettit called him out on the state mandated program, others, like board President Hoyack started to call Pettit out.

It's a situation the new superintendent tells us is all smoothed out, "I've read a directive and some information from the state department on it. And everything I understand now is fine and they are absolutely following the directives the state department has given us in terms of what we need to do at Stevenson and all the elementary schools in Douglas," said Rogers.

Some say Rogers' was picked because she could be easily picked on by the school board. But, it's a suggestion both she and the board say is silly, "I asked the new superintendent if she was a push over and she said no, do you see her as being one?" KGUN9 asked. "No, I don't think so. She got position because we thought she was best qualified person," added Ramos Sr..

"He (Pettit) ran a tight, tough ship. Do you think you were chosen, in part, because you're a soft person, who can be pushed over easily?" KGUN9 asked. "No, I cant be pushed over easily. But, I have a completely different approach. I do not have a military approach," said Rogers.

A quieter Commander-in-Chief of Douglas schools who hopes to make her voice heard in the classroom, not the boardroom.

Las Vegas Wedding

2010-10-22T19:32:00.006-07:00

Last weekend (Oct. 16), we attended the wedding of Paul Rush and Beth Hunt in Las Vegas. Paul is the son of my cousin, Pat. The wedding was small, but oh so nice and so much fun--as always when we all get together!!

We arrived in Vegas on Friday and stayed until Monday. Teresa, Kerri, Patrick and I represented our family. Of course, Teresa never misses a family event!! Friday night Pat had the rehearsal dinner at Buca de Beppo. Lots of stories were told and lots of good times were had.
Paul is a wonderful young man who did such an awesome job of helping Pat take care of his dad, Phil. Phil died almost 2 years ago--in January. I have written a lot about Phil and his wonderful sense of humor. Phil didn't want to miss all of the important events so he was there in spirit, as well as in another form!!! Beth is terrific and is such a perfect match for Paul.
As has become a family tradition, we all danced to Tequila Sheila at the reception. I have decided that this rite of passage has to happen in order to bring the couple good luck--besides that, it is always fun!!!

I always enjoy being around my cousins. I have really missed my Phoenix cousins since I have been down here in Douglas. They have always been just a half hour away and we got together often.

Congratulations to Paul and Beth and thanks for the great weekend in Vegas. Lots of great memories were made!!

PS--Next time you see Marion, ask her about what mnemonic device she used to remember her room at the hotel!!!!!!

October Memories

2010-10-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

Wednesday (October 6) was the eighth anniversary of my mom's death. Today (October 8) would have been her 93rd birthday. It doesn't seem possible that is has been eight years.

Being in Douglas brings back so many memories of her. So many people tell me how much they liked her or tell me a story about her. Even after eight years, she has not been forgotten by so many people here in Douglas.

I know that she would be very pleased that I am here with Teresa. I think that is the only thing that is missing for me is to have her know about this move. I really do believe that she does know and that she had a hand in bringing me down here!!

Last school year, I remember having a conversation with a sixth grade boy who had just lost his mom. I remember telling her that it didn't matter how old you are, losing your mom always hurts.

Every year we have had a tradition of going out to dinner somewhere around this time and telling stories about her. "Those we love are never really gone, as long as their stories are told." I will be in Gilbert this weekend and I hope that we can all go out to dinner and continue this tradition. It is important to me for many reasons--one being that I want Cameron to have these memories of her.

She was a wonderful lady with a great sense of humor and a belief in giving back to the community she lived in. I learned a lot from her and even now, I think I am still learning. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her and miss her and feel fortunate to have had such a great woman as a mom and a role model.

Happy 93rd, Mom!!!

Pug Survivor Douglas Edition--Latest Transgression

2010-09-29T21:37:00.005-07:00

The latest edition of "Pug Survivor--Douglas Edition" has added another chapter. Since Pedro was deported in August, things have run fairly smoothly. Pancho was here successfully for most of August and September. He and Lucy loved the front yard and Pancho truly learned to bark only when it was necessary.

Early in September, Pancho returned to Gilbert and Diego came down to see how he could do for a few weeks with his naughtiness. He has done a fairly good job, and Teresa has become quite fond of him, as she did Pancho. On Monday, she went for her first drive in her car since breaking her wrist. Her cast is off now and she decided she was ready to get back on the road. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous. However, she decided to drive to the bank and do a few errands. Diego and Lucy were very excited and got into the garage and jumped into the car with her. At least Diego jumped into the car. She had to help Lucy get in. Diego (who Teresa calls James because she can't remember his name) was in the front seat, happy as a pug can be. They went to the bank and then drove to a few more places. I can only say that I think our black pugs may now be white after that nail-biting experience!!!

Anyway, every morning when I come down after getting ready for work, I put the pugs out for a bit. When they come in, they immediately run to get in bed with Teresa and get as close to her as possible. Of course, Diego (aka James) always has to run up and walk on her head and lick her face. She is actually enjoying the attention.

Tonight when I got home from work, I found out that Diego may have committed a "faux paux" actually worse than Pedro's barking!!!!! Teresa went to physical therapy and when she came home, she couldn't find her rosary. She looked everywhere, and guess what?????? Diego/James took it off of the table and chewed it up. Well, there is probably no worse crime than can be committed!!!!!!!

When I mentioned the Douglas/Agua Prieta Shuttle, she said absolutely not. She would not allow him to go back that way. Oh my gosh, what have our pugs done to my dear Aunt Teresa? Can she possibly be falling under their spell?

Stay tuned to the latest news coming out of Douglas and Pug Survivor--Douglas Edition!!!!!!

Summarizing September!

2010-09-26T14:55:00.016-07:00

September has been a very busy month for me. Even though I have been busy and have had a lot going on, it is a different kind of "busy" down here. The first exciting weekend was actually at the end of August when the football season kicked off down here with the 106th meeting of the Bisbee Pumas and the Douglas Bulldogs. This is one of the oldest high school football rivalries in the U. S. It was exciting as it was also the inaugural game on the new turf at the football stadium. Cameron came down for the game was very excited to be able to go out on the field with me before the game and then sit on the sidelines during the second half as it rained quite hard!! Unfortunately, Douglas lost to Bisbee and also the lost the "Copper Pick" for the year!
The week before the game, I got a call from the Fire Chief asking for permission to have the fire department on the baseball field so that the firefighters on duty could watch the game! Of course, I said yes!! Then he asked if the local med evac helicopter could do a fly-by in honor of the helicopter team that had been stationed here in Douglas. The helicopter crashed near Marana in August and all were killed. The fly-by was awesome!

Labor Day brought a wonderful weekend up at the cabin with family and friends. The weather was wonderful and the creek is absolutely beautiful and full of water. Did have one little accident when a
root jumped out of the ground and tripped me. I feel flat on my face and had quite a bruise on my chin!
I have been anxious to get settled in here at 858. It has taken almost the whole time I have been here to get things ordered and in place. I had to order a new bed and furniture for my room upstairs and get rid of some of the old furniture. There is still a lot to go through from 93 years of continued occupancy in the same house!! Then the room needed to be painted, which took another bit of time. (Things move a bit slower down here.) I wanted to get a television upstairs, but found out Cox doesn't have HD down here. It took quite a bit of convincing (plus buying a new television for downstairs) for me to convince Teresa to go with Direct TV and a satellite dish on her roof. Thank goodness they put it on the roof of the garage.

When I ordered the bed, I measured the area where I wanted to put the bed. I am not much at decorating or seeing how things fit, and the bed actually fit where I wanted it in the nook in the front bedroom. What I forgot to do when I measured it was to measure to see if I could get into the bed!! When it was finally delivered, I had the guys put it in the nook. They didn't say anything to me and put it there. Well, I could barely get into it--plus it is a bit high!! The first night I slept in the bed after sort of squeezing and jumping into it. I got up in the night for just a minute, and when I went to get back in the bed, SOMEHOW I fell between the bed and the wall. Since the bed was truly squeezed into the space, I couldn't move it and I was literally wedged between the wall and the bed! I knew that Teresa would not be able to hear me fall and I usually leave before she gets up so I wasn't sure how long it would end up in this very uncomfortable position! The best part is that the pugs looked down from the bed at me, but then laid back down and went back to sleep. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to be rescued by our district security person when I didn't show up the next day. It would be a bit unflattering way to have to be saved, so to speak. I was finally able to crawl backwards (which is quite difficult) and get out of bed. The day after work, I called Mary's nephews and they came and moved the bed for me!!!!!

September 16 is a very big holiday around here as it is Mexican Independence Day. This year was the 200th anniversary of Mexican Independence and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. The Mexican Consulate asked to have a display of artwork at the district office from around the world depicting students' interpretations of these events. These came from children all over the world. We had a little celebration with the Mexican Consul and Board Members just prior to a Governing Board Meeting. One problem that we will have to address for next year is that we had very high student absenteeism on September 16.

One afternoon about 3:30 I was in my office and received a call from a former student from Gilbert. He is a seventh grader this year and was in the Autism program. I absolutely love this young man and was so touched that he called me. It absolutely made my day!! I promised him that I would go visit him the next time I am in Gilbert.

Last week, I got out to an elementary school and to one of the middle schools. At the middle school, I went to each classroom and introduced myself to the students. It was so awesome and the kids were great! I got to several classes at the elementary school, also. I am going to go to two school each week and I am very excited about that. I told the kids that after all of the years that I have been in education, I always could go out and see kids in a matter of minutes. Now that I am at the district, there aren't any kids right there and I really miss that!!

On Thursday I had a visit from a reporter from a Tucson television station. He came to do an interview with me as the new superintendent. He did a lot of reporting on the previous problems here in Douglas and tried every way he could to trip me up. It was nerve-wracking to say the least, but I have had enough experience with reporters and that helped. The only difference this time is that I was being filmed. I am hoping that it won't even be aired as there wasn't anything "inflammatory" with what I said.

This weekend I went to the cabin again with my friend, Carol. It was another relaxing weekend and everything was beautiful up there. I love being able to go up there whenever I want as it is just an hour's drive. I intend to spend a lot of time up there!! (A little side story about that is that I haven't had a bathroom upstairs as things sometimes move slowly in Douglas and we had to get it repaired. So it was nice to finally have a bathroom, even though it was an outhouse!! Came home to the new bathroom upstairs--thank goodness!)

Last Thursday I was invited to the ribbon cutting ceremony and then to the VIP tent for the Cochise County Fair. I would have gone no matter what, but that invitation was special to me. My mom was very involved on the Fair Board for many years and was still on the Board when she died eight years ago.

Diego is here now having relieved Pancho who went back to Gilbert after several weeks. Of course, Lucy is here all of the time. They love being in the front yard and seeing everything that is going on in the neighborhood.
Can't believe that I have been down here two months now. Every day I realize what a great move this has been for me!! I think Teresa is enjoying having me here and I know that my being here is really a good thing for her. She is doing very well, but she is 88!!

I always think of the quote that my dear friend, Wally Delecki, uses often--"Life is either a daring adventure, or it is nothing (Helen Keller)." Who thought this daring adventure would occur at this point in my life??? I am so glad that it did!!

Keeping the Faith

2010-08-30T19:53:00.009-07:00

Over the course of the years, there have been times that I have questioned my faith. I think that this is something that happens to everyone. Even Mother Teresa had questions. The last few years in the Phoenix area, I have had a hard time with some of the philosophy that has come down to us from the Bishop. His conservative political agenda has been discouraging to me. I have always wondered what my mom would have done if this had been the case when she was alive. She had such strong political views as well as strong views about her religion. I know that I have had many discussions with my cousins about this. We are fortunate to have Franciscans in our lives who look at life so differently. I remember when I was in college in the 60's. It was the priests and nuns who were protesting the Vietnam War as well as championing the Civil Rights Movement. It seems that some of that has been lost recently.

Since I have come to Douglas, I have noticed a very different philosophy. Douglas is in a different Diocese from Phoenix. There is nothing overt that I can really point out. It just seems that there is more of an acceptance of differences in people and all of God's children.

I have said before that I thought the emotional part would be leaving the wonderful school I had been at with the great staff, families, and children. And it has been. However, being down here in Douglas has also been very emotional. I have posted about that before. But it has also been a spiritual experience for me.

When I first got arrived in Douglas, I received an email from Sister Ann Patrice. She was the principal of Loretto School when I went there over 45 years ago. I thought the world of her and had kept in touch sporadically over the years. Her email said:

Dear Sheila,

Art Atonna and Jerry Reidy very kindly let me know about your new position in Douglas Public Schools.

Congratulations on your new appointment! I am confident that you will fulfill this new challenge with wisdom, courage, and grace. Your generosity in leaving what I understand to be a comfortable and secure position to accept one that will have unique challenges, confirms in my mind that you have what it takes to make a difference in the lives of our children and families on the border. Most of all, your faith will be your firm foundation. God's children--and we all are that--deserve caring and effective leadership, which I know you will exhibit. I still have very fond memories of Loretto and the people of Douglas.

Sheila, I promise my prayers for you. Moreover, I will place your name in the Book of Intentions in St. Catherine Chapel here at our Adrian Dominican motherhouse. Please give my love to your family and save lots for you.

Peace, love and prayers,
S. Ann Patrice Remkus OP

I cannot explain how touched I was to receive this email from her. We have corresponded since and I feel privileged to have her in my life again.

Last week, my assistant superintendent and I went to the funeral of the husband of one of our district teachers. As we were driving down 15th Street, we passed St. Luke's Church which is the parish that our family has belonged to for over 55 years. The pastor was walking out with two other men. Bonnie, my assistant, said that one of the men was the Bishop of the Diocese of Tucson. She had met him when he came down to say the Funeral Mass for Rob Krentz, the rancher who was murdered down here last spring. The funeral mass was at the Douglas High School Gym and Bonnie was the principal of the high school at the time. We pulled over and went to talk to Bishop Kicanas and Father Gilbert. The Bishop remembered Bonnie. He was down here for the opening and dedication of an abused women's shelter that was just built here in Douglas.

So we took him and Father Gilbert on a tour of Douglas High School. The kids were so excited to see him and to see Bonnie. Staff members came up and introduced themselves. We went to a couple of classes and the high school students were incredible. We went to a culinary arts class and the Bishop told the students that he is a vegan and asked if they knew what that meant. They did. Right after that, we went to the special ed class with the more involved students. They also do some work with the culinary arts class. Several of the students knew Father Gilbert and were excited to see him. The kids were also glad to meet the Bishop. One student who had been drooling came over to say hi. His teacher wiped his mouth with a cloth and the Bishop walked over to him and shook his hand and talked to him!!

Needless to say, I was "blown away" by the whole experience. I called my Phoenix cousins to tell them about this and of course, called Teresa.

Today when I got to my office I had a card in my mail. It said, "Sheila, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to give me a chance to visit Douglas High School. Economic challenges have made your important job even more difficult. Our community needs strong educational leadership. Thanks for your service." Gerald Kicanas.

These two experiences have had a profound impact on me. I truly believe that things happen for a reason. I did not expect to see some of these reasons in quite this way. I feel blessed!

Yesterday when we took Cameron to Tucson after he spent the weekend here, we met Kerri, Judy, and our friends, Paula and Marty for dinner for Kerri's birthday. When Teresa and I left to drive back to Douglas, we saw the most beautiful rainbow with another one next to it that was faded just a bit. This rainbow was there for over an hour of our drive. It was so beautiful and I believe had a message.......

KEEP ON TRIKIN'

2010-08-22T16:10:00.014-07:00

It has been almost a month since I moved to Douglas. We just completed our second full week of school. I continue to be very busy between the district and home. But it is a different kind of busy which is hard to explain.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't meet someone who had a connection to my mom or has one to Teresa or talk to someone that I have known most of my life. It has been an amazing journey. I was thinking about the hectic month of July when I came down two different weekends to interview for this position. I haven't interviewed for a job in over 20 years and before that I interviewed for my teaching job and took the first one which was Gilbert. I have done many, many interviews over the years but I was always the one doing the interviewing.

The first interview was with the Governing Board. After that, we met with some of the administrators in the district and then an open forum with teachers. The final interview was that Monday night at the Douglas High School auditorium. It was an open forum for the entire community. I must say I was a bit nervous for all of the interviews, but especially this one. In attendance to support were my family, my friend Susan, Gloria and Craig from Gilbert, and another friend from Bisbee.

The question came up about how do I relax after a stressful day. My response was that I had pugs and they are constant entertainment. But I added that I had just started riding a bicycle. I had purchased one in March and was riding quite a bit in Gilbert. The only problem that I had was that once I got on the bike, I couldn't stop until I got home because I couldn't get back on the bike very well. So I had a route picked out where I didn't need to stop!! I knew that if I came to Douglas, that wouldn't work as there are quite a few stop signs around. So I purchased a trike because it is just like a bike but I would be able to stop. I shared this with the community forum. As I looked in the front row, my friend, Susan, who has been my friend since we were 14 was laughing so hard that I thought she was going to fall out of her seat!!!

My theory is that I am who I am and I needed to let them see that I do have a sense of humor!! Anyway, the proctor from the Arizona School Board Association suggested that if I got the job that the pugs and I might be asked to be in the Homecoming Parade with me riding my trike. We will see---haven't been asked that question as yet!!! The only problem is my trike is red and Douglas High colors are black and gold!!!
On the Friday before school started, all of the district employees met in the high school auditorium. The first hour was a breakfast and mingling and visiting with each other. It reminded me so much of Gilbert when it was small. We then had introductions of new administrators and teachers. I had a half hour for my talk and those of you who know me know that I don't need much time to say what I want to say. I wanted to make sure that what I had to say would be well received and from my heart. I wanted the faculty and staff to know why I had come back to Douglas after all of these years.

Here is what I had to say that Friday morning:

Good morning and welcome to the 2010/11 school year. It is a pleasure for me to be standing before you this morning as the new superintendent of Douglas Unified School District #27. The last time that I was on this stage, I played the part of the titmouse in Alice and Wonderland and sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat." It was the first and only time that I have ever been involved in what might be called musical theater. As an elementary school student involved in choir, I had been asked by Sister Daria to mouth the words, so I won't be doing a rendition for you this morning!!!

I have to say it is so great to be back in my home town of Douglas, Arizona. My grandparents moved to Douglas in 1912 and purchased the house that I grew up in on 14th Street in 1918. It has been in our family for 92 years and I feel very fortunate to come back and live in this home. Even though my roots are in this house here in Douglas, we need to remember that our roots are in people, not places. The people of Douglas are what make this the wonderful community that it is.

I also feel very privileged to have been given this opportunity to be a part of this district. In the short two weeks that I have been here, I have felt very welcomed by so many of you. I have been so impressed by the dedication to the education of the children of Douglas that I have consistently seen everywhere I have been in the district.

I have met individually with each of our principals. In our discussions, I have told them that we at the district office are to be of service to the schools. Principals, teachers, and teacher assistants who work with the children are the key to student success. Our job at the district level is to make your jobs a bit easier.

Lee Iacocca, who was the president of Chrysler Motor Company, said that he believed that in a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would settle for something else. I believe that the best of us are teachers! In these difficult political and financial times, educators still do everything in our power to make a difference in our society and in the life of a child.

It is my goal as your superintendent to strive to take the very best care that I can of our teachers and classified staff so that you in turn can take great care of our students. Please know that my door is always open for each of you. I always try to put people before paperwork.

I firmly believe that kindness is good for our health. My former superintendent, Wally Delecki, who I learned so much from and who has been a mentor to me, always says that sometimes it is better to be kind than to be right.

It takes a united effort on the part of each person in our district to insure success. I want to get to know the district and I will need your help with this. I will be visiting your schools, classrooms, and departments during the year. I want to be able to interact and get to know you, as well as our students.

Helen Keller said that once she knew only darkness and stillness. Her life was without past or future...but a little word from the fingers of a teacher fell into her hand that clutched the emptiness, and her heart leaped to the rapture of living. This is why I am still an educator after many years. I still believe that I can make a difference in the life of a child. Each one of you in this room have made the difference in the life of a child and will continue to create a future for the children of the Douglas School District!

Together as administrators, teachers, and support staff, we will make this a positive year for all of us here in Douglas!!

As I have gone around the district or different places in Douglas, I have had many people comment on my speech. That means a lot to me!

This Friday is the Bisbee/Douglas Football Game here in Douglas on our new artificial turf in the DHS stadium. This rivalry has been going on since 1906 and is one of the oldest high school rivalries in the state. I am looking forward to the game and to the many events that I will be able to be a part of in the months and years to come!! And I need to "Keep on Trikin'"!!!!!

BREAKING NEWS....PEDRO THE PUG DEPORTED FROM DOUGLAS!

2010-08-06T16:56:00.010-07:00

Pedro Pug, alias "The Barker," has been sent back to Gilbert for excessive barking. Pedro just couldn't contain himself in the short period that he was in Douglas. Everywhere he went, he had to bark. Innocent people walking down the street were accosted by his very loud and shrill bark. The cat in the backyard was chased out of the yard in a fit of barking. (Pedro couldn't figure out where the cat went and tried to get into the dry swimming pool to find the cat.)
He barked looking out the front window of the house. He barked upstairs in the middle of the night. There was nothing that would keep him from his undaunted task of being "The Barker."

At one point, it appeared that Pedro might have to go back on the Douglas/Agua Prieta shuttle and be left off at Denny's on I10. However, a fortunate circumstance found Pedro getting a ride in air conditioned comfort in a Honda Civic. Pedro was actually thrilled to go back to Gilbert with his boy, Cam!!

Taking Pedro's place in Douglas is Pancho. Pancho joins Lucy in this Douglas version of "Pug Survival." So far Pancho is acclimating very well. However, that may have to do with the bark protector that sits on the desk near the front door. It emits such a high pitch that only animals can hear it. This device did not arrive in time to save Pedro from deportation!

Stay tuned to late breaking news about the latest reality show......"Pug Survival!!!"

Who Says You Can't Go Home?????

2010-07-30T19:54:00.003-07:00

WOW!!!!!! I can't believe that it is Friday, the end of an amazing week. I started my new job as Superintendent of Douglas Unified School District on Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. As is any job in education these days, "I hit the ground running" and never looked back. It has been a week of meeting new people and trying to learn the ins and outs of a new district.

I truly thought when I made this decision to apply for the job in Douglas and leave Gilbert, that the emotional piece for me would be leaving Gilbert El and the wonderful faculty, staff, parents, and children. And it was emotional. What I didn't know was how emotional coming back to Douglas would be. I have truly been amazed by the support of so many people here. I have received emails from former Douglas people living elsewhere letting me know how happy they are that I am the new superintendent. I have been welcomed by the district office personnel and the principals. Next week, teachers will be back and I will be so happy and proud to greet them. They do an incredible job in this district and they have my utmost admiration.

As I have gone around the district and have been introduced to people, I have had so many people tell me how much they liked and admired my mom. This has truly touched me as she has been gone for eight years now.

The pace of life here is so much different. Heavy traffic is no where to be found. The weather has been great--it has rained every day. The district office is 3 1/2 blocks from the house.

Today the district office personnel put on a barbecue lunch (you haven't lived until you have a barbecue in Douglas with all the wonderful Mexican food) for the new people and to say good-bye to a classified person who is retiring and also to the wonderful interim superintendent, Ray Borane, who has done this job for the last several months for a whole $1.00. Mr. Borane was superintendent for many years and was recently the mayor of Douglas. He truly epitomizes someone who gives back to the community. In four short days, I have learned so much from him.

I realize that this is only the first week and that there is always a honeymoon period, but I can honestly say that I AM SO GLAD I AM HERE. I hope that I can give something back to this wonderful community where I was raised and contributed so much to who I am today. I truly believe growing up in Douglas had a great impact in so many positive ways. I also believe that growing up here was instrumental in who all of my aunts and uncles who grew here became. They then handed this down to my wonderful cousins.

So here I am, living in the house I grew up and that Teresa was born in. My grandfather bought this house in 1918. That is amazing anywhere, but particularly in Arizona.

I also believe that my years in Gilbert working with dedicated educators has also impacted me in so many ways. Today I was looking for something to put on the Douglas website and I went to the Gilbert website. There was an article on the site about me being named superintendent in Douglas. I was truly touched by this.

I will miss all of the people who have meant so much to me for so long, but know that true friendships will last.

I am glad to be back here in Douglas, Arizona!! And I am proud that I was chosen to be their superintendent. It will be a new and exciting adventure--one that I never in my wildest dreams imagined would happen. I have always believed that everything happens for a reason......... I am feeling very good about this reason being something very important. I hope I am right!!

Saying Good-bye to my dear friend, Martha!

2010-07-24T12:57:00.007-07:00

A week ago last Thursday, I was able to spend several hours at my friend Martha's house. Joe, Pam, her sister, and their three children were there as they knew the end was close. Martha would sleep for awhile and then would wake up and talk. She was amazing!

I left for a few hours and came back with dinner for the family. I stayed for about an hour and then was able to say good-bye to her. I knew it was going to be the last time I saw her as I was leaving for Douglas in the morning and knew she probably wouldn't last through the weekend. She hugged me for quite some time and I was able to tell her how much I loved her. It was very hard for me.

Early Friday morning, I got word that she had passed on. I drove to Douglas with a heavy heart. As I was driving into Douglas, there was rain and clouds all around, but the sun was shining above me. As I looked off to the left by the beautiful mountains, there was an incredible rainbow. For some reason, it made me think that this was a sign from Martha. It was beautiful.

Yesterday her memorial service was conducted at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale. Martha didn't want it to be a sad occasion, but truly a celebration of her life. And it was. I was so touched and honored earlier in the week that Joe asked me to speak at the celebration of this wonderful woman's life.

Here is what I said:

Sometimes a person needs to hear the life story of another more than they need food, water, or shelter to sustain their being. In our moment of acute grief Martha's story is one of those stories that bring us hope, courage, and wisdom that will sustain us in our future lives.

I was privileged to know Martha for the past 10 years as her principal at Gilbert Elementary School. Martha was passionate about education. She was constantly striving to learn new and better techniques to meet the diverse needs of her students, and she embraced the whole child.

When Martha was first diagnosed with breast cancer, her focus was to get well for her family and her teaching. She fought this awful disease for the remainder of that school year.

She came back to Gilbert El at the start of the 2009/2010 school year. This horrible disease continued to rampage through Martha's body and everything she did to try to stop it did not work. She went through treatments that take a toll on people both emotionally and physically. However, Martha came to school each day to teach her students. She said that she drew strength from them and they were what kept her going. When they walked through the door in the morning, her kids brought a smile to her face and a strength to her body and soul that allowed her to be an incredible teacher each and every day. Cancer NEVER got in the way of Martha's teaching.

Martha loved all subjects, but reading and writing were her true love and this showed. Her students wrote letters nominating her for Gilbert Teacher of the Year and they were profound and so insightful coming from fourth graders. What Martha taught her children was not just about academics, it was about strength and courage and love. She taught all of us who had the privilege of knowing her about strength and courage and love.

I love children's literature, too, and my favorite author is Carmen Agra Deedy and her book "The Last Dance." In the story, the grandfather tells his grandchildren that every human being has the right to three things in life:

To Dance. The great thing in life is not so much to dance well,
but whether one is willing to dance at all.

To Sing, even if you sign off-key. The crow has as much right to a voice
as the nightingale.

To Tell Stories. Those we love are never really gone as
long as their
stories are told.

Martha's stories will live on in the countless number of children who were blessed to have her as a teacher. They will live on in her colleagues at Gilbert Elementary. But most importantly, they will live on in her three wonderful children: Janaya, Joey, and Michael; her incredibly loyal sister, Pam, and her most devoted husband, Joe and their families.

I have learned so much from Martha in the last 18 months that I will take with me forever.

And so my dear friend, Martha:

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

The world is a better place because of Martha Hitzel. I will miss her dearly and always keep her in my heart. She has left three incredible children that she nurtured and raised to young adulthood. Her sister Pam was by her side for so much of this journey and I can only say that she has a wonderful husband and children who knew how important it was for her to be here with Martha. And Joe--what a shining example of the ultimate love between a man and a woman. I so admire him. I hope that in the days and years ahead, they find comfort in knowing what a wonderful person Martha was. I know that I will!

What happens in Vegas..........

2010-07-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

What happened in Vegas, should stay in Vegas. However, I am going to do a post on a wonderful few days that we had last week. My Aunt Teresa turns 88 at the end of this month, so we decided to do a "Girls' NightS Out" to celebrate her birthday. There were 12 of us "girls" altogether with Kerri and Kate J. helping to reduce the average age to about 60ish! Thank heavens we had them to help with that!!

Going from Arizona were Judy, Kerri, Teresa and I, along with my Uncle Matt's daughters', Yaya, Pat, and Cecilia. Coming from California was another of Matt's daughters, Marion. Also from California, my Aunt Dot's twin daughters, Jan and Jean. And all the way from Georgia via Colorado and California, Matt's youngest daughter, Teresa Ann and her youngest daughter, Kate! What a wild group of women!!!

We visited a lot, had wonderful dinners, and went to see Jersey Boys. Of course, we lost money, too!! Teresa was in her glory with all of her nieces..... All of my Uncle Matt's girls were there. We reminisced about our families and all of the fun we had growing up. Many summers were spent in Douglas over the years. Matt's wife and the girls' mom, Gyp, died in 1980. Her 100th birthday was a few weeks ago. She was born in Bisbee before Arizona became a state--hard to imagine!!

If it hadn't been for Gyp, I probably would not have made it through my first year at ASU. I was so homesick and missing Douglas. Every weekend I went to their house and was treated just like her kids. When I was younger, I was a bit scared of her, but after a time I realized her bark was much worse than her bite!! She was a great lady and I will be ever grateful for the way she helped me during that first year when I was so homesick. She would have been proud of her family and how all of us have stayed together. Matt remarried after Gyp died (they had celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary). I truly think it was a tribute to her that he wanted to get married again. Matt died in 2006 leaving Glennie and his daughters. Yaya, Pat, and Cecilia have been incredible in taking care of Glennie. I have so much respect for what they do!

My Aunt Dot died not too long after Gyp. She would also be so happy that her family has stayed so connected to all of us. If she were around, she would be the life of the party in Vegas!! She was also born in Douglas in 1912 a few months after Arizona became a state! I miss those great ladies and hope they were all smoking a cigarette with my mom and looking down on us!!
I had a wonderful time as I know that Teresa did. We are going to try to have an annual event to celebrate her birthday somewhere!!

Our family is wonderful and I am proud to be a part of the Scott Family from Douglas, Arizona!!!!

Arizona Politics

2010-06-06T10:21:00.008-07:00

Last night I attended and helped with a fundraiser at my cousin Yaya's house. The fundraiser was for a lady by the name of Lela Alston who is running for the Arizona House of Representatives. Lela was in the state senate for many years and is a very strong proponent of education in Arizona. Even though I can't vote for her because she lives in another district, it was a pleasure to be there to support her.

Yaya made enchiladas, beans, and green chili meat that were all her husband, Tony's recipes. (I must say that I think her enchiladas are even better than Tony's.) Kerri and some of the cousins were the bartenders and I helped Cecilia in the kitchen.

It was a huge success with well over 100 people there. It was great to see that people of both political parties could join together for education in Arizona. I truly believe that is what we are lacking, not only in our state, but in our country today. People on both sides of political issues need to learn to compromise and talk together. There is so much hate perpetrated by talk radio and television shows that I truly believe we have lost sight of working together for the common good.

The election that was held May 18 for the 1 cent sales tax is an indication that we can all still work together. It passed overwhelmingly. People came together and voted for education.

I remember my mother telling me that her dad always voted for public education even though all of his children went to Catholic School. My mom said that he believed that education was what made this country what it is. That is so true. Anyone in the United States can still get an education at any age. That doesn't happen everywhere.

The highlight of the evening for me was getting to see and talk to former Governor Rose Mofford. She was a good friend of my mom's and it was great talking to her. She spent quite a bit of time talking to Teresa. She was so glad to meet Kerri and asked me later if Margaret didn't have a grandson, too. I believe that she is in her 90's. She looked great and is "sharp as a tack."
All in all, it was a great evening. I love politics and it would be so easy to become cynical with all that is going on. I firmly believe that we can get past so many of our issues if we listen to each other and stop all of the hatred and spewing of ugly words towards each other. Maybe I am too optimistic--I truly hope not!!!!!

Memorial Day Brings Memories

2010-05-31T19:00:00.006-07:00

Last week my cousin, Margaret (Yaya), called and asked me if I would ride to Flagstaff with her on Memorial Day. She was going up to put flowers on her husband Tony's grave and wanted some company for the ride up to northern Arizona. Of course I said I would go because I would do just about anything for her and I dearly loved Tony.

Cameron and I picked Yaya about about 8:00 a.m. and headed for Flagstaff. Along for the ride was her pug, Maurice Antonio Gomez Gabaldon. Cousin Mo is the reason we have our pugs! When we got to Flagstaff, we left Mo with her grandson, Sam, and went to take the flowers to the cemetery. We first went to the city cemetery to put flowers on the graves of Tony's first wife's family. We then went to the Catholic Cemetery and put flowers on Tony's grave, along with this first wife, Jackie.

I got to thinking about growing up in Douglas and how every Memorial Day we went to Bisbee to put flowers on my great grandparents' graves and then went to the cemetery in Douglas to put flowers on my grandparents' graves. It occurred to me that I have not done anything similar on Memorial Day and that my kids never did either. When they were growing up, we always went to Douglas for the summer. However, we usually didn't get down there until mid June because school was out later then. Having no immediate family buried up here, we just never did this.

So this was Cameron's first time for doing something like this. He helped Yaya put the flowers into the ground and we talked about the importance of remembering people.

On the way to Flagstaff, Yaya and I talked a lot about Tony. She told me how much she misses him even now. Tony died in January of 1998. Tony was larger than life. He was an educator and a politician. He served many years in the Arizona State Senate and was a proponent of education. Tony was famous for his Mexican food and for the many fundraisers that he did for different politicians through the years.

After we visited Tony's grave, I asked Yaya if we could show Cameron the residence hall that is named after him at NAU. So we drove over to it and got out and went in. Cameron was able to see the picture of Tony and what was written on the plaque about his service to education and to NAU. Gabaldon Hall at NAU actually overlooks the cemetery where Tony is buried.

Tony was not only known for his Mexican food, he was also known for the wonderful stories that he told. Tony could talk to anyone about anything. Yaya and I talked about how he would probably feel about the way politics in Arizona has become. He would have been very sad to see how things are being handled.

One of my favorite stories about Tony was when he was in the Arizona State Senate. It was about the time that politicians started to think that standardized testing was the "end all, be all" for public education. Having been a teacher and a principal, Tony knew education and was always on the side of public education in our state. He decided to introduce a bill that would require that anyone running for the Arizona Legislature have their IQ score on the ballot next to their name!! Of course, this was done "tongue in cheek," but he truly researched it and wrote it as a regular bill. I remember at the time it made national news. Actually, I think it wouldn't hurt for this to happen today!! It kind of puts things in perspective as far as I am concerned.

As I said, Tony was larger than life. He always had an opinion about something, but could back it up with facts. He and my mom got along great. I absolutely loved the time spent with him and all of my Phoenix cousins over the years. As I told Yaya today, New Year's Eve has not been the same since Tony died. We always had so much fun that night!!

This Thursday, June 3, would have been Tony's 80th birthday. Tony was a wonderful human being and I am so glad that he was a part of my life. I miss him, too!

I am so glad that Yaya asked me to go with her today and I am glad Cameron came with us for another one of the many wonderful lessons that he gets about the importance of family and traditions!

A Very Special Night!

2010-05-02T19:16:00.006-07:00

Friday was a very special day for my dear friend and teacher, Martha. She was honored by the Gilbert Education Foundation as the Elementary Teacher of the Year. Martha is well deserving of this honor as she has been an incredible teacher at GES for the last several years.

Martha truly cares about each of her students as individuals. She has created a warm, caring, and nurturing environment for the children who have been placed in her classes over the years. She instills in her students a love of literature and writing as well doing a wonderful job in all areas of the curriculum. However, teaching the whole child has been her strength as well as her love for reading and writing.

For the past year and a half, Martha has battled a very invasive form of breast cancer. She found out about it in November of 2008 and stayed home to fight this horrific disease the remainder of that school year. However, her love of teaching and children brought her back to our school last August.

Martha originally was a nurse. She stayed home to have her children and then decided that her passion was teaching. She went back and got her education degree and student taught at our school. We were fortunate to have her as a teacher after she did her student teaching.

Martha came to school every day this year having dealt with chemo, losing her hair, and infection in the port where the chemo was placed, and everything that went along with her fight against this awful disease. Every day she had a smile on her face and greeted her children and taught them everything that the fourth grade curriculum required. She never let her illness get in the way of her teaching.

At the end of March, Martha found out that the cancer had come back with a vengeance. She knew that she had to do everything to fight this insidious disease. As a result, she has not been able to come back to school.

When the Gilbert Educational Foundation asked for nominations for the Teacher of the Year, we decided to nominate Martha. Each of her students wrote a letter in support of this nomination. The letters from the children where heartfelt and I know that is the reason she was chosen. The recurring theme from the students was how when they walked through the door, they gave her the courage to teach because of her love for them. They were her sunshine and strength!!

Friday night she was honored at the Gilbert Educational Foundation dinner. Thirteen of us attended along with Martha's husband, sister and her three wonderful children.

I have to say that I am honored to be her principal. I was proud to sit at the table with her family.

Candy, one of our fantastic retired teachers, has been subbing for Martha. She put together a book with all of the letters and a poem that each of the children wrote for her. The book is beautiful and is actually a published book. We were also able to dedicate a page in our yearbook to Martha because she has been an inspiration to all of us.

Martha's spirit is hard to put into words. I can honestly say that it has been a privilege for me to know this wonderful teacher. I have learned much about courage and determination no matter what life brings you.

I love quotes and Tom Brokaw says that it is easy to make a buck, but hard to make a difference. Martha has made a huge difference to many! Thank you for that, Martha. You are an inspiration to me and to many others!!

BEWARE OF BLACK "PUGS" CROSSING YOUR PATH!!!

2010-04-11T14:01:00.007-07:00

"According to the old superstition--black cats are evil. In ancient Egypt, the Goddess Bast was a black female cat. Christian priests wanted to wipe out all traces of other religions so they convinced their ignorant followers to destroy the evil demons that were black cats. While they were at it, they destroyed the kindly old ladies who cared for the cats believing them to be witches."

I have always heard that black cats were suppose to be bad luck, but didn't know the rest of this until I looked it up. In my life, I am thinking that I fit a bit of that description (old lady) and instead of black cats, I take care of black pugs. And I hope I am not a witch.........

Anyway, we have four pugs three of whom I have written about in previous posts, Pedro, Pancho, and Lucy. Pedro and Pancho are fawn pugs and Lucy is my dear little black girl pug! Since November, we have been "blessed" with a new little black pug, Diego whose middle name is Diablo--DD for short.

Diego is as naughty a pug as we have had. He is TROUBLE with a capital "T" and I am crazy about him!! However, he has become a VERY EXPENSIVE pug to say the least and has had a bit of bad luck, too.

The first incident we had was about two months ago. I had to run home to get something on a Friday afternoon. I left the garage door open and when I went to leave, Pancho, Lucy, and Diego ran out looking for a better life somewhere. They are totally untrained and ran as fast as their little puggy legs would take them. Pancho and Diego came back and I grabbed each of them by the collar and took them from the garage door to the back door of the house--a very short distance. Meanwhile, my little Lucy is running like crazy all around the neighborhood completely ignoring my calls. I had Pancho in my left hand and Diego in my right. Pancho fought me all the way to the door. Somehow in trying to control Pancho, I pulled Diego's collar too tight. By the time we got to the door, he was flopping and having trouble breathing. I thought I had killed him--it was awful!! I was able to quickly get Lucy back into the house, I grabbed Diego and headed for the emergency vet about a mile and a half away.

We were the only ones there when I got there and the vet immediately took Diego back to examine him. I was so upset. When she finally called me back in what seemed like hours, she said he was going to be okay. However, she had taken x-rays and found water around his lungs--pulmonary edema. She told me that this is common in dogs that have short noses like pugs. Anyway, Diego had to stay overnight in doggy intensive care in an oxygen tent. When I picked him up the next day, he was so glad to see me. Within a few hours, he was back to the naughty Diego that we all know and love.

A few weeks later, Diego got bit by a scorpion, so off to the vet's we go again!! This time we went to our regular vet and didn't have to pay emergency prices. After a shot of Benedryl and some medicine, we came home good as new!!

I had left my prescription glasses on my bed one day, and Diego decided that the glasses were probably his newest chew toy. Not only did he chew the frames, but he scratched the glasses so that I couldn't see out of them--my fault for leaving them on my bed--right???? Anyway, I had already used my insurance yearly allotment so I had to buy a new pair of glasses.

So by now Diego has cost quite a bit of money, but hopefully all of his naughtiness is passing as he gets a little bit older. He is now six months old...

At six months, it is time for him to be neutered. Patrick made the appointment for the surgery for last Thursday. Diego needed a pre-op appointment on Wednesday prior to the surgery. Patrick was going to take him, but he had a meeting after school so I took him--MISTAKE!!!!!!

We get to the vet's and Diego, the Naughty Pug, is actually trembling. There was a Rotweiller waiting to be seen and Diego thought that maybe they should play together. All it took was the Rot's DEEP bark to cause Diego to think twice about that. And so the trembling got even worse..... We finally made it through the appointment and were ready to go home.

I put Diego on the front seat of my Pilot as he was still shaking. The vet's office is on Baseline and I didn't think that I would be able to turn left at that time of evening. So I proceeded to drive onto the street where I could turn either right or left onto Baseline. As I came out of the parking lot and turned left onto the side street, Diego fell off the front seat. I bent over to reassure him that he was okay and I hear this terrible noise--I have jumped the curb and am halfway into the canal ditch. Both the front and the back right tires are in the ditch!!!!! I couldn't believe it!!!
Several people stopped and asked if I needed help which was so nice. I had no idea if there was a lot of damage or not. I called my insurance company and they sent out a tow truck. It would take about an hour for the truck to get there. A young man who was out on a walk stopped as did two men in a truck. They decided that they could get me out if the could jack up the front and back end and get some planks to help get me out. Another man came along who lives in the neighborhood and he has a contracting business. So he went home and got the bricks and planks. Just as I saw the tow truck driving down Baseline, they got the car out of the ditch for me. The tow truck driver and the guys all looked underneath the car and felt that there was no damage done. I was able to drive home with no trouble at all.

I would like to blame it all on Diego, but I can't. I truly believe that I was distracted because of everything that is happening right now at school. The night before I had been at the "Bored" Meeting until 11:15.

And Diego continues to make me laugh, as do the other three. They are always thrilled to see me when I get home. Their love is unconditional and I can tell you that is very comforting right now.

What would we do without pets in our lives when the insanity of society is all around us???? I am not sure, and I can tell you that I don't want to know!!!

Troubling Times

2010-04-08T18:08:00.010-07:00

Times are really bad in Arizona from an economic standpoint. Our legislature has never been one to believe in education and fund it. Arizona is usually somewhere at the bottom of the states when it comes to per pupil spending. With the current economic crisis, it has even gotten worse. I thought last year at this time was bad, but it is nothing like what we are dealing with right now.

There will be a special election held on May 18th to determine if we can add a 1 cent sales tax to help fund public education. Even with that, we are still in major trouble. However, if it doesn't pass, we will lose so much. When I say we, I mean everyone loses--children, families, teachers, and staff. It is very sad to see so many valued employees and programs that will be gone if it doesn't pass. I HATE THIS FOR MANY REASONS!!

Our legislature decided that they would no longer fund all day kindergarten. All of the districts around ours decided that they would continue to fund it, even at the expense of other programs. What is required of our kindergarteners is unbelievable. Our superintendency and the elementary principals all recommended to our Governing Board that all day kindergarten continue. I was asked to speak for the elementary principals at the Work Study on Tuesday night. I prepared a speech and then sent it to all of my colleagues for input. At the meeting when I went up to speak, 26 of my fellow principals all stood as I spoke to the board--WOW!! I was honored and proud to be representing this group of dedicated professionals.

Here is what I said on Tuesday:

On behalf of the Elementary Principals in the Gilbert School District, I would like to speak to the Board.

It has been my privilege to be an educator in the Gilbert Unified School District for the past 39 years. Over the years, I have seen so many changes in Gilbert that have contributed to making it the finest school district in the state of Arizona. The commitment and dedication of classified staff, teachers, administrators, and Governing Board members as well as the support of our parent community have all been key in making this District what it is today.

I have had the honor of working with many fine people over the years through some very tough times. However, I have never seen nor encountered anything that even compares to what we are facing today in our district and our state. Those of us in the trenches are experiencing this first hand each and every day!

We are being asked to educate children with fewer and fewer resources and more and more stressors in the lives of everyone in our society. The current economic crisis has tied the hands of our Governing Board and Administration in so many ways. We have to be competitive in the “education market” with charter schools as well as other school districts.

I recently had a young man shadow me for a day who works in a very poor district in metropolitan Phoenix. He told me that two school districts that border his district actually send buses to pick up students and bring those student to the neighboring school districts. I did not know that those things occurred and that greatly worries me that some of our surrounding districts that offer full day kindergarten might actually bus our students to their schools. This could have a long-term economic impact on Gilbert.

But that isn’t my biggest concern about our district funding all day kindergarten. My biggest concern is that our children will be forced to play catch up as the enter first grade. What is required in kindergarten today, is not what was required a few years ago. Some of our children who do not have as many opportunities because of family and economic situations are already behind when they start school. Our number of children on free and reduced lunch has grown from approximately 16% in 2007 to 26% today. We absolutely need to give Gilbert students every opportunity to compete in a global market. And, yes, I believe that full day kindergarten is vital to their academic success.

I must say how much I respect and admire my colleagues in the superintendency, as well as the 26 other elementary principals that I work with on a regular basis. Over the past several months, we have had philosophical discussions that have become heated at times. However, the one constant that I have ALWAYS observed is the caring for our children and wanting to do the very best for these children.

Dr. Allison and the superintendency have recommended to the Board that Gilbert Schools fund full day kindergarten. As a group, our elementary principals wholeheartedly endorse this recommendation.

I recognize and respect the agonizing decisions that are going to have to be made over the next month or so by the Governing Board. None will be easy because we are talking about people, not just programs. The Gilbert District will continue to be a place for a “world class education” because of the dedication of our administration and our Governing Board.

Helen Keller said that once she knew only darkness and stillness. Her life was without past or future…but a little word from the fingers of a teacher fell into her hand that clutched the emptiness, and her heart leaped to the rapture of living! This is why 39 years later, I still come to work for the Gilbert School District each and every day and still look forward to making a difference in the life of a child. All of our schools are unique and different and all of my colleagues are out there every day creating a future for the students in the Gilbert School District.

I felt positive that the Board would listen to the people in the trenches and the superintendents who deal with issues every day--was I ever wrong!! Only one member took our recommendation. The other four did not feel that all day kindergarten is worth funding.

I truly believe that this was a very misguided decision. I think it will have long-term economic and academic implications to the students of our district. I am sad that our professional opinions weren't valued.

But more than that, I am sad that so many of the wonderful teachers that I have worked with for many years are being "riffed" (reduction in force). It is devastating!!

I hope all of you readers out there who live in Arizona will vote on May 18th.

AND I DON'T HAVE TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT ON MY BLOG--PLEASE VOTE YES!!!!!!

Check out the video that Becky (one of our principals) put together about kindergarten.

Passing of the Torch, er...Key!!

2010-04-03T10:58:00.003-07:00

I have written in previous blogs about our cabin in South Fork of Cave Creek in the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona. It is my favorite spot on earth!! The Chiricahuas are absolutely beautiful. I found the following description on a website about hiking and birding in Arizona.

The largest of the "sky island" mountain ranges in the Coronado National Forest, the Chiricahuas are home to animals and plants found nowhere else in the U.S. The town of Portal is the gateway to world-famous Cave Creek Canyon. Traveling on Hwy 80 toward Portal from Douglas you will pass through rolling grasslands punctuated by the cones of extinct volcanoes; watch for Burrowing Owls and Pronghorns along the highway. As you cruise up Portal Road west from Hwy 80, grasses give way first to thorn scrub then to a variety of evergreen oaks. Some residents in the Portal area welcome visitors to their backyard feeding stations; for information on current opportunities, inquire at the Portal Store in town or the ranger station up the road. Beyond Portal the road passes the U.S. Forest Service ranger station and winds along Cave Creek; watch for Elegant Trogons all along this stretch, particularly where Arizona Sycamores grow close to the road.

Our family, along with two other families, bought the cabin in 1960. I was in sixth grade and the oldest of all of the kids in the three families. We would go up to the mountains every Sunday after church. I have such wonderful memories of our time then. There were a total of 13 kids of all different ages and we all got along so well. We climbed mountains, played in the creek, hiked, played baseball and horseshoes....

This cabin is truly a cabin. We have to haul water from the creek and boil it to do the dishes and wash up. We have a building that houses a generator for electricity. And we have an outhouse.... The Forest Service is requiring that we upgrade the outhouse by the end of 2010.

We have a guest book that has the history of our visits to the cabin. It is amazing to read it now. We have Judy's signature when she was in second grade. It chronicles all of the years and visits that were made and all of the fun times that were had there.

My 13th birthday party was held at the cabin in January. We had a sleep-over, and it was very cold. I am amazed that my mom did this for me!!!

When I was in college, we had some great parties at the cabin with friends from high school. When my kids were little and we spent the summers in Douglas, we spent a lot of time at the cabin.

The cabin sits on Forest Service land that we lease. We have had some concerns over the years as to whether or not the lease would be renewed. Recently, it was renewed until 2028!!!

It has always been in my Aunt Teresa's name with an agreement with the three families. Teresa has been worried about having to take care of things with the cabin and so she decided it was time to "pass the key." During winter break, Judy and I went to meet representatives from the two families to discuss what we would do. One of the families decided that they would not continue because they haven't used it in years. So John and I agreed to take it over.

Teresa sold it to me for $5.00 (I still need to pay her) and I submitted the paperwork to the Forest Service to have the deed transferred to my name. That deed came this past week. Needless to say, I am thrilled!! I look forward to a continued partnership with the Brady Family and know that John and I will make things work as smoothly as our parents did.

I feel so fortunate to be able to be able to use the cabin. It truly is a place to get-away from everything--no phones, no television, no radio...... It is so peaceful.

I know that many of my cousins absolutely love to go to the cabin. And I want Cameron to have the same memories that I have, that his mom and Patrick do. It is a large part of our family history!!

I am anxious to get down there this year. There has been so much rain and snow and I imagine the creek will be running for quite some time and it will be beautiful, as usual!!

Thank you, Mom, Teresa, Johnny, Peggy, George, Dorothy and Paul for making this possible for us!!!!

HEADLINE NEWS: SENSE OF HUMOR MAKING A COMEBACK!!

2010-03-24T19:38:00.004-07:00

I just checked my email today and got this one from my cousin, Jean, in California. It is awesome and funny and so VERY TRUE!!! This is dedicated to all of my Irish cousins out there!!!

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE IN AN IRISH FAMILY

1) You will never play professional basketball.

2) You swear very well.

3) At least one of your cousins is a fireman, cop, bar owner, funeral home owner or holds political office. And you have at least one aunt who is a nun or uncle who's a priest.

4) You think you sing very well.

5) You have no idea how to make a long story short!

6) There isn't a big difference between you losing your temper or killing someone...

7) Many of your childhood meals were boiled. Instant potatoes were a mortal sin.

8) You have never hit your head on a ceiling.

9) You spent a good portion of your childhood kneeling in prayer.

10) You're strangely poetic after a few beers.

11) Some punches directed at you are from legacies of past generations.

12) Many of your sisters and/or cousins are named Mary, Catherine or Eileen .... and there is at least one member of your family with the full name of Mary Catherine Eileen

13) Someone in your family is very generous. It is more than likely you.

14) You may not know the words, but that doesn't stop you from singing..

15) You can't wait for the other guy to stop talking before you start talking.

16) You're not nearly as funny as you think you are ... but what you lack in talent, you make up for in frequency.

17) There wasn't a huge difference between your last wake and your last keg party.

18) You are, or know someone, named Murph.

19) If you don't know Murph then you know Mac. If you don't know Murph or Mac, then you know Sully. Then you probably know McMurphy.

20) You are genetically incapable of keeping a secret.

21) You have Irish Alzheimer's... you forget everything but the grudges!

22) 'Irish Stew' is a euphemism for 'boiled leftovers.'

23) Your skin's ability to tan.... not so much.

24) Childhood remedies for the common cold often included some form of whiskey.

25) There's no leaving a family party without saying goodbye for at least 45 minutes.

26) At this very moment, you have at least two relatives who are not speaking to each other. Not fighting, mind you, just not speaking to each other.

FINDING MY SENSE OF HUMOR!

2010-03-08T20:14:00.007-07:00

As I wrote in the previous post, I am trying to find out where my sense of humor has gone. After spending time in deep meditation, I am thinking that it may have taken a short hiatus back to the small town down in southeastern Arizona where I grew up. It is hard to explain what growing up in a small town is like...it was a wonderful experience!!

Last week, one of my teachers who is from Bisbee (24 miles north of Douglas) brought me a copy of "The Bisbee Observer." Her husband wanted me to read an editorial about the Arizona Legislature. The editorial was about the direction our Legislature has been going or more correctly the lack of direction... It was a well-written piece that I absolutely agreed with.

As I turned the pages of this small, weekly newspaper, it brought back so many memories of the newspaper in Douglas. I remember when I was a senior in high school, one of my classmates backed into me in the school parking lot. She was afraid to tell her father and since there was no damage to my Uncle Johnny's camper, I said fine. Well, she went home and told her dad that someone had "hit and run" the car in the school parking lot. Apparently there was a small spot of light blue paint on her car from my uncle's truck. The next day the Douglas Police were waiting for me in the parking lot. The officer asked me to follow him down to the station, which I did--scared to death. When we got down there, I told the story of what had happened. There was a man standing there listening and he turned out to be the father of my classmate. Long story short--the father was embarrassed that his daughter was afraid to tell him and I was "exonerated." That was until the next day when the front page of the newspaper had a story about the accident. Basically it read, after the 100th accident of the year, Sheila was blah, blah, blah. It made it sound as though I had finally been caught after 100 accidents. Obviously, something like this would never happen in a big city!

Then there was the time during the Vietnam War when Timothy Leary came to Cochise County. I will never forget the headlines at the time "HIPPIES INVADE COUNTY!!"

The Bisbee Observer brought back those long ago memories of life in a small town where the pace is oh so much slower. On the back page was the Police Beat for the month of February, 2010. It was amazing to me to find the parallels between a month in Bisbee and a month (or day) at school!!!

Feb. 17 - A red bicycle was found behind the Warren Service Center; A Bisbee man reported items charged to his bank account through the Internet by an unauthorized person.

Feb. 18 - A video camera in a black carrying case was lost at the Lavender Pit overlook.

Feb. 22 - A set of keys found in front of the former Lyric Theater was turned over to the police; A medium black and with dog with no tags was found on Bisbee Road and taken to the shelter.

AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE:

Feb. 21 - Cows were reported in the roadway in McNeil..

There is something to be said about life in rural Arizona. Maybe over spring break, I will take a trip down south and see if my sense of humor is somewhere to be found down there!!! One can only hope............

Cloudy Days

2010-03-06T11:29:00.005-07:00

In the two years that I have been writing my blog, I don't think that I have ever gone so long between posts. It has been a combination of writer's block, some kind of bug I couldn't get rid of, and a series of unfortunate events!! In addition, January and February have actually been kind of cloudy months, so maybe I can use that as a bit of an excuse!!!

The series of unfortunate events haven't been horrible and as soon as I get my sense of humor back, I am sure that I will be writing about some of them. Oh yes, I forgot, I have also temporarily lost my sense of humor. If anyone knows where it is, will you please notify me???

The pictures of clouds that I have posted here are not the dark, stormy clouds of winter. I took this picture in September. I am hoping that the cloud that has been following me lately either disappears or begins to look like the one in this picture!!

Anyway, just thought it might be a good idea to post a little something to those of you who may follow my blog from time to time to let you know I am still around............

Musings

2010-02-16T20:19:00.004-07:00

Wow! I looked at my blog today and realized I haven't done a post in almost a month. I think that is the longest I have ever gone in the past almost two years.

January was taken up with Teresa and her surgery. My wonderful cousins, Lena, Samantha, Jan, Jean, Tom, Elsa, Dorothy and Elyssa, as well as all of the Phoenix family were absolutely wonderful in helping with her care.

The week after she had her double mastectomy, we had a faculty party. It was partly a celebration for my birthday. When I told this to Teresa, she said that she was going with me and she did. So many people at the party were amazed that anyone, let alone an 87 year old, would be going to a party the week after major surgery!!! But that is what makes her so special.

In addition, I have been battling a stupid sinus infection that really got a hold on me for some reason. It makes me feel a bit bad that it hit me so hard when I see what Teresa has been through! Between that the craziness of some of the things that have been happening at school have caused a bit of "writer's block."

The weekend of January 8th, Teresa, Yaya, Kerri, Cameron and I drove over to San Diego for the graduation from Marine Corp Boot Camp of our cousin, Brendan. I have never been to a ceremony like this and it was quite impressive for many reasons.

Brendan is the son of my cousin, Rosemary, from San Franciso. Over the years, Brendan has visited us many times for different family events. He is a wonderful young man!!

All of his aunts, uncles, and cousins from San Fransciso were there for his graduation. Probably the most poignant moment was after the ceremony was over and all of the family was hugging him. You see, Brendan was in boot camp when our dear Steven was killed in October. He had not seen any of the family during these past few months.

The weekend was wonderful! I am always so happy when we can take Teresa to these family events because they mean so much to her. But even more than that, is the importance of Cameron being a part of the family gatherings!!!

As I have said so many times in the past, we are so fortunate to have such a wonderful extended family. We are truly blessed!!!

Happy 16th Birthday, Kayla!

2010-01-19T11:49:00.004-07:00

Today is Kayla's 16th birthday! I told her last night that I wanted to put a birthday greeting on my blog for her birthday.

I asked her if she wants to get her driver's license now, but she said that she is still a bit nervous and wants to wait awhile. I remember when I turned 16 and how much I wanted a driver's license. So good for her to know that she isn't ready!!

Kayla spends a lot of time with us and is always great to have around. She is a lot of help around the house and is willing to do anything to help.

I still remember that day in January when she came into our family!! Happy birthday and we love you!!