"ARRESTING" Developments May "WARRANT" Concern!

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

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

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!!!

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!

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

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!!!!!!