Copper Basin News Celebrating More Than 50 Years of News Coverage in the Copper Basin
Vol. 53 No. 9
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Periodicals Postage Paid at Hayden, Arizona 85235
50 Cents
Rhonda Cooper named 2010 Citizen of the Year
Mother Nature’s cold shoulder? Folks from across the Copper Corridor - from Superior to SaddleBrooke - woke Sunday morning to a confectioner’s sugar dusting of white snow. It was cold and wet ... but it was sure pretty! Some kids headed out for some snowman making while photographers from the Miner-Sun-Basin headed out for some photos. We took photos in Kearny of Teapot Mountain and in Superior of Picket Post; downtown Superior and some wonderful photos of Devil’s Canyon; San Manuel got some snow and the Galiuro Mountains were just glistening with all the snow left on those peaks. Oracle, of course, got covered in snow, as it usually does. So, was this winter’s last gasp? Go to www.copperarea.com to see a slideshow. The photos are beautiful and will make you glad you were warm and cozy in your homes while our photographers braved the elements. (Vicki Clark photo)
Mail-in election planned for Hayden mayoral race By Taylor Sheaffer Ritter Everyone’s on high alert and on their best behavior as mayoral elections in Hayden loom. The mayoral election in Hayden is by mail only this year with a good selection of candidates: besides the incumbent current Mayor Monica Badillo, Town Council Member Rhonda Cooper is also running, along with Hayden town citizen Jose Vasquez. In a statement, Mayor Badillo explained that she is running for re-election because she is looking forward to completing some of the projects that she has started while in term, such as the Waste Water Treatment
Project. This project is currently a multi-million dollar project that she believes is very important to the community of Hayden. Like this project, there are several developments Mayor Badillo has begun that she feels she is very close to achieving results on, projects which she has been working hard for. She understands that people have not seen a lot of change, yet she would like to emphasize that it often takes time to do things correctly and she understands the importance of doing something right the first time. Mayor Badillo explained that the waste water treatment project has taken a
lot of everyone’s time, energy, money and effort; because of this she is anxious to see it through. The other two candidates could not be reached for a comment. Since it is a mail-in only election, it is extremely important that all mail-in ballots are returned to Gila County by March 8. Please do not throw away your ballots, there will be no polling, it is strictly a mail-in only election. For more information on voting, please contact Gila County at (800) 425-5095, Ext. 8709 or visit their website at http://www.gilacountyaz. gov/elections/
The Annual Copper Basin Citizen of the Year banquet and annual Copper Basin Chamber of Commerce business meeting was held Monday night at Trendz Restaurant. Angela Hillian Ramirez presented Reflections of 2010 and looking Ahead to 2011 with Bill Loehr serving as Master of Ceremonies. Introduction of past COYs was made reiterating their accomplishments for the year that they were nominated. The 2002 COY, Rose Bradford, read the nomination letter which appeared in last week’s Copper Basin News. For her dedication to her community especially the youth, Bill Loehr, 2009 COY, presented Rhonda Cooper with a plaque. Angela Hillian Ramirez, Copper Basin Chamber Director announced the 2011 Board: Rosalind Padilla, President; Bill Loehr, Vice President; Jean Slater Hamilton; Bob Lorona; Nancy Hinojos, Martina Burnam.
The 2009 COY Bill Loehr presents Rhonda Cooper the 2010 COY award. (Angela Ramirez photo)
Former Citizens of the Year were on hand to congratulate the newest member of their group, Rhonda Cooper. (Angela Ramirez photo)
Why not go to Beautiful Lengths?
Curis CEO Michael McPhie explains Florence Copper Project mining plans to an open house attendee. Michael McPhie, Curis president and CEO, spoke with attendees at the Florence Copper Project open house about the planned mining process and explained what the company plans to do with the land once mining is completed. (Lana Jones photo)
It took five years … The before picture. (Dean Jones photo)
More than 200,000 ponytails have been donated to Pantene Beautiful Lengths since the program began in 2006. This week, your local reporter, Lana Jones, added one more to the total. Beautiful Lengths, working with HairUWeave, creates wigs from the donated ponytails. The wigs are then given to cancer patients through American Cancer Society wig banks. Each wig takes at least six ponytails and three to four months to create. As of last summer, Pantene and HairUWeave had donated 6,300 wigs to the American Cancer Society. Learn more about the program at Pantene’s website: http://www. pantene.com/en-us/beautifullengths-cause/
Light and breezy … The after picture. Let’s hope spring isn’t late this year. (Dean Jones photo)
Florence Copper Project holds open house to explain planned mine By Lana Jones The Florence Copper Project held an open house on Feb. 24 at the Florence Gardens Clubhouse. The open house officially ran from 6 to 8 p.m. although the public was touring the posters and speaking with company representatives even before 6 p.m. rolled around. A total of 74 people attended the open house. Florence Copper Project is Curis Resources (Arizona) Ltd.’s main project. The Arizona company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Curis Resources Ltd. of Canada. Curis is affiliated with Hunter
Dickinson Inc. (HDI). The Project is located near Florence, south of Poston Butte, between Hunt Highway and the Gila River. The property was previously owned by BHP. Low copper prices caused BHP to delay the project and then sell the property to Merrill Ranch Investments in 2000. HDI acquired the property in 2009. Michael McPhie, Curis president and CEO, was on hand at the open house to answer questions and explain the planned mining and reclamation processes. Florence Copper Project
plans to use a mining process called ISCR (in-situ copper recovery). In ISCR, an acid solution is pumped into the ore body using injection wells. The copper solution is then pumped out through recovery wells and processed. The copper is then recovered from the solution at a solvent extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) plant. ISCR was one of the mining processes used at the San Manuel Mine. Water use is a common concern associated with ISCR mining. Curis Resources See Copper, Page 4
The cut … Kathy ONeill, of The Coyote Wore Sideburns in Tucson, was happy to help measure out the ponytails before they are cut. Beautiful Lengths requires donated ponytails to be at least 8 inches long—they ended up being 11. (The Coyote Wore Sideburns photo)