BISBEE WIRE #116/ economy/events/incompetence/and hope for the future
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editor: fred miller September 4, 2026 #116/September 2026 Hello, Amy Burkert, mayor elect, is beginning a big experiment in citizen action & community democracy. September 13, 1-3 at 97 Center (fmr Ballpark Brewing) She and her transition team have created Work Groups to gather community input, research best practices, and develop actionable, positive recommendations to help me hit the ground running on December 1st. It is also the first step in developing an effective way for Bisbee citizens to share their ideas, expertise, hard work, and perspectives to help City government make better decisions for our town. It is something no other mayor has tried and hope you will check out the activities and find a place to plug in. It's not going to be about banging on the current administration or talking about the problems of the past year, but more about the future of Bisbee and how we proceed. More info about each group, sign ups, and how the process will work. Go here for more info. I"ve resigned from the board of KBRP in order to lessen my workload, but I intend on helping out when and where I can. In fact Mike Thornton and myself have been kicking around an idea for an economic forum. Peeps living here more than12 or more years ago might remember that once a year Robert Carrerira of the Cochise College Center for Economic Research (now defunct) gave a yearly economic review. He also did that for Douglas, SV, and Benson. Very well attended, at the long closed Turquoise Valley Golf Course, and a review of county and Bisbee amidst a few state and national trends. We might resurrect a version of that Economic Forum, with an overview of the county, a detailed look at Bisbee, and maybe a few other perspectives. Will keep you posted. All that said,it has become readily apparent that we need to support news, opinion, and cultural outlets we trust with some bucks. KRBP, in its 21st year, needs support. KBRP membership drive is in late October, the 25th, and we badly need you to renew and/or sign up. Our $70,000 budget keeps the station on air with a part time station manager, mechanical and electronic fixes, but it doesn't allow for the events we would like to do. Stay tuned. Organ recital...I'm progressing, very slowly, not much stamina. Like Roseanne Roseannadanna said, if it ain't one thing it's another. Now I have severe swelling in my left foot because I had to stop taking a drug that kept swelling in check. Thanks for the well wishes. fred ...............AROUND TOWN................ STATS ON CQ LIBRARY READING HABITS Currently they have 3320 active adult users and 362 active juvenile users. ++++++++++ AUTOMATIC DRAFT REGISTRATION FOR MALES 18-26 BEGINS IN DECEMBER According to the National Defense Authorization Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in December, the automatic registration will apply to male US citizens and “every other male person” in the country between the ages of 18 and 26. Arizona automatically registers eligible men when they apply for driver’s license or another form of state identification. What happens in a draft? Congress would have to approve of a draft before one ever took place. And not all registered men would be enlisted to serve. There would be a lottery, in which birthdays and numbers are randomly chosen. Wonder if Barron has bone spurs too? ++++++++++ MILE HIGH RANCH HALLOWEEN EVENT SEEKS VOLUNTEERS Mile High Ranch is preparing for their 6th Annual Community Event: Halloween at the Mile High Ranch —Creepy Crawlies. it is a free, family‑friendly celebration that has quickly become a Bisbee favorite. Each year, the show grows a little bigger, a little spookier. As the event expands, they are looking for volunteer cast members and behind‑the‑scenes helpers who want to join the show — whether that means acting in a scene, guiding guests along the trail, helping with props, or simply adding energy and enthusiasm to the experience. No acting background is required. And even if you don't choose to volunteer, go see the Creepy Crawlies. Contact them at milehighranchaz@gmail.com or 520‑432‑3866.
++++++++++ FIND YOUR VOTING DISTRICT If uncertain what congressional or legislative district you are in,Go here ++++++++++ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR HOME TOUR AND ART AUCTION The Bisbee Woman's Club have a number of volunteer opportunities available this year for the Home Tour and Art Auction. These well attended annual events take many people to help with the overall logistics.
If any of the opportunities appeal to you please shoot us an email at volunteer@bisbeewomansclub.com to let us know how you can help. If you have a preference for the day or time you would like to volunteer, we will do our very best to accommodate you. ++++++++++ COMPLETE YOGA SCHEDULE (thanks to Amy Merkel. Call individual teachers for info.) Mondays: Presbyterian Yoga Annex, 24 Howell Street Time: 4:00-5:00pm Style: Gentle Chair Teachers: Co-Led alternating weeks by: Donnette Hill Walto, ERYT 500 (315) 882-0900 AND Nancy Pipkorn, ERYT 500 (520) 227-7252 Club Kilamanjaro, Subway Street, upper level (stairs included in approach to studio): Time: 5:30pm -6:45pm Style: VinYin all levels Teacher: Amy Merkel, ERYT 500 (262) 330-4075 Wednesdays: Presbyterian Church Annex, 24 Howell Street Time: 9:15-10:15AM Style: Foundational Yoga Teachers: Co-led alternating weeks by: Amy Merkel (262) 330-4075 AND Anna Hayes, CRYT 400 (520) 934-4453 Presbyterian Church Annex, 24 Howell Street Time: 4-5pm (sign up for Nancy's email list to ensure you receive Nancy's monthly schedule) Style: Gentle Yoga Teacher: Nancy Pipkorn, ERYT 500 (520) 227-7252 Thursdays: Presbyterian Church Annex, 24 Howell Street Time: 9:15-10:15AM Style: Gentle Chair Yoga Donnette Hill Walto, ERYT 500 (315) 882-0900 Fridays: Club Kilamanjaro, 24 Subway Street Time: 8:30 - 10:00AM Style: Yoga with Anna Teacher: Anna Hayes, CRYT 400 (520) 934-4453 Presbyterian Church Annex, 24 Howell Street Time: 9:15 -10:15AM Style: Heart-Centered Yoga Teacher: Donnette Hill Walto, ERYT 500 (315) 882-0900 ++++++++++ COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SoAZ NEEDS NON-PROFIT INPUT ABOUT FUNDING NEEDS In 2026, nonprofits continue to navigate significant uncertainty and change. To better understand how the funding environment has evolved, we are conducting a follow-up assessment to our earlier survey to measure trends, identify emerging needs, and document the ongoing impact nonprofits are having in communities across Southern Arizona. ..............EVENTS............... Sept. 5...24th annual Bisbee Bloomer Garden Tour & Porch music.10 am-4 pm. Tix $20 at eventbrite, High Desert Market; day of in grassy park and Saturday Market. No pets. More info here Sept 5...grand opening of Mule Mt. Dems office at the convention center. 5 pm. Info here Sept 12...A night of art and music. Bisbee Arts Commission art/preview of submissions for collaborative with Project Wildlife. Humblebees music, drinkies, fundraiser. Stock Exchange 6-8 pm Sept 13...Information and orientation meeting for Amy Burkert mayor-elect transition team.1:00-3:00 at 97 Center (former Ballpark brewing, 1/2 block north of congdon/bisbee rd 4 way stop) The purpose is to begin a process of formation of interest groups that will do research, develop solutions, develop practical recommendations for the new administration. For more info go here and here Sept 19...TWIBFest 3 City Park Sept 20...Drag Queen Bingo, 4 pm, Poco/15 Main, fundraiser for Friends of the Bisbee Animal Shelter, tix $15, are available at Poco Market or on Eventbrite here. Sept 25...Strengthen Non-Profits from within. 8:30-4:30, Legacy center in SV. From AI and fundraising to wellness and leadership, this conference is designed to help nonprofits recharge, refocus, and renew. Register here Sept 26...Oktoberfest Brewery Gulch noon-6 pm, $20 meal at Le Cornucopia. A benefit for Muheim House. Go here for meal reservations:lowellunited@gmail.com. Go to Eventbrite for tix and more info. Sept 27...Project Wildlife 3rd annual garden party, 5-7 pm upper vista park. It's a fundraiser so bring da dough. wander on the path, drinkies, music, and lotsa Art for sale, too! Go here for more info. (stop by and knock a greet, I'll be bartending-with a lot of assistance.) Oct 8 - Oct 11...Plein Air, artist sign up and more info here Oct 15...grant deadline for Bisbee Arts Commission. don't wait more info here Oct. 17...Bisbee Stair Climb Oct. 24...The B.R.A.T.S. (Bisbee Rolling Arts Transport Parade), Get going and build your own BRAT! More info here October 28, 29, & 30 Mile High Ranch host their 6th annual Halloween event; The Creepy Crawlies. 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, More info here November 7... Sense of Style fashion show. benefits the Bisbee Science Center November 13 – 15...Sidepony 13 go here for info. Nov. 21...Spelling Bee! Friends of the Library very fun event. Get your team together St. Patrick's church. More to come. Go here for info. (stop by and knock a greet, I'll be bartending along with a bigwig from the city.) Nov. 26...Community Dinner at St.Joseph Nov. 27-28...Home Tour and Art Auction. If you are so inclined to donate to support my work with the Wire, I would be most grateful. Click on the QR below if using Zelle it is bisbeewire@gmail.com. Please send checks to 39 Hazzard/85603 ...............BISBEE ECONOMY............ BISBEE UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASES The economic problems from three major events; the most stupid war in history, the growth of Artificial Intelligence, and reduced government employment have begun to percolate through the national, state, county, and city economies. The most direct result is a decrease in the number of jobs with the concomitant rise in unemployment. In our county, according to the Cochise Economy, a project of SAEDG, Bisbee's unemployment rate rose 1.4% over the past year to 8.3%. The unemployment rate for all cities in the county rose with the exception of Tombstone which was flat. "Professional and business services averaged 3,483 jobs, down 7.5% from the same months in 2025. Information employment fell sharply to 700 jobs, down 27.6%. Leisure and hospitality averaged 3,400 jobs, down 4.2%, while financial activities slipped 1.6% and private education and health services declined 0.7%." Overall the county's unemployment rate is 6.0% a 1% jump compared with the 5.0% in June of 2025. Go here for all stats <><><><> HOUSE SALES (thanks to BK and BM for the info) July was a slow month for house sales with only 5 sold. That follows June's 11 sales. (I'm exploring various uses of AI...According to Gemini AI...) Inventory Trends: In the summer of 2025, Bisbee was coming off a historically tight supply of homes about 105 on the market in August. By August of 2026, the active inventory rose by roughly 19.3% to settle at around 120 houses for sale, highlighting that options were scarcer for buyers in August 2025. This holds true for a comparison of the first seven months of 2026 with 2025. There is growing inventory on the market that is a better deal for buyers with more negotiating leverage, than last year, but a problem for sellers. The days on market average is about the same. Mortgage rates have increased to 6.8% or more so that can dampen seller's enthusiam. Prices grew roughly 11.1% year-over-year despite the rising inventory, showing strong baseline demand for the area. And, despite more homes sitting on the market, values did not crater. Instead, the median sales price climbed from $225K to $250K, proving that demand for Bisbee's unique market remained remarkably stable. It is worth pointing out that these sales will be for people's primary residence. <><><><> Address sell $$ seller buyer DoM Loan Use 11 La Cholla rd $103k SV Bisbee 69 conv primary 114 B $220k Hereford ID 32 new primary 205 Van Dyke $340k SV Bisbee 169 FHA primary 616 S. Cruz dr. $203k CA SV 95 VA primary 3157 W. 80 $155k Bisbee Bisbee 46 cash primary <><><><> COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS FOR SALE (Internet listings marked active from LoopNet, ReMax, Tierra Antigua, Eliza Adams Realty, Agave and a few others. All are listed as active.) If you know of a bldg for sale, not listed, please send me a note to bisbeewire@gmail.com There are 21commercial buildings for sale via various listings throughout Bisbee. Of those, 14 are in the OB downtown area, roughly 15% of the biz district. *2 Naco Rd (fmr art gallery)…$450,000 (price dropped $45k) *120 Naco Rd...$685,000 *2 Main St. (convention center)…$1,695,000 *14 Main (fmr Cornucopia café)…$699,000 *20 Main (Letson Loft Hotel)…$2,100,000 (200k price drop) *40 Main…$479,000 (20k price drop) *41 Main(former Desert Diva)..$450,000 *61 Main (Grand Hotel)…$1,600,000 (price drop $300k) *72-78 Main (Outlaw Taco bldg.) …$995,000 *105 Tombstone Cyn (Badassery bldg.) $695,000 *500 Tombstone Cyn…$850,000 *37-39 OK st (fmr Hot Licks)…$995,000/$1,299,000 *31 Subway (Allen coffee bldg.)…$394,000 (price drop $$40k) *11 Howell Ave (Copper Queen Hotel)…$9,000,000 *317 Arizona St. (Warren hotel)…$499,000 *412 Arizona St. (Copper Pig bldg.)…$339,000 ($50k price drop) 203 Bisbee Rd unit B…$325,000 *219 Douglas…$375,000 *2134 S. Bowers (fmr church)...$185,000 *954 Hwy 92 (Bisbee realty)…$299,000 *1372 Hwy 92 (fmr motel)...$2,500,000 <><><> BUILDING PERMITS There was no new construction in July, 35 residential permits were just about $400k. This is the third month in a row with only $300-$400k worth of work being done. However a few months does not yet reveal a trend-peeps spending less on home repair-given the unusually hot weather. The number of permits is in line with previous months. Commercial activity was minimal at $20k. Although low, commercial permits fluctuate throughout the year. In July 2025, about the same amount was spent. SALES TAXES (There is always a two months lag between the reported numbers and the actual spending month.) A mixed bag. Lodging was up significantly from the prior month of June ($28/$19k). Restaurant/bar was down ($44k)/$50k). Retail was up over the past month and one of the best months since January ($137k/$116k) Grocery (for home consumption) and internet sales were roughly the same as the previous months at about $58k and $33k respectively) In comparison to July of 2025, lodging was about the same, restaurant bars down about $5k, Grocery sales were up about $8k, and internet was down about $3k. ++++++++++ SPIRITS DISTILLERY GETS PERMIT County supes oked a series 18 craft distiller license for Palmeri Distillery at 841 E. Beechcraft blvd in Bisbee. The distillery, owned by Joshua Gulden, will produce agave spirits utilizing local sourced wheat and hopi blue corn. ++++++++++ TRUSTEE SALES 507 Hermosa Pl. September 23, 2026 11:00 Courthouse 100 Quality Hill ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION Desert Skies Engraving LLC 428 Crestview Dr. Leslie Edsall Local 2146 Firefighters Community Foundation Kevin Pacheco ..............COCHISE COUNTY................ Frank Antenori, the bellicose supervisor of District 3, has been promoting any business to come to Cochise County. In his tirade against people who were demanding safeguards for data centers,he partially blamed them for businesses not being interested in the county. No stats, no evidence, just out and out blame. One could easily make the case that a business looking to locate, might be put off by the Laissez-faire attitude towards regulations that the county supervisors, particularly Antenori and Crosby spout. Corporations look for stabilty, not bombast. New regs will be submitted to the supes in Nov. or Dec. Including specs for data centers.
...............RESOURCES................ The amount of AI slop on the net has increased by a lot. So it is important to seek out those sources that are based in fact. These are a few I've mentioned and use. SNOPES RUMOR CONTROL In these days of falsehoods it is easy to get sucked into a falsehood, especially when it falls into your own political baliwick. Snopes is one of the best at sorting fact from fiction. Go here for info. It's free but like so many others welcome paying members. ARIZONA AGENDA All things political in Arizona, with insightful articles that explore complex issues, short blurbs keeping tabs on politicians and what is happening at the lege. Go here for more info. There is also a sister newsletter, Tucson Agenda, that occasionally covers outside Tucson. go here for a look there. GROUND PARTY PAPERS As the name implies, it's all about water and DIY off the grid in SoAz. The current issue has an extensive analysis of the mining proposed for just north of I-10 next to dragoon. Lotsa fallout from their proposal including lotsa water use. Go here and as usual the guy is funding the newsletter himself. ...............EVERYTHING ELSE................ DOLLY DID IT RIGHT/compare this to dunderhead RFKjr. U B the judge....help millions or sicken millions...In 2020, Dolly Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to fund the research that allowed researchers to prove that mRNA vaccine technology worked. That research led to grants that enabled development of the Moderna mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 that saved millions of lives. She also helped encourage others to get vaccinated, taking her own shot on camera in a dress she had cut the shoulders out of so the doctor would have easier access. RFK, the head of health and human services, with no science or medical background, said vaccines for covid did not work. He still claims that as the number of measles cases grows rapidly. He has cut 3000 scientists and 1000 regulators; 18% of the workforce. And the majority of afflicted were not vaccinated. Another of the trump incompetents in his cabinet.Ruled by incompetence, defends lies, untethered from any reality. It's kind of like king kong tromping over DC and the goverment. ++++++++++ THE FUTURE IS MADE IN CHINA A very good summation of how the China/US relationship is changing, the economic impact of Chinese decisions to research and manufacture and use products for solar and windipower. Go here for the article ++++++++++
.............. WORD............... Word Odyssey Feeding your inner nerd with words, their origins, and the stories behind them By: Britt Hanson O.K.!
Today I’m going to feed my inner nerd—and yours too—by exploring the history of a word that most of us use every day, many times over. Okay?
Sometimes we spell it like a word, but just as often it’s just O.K. For those who cherish brevity, it’s even OK to dispense with the periods.
Over the years many apocryphal stories have popped up claiming to identify the origins of O.K. One popular claim is that it came from a Choctaw word okeh meaning “it is indeed.” Peter, Paul and Mary made this claim in their song “All Mixed Up.”
But they were mixed up. A couple of decades ago the American etymologist Allen Walker Read definitively pinned down the origins of O.K.
In the late 1830’s a hip fad began in Boston to abbreviate phrases by using the initials of the words, such as “NG” for “no go” and “GT” for “gone to Texas.” Even hipper was to abbreviate intentional misspellings of words—that’s where O.K. came in. It was an acronym for “oll korrect.” The fad spread to other cities, but O.K. spread even further during the 1840 presidential campaign of Martin Van Buren, who was seeking re-election. He was from Kinderhook, New York. His campaign publicists began calling him “Old Kinderhook”. Since those initials are O.K., Van Buren supporters started forming O.K. clubs around the country, which harmonically converged with the meaning of O.K. as “all correct.”
It didn’t help Van Buren all that much. He got clobbered by William Henry Harrison, in a landslide. But O.K. caught on. During the Civil War a businessman branded his soap as Pyle’s O.K. Soap. (“The most intelligent classes in New York use it”, according to an ad in the 1862 N.Y. Times). Pyle’s N.Y. Times obituary claimed that “[b]y his extensive employment of [these letters] he probably did more than any other person to raise them to the dignity of a popular term….”
O.K. thus ascended to common English slang. It has proved such a popular word that it has now spread to dozens of other languages, from Spanish and Portugese, to Arabic, to Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese.
Why has O.K. proved so popular? One theory is that the word is just so versatile, with a number of variations on its meaning, though all of them are anchored in the original “all correct.” A football player gets flattened, the crowd grows silent as he lays motionless, but when he gets up and runs off the field the announcer says “he’s okay” and the crowd cheers. The title I’m OK, You’re OK—a once popular self-help book and phrase—conveys that you’re not a complete nut job. But an okay can mean that you’re not necessarily doing great, either. If you ask someone how they’re doing and they say okay, it probably means they’re doing, well, just okay, but not truly peachy. And if the okay is accompanied by a small sigh, it probably means that they’re not really doing well at all, with okay being a polite way of avoiding saying hey, I’m a complete downer.
We use okay for affirmations. “Come on, let’s go to a movie.” Okay. Or, let’s go to a movie, okay? O.K. Sometimes we need to get our supervisor’s O.K. to do something. We also use it for pauses in speaking, like “um”. “Okay, now we’re going to discuss Kepler’s theory of the elliptical motions of the planets….okay, let’s start with Kepler’s equation, okay….”
A favorite use of the word is for sarcasm. Your spouse goes on and on and on about your bad habits, then you end the diatribe by saying “OKAY!”.
Another theory for the popularity of O.K. is that it’s noticeable in print and fun to pronounce. The two letters are stark contrasts. “O” not only looks nice and round, it sounds nice and round. When you say “O” your mouth actually gets round. Then comes the “K”, which looks like three well-arranged sticks and is pronounced harsh and swift. You might even say that the “K” is masculine in contrast to the smoother, more feminine “O”—a graphic shorthand ying and yang. Put the letters together, and you have a word that starts long but stops on a dime. O.K. And you can say it quickly.
Or, if you’re in the mood, you can stretch it out with an okey dokey. But why would you? That’s really not okay. The best person to complete this assessment is your executive director/president or a designee of your chief executive. We aim to get the broadest view of your organization, and this should take roughly 10-20 minutes. As always, thank you for your invaluable time! Hit the button below to begin. |
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