BISBEE WIRE #118
BISBEE WIRE #118 editor: fred miller November 20,2026 #118/November 2026 Hello, With uncertainty about the mail, it's best if you get your ballot in soon if you haven't...the very best way to get ensure your vote is counted is to drop your ballot off at the Recorders office at 1415 Melody Lane or in the drop box. The drop box hours have been extended to 24 hours, seven days a week. However if you mail your ballot do it soon and at least by Oct 27. The so-called Regional Transportation Optimization plan the US Post Office rolled out last year has reduced pickup times at more than 15,000 post offices that are more than 50 miles from a regional processing center. That means a ballot could sit in a local post office and not get a postmark until the following day. For people dropping off their ballots at the last minute, that could mean the difference between their votes being counted or rejected. The problems are likely to have the biggest impact on rural areas. If you vote by mail at the last minute, you can request a time/date stamp from the postal clerk that will ensure your ballot get counted even if arriving late. It is a long confusing ballot because republican legislators did not do what they are supposed to, so they put 8 fugging propositions (vote NO on all) on the ballot along with City of Bisbee propositions (vote YES on all) making for a very long and wordy document. For my biased suggestions on voting, go to bisbeewire.com and click on the election issue. Ken Gray, a good friend of ours, has passed after a long illness. I enjoyed many years of conversations with him and his wife at Roka's bar and Pizzeria Mimosa in in Hereford. Before he retired he was a professor in charge of Penn State's Department of Workforce Education and Development, which he helped to build into a perennial top-three national program. The area of his expertise was researching and writing, through his several books, about the advantages of community colleges over four-year colleges, particularly for high school students. He was one of the first to talk about the folly of the decline of 'vocational trades' in community colleges as emphasis on 'academic preparation' for four years schools ascended. Barbara, his wife, a former professor of Learning Science/Instructional Design at Penn State, was inspirational as she took care of him during his illness. She remarked to me once, that there was no place she would rather be and nothing that she would rather be doing. Another gone...Mark McIntyre had stories galore and he shared them freely with me and others at the bar at Roka. He passed away last month. Among other things, he developed and built the single family houses near the senior center on Collins. One of his complaints is that the city promised to put a park as part of the development and never followed through. He was also part owner in a brewery in Colorado and world traveler, and a bit of a name dropper. A couple years ago he lost his house and some of his property when there was a fire near the San Pedro. in 1976 he bought the historic Douglas house, designed by Henry Trost, renamed it the Loma Linda-a mansion with 12 bedrooms, Stickly furniture throughout, a billiard room, library, six fireplaces, and maple flooring-at the end of the Vista. Many will have known him for his long term battle with Tahni Pressel and her family for control of the huge residence. He lost. But got a good story out of it as the Pressel family turned down an offer of $1.1 million bucks to put it up for auction where it sold for $450k. I hope to get the next issue out soon with a focus on the Bisbee economy in the first quarter of the fiscal year. On a personal note, a birthday koan to BB..If every year adds a ring to the Oak tree, how wide is the space inside the trunk that has no age at all? And...we have had a rough four months this summer, but Anita and I are on the recovery road gaining more strength and stamina. Anita's pneumonia coughing has abated so she can sleep through the night and I'm off antibiotics so my arthritis medicine has kicked in; I'm no longer the robotic man. Since I'm a sweets junkie, I've gained five pounds of the 16 I lost, by eating, cookies, pastries, ice cream, red meat, smoothies w/ protein powder and an occasional vegetable or salad. Soooo it's back to Arizona St. gym. We thank you for the many expressions of concern and wishes for our recovery. fred ...............AROUND TOWN................ ++++++++++ IS APS COLLECTING YOUR MONEY TO FUND DATA CENTER JUICE? Are you, the residential consumer, paying for data centers electricity use? That's at the heart of an investigation into a charge on your Arizona Public Service bill. From an article in Arizona Agenda, " "Why is Arizona Public Service — better known as APS — charging its customers more for a “power supply adjustment” fee? We’re talking 1,000% more compared to about five years ago. 12News investigative reporter Joe Dana has been trying to get to the bottom of the mysterious and sharply growing charge that’s contributing to average people and businesses’ rising energy bills — with no help from APS. (I hadn't noticed but when I checked my own electric bill, in one year the charge went from $5.18 to $11.38-more than double, in one year! ) The utility company has stonewalled Dana’s attempts to get substantive on the particular details. And now the regulators who are supposed to police APS are coming after him instead. Perhaps it’s because Dana’s expert source is even raising the idea that the fee has actually functioned as a way to subsidize data centers, which would contradict the utility’s constant mantra to the press that “growth pays for growth.” Abhay Padgaonkar, a management consultant, spent 200 hours analyzing data from the company and told Dana that “growth is not paying for growth.” Padgaonkar, who played a key role in securing a $25 million settlement for APS customers in 2021, said that the charge has increased in order to keep up with unprecedented energy demand — which could very well be because of new data centers joining the grid." The regulatory agency, the Arizona Corporation Commission, has attacked the reporter rather than replying to the substance of the reporting. Another illustration why it is necessary to get better commissioners in the current election. Vote for Hill and Pratte. Go here for the article.++++++++++MAYOR ELECT, AMY BURKERT ON COMMUNITY, RESPECT, AND GRACEA mayor sets the tone for a city, so it is instructive to understand what motivates someone that has been elected to be our mayor. This interview/podcast with Ms.Burkert is an exploration of her core values, ideas, as well as her hopes for Bisbee If you are familiar with her background start about 20:00. Go here for the podcast. (Since I worked on her campaign and have stayed in contact, I have continued to be impressed by her intellect , energy, ability to synthesize information, and openness to other people and ideas. I believe she has the potential to be a really great Bisbee mayor for all of us.) ++++++++++ CONGRATS! PANTERRA GALLERY IS CELEBRATING THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSAY PanTerra, at 22 Main, will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary at the end of this month (October) with discounts and giveaways. Customers can sign up for a raffle of $10, $20, $50 and $100 gift certificates in our store or can call or email the store to be added to the raffle. Owner Maralyce Ferree began Panterra with her partner Chuck Feil, a well know photographer and a true bon vivant, in 2006, moving to their current location in 2009. Previous they had owned Maralyce Ferree Contemporary Clothing Designs, featuring Ferree’s designs and clothing manufacturing in Maine..Chuck passed away four years ago and Ms. Feree has has kept things going along with a dedicated, friendly and helpful staff that has been working at PanTerra for many years. Said Ms. Ferree, “All women have things they want to accentuate or de-accentuate with their bodies and we help them do that with flattering comfortable clothing and accessories from small designers they aren’t likely to find in department stores. Our motto is ‘Escape The Ordinary’ for just that reason. It is our vision that our clients feel confident to express themselves in their own unique style each time they shop with us...” Customers may sign up for PanTerra’s newsletters at panterragallery.com, and follow PanTerra on Facebook for more information. (As a side note, Maralyce has long been active in promoting Bisbee and working to unite businesses. She along with several other people and myself, started Better Bisbee, Better Together about a decade or so ago. It was a business group that represented more than 50 businesses, and significantly changed the stagnant business climate in Bisbee at the time.) ++++++++++ A 100 ACRE WELLNESS RETREAT PROPOSED FOR GOLD GULCH RD A proposed 100 acre spa, lodging, zipline, and restaurant is being proposed for a site on Gold Gulch Rd (off Arizona St. on the way to the airport) about a mile from Border Rd. The proposals went to the supes on the 14th. County planners oked the site with several caveats. It is not in Bisbee city limits. This is just the beginning of the process and there will be a lot more information coming out. There is consternation and many questions on a couple of facebook threads. ++++++++++ THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY HOSTS SECOND ANNUAL SMELLING BEE Time to sign up your team for the BEE-vent of the season! Stop by the library for an entry form and more info. Buzz, Buzz! What makes for a successful BEE team? A fun-loving 'tude and the ability to look good in bee antenna. Being a world-champ speller?---eh, not so much. The FCQL Spelling Bee FUNdraiser is Saturday, November 21 at St. Pat's Church. Buy tickets on Eventbrite under "Bisbee Spelling Bee. Stop by the bar and knock a greet, I'll be making those good Bees Knees (with Bisbee Blue Gin!) with help from an important city dignitary, mayor elect Amy Burkert, and Deb Van Schaak. Oh dang, I would be out in the first round...it is SPELLING BEE... ++++++++++ SENSE OF STYLE FASHION SHOW The first annual Sense of Style fashion show has taken those castoffs from closets and turned them into upcycle fashion. There may even be a runway to see models strut their stuff. Sunday November 8, doors open at 11 am, show at 11:30 and sale afterwards. 519 Melody Lane, $25, a benefit for the Science Science Lab. ++++++++++ SIGNIFICANT AHCCCS CHANGES JAN 1 SO RICH PEOPLE PAY LESS TAXES As a result of trump's butt ugly bill, some people on access will have more restrictions. Enrollees will have to renew your coverage every six months, rather than the current one year. Adults 19-64, new work requirements stipulating that proof of 80 hours of qualifying activity-work, school, volunteering, job training-must be completed and an income of at least $580 or a mix of the two. There are exemptions. Go here for more complete information. Or here (855) 220-0903 or here for live chat. Or the DHS office at 209 Bisbee Rd. These new requirements are in place to reduce the cost of government health care in order that wealthy people can accumulate more money. <><> MORE THAN 400,000 ARIZONANS CUT FROM FOOD STAMP BENEFITS Arizona went from 886,806 people getting SNAP benefits to 409,584 421 in one year, a -52.5% drop. Food panties and regional banks are facing severe supply shortages and record breaking demand. ++++++++++ IPHONE USERS ELIGIBLE FOR CLAIM If you live in the US and bought an iPhone from mid-2024 to early 2025 based on Apple’s promises surrounding Siri’s AI capabilities, it’s time to register for your payment in the Landsheft v. Apple class-action lawsuit settlement (see “Apple Settles “More Personalized” Siri Delay Lawsuit for $250 Million,” 18 May 2026). Those who bought an iPhone 15 Pro, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model between 10 June 2024 and 29 March 2025 can submit a claim form to receive $25 per device, which may be increased up to $95 per device depending on the number of claims submitted. Claims must be submitted by 21 December 2026. (article in tidbits, an apple tech newsletter) <><> IPHONE USERS ELIGIBLE FOR ANOTHER CLAIM If you purchased an iPhone 16 or iPhone 15 at launch, you may be entitled to receive a portion of the quarter-billion-dollar settlement. Payouts between $25 and $95 per eligible device are expected. As of Sept. 21, you can go to SmartphoneAISettlement.com and enter your information to confirm your eligibility for monetary relief. People whom Apple and the settlement administrator determined would be eligible will also receive email or postal notices from the company Verita directing them to the website. The claims window closes on Dec. 21, 2026, so you have three months to act. If you bought iphone 15 pro, 15 pro max, 16, 16e, 16 plus, 16 plus pro, 16 pro max ++++++++++ trump's dumb ass brag...$300,000 TON DIESEL BUY IS ONLY A HALF DAY SUPPLY IN THE US Trump announced the purchase of 300,000 tons of diesel from Russia, an odd way to talk about fuel. However, 300,000 tons of diesel translates to about 2,238,00 barrels. And that translates to 94.5 million gallons of diesel. The US uses about 120 million gallons a day for transportation, another 40 million gallons for ag, industrial, and heating. So about 160 million gallons is used daily in the US. The amount that the president has bought amounts to about 59%, a bit more than a half of one days use. His actual pronouncements turn out to be as little as his hands. (figures according to Gemini AI) ++++++++++ NEW BALLET CLASS BEGINS Beginner Teen/Adult Ballet classes on Tuesdays from 4-5:30 at Rita Verre's studio in Old Bisbee Community Y, 26 Howell, starting 9/29. $15 / class. Beginner Ballet Technique in alignment with your unique body and experience. Julia Kean teacher. More info here and at 502 876-1448. ++++++++++ CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT IS NOW CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL PARK The national monument in Cochise County is waiting for the signature of the prez to be designated a National Park. It is the 64th national park and joins the three other national parks in Arizona Grand Canyon NP, Petrified Forest NP, and Sagurao NP. ++++++++++ NEW WINERY OPENS Twisted Whisker Ranch Vineyard, located at 5922 E Highway 80 in Bisbee, just east of Double Adobe road, is a winery and vineyard just a 10 minute drive from old town Bisbee. We are open every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30am-4:30pm. Join us in our tasting room for Sunday Sips wine specials! ++++++++++ VERY COOL MULTI-COATI VID https://www.facebook.com/reel/1989314061765963 ++++++++++ BISBEE MEDIA MENTIONS Cafe Roka.. https://fastfoodclub.com/p/out-in-bisbee-cafe-roka-turns-a-historic-storefront-into-a-four-course-dinner-e297f8b5/ (A wonderful example of formulaic banal AI slop) Haunted hotel...https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/arizona/2026/10/05/most-haunted-hotels-in-arizona/91923026007/ Quirky & Weird...https://allhitskzmk.com/bisbee-weirdness-arizona-best/ Shady Dell...https://www.fox10phoenix.com/video/fmc-pkprr7vryx7p9wcg? ++++++++++ ..............EVENTS............... 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 2...5th annual El Dia de Los Muertos celebration in Bisbee on November 2nd, 5:30 pm in Goar Park. November 7... Sense of Style fashion show. benefits the Bisbee Science Center November 13 – 15...Sidepony Express Music Fest! 3 days of free music, music, music. go here for info. November 14...opening "Myths: Ancestral Stories in Art" at Carriage House Studio, 308 Powell, runs through December 5 November 16...Found Objects and Assemblege gallery opening at Central School. More info Nov. 21...Spelling Bee! Friends of the Library very fun event. Get your team together St. Patrick's church. Go here for info. 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 ..............COCHISE COUNTY................ WEST NILE VIRUS The county recorded one death and seven infections from the West Nile Virus this year so far. Weather conditions, hot temps and rainy summer contributed to the worst season in years. The county received a small grant to help with abatement efforts. Removing any source of standing water; garden pools, plant pots, old tires, abandoned appliances, car parts literally anything that can collect water should be emptied. Call the county health department if you need help envhealth@cochise.az.gov ++++++++++ SUPES OBSESS OVER 10 PAGES THAT ARE 'MISSING' IN ELECTION MANUAL Get a grip! District 3supervisor Frank Antenori has a bee in his bonnet. The latest version of the election manual put of by yhe Sec of State supposedly has 10 missing page. Both he and Tom Crosby, the accused supe of two election related felonies, brought this up in the past month or so directly before and during early voting. Supposedly it is about the testing of voting equipment. One of the enduring conspiracies has been that voting machines are rigged. The false accusation has been disproven many times. Fox news said Dominion's machines were rigged a few years ago and had to pay $787 million for lying. The supes keep screwing around and the taxpayers will once again have to pay for their foolishness. ...............THE LEGE & STATE............... ELECTION DENIERS HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR FOOLISHNESS The AZ supreme court ordered two election deniers to pay $122,000 in attorney's fees for filing a frivolous suit that alleged that 2022 Maricopa ballot tabulators were susceptible to hacking. The three attorneys for Kari Lake, the losing candidate for Gov and Senator, and Mark Finchem, the loser for the SecState office and current AZ state senator, were sanctioned by the court for filing the suit which was based on conjecture. It is notable because one attorney, Kurt Peterson, is now part of the attack on voting by the trump people, and Alan Dershowitz- celebrity attorney that tried to discredit the young female accusers of discredited Jeffery Epstein, along with Andrew Parker were the attorneys for Lake and Finchem. ...............EVERYTHING ELSE................ DEVASTATION IN GAZA REVEALED IN GOOGLE MAPS For the first time, google maps has update view comparing Gaza in 2023 and 2026 to reveal the amount of devastation that t Netinyahoo's Israeli government has wreaked on the area. "More than 2.1 million displaced people are living in tents and temporary shelters in Gaza, where about 82% of structures – roughly 200,000 buildings – have been damaged, with about two-thirds of those destroyed, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa." Go here to view. ++++++++++ HAIR! WHY WE GOT IT, DO WE WANT IT OR NOT WANT IT? 20 fascinating facts about hair: why baldness is super-masculine...and a pubic bush could be a ‘cheating detector’ Go here .............. WORD............... Word Odyssey By: Britt Hanson
Paraprosdokians. Huh? My dog Elsie has incessantly tried to snatch flies out of the air. When I’d see her doing it I’d say, Elsie, it’s all fun and games until you catch a bee. Well, Elsie is sweet, but she’s no Einstein, so she learns mostly from the school of hard knocks. Sure enough, one day she was snapping her jaws at the insects hovering around my lilac bush, caught a wasp, and got stung in the mouth. Elsie kept swiping her jaws, then scratching at her mouth. This, of course, brought no relief. Not knowing how to help her out of her misery, I posted the incident on Facebook and asked if there was anything I could do. My friend Floyd posted this comment: “No, there’s nothing you can do. That wasp is a goner.” There’s a word for that kind of funny line. It’s called a paraprosdokian. The Oxford English Dictionary, the authoritative source, doesn’t define this word, so for a definition I’ll resort to Wikipedia: “A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax.” You can see why Floyd’s joke qualifies as a paraprosdokian. My concern was about Elsie, so when he says “that bee is a goner” it’s an unexpected twist on my question “is there anything I can do?” A paraprosdokian is usually wise-ass, so it can get you in trouble. One morning a girlfriend asked if I loved her. I decided to get poetic, responding that the real question is: “How do I love thee? Let me finish this cup of coffee first.” The late Dorothy Parker, a writer known mostly for her wisecracks, had a way with twisted endings. She once quipped: "If all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldn't be a bit surprised." The great Winston Churchill was no slouch. He mocked his long-time political opponent Clement Attlee with this line: “A modest man, with much to be modest about.” Of Americans: “you can always count on the Americans to do the right thing—after they’ve tried everything else.” Stephen Colbert’s humor thrives on reverse endings, such as: “If I’m reading this graph correctly—I’d be very surprised.” And of course, there’s the incomparable Groucho Marx: “I’ve had a wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.” My late friend Jan Munsey turned me on to paraprosdokians. Here are three from the list she sent me: “The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.” “I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.” “Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.” Let’s get to the etymology part of this column. Paraprosdokian looks and sounds scholarly. It is in fact from Greek, the language of science, with four Greek roots: “para”, “pro”, “dok” and “ia”. Put these roots together and it means “against expectations.” So paraprosdokian leaves the impression that it has a perfectly classical Greek etymology. Lexicographer Bill Casselman, however, argues that it is simply a recent internet buzzword, with no classical roots. Actually, “argues” is a bit of an understatement, as the title of Casselman’s article reveals: The Bogus Word “Paraprosdokian” and the Lazy Con Artists of Academe. Casselman’s venom is especially aimed at scholars, who he accuses of spreading internet folklore without checking sources, and he isn’t afraid to name names. To one linguist: “You are a sham, Leonard. Now, go home, sacrifice a duck to Apollo, and learn some Greek, idiot, before you again flaunt a spurious expertise to an audience who will always pop the herniating balloon of your pomposities.” As for another scholar who Casselman had scorned, but who had later died, Casselman footnoted: “I was addressing the unliving. Mr. Ross Scaife has departed this Vale of Tears and joined the Choir Etymological. Tsk. Tsk. No doubt he died of shame.” Casselman then challenged “the wizards at the University of Texas Classics Department to show me one single citation for the word paraprosdokian earlier than 1950 CE." Dorothy Parker once remarked, “The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.” Casselman apparently does the same, but he might need to brush his tongue, too, because scholars rose to his challenge. By Googling Google Books, one researcher found twenty-one pre-1950 references, going back as early as the 17th Century. Worse for Casselman, paraprosdokian was used in Demetrios on Style, which was probably written sometime in the first few centuries C.E. Casseleman’s rejoinder to that is that the author wasn’t really Demetrios, and he wasn’t writing in classical Greek. But still, the many pre-internet, pre-modern uses of paraprosdokian do take some sting out of Casselman’s criticisms. One writer admonished Casselman with this paraprosdokian: “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.” |
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