Hello,
The KBRP/Royale saga continues with lots of rumors, conjecture, and very little information. Three things have been made public by the Board; Ryan Bruce was let go because he did not produce regular financial records when asked to by the board; Gene Connors was asked, and he accepted, to be temporary interim manger of the Royale; there has been some difficulty accessing electronic documents because of lack of passwords and obtaining financial information. Specific personnel issues have not been and maybe cannot be, discussed publicly.
A few other things are apparent, the KBRP website is woefully out of date with general info from 2013 with the then board of directors. The Blues Festival website is out of date with last year's lineup and nothing about this year. It was erroneously reported Andrew Laws was on the board, he is not. Posting of board meetings has been lax. I did a brief search (http://foundationcenter.org/find-funding/990-finder) for a 990 form (all 501(c)(3) have to file them) and found a 2009 filing of a 990EZ for KBRP and a 2014 filing for the Bisbee Radio Project. In that filing income was listed as $171,000 and expenses of $104,00 with net assets of $80k. There were no filings for 2015, 2016.
KBRP and the Royale have become community assets that are legally owned, operated, and overseen by the Bisbee Radio Project Board of Directors. Contrary to some sky-is-falling kibitizers, Bisbee would not fade away if those assets were to fail, morph into something else, or and go away. But there certainly would be a hole to fill.
Having been on several organizational boards over many years, it seems to me, from the little info available, that there has been oversight laxity on the part of the Board; failure to communicate to the members of KBRP, failure to post minutes of meetings, and now failure to keep the general public apprised of an ongoing situation that is of wide public interest. There also may possibly be dereliction in not getting adequate financials needed to provide the fiscal oversight necessary to understand the operation of KBRP/Royale.
On the other hand it also seems there is more than a whiff of Founders disease. Ryan Bruce has done some creative and wonderful things for our community that many of us enjoy. In those processes however, he has exerted a degree of control that has vexed some who have worked with him and created ill will by being inaccessible, inattentive, and uncommunicative. Many people have an admiring opinion of the many things that Ryan has accomplished with the radio station, the Royale, Blues Festival and working with young adults. But there is also significant discontent and bemoaning having to deal with him on details.
Stay tuned.
In the meantime the shows go on. Showcase Fatale, the multi-talented troupe of Bisbee women, will be putting on a fabuloso show-La Fleur-on Friday 3/30 and Saturday 3/31. (No Sunday show darn it!) Doors open at 7 and show begins at 8. Eventbrite has tix. www.eventbrite.com
fred
................................ BISBEE ECONOMY
(Sales stats dited from Dr. Robert Carreira, Chief Economist Center for Economic Research weekly press release. www.CochiseEconomy.com City data from Jen Luria/Viz Center, Joe Ward/building inspector, Housing from Bob Klein.)
The indicators show the Feb economy chugging right along. Nothing spectacular, but clearly healthy. Lots of commercial and residential for sale. See below for the churn.
The number of houses sold dropped by 50% over Feb/17, however the dollar amount was just $120k less. The town has has had a ton of visitors this Spring so far and some are looking for houses; casually or for real. I've talked to six couples at the bar at Roka who were looking, three seriously. And some realtors are very busy. There were about 100 houses for sale listed on Zillow (www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Bisbee-AZ)
And in a month or so, I will be adding to that by one house. I am selling 122 Black Knob View in Warren. It is a stucco covered adobe 3 bedroom, 1 bath, Arizona room and fenced yard with shed. Somewhere around $120k.
Residential building permits were down slightly in February compared to the last couple of months, however there are fewer days in Feb. and that could account for the difference. Feb sales compared to 2/17 were about $100k more. Feb. permits averaged $10.5k. Compared to the last couple of months where the dollar amount and number of permits were higher, but the average was about $7k. Looking at the number of permits and the dollar amounts, it is clear that some months see a large number of smaller jobs than other months. Permits are needed as residents do repairs as well as new owners fix stuff in their new houses. Could make a jump in reasoning to think that lower amounts for new owners means there is better housing stock on the market. Don't think I wanna jump at that though.
Except for the occasional large job, Commercial permits continue to number less than 10. When permits increase significantly, it will likely be that new dough is coming into town. Until then it seems to be maintenance money mostly.
The number of visitors at the Mine Tour were down by about 100 peeps, VIO and VC visitors were each down about 150 from last February. However social media showed increase interest across all platforms. The website discoverbisbee.com showed fewer visits but the time on site was roughly even. It seemed as if there were more peeps in town, but if so, that doesn't necessarily translate into more use of the info and tour sites. Director Jen Luria has begun putting out a newsletter that goes out to almost 3800 subscribers.
I did a random check of some of the bigger lodging properties and there was very good occupancy. Our three room inn had a best ever 86% occupancy in Feb. But then Feb. has been good the past couple of years.
National Park visitation continues a trend with Chiricahua up substantially, 19%, and Coronado down substantially, 34%. I hope to get info about why Coronado has seen a drop in visitors.
And finally retail sales stats for November were up 10% but down 2.4% for the first 11 months of 2017. Restaurant/bar Nov. sales were down 7% but up 14.6% for the year. Lodging was down 25%. in Nov. but up 3.7% for the year. A mixed bag.
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BUSINESS DOINGS IN BISBEE
The Warren Plaza has been bought by the Copper Queen Community Hospital for $400k. The hospital said it has been bought for needed expansion and likely will move specialists and a section of the Bisbee rural health clinic into the building. Penny Lane may move in the next months. There is no word yet about other businesses at the Plaza.
The building housing 72, 74, 76, 78 Main has been sold. No price available. Current business are Art Home, Bisbee Bicycle Brothel, and Bisbee Soap and Sundries. Likely existing businesses will continue to occupy their spaces.
Bates Corlieu's Bijou has vacated 54 Main and moved into Look @ 38 Main. Gimme Shelter, the second hand store run by the Friends of the Bisbee Animal Shelter, will expand into 54 Main. The expansion will allow for donating/selling furniture and larger goods.
67 Main, the building housing Acacia, has been sold; The business was sold and then the building-which has been up for some time-sold. The buyer of the business and the buyer of the building are different. The price for the building on LoopNet.com was listed as $397k.
FOR SALE
Turquoise Valley Golf Course assets will be sold on March 29 on the courthouse steps. (See the announcement in the Observer inside back page) Everything is selling including the liquor license. It's a bid on everything, not piecemeal. An attorney, who can be considered a debt collector, is handling the sale because of non-payment on a note apparently (if I read right). I was told there also are ongoing negotiations to sell the property.
Also listed for sale on LoopNet: The big parking lot east of the convention center $695k; San Jose Lodge $1.15 mil; American Best Value Motel $995k; Jonquil Motel $595kBurger King 101 Naco Hwy ( listed as 101 Naco Rd.) $1,7 mil; Bisbee shopping center (where Alco was) listed as 1101 Naco Hwy $1.8 mil; (This sale does not include Safeway which owns their building. This sale is for the 'inline' buildings that comprise the remainder of the stores + eight acres south of the property. Listed for sale on Century 21 website: 91 Main St. $209k;57 Main, Grand Hotel $1.39 mil;901 Tombstone, Gardens at Mile High $895k;20 Brewery, Audrey's Inn $777k; and possibly the business only for $400k 59 Subway, $699k;10 Naco Rd, Bisbee Realty/Lyric Theater, $556k;120 Naco Rd, $395k;9 OK St. (OK St. Jail) $295k;
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BUSINESS LICENSES Feb/March
Psychic Reader
755 W. Hwy 92
Bisbee, AZ 85603
Owner: Joey Stevens
Border Botanicals
422 Garden Ave.
Bisbee, AZ 85603
Owner: Cynthia Joyce
Morgan Jayne’s
13870 S. Pima Ave.
Pearce, AZ 85625
Morgan Gallego
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NEW BUSINESS ON MAIN ST.
Bisbeens N Rice, Bisbee's a digital production co-op studio, has moved into 24 Main Street, the old Wallace Smoke Shop and former site of SamPo gallery. Services, from live web streaming to soundtracks, are available to all, however a good deal is to buy a Membership and get a set amount of services a month. That includes the option to create content for use in ads, websites, facebook, and other social media sites as well as other marketing opportunities. You can even have your own show! Ben and John will help you decide what might work for you. Check them out on their website bisbeensnrice.com or here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCND7oR9oge_pHx73JMaGYY.
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GET EM' IN...BISBEE FOUNDATION GRANT CYCLE CLOSES APRIL 1 Grant applicants are encouraged to read guidelines and eligibility requirements online and download the basic grant application as well as other appropriate forms from www.bisbeefoundation.com. Scholarship and grant applications must be completed in full and sent to P.O. Drawer BK, Bisbee 85603, postmarked no later than April 1 according to foundation President Doug Dunn.
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BISBEE MENTIONS
Long article on Arizona with a few pages about Bisbee
https://issuu.com/facethecurrent/docs/february-2018
The March issue of Arizona Highway’s magazine has an 8-page story about the Vintage Base ball tournament and Warren Ballpark.
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BISBEE EVENTS
VINTAGE BASEBALL 9TH COPPER CITY CLASSIC April 8,9
The Copper City Classic Vintage Base Ball Tournament returns for its 9th year on April 7th and 8th, 2018. The Arizona Territories Vintage Base Ball League and the Friends of Warren Ballpark host the tournament. Teams from the Arizona League and the Colorado All-stars, dressed in period uniforms, play by rules adopted when Lincoln was president. The March issue of Arizona Highway’s magazine has an 8-page story about the Vintage Base ball tournament and Warren Ballpark.
This year’s tournament honors the African American base ball players that played at WarrenBallpark as members of tow n teams and on United States Army teams during the first four decades of the 20th century. April 7th and 8th. Gates open at 9:00 a.m. and games are played all dayTickets: $10 for one day and $15 for both daysKids 12 and under are free with an adult ticket; Active military free on SundayTombstone Brewing Company will serve local craft beerInformation and tickets: www.friendsofwarrenballpark.com, 520 366-1455judithlee46@cableone.net
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AAAHTS AND KULCHA CONTRIBUTE $9 BILLION TO AZ ECONOMY!
Before you pooh pooh the economic importance of artists and organizations and their work to bring you experiences and aesthetics, you might get your facts down; "...Arizona’s arts and culture industries contribute $9 Billion to the state’s economy, employing 90,000 Arizonans who earned a combined $4.9 Billion in Fiscal Year 2015, contributing more to the State’s economy than mining, agriculture, and forestry combined."
Read it here: https://azarts.gov/news/new-report-arts-culture-contribute-9-billion-arizonas-economy/
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EASILY CALCULATE YOUR 2018 TAX LIABILITY
The non-profit tax foundation has created a 'tax calculator' that gives various scenarios for estimating your 2018 tax. There is a customized aspect also so you can put in something akin to your actual situation.
https://taxfoundation.org/2018-tax-reform-calculator-explainer
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House Sold
