border eco issue 11

BORDER

The voice of your communityThe voice of your community

GROWERS

PACKERS

TRANSPORT

REPACKERS

DISTRIBUTORS

STORESCONSUMERS

STORESCONSUMERS

STORESCONSUMERS

STORESCONSUMERS

STORESCONSUMERS

This graphic is a rough depictionof the local produce businessprocess. From the field to your table,as noted in a previous issue.

NOGALES, AZ

ISSUE 11, 2012FREE

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED

International

BusinessBORDERECO.COM

HUMBLEBEGINNINGSJ-C DISTRIBUTING

GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY

RESOURCECENTER

PIONEERS,BUSINESS& MELONS

ecoDirector

David M. RamirezOver 10 years in print and newsmedia development, imple-

mented and over saw a varietyof products. Vast knowledge in

print, tech and productdevelopment.

phone: (520) 313-6113email: [email protected]

Art DirectorEdgardo Muñoz LafuenteOver 15 years inmedia commu-

nications and operations.Workedwith El Imparcial pub-lishing company, El Diario de laFrontera, Alphagraphics,WickCommunications. Partner of in-ternationally recognizedmedia

company, BorderMediaphone: (520) 223-7712

email: [email protected]

BorderMedia, LLC.CChhiieeff EExxeeccuuttiivvee OO00cceerr::David Ramirez Matus

CChhiieeff OOppeerraattiinngg OO00cceerr::Edgardo Muñoz Lafuente

BBooaarrdd ooff DDiirreeccttoorrss::Border Innovations

Contributors Axel Holm, City of No-gales, Santa Cruz Sheri1s Department,Nogales Police Department, MariposaCommunity Health Center, NogalesUnified School District, SCC Superin-tendent of Schools, Nogales Lions Club,

Nogales Rotary Club,

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOECONOMY IF 20 30% OFOUR PRODUCTS DEVIATE7

CREATING A PERFECT HARVEST6

copyright © 2012 Border Media, LLC all rightsreserved. Reproduction in whole or in part

without the permission of Border Echo Maga-zine is prohibited. Any material produced is theproperty of Border Media, LLC. Any materialpublished is not necessarily the opinion of Bor-der Media, LCC and will not be held resposible.Border Echo Magazine accepts material fromadvertisers, clients, readers and various sourceswhich are not necessarily the opinion of BorderEcho Magazine in print or on Border MediaWebsites and will not be held responsible.

118 W. Ellis St. Suite #5Nogales, AZ 85621

email: [email protected]

3

This monthwe cover the im-portance and theimpact of the in-ternational busi-ness sector inSanta CruzCounty.

We coversuch pioneerslike Al Harrisonand J-C Distrib-uting, but wealso take a lookinto up and com-ers like PerfectHarvest. We takea look into theFord Plant Ex-pansion in Her-mosillo, andmany other sto-ries like theFamily ResourceCenter, Mari-posa CommunityHealth Center.

FROM THE EDITOR

2012 Border Echo

Public RelationsLuis F. Parra

Alma Cecilia Parra

ecoBORDER

FRONTERIZO

ISSUE 11 2012CONTENT

FORD PLANTEXPANSION9

Edgardo Muñoz

David RamirezMatus

SUZANNE “SUZIE” SAINZSANTA CRUZ COUNTY RECORDER2150 N. Congress Dr., Nogales, Arizona 85621/(520) 375-7990

ELECCION ESPECIALGENERAL

De hoy a viernes, 1ro de Junio del 2012: Se aceptaran solicitudes para votar anticipado.Las solicitudes deberán ser por escrito o verbales llamando a la Oficina del Registro Público al (520) 375-7990.

Lunes, 14 de Mayo del 2012: Último día para registrarse para votar.Para registrarse para votar favor de pasar a la Oficina del Registro Público o llamar para pedir la forma de registro de votante. Puede también registrarse por medio de internet a: servicearizona.com o co.sant-cruz.az.us/recorder. Para requisitos, por favor visite nuestro sitio web o comunicarse a la Oficina del Registro Público.

Jueves, 17 de Mayo del 2012 hasta el Viernes, 8 de Junio del 2012: Votación anticipada estará disponible.Oficina del Registro Público, 2150 N. Congress Dr., Suite 101, Nogales, Arizona (el lunes a jueves, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. y viernes 8 de Junio del 2012 de 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Votos anticipados pueden entregarse en la Oficina del Registro Público o en alguna de las casillas de votación hasta las 7:00 p.m. el día de la Elección.

Lunes, 14 de Mayo del 2012: Último día para registrarse para votarViernes, 1ro de Juniol del 2012: Último día para pedir votación anticipada por correoViernes, 8 de Junio del 2012: Último día para votar por anticipado en la Oficina del Registro PúblicoMartes, 12 de Junio del 2012: DIA DE LA ELECCION

ASSISTENCIA PARA VOTANTES: Si Usted Está Enfermo(a) o Incapacitado, Puede Solicitar al Consejo Electoral Llamando a la Oficina Del Registro Público.

MILITAR Y VOTANTE DE ULTRAMAR: Información disponible en el Internet/Correspondencia/Fax. Por favor contacte a la Oficina del Registro Publico para mas información.

SOLICITUD PARA REGISTRO PERMANENTE DE VOTO ANTICIPADO DISPONIBLEPARA MAS INFORMACION FAVOR DE COMUNICARSE CON LA OFICINA DEL REGISTRO PÚBLICO

ORDEN DE EVENTOS12 DE JUNIO DEL 2012

Now through Friday- June 1, 2012: Request for Early Ballots AcceptedRequest may be made in writing or verbally by contacting the Recorder’s Office at (520) 375-7990.

Monday - May 14, 2012: Voter Registration DeadlineTo register to vote, please go to the Santa Cruz County Recorder's Office or call to request a voter registration form. You may also register to vote online at: servicearizona.com. or co.santa-cruz.az.us/recorder. For qualifications, please visit our website or contact the Recorders office.

Thursday- May 17, 2012 through Friday- June 8, 2012: Early Voting AvailableSanta Cruz County Recorder, 2150 N. Congress Dr., Suite 101, Nogales, Arizona (Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Friday, June 8, 2012 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) Early Ballots may be delivered to the Recorder’s Office and any polling place until 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Monday- May 14, 2012: Voter Registration DeadlineFriday- June 1, 2012: Deadline to Request an Early Ballot by MailFriday - June 8, 2012: Last day for Early Voting at the Recorder’s OfficeTuesday- June 12, 2012: ELECTION DAY

ASSISTANCE TO VOTERS: If You Are Disabled or Ill, You May Request the Special Election Board by Contacting Our Office

MILITARY /U.S. CITIZENS LIVING OUTSIDE UNITED STATES: Information Available Online/Mail/Fax. Please Contact the Recorder’s Office for More Information

SPECIAL GENERALELECTION

REQUEST FOR PERMANENT EARLY VOTING AVAILABLEPLEASE CONTACT THE RECORDER’S OFFICE FOR INFORMATION

SCHEDULE OF EVENTSJUNE 12, 2012

James “Jimmy” Edward Chamberlain was bornon the Yerba Buena Ranch near Kino Springs just out-side of the city of Nogales. With the odds stackedagainst him and only a fifth grade education, Cham-berlain, at the young age of 14, set out to move intothe city to look for work. Chamberlain had settleddown working for the Puchi family at their well-known wholesale store. In the mid 1960s opportunityarose when a friend approached Chamberlain becausethey were looking for a produce inspector fortheir California based produce company. Chamber-lain immediately responded to and began the careerthat would become his love and passion.

Chamberlain worked his way around the indus-try becoming seasoned in the business, working hisway around adversity and hardships. In 1971 Cham-berlain, now with his wife, Sylvia, and two children,was working for a company out of Florida and wasmet with hardship because he did not receive a pay-check, which was demoralizing for the family at thetime. “My mother said to my father, “Jimmy, we needmoney, we have two children to take care of and wecan no longer take these risks,” said Jaime Chamber-lain, current President and Owner . Sylvia Chamber-lain then made one of the biggest decisions for thefamily that would change the course of their future.

“My mother was gone all day, when she re-turned he asked her where she had been, almost likeclock work the phone rang from the local Valley Na-tional Bank and the banker informed my father thatmy mother had strongly requested a loan for $1,000without informing him how and when she wouldrepay the loan,” said Jaime Chamberlain. After acquir-ing the loan, Sylvia Chamberlain spent the rest of herday applying for a business license and purchasing allthe essential office supplies to open up shop for whatwould later become J-C Distributing Inc.

“From the very next day, my father went intobusiness for himself and purchased produce for what-ever he had in the bank and then he would resell it.That was the beginning of J-C Distributing Inc in1971,” said Jaime Chamberlain.Chamberlain becameone of the largest buying brokers in the area. In itsearly days, its primary commodities were of the squashvarieties, but soon after tomatoes were added alongwith others. Today, Chamberlain focuses on what theybelieve are their core products, which are tomatoes,bell peppers, squashes, cucumbers and beans. “We sel-dom deviate from our core line of products. It is amodel which we have worked hard to maintain,”said Jaime Chamberlain.

In 1981, a group of growers from the stateof Sinaloa, Mexico approached Chamberlain to be-come their exclusive sales marketer. This agreement

saw the creation of a second company named Cham-berlain Distributing Inc which would handle distribu-tion and representation of Mexican growers produceexclusively.

At this time Chamberlain Distributing was lo-cated inside a rented office atthe Wilson Produce warehouse located in the north-ern part of Nogales, but the growing company nowneeded a place of its own as operations continued togrow.Jimmy then purchased a warehouse just south oftheir original offices with a total space of 10,000 squarefeet, which is where the company still resides to thisday and has grown to around 95,000 square feet.

At the helms today is son, owner and presi-dent Jaime Chamberlain who grew up working in theindustry but began fulltime employment at J-C Dis-tributing in 1987. “I graduated in 1986, and I had notintended on coming to work for the company, in fact Ihad a job offer to work in produce industry for a com-pany in Chicago,” said Jaime Chamberlain. “My fatherpersuaded me to help him out at the company for afew weeks . "He said if I did not like the work then I

could continue to my future plans, but I have beenhere ever since. I have a passion for our industry and adeep sense of responsibility to our community,”said Jaime Chamberlain.

It was not an easy ride from Jaime Chamberlain,he worked in all corners of the business, training andworking hard to earn his spot in the organization. “Inthe beginning, I was in sales and marketing, but I didnot sell my first box until a few years later when my fa-ther thought I was ready. I had to earn the opportu-nity to become a full salesman”saidJaime Chamberlain.

Jaime has come long way as his father diddecades past. He has became owner and president ofJ-C Distributing Inc. The business is still a family af-fair as his sister, Diana Durazo, is in charge of all finan-cial operations of the business. “My father is no longeron the sales desk but is still very active in other areas ofthe company. My mother also has an equally activerole in the company as she is still the pillar of our com-pany foundation. This is very much a family run busi-ness,” said Jaime Chamberlain.

The Chamberlain family have been activemembers of the community for many years. Theyhave supported local organizations such as the SantaCruz County Boys and Girls Club, the Nogales/SantaCruz County Port Authority and St. Andrews Chil-dren's Clinic, which Jaime is a Past Chairman of theboard of directors. Jaime is currently the Chairman ofthe Board of Directors of the Fresh Produce Associa-tion of Americas, serving as a strong advocate andleader for the produce industry and community affairs.J-C Distributing Inc and Chamberlain DistributingInc have helped shape the community and produce in-dustry for the past 40 years while making it a vital life-line to the local economy.

Its footprint, as it is with many of our local in-ternational businesses, can be seen throughout theworld. Any place on the planet where people sit downto eat at home or at a restaurant, take a moment to re-alize that your food has probably been distributedfrom one of the hundreds of produce companies inour community.

BY DAVID RAMIREZ MATUS

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Jaime Chamberlain explains the beginings of J-C Distributing. PHOTO | EDGARDO MUNOZ

Providing Insurance and Financial ServicesHome Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710

DANIELLE M SANCHEZ-LEY, Agent

230 W Mariposa Road Suite C20Nogales, AZ [email protected]

www.danisanchez-ley.com

Phone: (520) 281-9759Mobile: (520) 841-1648

Fax: (520) 761-3818

2012 Border Echo 5

The story of one of the pioneersof local produce business starts in theearly 1930’s when Al Harrison and hisbrother, Robert, owned a wholesalecompany named Harrison Brothers inthe Los Angeles, California area. Harri-son struggled to acquire decent qualityfruits and vegetables, which a large ma-jority was being transported fromFlorida to California through freighttrain. The Harrison brothers had a real-ization that Mexico was located in anideal location with great growing condi-tions to produce great quality com-modities.

Al Harrison then packed up andtraveled to Nogales, Arizona with thedestination of arriving in the GuaymasValley, Sonora , Mexico. While he wasthere, Harrison wasted no time inmeeting with growers and setting upprograms to begin distribution of com-modities throughout the United States.“My grandfather was a pilot so he flewback and forth into Mexico setting upthese packages and meeting many

growers where he would land right onthe field where some deals were signedright there on the wings of the plane,”said Brent Harrison, President andOwner of Al Harrison Produce Com-pany.

Harrison then became a staple inthe local area, conducting business rightout of the Montezuma Hotel in down-town Nogales. While Al Harrison hashad a variety of different productsthroughout their history, Harrison fo-cused on melons which has remained aspecialty ever since. “Al (Harrison) andthe company became so successful withthe melon distribution that he becameknown in the industry as the water-melon king,” said Brent Harrison.

While the company’s main focuswas in melons in the early days, theyalso distributed cherry tomatoes, corn,and squash which was the base of prod-ucts that were distributed into the U.S.As the company grew, they included alarger variety of commodities. Thegrowing areas also expanded into theMexican states of Sinaloa and Jalisco,making Harrison one of the larger dis-tributors in the area. In the early days,Harrison’s main distribution was to thewest coast of the United States, thebusiness has grown to include mid-west,Canada and a growing distribution intothe eastern part of the country. “We arereally driven by supply and demand so ifour competition is not able to producethe product, then it is shipped fromhere, these days things have changeddramatically, so we can do business any-where in the United States,” said BrentHarrison.

Harrison also had a vast conceptof marketing; one example was the MileLong Railroad Freight of Watermelonsas a promotion for a Canadian chainstore that was met by a large amount on

fanfare in the early seventies. “This wasthe largest single commodity train loadin the history of the country at the time,which was an impressive feat,” saidBrent Harrison. Around this timeframe, the Al Harrison Company wasrelocated to its current location in thenorthern area of Nogales.

Al Harrison was president andowner of the company until the time ofhis death in 1984, at which time his sonThomas Harrison took over operationsof the Al Harrison Company. Thomas“Tom” Harrison then ran the companysuccessfully until his retirement in 2006,where his son Brent Harrison is cur-rently president and owner. “I startedworking with the company at age 16,doing every job I could possibly do, Ihave seen many changes in the com-pany and in the industry,” said BrentHarrison. “One of the larger changeswe have seen currently is the consolida-tion of our customers, and fierce com-petition among every aspects of thebusiness,” said Brent Harrison. “Gov-ernment regulation has also increased,with an emphasis on traceability, foodsafety and certifications,” said BrentHarrison.

The company has also movedinto bringing technology into its opera-tions. “We have invested considerablyto have the best quality products thatwe can possibly produce,” said BrentHarrison. Today, Harrison also includesa domestic product with growing areasin Arizona, California and New Mexicomaking the company a year around dis-tributor. Harrison also has expanded itsgrowing area into Costa Rica with thatproduct being distributed in Florida.“The Al Harrison Company is truly aninternational business, which is fittingbecause the industry and competitionhas become global and world-wide,”

said Brent Harrison. “Our products can be found in

most of the largest retail stores in theUnited States, so when you buy a water-melon from Wal-Mart anywhere in-cluding locally it is not out of thequestion to think that it is an Al Harri-son watermelon,” said Brent Harrison.Currently the Al Harrison Companyhas three different labels, which it shipsits products under which are Si Senor,Harrison Fresh and Sweet Eden. TheSi Senor label is placed on al foreignproduce products that come into thecountry. The Harrison Fresh label isplaced on all the domestically grownproducts. The Sweet Eden label isplaced on a specialty product, which isthe mini-melon. “The label is namedafter my daughter, Eden, but a mini-melon, I believe, is a great winter prod-uct because its price point and size,”said Brent Harrison.

Today, Harrison products includespaghetti squash, hard shell squash, but-ternut squash, banana squash and themany variety of watermelons. Harrisonis shipping about 120,000 melons a day,which varies depending on demand.

Brent Harrison, current Presi-dent, has continued the traditions. He isa Board Member for the FPAA, Chair-man of the National Watermelon Pro-motion Board, President of theNational Watermelon Association, VicePresident of the Western WatermelonAssociation and Board Member of theUnited Fresh Produce Association.

Harrison is a pioneer in the localproduce industry, and has remained onethese last three generations. Harrison isinvolved in a great deal of communitywork, donations, and scholarships. Itsimpact in business has left a mark, notonly in Santa Cruz County, but alsothrough out the United States. TheFresh Produce Association of America(FPAA) recently honored Al Harrisonfor his contributions to the industry,being a pioneer and the lifetime of im-pact he left in the community.

To learn more about the Al Har-rison Company, please visit online atwww.alharrison.com or call (520) 281-1222.


PIONEERS, BUSINESS & MELONS

Brent Harrison working from his o3ce preparing for the coming melon season, below is Al Harrison. PHOTO | EDGARDO MUNOZ

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U.S. - Mexico Trade Reached a Record- Breaking of $460 Billion in 2011

It has now been 18 years since theNAFTA began to expand trade across theNorth American region, providing a substantialboost to its competitiveness in the global econ-omy, and strengthening the relationships be-tween Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Since NAFTA entered into force, U.S. -Mexico trade has multiplied by more than five;reaching $460 billion in 2011.

Mexico is the third largest U.S. tradingpartner and the second largest US export mar-ket. In 2011, Mexico purchased over $197 bil-lion of U.S. goods, 13.3% of U.S. exportsworldwide, a remarkable increase of 20% over

the previous year.Indeed, U.S. sales to Mexico exceed

combined U.S. sales to Brazil, Russia, India andChina - the BRIC countries ($176 billion) --,were nearly double U.S. exports to China alone($104 billion), and were also larger than those tocurrent TPP members taken together ($105 bil-lion).

Similarly, Mexico buys more U.S. goodsthan all of the rest of Latin America ($168 bil-lion), more than all the newly industrializedcountries of Asia ($137 billion), and more thanthe combined purchases of Germany, France,United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy($191 billion).

(Editor’s note: Courtesy of the Fresh ProduceAssociation, visit online atwww.freshfrommexico.com)

CONTRIBUTED

U.S. - MEXICO TRADEREACHED $460 BILLION

Santa Cruz Regional Partnership Council

YoungChild!

with great

successthe

CelebratedFirst Things First

“Thank you to all parents, caregivers

and community members who made

this event possible”

Dr. Aaliyah A. Samuel/Regional Director, Santa Cruz Region • [email protected] • (520) 761-3012

Mexico is a country that enjoys plenty ofsunshine, precipitation, fertile soil and a varietyof growing regions and microclimates, making itan ideal place for the cultivation of a huge vari-ety of fresh, high-quality fruits and vegetables.

Search for suppliers currently carryingproduce you’re interested in.

Beans: One of the longest-cultivatedplants, have been grown for six thousand yearsin the Americas. There are many varieties ofbeans grown in Mexico and exported to theUnited States. In fact, the warmer climatessouth of the border allow North Americans toenjoy healthy and good-tasting beans year-round.

Bell and Chili Peppers: Mexico is a year-round supplier of many varieties of field-grownand greenhouse peppers, including green, red,orange, and yellow sweet bell peppers, and pur-ple and gold peppers. Chili peppers have beengrown since the beginning of civilization in theWestern Hemisphere, and have been a part ofthe human diet since about 7500 B.C. whenthey grew wild. Christopher Columbus is givencredit for introducing the chili plant to Europe,and later to Africa and Asia. Mexico grows a va-riety of peppers, including Serrano, jalapeno,Anaheim, habanero, and poblano.

Cucumbers: Mexico offers almost year-round availability of cucumbers, including pole-grown, hothouse English, field-grown andpickling, from crops in the states of Sinaloa,Sonora, Baja California, Baja California Sur and

Jalisco. Eggplant: In addition to the traditional

large, oval-shaped variety, Mexico also growsChinese, Italian and Hindu eggplant.

Grapes: During the summer months,grapes are grown in two different regions ofMexico: Hermosillo and Caborca. Warm daysand cool nights produce excellent Perlettes,Flames and Sugraones as well as specialty vari-eties of grapes with a high sugar content.

Limes: The Persian lime and the Keylime — also known as the Mexican lime — arethe two most abundant varieties.

Mangos: Boasting a long growing sea-son, Mexico supplies an average of 66% ofmango imports into the U.S. Because Mexico isso close to the U.S., mango producers are ableto offer sweeter tree-ripened fruit. Popular vari-eties include Tommy Atkins, Haden, Kent,Ataulfos and Keitt.

Melons: Because Mexico’s melons aregrown in many diverse growing regions, you’reassured of ample supplies.

Squash: Mexico exports more than 400million pounds of squash annually, includingItalian zucchini — yellow, straight, or crookneckvarieties — as well as gray, acorn, spaghetti,kabocha, banana and butternut hard-shell vari-eties.

Tomatoes: Mexico boasts a year-roundgrowing cycle of tomatoes — including grape,cherry, beefsteak, roma, vine-ripened, organicand specialty — delivering nearly 1.6 billionpounds annually.

(Editor’s note: Courtesy of the Fresh ProduceAssociation, visit online atwww.freshfrommexico.com)

CONTRIBUTED

WHAT’S AVAILABLE LOCALLY

FPAA CALENDAR OF EVENTS, 2012FFPPAAAA AAnnnnuuaall MMeemmbbeerr MMeeeettiinngg

May 17, T.B.A.PPMMAA FFooooddsseerrvviiccee

July 20 - 22, Monterey, CAUUnniitteedd FFrreesshh WWaasshhiinnggttoonn PPuubblliicc PPoolliiccyy CCoonnffeerreennccee

October 1 - 3, Washington, DCPPMMAA FFrreesshh SSuummmmiitt

October 26 - 29, Anaheim, CAFFPPAAAA CCoonnvveennttiioonn && GGoollff TToouurrnnaammeenntt

November 8 - 10, Nogales, AZWWeesstteerrnn GGrroowweerrss AAssssnn.. 8877tthh AAnnnnuuaall CCoonnvveennttiioonn

November 11 - 14, TBANNeeww YYoorrkk PPrroodduuccee SShhooww

December 4 - 6, New York City, NY

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• Wellness center for health and fitness programs

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a MISSION to HEAL

(520) 285-30001171 W. Target Range Rd.Nogales, Arizona 85621

When Charlie Sandoval Sr. andhis son Charlie "Chach" Jr. started thecompany MACC Produce, L.L.C. 2years ago, the idea was to make it afamily business. They wanted the nameto represent just that. MACC standsfor Mary(Charlie Sr.'s wife), An-driena(their daughter), Chach, andCharlie. A creative little anagram thatcame together pretty well. Although it

turned out that the support they re-cieved was from much more than justtheir immediate family.

Behind the Sandovals is decadesof experience in the produce industry.Charlie Sr. himself brings over thirtyyears to the table, getting his start withDiego Goodrich. Several years laterCharlie and business associate JavierParra Sr., broke away from Goodrichto start their own companies. Eventu-ally he ended up with Gemco, wherehe stayed up until a couple of years ago.

Chach, who was raised learningthe ins and outs of the produce indus-try, has his own experience as well.Along with a Bachelors of Science inAgricultural Business Management andResource Economics from the U of A,he has also worked for two of the in-dustries biggest names, Wilson Pro-duce and Gemco, where father and sonalso had the chance to work together.'I've always wanted to work with mydad," says Charlie Jr.

The extended family that hasshown the new company such tremen-dous support consists of a number oflocal produce companies that the pairhave developed relationships with overthe years. Besides all the industry veter-ans that Charlie Sr. has gotten to knowthroughout his experience, there arealso the newcomers that Chach grewup with. According to the Sandovals,this makes the job easy to do, knowingthat every where they turn they'll beworking with people they know. AsChach stated, "You're in an industrywhere you're among friends."

But according to Charlie Sr., theproduce indistry just isn't what it usedto be. As the world moves deeper anddeeper into the digital era, so do theproduce companies. "It's not as per-sonal as it used to be," says Charlie Sr.These days everything is handled

through emails and smart phones asopposed to phone calls and face to faceconversations. But as a plus, moderndevelopements have also created newjobs for the industry. As technology ad-vances the need for IT personel grows,and as the world becomes more andmore concerned about safety, securityand inspectors become that much moreimportant.

The old school vs newschool experience between the two isalso reflected in their business styles,according to the duo. Charlie willspend much of his time handling pa-perwork and on the phone, whileChach does a lot of his business viacomputer. This dynamic has seemedworked out well for the family business.

The two enjoy what they do,and enjoy having their own,'familyowned and operated' business. "It'speaceful," the two say. "It's our style."Although they recognize times aretough, they still give everything theyhave into their work, shown in the factthat they still personally check all themerchandise they buy and sell. Newmarkets that have been opening uparound the country are making busi-ness even more difficult, but the San-dovals don't seem too worried. "It's abig industry and Nogales is a big partof it."

BY JOSEPH WRIGHT

YOUNG BUT EXPERIENCED

2012 Border Echo 7

What does international business mean for SantaCruz County, is a question that most of us do not ask our-selves very often. Especially if we are not in the businesswhere wes ee it as a trade that has been around our entirelives and something that is commonplace, as we drive bythe hundreds of local warehouses, and thousands of semi-trucks that pass us on the road each and every day.

The following is an excerpt from a letter toSpeaker Newt Gingrich, Senator Rick Santorum, Gover-nor Mitt Romney and Congressman Ron Paul from localPresident and Owner of J-C Distributing, Jaime Cham-berlain:

“Over 3 billion dollars worth of produce and over 18million dollars of Maquiladora products are crossed throughNogales and the United States on a yearly basis. These productsfeed American families and give jobs to hundreds of thousandsof people in the US. These figures do not include the miningand cattle industries, which are also huge economic drivers forthe State and the country.

U.S. Trade with Mexico reached a record $460 billiondollars in 2011. Mexico is the third largest U.S. trading part-ner and the second largest U.S. export market. Mexico pur-chased over $197 billion dollars of U.S. goods, which is 13.3%of the U.S. exports worldwide. This is an increase of 20% overthe previous year,” wrote Chamberlain.

Needless to say these are staggering numbers thatgive us a slight grasp of the utter importance the industryis to Santa Cruz County. 235,700 jobs in Arizona rely ontrade with Mexico, a vast majority that is tied locally.“People underestimate the power of a port of entry, and

we are the economic driver to the state, but we are nottaking advantage of the great gift we have been given, infact sometimes it seems like we are squandering it,” saidChamberlain. “We need to start acting like it, startpreparing, start promoting ourselves as a community, oneperson at a time each and every resident to do our part inthis great place,” said Chamberlain.

With all this prosperity, the industry is faced withdevastating tribulations that may once again change thegreat history of this thriving county. “Part of the problemis education, if you research other border towns, theyhave become medicaleducational hubs. If you look toLaredo they must have 6-7 colleges which is remarkable,the question now looms, why are we not growing locally,when we have all the key ingredients,” said Chamberlain.

“In the industry we are now competing state tostate,” said Chamberlain. “There is a highway being builtfrom Mazatlan, Mexico to the city of Reynosa, Mexico,which is the border city neighboring McAllen, Pharr andDonna, Texas,” said Chamberlain.

“The city government’s of McAllen, Pharr andDonna have traveled to our growing areas, and are ac-tively trying to get the products to be shipped throughthe new highway and into Texas,” said Chamberlain.“Come build your warehouses and facilities here, and wecan accommodate your business, is what we believe theyare offering,” said Chamberlain. “This is a reciprocationthat our industry has not seen locally,” said Chamberlain.“I have a close friend and business owner (who I will notname) who told me something particularly distressing, es-pecially being a native, which was, “Jaime I have built myfacility in Santa Cruz County, despite Santa CruzCounty,” which is one of the most modern warehousesaround,” said Chamberlain. “The obstacles encounteredwhile building were great, which when a business is will-ing to invest anywhere from $5-10 million, I believeshould not be this grievous,” said Chamberlain. “Thisbusiness will create 40-60 new jobs locally and the busi-ness will continue to bring dollars to the area; the obsta-cles he encountered are the same tribulations we all feelin our industry and in the community as a whole when incomes to the local economy,” said Chamberlain.

A lot of the local mentality is geared on findingways to attract new business, but more important is com-ing up with ways to keep the business and industries thatare already thriving and driving the economy in SantaCruz County.

“The community has to wake up, because if we donot pay close attention to the local international indus-tries, a large percentage of these businesses will relocateto Texas, and the distressing fact is that the migration hasalready begun,” said Chamberlain. “What do we do as acommunity to mend this crisis; communication between

all sectors is a key factor,” said Chamberlain.The Fresh Produce Association of America and

the Greater Nogales/Santa Cruz County Port Authorityare two organizations working closely with the interna-tional business sector addressing a variety of issues deal-ing with the industry, working tirelessly to easy businessrelations. One issue being addressed by the two organiza-tions is infrastructure improvements that would signifi-cantly increase trade between both countries. They havebeen closely involved in the recent expansion of the Mari-posa Port of Entry. “Customs and Border Protection aredoing an incredible job, you could not imagine how un-believably skilled and hard they work, we need more sup-port with man power and funding to aide theextraordinary responsibility, which is to protect our coun-try,” said Chamberlain.

“I have been offered property in Texas, they arepleading with me to do my business there, if you ask mewhat I’m doing at this moment and I can clearly say“nothing,” I love the community I was born and raised in,and this is the reason that J-C Distributing is here, butwhat about those who do not share my opinion?” asksChamberlain.

“I would ask the local community, what will hap-pen to our jobs, profits and economy in Santa CruzCounty if 20 to 30 percent of our products deviate toTexas, I can tell you one thing, I would not like to and se-riously dread to find out,” said Chamberlain. It is esti-mated that the produce industry is responsible for 12,000local jobs directly and indirectly.

“We need to act now, not later when our businesshas gone and this is a county full of empty warehouses,”said Chamberlain. “We need vision for the future, a planto where we want to be and where we are going, withpositivity, because if we don’t I’m afraid that we will be-come a ghost of what we were in the past,” said Cham-berlain.

“I would like to see some buildings, art, restau-rants, coffee shops, colleges, I would like to see somegrowth, our fathers and mothers did not intend for us tolive in a place where things would not improve, but it iseach and everyone of our responsibility for it to happen,”said Chamberlain.

For more informatiom please visit 590 EastFrontage Road Nogales, AZ 8562 ot call (520) 287-2707or visit online at www.freshfrommexico.com or www.no-galesport.org

(Editor’s note: Statements and opinions expressed in thisarticle are solely those of the interviewee and may or may not beshared by the staff, management and/or Border Media, LCC.Border Media LCC, will and shall not be held responsible forthese and any of these statements and/or opinions.)

CONTRIBUTED

ACTION NEEDED

Border Echo 20128

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO OUR ECONOMY IN SCC IF 20 TO 30% OFOUR PRODUCTS DEVIATETO TEXAS

In what he called “great newsfor the State of Sonora”, FelipeCalderon, the President of Mexico,alongside Mark Fields, President ofthe Americas for the Ford MotorCompany, recently announced a 1.3billion dollar expansion of the Fordassembly plant in Hermosillo, Mex-ico. The announcement was madein Mexico City. President Calderonalso stated that this investment willnot only benefit the Sonoranworker, but it should also benefitlocal suppliers and entrepreneursthroughout the border region. Alsopresent at the announcement wasthe Governor of the State ofSonora, Guillermo Padres, whoelaborated on how the expansion isexpected to generate 8,000 directand indirect jobs, as the Ford Plantwill require additional infrastructureand the installation of modernequipment. Ford currently employs4500 people in Mexico and it is thelongest-running automotive brandin the country.

Once the investment is madeand the infrastructure is completed,the assembly plant in Hermosillo isexpected to roll out the hybridmodel of its new 2013 Fusion aswell as its 2013 Lincoln MKZ lux-ury model. These models will bedistributed in the United States,Canada, and Mexico. Ford’s Fusionwas the lead export model in 2011with close to 300,000 units. JoseRubio, the Sales Associate forHorne Ford in Nogales, Arizonasaid the expansion is “definitelygreat news for our local dealershipbecause hybrid models will continueto be in great demand as fuel pricescontinue to increase.”

Mark Fields announced thatthe expansion will "help us meet thegrowing demand for medium-sizedNorth American sedans". He alsosaid that Ford Motor Company is“confident in the future of Mexico.”As a partner of the North AmericanFree Trade Agreement (NAFTA),

Mexico has focused on externalmarkets to propel its powerful auto-motive industry to become theworld’s fifth exporter of vehicles inthe world. The expansion is also ex-pected to bring in other tier 2 and 3suppliers to Hermosillo and No-gales, which is sure to increase busi-ness for local border logistics andcustoms brokerage companies.

Most of the Mexico’s automo-tive exports are destined for the U.S.market, however, the Mexican do-mestic market as well as the Centraland South American markets arebeginning to grow as well. Accord-ing to the Mexican Automotive As-sociation, AMIA, Mexico exported2.14 million cars in 2011, an in-crease of 15.3 percent over 2010.Ford closed last year with exports of449,925 units, occupying the topsport as the lead automotive ex-porter in Mexico. General Motorsfollowed according to the AMIA.President Calderon was very opti-mistic about Ford’s plans to expandand modernize its Hermosillo Plantasserting that this should help Mex-ico climb in the automotive export-ing ranks where it now stands insixth place worldwide.

Recently, other companieshave announced good news for theautomotive sector in Mexico as well.Relying on a greater demand in theUnited States, Volkswagen has an-nounced that it plans to increase its’automotive production by 20% inMexico to 615,000 units. Other au-tomotive giants such as Toyota,Hyundai, and Audi have discussedplans about new auto assembly facil-ities in Mexico. The challengeMexico faces in trying to attractthese automakers are higher utilityrates, manufacturing quality, logis-tics costs, and perceived securityconcerns. Fortunately, the State ofSonora has a geographical advan-tage over the other interior statessuch as Guanajuato and Aguas-calientes, that are also seeking to at-tract the burgeoning automotiveindustry.

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Thou shall have no other gods before me

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD

thy GOD in vain

Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy

Honor thy father and thy mother

Thou shalt not kill

Thou shalt not commint adultry

Thou shalt not steal

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against thy neighbor

Thou shalt not covet

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In the first edition of Border Eco,the great program that is the Family Re-sources Centers that is located in Nogales,Rio Rico and the recently added Patago-nia location was featured. These centersare designed to help families with childrenbetween the ages of 0 through 5 bypreparing them for school and givingthem the tools they need to succeedthroughout their lives. The centers arefunded by First Things First (FTF),which was featured in our last edition.The University of Arizona CooperativeExtension, subcontracts with the Mari-posa Community Health Center(MCHC) to operate and administer thecenters in Nogales and Patagonia. Thecenter offers a wide variety of ongoingclasses and activities for both parents andchildren.

When First Things First came toNogales, the local regional Counsel setpriorities on how to best use the fundingthat would be invested into the commu-nity. Originally the Family Resource Cen-ter was not a priority, but after researchFTF decided that a one-stop location forfamilies was the right path to success. Thecenter is not only designed to advance thechild’s development, but also aids parentsto help raise the quality of life for the fam-ily. The Nogales center first opened itsdoors to locals in 2010 and was recentlyexpanded to Patagonia serving the eastpart of the county in 2011.

“This is very exciting, it feels like along time ago when we were workinghard to open the first center, but it wasonly in 2010 when the doors opened andthe exceptional growth the center has hadis remarkable,” said Suzan Kunz, Directorof Health Promotion and Disease Preven-tion for MCHC.

“The funding received from FTFis mainly concentrated in staffing, Mari-posa Community Health Center allocatesother sources of funding to be able to pro-vide the wide selection of classes and ac-tivities, which are services that thecommunity is in need for and clamoringfor,” said Kunz. “We believe that with theright support there is a great possibilityfor the center to grow and expand,” saidKunz.

“The center has grown substan-tially since it opened, there are moreclasses and activities that have been addedbecause of the local need, such as GEDand U.S. Citizenship classes,” said GloriaKirkpatrick, Site Coordinator for the No-gales and Patagonia Family ResourceCenters. “Other new editions are play andlearn groups, fun in the kitchen, immu-nizations, movie night, theater class,kinder readiness classes, ESL classes,computer courses, Read to a Dog Day,Partners in Parenting Education (PIPE)and various support groups for parentsand women,” said Kirkpatrick. MCHChas dedicated and invested its resources toaid the center on its path to success. Manyof the new additions to the curriculumhave been made available through othersources of funding or partnerships madeavailable by MCHC, which has made thecenter an invaluable resource to local par-ents and children.

“To hear the parents and the grati-tude that they display about how mean-ingful and important the center is to themis very rewarding to myself and the staff,”said Kirkpatrick.

There are more than twenty volun-teers, along with four full-time staff mem-bers working with children and parents atthe center. Staffers include Parent LiasonsRachel Noriega, Anabelle Unanue, recep-tionist Melissa Rosas and Site Coordina-tor Gloria Kirkpatrick. The center alsohas four part-time on call babysitters whoare Catina Valenzuela , Alma Abechuco,Maria Ainza and Edith Billy.

For more information about theFamily Resource Center, please visit 441North Grand Ave., Nogales, AZ 85621 orcall (520) 287-3330.

RESOURCE CENTER HAS GROWNSUBSTANTIALLY SINCE IT OPENEDMARIPOSA COMMUNITYHEALTH CENTER, UA CO-OPERATIVE EXTENSION,FIRST THINGS FIRST


Sta4, above, at the FRC. Susan Kunz, below left, Director of Health Promotionand Disease Prevention and Joyce Latura, below right, Maternal and Child HealthManager both from Mariposa Community Health Center.

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A new rehabilitation program is making itsway to Santa Cruz County called Casa Mispah.The program focuses on the recovery of peoplewho have substance abuse problems with drug, al-cohol and eating disorders. The name, CASA MIS-PAH is an acronym in Spanish meaning “May Godwatch over us when we’re not together.” The beliefis that recovery begins with the group in treatment,but eventually, patients return to their homes andfind new connections there, so they depend on theCreator to see them through this process.

The program was founded in 2007 in Mexicoas a halfway house for clients who had beenthrough treatment and needed a longer supportterm. Patients found that the quality of the pro-gram was so great that patients began to attend theprogram directly for extended terms of 120 days.The program also gave the families of the patientsthe opportunity to attend with their loved one toable to provide additional support.

At its current state, the facilities can accom-modate thirty patients in the two homes located inthe scenic beach town of Mazatlan, Mexico. “To beable to go through these difficult times in such abeautiful place right next to the beach is such a re-laxing part of the treatment,” said Yolanda Valencia,Director of Admissions and Marketing for South-ern Arizona. A third location recently opened inSantiago, Chile that can accommodate around 15patients.

Recently the program signed a two year con-tract with the Betty Ford Institute to provide theirservices in a broader range and other these servicesto patients in the United States. Casa Mispah isnow offering its treatment programs to patients inthe Southern Arizona area.

For more information please visit online atwww.casamispah.com


A NEW REHABPROGRAM ISMAKING ITSWAY TO SCC

Alex(520) 281-46422743 N. Grand AvenueNogales, AZ 85621

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Outpatient Rehab Services at Carondelet was recently expanded and due to the success of the new location andgreat care being provided an open house to the public was held recently to highlight the facility.

PHOTO | EDGARDO MUNOZ AND DAVID RAMIREZ MATUS

Sarah Gay, a teacher and artist from the Tucson area, recently donated a piece to Carondalet Holy Cross Host-pital in Nogales, Arizona.

The next few weeks are my fa-vorite time of the year. Numerically-challenged February winds down andsunlight increasingly spills into eachday. The sun and I now get up aboutthe same time. It's always been abummer getting started in thoselong, dark winter mornings. Frostdanger is almost over and I’m anxiousto get the tomatoes and peppers inthe ground. But with Arizona’s blis-tering heat coupled with its lottery-like chance of rain each day, even thebest farmers can be challenged.Learning a few basic rules of garden-ing, and with some dedication, al-most anyone can grow great tastingveggies.

Rule number one of having ahealthy disease-free garden is startingwith EXCELLENT SOIL. All nec-essary minerals and nutrients must beavailable in order for plants to thriveand reproduce and bear fruit. Manyof those same minerals or lackthereof are what cause the conditioncalled osteoporosis. Just as there arefertilizers and minerals to put in thesoil to insure vigorous growth, so tooare there minerals and nutrients thatbone needs to stay strong andhealthy.

Osteoporosis describes thephenomenon of more minerals leav-ing bone that are being added. Soour bones become less dense, moreporous and more brittle. When min-erals are deficient in the soil, plantswilt. When we are mineral deficient,our bones wilt. If minerals such asmagnesium, calcium and potassiumare insufficient for our bodies’ thou-sands of biochemical needs, thenbone, acting as a reservoir of miner-als, makes up the difference. And asminerals needed elsewhere are de-pleted from bone, bone grows brittle,becomes weaker and more porous,hence: osteoporosis.

We can slow minerals fromleaving by taking a class of drugscalled bisphosphonates. They inter-fere with the body's normal removalof old, spent bone cells, which nor-mally need to be replaced every sooften with the younger, fresher cells.This drug-induced intervention canproduce some very undesirable side

effects, but that's another topic. Itseems more practical instead, to givethe body enough raw materials(BONE FERTILIZER) to replaceold, aging bone with high-qualitynew bone.

The following is the best,available research to date on supply-ing what our bones need to preventus from wilting, creaking, and gener-ally breaking. Exercise is critical, al-most any kind. Sitting is notexercise. Bones grow stronger whenmuscles are used. Period. No pill forthis yet, so …. KEEP MOVING.1. Calcium. Bone needs about 1000mg a day. Typical diets average 500to 800 mg daily. Citrate form is bestabsorbed2. Magnesium. 400 – 800 mg. Typi-cal diets average 300-400 mg daily.Citrate or malate forms are best.3. Phosphorus. 800 -1200 mg. Typi-cal diets usually adequate. Lots of itin colas and junk food.4. Vitamin D3. 2000-4000IU daily.Facilitates calcium and phosphorusmetabolism.5. Vitamin C. 500-3000 mg daily. Amajor antioxidant.6. Silica. 5-20 milligrams daily. Lostduring food processing. Increasesmineralization7. Vitamin K1. 250-1000 mg. Vita-min K2. 45 180mcg (MK7 form)Pushes calcium into bone and out of arteries…a good thing. Check with your personal physician iftaking blood thinners (Coumadin,etc)8. Boron.3-5mg daily. Intimately in-volved in all bone, biochemistry.9. Strontium. 3-30 mg. Strontiumranelate used in European treatmentof osteoporosis.10. Manganese 2-10mg 11. Zinc 12-30 mg 12. Chromium 200-1000mcg 13. Copper 1-3mg

Healthy bones depend on acomplex biochemical orchestration ofminerals, vitamins, enzymes and hor-mones. Much of the informationpresented here has been taken fromreports, developed by the Institute ofMedicine and of the US NationalAcademy of Sciences. Fertilize yourpersonal gardens this year with a fewbasic nutrients and enjoy a bumpercrop this year. Get going, healthybones are always in season.

Stay well, Dr. Bill Ardito –Sunshine Dentistry AZ

Please visit 855 W. Bell Road,Suite 600, Nogales, AZ 85621, call(520) 761-1600 or visit online atwww.SunshineDentistryAZ.com

CONTRIBUTED

GROWINGTOMATOES...AND BONES

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On April 13, 2012, a flood of stu-dents came pouring out of Wade Car-penter Middle School to where thebuses awaited. Arthur Espinoza, Execu-

tive Director of the Nogales Commu-nity Food Bank, Mayor Arturo Garino,Congressman Raul Grijalva, W.C.Principle Mrs. Montiel and two of theschools students got together to hold apair of pruning shears (which seemedfitting for the program’s purpose) and

snipped the ribbon officially kicking offthe Food Bank’s Kids Farmers MarketProgram. Just as the ribbon was cut, thekids came rushing down the stairs tograb their bag of Broccoli, Tomatoesand Lettuce as they made their way totheir buses or rides. The sight was in-credible as all those in attendancejumped in to help the volunteers dis-tribute the bags to every student. Thosehelping out included, Mayor Garino,Congressman Grijalva, SCC Superin-tendent of Schools Alfredo Velasquez,NUSD Superintendent Steve Zimmer-man, Bill Carnegie the Chief ExecutiveOfficer of the Community Food Bankof Southern Arizona, and of course Es-pinoza and a large group of volunteersand Food Bank employees. Joe Morris,Store Manager of the Nogales Wal-Mart also attended to show his support,but was unable to stay for the ribboncutting and distribution.

Set up for the event were fiveoverflowing pallets stuffed with 625bags of fresh, healthy produce. Next tothem was a table covered with a greentablecloth and a Nogales CommunityFood Bank Banner and topped withtwo large drink dispensers; one contain-ing ice-cold lemonade and the otherhorchata.

On the other side of the palletswas the new truck dedicated to the KidsFarmers Market program. The $33,000vehicle, which was purchased by a grantthrough the Wal-Mart Corporation,had the Nogales Community FoodBank and Kid’s Farmers Market logossplashed across the side as well as thelogo of the program’s sponsor, Wal-Mart.

The program, according toCarnegie, was piloted in Tucson atWalter Douglas Elementary School,but as further thought and planningwent into the it, it seemed that Nogaleswould be the perfect community to re-ally put the Kid’s Farmers Market intopractice. After 8 months of planning,the program was unofficially kicked offat the Nogales Boys and Girls Club on

February 3rd, 2012. That began thedistribution cycle, which was followedup at Wade Carpenter Middle School,then A.J. Mitchell Elementary School.The plan is to continue this cycle andhopefully include all schools in the dis-trict for as long as the program contin-ues to receive both financial and fooddonations as well as the continued sup-port of the community. “I think we’remaking a difference,” said Carnegiealso commenting on the need for con-tinued support. “We’re committed toenriching the community” Espinozastated, “We just hope to find the fund-ing to follow up with the rest of theschool district.”

“The work the Food Bank hasdone for the people of Nogales is unbe-lievable.” Commented Mayor Garinoafter seeing first hand the success theprogram has had in helping to providethe children of the community andtheir families with healthy meal op-tions. According to Principle Montiel,“The students feel like their being em-powered to make a difference.”

After everything had died down,most of the food had been distributedand the students were on their wayhome, those remaining looked on theirsuccess. Of the five pallets only one re-mained. Once again the people of ourcommunity showed their dedication,not only by showing up, but by jump-ing in and helping out. “What a greathonor to have everyone joining forcesfor hunger relief.” Espinoza stated,commenting on the support of mem-bers of the city, county, and state gov-ernments.

Hopefully the program will beable to continue in its current successthrough the donations and support ofthe people of the community.

To donate food, money, ormaybe just your time and skills to theNogales Community Food Bank go tothe website at www.communityfood-bank.com/get-involved/nogales-food-bank or call them at (520) 281-2790.

BY JOSEPH WRIGHT

FOOD BANK KID’S FARMERS MARKETPROGRAM OFFICIALLY KICKS OFF

Nogales Mayor Arturo Garino, Congressman Raul Grijalva, Nogales Walmart Gen-eral Joe Morris join NCFB Executive Director Arthur Espinoza in the ribbon cut-ting for the launch of the Kid’s Farmers Market Program.

PHOTOS | JOSEPH WRIGHT

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ne

In these times, we are met withmany conveniences that most neverthink twice about, essential services thatseem to have always existed but havenot, as it is with one of the most impor-tant, life saving divisions at the SantaCruz County Sheriff’s Office, the 911department. It is hard to believe thatthe department was created in 1993,with key figures at the time like SheriffTony Estrada advocating the utter im-portance of making these services avail-able to local residents. The planning forthe 911 systems began in the late1980’s, with the equipment being in-stalled in January of 1993. The systemwas inaugurated on May 5, 1993, be-coming available to all residents ofSanta Cruz County.

Before its recent move to thenew location, the 911 department wasdue for upgrading but was postponingany changes to coincide with the relo-cation of the SCC Sheriff’s Office. “Allthe new equipment was installed at thenew facility, so when the move began,we basically brought what we needed,flipped the switch and we were opera-tional,” Communications Supervisorfor the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Of-fice, Augustin M. Huerta, Jr.

When it comes to technology,the department is using the latest andbest equipment available. Sitting infront of each officer are four screensthat are responsible for aiding and giv-ing them the tools necessary to performlife saving assistance. One screen is ded-icated to coordinates, which has livesatellite mapping via Internet that willplot any landline or cell phone call onthe map within a 1-1,000 foot range.This screen will also assist deputies onduty in finding the correct coordinatesof any emergency. The second screen isdedicated to computer-aided dispatch,

which keeps track of re-ports, traffic stops, all callsand tracks all deputies

who are on duty. The third screen is the911 phone screen, which is the digitalconnection that can be connected any-where in the state, an upgrade from theprevious analog system. The last screenis the radio screen, which is responsiblefor receiving radio frequencies from thefive county fire departments, threesheriff’s channels, SCC emergencyservices channel, animal control/publicworks channel and the Nogales Policeand Fire Department channels.

Today, the department is respon-sible for all in-coming calls in unincor-porated Santa Cruz County, whichinclude Rio Rico, Tubac, Patagonia,Tumacacori, Sonoita and Elgin. It is re-sponsible for all the patrol deputies,providing initial dispatch for forestservice and relay traffic on I-19 to theDepartment of Public Safety (DPS),which is the primary law enforcementagency for the interstates and highways.The deputies are dispatched to calls oc-curring on the highways to preserve lifeand limb but DPS is ultimately respon-sible for those calls. The jurisdictionincludes I-19 from Nogales city limitsup to exit 48 and state routes 82, 83,and 289 to include all unincorporatedareas of Santa Cruz County, also aidingall federal agencies such as the U.S.Border Patrol. The officers are also re-sponsible for maintaining and enteringwarrants and protections orders intothe state and national databases that areissued by the Justice of the Peace inprecincts one and two as well as thecounty Superior Court.

The 911 department currentlyhas nine officers with one in training.Every officer in the department has toundergo a four-month on the job train-ing and has to complete several phasesof training, which are phase one, obser-vation; phase two, call taking; phase

three, 911; phase four, radio and a finalobservation phase. All the officers in thedepartment are CPR certified and areconstantly receiving training to updatetheir skills.

“The officers have to be ready tohandle long hours and high amounts ofstress, not only are they dealing withour officers but also all the fire depart-ments and anything that might cometheir way,” said Huerta.

The amount of calls is constantbut there are times in the year when thenumbers of calls increase. “During thewildfire season, around the summer,this place is extremely busy, we areworking around the clock,” saidHuerta. The officers in the 911 centerand the entire sheriff’s office work tire-lessly to uphold the law, keep the peaceand save lives.

“When we have aided someonethrough an emergency and they arealive, it makes us extremely proud thatwe are doing our job, our responsetimes are within one to ten minutes,which is the difference between life anddeath,” said Huerta. “If you do have anemergency, location is key, be clear togive us your location, the details of theemergency and your name, we cannotstress this enough,” said Huerta.

The Communications Officersin the 911 department are as followsZaida Ashford, Jorge Hernandez, IvetteLegleu, Sylvia Molera, Dennise Leon,Romina Bermudez, Javier De La Ossa,Augustin Huerta, Arcelia Lopez andLeah Valenzuela.

For more information please visit2170 N. Congress Dr., Nogales AZ, orcall (520) 761-7869.

CONTRIBUTED

SCC 911 DEPARTMENT

The Special Olympics Torch Runwas held at Pierson Field. Theevent was the first leg of the run totransport the Olympic torch to thestate capital, which saw participa-tion from various local law enforce-ment organizations such as theNogales Police Department, SCCSheri4’s O3ce and the SCCCounty Attorney.

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The Border Patrol agent stood inthe middle of the corridor as the imageon the screen in front of him movedcloser to a shed with suspicious occu-pants. The agent shouted out for theoccupants to come out where theycould be seen. The two suspects stoodup and moved to the outside while onesuspiciously hanging back, lingering inthe shed's entryway. The agent shoutedanother command for the suspect tocome out in the open and to put hishands where they could be seen.

In a split second the situation es-calated as the suspicious individualraised a gun from behind his back ataimed it at the agent. The other suspectquickly turned and sprinted away. Theagent quickly drew his sidearm. Thearmed suspect fired a shot at the agent.The agent followed his instincts andtraining and fired back several times.The armed suspect was hit, but still ableto shoot. He got off a couple morerounds before collapsing to the groundand finally dropping his weapon. Theagent is still standing, but it could have

easily gone the other way.This wasn't a real situation hap-

pening in the field, but rather in a con-trolled environment inside the newshooting range inside the Nogales Bor-der Patrol Station compound. Al-though it is a scenario that can easilybecome a reality in the line of duty. It isalso one of the many cool new trainingtools that the Border Patrol CitizensAcademy has been able to see demon-strated over the last few weeks.

As the weeks of the U.S. BorderPatrol Citizen's Academy have pro-gressed, so has the level of learning andhands on training. What those partici-pating have been subjected to over thelast several weeks can be considerednothing other than a crash course intothe life and mentality of a Border PatrolAgent. A simplified and much shorterversion of the training that all agentsmust endure prior to taking their oathand being placed on the job.

Day three of the program wasthe beginning of the real hands on ex-citement. All participants were taughthow to perform a proper arrest, andthen were given the opportunity topractice and demonstrate what they had

learned. Along with the hands on por-tion of the day, part of it was spent inthe classroom learning a little about theauthority one has as an agent of theUSBP.

On day four, the program reallystarted to get exciting. The first 45minutes to an hour of the class was inthe room where CBP Firearms Instruc-tor, Supervisor Greg Kearns explainedthe basics of handling a firearm. Muchof the discussion centered around allthat an agent must accomplish in orderto be qualified to carry a firearm, howoften an agent is required to qualify(every three months), and the rules andprocedures they are required to followin situations where they may have theneed to use their weapons. SupervisorKearns also explained in what situa-tions, or under what circumstances anagent's firearm privileges may be re-voked. But the most emphasis wasplaced on gun safety and how to avoidgetting yourself or someone else hurt.

After the discussion was finishedeveryone was taken outside where a fewnon-lethal firearms were demonstrated,and an explanation was given as towhich situations each of these weaponswere best suited for. From there all theparticipants and agents involved in theprogram headed across the compoundto the new, indoor, state of the artshooting range. Here the participantswere introduced to a few of thefirearms that agents are required totrain and qualify on. The twelve civil-ians were split up between four instruc-tors, each getting the chance, one byone, to test their accuracy and shootingskills with each of the weapons at vari-ous distances. Decked out in full pro-tective equipment consisting of a bulletproof vest, eye wear, and hearing pro-tection, everyone fired round afterround, hoping to get the bulls eye. Forthe most part everyone did fairly well,thanks to the instructors who made itfun for everyone while effectively show-ing the group the proper way to dis-charge a firearm, although not

everyone chose to participate in shoot-ing some of the larger, more powerfulweapons.

Before the night was over thegroup was able to see one final demon-stration in a small section of the shoot-ing range building that the agents callthe “House of Pain.” Inside is a smallhallway with a large projection screenat the end. Near the door are a fewcomputers connected to a projector de-signed to present the agents with differ-ent video scenarios where they will haveto use their firearm. Also connected tothe computers are hundreds of lasersthat track exactly where the agent's bul-let hit in order to track his/her accuracy.This was the demonstration describedat the beginning of the article.

Day five is when the adrenalinereally started to pump for most of thecivilian participants. Very little time wasspent in the classroom except for theinstructor giving a brief explanation oftactical awareness out in the field anddescribing what they would be doingonce they were outside. The class wassplit into two groups and taken to anarea nearby the compound with terrainsimilar to that in which agents workdaily. Here they were given scenariosthat could happen while out in the field,and had to demonstrate how the situa-tions should be properly handled basedon what they had been taught. Eventhough everyone knew these scenarioswere not real, hearts still were racing asif they were real.

Aside from the obvious informa-tive aspect of the program, it also pro-vides an insight into the dangers thatagents face out in the field, and the in-credible skills they're trained and testedon regularly that allow them to effec-tively handle those dangerous, terrify-ing situations. Despite the intensity ofcertain parts of the program, the agentshave managed to make each day andactivity exciting, informative, and mostof all fun.

BY JOSEPH WRIGHT

BORDER PATROL ACADEMYA SUCCESS AMONG LOCALS

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ne

Friday, February 24, 2012marked the quarterly meeting of theArizona Juvenile Detention Educa-tion Advisory Counsil. Santa CruzCounty, who had to go all the wayup to the state administrators tomake the event happen, hosted themeeting for the first time. In atten-dance at the event were Alfredo Ve-lasquez SCC Superintendent ofSchools, Thomas Maken, DeputySuperintendent of Schools, DannaGallardo, Education Director of theSCC Juvenile Detention Center,Presiding Juvenile Judge of SCC,Kimberly Corsaro, and Chief Pro-bation Officer Tivo Romero, amonga slew of Juvenile Detention Educa-tion Administrators from everycounty in the state.

The meeting kicked off with abreakfast buffet and live music pro-vided by the Nogales High SchoolMariachi band which provided anupbeat, energetic mood for theevent. Teen Addiction Anonymous,a support group for children recov-ering from drug or alcohol addic-tion, was there to usher the event.

After everyone had eatenbreakfast, enjoyed the music, andhad a chance to settle in, a few peo-ple were invited to share a fewwords prior to getting the actualmeeting started. First among thesewas Presiding Juvenile Judge Kim-berly Corsaro. "Everyone matters,or no one matters." Corsaro openedquoting fictional detective HarryBosch, explaining the importance ofproviding every child that goesthrough the system with the bestpossible educational experience thatcan be given.

"Our detention educationprograms are the corner stone ofour juvenile detention centers"

Stated Chief Probation OfficerRomero reiterating the impact thateducation has on children that gothrough the juvenile detention sys-tem. After Romero spoke, SCC su-perintendent of Schools AlfredoVelasquez stood and delivered apowerful statement that sort of setup the theme for the meeting. Hesaid, quoting Robert F. Kennedy,Some see things as they are and saywhy? I see things that never wereand say why not?"

After the speeches were given,the meeting commenced. Each ofArizona's counties was representedin the form of teachers and adminis-trators all involved in juvenile De-tention Education. Each was given

an opportunity to discuss the fallbacks and successes of their perspec-tive juvenile detention educationprograms. Throughout the discus-sion, everyone shared ideas on howto improve both the state juveniledetention education system as awhole, and the individual programsof each of the counties.

As soon as the discussion andupdates were finished, everyone wasinvited to take a quick tour of the fa-cility, followed by a break for lunch.Afterwards, Susan Rothery of TeenAddiction Anonymous spoke abouther program and it's importance onthe children within the detentionsystem. Following Rothery's speech,the meeting was adjourned.

BY JOSEPH WRIGHT

JUVENILE DETENTIONEDUCATION ADVISORY

In the year 2010, there were atotal of 188,380 reported sexual assaultsin the United States. 2,165 of those tookplace in Arizona; a higher number thanany of the ten years prior. The truly ter-rifying thing about those numbers is thatthose are only the ones that were re-ported. April is Sexual Assault AwarenessMonth and there is a local organizationworking hard to bring awareness to thecommunity and to empower and sup-port sexual assault victims.

In the mid-morning on April 6th2012, Lourdes Suarez and a group ofvolunteers stood on the sidewalk outsidecity hall posting signs in an attempt tolet the people of Santa Cruz Countyknow about Sexual Assault AwarenessMonth. Suarez is a Crisis Advocate forSu Voz Vale, an organization part of theSouthern Arizona Center Against SexualAssault.

SACASA has only been in SCCfor two years and is still getting the wordout to the people of our community.The intention of the organization is tomotivate the citizens of SCC to speakout against sexual assault, and to giveconfidence and support to the victims.Throughout the month of April,SACASA and Su Voz Vale will be put-ting on fundraisers all over the city insupport of sexual assault victims.

According to Suarez they want to“let the people know we’re here.” Theywill guide and support victims throughthe whole process, even following upwith police reports. “Sexual assault is acrime and we’re advocates for the vic-tims.” Says Suarez. A support groupmeets at their resource center downtownevery Friday from 9:30 am to Noon.

For information on SACASA, SuVoz Vale, or Sexual Assault AwarenessMonth go to www.sacasa.org or call theNogales office at (520)604-1843. Youcan contact the 24 hour crisis line at 1-800-400-1001.

If you or anyone you know hasbeen a victim of sexual assault, contactyour local law enforcement immediately.

BY JOSEPH WRIGHT

SEXUALASSAULAWARENESS

2012 Border Echo17

www.nusd.k12.az.us

• High Expectations• Accountability• No Excuses

Nogales Unified School

• High Expectat

ifies Unis Unifie

tionstion

11

The Mexican Consulate, inconjunction with various organiza-tions, held the “Festival de Mariachi,”on March 29, 2012 at the James ClarkPerforming Arts Center at the No-gales High School. The event cele-

brates the one-year anniversary sincethe City of Nogales, Arizona signedthe Sister City’s agreement with theCity of Nogales, Sonora. In atten-dance were Mayors from both cities(Nogales, Arizona and Nogales,Sonora), Arturo R. Garino and JoséÁngel Hernández and numerousmembers of their respective offices.

The event was held at no cost tothe public in order to promote thelocal culture and arts. Audiences weretreated to a night of remarkable tradi-tional Mexican Mariachi music fromgroups like Mariachi Estrella fromNogales, Sonora and Mariachi Apachifrom the Nogales High School. Manyother groups also participated provid-

ing unique entertainment that hasmade Santa Cruz County a hub for itsculture entertainment.

“The Festival was breathtaking,and the auditorium was packed, It wasgreat to see the community support-ing such a spectacular event,” saidCity of Nogales Mayor, Arturo R.Garino.


LOCAL MARIACHI FESTIVAL

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On March 30, 2012, the “Agru-pacion de Mujeres A.C.,” named its an-nual “Woman of the Year” recipients atthe Americana Hotel in Nogales, Ari-

zona. The organization holds the an-nual event as a celebration of Interna-tional Woman’s Day, which it hasparticipated in Mexico for the last 16years and has been held in Nogales,Arizona for the last several years.

The group honors local woman

and recently have started to includemen that have done extraordinary workin the community. The event was dedi-cated in honor of Ana Maria GallegoVillanueva for her efforts for women,children and the community. The menand women who were recognized for

their efforts this year were Joyce Hub-bard, Lillian Hoff, Susan “Suzy” Sainz,Carmen Villanueva, Martha Paz yPuente, Sandra Anguiano, Maria Gar-cia, Elvira Wise, Roxana Lopez, NormaBruce, Yolanda Soto, Juan Pablo Guz-man, George Silva and Raul H. Castro.

BY JOSEPH WRIGHT

PEOPLE OF YEAR RECIPIENTS

The spirit of Jazz AppreciationMonth, or JAM, came to Nogales theweekend of the 20th through the 22nd ina big way with this year's Charles MingusHometown Music Festival. Between thegreat music, talented guest artists, and thehistoric ground breaking of the new park,this festival is not something that will soonbe forgotten.

For starters, the festival kicked offFriday night with a concert by ClaudioRoditi in Nogales, Sonora. This was fol-lowed up with an event on Saturdaymorning that will forever be a part of No-gales history; the groundbreaking cere-mony of the new Charles MingusMemorial Park on the corner of Westernand Bejarano next to the City of NogalesCemetery. Before the ceremony began,the gathering crowds were entertained bythe music of the Borderline 7 DixielandBand. It officially began when Mayor Ar-turo Garino and members of the CityCounsel took the stage and read a procla-mation on the new park. Among the otherspeakers were Clarence Boykins off theTucson Black Chamber of Commerce,Yvonne Ervin, and Sy Johnson, whoworked with Mingus for quite some timeduring his life. “No gesture was too big ortoo small to get his attention,” Johnsonsaid mentioning how amused Minguswould be to see all that has been done inhis honor. Following their remarks,Garino and Ervin each received a shovel(both painted gold for the ceremony) anddug into the hard dry dirt of the spot thatwill in one year be Charles Mingus Me-morial Park.

Following the ceremony, the festiv-ities continued at the Safeway parking lotwhere anybody stopping by could enjoygreat jazz music played by various localschools and jazz groups, including theBorderline 7, while relaxing under theshade of a canopy and drinking ice coldwater or beer. Even the Paricutin foodtruck, usually located near City Hall, wasthere to feed the audience and partici-

pants. Merchandise such as, mugs, t-shirts, and mugs were also available forpurchase along with tickets for the concertat Nogales High School and the brunch atthe Esplendor the following morning.

After each performance, the schooljazz bands were able to take part in a clinicwith pianist and jazz music instructorBarb Catlin, where she gave a critique oftheir performance and gave suggestionson how to do better. At 1 pm those inter-ested were invited over to the Super 8Motel where renowned percussionistDom Moio gave a clinic on Latin Percus-sion. Moio went into the history and ori-gins of several types of Latin music andwhat instruments are used by the differentcultures. Students in the audience wereeven invited to demonstrate how to useeach instrument to create the basicrhythms of music like Bossanova, Samba,Mambo, and Cha-cha. Afterwards, Moiotook the time to speak to a few eager fansand fellow drummers/percussionists abouthis experiences with music worldwide.

Soon after, the festivities going onin Safeway parking lot came to an end andthings began to be taken down. Catlin,Moio, and festival organizers then wenton to prepare for the concert.

The concert began that night at 7pm inside Nogales High School's JamesK. Clark Performing Arts Center. In thelobby, prior to the performances, volun-teers and event organizers were sellingmore t-shirts, hats, and cd's to benefit theMingus Project and the construction ofthe park. Once everyone was seated andthe lights were dimmed, Ervin, who em-ceed the concert took the stage. After aquick introduction and a thank you tosupporters of the festival, she introducedthe first band, the Big Band Sounds ofGreen Valley lead by Ken Tittelbaugh.Guest artists Barb Catlin, Dom Moio, andblues singer Barbara Morrison also tookthe stage to perform with the band. Mor-rison's bright disposition and infectiousenthusiasm added to the overall jazzy feelof the night, even throwing in a few jokesbetween songs. At one point the crowdwas even invited to participate in a rendi-

tion of Dizzie Gillespie's “Salt Peanuts.”Following the first band was a fif-

teen minute intermission where membersof the audience were once again invited tothe lobby to buy merchandise and cd's.Even Morrison went out to sign copies ofher own albums that were put up for sale.

After the intermission, the TucsonJazz Institute Ellington Jazz Band went upon stage. The band's conductor, DougTidaback, gave a brief intro of the band,informing the audience of someof theiraccomplishments. Accomplishments likebeing named the top jazz band in theUnited States twice, and being named topbig band by Down Beat Magazine.

Following the introduction was anhour of what could only be considered anamazing display of mind blowing talent bya group of high school students. The per-formance was filled with unbelievablesolos, toe-tapping beats, and mesmerizingsinging by both Barbara Morrison whoonce again took the stage to join in with

the band, and one of the band's ownmembers as well. Sy Johnson also went upas a guest conductor for four of Charle'sMingus's most popular arrangements.Everyone who attended the concert thatnight left with smiles on their faces, and ajazzy beat playing in their hearts andminds.

The festival ended the followingmorning with a brunch at Esplendor Re-sort in Rio Rico. Anyone who purchasedtickets was able to attend and enjoy goodfood, great music, and even better com-pany. Moio, Catlin, and Johnson werethere as well as Ken Tittelbaugh andYvonne Ervin coming together for onefinal celebration. A celebration of not onlyJazz Appreciation Month, but also ofCharles Mingus's birthday, his life, and hisunmeasurable contributions to jazz music.

The plan, according to those in-volved in the Mingus Project and MayorGarino, is to have the Charles MingusMemorial Park complete by next year sothat it can be dedicated at the nextCharles Mingus Music Festival. Con-struction on the park which is to befunded entirely by private donors, willbegin in May and will be built in a waythat will allow for any adjustments to bemade throughout construction. MayorGarino and the Mingus Project are look-ing for volunteers and donors to help outin order to get the park completed intime. For information on the park, thefestival and the Mingus Project you cango to www.mingusproject.com.

BY JOSEPH WRIGHT

MINGUS JAZZ FESTIVAL

FIESTAS DE MAYO

The Fiestas de Mayo celebration on May 5th featured food and entertainment.The event was sponsored by the Mexican Consulate, Cultural Arts Committee,NUSD, Border Eco and more. Above are this year’s Reina de Mayo candidatesaccompained by last year’s winner. See next issue for more.

PHOTO | EDGARDO MUNOZ

The sounds of a roaring train hasbecome a part of daily life in Santa CruzCounty but on April 11, 2012 UnionPacific boarded a passenger car full ofprominent members of the communityfor a round trip ride back in time fromRio Rico to Nogales by the interna-

tional border with Arizona and Sonora,Mexico. The trip was a scenic tour cele-brating the Arizona Centennial, whichincluded educational speeches fromUnion Pacific representatives.

“The ride brought back child-hood memories of taking the train fromNogales to Mazatlan, Mexico for vaca-tions, this was a remarkable and stun-

ning experience,” said City of NogalesMayor Arturo Garino, who was a pas-senger. “It’s just so great to see thecounty from this perspective, we trulylive in a picturesque area,” said SantaCruz County Supervisor Rudy Molera.Passengers included many prominentpeople from all sectors of the local com-munity.

“The railroad played such an im-portant role in the history of Nogales,the state and the country,” said localHistorian and writer Axel C.F. Holm.(Holm is also adescendant of ProducePioneer Walter Holm).

For more information aboutUnion Pacific, please visit their websiteat www.up.com


TRAIN TAKES LOCALS ON TOUR

CONTRIBUTED

MAYOR’S STATE OFCITY ADDRESS AGREAT SUCCESS

Border Echo 201220

City of Nogales Mayor Ar-turo Garino recently gave hisState of the City address,where he talked about thevast improvements to the cityin the last years.

For the last 18 years, since RioRico High School opened it’s doors, ithas maintained an agriculture programwith a focus on plant science. But reallyit’s only been over the last few years thatit has really started to bear fruit. Theprogram, which is also associated to theschool’s Future Farmers of Americaclub, gives students an opportunity toexperience planting and growing plantlife including produce such as tomatoesand even pumpkins during the fall sea-son.

If you get off the freeway on thePeck Canyon exit and take a right in-stead of a left, the road will lead youstraight to two large green houses, acouple of small fenced in fields and alarge trailer where the students, whennot in the classroom, spend much oftheir time. This is where the real learn-ing takes place. Where kids can experi-ence and demonstrte first hand what ittakes to maintain a fully functional agri-cultural program.

The two green houses serve twoseparate purposes. One of these isstrictly horticulture, where studentslearn the proper balance and consis-tancy of ingredients needed to maketheir own soil for planting beautiful andpopular plants such as Petunias andGeraniums in the spring and Poinsettasfor the winter. Here they also learn in-sect management, plant diseases, andhow to recognize healthy vs. nonhealthy plants as well as how to prop-erly prune and pinch the plants to en-sure that the plants grown healthy.

The other green house is used toteach the students hydroponics(grow-ing plants in ways that don’t requiresoil). Inside here tomato plants growingfrom blocks made of fibers are held up

by a support system of strings and clipsthat help to make the plants growstrong and in an upward direction. Al-though it is not organic growing nopesticides are used to treat these plants.Last year this particular green houseproduced around 1140 lbs of tomatoesthat were sold to the community. Thiswas extremely helpful considering thedamage that was caused by the bigfreeze to much of the produce thatwould have come through Santa CruzCounty.

Although the fields next to thetwo structures are usually empty, duringthe fall they are filled with round or-ange pumpkins ready to be carved intojack-o-lanterns or turned into deliciouspumpkin pie.

The students participating in theprogram have proven their dedicationby even devoting their personal timeafter school and during the summer.That dedication, for many, carries oneven after they graduate. A few yearsago a student was accepted into theJohn Deere agricultural program, and

three of this years students will begoing on to study agriculture at the Uof A next semester. “It’s a really greatgroup of kids,” says Tom McNamara,who is responsible for maintaining thegreen houses and the property theystand on.

“It’s really brought the commu-nity together,” according to JustineStone, the woman in charge of the pro-gram. “Over the last two years the com-munity has really come out to supportus.” Even the owner of Prime Sales,Inc., a local produce company, has pro-vided immense support by helping outwith fundraisers and joining the pro-grams advisory group.

To buy any of the Petunias, Gar-denias, or Tomatoes coming out of theRRHS Agricultural program or if youjust want info on fudraisers, donations,etc. you can contact Justine Stone at [email protected]. Sales willbegin at the beginning of April and willclose mid-May. Be sure to make yourreservations early, before everythingsells out!

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BY JOSEPH WRIGHT

AGRICULTURE PROGRAM

Many believe that there is an artist ineveryone in one form or another. A musician, apoet, sculptor, or maybe a painter. If there is aplace in Santa Cruz County that will bring outyour artistic side, that place is Niko's at 1147 WFrontage Rd in Rio Rico. Although it may notlook like much from the outside, once a cus-tomer enters, the world transforms into a sur-real artistic dream decorated with incredibleart, and stocked with just about anything oneneeds for gifts, special occasions, and art sup-plies.

Niko's is not just any other art sup-ply/novelty gift shop though. Along with every-thing on the shelf, the shop also doubles as agallery for several local artists(not all art is forsale). The art on display ranges from paintingshanging from the walls, to detailed tile mosaicsculptures and vases. There is even an incredi-ble display of paintings by the talented daughterof shop owner, Lupita Munguia.

One of the main aspects of Niko's is ofcourse the art supplies. There they have every-thing any aspiring artist needs to start exploringthe artist inside.

Even if you're not planning on beingthe next world famous artist to come out ofSCC, Niko's may still have just what you need.Along with the vast selection of art supplies,there is also a wide variety of gift supplies anddécor items for special occasions, includingflower arrangements and corsages. They alsohave great gifts and décor to help you com-memorate any special occasion in your life,whether it's a wedding, communion, or bap-tism.

Niko's also offers a number of servicesto their customers. Services like gift wrapping,canvas stretching, etc. They even offer photog-raphy services for all your special occasions, andduring holidays they even have Santa and theEaster Bunny come to visit so that children canget their pictures taken with them.

Perhaps the service that Munguia andstaff are most proud of is the framing servicethat they offer. In the back, behind the salesfloor and gallery area is the work shop wherethey will frame just about anything you want.Artists and galleries from all over the countryhave turned to Niko's, putting their trust inthem to care for and complete their works ofart. Even a number of local businesses and gov-ernment agencies go to Niko's to get their cer-tificates and other important documentationframed.

Aside from photos, and artwork, thestaff at Niko's will also frame your collectorsitems or any memory you want to preserve anddisplay. If the item(s) is too big to fit in a con-ventional frame, they will build and frame a dis-play box for you to keep it in. And they alwaysadd their own personal touch that completesthe whole thing.

One of the most important things of-fered by Niko's is art lessons for kids. It's agreat opportunity for children to explore theirtalents and express their creativity while enrich-ing their education. “It inspires the kids,” saysMunguia. “It opens their minds.” For the firstfew sessions, all supplies are provided for thechild until they begin to discover their ownstyle and become their own artists. Accordingto Munguia, the child's perception begins tochange. What to many is just a flower, the chil-dren start to see as art, observing all the details,and what use to be red, blue, green, etc., be-comes an infinite number color variations.

It is true that all of this can be found atother places too, but Niko's has the experience,the personal touch, and is close by. They willgladly cater to your needs, and will always pro-vide a friendly, personal experience to everyonethat walks through the door. You may walk in acustomer, but you will leave as a friend.

BY JOSEPH WRIGHT

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Newpatients are seenpromptly.ly.ly. Se habla español.

It is no big secret that in Ambos Nogales asin the entire world, problems abound everywhereyou look these days. Yes, we are faced with dailychallenges that at times seem insurmountable.Sadly, to some, life has become one tragic situationafter another. Why is that? You can blame thingson the economy and the Great Recession. You canblame things on politicians and their self-interestedagenda’s. You can blame it on the people that leadour community and organizations. You can evenblame it on the family you were born into. But ul-timately, there is simply no getting around it: theblame lies within each one of us… We are theones that tolerate a world of constant troubles.Imagine if we could instead create a world of con-stant success? To do so, it is up to us to accept100% responsibility for everything that happens ordoesn’t happen in our very lives.

Yet, you’ve heard the phrase before: ‘Whenthe going gets tough, the tough get going…’ Wellnot this time. At least not in the last few yearssince the Great Recession first began in Decemberof 2007… Don’t you get the feeling that leader’sare simply not leading? In fact, I often wonder,where have all our leaders gone? And while we arethe topic of leaders, why aren’t we better preparingthe next generation of leaders to do a better jobthen we have when it comes to problem-solvingand leadership effectiveness?

One reason for that is that most of us inleadership and management roles were not ade-quately trained to become leaders in the first place.This is the tragic mistake. Think about your lastpromotion or a time when you were asked to as-

sume more responsibility. Did you receive rele-vant leadership training prior to assuming yournew role? Odds are if you are like most of us, youdid not and that is truly not your fault. But, what isin your control today is ample ability to bone upon your leadership skills to drive better outcomesat work, at home or at play…

At a minimum, in hopes to help accelerateyour leadership cause, I recommend that you prac-tice these four steps every day:

• Reject Leadership By Threat or Intimida-tion

• Practice Genuine Leadership By Example• Model What You Expect Others to Emu-

late• And Learn to Give Power Away, As You

Do, Others will Empower YouFriends, this moment in history is relatively

bleak. But, the future belongs to those who fightfor it… It’s time for us to lead for a change…When we do, others will rise-up to the challengeand lead with us…

To Your Leadership Success!-Alex Rodriguez is a Class of 1989 graduate

of Nogales High School and recent inductee of theNHS Hall of Fame. A Harvard graduate, Alex isan Amazon Best Selling Co-Author of Counter-Attack, Business Strategies for Explosive Growthin the New Economy. For a FREE ebook copy,please send an email with the Subject Line:“FREE Counter-Attack Book Request” to Alex [email protected]. Alex is availablefor speaking and business strategy consulting.Please visitwww.clientattractionstrategyadvisors.com for moreinformation.

CONTRIBUTED

WANT A CHANGEFOR THE BETTER?TRY LEADINGFOR A CHANGE

The morning of April 14, 2012 was unusu-ally cold and overcast, much different than therest of the week had been. Despite this uncom-fortable climate, the teams participating in theMarch of Dimes’ March for Babies were not de-terred and enjoyed the morning with high spiritsand bright smiles. Even a D.J. was there blastingfun music while the Girl Scouts played games inthe field at Teyechea Park after the walk wasover.

“It’s a fun walk for a good cause,” said LetiEstrada, one of the primary organizers for theevent. The March for Babies is a fundraiser tohelp in the prevention of complications duringbirth such as birth defects, premature birth, andinfant mortality. The funds raised go to theMarch of Dimes Tucson chapter and are used inresearch, education, and community service tohelp achieve their goal. 87 cents of every dollarraised will stay in Arizona for those purposes.

Bridget Morieta, a young local girl, sangthe National Anthem to kick off the event. Fol-lowing this the March commenced. The marchwas a nice scenic walk through Nogales leadingback around to the park. A few people even ranjust for the spirit of the whole thing.

The amount of support from the commu-nity was staggering. 90% of the food provided toparticipants was donated, and local groups likethe NHS JROTC and the Girls Scouts played abig role by walking in the march and manningwater stations. The employees of Unisource En-ergy Services also participated in the walk andeven manned the grill for the festivities after-ward. “The weather did not deter anyone.” Ac-cording to Estrada who said only a few teamscalled to say they wouldn’t be able to make it.

Overall the March for Babies was a suc-cess. The goal for the event was to raise at least$11,000, but the final amount won’t be knownuntil K-mart ends it’s portion of the fundraiser atthe end of the month. The true success, how-ever, is not in how much money was raised, butrather in the dedication that was shown by themembers of the community, proving that nomatter the circumstances they will still come to-gether in support of a good cause.

BY JOSEPH WRIGHT

IT’S A FUNWALK FOR AGOOD CAUSE

Border Echo 201222

DANI SANCHEZ-LEYAT LOCAL STATE FARM

When looking for insurancethere are numerous options available,but local businesswoman DaniSanchez-Ley is one agent that hasmade a mark in Santa Cruz County;both for her business and communityoutreach. Sanchez-Ley is a native ofNogales and a graduate of LourdesCatholic High School class of 1997,but she is far from your typical smalltown girl, she is a successful busi-nessperson that provides some of thebest customer service.

Sanchez-Ley was first intro-duced to State Farm Insurance 12 years

ago when she accepted a job offer towork for long time insurance agentLee Irons, her two year experiencewith Lee Irons was shorten due to theAgent’s retirement, this initiallysparked her curiosity for starting herown business. Shortly after she beganto work for agent Thomas Pena, whenPena decided to move out of the area,Sanchez-Ley took the chance that lifepresented to her and began training tobecome Nogales’ next State Farm In-surance Agent.

It was January 1, 2005 and whilewe all prepared for another year, DaniSanchez-Ley was embarking on whatwould be a life changing journey. Suc-cess accompanied her from the begin-

ning; she doubled her cliental withinthe first four years of business and wasincluded in State Farm’s “Top 100Agent in the Nation” in her first year.“I can’t say that it was easy there weresome obstacles my age being a big fac-tor, I was only 27 years old and peopleare more accustomed to dealing withagents of a more mature age, so to re-ceive such recognitions made me feeland know that I was doing my job andproviding people with great insuranceoptions,” said Sanchez-Ley.

Sanchez-Ley continues to striveand look for new ways to assist thecommunity and the future of her busi-ness, “Some new doors have opened,here at State Farm, we are now able to

provide insurance to some producecompanies, not all the companies butsome, which is definitely a tool in help-ing us to serve our customers with allof their insurance needs,” saidSanchez-Ley. Other than insuranceand financial services Sanchez-Ley is aboard member of both the GFWCNogales Woman’s Club and the SantaCruz County Boys & Girls Club, help-ing give back to the community in anyway she can.

For more information and yourfree quote please visit 230 West Mari-posa Road Suite C-20 Nogales, AZ85621, or call (520) 281-9759.


PROVIDING GREAT INSURANCE OPTIONS

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