HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistorical Records - The Arizona Daily Star (28)Nei.,ghbors-
Youthful whiz
eyes Europe
After achieving numerous
awards, a hardworking Rin
con High School student would
like to expand his horizons,
and some admirers are trying
to make it possible. Neigh- .
bors Central, Page 4H.
North
yak
�tant
Central
aSrA s� East
West
D M AF8
South\ _ ) `--
Chewin' the rag. Nothin' suits Edgar R.
"Frosty" Potter better'n tellin' true tales'bout how
things used to be for all the good of cowpokes.
Neighbors East, Page 3H.
Business as usual. Timothy C. Wells may be
retired for the record, but you'll never find the
longtime Tucsonan sitting around or wasting time.
All around town, Page 7H.
�b1jE ,Arizona Dailn Star TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1980 PAGE ONE H
Egg expert —
Alexandra Romanenko shares
the Ukrainian art of egg batik-
ing with, from left, Susan
Makki, Shannon Johnson and
Julie Qashu of Walker Elemen-
tary School in the Amphithe-
ater School District. (Star
photo by Art Grasberger)
`Babunia'
keeps alivE
dyeing art
of Ukraine
By JILL SCHENSUL
The Arizona Daily Star
Little did the fowls know their eggs
would become objects of Alexandra Ro-
manenko's love and artistry.
Ah, if they could only see those eggs
now. Nestled in her Easter basket and
dyed with symbols and colors, they are
enduring reminders of Romanenko's
Ukrainian homeland.
At 70, the northside Tucson resident
has mastered pysanhy, the Ukrainian
art of egg-batiking. She is one of only a
few native Ukrainians in this country
still practicing the art, Romanenko
said. Several of her eggs, which take six
to. eight hours to decorate, are on dis-
play in a California gallery and sell for
as much as $50.
The art does not provide a livelihood,
by any means, but is a 5,000-year-old
way of wishing for luck and happiness,
she said. Way back then, the egg was
worshipped as a symbol of new life and
fertility. With the advent of Christian-
ity, it took on the added meaning of
immortality.
So the eggs are uncooked, keeping
them alive throughout the creation pro-
cess. Designs are painted in beeswax;
then the egg is dipped in dye. The wax-
ing.and dipping continue in succes-
sively darker dyes.
When the wax is removed and the
shell is varnished, the egg can stand as
an enduring work of art — Romanenko
has some more than 35 years old.
The technique has been passed on
from parents to their children, but Ro-
manenko has expanded her sphere of
influence to others' children. Last
week, for instance, she demonstrated a
bit of her egg magic to Brownies at
Walker Elementary School.
As her fingers gently transformed the
fragile shells into art, the children
watched the babunia, or grandmother,
in hushed amazement.
"They say this keeps you from evil,"
Romanenko confided to the children,
some taller than she. "You're supposed
to think good thoughts while you do this.
Think about love and happiness you
wish for someone."
Babunia certainly did, and the chil-
dren sensed it. Watching her steady
hands work, they saw a part of the
vibrant woman's heart transferred to
an egg.
"And if you ever get tired of it (the
egg), don't throw it out. Please." She
turned to the children, who looked on
attentively. "Take it into the yard and
bury under a bush."
No ordinary eggs, these. Pysan.hy
also is a reaffirmation of the culture in
which Romanenko was raised.
She learned the art at her grand-
mother's knee in their little Ukrainian
home. Although she fled to Czechoslo-
vakia in 1942 after her country's govern-
ment fell during a Nazi invasion, Ro-
manenko always has carried its mem-
ories with her.
She and her family were captured by
the Nazis in Czechoslovakia and taken
to a selection camp in Germany. It was
there that she and her husband were
separated until after the war. Roman-
enko went to a slave -labor camp where
she worked in fields, her newborn son in
a harness on her back.
American soldiers came to the camp
on May 7, 1945, and told the prisoners
they were free. Many died from heart
attacks out of sheer joy, Romanenko
said.
Though exuberant, she survived the
joy, and the family was reunited. They
set sail with a church group that re-
located thousands of Ukrainians in
America.' The family was settled in
Minneapolis.
Romanenko was grateful for every
dish she had washed at Stouffer's'
every button she sewed in a clothing
factory and every floor she washed in a
hospital. "For me it was education."
She smiled. "It was freedom."
Spreading the art of pysanhy is her
way of saying "Thank you" to this coun-
try, she said.
Pysanky has been outlawed in her
homeland because the eggs carry a reli-
gious connotation; even sectarian egg -
painting must be done on wooden eggs,
she said. So it's especially important to
keep the art alive now, Romanenko said
with emphasis.
There is no denying that she has done
her share to preserve the art. Although
she has had three heart attacks, Ro-
manenko is almost as active and ebul-
lient as the children she teaches.
Clad in a Ukrainian costume, includ-
ing a 70-year-old blouse embroidered by
her aunt, Romanenko finished up the
class at Walker by removing the wax
from the children's eggs. Was it the
candle she worked over or just her own
warmth that made her face glow as she
presented each finished product?
Babunia smiled as she held up each
egg for the children to admire. "Is
beautiful, yes?"
Neig.hbors K South'
Preserving the past — Author A.C.
Navarro explains a Papago legend with the assistance
of a doll made by the late Chepa Franco, well-known
Papago artist. (Star photo by Art Grasberger)
Man who came from afar
preserves Papago legends
By CAROL SOWELL
The Arizona Daily Star
A.C. Navarro is a quiet, patient man: the
type of person who is a good teacher and a
good listener.
For 10 years, Navarro listened while
Chepa Franco, well-known Papago artist,
told him stories of her people that she had
learned as a child.
They became close friends during his
visits to her home on the San Xavier section
of the Papago reservation. Now Navarro,
who is director of adaptive education for the
Sunnyside Unified School District, has a
desk drawer full of notes he used to write
three books recounting some of the Papago
legends.
Franco, who died in February at the age
of 79, was famous for her handmade dolls
and baskets, many of which were sold
through the gift shop at Kitt Peak Observa-
tory. The dolls, made of saguaro and cholla
wood, represent figures in the Papago leg-
ends.
"All the time she was making dolls or
weaving baskets, she was telling somebody,
her grandchildren or whoever came by, a
story. That's why she remembered," Na-
varro said.
Some of the stories date back to the bean
people, the prehistoric ancestors of the Pa-
pago, Navarro said. Others come from the
Hohokam, a word meaning "those who have
vanished."
Franco learned the stories from her fa-
ther, Severiano Garcia, who told them
through song. His daughter didn't sing, but
"She would always hum" while telling
stories, Navarro said.
The Smithsonian Institution published a
book in 1921 based on the legends told by the
father and daughter. But the transcriptions
left many questions unanswered, the educa-
tor said.
In contrast, Navarro heard each story
over and over and questioned Franco about
the parts he didn't understand.
"Sometimes it would take me a long time
to grasp a story. One story, about Ho'ok Aux
the witch, I took about a year to under-
stand," he explained.
Navarro sometimes gave the characters
names, with Franco's permission, he said.
He named Biz Bee, a bee who was allergic to
pollen, and Fitty and Fury, twin sons of
Acorn Eater.
After putting a story in writing, he would
read it to Franco. "I could sense if I hadn't
picked the right words. I could see it in her
expression," he said. And Franco would re-
tell the story until Navarro got it right.
Navarro became interested in Papago
culture while teaching in the 1960s. He en-
couraged some of his Papago students, who
were shy about talking, to write, and they
began telling him the legends they had
heard from Franco's brother, Tony Garcia,
a medicine man.
Navarro went to the San Xavier section
of the Papago reservation to meet Garcia
and ask when he could interview him.
"A year from today," Garcia told him.
"I think he was testing me to see if I
would really come back," Navarro said.
But he kept the appointment a year later,
and that's when he met Franco. Navarro
began visiting Franco about twice a month
to watch her work and listen to her tell
stories.
"I didn't ask about the stories every
day," he said, explaining that he waited
until she felt like storytelling.
"At first nobody would say my name.
Then one day in about the second year, she
called me Nash, and everybody started call-
ing me that," Navarro said. He learned that
in Papago folklore, Nash was a man who
came from far away. It was a sign of affec-
tion and acceptance to be given a Papago
name, he said.
Later, as a layman distributing Holy
Communion for the Roman Catholic
Church, he went to the reservation every
day to give the sacrament to Franco. When
Franco was ailing before her death, Na-
varro was there whenever he wasn't at
work.
"They were long days for me, but I treas-
ure them," he said.
Navarro's first book, "Papago Mythical
Folklore," was published in 1978. It re-
counted 14 of the legends he had heard from
Franco. Some of the books have been pur-
chased by school districts and university
bookstores.
To illustrate the second book, "Coyote
after the Flood," Navarro painted a mural
of the major characters.
He took the mural to Franco's home.
"She looked at it. from one end to the other.
Then she began to smile, and her smile got
bigger and bigger, and she said to me just
four words: 'You got the picture.' "
A11 around town
Navarro still visits the Franco family and
takes Holy Communion to them about once a
week. "When I go deep into the reservation,
I can picture what actually was happening
thousands of years ago," he said.
As far as he knows, no one else learned all
the stories Franco had to tell. He has put less
than half of them in writing, planning to
continue the project after his retirement
about 15 years from now. His third book,
"Elder Brother," is at the printer.
Navarro also writes educational articles
and short stories, working in the evening
and then rising in the wee hours. "I need
very little sleep," he explained. "I want to
keep those stories alive," Navarro said.
His current project is a biography of his
friend, Chepa Franco.
Trash collection
Residents of eight areas in the city will be
able to take advantage of the Sanitation
Department's special trash -collection ser-
vice during the rest of April.
There is no charge for the continuing
service, which rotates around the city and is
provided in addition to regular trash collec-
tions.
The piles of trash must be stacked where
refuse normally is collected and may not be
larger than 4 feet high, 6 feet wide and 6 feet
long. Areas to be covered are:
Central
• Broadway to 22nd Street between
Campbell Avenue and Alvernon Way,
Wednesday.
Swan and Craycroft roads, April 30.
• City limits to Glenn Street between
Country Club Road and Columbus Boule-
vard, April 30.
North
• City limits to Fort Lowell Road be-
tween Stone Avenue and Country Club
Road, Wednesday.
• Fort Lowell Road to Glenn Street be-
tween Estrella Avenue and Country Club
Road, and Glenn Street to Grant Road be-
tween Mountain Avenue and Tucson Boule-
vard, April 16.
East
• Broadway to Winsett Street between • Wrightstown Road to Broadway be-
Alvernon Way and Craycroft Road, April tween Kolb and Harrison roads, April 16.
23.
• Winsett Street to 32nd Street between
• Wrightstown Road to Camino Seco be-
tween Gollob and Houghton roads, April 23.
PAGE TWO — SECTION H * THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1980
Neighbors ^� � East
Frosty churns out books from memories of ranchin'
By SUSAN M. KNIGHT
The Arizona Daily Stir
Westerner -author Edgar R. "Frosty"
Potter doesn't sidestep when he "chews the
rag:"
"I don't know a lot of them big words the
writer fellars use. But I expect most of them
are lies anyway."
Without the big words, the eastside win-
ter visitor has an eloquent nature all the
same.
Frosty, the name he prefers, has been
successful at portraying his youth in the
vernacular of the North Dakota cattle ranch
where he grew up.
His second book, "Whoa ... Yuh Sonsa-
bitches," tells the story of the days "when
ranching was hard and cruel, and a man was
hard put to keep the wolf from the door." He
cut his writing teeth on his first book, "Cow-
boy Slang," which recounts the language of
some early ranchers and cowpokes.
Both in speech and writing, Frosty's de-
scriptions are poignant in a plain-spoken
parlance. They range from calling a girl
"sweet as barnyard milk" to sounding off
when he did not want to ride a bronco, "Not
me. I'm still plumb galled from our swing
the last few days, and I don't hanker none to
climb that old hay -burner nohow."
Frosty didn't always see himself as a
writer, though: "I talked about writing a
book about life on the ranch for years until
everyone got so sick of me just talking about
it. So Mom (Frosty's late wife) said, 'Why
don't you do something with itT
"Oh, I fussed a bit and wrote a couple of
paragraphs," Frosty said. But that little bit
of prose was such a hit with his family of
critics that Frosty spent the next nine years
writing. And, "I had the time of my life
reliving it all," the 84-year-old said, chor-
tling.
Dressed in a colorful cowboy shirt, a
black -cord tie, felt hat and fancy boots,
Frosty reminisced about the old days from
the camper truck he calls "my friend, Little
Joe the Wrangler."
Frosty uses Little Joe to ditch the harsh
winters back home in Hamilton, Mont. Each
year, they seek refuge in trailer parks in
warmer climates. This year, Frosty spent
the winter months at Far Horizons Trailer
Village, 555 N. Pantano Road.
Little Joe and Frosty have a new com-
panion this year: "Shorty," a Honda 50 mo-
torbike that Frosty bought to "tear around
on.,,
A red bandana in his back pocket and a
sheriff's badge on his shirt further suggest
his enthusiasm for action. But before we get
to the ranching stories, the badge necessi-
tates a story, too, he said.
Frosty befriended author Erle Stanley
Gardner of Perry Mason fame before Frosty
wrote his book. Gardner told Frosty he
needed a little "stature" to be an author. "I
was so dumb. I thought.he meant I needed to
be taller, and I figgered I was just plumb out
a luck," Frosty said.
Later, Gardner explained that "all the
famous writers" had been outlaws or law-
men. So, when Frosty returned to Montana,
he became a deputy sheriff.
There's a mischievous sparkle behind his
spectacles, and his low gruff voice adds
poetic enthusiasm to his tales of hard, but
rewarding, times.
Those hard times meant traveling from
Iowa to North Dakota by wagon train. When
they arrived, his father set up a ranching
business and a log cabin for seven sons and a
Star photo by Art Grasberger
Edgar R. 'Frosty' Potter with his camper truck, `Little Joe,' and his motorbike, `Shorty'
daughter. Frosty was 8 years old when they
made the trip.
One of the first stories Frosty tells, and
the origin of the book's title, is how "Pa"
drove the wagon train up on the ferry to
cross the Missouri River in 1903.
Pa would pull with all his might, jerking
back on the reins, and he would holler at the
snorting team, "Whoa, yuh sonsabitches."
That kept the horses from plunging over the
side of the railless ferry into the muddy
river, Frosty said.
Although there was plenty of hard work
to do on the 6-by-12-mile ranch of 800 head of
cattle, the rowdy Potter brothers found time
for escapades and adventures.
At the tender age of 14, Frosty and his
brother, Ernie, got "tangled up" in horse
rustling. Since the Indians didn't use brands,
it was a lucrative business to steal the un-
tamed horses and sell them to unsuspecting
buyers, Frosty explained.
A Sioux Indian, Charlie Rattlingtail,
would sell the horses to Ernie for $3 a head.
The brothers would hide the horses in a
canyon for a month. Then, they would sell
them to homesteaders or farmers. .
"Welp, there was one time, when fall
came along, we heard that the sheriff was
after us," Frosty related. "So back in the
middle of the night,,we drove about 80 head
out of that canyon in a lightning storm and
sold em' to the U.S. Cavalry in the Black
Hills (of South Dakota).
"I sure don't know, though. That sheriff
might still be a lookin' for'em this day."
Ernie and Frosty never were caught, but
they served their penance, "sure enough,"
in the form of hard work — pulling cattle out
of the mud, cutting and stacking hay for the some cowboys got me drunk, and I'm not a
cattle in winter and trapping prairie chicken drinkin' man. The of boss caught wind (of
and grouse. the drinking), and I got canned."
Times are easier these days. And one
rarely has to string a rope from the cabin to
the outhouse to guard against getting lost in
blinding blizzards. But Frosty said, "Me or
any other old-timer wouldn't trade any of
those hard-livin' times for any of these soft-
livin' years."
Frosty's childhood days ended in 1911
when his father and seven other ranchers
were killed when the caboose in which they
were sleeping was hit by a runaway locomo-
tive. At the last minute, Frosty declined to
go on that cattle -shipping trip.
Frosty's adventures didn't end with his
cattle -ranching days, though. He went to
business college and moved to Montana. "I
learned to be a banker. Got that? Me? Well,
All around town
Vacation days in 9 districts
After an unsuccessful stint as a traveling
promoter of a silent film —"It was the worst
film I ever saw" — Frosty met a hobo friend
who taught him to "ride the rods" (sneak
rides on freight cars), and he headed
home.
After marrying and a few more unsuc-
cessful job attempts, Frosty found a job that
stuck, working for the telephone company
for 32 years. But whenever they could, he
and his wife continued to travel, "but never
east of the Mississippi. I'm gonna keep my-
self a Western man," he said.
And now that the "Tucson summer is a
settin' in, I gotta sneak back on home be-
tween blizzards."
Schoolchildren taking spring break
It's time to give schoolchildren a break
for spring. Some students in outlying dis-
tricts started their vacation last weekend.
Others will begin their holidays tomorrow or
later in April.
Aren school districts' spring vacations
stack up like this:
• Amphitheater, Sunnyside Unified,
Flowing Wells and Catalina. Foothills school
districts: Students started their holidays
last weekend and will return to classes on
Monday.
• Marana School District: Students have
tomorrow through Sunday off and will take
a spring break beginning April 12, with
classes resuming April 21.
• Continental and Sahuarita Unified
school districts: Spring break will be taken
beginning April 12. Classes will resume
April 21.
• Tanque Verde School District and Vail
School District: Today is the first day of
spring break. Classes will resume Tues-
day.
TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1980 THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR * SECTION H — PAGE THREE
On the job — Brian Goodluck's
hectic schedule doesn't diminish his good
humor at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Restau-
rant. (Star photo by Art Grasberger)
Advisers hoping
teen's hard work
rewarded in trip
By KIRK McDONALD
The Arizona Daily Star
Brian Goodluck's days vary from busy to hectic.
His energy aAd abilities have attracted the attention of
advisers, who, independently of Rincon High School, are
trying to raise money to send the 17-year-old senior to
Europe this summer.
As an example of his schedule, Goodluck rises at 6 a.m.
Mondays after working as a waiter at Farrell's Ice Cream
Parlour Restaurant until 11 p.m. or midnight the night
before.
He bicycles the 30 minutes from his home to school.
Goodluck attends classes until noon, then bicycles home. He
has from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. to eat, practice clarinet and do
homework and chores before bicycling to work for another
seven -hour shift.
His schedule as waiter varies; he works as many as four
seven -hour shifts each week. Normal high school activities
such as dating and sports must wait for nights when he
doesn't have to work.
When his mother, Agnes Ortiz, became a sixth -grade
teacher last November at Kinlichee Boarding School, 250
miles north of Tucson on the Navajo Indian Reservation,
Goodluck had a difficult decision to make. He thought Rin-
con would prepare him for college better than the reserva-
tion school, so he chose to remain alone in their Tucson
home.
Despite the grueling schedule, or perhaps because of
his discipline, Goodluck is a member of Rincon's honor
society with a 3.75 grade -point average (4.00 is tops).
Last June, he was one of four Rincon students to attend
Boys' State in Flagstaff. The program for high school juniors
is modeled after state governments, and Goodluck was
elected mayor of his mythical town.
He also finds time to study music. Goodluck plays
clarinet in the school band and played with the South Central
Regional High School Band and Orchestra. He also partici-
pated last month in the Arizona high schools' honor band at
a national band -directors' convention at Arizona State Uni-
versity in Tempe.
Practicing clarinet takes 45 minutes to 21/2 hours each
day: "It varies ... depending on what the day is going to
be like. Work takes a lot of the time away."
Some days are busier than others. One day last month,
Goodluck spent the morning taking the Scholastic Aptitude
Test, a college -entrance examination. He then went to Phoe-
nix that afternoon to audition for the All -State Band.
"I was lucky my mom was home on that date and drove
me to Phoenix. I made All -State Band. I think I did pretty
well on my SAT test. I won't know for several weeks," he
said.
Going to college is important to him, Goodluck said. He
has been accepted at Stanford University and also has
applied to Harvard University and Occidental College. He
hopes to study civil or aeronautical engineering.
His name notwithstanding, Goodluck attributes his ac-
complishments to more than mere luck.
"I've studied hard. It's meant sacrificing parties some-
times. I've stuck to the books quite a bit."
His name, incidently, was a gift from his Navajo grand-
father, Hosteen, who used to work on a railroad. Whenever
the grandfather left for home, his co-workers would say,
"Good luck, Hosteen." Because they couldn't pronounce his
Navajo surname, they started calling him Hosteen Good
Luck.
His grandson was born in Gallup, N.M. The family
moved often as Goodluck's mother attended universities i
New Mexico, Montana and Arizona. She earned a bachelor
and two master's degrees and is working on a doctorate i
education. The family came to Tucson in 1976, and Goodluc
entered Rincon as a freshman.
His high school counselor, Phyllis Kelly, suggested th,
he take the Tucson High School Summer Session Inc. Eun
pean Comparative Culture tour, a 25-day trip through suc
cities as London, Rome, Berlin and Paris. Participants ear
four hours of college credit.
Goodluck was interested: "I've traveled around, an
I've learned a lot from it. One reason I do well in English an
school is that I've been around people associated with co
leges and universities.
"I talked to my counselor after talking and agreein
with my mother that we personally can't afford the trip. Sh
(Kelly) said there might be a way to raise the money,
Goodluck said.
To help Goodluck obtain $2,300 for the trip, Nan Seidel
feld, project specialist for the Tucson Unified School Di:
trict's Indian Education Project, and others have started
fund-raising campaign.
Seidenfeld, who started a fund at the Arizona Bank i
Goodluck's name, explained: "Brian is an exceptional stt
dent. He has worked hard to develop his talent —in school, i
leadership or in music. He has been responsible to hi
family, holding down part-time jobs.
"He never asked for this help. We felt this is an opportt
nity ... to reward him. Others might look to Brian as
model, to see that hard work pays off. It might motivat
them," Seidenfeld said.
eighbors Central .
In pursuit of potential
Aspirers discover their talents, abilities in preparation for life after school
By KIRK McDONALD
The Arizona Daily Star
The 15 junior high school students sat
nervously, each waiting his or her turn at
the microphone to tell jokes.
One might think it was a school for future
Steve Martins or a training camp for
Tonight Show guest hosts.
More than humor, however, was being
emphasized at this positive -thinking pro-
gram, called Aspire, at Townsend Junior
High School. Aspire stresses leadership
skills, including public -speaking. The joke -
telling was an exercise to prepare the stu-
dents for more serious speeches in the fu-
ture, said Townsend counselor Matt Welch.
Welch started the extra -curricular
course in January for seventh and eighth
graders at the school, 2120 N. Beverly
Blvd.
k A 10-week program, Aspire consists of
weekly 90-minute sessions, which meet after
school, he said.
The course is basically the same as one a
business executive might pay several hun-
dred dollars to attend, Welch continued. Stu-
dents read books such as "I'm OK — You're
OK," "World's Greatest Salesman," "Win-
ning, Communication and Interaction" and
"Jonathan Livingston Seagull."
f Besides humor, topics include time man-
agement, creativity and leadership. "The
goal is to use your abilities and talent, what-
ever it is, to your full potential. It is to try to
discover your potential and achieve it,"
Welch said.
Of 64 students who applied to the pro-
gram, 17 were accepted. Two of the 17 were
dropped for missing meetings, Welch said.
None of the students knew each other
before the course, the 26-year-old counselor
said.
Students joined for a variety of reasons.
Bridgett Gomez, 13 and an eighth grader,
said, "I joined Aspire because I was curious.
I wanted to see what it was like. I hope it will
help me accomplish some of my goals ....
I want to get good grades and get along with
people. I want to go to college and be a
lawyer and make something of myself."
Another 13-year-old eighth grader, David
Corey, said, "I hope to learn not to be em-
barrassed talking in front of people."
Danielle Bartley, also 13 and an eighth
grader, summed up what she has learned
from the course: "You have to believe
you're a winner to be a winner."
Welch said he believes it is important to
have such a program for students this age:
"I hope four years down the road, when
these students leave high school, their As-
pire training will have an influence.
"I'm convinced that if 30 students were in
a room and a crisis came up, you could tell
which one was the Aspire student," he
said.
Welch is documenting the program and
plans to take the results to other schools
hoping to start similar programs, he said.
He expects to teach a new group of As-
pire students each semester at Townsend,
Welch said. Students who most need pro-
grams like Aspire are often the ones most
reluctant to apply, he added.
Welch encourages such students to apply,
but does not force anyone into the program,
he said.
Though Aspire received a one-time, $150
Pima County Career Guidance grant for
books, cassettes and other material, Welch
is not paid for conducting the course.
"I do this because I see the need, and I
have the energy and drive, and I want the
program to succeed," Welch said. "I think
the students feel the same."
Looking up
Positive thinking is serious
business for students at
Townsend Junior High School.
Counselor Matt Welch, above,
talks with members of Aspire,
from left, Bridgette Gomez,
Danielle Bartley, Terri Preston
and Jenny Lakeman. (Star
photo by Art Grasberger)
All around town
Flowing Wells looks
at trimmer budget
By SUSAN M. KNIGHT
The Arizona Daily Star
The superintendent of the Flowing Wells School District
is recommending that the 1980-81 district budget be trimmed
by $250,000 by reducing personnel and eliminating some
programs.
In an executive session with board members that lasted
almost four hours Tuesday night, Superintendent William K.
Poston suggested salary cuts in the area of maintenance and
operation, which was budgeted last year for $4 million.
While the spending limits to be imposed by the Legisla-
ture are not firm, the district will have to trim the 1980-81
budget under either the new law or the old one, Poston
said.
Though he declined to give specifics, Poston said some
of his suggestions are elimination of:
• A total of 20 coaching positions, mostly assistant
coaches.
• Several teaching positions.
• Several support -personnel postions such as teacher
assistants.
• Several maintenance and operation positions.
• An administrative position.
• Seventh- and eighth -grade interscholastic sports, to
be replaced by an intramural program.
• Educational programs such as cosmetology, coopera-
tive office education and French classes.
• Contact football for seventh and eighth graders.
Poston also recommended reduction of:
• Special -education programs.
• Music, band and drama.
• Vocational education.
The board must reduce the budget because of state
spending limits for school districts, Poston said. The pro-
posed cuts would include "outright terminations" and "par-
tial positions," he explained.
The superintendent also recommends that several
teachers retiring or taking leave not be replaced.
The board will consider Poston's budget proposals at its
regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the board confer-
ence room, 1444 W. Prince Road.
Oro Valley panel
favors townhouses
By KIRK McDONALD
The Arizona Daily Star
The Oro Valley Planning and Zoning Commission voted
unanimously Tuesday night to recommend the rezoning of 20
acres at Oracle Road and Linda Vista Boulevard to be
developed as a shopping center and 35 townhouses.
The commissioners voted unanimously against the al-
ternate plan of the owner, John G. Stamos, to build 504
apartments on the property.
The shopping center will include a grocery store and
offices, said engineer Dwight Lind, Stamos' spokesman.
Other businesses such as a bank, a restaurant and a drug-
store will be added in the next three to five years, Lind said.
The first phase of the center will be completed in about two
years.
The recommendation to rezone the property from sub-
urban ranch to transitional and local -business uses will go to
the Oro Valley Town Council. Because of next Tuesday's
elections, the Town Council may not consider Stamos' pro-
posal until May or June, said Dorothy Montgomery, vice
chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Palo Verde players to perform
The Palo Verde Courtyard Players will present the
suspense play "The Haunting of Hill House" next Wedne!,-
day, Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Courtyard
Theater at Palo Verde High School, 1302 S. Avenida Vega.
Tickets at $1.25 will be sold at the door before each
performance.
Wall-Swackhamer
family welcomes
6th generation
Posing for family pictures of many generations is a tradition
for the Wall-Swackhamer family. So with the birth seven months
ago of a new member, the family decided to get together in
Tucson yesterday for its first six -generation picture.
The center of attention, of course, is Tara Lyann Beitman, 7
months old. Also pictured, from left, are Arthur S. Wall, 95, and
his daughter, Helen Swackhamer, 72, both of 4914 E. Second St.;
Helen's son, Leon J. Swackhamer Jr., 54, of Montrose, Pa.;
Leon's daughter, Dawna .Jean Ellenberger, 34; and Dawna's
daughter, Kathy Ellenberger, 17, who is Tara's mother. Dawna,
Kathy and Tara traveled from Canoga Park, Calif., for the
reunion. (Star photo by Art Grasberger)
Building projects
• H.G. Toll Co. will construct a 32,000-square-foot ware-
house and office building at 3702 E. 34th St., a spokesman
said. The $500,000 project will begin within the next month
and will be completed in about three months, he added.
• Grant Road Industrial Park is constructing a building
at 1859 W. Grant Road, a spokeswoman said. The 64,800-
square-foot building should be finished by late June and will
cost $940,000.
• Three industrial warehouses will be built at the Tuc-
New machines will help
town pick 5 for council
Oro Valley residents will have a chance to use new
voting machines Tuesday to elect the five -member
Town Council. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7
p.m. in the Town Hall, 680 W. Calle Concordia. .
Running. for re-election are E.S. "Steve" Engle,
mayor; James Peterson, vice mayor; James Kreigh,
town engineer; and Edward Needham. Jack Newman
is not seeking re-election.
Also seeking council seats are Rosalyn Glickman, a
former chairman of the Oro Valley Planning and Zon-
ing Commission, and Pauline Johnson.
Voters also will decide whether councilmen will
have staggered terms, with two members serving for
two years and three for four years. All presently serve
two years.
If voters opt for staggered terms, newly elected
council members will decide who serves for two years
and who serves four. They also will appoint two of their
members as mayor and vice mayor. .
son Interstate Industrial Center in the 2100 block of North
Forbes Boulevard. Contractor for the $950,000 project is
Armstrong Brothers Construction. A spokesman for the
owner, Broadbent Development Co., said the groundbreak-
ing will be held within the week, and the project is expected
to be completed in early September. The warehouses are
additions to an existing industrial park on 35 acres.
• The footings have been poured for the new Junior
Achievement of Tucson clubhouse and offices at 8459 E.
Broadway. Land for the $275,000 project was donated by Mr.
and Mrs. Reg Morrison. Anderson, DeBartolo and Pan Ar-
chitects Inc. donated plans for the building. Junior Achieve-
ment provides economic education and experience to high
school students. The 11,500-square-foot clubhouse will be
completed Aug. 1, said Hal Ashton, president of Diversified
Design Construction Inc., contractors for the project.
Donaldson places 2nd
Third graders at Donaldson Elementary School in the
Amphitheater School District were awarded second place
Tuesday in the statewide "Safety Safari."
The program was .a cooperative effort between the
Department of Education and the Southwest Safety Con-
gress Association. Sarah Landon's class wrote and illus-
trated a script and provided music and voices for a film strip
on the safety theme of "Traveling Feats."
Amphitheater High School teacher Tom Reavis was one
of nine Arizona delegates and the only Tucsonan at a recent
conference of the Coalition of States for Arts in Education
for the Gifted.
From March 16 to 21, educators from Arizona, Califor-
nia, Washington and Oklahoma discussed how to integrate
arts into school curricula. Reavis said the Arizona group
developed a plan for establishing a state advisory committee
on arts in education.
PAGE SIX -SECTION H * THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1980
Central r
Transplanted oil `farmer'
cast his lot in city's past
By CYNTHIA R. MADEWELL
The Arizona Daily Star
It seemed fitting that the 90-year-old man
and visited relatives in Kilgore, Texas,
who has lived in Tucson for 43 years should
where they own property.
be reminiscing in a home built around the
"We'll talk about what I raise on the
turn of the century.
property later," said Wells, pleased with his
Timothy C. Wells sat comfortably in an
private joke. "It's oil wells! He raises oil,"
armchair and talked with pride and laughter
Mrs. Wells quickly added.
about his years in Tucson. Sharing the mem-
When the couple moved to Tucson in 1937,
ories was his wife, Dorothy.
blacks were restricted to certain parts of
"I could write a book. Or maybe two. I
town and not allowed to stay in hotels. "We
knew everyone — all of the politicians, the
lived in private homes with friends," Mrs,
judges, the policemen and the busi-
Wells said.
nessmen," said Wells in his Armory Park
Tucson's black population was about
Neighborhood home. There was so much to
1,700, very small in comparison with about
tell, he wondered where to begin.
75,000 blacks at the time in Shreveport, La.,
For 36 of those years, Wells operated a
Mrs. Wells' hometown, he said. Though it
downtown parking lot. The opening of the lot
was an adjustment for him to conduct busi-
marked the beginning of his active and lu-
ness with white people, his friendships with
crative relationship with the local business
whites made his ventures easier, Wells
community.
added.
The father of five children, grandfather
of seven and great-grandfather of one attrib-
utes his longevity and good health to avoid-
ing canned foods and alcoholic beverages
and living in moderation. The one excess to
which Wells succumbed was extensive in-
volvement in the business world.
In addition to his parking lots, he has
operated a barbershop, a mortuary, grocery
stores, a drugstore and a ballpark.
He may be known best, however, for his
first parking lot: Wells Auto Park on Scott
Street between Congress Street and Pen-
nington Avenue. He leased the property in
1938 for $35 a month, he said. It cost 10 cents
a day to park a car then.
Very few Tucsonans owned cars in the
late '30s; winter visitors provided the bulk of
his business, he explained.
At that time, Tucson used to "close up" in
the summer, Wells said. Many people left
town, and the businesses that stayed open
were quiet, Mrs. Wells added.
So for many years, the Wellses also
closed up shop during the summer months
He did not feel the need to dress dif-
ferently nor to drive an expensive car, he
said. And sometimes the situation worked to
his advantage. Since people did not expect a
black man to own a business, Wells said he
was able to dodge unwelcome visitors by
telling them the boss was out of town.
In those early days, a person's word was
important. Renters were not required to
sign leases or pay the last month's rent in
advance, he said.
About Tucson in the'30s, Mrs. Wells said,
"It was nice .... Everyone knew every-
body. The University of Arizona was on the
outskirts."
Wells' vivid memory included events be-
fore he came to Tucson, such as picking
cotton and plowing Texas fields barefoot.
His father, a former slave, paid $1 an acre
for a small Texas farm that has stayed in the
family.
All nine of Wells' brothers and sisters
attended college, he said. Wells graduated in
1918 from what is now Prairie View Agricul-
tural and Mechanical College, in Prairie
View, Texas.
Egg hunt returning
to Catalina Park
The West University Neighborhood's tradition of an
Easter egg hunt will be revived Sunday in Catalina
Park, North Fourth Avenue and First Street, at 9
a.m.
Members of the residents' association said the hunt
was a tradition several decades ago. Children from the
area are invited to attend.
The association also will sponsor walking tours of
the West University Neighborhood on April 20, 1 to 5
p.m. The tours will begin at the YWCA, 738 N. Fifth
Ave.
Included will be visits to a dozen homes, businesses,
garden sites and offices being considered for listing on
the National Register of Historic Places.
Tickets at $4 a person will be available the day of the
tours.
Green Valley postmaster named
Oscar G. Campas, a U.S. Postal Service employee for 26
years, has been appointed postmaster of Green Valley.
Campas, a native Tucsonan, was appointed last week
and will start work April 18. He has been manager of
delivery and collection at the main post office in Tucson.
He replaces Daniel VanWagoner, who has been acting
postmaster for several months. The postal service has two
stations in Green Valley.
Star photo by Art Grasberger
Timothy C. Wells reminisces about Tucson in the '30s
Right out of college, he taught 80 children
in a one -room Texas schoolhouse.
By World War II, Wells operated seven
Tucson parking lots and employed about 20
people, he said. Mrs. Wells was his last em-
ployee.
Though he has been retired since 1973, the
energetic man still manages the Texas farm
All around town
and more than 20 properties in Tucson. His
wife is a big help with. the work, he said.
Always aware of economy, Wells gets up
early to make telephone calls to Texas, tak-
ing advantage of the lower rates.
A business mind is something a person is
born with, Wells said. And he intends to stay
active managing his businesses and not let-
ting a minute go to waste.
Marano completes comprehensive plan
By JILL SCHENSUL
The Arizona Daily Star
Marana's development code was adopted unanimously
at the regular Town Council meeting Tuesday night, com-
pleting the town's comprehensive plan.
The development code specifies building standards and
how structures can be positioned on property, Mayor Ted A.
DeSpain said. The complete comprehensive plan provides
guidelines for the town's land development through the year
2000.
Adoption of the code was postponed last month, when
the rest of the comprehensive plan was adopted, because
several pages of the code were missing, DeSpain said. The
council also had not had enough time to review the code, he
added.
The comprehensive plan, which went into effect yester-
day, replaces the temporary code the town has used since
shortly after its incorporation in 1977.
Final plans also were presented to the council for a
low-income housing project designed by the Portable Practi-
cal Education Program. The project, on 3.9 acres at the
southwest corner of Sandario and Grier roads, consists of
one-, two- and three -bedroom apartments, said Ann Ball,
PPEP representative.
Bids will be accepted from today until April 18 for a
2,000-foot dike to protect Sanders Road and the Sanders
Road bridge from washouts, said Roberto Ruiz, town engi-
neer. The project, estimated at $150,000, should be com-
pleted by June 20, Ruiz said.
The council also adopted a federal flood -insurance reso-
lution, so Marana will be eligible for federal funds and relief
in case of flooding. The resolution outlines the council's
responsibilities for setting up and enforcing rules about
building in the Santa Cruz River flood plain. Most rules are
included in the comprehensive plan, DeSpain said.
In other town business, the $14,000-a-year post of town
administrator, which was held by Howard Rodgers, has
been abolished because of a lack of funds, DeSpain said.
Registration set in 2 districts
Two school districts have planned registration for
youngsters for the 1980-81 school year.
Registration for kindergarten and first -grade students
in the Catalina Foothills School District will be held April 15
and 16 at Manzanita Elementary School, 3000 E. Manzanita
St., and Sunrise Drive School, 5301 E. Sunrise Dr., from 1:30
to 3:30 p.m.
Students whose last names start with A through L will
register April 15. Those with last initials of M through Z will
register April 16.
Marana School District parents may register kinder-
garten students from May 5 through 9 from 9 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. in the Marana Elementary School office, 11279 W. Grier
Road.
Marana children must be 5 years old before Oct. 1, 1980,
to be admitted to kindergarten. Parents should bring birth
certificates and immunization records.
TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1980 THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR * SECTION H - PAGE SEVEN
EWest
e•ors
A
Star photo by Art Grasberger
Music student Steve Rockwell, 80, toots away in a UA class
Woodwinds call musician
from retired life to school
By SUSAN M. KNIGHT
The Arizona Daily Star
A multitude of youthful students navi-
gates daily through the corridors of higher
learning at the University of Arizona. They
sport blow-dried hairstyles, jogging clothes
and a sparkle of unseasoned idealism in
their eyes.
But at least one student does not fit the
description.
Steve Rockwell is 80 years old, and the
sparkle in his eyes is one of well -seasoned
enthusiasm.
After a stint in the armed services, a
45-year career as an aircraft engineer and 15
years of retirement, Rockwell decided to
study music.
The subject is not new to the westside
resident.
Rockwell's devotion is evident in the den
of his mobile home. The room displays me-
mentos of the years he's been playing reed
instruments — from his first lessons at the
age of 10, to an Army band in World War I,
to dance bands in the '20s and '30s and sym-
phony performances in the '40s.
Crowding the bulletin board is a pot-
pourri of old photographs and programs: -
The tiny table overflows with instrument
tools and a metronome, sheet music is scat-
tered about, and there are several mouth-
pieces beside a glass of water holding soak-
ing reeds.
Crowded onto shelves are music books,
folders of sheet music, tapes and a tape
player. A few clarinets, saxophones and an
oboe rest beside a music stand. Stacks of
instrument cases round off the assem-
blage.
"Tooting Steve," Rockwell's moniker,
decorates a name tag.
Despite the collection, Rockwell has quit
music a few times. But his dedication al-
ways leads him back to the orchestration,
syncopation and harmonization.
More recently, he gave up his music be-
cause arthritis in his finger joints was both-
ering him.
So why would the 80-year-old man decide
to return to the hallways of learning
crowded with youthfulness?
"It's really Mr. Denman's fault. I heard
him play clarinet, and he made me fall in
love with playing clarinet all over again,"
Rockwell said, referring to John Denman,
UA clarinet instructor. Rockwell considers
him one of the best clarinetists in the
world.
But Rockwell really can't blame Denman
for his decision to pick up the tempo again.
Probably nothing could keep him away for
long.
So Rockwell enrolled in no -credit courses
at the UA three semesters ago. "I sat in for
awhile, but then I decided I'd just rather be
a part. So I went over to see the registrar,
and they took my money, and that was
that," the small, white-haired man said.
In his first days in the classroom, he said,
"The students wondered `What the heck are
you doing here?' Now, they're used to me.
They treat me just like another student."
And some of those youngsters probably
could learn a thing or two from Rockwell.
He's played a lot of instruments in many
places.
"I had a Model T Ford in '25, and some of
the jobs I'd have to play everything. I'd pack
the car full with a flute, an oboe, a piccolo,
an alto sax, a tenor sax, a baritone sax and
then some clarinets. I might play all in one
concert," Rockwell said.
Rockwell plays in two classes — sym-
phonic band and clarinet choir.
He said playing keeps him young. "It's a
wonderful thing for a retired person," he
said. "It really keeps me going."
a
Chronic -disease
clinic Wednesday
A clinic to screen people for chronic diseases will
be held 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday in the New Pascua
Cultural Center, 4821 W. Calle Vicam.
The clinic is sponsored by the Pima County
Health Department. A nurse practitioner will con-
duct tests for glaucoma, cancer, diabetes and high
blood pressure.
The clinic is open to all residents of the area and
is held the second Wednesday of each month.
The center is two miles south of Valencia Road
off Camino de Oeste.
!�: Children's talent show scheduled
A talent show for children 12 and under is planned April
12 at 1 p.m. in the Southwest Community Building, 5950 S.
Cardinal Ave.
Prizes will be awarded to the winners, and admission is
free. The show is sponsored by the Southwest Community
Association.
More information is available from Joan Fell, P.O. Box
11574, Tucson 85734.
TUCSON
CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
A LIMITED NUMBER
OF ENROLLMENT OPENINGS
are available for the 1980-81 school year.
NOW
IS THE TIME TO ENROLL YOUR CHILD
• High Academic Standards Is Dedicated, Certified Teachers
• A Proven Curriculum • Special Tutoring Sessions
• Limited Class Enrollment • Conduct and Dress Codes
• Teacher Controlled Classrooms • Emphasis on The Bible, Home
and Patriotism
COMPLETE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
• DAY CARE
• KINDERGARTENS (4 & 5 YR. OLDS)
• ACADEMY (1-8)
• HIGH SCHOOL (9-12)
• ALSO INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS
Phone
326-2395 or
327-9285 - _
2855 North Craycroft Rd.
The admission policy of Tucson Christian Schools
is racially non-discriminatory.
PAGE EIGHT —SECTION H *
THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
TUCSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1980