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By Sam Hosler
Mayor, Town of Kearny
Half full or half empty? Joys or sorrows? Which do you want first – the good news or the bad news?
Let’s start with the good. This Saturday, May 9, three events are taking place at the General Kearny Inn, and all of them are a benefit to help repair the town swimming pool. The first event is the steak dinner ($25 a plate, with all the fixings) which is followed by an auction of donated items, and these lead into the happy appearance of Primo in the grass courtyard (the cover charge will help fund the swimming pool).
Chris and Samantha Misita and the Rotary Club are pitching in to mobilize all Kearny residents to help support the pool restoration. They have worked hard to get the word out and collect items for what is sure to be a great auction. That’s this Saturday, the 9th, beginning with the dinner at 5 p.m. The auction will be about 7 p.m., and Primo will play from 8 p.m. until midnight.
I’m truly thankful for everyone’s support, and I give special thanks for Primo, whose deep roots in Kearny have prompted them to respond.
The bad news is that, starting with our swimming pool, water system and waste water system, our town infrastructure is rapidly crumbling. Repairs have relied upon previous repairs, and things have reached a point where our financial outgo is outpacing our income. The break in the water main last week involved seventy feet of pipe and its supportive structure and cost in excess of $50,000 for the emergency repair. I want to give credit to our town crew and the contractors from Globe, who worked together to effect the repair.
Mining communities in Arizona are all facing much the same thing. Water systems are inadequate and breaking down. Community swimming pools are fading into extinction because federal grants rarely cover new installations.
The town council is presently working on new grants for water system upgrades and the long overdue maintenance of our water tanks. We will be assessing our infrastructure (including our buildings and Kearny Lake) to seek grants for timely support of these needs.
No, I don’t like the problems facing our town and our school system. The good news is this – the people of Kearny and the Copper Basin are made of tough stuff. With patience and much effort, we will see this through and come out the other side as a better town with a better economy to support our needs.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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