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During this past May, many former residents came back for graduations, weddings or birthdays. While they were happy to be amongst family again, they complained or took pity on our local towns. Their comments were, “How sad it is to see a once thriving town look so bad. How did this happen?” That is a great question. I say it is a revolving door of whose fault it could be. Could it be that the younger generation is moving away and taking their kids to raise in the cities where there are more opportunities? Could it be the company’s fault, by transporting workers from those faraway cities to work in the mine, therefore no one is living here? Or could it be that someone is holding the town hostage by buying it all up and letting it deteriorate, therefore reducing the value? Or are we so set in our ways that we don’t want change?
Who is fighting for our towns? Residents left here are trying desperately to take pride in their little communities along with organizations like Copper Community Action Board (CCAB), Copper Basin Chamber of Commerce, Scouts, Brownies or the local students/teachers trying to clean-up with what little we have. The Towns do what they can with what little they get.
Also left behind are the elderly, who are stubborn enough to stick it out in their antiquated homes. I can picture these small towns becoming like the tourist towns of Jerome and Tombstone. Some of our towns are over 100 years old. Buildings have crumbled, but there are a few buildings left, like the elderly…too stubborn to go. I still have hope that one day our communities will rise from the ashes like the name of a city that is just a couple of hours away…
Volunteer and do something about it! The Chamber is hosting a planning retreat for the year on June 21 – join us! Contact the Chamber for more info!
I hope someone reads this and decides they want to help. Not just say, ”How sad….”
Just trying to do my part,
/s/ Martina Burnam
Copper Area Resident
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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