by 
Sam Hosler
Sometimes I see small things along the way that give me a lift. Last week I stopped into Getsome Motorsports in Kearny on some business, and noticed an old Kearny police car in the bay. It was in the process of being checked out and then sold to AZ Movie Props, a Chandler concern. It will be repainted and outfitted to serve as, well, a police car! For many years these Fords have been the backbone for law enforcement across the nation, and are thus in demand for movie roles.
I also noticed some new landscaping in Winkelman as I crossed the Gila River Bridge, and doubled back to find out what’s up. It is a brand new RV park, outfitted with sidewalks, pavers, trees and other greenery. The park’s owner, Mark Crossland, will offer 19 spaces for rent.
The West End Café in Kearny has been sold. Its last day of business was Saturday, June 16. It has been a very popular place, both for locals (remember Taco Tuesday’s fame?) and for tourists, especially bikers and airplane enthusiasts. It had a large banquet room which has served many groups and community events. The Kenney family and all the staff of the West End Café served up both good food and smiling faces.
The cafe will be closed for a month for remodeling and will reopen as Abuela’s Hometown Grill, LLC, serving both authentic Mexican food and popular American favorites. The proposed remodeling is said to be quite extensive. It will be hard to wait and see!
The candidates for mayor and town council have filed their petitions in the towns of Winkelman, Hayden and Kearny.
Winkelman’s sole mayoral candidate is incumbent Louie “Chacho” Bracamonte. Felix Marquez and Joe Marin are council incumbents, and two positions will be unfilled.
Hayden will see some changes. Bobbie Smith decided to run for council rather than mayor, and Jean Hetrick will be the sole mayoral candidate. Henry Lopez is an incumbent, so there will be several open positions.
In Kearny, Mayor Debra Sommers will stand for reelection, and incumbents Rudy Flores, Nancy Hinojos and Dan Radcliffe will do the same. Curtis Stacy has announced his campaign for council, so this will be the only contested election in the towns of the Copper Basin. Council members Rose Bradford, Samantha Misita, and Sheila Stephenson have two years remaining in their terms.
The Copper Basin Chamber of Commerce held a planning session this past weekend. New chamber members brought new life and energy. The chamber’s summer hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the office in the Haddad Building in Kearny. Stop in to visit director Veronica Bracamonte and learn about the new things the chamber is doing and planning to help our regional economy.
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