Progress 2023

Progress 2023 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2023 

C1 

Welcome back for Progress 2023 

It has been some time 

since the Silver Belt reflected 

on progress in the 

Globe-Miami-San Carlos 

area; since 2019, as a matter 

of fact. In the ensuing 

years, the community 

has weathered devastating 

wildfires and flooding 

against the backdrop of 

a global pandemic. But 

just as 2022’s winter rains 

have brought an explosion 

of wildflowers to beautify 

our spring landscape, our 

community has come back 

stronger for those travails. 

So it is time once again to 

celebrate our progress. 

The Cambridge 

Dictionary defines progress 

as movement to an 

improved or more developed 

state, or to a forward 

position. The years since 

2019 have seen just that 

in the community, with 

the success of new and expanding 

businesses, a new 

skate park in San Carlos 

and the imminent re-opening 

of Globe’s city swimming 

pool, and a range 

of public art projects that 

have brightened Historic 

Downtown Globe. 

From the long-established 

to the newest, 

local businesses and educational 

institutions are 

bouncing back from the 

impacts of COVID-19, 

fire and floods; and when 

they succeed, the entire 

community benefits. In 

taking up our Progress 

edition once again, the Silver 

Belt – which has seen 

its own share of changes 

since 2019 – is setting out 

to tell some of their stories 

as they look ahead to, and 

work toward, continued 

better tomorrows. We 

hope you will enjoy these 

stories. 

David Sowders 

Assistant Editor 

Arizona Silver Belt 

David Sowders/Arizona Silver Belt 

Then & Now 

Courtesy photo/Gila County Historical Museum 

David Sowders/Arizona Silver Belt

C2 - ARIZONA SILVER BELT 


MAY 31, 2023 

Celebrating Over 369 Years of Combined 

Service In Our Community 

148 

Years 

of Service 

We Would Like To Thank Thses Businesses & Organizations 

40 

Years 

of Service 

23 

Years 

of Service 

56 

Years 

of Service 

Connie’s 

www.cvit81.org 

Dick’s 

Broasted 

Chicken 

103 Ruiz Canyon Rd, 

Globe, AZ 

(928) 425-2821 

Preparing today’s high 

school students of the 

copper corridor for 

tomorrow’s workforce. 

Contact: Mike O’Neal 

Superintendent 

(928) 242-1907 

708 Live Oak St 

Miami, AZ 85539 

928-473-2661 

FOLLOW US ON 

FACEBOOK 

49 

Years 

of Service 

53 

Years 

of Service 

47 

Years 

of Service 

78 

Years 

of Service 

Golden Hills 

NURSERY & POULTRY 

STORE 

MV 

Enterprises 

Mon - Sat 8a - 5p 

Sun 10a - 3p 

5444 E Golden Hills Rd 

(928) 425-6004 

www.goldenhillsnurseryaz.com 

360 Oil Circle Rd, 

Globe, AZ 

928-402-9131 

Monday: 

9:00am to 5:30pm 

Tuesday - Friday: 

9:30am to 5:30pm 

Saturday: 

9:30am to 4:00pm 

Closed Sunday 

135 N. Broad Street 

Globe, AZ 85501 

928-425-7300 

Upper Pinal Creek Bridge replacement project, Globe, May 2023. 


June 19th 

Public Open House 

2:00pm-5:30pm 

cvrmc.org 

Learn about our new 

Da Vinci Xi 

Surgical System 

CVRMC Turquoise Room

MAY 31, 2023 ARIZONA SILVER BELT - C3 


Making a splash: How community 

partnerships turned a dream into reality 

In 2014 the Community Center 

Pool was closed due to structural 

issues and massive leakage. 

The prospects of reopening 

looked grim, so then-Mayor 

Terry Wheeler formed a group 

to focus on water recreation in 

the Globe-Miami region, and in 

2018 Recharge our Community 

Economy (ROC) held facilitation 

and workgroups where recreation 

was identified as the top 

economic development opportunity 

in the region. As a result 

of these findings, a multi-sector 

group was formed to focus on 

recreational opportunities. 

Following this path, the 

Globe City Council prioritized 

recreation in the 2019 City 

Strategic Action Plan; meanwhile, 

the Cobre Valley Collaborative 

Action Plan aimed to 

increase access to affordable/ 

diverse recreation, infrastructure 

programs, and activities. 

The stage was set for forming 

partnerships, leading to the City 

of Globe and Freeport McMo- 

Ran partnering to conduct an 

in-depth pool assessment. This 

answered the possibility of fixing 

the leakage and repairing 

the “hole in the ground,” allowing 

water recreation to exist 

again in the region. In 2020, 

the structural assessment of the 

Community Center Pool was 

completed, and positive results 

were shared with the Globe 

City Council. With this positive 

news, the City Council directed 

City staff to search for funding 

opportunities for the rehab 

of the Community Center 

Pool. Just as waves started to 

be made, COVID-19 appeared 

worldwide and caused a pause 

in the City of Globe CIP budgeting. 

Despite the “big pause,” 

COVID highlighted the importance 

of social interaction, outdoor 

recreation, and fun. 

2021 was a year that filled the 

dream with a newly sustained 

hope. The creation of the City 

of Globe Master Recreation 

Plan coincided with the City 

being awarded two grants, one 

from the Freeport McMoRan 

Community Investment Fund 

and the other from AZ Healthy 

Communities. Council approved 

the $2.3 million budget 

for pool rehab, including the 

splash pad and zero entry. Cobre 

Valley Regional Medical Center 

“jumped in” with $1.9 million 

in matching grant funds, partnering 

with the City of Globe 

to add next-level features and 

amenities - 3 slides and a brand 

new modern pool house! 

This fantastic progress was 

made possible through partnerships. 

Arizona Complete 

Health, BHP, Capstone Pinto 

Valley, Cobre Valley Regional 

Medical Center, First Interstate 

Bank, Freeport McMoRan, 

Gila County Board of Supervisors, 

United Fund of Globe- 

Miami, City of Globe staff, and 

all of the contractors pulled 

together to not only “repair a 

hole in the ground” but to provide 

a modern swimming facility 

where we can all make a big 

splash and enjoy the region’s 

newest recreation facility. 

Courtesy photo 

Check out Art Row! 

June 2nd 4:00 - 8:00 PM 

F R E E G i v e a w a y a t K i n o F l o o r s ! Y o u c o u l d w i n a n A s h l e y P o w e r 

R e c l i n e r w i t h a n a d j u s t a b l e h e a d r e s t . V a l u e d a t $ 6 9 9 ! 

M u s t V i s i t t h e S h o w r o o m f o r a r a f f l e t i c k e t t h e w e e k o f F i r s t F r i d a y ! 

( M a y 3 0 - J u n e 2 ) T h e d r a w i n g w i l l t a k e p l a c e o n S a t u r d a y , J u n e 3 r d . 

Oak Street 

Marketplace! 

Broad Street 

Cruise 5:30 PM! 

Business Specials! 

T h e H u d d l e 

$ 2 d o m e s t i c l o n g n e c k s ( 2 1 + ) 

B l o o m 

T r y t h e B l o o m t i n i ! ( 2 1 + ) 

L a C a s i t a 

P o z o l e b o w l w / a l l s i d e s ! O n l y 

$ 8 . 8 0 

S p l a s h o f C o p p e r 

2 0 % o f f y o u r e n t i r e p u r c h a s e 4 - 8 

P M ! 

P r e t t y K i n d B o u t i q u e 

F r e e w a t c h b a n d w / p u r c h a s e ! 

B r a v o 

T r y t h e w i n n i n g 

" M e d i t e r r a n e a n M e a t b a l l s " 

r e c i p e s f r o m t h e r e c e n t 4 H 

C o o k - O f f ! P r o c e e d s f r o m 

t h i s d i s h w i l l b e n e f i t o u r 

l o c a l 4 H P r o g r a m s ! 

Food Truck 

Round-up! 

L i t t l e S w e e t T o o t h 

D e s s e r t s 

G i l a H o g s B B Q 

B e n t o G u y 

D r e ' s D a w g H o u s e 

A n i t a F r y b r e a d 

A p a c h e B u r g e r 

T a q u e r i a L a F a m i l i a 

& M o r e ! 

L i v e m u s i c p r o v i d e d b y 

H e c t o r D J !


ARIZONA SILVER BELT - C5 

Winter. Spring. 

Summer. Fall. 

Every season is 

savings season. 

Finding new ways to save energy and money starts with 

knowing where to look. Solutions for Business is here to help 

with rebates for upgrades, industry-specific guides to reduce 

energy costs, and our free webinar Training Series to learn 

new energy concepts to improve efficiencies and energy 

savings. Find business energy solutions at aps.com/s4b.



Golden Hills Nursery & 

Feed Center: The whole 

gamut of gardening 



Golden Hills Nursery & Feed Center owner Mike Shirley welcomes spring amid his 

array of plants and gardening products. 

By David Sowders 


For 49 years, Golden Hills Nursery & 

Feed Center has helped the Globe-Miami- 

San Carlos community meet its gardening 

needs and beautify local homes. Owner Mike 

Shirley said his shop in Central Heights offers 

“the whole gamut of gardening.” 

Golden Hills is primarily focused on raising 

things – mainly plants of all kinds, but 

also poultry. The nursery also carries seeds 

and bulbs, soil, fertilizers, weed killers and 

insecticides – and even garden worms and 

such beneficial insects as ladybugs and praying 

mantids. What’s more, Mike has been 

doing this from the same location for all 49 

years. 

That location was part of his grandparents’ 

homestead, and it’s where Mike and his 

mother opened Golden Hills in 1974. “I was 

looking for another occupation, so we put our 

heads together and started this nursery here,” 

he said. “Our carport was one of our shops.” 

The building went up three or four years later. 

When it was finished, they planted several 

mulberry trees for shade – trees that are still 

standing today. 

“There wasn’t much of a nursery presence 

here when we started,” Mike observed. 

He said that new homes springing up in the 

area of the current Fry’s shopping center had 

fueled his business. “We sold a lot of trees, 

shrubs and flowers there.” One of his favorite 

sayings is “Walk in beauty with nature.” 

Mike is a state-certified nurseryman, having 

passed an examination with the Arizona 

Nursery Association, and has taken a number 

of college-level botany courses to help grow 

his business. “People like coming here to 

shop; we’re getting a big lift from the people 

around us,” he said. “I get quite a number of 

people from San Carlos who are into landscaping 

and gardening pursuits. 

“I look at myself as a valuable component 

of the community, helping people with 

their gardening and landscaping needs. I’ve 

been here off and on all my life, and can give 

people an idea of our history. Another nice 

aspect of this community is its smallness, and 

its closeness to so many recreational activities; 

gardening should be one of them. I make 

sure customers have success with whatever 

they’re growing; you can create your own 

atmosphere.” 

Golden Hills Nursery & Feed Center, 

5444 E. Golden Hill Rd., is open for the community’s 

planting needs Monday-Saturday 

from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 10 

a.m. to 3 p.m. 

House Plants, 

Books & Gift 

Certificates 

• Fruit, Shade, Nut & Flowering Trees 

• Desert Plants, Evergreens, 

Deciduous Shrubs, Perennials, 

Herbs, Bulbs, Seeds & Much More! 

• Gift Certificates 

• Poultry Products 

Come up and see Mike! 

With over 40 years experience, 

Mike can help you find just what 

you need to make your 

life beautiful. 

Golden Hills 

NURSERY & POULTRY STORE 

5444 E Golden Hills Rd • Globe, AZ 

928-425-6004 

Mon-Sat 8-5 • Sun 10-3 

www.goldenhillsnurseryaz.com 

Come to 

Where Passion 

and Care Live 

Home of Champions 

Award Winning! 

Skilled Nursing | Long-term Care | Rehabilitation 

| Physical Therapy | Occupational Therapy | 

Speech Therapy 

Heritage is ranked 6th in the state by Medicare 

Schedule a tour today. 

928-425-3118 

Heritage Health Care Center 

1300 South Street | Globe, AZ 

928-425-3118 | lcca.com/locations/az/heritage-globe




Miami Regional Training Center sees improvements 



Progress is in store for the 

EAC Gila Pueblo Campus’ Miami 

Regional Training Center 

(RTC), and the dozen new welding 

machines that arrived there 

last fall are just part of the picture. 

A Freeport McMoRan Foundation 

grant received last winter, 

in the amount of $150,000, 

will help upgrade programs, 

equipment and the facility at the 

RTC, which offers programs in 

welding, HVAC and advanced 

manufacturing. The college is 

working to improve those programs 

by adding state-of-the-art 

equipment and technology, providing 

students with up-to-date 

skills that lead to local employment 

in high-wage, high-demand 

fields. 

The 12 new welding machines, 

supplied by the manufacturer, 

Lincoln Electric, have 

been joined by 15 new welding 

booths where students can hone 

their skills. The RTC has also 

installed a new ventilation system. 

Due to a lack of instructors, 

the future of the college’s welding 

program was once uncertain. 

Then Freeport McMoRan 

entered the picture, agreeing 

to lend Ernie Baca and John 

Freeman to the college. Baca 

and Freeman now lead welding 

courses at the RTC. 

Not only did the program 


A Gila Pueblo student demonstrates their welding skills, using one 

of the 12 new machines in the Miami Regional Training Center. 

gain two skilled instructors; it 

also acquired a new space on the 

grounds of the RTC. Last summer 

was spent getting the spacious 

building ready, cleaning 

it up for the welding machines’ 

arrival, which was celebrated at 

an early-November open house. 

During that event, Baca said 

the enhanced welding program 

will give students the ability 

to enter a career in an industry 

“sorely short of skilled individuals.” 

But, he added, it’s 

not just for students seeking a 

career field; it’s also for adult 

learners who just want to pick 

up the skill. Baca also saluted 

the college’s partners in building 

the program; Freeport Mc- 

MoRan, the Cobre Valley Institute 

of Technology (CVIT), 

Lincoln Electric and Resolution 

Copper. 

“We’re excited about the vision, 

and it’s just going to keep 

growing,” added CVIT Superintendent 

Mike O’Neal. 

Molding brighter futures at CVIT 


Second-year medical assistant students 

Aliyah Cheney and Isabel Mull practice 

blood draws. Each student must show 

a successful number of blood draws to 

complete the program successfully. 



Aiming to provide students in the community 

with stronger career skills and improved 

employability options, the Cobre 

Valley Institute of Technology (CVIT) 

District offers career readiness training for 

high school students from Globe, Miami 

and San Carlos, as well as the towns of Superior, 

Hayden and Kearny. 

In its commitment to community progress, 

CVIT also seeks to provide innovative 

training for students to enter the Cobre 

Valley and Copper Basin workforce. It offers 

career and technical education (CTE) 

to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, 

as well as homeschool students and 

charter and online students in the above 

communities. “We’re trying to create educational 

opportunities for students, and 

help them jump start their careers,” said 

CVIT Superintendent Mike O’Neal. 

Cobre Valley Institute 

of Technology 

Preparing tomorrow’s 

workforce with 

industry certification! 

CVIT programs are taught in off-campus 

facilities, including the EAC Gila Pueblo 

Campus and Miami Regional Training 

Center (which comprise CVIT’s Central 

Campus), using those facilities’ instructors. 

The district is supported by community 

partners, the Gila Pueblo Campus and 

Central Arizona College. Current programs 

include dental assistant, medical assistant, 

nursing assistant, cosmetology, welding, 

HVAC and fire science. Central Campus 

Program Counselor Aja DeZeeuw, a new 

addition to CVIT staff, said that they hope 

to add early childhood education and industrial 

plant maintenance programs next 

year. She described the latter as “a little bit 

of welding, a little bit of hydraulics, a little 

bit of pipefitting, a little bit of some different 

industries.” 

This is all at no cost to students who 

enroll in central campus programs or their 

families; CVIT takes care of tuition, books, 

supplies and certification fees. For example, 

DeZeeuw said, CVIT will provide 

scrubs for its medical assistant students. 

“Anything they need to be successful in 

the program, we pay for. We hope to remove 

any financial barriers for students.” 

On completing their chosen program, 

students will have earned college credit, 

industry certification for successful entry 

into the labor market and technical skills 

for entry level work. “We’re trying to 

create educational opportunities for students, 

and help them jump start their careers,” 

said CVIT Superintendent Mike 

O’Neal. This May, 58 students graduated 

from CVIT, completing a variety of programs. 

“It’s been a great year for us,” 

said O’Neal. 

“All of our nursing assistant students 

passed their technical skills assessment, 

which the state says they have to pass to 

be proficient in their skill set. That’s something 

we’re really excited about,” said 

DeZeeuw. 

“One thing I’m super excited about is 

the addition of my position. Prior to this 

year CVIT did not have their own school 

counselor to recruit students for the programs 

and help them understand the value; 

they relied a lot on the counselors at each 

campus. With the pandemic, our school 

board, the staff and the superintendent really 

felt it was important to have a dedicated 

person just for CVIT students.” 

In another step to augment community 

career education, CVIT has invested approximately 

$40,000 toward a remodel of the 

Miami Regional Training Center’s welding 

area. “They’re upgrading the electrical, ventilation 

and everything on the welding side,” 

said DeZeeuw. “They’re going to have a total 

of 15 welding bays; in the past they only had 

12. We also made a pretty large investment 

in partnership with the college and Freeport 

McMoRan for welding in general. We’re 

growing, so we have already filled out our 

welding program for next year. To us that’s a 

really good sign that students are understanding 

the value of our programs, and able and 

wanting to take advantage of them.” 

Founded in 2000, CVIT is one of 14 Career 

Technical Education Districts in Arizona. 

“We are actually voter approved,” 

said DeZeeuw. “Our voters in the area had 

to actually say, ‘Yes, this is something that 

we want.’ Each community actually votes 

to be part of the district.” 

For more information or to learn about 

enrolling in CVIT programs, contact 

Aja DeZeeuw at (480) 204-0325 or adezeeuw@cvit81.org, 

or visit the CVIT 

website at https://www.cvit81.org. 

Contact: Mike O’Neal 

Superintendent 

(928) 242-1907 


HVAC-R student Gabe Gonzales looks on while Gabe Salcido practices wiring on a 

model.



ARIZONA SILVER BELT - C7 

Dick’s Chicken: A 

community staple 

DICK’S 

Broasted Chicken 


Terry Perez, owner-operator of Dick’s Chicken, stands ready to welcome the day’s 

customers. 

MON - FRI 

11am - 5pm 

708 Live Oak St 

Miami, AZ 85539 

928-473-2661 

FOLLOW US ON 

FACEBOOK 



Terry Perez, owner-operator of Dick’s 

Chicken in Miami, is carrying on a 56- 

year family tradition of providing “the 

best food possible” to the Globe-Miami 

community and visitors. 

“It’s always been a small mom-andpop 

diner,” she said, and that’s literally 

how things started. Terry’s parents, 

Richard “Dick” Perez and Alice Perez, 

who were both raised in this community, 

established the business on Feb. 7, 

1967. Dick’s Chicken, formerly known 

as Dick’s Broasted Chicken, has been at 

the same location, 708 W. Live Oak St. 

(Highway 60), ever since. 

With plenty of help from family members, 

Alice Perez ran the restaurant for 

13 years while Dick – who still comes 

in to work at his namesake restaurant - 

was employed in the mines. Originally 

a licensed restaurant with The Broaster 

Company, Dick’s went on to develop its 

own recipes. 

Dick’s has kept the same menu, and 

ambiance, through the years. “We have 

the same recipes, the same dining room 

and the same kitchen,” Terry said. One 

“new” thing is the rooster painted on the 

east wall, a work that replaced the original 

and a sign by which visitors recognize 

this small diner. 

Terry said the restaurant, which welcomes 

visitors on weekdays from 11 

a.m. to 5 p.m., has become a staple in 

the community. “We hope it continues 

to be a staple as long as possible,” she 

added. “We’ve had visitors from all 

over, and from every walk of life, come 

for our food and atmosphere. It’s a very 

comfy and relaxing atmosphere.” 

Some customers, she said, have been 

coming in to enjoy the chicken, burgers 

and seafood dinners served by Dick’s 

Chicken since opening day. “We get lots 

of community support, and we show our 

appreciation by providing the best food 

possible. We try to keep consistency 

and quality, and serve our customers. 

We have multiple repeat customers and 

a good client base,” she added. 

In addition to dining in, many community 

members turn to Dick’s Chicken 

when family trips call for a takeout 

order; and, with sufficient notice, this 

small family restaurant will also prepare 

food for parties; orders can be placed at 

(928) 473-2661. 

Copper Country News 

& Arizona Silver Belt



Ready to make a 

big splash?! 

https://www.globeaz.gov facebook.com/cityofglobe https://www.instagram.com/the_city_of_globe https://twitter.com/city_globe

Progress 2023

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