FROM SILVER HILL

September 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment

By Donna Anderson

What a great county fair we had.  And once again, my faith in the people in this community has been rewarded with all the help we got, all the people that turned out for the Fair, all those volunteers who worked as superintendents and helpers in the various departments – and just most of all, the encouragement we received in trying to put on a fair with very little funds.

It has always amazed me that people in this community really help when help is needed, whether it is a tragedy, a family needing help, a celebration or whatever, we have such wonderful citizens and everyone seems to care – I guess that is the best way to say it.

When we needed that encouragement the most, we got it.  Those of us in the center of trying to put on a good Fair were well rewarded with the support we received.  I just knew we could do it and that people would help, but there is always that little fear that it might not work.  But we needn’t have worried – you all were just great.

I had an added pleasure.  We had a new carnival for the Fair this year and when we were visiting with the husband in the team that runs this carnival, we found out his wife was raised in southern Indiana in a town only 10 miles from my home town.  So when she had a chance, we visited for a while and found out she knows all the little towns and some of the families that I know, and not only that, my best high school friend married into the family she was from.  What a small world this is!

And although I know everyone that worked at the Fair all the time I did, are very tired, as I am, I can’t tell you how much it means to us to have you all prove that our faith in you was justified.

And we want you to know that the county fair is here to stay and we will continue to make it bigger and better all the time. 

FROM SILVER HILL

September 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment

By Donna Anderson

It seems there are times when you really don’t know which way to turn.  Today, on the eve of the anniversary of 9/11, I am sort of split in my thinking and wonder what is going to happen.

When 9/11 first happened, it seemed everyone in this country rallied around; we all flew flags, we all wanted to help one another survive after we watched in horror at what happened in New York City.

And now, it seems that in just these few short years since, so many things have gone horribly wrong.  

While we all watched the event in NYC, our hearts and prayers went out to all involved.  But then we have this group that says our own government caused this – not terrorists.  What in the world happened to their thinking?  How could they believe this when we know who and how the planes were flown into the buildings and thousands killed.

And then we have retribution by some of our own citizens who killed other citizens because of their faith, their dress and/or their color and names.  How could we believe this would happen right in our own state and in our own country?

And then we have a president who apparently mislead the people into believing that we had to go to war to get the people who were behind these things, while it turns out the main person we were after may not have been the one who did this to us at all.  And now we are in a war that started out after the wrong person to begin with. 

This whole thing has brought divisiveness to our people and our country.  We have forgotten how to be friends with people from other countries.  We have a group that wants to take “In God We Trust” out of everything.  We have become a country with groups that want to fight with other groups while all of us are Americans.

I have to tell you, folks, it is time to come to our senses, time to believe in one another and our country, no matter what background, color or religion.  It is time to be kind to our neighbors, and to work together to get rid of the drug culture, of bringing our kids up with killing video games that raises them with no conscience.  It is time we stepped back and took a look at how far we have gone astray since 9/11, and get back to where we were before. 

FROM SILVER HILL

September 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment

By Donna Anderson

Dreams do come true sometimes.  It may take a few years or sometimes more, but they do come true.  

I have written a few times about Cave River Valley Park, located in the rugged limestone hills of southern Indiana near my home town.  When my parents bought the old “Clifty Valley” as it was called then, it was beautiful in its rugged limestone cliffs and the two huge caves that opened near this beautiful valley.  But it also had sat so long without care that the first thing we had to do was clean up this beautiful meadow that was plush with grass, but also had head-high blackberry vines growing all over it.

We bought this property just after the end of World War II, so my teen years were spent at the park every weekend.  The big River Cave emptied on a bed of limestone rock and cascaded down one end of the valley, made a turn and went right through the edge of the huge grassy area, made another turn as the valley narrowed down and on miles away into White River, a large river in southern Indiana.  On the other side of a big limestone ridge, Endless Cave had a small amount of water that gathered in pools here and there, but was basically a dry cave – completely different in its makeup from the other.  Cavers love these big caves.

Daddy and crew, much of it made up of us kids, added a log cabin, small cabins strategically placed around the property for privacy for people to rent, did lots and lots of cleaning and landscaping, but still left it in natural beauty and rustic surroundings.  I don’t know how much better to describe it without going into immense detail.

However, we all love that property and Daddy used to say that it should be made into a state park.  Of course, it did not happen and finally, after our parents were gone and the three girls in the family got the park while the one brother got the newspaper company, none of us by that time could spend every weekend there.  I came to Arizona and the rest of my siblings all married and had families to take care of.

Finally, we sold the park, but not before making sure it went to someone we felt could love it as much as we did.  But now, after all these years, the Nature Conservancy has bought the 316 acres and is working with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, State Parks Board, and Game and Fish to turn it into a state park that will be a nature preserve,  still allow cavers to explore, but preserve the endangered species in the caves.   When I saw the story, I was so grateful that I cried.  Like my sisters, we all wanted the area to be preserved in its natural beauty for all the people to see, but we wanted it to be taken care of – and now we are assured it will be.  A dream come true for our parents who are both gone, but also for us and our families, who grew to love the place like they did.

It may take a long time sometimes, but dreams do come true 

FROM SILVER HILL

August 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment

By Donna Anderson

Okay, okay, I am ready for this summer to be over.  At least it has cooled somewhat, but not enough yet, and the nights are cooler for us at our altitude.  But I do get tired of the hot weather, and am ready for it to be over.  I love the mild days and cool evenings and at least it is better here than back in Indiana where I can still remember the humidity and the cold snowy and rainy winters.

But even with the hot summers, I’ll take Arizona, cool, rain and all.  I think the best part of Arizona for me is the mountains and the beautiful scenery, the creeks bubbling along and all the wildlife.  I noted in a story in the daily paper that the bighorn sheep have recovered from their scarcity – and I know this is true in the mountains in eastern Arizona around Clifton, Morenci and the Blue Mountain area.  If you drive over to Morenci and on up the Coronado Trail you will have a very good chance of seeing them and that is a treat.

Now I just want to say a note about the Gila County Fair.  When we lost our state funding, little did we dream at how much everyone would come through this year in helping us have a good fair.  BUT, I need to add that I really knew that our community would come through for us – it is that kind of place.  

When Guy and I retired, people asked us if we were moving to the mountains, and my standard answer was, “Why would we?”  Globe is such a great place and the people are friendly, Everyone helps when help is needed and there just is nothing better.  

I am going to make my column short this week because I think I have said it all.

Thanks – all of you. 

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