by Daryl F. Mallett
After 15 years in their old location,
Anne Pence and Sweet Pea Floral have moved into new retail space at 1909
N. Power Road, Suite 101, in Mesa (located in the Safeway shopping
center on the southeast corner of McKellips and Power Roads). The new
space is much bigger, with a small space to sit comfortably on plush
couches to plan wedding floral arrangements. There is also an enormous
basket section. And the big new store features a U.S. Post Office branch
inside, where all postal transactions can be performed. The store's
grand opening will be March 4-5 and Sweet Pea employees and USPS
employees will be on hand to give out gifts all weekend.
(Originally published in Northeast Mesa Lifestyle, Vol. 1:1, March 2005.)
Showing posts with label Arizona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arizona. Show all posts
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Local Eagle Scout Makes Quilts for Tsunami Victims
by Daryl F.
Mallett
Trevor Hardy
is 16 years old and a junior at Mountain View High School. He's also on his way
to receiving the highest award in Boy Scouts, the rank of Eagle Scout. In order
to become an Eagle Scout, candidates must "plan, develop and give
leadership to others in a service project helpful to your religious
institution, school or your community." (The project should benefit an
organization other than Boy Scouts of America (BSA).)
So Trevor
set out to coordinate a humanitarian service project with the students and
teachers at Montessori International School in Mesa to help victims of the
Christmas 2004 tsunami in Asia. The project involved the Montessori children
and teachers making 25 "Comfort Quilts" to send to survivors of the
disaster. The quilts were designed to be bright and cheerful.
When asked
why he chose this as his project, Trevor said, "The owner of the school is
from Sri Lanka and went there to help in the tsunami's aftermath. The school
has adopted the town of Kosgoda to help rebuild. Many of the children there
have brought in their piggy banks and families of attending students have made
generous donations. My two sisters, who attend the school currently, asked what
else they could do to help the tsunami survivors. This got me thinking about
having the kids do a humanitarian service project in conjunction with my Eagle
Scout project."
Trevor also
went to preschool at the Mesa Montessori. As he stated, the school's owner,
Therese Kestner, is from Sri Lanka, and traveled back there with her three
grown children to help in the aftermath of the tsunami. Under her direction,
the Montessori International School in Mesa has adopted the town of Kosgoda and
will help them rebuild. Trevor's efforts will benefit people in that town, known
in the region for its turtle hatchery, which rescues turtle eggs and releases
the newly hatched turtles to the ocean. A website about the Kosgoda Rebuilding
Project has been created at http://montessori-intl.org/tsunami. [Note: Website no longer active at the time of this reposting.]
"This
has been a great experience for both me and the students," said Trevor,
"and should bring some comfort to those in need."
(Originally
published in Northeast Mesa Lifestyle, Vol. 1:1, March 2005.)
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Mesa Public Schools Expenditure Override Election 2005
by Daryl F. Mallett
On Tues., Mar. 8, the voters of Mesa Unified School District No. 4 ("the District") will have the opportunity to decide the level of expenditures in the district in a special election.
According to informational pamphlets mailed out to all District residents, the Governing Board of the District is seeking authority for the District to exceed the maintenance and operation budget limit specified by statute by 10 percent. The proposed increase will be in effect for a period of seven years, although it will be reduced to 6.67 percent in the sixth year, and 3.33 percent in the seventh year. Any budget increase authorized by this election shall be entirely funded by the District from a levy of taxes on the taxable property within the District. The proposed override amount is estimated to be $31,630,000 for fiscal year 2005-06.
Override funds would be used to cover inflation expenses not provided for under the state funding formula and to provide for additional services and programs to enhance the education of students as follows:
Maintain Class Size and Programs -- Continue to fund at least 136 teachers.
Security -- Continue to fund school security staff.
Instructional Supplies -- Continue the 35 percent increase to each school supply budget.
Employee Compensation -- Provide a competitive compensation package for employers.
Academic Programs -- Provide additional or alternative academic programs.
Technology Training -- Continue staff training in the use of educational technology.
Teacher Training -- Continue one additional day of training for teachers.
Transportation -- Continue student transportation not funded under the state funding formula.
According to Dr. Sandra E. Dowling, superintendent of Maricopa County Schools, "Arizona law places some restrictions on how much a school district may increase its expenditures from one year to the next without procuring explicit approval of the District's voters in an election. Your task will be to indicate whether you think the District should operate within these limitations or be allowed to spend the amounts proposed in excess. Please note that if the special override election increase is approved, the increase will be added to school district budgets for the number of subsequent years as specified on the ballot. Please study carefully the materials contained in the booklet mailed to you so you will be ready to exercise your right to vote in an informed manner."
The Governing Board of the District released this statement: "Our school district has a rich history of success in academics, the arts and athletics because of community support. Mesa Public Schools is recognized nationally as a top-performing district. Our students need your help to maintain this level of performance."
Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker voiced his support, saying, "The Mesa School Board has demonstrated that when voters approve additional local funding for education, the district spends those monies wisely. They spend only what they need and the funds have a direct impact on learning. As Mesa largest employer (10,000 employees), passage of this override will enable Mesa to continue to attract and retain talented teachers and staff with competitive salaries and benefits."
Mesa City Councilmember Michael K. Whelan agreed. "Mesa voters have consistently approved overrides to support education," he said. "They did so in 1995 and again in 2000. Mesa Public Schools has used those funds to consistently improve education. As the largest school district in Arizona, MPS is one of the most successful school districts in the nation. That's why voting 'yes' in this election is essential to the future of Mesa Public Schools."
The override is also supported by the Mesa Association of Hispanic Citizens; Michele Fiore, chairman of the Board of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce; Faith Risolo of the Mesa Education Association; Rich Berumen of the Mesa Education Support Personnel Association; Rich Crandall and Lynn Burnham, both members-elect of the Mesa School Board; and F. Rockne Arnett, president of the East Valley Partnership.
Arizona ranks 49th, second from the bottom, in per-pupil state spending. On election day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. To find your polling place, see the Maricopa County Election Department website at or call 602/506-1511.
(Originally published in Northeast Mesa Lifestyle, Vol. 1:1, March 2005.)
On Tues., Mar. 8, the voters of Mesa Unified School District No. 4 ("the District") will have the opportunity to decide the level of expenditures in the district in a special election.
According to informational pamphlets mailed out to all District residents, the Governing Board of the District is seeking authority for the District to exceed the maintenance and operation budget limit specified by statute by 10 percent. The proposed increase will be in effect for a period of seven years, although it will be reduced to 6.67 percent in the sixth year, and 3.33 percent in the seventh year. Any budget increase authorized by this election shall be entirely funded by the District from a levy of taxes on the taxable property within the District. The proposed override amount is estimated to be $31,630,000 for fiscal year 2005-06.
Override funds would be used to cover inflation expenses not provided for under the state funding formula and to provide for additional services and programs to enhance the education of students as follows:
Maintain Class Size and Programs -- Continue to fund at least 136 teachers.
Security -- Continue to fund school security staff.
Instructional Supplies -- Continue the 35 percent increase to each school supply budget.
Employee Compensation -- Provide a competitive compensation package for employers.
Academic Programs -- Provide additional or alternative academic programs.
Technology Training -- Continue staff training in the use of educational technology.
Teacher Training -- Continue one additional day of training for teachers.
Transportation -- Continue student transportation not funded under the state funding formula.
According to Dr. Sandra E. Dowling, superintendent of Maricopa County Schools, "Arizona law places some restrictions on how much a school district may increase its expenditures from one year to the next without procuring explicit approval of the District's voters in an election. Your task will be to indicate whether you think the District should operate within these limitations or be allowed to spend the amounts proposed in excess. Please note that if the special override election increase is approved, the increase will be added to school district budgets for the number of subsequent years as specified on the ballot. Please study carefully the materials contained in the booklet mailed to you so you will be ready to exercise your right to vote in an informed manner."
The Governing Board of the District released this statement: "Our school district has a rich history of success in academics, the arts and athletics because of community support. Mesa Public Schools is recognized nationally as a top-performing district. Our students need your help to maintain this level of performance."
Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker voiced his support, saying, "The Mesa School Board has demonstrated that when voters approve additional local funding for education, the district spends those monies wisely. They spend only what they need and the funds have a direct impact on learning. As Mesa largest employer (10,000 employees), passage of this override will enable Mesa to continue to attract and retain talented teachers and staff with competitive salaries and benefits."
Mesa City Councilmember Michael K. Whelan agreed. "Mesa voters have consistently approved overrides to support education," he said. "They did so in 1995 and again in 2000. Mesa Public Schools has used those funds to consistently improve education. As the largest school district in Arizona, MPS is one of the most successful school districts in the nation. That's why voting 'yes' in this election is essential to the future of Mesa Public Schools."
The override is also supported by the Mesa Association of Hispanic Citizens; Michele Fiore, chairman of the Board of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce; Faith Risolo of the Mesa Education Association; Rich Berumen of the Mesa Education Support Personnel Association; Rich Crandall and Lynn Burnham, both members-elect of the Mesa School Board; and F. Rockne Arnett, president of the East Valley Partnership.
Arizona ranks 49th, second from the bottom, in per-pupil state spending. On election day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. To find your polling place, see the Maricopa County Election Department website at or call 602/506-1511.
(Originally published in Northeast Mesa Lifestyle, Vol. 1:1, March 2005.)
Monday, April 22, 2013
Office Options in Northeast Mesa
by Daryl F. Mallett
Just starting a small business is a
big decision in and of itself. Once the decision is made to move ahead, many
entrepreneurs start from home, working out of their garage or a small corner
office, mostly in order to keep their initial investment costs down. But what
happens when you outgrow that home office? Moving out into the business world
is a financially frightening proposition. Signing a lease for an office is a
decision that will greatly impact your business…and your bottom line. A good
choice can dramatically improve your success, but a mistake could prove
disastrous.
“You must not take this chore
lightly or rush through the process,” said Charles E. McCabe, founder of
People’s Income Tax Inc. “Information and knowledge are power and, to be on
equal footing with the landlord or, more likely, the landlord’s leasing agent,
you must educate yourself in the rules of the leasing game and obtain as much
information about the property, the landlord and the local market conditions as
possible.”
Although each company’s needs will
be different, whether you are a law firm or a financial advisor, a publishing
venture or a wholesale food manufacturer, there are some basic options to keep
in mind:
Buy land and build your own facility, or buy an existing building.
– These usually aren’t options for a small business owner, unless you have
scads of cash and have a lot of time on your hands. There are many steps to
this process, from site selection and acquisition, plan development and
architectural fees to construction permits, hiring a contractor and buying
furniture. This can also be a very expensive proposition when you add up all
the fees (for assessments, appraisals, loans and contractors) to the down payment
on the building and property taxes. This also puts the business owner into a
second business, that of real estate investing and property management. The
benefits can include fixed costs, tax deductions and additional income (if
extra space is rented out or sold), but the downside includes a lack of
flexibility if your space needs change and huge up-front costs.
“Buying an existing building or an
office condo is a great option for small business owners,” said Jay Klepinger,
vice president at First International Bank in Mesa. “It’s nice because you can
move in immediately and it serves as an investment in your future as you gain
equity in the property. Disadvantages can be that the inside of the building
may not be configured exactly the way you want it.”
Lease or rent a building, or part of a building. – This option
frees up valuable working capital and gives good flexibility in that a business
owner can move to a new space if their space needs change. It also allows you
to focus on your core business, rather than the business of managing a facility
you own. The drawbacks can be variable costs and no equity.
Executive or Flex Suites. – Described by Larry Cohen, executive
vice president of CRESA Partners, a real estate broker dedicated to client
needs, rather than to the landlord, as “the business equivalent of a furnished
apartment,” this option allows the most flexibility to small business.
“Small businesses are making up an
increasingly larger portion of the economy, and the demand for smaller, but still
Class A, office space has skyrocketed,” said Devida Lewis, director of sales
for Free Office, a company dedicated to creating innovative small office
solutions. “However, traditionally prime office space has not been conducive to
businesses in the 500-2,000 sq. ft. market that are looking to efficiently
staff 1-15 people. The setup of traditional office space is usually inefficient
for small businesses, as it forces them to expend capital to obtain the
amenities of larger corporations. Also, it often causes them to settle for
second-class locations that are not representative of their business.”
The executive or flex suites option
gives a small business owner the benefits of having a physical location at
which to do business, get mail delivered or hold conferences and shared costs
for the receptionist(s), fax machine, copier and common areas. Many executive
suites come with furniture and phones, and almost all of them are “plug and
play,” meaning the phone lines, electricity and Internet connections are already
in service, so there is no waiting for Qwest or SRP to come and hook you up.
You can move in and start doing business the same day. Some even offer the
option of having a “virtual” office, in which the business owner does not need
an actual office to work in, but gets a dedicated phone line with a
receptionist to answer it, a place to get mail and use of the conference rooms.
“Our tenants also have access to
over 400 other office locations worldwide to use while traveling, at no extra
cost,” said Christopher Haws, managing partner of Free Office. “Tenants can
focus on running their business and not worry about the logistics and
operational costs of office space management. This is what led to the company’s
tagline: ‘Free to run your business.’”
“Executive suites are not a new
concept,” said Chuck Kohlhase, developer of the Sun Valley Office Park on the
southwest corner of University and Sun Valley Blvd. in Mesa. “Back in 1959 or
so, when I was first getting started here, I shared a desk with Carl Bremer,
who developed the Groves. I had half the desk, he had the other half, and we
had one phone between the two of us.”
H. Trase Barney, Sun Valley’s
project manager, agreed. “It’s a time-tested concept, but with new packaging.
Now, a small business owner can have a physical and/or mailing address at the
executive suites that offers them a place to get mail, hold meetings in the
common area and someone to answer the telephone, giving the appearance of a
larger, more successful company. This is a way in which we can make office
space affordable for everyone.”
The concept is also similar to a
business incubator or small business development center, which also offer
business development services, networking and speaking opportunities and other
on-site support mechanisms, although these are usually only available through
an application process or by being a member of an association. The now-defunct
Arizona Technology Incubator and the newly developed Northern Arizona
Technology and Business Incubator are two such examples, as is the ArizonaSmall Business Association (ASBA), which is opening an incubator-type facility
in Phoenix.
“The concept of executive suites or
a business incubator is good for small businesses because more often than not,
overhead is a main issue,” said Sherry Azzarella, ASBA’s communications and
sales director. “When you have a home-based business wanting to transition, but
not wanting to sign a long-term lease, a business owner who wants to see how it
goes or wants to hold conferences outside of their home to add that extra sense
of professionalism…this is a good way to test the waters.”
Some Local Options
32 Falcon Field. (4710 E. Falcon Drive), 714/444-3510. Located
within the Falcon Field Airport complex, this corporate office building leases
office space for a variety of businesses.
6820 E. Brown Road. Cavan Commercial, 480/860-6900 x 236.
This project features already built-out buildings that are ideal for medical or
family practice doctors. They are move-in ready and only two years old. Sizes
are approximately 3,500 square feet per building.
El Dorado Professional Center. (6328-6360 E. Brown Road), Aminoff& Co., 310/201-9600. These four Spanish-style buildings
were built in 1987 and contain a total of 22,189 square feet split between
medical and general tenant office space.
Falcon Executive Suites
Falcon Executive Suites. (4808 E. McKellips Road), 480/505-1015. Built in 2001, this single building
houses executive suites. Packages range from 129-410 square feet per office,
with digital telephone, auto-attendant, voicemail, high-speed Internet
connections, a receptionist, conference room, a kitchen, break area, outdoor
patio and much more.
Greenfield Professional Village & Falcon Commerce Square.
(Northeast corner of Greenfield & McLellan Roads), UTAZ, 480/776-3500. This site features professional office buildings for sale or
lease on 8.5 acres of land. There will be 10 single-story office buildings
totaling 48,000 square feet in the Greenfield Professional Village segment of
this project. The adjacent Falcon Commerce Square will have another three
buildings totaling 21,400 square feet and includes warehousing capabilities.
Mountain View Plaza. (Northeast corner of Brown & Greenfield
Roads), Glenwood Development Company, 480/775-4650.
Consists of three office buildings interspersed between retail space.
Sun Valley Office Park. (Southwest corner of University & Sun
Valley Blvd.). Kohlhase & Associates, 480/505-7005. The Sun Valley Office Park will feature 112,000
square feet spread throughout 23 buildings. This mix of professional and
medical offices, including two buildings specifically for executive and flex
suites, is set in a lush park-like setting with large trees and greenbelt
areas. Available square footage ranges from 3,100-6,950 per office, and there
will also be a “virtual” office package available.
Thunderbird Executive Plaza. (2550 N. Thunderbird Circle). Located
at Falcon Field Airport across from Anzio Landing Italian Restaurant, this three-story,
Spanish-motif complex features 33,960 square feet of executive office space and
ten aircraft hangars. Additional amenities include taxiway access, a common
lounge area, a pilot lounge, private third-floor balconies, covered first-floor
entries and more.
Val Vista & McKellips Office Building. (Southeast corner of Val
Vista & McKellips Roads), Saager Properties, 480/241-5589.
Not yet built, this is the perfect office site. The 1.4-acre lot is hard-zoned
for an OS-PAD and nearly ready for construction.
The Village at Las Sendas
The Village at Las Sendas. (Northeast corner of Power &
McDowell Roads), Aurbis Development, 480/314-1600 x 103. This 10-acre project
is a mixed-use retail and office project that includes 35,000 square feet of
professional offices, 40,000 square feet of specialty retail and a 14,000
square-foot CVS pharmacy. Tentative tenants to date include Zocalo Spanish
Fusion, The Egg and I, Manny’s Original New York Deli and Restaurant, D-VineWine Bar and Bistro, Trails and Paths Realty, Capital Title Agency, New WestLending and Farmers Insurance.
Zahara at Las Sendas
Zahara at Las Sendas. (Northwest corner of Power & Thomas
Roads), Cavan Commercial, 480/860-6900 x 236. This 49,500
square-foot project is comprised of nine well-designed, freestanding,
single-story office condominiums. The project offers ample parking throughout
and these attractive buildings are well-suited for both medical and office
professional users. Suite sizes range from 1,200-6,000 square feet, and the
project is estimated to be finished in July 2005.
(Originally published in Northeast
Mesa Lifestyle, Vol. 1:2, April 2005.)
Friday, April 19, 2013
Flavors of Arizona
Dessert in the Desert
by Daryl F. Mallett
Arizona has historically been known for its “C” products…the traditional five being copper, cattle, cotton, citrus and climate. And, of course, the Grand Canyon. That covers mining, metals, meat, farming, dairy, fiber, textiles, fruit, weather and tourism. But what about all the other “C” products made here, like candy, confections, chips, chili, chocolate, cookies—never mind salsa, pickles, pecans, pasta, sauces, dips, spreads—and any of a number of other culinary delights?
Most people don’t think of Arizona as a booming center for food manufacturing. But the sun-drenched state is a major player in the independent food manufacturing industry. The unique combination of geography, climate and soils found in Arizona produce foods with outstanding varietal character, ranging from pecans and almonds to oranges to chili peppers. Some of these manufacturers are finding new ways to use native desert plants, such as the prickly pear, and there is even a shrimp farm in Gila Bend.
There are over 200 small food manufacturing companies in Arizona that are trying their hardest to get the state on the food industry map. Some analysts estimate that Arizona ranks in the top five states for number of independent food manufacturing companies. A.J.’s Fine Foods carries over 150 local manufacturers’ products, and a group of these companies have founded Flavors of Arizona, an industry association dedicated to encourage, support and promote the sale and consumption of Arizona-processed food products.
It’s a lucrative market, if you can overcome all the hurdles along the way. There are rules and regulations to be followed from everyone from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the U.S. Dairy Association; the Occupational Safety and Health Act; the U.S. Postal Service; and state, county and city municipalities. Then add the problem of trying to get distribution, advertising and promotion…oh, and the long hours. There isn’t a story among them that doesn’t include long hours on the job.
Almost all of them have the same story: “I had a recipe from my grandmother and people said I should sell it commercially” or “I got laid off and had to do something.” And it’s not just the small ventures. Even large companies like China Mist and Poore Brothers started in a garage or at a kitchen table. Here are just a few of the tasty treats available throughout Arizona that you can enjoy:
Almond Brothers Confections
While not a famous blues band, two of the founders of Almond Brothers Confections really are brothers. Steve and Larry Godber worked with their father for over 20 years in the retail industry. Their father opened his first store in 1961 and eventually boasted about a dozen Godber’s Gift Shops in Arizona and Colorado, including one at Sky Harbor International Airport, selling primarily souvenirs and Arizona and Native American products.
“My dad and uncle used to mine turquoise in southern Nevada and sold the turquoise to Native Americans, who fashioned it into jewelry,” Steve said. “But the retail industry was a tough one to be in. The last store closed in 2003. But we had decided long before that to get out of the business and do something new.”
In 1997, the trio hit upon the idea to make a food/gift basket company, with roasted almonds as the main product.
Fans of The Allman Brothers band, Steve said, “We just couldn’t resist the play on words.”
The fledgling company started with one roasting machine and a two-pound bag of almonds purchased at a local grocery store. They began selling their cinnamon-roasted almonds, eventually getting into A.J.’s Fine Foods.
They gradually added products, like pretzels and homemade fudge. Now, with nearly a dozen employees, the company purchases raw almonds in 50-pound boxes and have them shipped in directly from growers in California. Pecans for their praline coatings are bought from Shalako Farms in Casa Grande, Ariz., and chocolate and white chocolate coatings are applied at Cerreta’s Candy Co. in Glendale, Ariz. Their product line now includes treats such as candied almonds and nuts, assorted homemade fudge, pralines and many different gift baskets and nut products, and are available in a tiny retail space at the front of their manufacturing facility, on the company’s Website, through mail-order catalogs and at Costco road shows.
“We are extremely grateful to a lot of people who helped us get started,” said Alicia Crabb. “Especially Eileen Spitalny and her partner, David Kravetz, at Fairytale Brownies. They’ve been very supportive and share their knowledge with us about the industry.”
2546 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85016, 602/955-0909, www.almondbrothers.com
Barb’s Bakery
Almost 30 years ago, Barb Schurman opened Barb’s Bakery in Phoenix. All of the delicious creations were made from scratch and she built a following. Nine years ago, Bob and LaVonne Shelker purchased the bakery, keeping the name of its founder. Everything is still made from scratch at the family-owned and operated full-service bakery.
There are “a million kinds” of cakes. “If you can imagine it, or bring in a photo or drawing of it, we can make it,” said LaVonne, who runs the cake division of the company. She and her team create fabulous artistic masterpieces, including a Chinese temple and the Jefferson Memorial. Barb’s has the founder’s signature carrot cake, Butter, as well as seven other types of cake, with nine different flavors of icing and ten different fillings.
Husband Bob runs the rest of the
bakery. There are wedding cookies,iced cookies with icing so thick and
deep that your teeth sink gratefully into it, pastries and breads “to
die for,” including honey bran, blueberry, sour cream and more. Bagels.
Nut breads. Coffee cake. Pie. Cheese cake. Muffins. Pastries. The list
is endless. There is also a delivery service anywhere in the Valley. No
wonder they are a multiple “Best of Phoenix” award-winning bakery!
2929 N. 24thStreet, Phoenix, AZ 85016, 602/957-4422, www.barbsbakery.com
Berto’s Gelato & Sorbet
When Berto Bertuccio came to Phoenix from Sicily in 1986, he had no idea he would find true love. He came to open a gelato shop. The Italian-trained “artisan,” according to current Berto’s owner Ed DeBartolo Jr., “was the top gelato maker in the U.S., recommended by many, many world-renowned chefs, and had 50 years of recipe development under his belt.” Berto began selling his products to restaurants and, along the way, he wandered into Isabella Mannone’s restaurant, La Fontanella, and the two ended up married.
In 2002, DeBartolo, who owned part of a cheese manufacturing company in California, wanted to move his family to Phoenix and start or buy a gelato company. “It’s the fastest-growing segment of the ice cream industry,”he said.
So, he called on Berto and offered to purchase the company. The following year, the company began selling retail products to complement its business-to-business market. Now, in over 300 stores in Arizona and 1,000 nationwide, DeBartolo hopes to grow the business to $10 million by the end of2005.
It’s entirely possible. Eleven employees manufacture nearly a million pounds of the icy treats annually in 160 different flavors, from raspberry and cream and cappuccino crunch to chocolate hazelnut and pistachio tartufo. Berto’s has even made cucumber, celery, lavender, orchid, rosewater, pineapple champagne, cranberry basil, raspberry tarragon and red chili pepper gelato…all manufactured with 100 percent natural products.
“If t has a flavor,” said DeBartolo, “we can make a gelato for you.”
In 2009, the company acquired Charl’s Ice Cream Specialties Inc., a 50-year-old company based in Woburn, Mass.
Berto’s Ice Cream is available by calling them, on the company’s Website, at restaurants like The Blue Burrito (Phoenix), Roaring Fork (Scottsdale), Monkey Box (Tucson), and at stores like A.J.’s Fine Foods, Bashas’ and Sunflower Markets.
2425 W. Utopia Road, Phoenix, AZ 85027, 623/434-1141, www.bertosicecream.com
Cerreta Candy Company
When you think of “big name” food makers in Arizona, your mind must automatically turn to Cerreta Candy Company, located in historic downtown Glendale.
The company was founded in 1968 by Jim Ceretta Sr., who learned the craft in his father-in-law’s candy factory in Ohio before moving to Arizona. Now, most of Jim’s family is involved in the business. Four sons, Jim Jr., Joe, Jerry and Jonathan (aka “Joner”), as well as Joe’s wife, Marcia, and their boys, all work there. Jim Jr. handles caramels, Joe oversees the creams, Jerry is the chocolate man, sales is Joner’s specialty and Marcia gives tours and operates the public relations aspect of the business.
Among the dozens of sugary treats Cerreta’s produces are almond toffees, French mints, premium chocolate, sugar-free chocolates, caramels, brittles and truffles. Designer-label candies are made at the facility, including those for hospitals, airports, hotels and restaurants.
Customers can browse through the extensive retail storefront and can, twice a day, Monday through Friday, take a special 30-minute guided tour of the hometown candy factory—described by Glendale residents Steve and Lynda Kersey as “a Willy Wonka wonderland”—in which the Cerreta family strive to create a fun, lively atmosphere where everyone can see candy magic being made. The staff will show you how an ocean of hot caramel transforms into individually wrapped treats and how they put the creamy center into chocolate shells.
Besides the retail
storefront, there is a mail-order catalog and an online catalog where
Cerreta’s sells the two-and-a-half tons of confectionery it produces
daily, and candy can be purchased at select Fry’s Food Stores, Fry’s Marketplace and
Safeway stores.
Long a staple in the community, Cerreta’s sponsors the Glendale Chocolate Affaire each February, serving up chocolate pizzas, tours of the factory and the state’s largest chocolate Valentine’s heart, which is raffled off to support the Glendale Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission. “It’s about 400 pounds of chocolate,” said Joe Cerreta.
Members of the family also own and operate Cerreta Homes, Cerreta Construction and The Duckhead.
5345 W. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301, 623/930-9000, www.cerreta.com
Cookies From Home
Cookies From Home has been creating memories for almost three decades. The made-from-scratch cookies are baked fresh daily and make the ideal gift for every occasion…or no occasion at all. Elegantly wrapped in creative baskets, decorative tins, handmade crates and beautiful boxes, a gift from Cookies From Home is one that always stands out.
Susan and Barry Brooks founded the company at the encouragement of friends who had long been the beneficiaries of their delicious home-baked gifts. Taking their favorite family recipes and creative flair for packaging, they opened for business in 1977 as a retail store specializing in baking fresh cookies daily and creating customized gift packages. Soon, their popularity grew, as did the business, and customers began ordering gifts for friends, family and business associates near and far.
Despite their growth, the company continues to manufacture cookies fresh every day.
“Unlike
most manufacturers, who have heavy equipment and enormous facilities,
we do it all by hand,” said Barry Brooks. “So, our cookies really are
homemade!”
With 45 employees and 12 million cookies a year, Cookies From Home has been acknowledged as being the Best Cookies in Phoenix for 12 years running by the Phoenix New Times, and were awarded the Small Business of the Year Award by the Tempe Chamber of Commerce.
Products are available in a storefront attached to the manufacturing facility, on the company’s Website and through a mail-order catalog.
1605 W. University Drive, Ste. 106, Tempe, AZ 85281, 480-894-1944, www.cookiesfromhome.com
Karsh’s Bakery
Karsh’s Bakery was founded by Jack Karsh in the 1950s. Arnie and Gloria Gardner purchased the company in the early 1960s and it has been a family-owned and operated business in the Valley ever since. The old-world recipes were brought into the shop by the Gardners, and the customers quickly realized the difference in the quality of the products. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Arnie is a third-generation baker who learned his trade in his grandfather and father’s shop. Gloria, a native of Arizona and graduate of Central High School, handles all the retail customer service and is the wedding cake consultant.
The bakery
continues to upgrade its product line, and is a full-service facility,
serving crusty rye bread, chewy bagels, rich pastries, multilayer cakes,
cookies, rugalach, challahs and rolls. The products are available at
A.J.’s Fine Foods, Miracle Mile Delis, Park Central Deli, Don & Charlie’s, Costco, Nibblers and many other shops.
Additionally, though the bakery does not have a kosher certificate, they
use only the finest kosher ingredients and separate dairy from
non-dairy, or pareve.
5539 N. 7thStreet, Phoenix, AZ 85014, 602/264-4874, www.karshsbakery.com
Mark Ferrari Coffee
Mark Ferrari does not make sports cars. He makes specialty coffee.
The master coffee roaster moved from Hawaii to Phoenix over a decade ago and settled down to produce his own line of coffee. And he knows coffee.
His father got a job in the 1970s running the largest Kona Coffee Cooperative in Hawaii, so Mark grew up around coffee. But he wasn’t initially interested in the business. He graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in the top 1 percent of his class, passed up a U.S. Naval Academy nomination to attend Villanova University on an athletic scholarship and was going to pursue his own career. But he stopped in Hawaii on the way and “soon became interested in all aspects of the coffee industry…learning about how it was grown, harvested, milled and so on.” He even studied with a Japanese master roaster and attained the rank of Roastmaster.
In 1985, he and his sister founded Hawaiian Mountain Gold Coffee Co., which is still owned and operated by his family in Holualoa, along with three retail visitor shops in Kona.
In 2003, he founded his own company in Phoenix to focus on specialty world coffees, all of which are roasted fresh here in Arizona. So, when you pick up Mark Ferrari Coffee, you are transported, in Ferrari’s own words, “on a wonderful journey, where every sip is followed by a smile. Where the distinctive aroma warms not only your senses, but also your soul. Where the richness in every cup represents the devoted efforts of people a world away. Where coffees of premium quality and exceptional flavor are expertly roasted to create an unparalleled signature collection.”
Available in A.J.’s Fine Foods, Sprouts Markets and online at the company’s Website, in a distinctive old-world style packaging.
10645 N. Tatum Blvd., Ste.200-PMB 216, Phoenix, AZ 85028, 602/788-5950, www.markferraricoffee.com
Riccobono’s Italian Bakery
In the mid-1950s, Giacomo Riccobono emigrated to the United States from Palermo, Sicily. With little more than a few dollars in his pocket, Giacomo took the chance at a better life and sought his fortune in America. The place he chose to begin his search was Brooklyn, New York. With his vast knowledge in the art of baking, Giacomo was soon a sought-out commodity. Before long, the famous Ferrara Italian Bakery hired him as one of their master pastry chefs.
Giacomo became so successful at his trade, that he eventually opened his own bakery in Brooklyn. For twenty years, the business thrived. It was at this time that Giacomo’s health required him to move to a warmer climate. New York’s loss was Arizona’s gain. Being the type of individual he is, Giacomo gave the New York bakery to his sister’s family, and it still stands today.
In 1975, Napoli Bakery was born in Tempe. Once again, the business thrived. After ten years of supplying the Valley with the finest baked goods available, Giacomo decided to retire. He enjoyed it, but soon realized that his children had loved the business of baking. So, once again, being the type of person he is, Giacomo opened Riccobono’s Italian Pizzeria and Bakery. It took but a couple of years to reacquire all the old customers Giacomo had at Napoli Bakery.
Now, Riccobono’s stands as the largest family-owned and operated bakery in Arizona. Products such as bagels, croissants, Italian bread, club rolls, dinner rolls, Tuscani rolls, baguettes, party subs, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, Kaiser rolls, sandwich breads, focaccia, cannoli, pizza dough,cookies, eclairs, pignoli, cream puffs, rum cakes and much more are available in the bakery’s storefront.
184 E. Chilton Drive, Chandler, AZ 85225, 480/545-0535, www.riccobonositalian.com
Tammie Coe Cakes/MJ Breads
When she was just a lass of 10, Tammie Coe was baking cakes for her neighborhood friends. It may have seemed to be “just a phase” of childhood, but she would go on to receive her culinary and pastry training at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., and become a world-renowned chef.
She served in various locations, including pastry positions at the Biga Baker in Miami, Fla., the Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Fla., and The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. She was also the pastry chef at Michael’s at the Citadel and at Desert Highlands, where she worked overseeing two restaurants and the banquet production for the private club. She was also the pastry chef for La Grande Orange before opening her own bakery a few doors down.
Coe’s cakes are not cakes. They’re edible artwork. Fondant-draped, sweet, finger-licking good pieces of artwork reminiscent of something straight out of a Dr. Seuss book or Alice in Wonderland. You don’t want to eat them; just look at them. But you have to eat them.
She’s
got milk chocolate embedded with hazelnuts; a banana,espresso and
chocolate marvel; a white chocolate with blackberries; and her famous
“Zebra” cake, which is white chocolate mousse, layered with chocolate
cake and raspberries. Then there’s tarts, pastries, cookies, muffins,
chocolate chip cookies of immense proportions…and she does wedding cakes
too.
Her husband, Michael John, founded MJ Breads at the same location, providing artisan breads for La Grand Orange. Tammie Coe products are available at La Grande Orange and on her Website.
5210 N. Central Avenue, Ste.103, Phoenix, AZ 85012, 602/840-3644, www.tammiecoecakes.com
Originally published in Northeast Mesa Lifestyle, Vol. 1:2, April 2005. A more complete and up-to-date version, with hyperlinks, can be found at http://darylmallett.blogspot.com/2013/04/flavors-of-arizona.html.
by Daryl F. Mallett
Arizona has historically been known for its “C” products…the traditional five being copper, cattle, cotton, citrus and climate. And, of course, the Grand Canyon. That covers mining, metals, meat, farming, dairy, fiber, textiles, fruit, weather and tourism. But what about all the other “C” products made here, like candy, confections, chips, chili, chocolate, cookies—never mind salsa, pickles, pecans, pasta, sauces, dips, spreads—and any of a number of other culinary delights?
Most people don’t think of Arizona as a booming center for food manufacturing. But the sun-drenched state is a major player in the independent food manufacturing industry. The unique combination of geography, climate and soils found in Arizona produce foods with outstanding varietal character, ranging from pecans and almonds to oranges to chili peppers. Some of these manufacturers are finding new ways to use native desert plants, such as the prickly pear, and there is even a shrimp farm in Gila Bend.
There are over 200 small food manufacturing companies in Arizona that are trying their hardest to get the state on the food industry map. Some analysts estimate that Arizona ranks in the top five states for number of independent food manufacturing companies. A.J.’s Fine Foods carries over 150 local manufacturers’ products, and a group of these companies have founded Flavors of Arizona, an industry association dedicated to encourage, support and promote the sale and consumption of Arizona-processed food products.
It’s a lucrative market, if you can overcome all the hurdles along the way. There are rules and regulations to be followed from everyone from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the U.S. Dairy Association; the Occupational Safety and Health Act; the U.S. Postal Service; and state, county and city municipalities. Then add the problem of trying to get distribution, advertising and promotion…oh, and the long hours. There isn’t a story among them that doesn’t include long hours on the job.
Almost all of them have the same story: “I had a recipe from my grandmother and people said I should sell it commercially” or “I got laid off and had to do something.” And it’s not just the small ventures. Even large companies like China Mist and Poore Brothers started in a garage or at a kitchen table. Here are just a few of the tasty treats available throughout Arizona that you can enjoy:
Almond Brothers Confections
While not a famous blues band, two of the founders of Almond Brothers Confections really are brothers. Steve and Larry Godber worked with their father for over 20 years in the retail industry. Their father opened his first store in 1961 and eventually boasted about a dozen Godber’s Gift Shops in Arizona and Colorado, including one at Sky Harbor International Airport, selling primarily souvenirs and Arizona and Native American products.
“My dad and uncle used to mine turquoise in southern Nevada and sold the turquoise to Native Americans, who fashioned it into jewelry,” Steve said. “But the retail industry was a tough one to be in. The last store closed in 2003. But we had decided long before that to get out of the business and do something new.”
In 1997, the trio hit upon the idea to make a food/gift basket company, with roasted almonds as the main product.
The fledgling company started with one roasting machine and a two-pound bag of almonds purchased at a local grocery store. They began selling their cinnamon-roasted almonds, eventually getting into A.J.’s Fine Foods.
They gradually added products, like pretzels and homemade fudge. Now, with nearly a dozen employees, the company purchases raw almonds in 50-pound boxes and have them shipped in directly from growers in California. Pecans for their praline coatings are bought from Shalako Farms in Casa Grande, Ariz., and chocolate and white chocolate coatings are applied at Cerreta’s Candy Co. in Glendale, Ariz. Their product line now includes treats such as candied almonds and nuts, assorted homemade fudge, pralines and many different gift baskets and nut products, and are available in a tiny retail space at the front of their manufacturing facility, on the company’s Website, through mail-order catalogs and at Costco road shows.
“We are extremely grateful to a lot of people who helped us get started,” said Alicia Crabb. “Especially Eileen Spitalny and her partner, David Kravetz, at Fairytale Brownies. They’ve been very supportive and share their knowledge with us about the industry.”
2546 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85016, 602/955-0909, www.almondbrothers.com
Barb’s Bakery
Almost 30 years ago, Barb Schurman opened Barb’s Bakery in Phoenix. All of the delicious creations were made from scratch and she built a following. Nine years ago, Bob and LaVonne Shelker purchased the bakery, keeping the name of its founder. Everything is still made from scratch at the family-owned and operated full-service bakery.
There are “a million kinds” of cakes. “If you can imagine it, or bring in a photo or drawing of it, we can make it,” said LaVonne, who runs the cake division of the company. She and her team create fabulous artistic masterpieces, including a Chinese temple and the Jefferson Memorial. Barb’s has the founder’s signature carrot cake, Butter, as well as seven other types of cake, with nine different flavors of icing and ten different fillings.
2929 N. 24thStreet, Phoenix, AZ 85016, 602/957-4422, www.barbsbakery.com
Berto’s Gelato & Sorbet
When Berto Bertuccio came to Phoenix from Sicily in 1986, he had no idea he would find true love. He came to open a gelato shop. The Italian-trained “artisan,” according to current Berto’s owner Ed DeBartolo Jr., “was the top gelato maker in the U.S., recommended by many, many world-renowned chefs, and had 50 years of recipe development under his belt.” Berto began selling his products to restaurants and, along the way, he wandered into Isabella Mannone’s restaurant, La Fontanella, and the two ended up married.
In 2002, DeBartolo, who owned part of a cheese manufacturing company in California, wanted to move his family to Phoenix and start or buy a gelato company. “It’s the fastest-growing segment of the ice cream industry,”he said.
So, he called on Berto and offered to purchase the company. The following year, the company began selling retail products to complement its business-to-business market. Now, in over 300 stores in Arizona and 1,000 nationwide, DeBartolo hopes to grow the business to $10 million by the end of2005.
It’s entirely possible. Eleven employees manufacture nearly a million pounds of the icy treats annually in 160 different flavors, from raspberry and cream and cappuccino crunch to chocolate hazelnut and pistachio tartufo. Berto’s has even made cucumber, celery, lavender, orchid, rosewater, pineapple champagne, cranberry basil, raspberry tarragon and red chili pepper gelato…all manufactured with 100 percent natural products.
“If t has a flavor,” said DeBartolo, “we can make a gelato for you.”
Berto’s Ice Cream is available by calling them, on the company’s Website, at restaurants like The Blue Burrito (Phoenix), Roaring Fork (Scottsdale), Monkey Box (Tucson), and at stores like A.J.’s Fine Foods, Bashas’ and Sunflower Markets.
2425 W. Utopia Road, Phoenix, AZ 85027, 623/434-1141, www.bertosicecream.com
Cerreta Candy Company
When you think of “big name” food makers in Arizona, your mind must automatically turn to Cerreta Candy Company, located in historic downtown Glendale.
The company was founded in 1968 by Jim Ceretta Sr., who learned the craft in his father-in-law’s candy factory in Ohio before moving to Arizona. Now, most of Jim’s family is involved in the business. Four sons, Jim Jr., Joe, Jerry and Jonathan (aka “Joner”), as well as Joe’s wife, Marcia, and their boys, all work there. Jim Jr. handles caramels, Joe oversees the creams, Jerry is the chocolate man, sales is Joner’s specialty and Marcia gives tours and operates the public relations aspect of the business.
Among the dozens of sugary treats Cerreta’s produces are almond toffees, French mints, premium chocolate, sugar-free chocolates, caramels, brittles and truffles. Designer-label candies are made at the facility, including those for hospitals, airports, hotels and restaurants.
Customers can browse through the extensive retail storefront and can, twice a day, Monday through Friday, take a special 30-minute guided tour of the hometown candy factory—described by Glendale residents Steve and Lynda Kersey as “a Willy Wonka wonderland”—in which the Cerreta family strive to create a fun, lively atmosphere where everyone can see candy magic being made. The staff will show you how an ocean of hot caramel transforms into individually wrapped treats and how they put the creamy center into chocolate shells.
Long a staple in the community, Cerreta’s sponsors the Glendale Chocolate Affaire each February, serving up chocolate pizzas, tours of the factory and the state’s largest chocolate Valentine’s heart, which is raffled off to support the Glendale Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission. “It’s about 400 pounds of chocolate,” said Joe Cerreta.
Members of the family also own and operate Cerreta Homes, Cerreta Construction and The Duckhead.
5345 W. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301, 623/930-9000, www.cerreta.com
Cookies From Home
Cookies From Home has been creating memories for almost three decades. The made-from-scratch cookies are baked fresh daily and make the ideal gift for every occasion…or no occasion at all. Elegantly wrapped in creative baskets, decorative tins, handmade crates and beautiful boxes, a gift from Cookies From Home is one that always stands out.
Susan and Barry Brooks founded the company at the encouragement of friends who had long been the beneficiaries of their delicious home-baked gifts. Taking their favorite family recipes and creative flair for packaging, they opened for business in 1977 as a retail store specializing in baking fresh cookies daily and creating customized gift packages. Soon, their popularity grew, as did the business, and customers began ordering gifts for friends, family and business associates near and far.
Despite their growth, the company continues to manufacture cookies fresh every day.
With 45 employees and 12 million cookies a year, Cookies From Home has been acknowledged as being the Best Cookies in Phoenix for 12 years running by the Phoenix New Times, and were awarded the Small Business of the Year Award by the Tempe Chamber of Commerce.
Products are available in a storefront attached to the manufacturing facility, on the company’s Website and through a mail-order catalog.
1605 W. University Drive, Ste. 106, Tempe, AZ 85281, 480-894-1944, www.cookiesfromhome.com
Karsh’s Bakery
Karsh’s Bakery was founded by Jack Karsh in the 1950s. Arnie and Gloria Gardner purchased the company in the early 1960s and it has been a family-owned and operated business in the Valley ever since. The old-world recipes were brought into the shop by the Gardners, and the customers quickly realized the difference in the quality of the products. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Arnie is a third-generation baker who learned his trade in his grandfather and father’s shop. Gloria, a native of Arizona and graduate of Central High School, handles all the retail customer service and is the wedding cake consultant.
5539 N. 7thStreet, Phoenix, AZ 85014, 602/264-4874, www.karshsbakery.com
Mark Ferrari Coffee
Mark Ferrari does not make sports cars. He makes specialty coffee.
The master coffee roaster moved from Hawaii to Phoenix over a decade ago and settled down to produce his own line of coffee. And he knows coffee.
His father got a job in the 1970s running the largest Kona Coffee Cooperative in Hawaii, so Mark grew up around coffee. But he wasn’t initially interested in the business. He graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in the top 1 percent of his class, passed up a U.S. Naval Academy nomination to attend Villanova University on an athletic scholarship and was going to pursue his own career. But he stopped in Hawaii on the way and “soon became interested in all aspects of the coffee industry…learning about how it was grown, harvested, milled and so on.” He even studied with a Japanese master roaster and attained the rank of Roastmaster.
In 1985, he and his sister founded Hawaiian Mountain Gold Coffee Co., which is still owned and operated by his family in Holualoa, along with three retail visitor shops in Kona.
In 2003, he founded his own company in Phoenix to focus on specialty world coffees, all of which are roasted fresh here in Arizona. So, when you pick up Mark Ferrari Coffee, you are transported, in Ferrari’s own words, “on a wonderful journey, where every sip is followed by a smile. Where the distinctive aroma warms not only your senses, but also your soul. Where the richness in every cup represents the devoted efforts of people a world away. Where coffees of premium quality and exceptional flavor are expertly roasted to create an unparalleled signature collection.”
Available in A.J.’s Fine Foods, Sprouts Markets and online at the company’s Website, in a distinctive old-world style packaging.
Riccobono’s Italian Bakery
In the mid-1950s, Giacomo Riccobono emigrated to the United States from Palermo, Sicily. With little more than a few dollars in his pocket, Giacomo took the chance at a better life and sought his fortune in America. The place he chose to begin his search was Brooklyn, New York. With his vast knowledge in the art of baking, Giacomo was soon a sought-out commodity. Before long, the famous Ferrara Italian Bakery hired him as one of their master pastry chefs.
Giacomo became so successful at his trade, that he eventually opened his own bakery in Brooklyn. For twenty years, the business thrived. It was at this time that Giacomo’s health required him to move to a warmer climate. New York’s loss was Arizona’s gain. Being the type of individual he is, Giacomo gave the New York bakery to his sister’s family, and it still stands today.
In 1975, Napoli Bakery was born in Tempe. Once again, the business thrived. After ten years of supplying the Valley with the finest baked goods available, Giacomo decided to retire. He enjoyed it, but soon realized that his children had loved the business of baking. So, once again, being the type of person he is, Giacomo opened Riccobono’s Italian Pizzeria and Bakery. It took but a couple of years to reacquire all the old customers Giacomo had at Napoli Bakery.
Now, Riccobono’s stands as the largest family-owned and operated bakery in Arizona. Products such as bagels, croissants, Italian bread, club rolls, dinner rolls, Tuscani rolls, baguettes, party subs, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, Kaiser rolls, sandwich breads, focaccia, cannoli, pizza dough,cookies, eclairs, pignoli, cream puffs, rum cakes and much more are available in the bakery’s storefront.
Tammie Coe Cakes/MJ Breads
When she was just a lass of 10, Tammie Coe was baking cakes for her neighborhood friends. It may have seemed to be “just a phase” of childhood, but she would go on to receive her culinary and pastry training at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., and become a world-renowned chef.
She served in various locations, including pastry positions at the Biga Baker in Miami, Fla., the Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Fla., and The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. She was also the pastry chef at Michael’s at the Citadel and at Desert Highlands, where she worked overseeing two restaurants and the banquet production for the private club. She was also the pastry chef for La Grande Orange before opening her own bakery a few doors down.
Coe’s cakes are not cakes. They’re edible artwork. Fondant-draped, sweet, finger-licking good pieces of artwork reminiscent of something straight out of a Dr. Seuss book or Alice in Wonderland. You don’t want to eat them; just look at them. But you have to eat them.
Her husband, Michael John, founded MJ Breads at the same location, providing artisan breads for La Grand Orange. Tammie Coe products are available at La Grande Orange and on her Website.
5210 N. Central Avenue, Ste.103, Phoenix, AZ 85012, 602/840-3644, www.tammiecoecakes.com
Originally published in Northeast Mesa Lifestyle, Vol. 1:2, April 2005. A more complete and up-to-date version, with hyperlinks, can be found at http://darylmallett.blogspot.com/2013/04/flavors-of-arizona.html.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Tiger, Arizona (Part III)
When driving on AZ-77 between Tucson and
Globe/Miami, or on AZ-177 between Superior and Winkelman, it may seem like the
middle of nowhere. But there actually are a number of towns located in the
area, and the history of the northern San Pedro Valley area, including the
Black Hills, where the remnant of Tiger is located, cannot be told without also
talking about other towns in the area.
In the years before the Civil War, settlement of
the area by Americans began. However, most of the early settlements were not
permanent, and were apparently abandoned by 1854. Plus there was always the
danger of Apache raids. When people did settle down, they often traveled back
and forth between towns or to Phoenix and Tucson for jobs. Families scattered
across the Copper Basin like ripples on a pond.
Although it was rugged living, there was a lot
going on in the Basin during those years. The 23 known ghost towns in Pinal
County, as well as a handful of “populated areas” barely hanging on, attest to
this.
Southwest
Corner
Vekol
Between
Phoenix & Casa Grande
Camp Rivers
Maricopa Wells
Between Eloy
& Tucson
Sasco
Stage Station Homestead
Near Florence
Adamsville
Martinez Canyon
Near Phoenix
Goldfield
South of
Mammoth
American Flag
Tiger
Between Mammoth
& Winkelman
Alma
Cochran
Copper Creek
Between Winkelman
& Superior
Barcelona
Kelvin*
Queen
Ray
Ray Junction
Riverside*
Sonora
Troy
North of
Superior
Silver King
Between Phoenix
& Superior
Denoon
Pinal
Reymert
*Still people living here.
The Copper Basin Chamber of Commerce website has this brief history:
Before large scale mining
operations began in the Copper Basin area, many pioneers and colorful
characters passed this way. The ghost towns of Troy, Cochran, and Butte were
host to a multitude of fortune seekers trying to tap into the mineral wealth of
the region. Now, all that is left of Butte, are the coke ovens once used to
smelt ore. Built in 1850 by Welsh miners, the cost of mining, smelting and
hauling the ore exceeded its worth; so, the ovens as well as the surrounding towns
were gradually abandoned.
Between Kearny and Ray Mine, the
small settlements of Kelvin and Riverside were once bustling little towns. A
Butterfield Overland stage stop was established in 1879 at Riverside along the
Globe-Florence route. It was there in 1889 that the Apache Kid escaped from
lawmen transporting prisoners to Casa Grande to be placed on a train destined
for the territorial prison at Yuma. Riverside is also the site of the last
stagecoach robbery in America, which occurred in 1899 when a young diminutive
woman named Pearl Hart and her associate, Joe Boot, held up the Globe-Florence
stage. Miss Hart served some time in the Yuma Territorial Prison for that
ordeal, then used her notoriety to launch an unsuccessful stage career.
Kearny was founded in 1958, and
is named for Brevet Major General Stephen Watts Kearny. General Kearny led 100
dragoons through this area on his way to California in 1846. The official log
of this trip kept by Lieutenant William H. Emery records, under the date of
November 7, they traveled down the Gila and camped that night at the junction
of the Gila River and a creek that Lieutenant Emery named Mineral Creek,
because of its rich mineral content. It is on this creek that the (ASARCO,
Inc.) Ray Mine is now located. It displaced the towns of Ray, Sonora, and
Barcelona, three small copper mining communities that were once "boom
towns". They were engulfed by the mine after Kennecott Copper Corporation
converted from underground mining to open pit mining operations in 1948. Most
residents of the communities moved to Kearny, which Kennecott built to relocate
the miners and their families.
Of Ray, Arizona, nothing that was not moved to the
new town of Kearny remains, not even the dirt, as the copper mine has taken
even that.
But there was activity in the area early on.
On August 31, 1857, the San Antonio & San Diego
Mail Line, operated by James E. Birch (1827-1857) delivered the first mail from
Texas to San Diego on a road that ran through the San Pedro Valley, with posts
at what are now Benson and Winkelman.
Early advertisement for the SA&SD.
(Courtesy of California Dept. of Parks & Recreation.)
There are records of a mine in operation near the confluence of the San Pedro River and Aravaipa Creek in 1860 and the August 15, 1934 issue of the University of Arizona Bulletin, an issue subtitled “Arizona Lode Gold Mines and Gold Mining,” states that “prospecting was done in the Mammoth vicinity prior to the Civil War.”
Barnes & Granger’s Arizona Place Names (Falconer Publishing Co., 1983) states that “Frank Schultz located the first mine in the Mammoth district and, as early as December 27, 1872, the Mammoth Mine was being worked by E. M. Pearce, C. O. Brown and members of Tully Ochoa Company [sic].” (Tully, Ochoa & Co. was a premier freight transportation company in the southwestern U.S. prior to railroads being laid through the area.)
Pinal County was created out of parts of Maricopa County and Pima County on February 1, 1875.
According to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) records, the earliest mining claim recorded at Tiger was the Hackney claim, filed by Charles Dyke and T. C. Weed, on July 14, 1879. The claim was on a quartz vein that has come to be called the Collins vein.
It is commonly accepted that Austrian prospector Frank Schultz, Sr. (1839-1918) located the Mars claim and the Mammoth claim on what he referred to as a “mammoth lode gold vein” in 1882 (either on February 8 or April 21). The vein has ever since been called the Mammoth vein, and the first mine developed on it was the Mammoth Mine. Schultz is also credited with giving the mining district its name, the Old Hat District.
Schultz took on a partner, a prominent Tucson-based businessman named Joseph Goldtree (1844-1897), who immigrated from Germany and became an American citizen the same day in 1870 as another Tucson heavyweight, Samuel Drachman. The two erected a small, unsuccessful “cannonball” mill on the San Pedro River.
When the mill proved a failure, Schultz had a Nevada company come in to develop the mine under the direction of Merril P. Freeman (1844-1919), who arrived in Tucson in 1880 and served as postmaster in 1884 and president of Consolidated National Bank for 15 years. The company sank a shaft on the vein, but then lost the “pay streak.” Meanwhile, the Hackney claim was being developed by an open cut on the vein. The first recorded production of gold from the district was in 1881.
In 1884, Schultz sold the Mammoth Mine to a Michigan lumberman named George N. Fletcher, who put the management of it under the direction of a Captain Johnson.
Johnson’s crew sunk a shaft down to a depth of 300 feet and found the Mammoth vein; construction was begun on a mill on the San Pedro River, three miles away, where water was available. Most methods of ore processing require large amounts of water and, at that time, it was more practical to haul the ore to a source of water than to haul water to the mines.
Over the next several years, Fletcher’s employees built a 30-stamp amalgamation mill along the San Pedro River to crush the ore from the mine and liberate the gold. The free gold was then taken up in mercury by a process called amalgamation.
The little town which grew up around Fletcher’s mill came to be known as Mammoth. In 1887, a U.S. Post Office was established there. A school was opened early in the history of the community, while the mill was still under construction. A number of stores and saloons sprang up, including the store of J. N. Dodson, former postmaster of Mesaville. Johnny Dubois operated a saloon in Mammoth for many years.
Ore was hauled the three miles down the hill from
the mine in 20-mule team wagons, on a contract with William “Curly” Neal
(1849-1936) of Oracle. Many of the miners lived in Mammoth and traveled to and
from work on the wagon road. Neal also had a contract to furnish wood and water
to the mines.
William "Curly" Neal
(Photograph courtesy of the Oracle Historical Society.)
On July 8, 1887, Fletcher located two more claims in the vicinity of the Mammoth Mine, the Remnant claim and the Raven claim, which was a millsite claim. During that year, he began negotiations with a British syndicate for the sale of the entire property. In 188, the Mammoth shaft was deepened from 300 to 500 feet in anticipation of the sale.
In 1889, the sale of the Mammoth Mine and Mill was completed; the new company was called Mammoth Gold Mines Limited. Although all newspaper accounts and engineers’ reports at this time referred to the transfer of the Mammoth Mine and Mill as a sale, later reports, dated around 1900, refer to it as a lease.
By this time, a little settlement of miners’ shacks had grown up around the mines. The community was called Schultz, after Frank Schultz. During the year 1889, Schultz opened a store to serve the residents there.
In 1890, Mammoth Gold Mines Ltd. enlarged the mill on the San Pedro River from 30 to 50 stamps. The average value of ore produced that year was $14 per ton; it cost the company $4 per ton to mine and process it. By 1890, the Town of Mammoth had a population of 600 to 700. The school had 70 pupils and one teacher, but the town had six saloons.
The ore which occurred near the surface on the Mammoth vein was “free milling,” which means that simply crushing it with the heavy stamps was sufficient to separate the gold from the enclosing quartz and other minerals. Amalgamation could then complete the recovery. The deeper the miners went on the vein, however, the less ore was free milled. More and more of the gold was being lost in the “tailings,” the waste material left after processing.
On January 1, 1891, Andrew Dannon and J. G. Fraser located the Mohawk claim on the Mammoth vein, southeast of the Mammoth Mine. In 1892, they sold the claim to a group of capitalists from Hartford, Connecticut, who organized the Mohawk Gold Mining Company. Over the next three years, this company sank a shaft and developed the vein down to a depth of 300 feet. They also built a small 10-stamp mill on the property.
Mammoth Gold Mines Limited continued to mine the Mammoth vein. Timber to support the expanding mine openings had to be brought to the mines from the forested slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, which was quite a long haul. For this reason, the miners tended to cut corners and did not provide adequate support for many of the open stopes along the Mammoth vein. So much ore was taken from the vein without properly supporting the open ground that, in 1893, a massive cave-in caused Mammoth Gold Mines Limited to cease operations for several years.
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