HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION

 Unbelievable!  It cannot be that it’s 10 months since I made an entry about actual political- and community-organizing.  But it’s true.

For most of the time I was, like Brer Rabbit, “layin’ low.”  Who knew that organizing my Cuba pictures, creating and posting their videos would be so time-consuming?  It gave me new respect for Cecil B. DeMille and Ken Burns. 

Above all, it was summer.  And most of the time I was in Phoenix, with a side-trip to Aspen, CO, to see #3 Son Mark, Sam(antha) and Bubba.

But then came The Fire on May 20.  That’s the Slide Fire in Oak Creek Canyon, where I have a cabin on the edge of the Coconino National Forest. By the time the fire was fully contained on June 4 it had consumed 21,227 acres, the energies of more than 1,200 men and women, and $10-million+.  But no injuries and no structures lost!

That's a fire-break or back-burn set to protect our homes.

How does that related to “Organize THIS!”? 

That post is my property marker on the edge of the Forest.

Well I’ll tell you.  Early in the news media coverage of the conflagration Chief Kris Kazian of the Sedona Fire District was quoted as saying that the job would be easier if there were cellular phone service in the northern reaches of Oak Creek Canyon.

I had been trying for 15 years to get some sort of 21^st-century telecommunications at my high-country retreat. I seized on the opportunity.  Thus began my drive to get letters  from first responders, canyon stake-holders and office-holders. 

The letters that I collected were delivered to the desks of the Senior Vice Presidents of Network at Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and AT&T Wireless.  It was community-organizing on a level somewhat-above grass roots.

Check-out the list:

Member of Congress Ann Kirkpatrick

Member of Coconino Co. Board of Supervisors Matt Ryan

Highlands/Flagstaff Fire Department Chief Dirch Foreman

Sedona Fire District Chief Kris Kazian

Sedona Mayor Rob Adams

Coconino Co. Sheriff William Pribil

Coconino Co. Emergency Management Director Rob Rowley

Garland’s Lodge

Manresa Private Retreat (Brophy College Prep)

Pine Flats Property Owners Association

AAA-Arizona

Sedona Chamber of Commerce

Fast forward to today: Verizon is a month away from completing design work at two sites in Oak Creek Canyon.  A later site at the top of the canyon will be installed at the AZ Dept of Transportation Maintenance Yard in 2015.  Meanwhile, the County Planning and Zoning Board is awaiting their paperwork, including those letters.

At this stage I can get back to political organizing at the grass roots.  That means contacting neighbors to have yard-signs planted, and collecting new voter-registration forms and completed cards from voters who want to be on the Permanent Early Voter List.

Once I’ve entered the data I deliver the paperwork to the County Elections Office.

But the real thrill of each day is fielding calls from voters, or greeting them as they come into the office.  Complaints and questions are turned into a willingness to join us as we work to turn Arizona Blue by knocking on doors and making phone calls.

Stay tuned for numbers and vignettes….