Scaffolding off San Xavier Mission south of Tucson – for now

[Source:Fernanda Echavarri, Tucson Citizen]  – – Restoration of San Xavier Mission’s west tower is finished – just in time for Christmas Eve Mass.  After five years of work, the tower has been restored with the integrity of the church protected, said Vern Lamplot, executive director of Patronado San Xavier.

The restoration team removed the earlier coating of cement plaster inch by inch on the west tower’s exterior, repairing the historic brick beneath and refinishing the exterior surface with a traditional lime plaster, Lamplot said.

The west tower’s flawless finish contrasts with the original plaster on the east tower, built more than 200 years ago. The west tower restoration cost $5.5 million, Lamplot said, and the east tower will take at least three years and about $1.5 million to repair.  The mission has been undergoing a multimillion-dollar restoration project funded by Patronado San Xavier, a local nonprofit group, that began with the interior preservation in 1989. [Note: to read the full article click here.]

New Wildlife Website for Arizona Outdoor Enthuasiasts

[Source: www.readitnews.com]  – – Watching wildlife is one of the most economical recreational activities families can do together.  Visitors come to Arizona from around the world to see the diversity of animal species living in the Sonoran Desert, the tops of the mountainous sky islands or in the vast northern regions of the Colorado Plateau.

To give those visitors a better chance to see the hundreds of nocturnal and elusive animals, the Arizona Watchable Wildlife Tourism Association has launched its new website at www.azwatchablewildlife.org.   This site provides the most comprehensive information about viewing wildlife during Arizona’s different seasons, dates of events for nature-oriented programs, information about responsible wildlife viewing, news about recent sightings and your responsibilities as a wildlife viewer. [Note: to read the full article click here.]

Noted Arizona historian, Noel Stowe, has passed away

Professor Noel Stowe, a member of the Arizona Heritage Alliance since 1994, came to Arizona State University in 1967, after receiving his B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and teaching briefly at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. In 1978, he became the History Department’s director of graduate study. In his eight years in that position he expanded the master’s and doctoral degree programs and founded the Public History Program, which under his direction achieved national and international recognition. He directed more than fifty graduate theses and dissertations. His students have gone on to direct public history programs at other universities, and to work in museums, historical societies, and archives across the country.

In 1987, Stowe became assistant dean of the Graduate College, and in 1991 he became associate dean. He promoted ASU’s participation in national projects funded by the Pew Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation. He was dedicated to improving the graduate experience of students throughout the university and to promoting the admission and success of minority students. After a year as interim dean, he returned to the history department, which he chaired from 1998 to 2006. Stowe was also a productive scholar, with three books and more than a dozen articles published. He directed grant-funded projects of more than $1 million.

At ASU, his achievements in teaching and service were recognized with the Faculty Achievement Award, the Gary S. Krahenbuhl Difference Maker Award, the Faculty Appreciation Award, and the History Associates Award. Stowe worked tirelessly on the national stage to broaden the opportunities for historians beyond the walls of the university. He was one of the founders of the National Council on Public History and served as its president in 1985-86. He had represented NCPH as a delegate to the American Council of Learned Societies since 2005.

Stowe became active in the Oral History Association in the 1980s. He was a member of the Executive Board of the Southwest Oral History Association from 1989 to 1994 and its resident in 1992-93. He was a lifetime member of the Organization of American Historians. He participated in the work of the American Historical Association  as a member of the Committee on Redefining Scholarly Work in 1992-94; as a participant in the AHA’s Wingspread Group on the Future of the History Master’s Degree in 2005; and as a member of the Task Force on Public History from 2001-2005. He worked on the Program Committee for the American Association for State and Local History from 2002 to 2007.

Stowe was a westerner and had lived in the Phoenix area for more than forty years. His interest in Arizona history led to contributions far beyond the ASU campus. He was a member of both the state and local boards of the Arizona Historical Society and helped establish Friends of Arizona Archives, serving as their vice president and as a member of their advisory board. His work with the Coordinating Council for History in Arizona enhanced both training and the exchange of expert knowledge among workers in Arizona cultural institutions. He was a member of the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission and was particularly excited about the coming centennial of statehood, having organized a conference for the seventy-fifth anniversary that resulted in the publication of “Arizona at Seventy-Five: the Next Twenty-Five Years (1987),” which he co-edited. In August 2008, he and a team of researchers received a National Endowment for the Humanities planning grant to design and implement “Becoming Arizona, an online encyclopedia of Arizona history, culture, politics, economics and other topics as a Centennial project. He worked closely with the Arizona Humanities Council, who presented him with the Friend of the Humanities Award in 2004. In June 2008 he received the Governor’s Heritage Preservation Honor Award. When he and his family moved to Chandler, he helped found the public history program and the city museum.

Stowe is survived by his wife, Gwen. Their son, James, died in 2007. He and his family request that donations in his memory be made to The Noel J. and Gwen J. Stowe Public History Endowment, 40-A-MLHS0003, to support scholarly activities in public history in the Department of History, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe campus.

Springerville celebrates historic school’s comeback

[Source: WMICentral.com, Larisa Bogardus] – – Echoes of footsteps, laughter and chatter recently brought the historic Springerville Elementary School back to life again for a day. State and local officials as well as supporters of the building’s rehabilitation celebrated the long-awaited project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 21, followed by a brief tour of the site.

“The old school will be a jewel for this community and its citizens to enjoy in the future,” Town Manager Steve West said. “We all should realize its value historically as well as the potential it will have as a meeting place and museum for the people of Round Valley.”  The $250,000 project is funded by an Arizona Heritage Fund preservation grant, a Department of Housing and Urban Development grant facilitated by Congressman Rick Renzi and a Community Development Block Grant. Interior work began in early October and includes handicapped ramps, ADA rest rooms, HVAC, plumbing and electrical work. Arizona Department of Transportation widened the entry drive from Main Street as part of an intergovernmental agreement for services.  Workers for Hamblin Building Systems of Eagar will replace the exterior windows and doors this winter in preparation for new stucco and paint in the spring. Exterior stairs will be replaced and new ramps will be installed as well.  [Note: to read the full article click here.]