Florence

Heritage Fund was great benefit to Florence; several projects were dropped when it was cut

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[Source: Bonnie Bariola, Florence Blade Reminder] – If the Arizona Natural Resources Protection Act is eventually approved by the voters of Arizona, the plan is for it to replace the Heritage Grant Fund managed by Arizona State Parks that the Legislature deleted from the Arizona Statutes in 2011.

From 1991 through 2006, Heritage Fund Grants added $2,887,181 to Pinal County’s economy. This breaks down to: Casa Grande $673,116, Coolidge $340,841, Superior $81,991, and Florence $1,791,233.

Projects made possible in Florence as a direct result of the Heritage Fund were:

• the William Clarke House which is now home to the Florence Reminder and Blade Tribune;

• Florence/Silver King Marketplace which provides space for four businesses in the downtown;

• The Historic Chapel of the Gila;

• Old Main at Florence High School;

Without the Heritage Funds having been available, the above structures would not have been saved for future generations.

Additional projects that utilized Heritage Funds were:

• Harvey/Niemeyer House now home to Options, A Crisis Pregnancy Center;

• Church of the Assumption;

• 2nd Pinal County Courthouse:

• Brunenkant Bakery Store Building;

• Popular/Mandell’s Department Store now True Value Hardware;

• Five homes in the Historic District.

In some instances, multiple grants were received over time for some of the above projects.

The following approved grants with signed contracts were canceled after the Legislature “swept” the funds to pay other bills: sponsored by the Florence Main Street Program — W.C. Smith & Co. Building rehab (the former Florence Market). Sponsored by The Florence Preservation Foundation — Cuen House & Butcher Shop located on N. Main Street; Denier/ White Apartment Building located across the street from the 2nd Pinal County Courthouse; and the Celaya/Long Sweeney Residence located on Ruggles across the street from the Police Department. If the Arizona Natural Resources Protection Act becomes law, it is possible funds can be secured through the grant program to again begin rehabilitation of these buildings.

Clarke House in Florence saved with help of the Heritage Fund

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[Source: Bonnie Bariola, Florence Reminder & Blade Tribune] –The Historic William Clarke House was saved for future generations to enjoy, thanks in large part to the Heritage Fund. The William Clarke house was built in 1884 as the home to newlyweds, William and Ella Clarke. The house was furnished with elegant new furniture from California. Except for three years, 1885-1888, the Clarkes resided in the Clarke House on Main Street in Florence. Ella first taught school and later became the postmistress while William worked in prospecting and mining.

During this time the Clarke House gained social prominence when the Clarkes hosted many tea parties, ice cream socials, musicals, and concerts. The last of the Clarke relatives passed away in 1956 at which time all the fine furnishings were sold at auction.

This territorial adobe house was abandoned for three years. The first real preservation effort in Florence began in 1959 when a group calling itself “The Go-For-Broke Associates” purchased the Clarke House from the estate of the last member of the Clarke family, for the purpose of “preserving it for its historic interest.” Unfortunately, this group was unable to rehabilitate or make an attempt to preserve the building.

Over the years rain caused the adobe walls to become unstable. Because of the potential danger to the public, the Town Council began discussions of condemnation of the building. In 1973 Miss Shirley Weik, Extension Agent of the Cooperative Extension Service at Casa Grande, paid to have a new iron fence constructed around the entire perimeter of the property. At that time portions of the roof were in serious need of repair yet the basic fabric and interior detailing remained intact.

Grant awarded

The house remained abandoned until 1994 when the town attorney, with assistance from Realtor Joe O’Betka and Ophelia Padilla, were able to gain title to the building and grounds from the descendants of the original twelve Go-For-Broke investors. At that time the town’s grants writer applied for and received a Heritage Fund grant for $105,000 to begin rehabilitation of the Clarke House.

With title to the property and a Heritage Fund Grant, the town was looking for someone to take over title and provide the match of $45,000 to begin rehabilitation of the property. Fortunately the owner of the Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, Donovan Kramer Sr., agreed to assume title to the property and provide the match for the existing grant and rehabilitate the property as home to the Florence Reminder and Blade Tribune.

In an agreement with State Parks and the town of Florence, The Florence Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit organization, agreed to be the sponsor and administrator of the grant. An additional grant was written by the Foundation in 2000 for $52,000 with Mr. Kramer providing match of $52,000. It should be emphasized that Mr. Kramer contributed far more money to this project than just the $97,000 match for the grants. The $157,000 Heritage Funds provided leverage for approximately $300,000 in private funds to be spent.

Proud to preserve history

Donovan Kramer, Jr., publisher of the Florence Reminder and Blade-Tribune, said, “Restoring the Clarke House as a home for the Florence newspaper was a project that was dear to the heart of my late father, Donovan Kramer Sr. He was proud to join many Florence residents in their quest to preserve the history of such a special town, so integral to the history of Pinal County and Arizona.”

This is yet another example of how the Heritage Funds were used to save a historic property in Florence. In 1990 the voters of Arizona voted to use $10 million of lottery funds for historic preservation, conservation, and trails. Due to difficult economic times, the Legislature deleted the verbiage from the Arizona Revised Statutes in 2010. HRC 2047 would send the Heritage Fund verbiage back to the voters to let them vote once again, to return them to the Arizona Revised Statutes. Please contact your legislators asking them to please support HRC 2047 to Restore the Voters’ Heritage Fund.

The passage of the Heritage Fund would create jobs in this difficult economy as well as help save more historic properties the same as the William Clarke House.

Political Committee Formed to Secure Passage of the Arizona Heritage Fund Ballot Referendum via HCR 2047 currently working its way through the Arizona House of Representatives

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PHOENIX, Arizona (February 23, 2012) – Today, Arizona community leaders announced the formation of a political committee, Restore the Voters’ Heritage Fund, that will seek voter approval of a ballot referendum designed to support the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund in acquiring and preserving recreational and historical assets across the state. The measure, which would go before the voters in the coming November election, is currently being considered by the Arizona Legislature.

HCR2047, sponsored by Representative Russ Jones (R-Yuma) and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 17 members of the House, would place a referendum on the November ballot seeking voter approval for the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund.

“Pristine areas that represent the varied vistas, flora, and fauna found throughout Arizona, along with many important fragile sites, represent the heart and soul of our state,” Jones said. “It’s particularly important now, as Arizona celebrates its Centennial, that we rededicate ourselves to the preservation of our historical roots and spectacular vistas.”

The Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund was initially established in 1990 following the passage of a citizen-approved ballot initiative. As a result of the recent recession, however, the Legislature chose to redirect the dollars and remove that Fund from statute in order to close budget gaps.

The bill has already passed its first hurdle, gaining the unanimous 9-0 vote of the House Agriculture and Water Committee.

“In celebration of Arizona’s centennial there is nothing we could do that is more significant than to restore the one major tool our state has for preserving our special places,” said Phoenix lawyer Grady Gammage, Jr., Chairman of the committee that will seek voter support for the referendum this fall.

Richard H. Dozer, Chairman of GenSpring Family Office – Phoenix and former President of the Arizona Diamondbacks, is serving as Treasurer of the Committee. Looking back, he reflects, “The Heritage Fund has supported parks, trails, open space, jobs, and a better economy for Arizona in the past. We need it fully restored so that it continues that important work of preserving our rich history, beautiful landscapes, and our childrens’ strong minds and bodies. That is why I have agreed to support this campaign.”

One supporter of the restoration effort is Vicki Kilvinger, mayor of Florence, AZ. “From 1991 to 2006, Florence received a total of 18 grants totaling $1.5 million dollars, which was matched by the same amount for a total of over $3 million dollars,” said Kilvinger. “Our community and others across the state have been able to rehabilitate historic buildings utilizing the Fund. Passage of the referendum would re-establish a program that would create jobs in this difficult economy and also save historic properties, build parks, and contribute to a higher quality of life for our residents.”

According to Beth Woodin, President of the Heritage Alliance, a coalition is forming to support the referendum campaign. “The Heritage Alliance consists of organizations, companies and individuals in recreational, open space, historic preservation and conservation communities, as well as county and municipal governments,” Woodin said. “We already have thousands of activists across the state ready to hit the ground running, and we expect many other organizations also to join the cause.”

For more information, please contact: [email protected]. 

Communities applaud bid to revive Heritage Fund for historic projects

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[Source: Jessica Testa, Cronkite News, 2/16/2012] – FLORENCE – To most people, these old buildings look like they’re decaying from the inside out. To Bonnie Bariola, they’re treasures, held up by century–old adobe brick and generations of hand-me-down stories. The Ceyla Long Sweeny Residence, built in 1876, is a small adobe house with manure for insulation and saguaro ribs for a roof. Bariola points to broken window, shattered by a tossed rock. A few blocks over, three dead pigeons lie just inside the entrance to the Cuen House and Butcher Shop, the first telephone exchange in Pinal County. Bariola fearlessly marches through as pigeons coo from the rafters.

Plans to restore the buildings won grants of more than $90,000 each through the Heritage Fund, which Arizona voters established in 1990. And both were stripped of that promised funding in 2009, when the state swept the Heritage Fund in an effort to balance its sinking budget.

In 2010, lawmakers eliminated the Heritage Fund, pulling the plug on dozens of approved, construction–ready projects, including five in Florence.

Bonnie Bariola, member of the Florence Preservation Foundation, wrote a grant for the restoration of the town's historic White House. Bonnie Bariola, member of the Florence Preservation Foundation, wrote a grant for the restoration of the town’s historic White House.

“Using Heritage funds, we’ve been able to maintain a part of history,” said Bariola, grant writer for the Florence Preservation Foundation. “Without funding, the culture of these buildings wastes away.” During the Heritage Fund’s 20–year run, Florence received more than $1.5 million in 18 state grants to restore its 19th century structures. The former mining community and Pinal County seat was third in the state for total dollars granted, behind Phoenix and Tucson.

Now, a state lawmaker is moving forward with a resolution that would put the Heritage Fund back on the ballot in November. If approved, the fund would be protected from any future sweeps thanks to the 1998 Voter Protection Act, a constitutional amendment that prohibits state lawmakers from reallocating any voter–created funds. “It’s fitting we do this, especially in our centennial year,” Rep. Russ Jones, R–Yuma, said recently to the House Committee on Agriculture and Water, which unanimously voted to support HCR 2047.

The Heritage Fund provided up to $10 million annually from the Arizona Lottery to both the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Arizona State Parks. Game and Fish used the money to promote outdoor recreation, help threatened and endangered species and educate residents about the environment and wildlife. Arizona State Parks used the fund for its own acquisitions and improvements and administered grants through programs benefiting historic preservation, trails and parks.

It’s not just Florence benefiting from the Heritage Fund – every city and town in Arizona has received the grant money, said Janice Miano, part–time executive director of the Arizona Heritage Alliance. “The impact is most noticeable in the rural counties, where any infusion of external funds for trail maintenance, land acquisition and construction repair will have a far larger impact to the relative population,” she said.

A Heritage Fund grant for $60,000 was canceled for a book on midcentury modern architecture published by the Phoenix Historic Preservation Commission. The city was able to shore up the money from federal grants to complete the project, and “Midcentury Marvels” will soon have its second printing.

Oro Valley wasn’t as fortunate. A $27,660 grant to build a dog park was canceled, along with a $111,160 grant to restore the 1874 Steam Pump Ranch. Ainsley Legner, director or Oro Valley’s Parks, Recreation, Library and Cultural Resources Department, said she’d be delighted to see Oro Valley residents be able to visit and use that land for recreation. “We don’t have any money available to improve the site. We can’t stabilize all the structures and provide the necessary amenities, like a restroom or a fire hydrant,” she said. “When you take away something as significant as Heritage funding, you can no longer pull all those resources together to make good things happen.”

Jay Ziemann, legislative liaison for Arizona State Parks, said the agency’s board supports Jones’ resolution but that his optimism is limited. Ziemann said many legislators share the views of Rep. Brenda Barton, R–Safford, who raised concerns in the committee meeting about the availability of lottery funds. A reinstated Heritage Fund would reduce the amount of revenue available to the Legislature. “It’s nice that it cleared that first step, but it’s got a long way to go,” Ziemann said. “I know it has a lot of hurdles ahead.”