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WEEKEND SPECIALSay it ain’t so, Wyatt: Authors contend Earp wasn’t the good guy at OK Corral
TOMBSTONE _Wyatt Earp’s shadow looms large over this former silver-mining town. The legendary lawman’s exploits at _ in truth, near _ the OK Corral are immortalized in movies, books and reenactments of the famous gunfight that draw tourists from around the world. But not everyone agrees that Earp was the good guy when he and others took down the Clanton gang in 1881, including the author of a recent book. And those are fighting words around these parts.
Slug BC-CNS-Wyatt Earp. By Michelle Price. With BC-CNS-Wyatt Earp-Gunfight and BC-CNS-Wyatt Earp-Books.
NOTE: This package moved Wednesday, Feb. 18. We recommend it for weekend use.
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Multimedia: Clients are welcome to link to this Flash slideshow.
THE WEEK’S NEWS
As communities brace, board decides whether to close up to 11 state parks
PEORIA (Friday, Feb. 20) _ The Arizona State Parks Board was to meet Friday to decide whether to close up to 11 parks, ranging from a historic mansion in Flagstaff to a Camp Verde fort dating to the Indian wars to a presidio in Tubac, in response to budget cuts. The board pushed back the decision earlier this month, telling Arizona State Parks to look at alternatives such as shorter hours and employee furloughs.
Slug BC-CNS-State Parks. By Daniel Newhauser. With BC-CNS-Parks-List.
With:
_ BC-CNS-State Parks-South: Leading with Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, this story focuses on reaction from officials with ties to parks in the southern Arizona. By Steven Falkenhagen.
_ BC-CNS-State Parks-North: Leading with Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, this story focuses on reaction from officials with ties to parks in northern Arizona. By Michelle Price.
Lawmaker: Help financially troubled owners find shelters for horses
PHOENIX (Thursday, Feb. 19) _ Some people are finding it impossible to keep their horses as the economy worsens, leaving owners scrambling to sell or find shelters for their animals. They occasionally wind up setting horses free to fend for themselves. Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, wants to make it easier for horse owners to get information about shelters and to make sure that the shelters they contact can care for horses properly. “A lot of people don’t realize when they get a horse how expensive it is, especially during hard economic times, they end up turning animals loose,” Konopnicki said.
Slug BC-CNS-Horse Shelters. By James King. With BC-CNS-Horse Shelters-Box.
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Democrats tout foreclosure legislation they say complements president’s plan
PHOENIX (Thursday, Feb. 19) _ A day after President Barack Obama visited Arizona to explain how his economic stimulus plan provides relief for beleaguered homeowners, Democratic members of the Arizona State House of Representatives touted five bills that they said complemented the federal plan by, among other things, giving homeowners facing foreclosure more time to work out a solution.
Slug BC-CNS-Democrats-Foreclosure. By Carolina Madrid.
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Parents, providers say state child-care cuts will harm Arizona families
PHOENIX (Thursday, Feb. 19) _ State budget cuts could potentially leave thousands of Arizona parents without access to affordable child care, dozens of concerned parents and child care providers said Thursday as they demonstrated at the State Capitol.
Slug BC-CNS-Child Care. By Alyson Zepeda. With BC-CNS-Child Care-Box.
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Foundation commits to UA scholarship program helping lower-income families
PHOENIX (Thursday, Feb. 19) _ A foundation has committed $2 million to a University of Arizona scholarship program that helps students from lower-income families graduate debt-free in four years. UA President Robert N. Shelton came to Camelback High School for an event celebrating the Helios Education Foundation’s commitment to the Arizona Assurance program.
Slug BC-CNS-Scholarship Grant. By Alyson Zepeda. With BC-CNS-Scholarship Grant-Box.
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Arizonans react to Obama’s promise of relief for beleaguered homeowners
MESA _ President Barack Obama came to this hard-hit Phoenix suburb Wednesday to tout how his economic stimulus package will help beleaguered homeowners.
Slug BC-CNS-Obama-Reaction. By Daniel Newhauser.
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Expert: State can benefit from leading fight against climate change
PHOENIX (Tuesday, Feb. 17) _ Arizona is feeling the effects of climate change more than any other state, but it is also positioned to benefit economically by leading the nation in addressing the problem, a Nobel Prize-winning climatologist told state lawmakers Tuesday.
Slug BC-CNS-Climate-Lawmakers. By Andrea Wilson. With BC-CNS-Climate-Arizona-Box.
Democratic lawmakers echo call for federal review of Arpaio’s actions
PHOENIX (Tuesday, Feb. 17) _ Latino members of the Arizona State Legislature on Tuesday echoed a call by several Democratic members of Congress for a federal probe into whether Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has engaged in racial profiling and other abuses against Hispanic residents.
Slug BC-CNS-Lawmakers-Arpaio. By Steven Falkenhagen. With BC-CNS-Lawmakers-Arpaio-Box.
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In advance of Obama’s visit, some university economists scoff at stimulus
TEMPE (Monday, Feb. 16) _ President Barack Obama plans to tout his administration’s $787 billion plan to jump-start the U.S. economy at an event Wednesday in Arizona, one of the states hit hardest by the recession. But he shouldn’t look for high five from Stephen Happel and some other economics professors at Arizona’s public universities. They say the stimulus is the wrong way to go, reflecting a debate among economists on the role of government spending in the economy. “It’s heart over mind. It’s hope over reality,” Happel said. “The only way I can see that the Obama plan works is if it gives vast numbers of people hope that the recession is about to end.”
Slug BC-CNS-Stimulus-Economists. By Daniel Newhauser. With BC-CNS-Stimulus-Economists-Box.
NOTE: This story is suitable for business sections.
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Dems tout bill that would prevent general fund from taking tuition money
PHOENIX (Monday, Feb. 16) _ Democratic legislative leaders said Monday that Arizona’s university students need a law to prevent their tuition dollars from reverting or being transferred to the state’s general fund. HB 2521, sponsored by Rep. Rae Waters, D-Ahwatukee, with a slew of co-sponsors, has yet to be heard in committee.
Slug BC-CNS-Tuition-Budget. By James King. With BC-CNS-Tuition-Budget-Box.
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State representative leads Presidents Day ceremony unveiling veterans tribute
PHOENIX (Monday, Feb. 16) _ Joined by military leaders, a state representative led a ceremony Monday unveiling new flag poles and a plaque at the Arizona State Capitol honoring veterans and those missing in foreign conflicts.
Slug BC-CNS-Veterans Tribute. By Jonathan J. Cooper. With BC-CNS-Veterans Tribute-Box.
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NEW LAWMAKER PROFILES
Cronkite News Service is producing biographical sketches of new lawmakers in the Arizona State Legislature. There will be a mugshot with each. Please check back to this section of the News Digest for additions.
Rep. Christopher Deschene, D-St. Michaels (2/5)
Rep. Patricia V. Fleming, D-Sierra Vista (2/5)
Rep. Russell L. Jones, R-Yuma (2/13)
Sen. Debbie Lesko, R-Glendale (2/5)
Sen. Steve Pierce, R-Prescott (2/13)
Rep. Frank Pratt, R-Casa Grande (2/13)
Rep. Doug Quelland, R-Phoenix (2/5)
Rep. Carl Seel, R-Phoenix (2/13)
Rep. Rae Waters, D-Ahwatukee (2/5)
Rep. Vic Williams, R-Tucson (2/13)
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PHOTOS: Click thumbnails to see full-resolution images and download; caption information is in the file under File>File Info.
STATE PARKS
CAPTION WITH BC-CNS-STATE PARKS: Arlan Colton (left) and State Land Commissioner Mark Winkleman (center), members of the Arizona State Parks Board, talk with Ken Travous, executive director of Arizona State Parks, at a hearing on Friday, Feb. 20, 2009, at which the board decided to close three parks immediately but wait on closing others until it’s clear whether legislation that might spare other parks will be approved. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Daniel Newhauser)
CAPTION WITH BC-CNS-STATE PARKS: Rita (left) and Eileen Gannon, the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Timothy Riordan, are shown outside a Peoria venue where the Arizona State Parks Board decided Friday, Feb. 20, 2009, to close three parks and hold open the possibility of closing others, including Riordan Mansion State Historic Park in Flagstaff, unless the Legislature comes up with a means of continuing to fund the parks. The Gannons said they can’t afford the taxes and upkeep that would be involved if the mansion reverted to the family. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Michelle Price)
CAPTION WITH BC-CNS-STATE PARKS: Mike Davis, manager of Riordan Mansion State Historic Park in Flagstaff, makes his displeasure known about the prospect of the park closing at a hearing of the Arizona State Parks Board on Friday, Feb. 20, 2009, in Peoria. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Daniel Newhauser)
CAPTION WITH BC-CNS-STATE PARKS: Dale Sinquah, a member of the Hopi Tribal Council, speaks Friday, Feb. 20, 2009, during a hearing at which the Arizona State Parks Board considered a proposal to close 11 state parks. Sinquah urged the board to keep open Homolovi State Park near Winslow. That park has four pueblo sites thought to have been occupied by ancestors of today’s Hopi Indians. (Cronkite News Service/Daniel Newhauser)
CAPTION WITH BC-CNS-STATE PARKS: Susan Secakuku, project manager for the Homolovi Park Project, speaks Friday, Feb. 20, 2009, during a hearing at which the Arizona State Parks Board considered a proposal to close 11 state parks. Sinquah urged the board to keep open Homolovi State Park near Winslow. That park has four pueblo sites thought to have been occupied by ancestors of today’s Hopi Indians. (Cronkite News Service/Daniel Newhauser)
CAPTION WITH BC-CNS-STATE PARKS: Dick Powell, mayor pro tempore of Casa Grande, holds up a check representing a Heritage Fund grant commitment the city stands to lose due to state budget cuts. Powell and others spoke at hearing at which the Arizona State Parks Board approved closing three parks and held open the possibility that others would close unless the Legislature comes up with a way to continue funding their operations. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Daniel Newhauser)
CAPTION WITH BC-CNS-STATE PARKS: Carol Cullen (right), executive director, and Susan Walsh, vice chair of the Tubac Chamber of Commerce, address the Arizona State Parks Board about Tubac Presidio State Historic Park on Friday, Feb. 20, 2009. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Michelle Price)
CAPTION WITH BC-CNS-STATE PARKS: Alan Sorkowitz, a Tucson resident who set up the Web site www.seeitbeforeitcloses.com to rally support for state parks threatened with closure, speaks Friday, Feb. 20, 2009, before the Arizona State Parks Board. Sorkowitz said he was most concerned about (Cronkite News Service Photo/Daniel Newhauser)
HORSE SHELTERS
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-HORSE SHELTERS: Holly Marino, who heads the Horse Rescue of North Scottsdale, says auctioned horses can wind up in slaughterhouses in Mexico. She says quality shelters provide a loving environment for horses that owners can no longer afford to care for. (Cronkite News Service Photo/James King)
DEMOCRATS-FORECLOSURE
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-DEMOCRATS-FORECLOSURE: Attorney General Terry Goddard speaks at a news conference Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, at which House Democratic leaders touted five bills intended to help Arizonans facing foreclosure. Goddard said the bills would complement a federal plan that President Barack Obama unveiled this week in Mesa. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Carolina Madrid)
CHILD CARE
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-CHILD CARE: Bruce Liggett, executive director of the Arizona Child Care Association, addresses a news conference at which he and others raised concerns about state cuts to child-care programs. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Sean Manget)
SCHOLARSHIP GRANT
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-SCHOLARSHIP GRANT: University of Arizona President Robert N. Shelton speaks with students at Camelback High School in Phoenix during an event marking the Helios Education Foundation’s $2 million commitment to the Arizona Assurance scholarship program, which allows lower-income students to graduate debt-free in four years. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Alyson Zepeda)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-SCHOLARSHIP GRANT: University of Arizona President Robert N. Shelton speaks at Camelback High School in Phoenix during an event marking the Helios Education Foundation’s $2 million commitment to the Arizona Assurance scholarship program, which allows lower-income students to graduate debt-free in four years. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Alyson Zepeda)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-SCHOLARSHIP GRANT: Vince Roig, chairman of the Helios Education Foundation, and Elisa Meza of Tucson, freshman English major at University of Arizona, attend a news conference announcing a $2 million grant to a UA program that helps students from lower-income families. Meza is a recipient of a scholarship from the Arizona Assurance program, which helps students graduate debt-free in four years. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Alyson Zepeda)
OBAMA-REACTION
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-OBAMA REACTION: President Barack Obama speaks Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009, at Dobson High School in Mesa, explaining his plan to help homeowners suffering because of the economic downturn. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Daniel Newhauser)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-OBAMA REACTION: President Barack Obama speaks Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009, at Dobson High School in Mesa, explaining his plan to help homeowners suffering because of the economic downturn. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Daniel Newhauser)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-OBAMA REACTION: President Barack Obama speaks Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009, at Dobson High School in Mesa, explaining his plan to help homeowners suffering because of the economic downturn. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Daniel Newhauser)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-OBAMA REACTION: Erica Rodgers, a Goodyear resident who attended President Barack Obama’s speech in Mesa on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009, said she hopes the president’s plan for helping beleaguered homeowners will help revive the mortgage business because she works in that field. Rodgers said she faced foreclosure because of the economic downturn but managed to keep her home. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Daniel Newhauser)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-OBAMA REACTION: Jack Clark, 50, of Gilbert, expresses his opposition to President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan before the president spoke Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009, at Dobson High School in Mesa. “I’m somewhat disgusted by the reaction of the country,” Clark said. “A lot of what’s happening here is people being irresponsible.” (Cronkite News Service Photo/Daniel Newhauser)
WYATT EARP
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-WYATT EARP: Michael Christie portrays Wyatt Earp in a reenactment of the gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone. Earp has traditionally been viewed as in the right in the battle that took down the Clanton gang in 1881. But some new accounts are calling that into question. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Michelle Price)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-WYATT EARP: Michael Christie portrays Wyatt Earp in a reenactment of the gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone. Earp has traditionally been viewed as in the right in the battle that took down the Clanton gang in 1881. But some new accounts are calling that into question. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Michelle Price)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-WYATT EARP: Joyce Aros, a writer with the Tombstone Times, has published “In Defense of the Outlaws,” a book that paints the Wyatt Earp and his allies as the aggressors in the gunfight at the OK Corral in 1881. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Michelle Price)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-WYATT EARP: Joyce Aros, a writer with the Tombstone Times, has published “In Defense of the Outlaws,” a book that paints the Wyatt Earp and his allies as the aggressors in the gunfight at the OK Corral in 1881. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Michelle Price)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-WYATT EARP: Markers at Boothill Graveyard in Tombstone note members of the Clanton gang killed in the 1881 gunfight at the OK Corral. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Michelle Price)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-WYATT EARP: Don Taylor, who manages OK Corral gunfight reenactments at a Tombstone tourist venue, doesn’t agree with those who paint Wyatt Earp and his allies as aggressors in the legendary battle. He said the gang Earp took out was a menace to the community. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Michelle Price)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-WYATT EARP: Reminders of the Tombstone of yesteryear, including the Bird Cage Theatre, fuel a thriving tourist industry. It all revolves around the legend of the gunfight the OK Corral. A recent book contends that Wyatt Earp and his allies were the aggressors in the 1881 battle, and some in Tombstone see those as fighting words. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Michelle Price)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-WYATT EARP: Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s state historian, says people have argued who were the aggressors since the dust settled at the OK Corral in Tombstone back in 1881. Most historical accounts, he says, agree with those popularized in movies and reenactments: that Wyatt Earp and his allies were the good guys. Trimble has written the new book “Wyatt Earp: The Showdown in Tombstone.” (Cronkite News Service Photo/Michelle Price)
LAWMAKERS-ARPAIO
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-LAWMAKERS-ARPAIO: Sen. Richard Miranda, D-Phoenix, speaks Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, at a news conference at the Arizona State Capitol. Miranda and other members of the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus echoed a call by several Democratic members of Congress for a federal investigation into whether Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio had engaged in racial profiling or other discriminatory actions involving Hispanics. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Steven Falkenhagen)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-LAWMAKERS-ARPAIO: Rep. Ben R. Miranda, D-Phoenix, speaks Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, at a news conference at the Arizona State Capitol. Miranda and other members of the Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus echoed a call by several Democratic members of Congress for a federal investigation into whether Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio had engaged in racial profiling or other discriminatory actions involving Hispanics. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Steven Falkenhagen)
STIMULUS-ECONOMISTS
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-STIMULUS-ECONOMISTS: Steven Happel, a professor of economics at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, is among the state university economists who aren’t excited about the stimulus package President Barack Obama plans to tout in Arizona on Wednesday. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Daniel Newhauser)
TUITION-BUDGET
Rep. Rae Waters, D-Ahwatukee
VETERANS TRIBUTE
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-VETERANS TRIBUTE: Members of an honor guard of Korean War veterans raise the POW-MIA flag on Monday, Feb. 16, 2009, at a ceremony dedicating new flagpoles and a plaque honoring veterans at the Arizona State Capitol. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Jonathan J. Cooper)
CAPTION FOR BC-CNS-VETERANS TRIBUTE: Dan Frigard of Phoenix and his granddaughter Gabrielle Ingram attend a ceremony Monday, Feb. 16, 2009, dedicating new flagpoles and a veterans tribute at the Arizona State Capitol. (Cronkite News Service Photo/Jonathan J. Cooper)