Chiricahua secures grant to assure Health for All
The Chiricahua Health Foundation recently announced receipt of a $250,000 award from the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), a general agency of the United Methodist Church. This new funding will support Chiricahua Community Health Centers as they continue to deliver on their vision of "Health for All" in the borderlands of southern Arizona.
A commitment to Health for All creates financial stress as the burden of uncompensated care increases. Between 2019 and 2024 the number of Chiricahua patients that had no insurance increased 208 percent, including children, up 219 percent.
In 2024, Chiricahua cared for 35,829 individuals including 8,582 without health insurance. Funding from this new grant will be used to care for those without insurance or the ability to pay, as well as for program support lost due to federal funding changes.
As the largest provider of primary care in Cochise County, with a mandate to see anyone regardless of ability to pay, Chiricahua maintains a culturally inclusive and diverse workforce that is already positioned through the catchment area and is ready to take on new and existing patients.
“At Chiricahua, Health for All is more than a slogan, it’s a promise," said Chiricahua Health Foundation executive director Dennis Walto.
"This support from UMCOR enables Chiricahua to say, 'You are welcome here…' to those who may have lost insurance coverage or find themselves unable to afford insurance due to the changes in the Affordable Care Act.
"We are honored and humbled to receive this generous grant and look forward to maintaining an open-door policy where all are welcome.”
Roland Ferenandes, GBGM’s General Secretary added, “We are proud to support Chiricahua and look forward to having a continued, positive impact in this under-resourced, rural, and border community for years to come.”
Wings Over Willcox
Taking Customer Service to a Higher Level
By R.J. Cohn
The last thing customers want is lousy service—yet that’s what many are getting. Poor experiences drive away 96 percent of customers, costing businesses thousands, according to Forbes. The American Customer Satisfaction Index reports the steepest decline in satisfaction in 30 years.
Currents Magazine found Cochise County employees reversing that trend, reviving the art of customer care and earning loyal patrons. One standout is Christin Thompson, general manager of High Heat Sports Grill in Sierra Vista. Known for her five-star service and warm smile, Thompson treats every guest like family.
“I take pride in knowing everyone by name,” she says. “It’s not just my job—it’s about caring for this community.” Nicknamed “mom” for her nurturing approach, she connects with customers from the moment they sit down.
Patrons notice. “The food’s great, but I come here for how she acknowledges me,” says Alan Simpson. “Her genuine warmth is rare.”
Co-workers agree. “Her drive to make customers feel at home is unmatched,” says bartender Rachel Gray. “Christin has that rare something that shines in customer service.”
Currents magazine celebrates employees like Thompson who go the extra mile to create satisfied customers.
Nominations for great customer service providers welcome at epetermann@ssvec.com.
Connecting the Dots For People in Need
Sierra Vista Community Connect Brings Help to Struggling Families
By R.J. Cohn
Sierra Vista Community Connect (SVCC), a program launched in 2022 to assist struggling families and individuals, has seen record participation since relocating to the Salvation Army Sierra Vista Corps on Wilcox Avenue. The move made the event more accessible and added perks like free lunches, drawing nearly 90 attendees on the first Thursday of each month—double the previous turnout.
SVCC serves as a hub linking residents to essential resources through a growing network of local organizations. Initially starting with about 10 groups, the collaboration now includes food banks, housing programs, health services, recovery support, and family resources.
“We wanted to create a group of organizations so people could get the help they were looking for,” said coordinator Leah Davis.
The initiative began when Bisbee resident Jay Matchett, founder of Cochise Housing Connection, sought partners to address low-income needs. After Matchett moved on, Davis, Lee Henney, and Richard Juhl expanded the program with backing from the city’s Better Bucks voucher system for essentials.
The Salvation Army site was bustling with organizations like Fort Huachuca’s Soldier & Family Readiness Center, domestic violence services from Lori’s Place, WIC, and Cochise County health programs. Attendees left with information packets, Better Bucks pamphlets, and connections to vital services.
“We’re thrilled to keep this going and help the community under one roof,” Henney said. SVCC hopes to replicate the model in Bisbee, Willcox, and other Cochise County communities where needs remain high.
SVCC meets the first Thursday of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Salvation Army Sierra Vista Corps, 180 E. Wilcox Ave.
Taking Time to Smell the Roses
By R.J. Cohn
Step inside Sierra Vista Flowers on Fry Boulevard just days before Valentine’s Day, and you’ll witness organized chaos. Owner Billy Powers and his 12-person team are racing to complete 500 arrangements for the floral industry’s busiest day—a holiday that sees 250 million roses sold nationwide.
Powers has been planning since early January. His nine delivery drivers will crisscross Cochise County with 280 arrangements, while walk-in customers keep the shop buzzing. Despite competition from grocery stores, Powers sells out every year thanks to Ecuadorian roses that are twice the size and last longer than supermarket blooms. For Valentine’s week, his orders skyrocket from 23 boxes to 200—about 4,500 roses flown in fresh weekly.
Not all orders are roses; tropicals, lilies, and sunflowers are popular picks. Powers also donates 50 arrangements to local retirement homes, a tradition he calls “priceless.”
After years of frustration with online floral giants like Teleflora and FTD, Powers cut ties, citing unfair fees. Instead, he offers early-bird and military discounts through his website. When Feb. 14 arrives, the phones won’t stop ringing, and cleanup waits until the last delivery is out the door.
“It’s just one big whew,” Powers laughs.
Address:
123 Fry Blvd.
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
Valentine’s Day by the Numbers:
• 500 arrangements prepared
• 4,500 roses ordered
• 9 delivery drivers
• 50 arrangements donated to senior centers
Discounts:
• 5% before Feb. 1
• 10% military discount
The Writer's Life
By R.J. Cohn
Beth Colburn Orozco lives the life many writers dream of — immersed in words, stories, and the relentless pursuit of craft. But her journey began with a challenge: dyslexia. At nine years old, writing became her lifeline, opening a world where imagination triumphed over limitation.
Today, Orozco is a published short story writer and has spent 17 years teaching creative writing at Cochise College. She directs the college’s Writing Celebration workshops and launched Sierra Vista’s Open Mic Night, fostering a community of voices. Her passion for writing is matched by her dedication to students, instilling confidence and resilience in those who dare to share their words.
Her own process reflects that rigor. A single short story can take a year and dozens of drafts. She labors over imagery and metaphor, revising until every word earns its place. “Writing has never been easy for me,” she admits. “But I don’t mind the challenge; it’s part of who I am.”
Beyond the page, Orozco is a dog rescuer and trainer, often sharing her writing space with a lively pack. She keeps journals scattered throughout her home—dream journals, spiritual reflections, health notes—alongside the stories she crafts each morning.
For Orozco, writing is more than art; it’s a philosophy. “It gives clarity to my life,” she says. “Nothing else comes close.” From a child struggling with dyslexia to a writer shaping worlds with words, her story is a testament to perseverance—and the transformative power of writing.
“There is no half-best in writing. It’s demanding, all-consuming, and you have to dig deep—again and again." - Beth
Quick facts about Beth:
- Years Teaching: 17 at Cochise College
- Published Works: Short stories, poems, MFA novel
- Community Builder: Founded Sierra Vista’s Open Mic Night
- Animal Advocate: Rescued 29 dogs
- Writing Philosophy: “Writing gives clarity to my life.”
Ramping It Up for the Cash-Strapped Disabled
Nonprofit Builds Wheelchair Ramps for Cochise County's Needy
By R.J. Cohn
A cadre of volunteers with hearts as big as a harvest moon — from seasoned carpenters to newbies who’ve never held a DeWalt electric drill — are giving mobility to Cochise County’s low-income disabled by building wheelchair ramps without costing them a penny.
For the majority of the disability-bound residents, it’s not just a new lease on life.
It has created entry into a world with a newfound freedom many have not experienced for decades.
“The need in Cochise County alone for disabled residents needing wheelchair ramps is absolutely huge,” says Operations Manager Dale O’Neill of the nonprofit Servants at Work Southwest (SAWS), an affiliate of its national foundation based in Indiana that began an ambitious mission to provide ramps in 2003. “We’ll go anywhere in the area and beyond when there’s a need and qualified recipient. The need is so overwhelming that it’s exceeding our budget. Whatever it takes, we want to give house-bound residents the freedom of mobility they deserve.”
What it takes is commitment, funding and a group of volunteers linked on one common goal: Getting permanently handicapped residents freestanding ramps at their front doors to make their lives more manageable.
With 42 ramps completed since 2019 when SAWS began in Cochise County — along with more nearing completion — its mission of changing lives one ramp at a time into a world previously shuttered has been a significant step towards restoring their independence and dignity.
For O’Neill and volunteer Eric Anderson, SAWS life-changing undertaking of providing ramps — whose costs have doubled since 2019 from $1,000 to $2,200 — almost brings tears to volunteers installing them when a recipient wheels out on their ramp for the first time.
“Many have struggled for years trying to get out of their homes without falling, relying on friends or family just for a doctor’s appointment,” says O’Neill, who worked 31 years building power plants around the world for global engineering giant Bechtel. "When they use the ramp for the first time, they’re so moved with joy they have no words. That’s our payback, that’s what we want to see. It’s overwhelming for many of our volunteers to witness that.”
With 12-15 volunteers — the majority of whom have had little to no building experience — the group constructs the ramps built to ADA standards with pressure-treated wood in a 1,000-square-foot shop on Sierra Vista’s northside. While refabrication and pre-cutting allows the ramp — secured with 1,000, 3-inch screws — to be completed in a week or less, the application process to on-site ramp assembly takes about two months.
“To get the ball rolling, an application or referral from a referring agency predetermining a low-income recipient's financial need based on the county median income has to be established along with demonstrating long-term, permanent disability,” says O’Neill. “We have to ensure that people really need them, not just want them.”
After approval, a site survey is conducted to see if a ramp can be feasibly built on the property.
Like any struggling nonprofit, SAWS is dependent on grants — some which have come from Sierra Vista’s Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona — donations and volunteers.
“Without these, we don’t exist, and ramps don’t get built,” says O’Neill, who donated his home shop for the five years to get SAWS off and running.
It’s been on a roll ever since, building ramps in wherever the need takes them, from Willcox to Patagonia, Sierra Vista to McNeil.
“Many of us live in a comfortable bubble, but when you get out of that bubble and see the poverty in rural Cochise County it’s shocking,” says Anderson. “Many manufactured homes we install ramps for are built on rough terrain that makes getting out the door a challenge and keeps many disabled shuttered. Some hardly even get outside at all. Fry Fire District firefighters and Capt. Mark Savage have been instrumental in coming to their aid when they fall and even taking them to doctor’s appointments. They’re in the middle of all this and 100 percent behind what we’ve doing.”
So are the volunteers, many who come to SAWs without a stitch of woodworking experience.
“As long as people have willing hands, open hearts and can hold an electric drill, they’ll be pros in no time,” says O’Neill. “The more volunteers we have, the faster we can build ramps.”
To volunteer, go to www.sawssouthwest.org and click on ‘Volunteer’ or call (844) 668-7297.
To apply for a ramp, go to https://sawssouthwest.org/index.php/request-a-ramp-2/.
Sky Island School of Nature & the Arts Seeks to Enrich Kids’ Education
By R.J. Cohn
For parents looking for a more innovative approach to their children’s early education, the Sky Island School of Nature and the Arts may offer the curriculum they’ve been seeking, one that stimulates curiosity while nurturing the joy of education.
Combining nature-based classes with core subjects, the K-5 private school in Hereford provides an educational experience that’s different from traditional education; it encourages hand-on projects while connecting students with nature and the arts, which the school’s director says has the ability to enrich them mentally, emotionally as well as physically.
“We’ve found that this is something families are looking for,” said owner/director Heather Heredia, an arts education teacher who has been teaching for 13 years. “Parents want an environment that fully engages their child, reduces behavioral issues and fosters emotional regulation. We’ve been working around the clock to get everything ready. We’re really excited because we feel the school has so much to offer.”
Spread across nearly three acres at the base of the Huachuca Mountains thick with cottonwoods and a wetlands area, Heredia and her husband purchased the school this summer from the Arizona Arts Academy. Complete with an outdoor amphitheater, an indoor pool, dance studio, six classrooms and a culinary arts cottage, Heredia already had more than a dozen students enrolled in July. The school plans to have six full-time and six part-time teachers when it opens in August. She anticipates having 75 students – 15 for each grade level – by 2026.
“Since word has gotten out about the school, everything has been moving very quickly,” said Heredia, who taught at the American Leadership Academy and at every school in the the Sierra Vista Unified School District as a substitute teacher. “We want to inspire a child’s creativity and curiosity through project-based learning, and make education exciting and fun instead of stressful. At least 50% of parents we’ve talked to about our approach love this concept.”
Along with basic subjects, the school will immerse students in hands-on courses like theater, dance, music, culinary arts, swimming, yoga, field sports and agriculture, where they’ll learn to grow vegetables, milk goats and collect eggs from chickens. They’ll also learn Spanish and explore the outdoors with daily nature hikes throughout the property.
“I saw first-hand how my two children thrived in a nature-based preschool at the Conscious Child Preschool & Learning Center,” said Heredia. “It was an empowering, healthy learning experience, and I want to bring that experience into the lives of K-5 students.”
Since Sky Island School of Nature and the Arts is a tuition-based private school, parents can access Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA), a school voucher program that allows students to receive public funds to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling or other qualified educational expenses. It allows parents to choose the best educational setting for their children instead of being limited to an assigned public school.
Heredia said the ESA program will pay 100 percent of the school’s tuition.
“This is a school where we want children to ask questions about everything they see and learn and make their early education as enriching and stimulating as it can possibly be,” said Heredia. “At Sky Island School, they’re going to connect with nature and their peers and have a real sense of accomplishment through the arts. What’s not to like about this?”
For more information
To get in contact with Sky Island School of Nature & the Arts
- visit their site
- email info@skyislandschool.org or
- call 520-222-9459.
A Great Romp of a Grape Stomp
By R.J. Cohn
It’s sloppy and sticky, gooey and gummy, yet merry participants dressed in white gowns while jumping up and down in wooden vats of grenache grapes during the 13th annual Great Crush Festival at AZ Hops and Vines in Sonoita.
More than anything, the barefoot grape stomp gave them a hands-on — or feet-on — immersion into the ancient process of early winemaking, connecting them directly to the fruit, the land as well as a thick pile of toe jam that took a lot of rinsing from a nearby hose to clear away.
Also known as foot treading or pigeage – a French winemaking term for the traditional stomping of grapes in open fermentation tanks – more than 250 Arizonans from Phoenix to Sierra Vista merrily stomped and clomped over thick clumps of purple grapes, breaking open their skins to release juice and color while hopefully keeping the seeds intact.
Wine aficionados will tell you that stomping grapes with your bare feet provides more flavor over the wine’s flavor profile.
But AZ Hops and Vines co-owner Megan Stranik has turned the method of maceration once used in traditional winemaking into an annual house party filled with music, food and the vineyard’s wine that could rival the Roman grape stomping festivals of the Maenads, the female followers of Dionysus, the god of winemaking.
“We haven’t gotten rich yet from growing grapes and producing them into wine, but we’re definitely having a heck of a good time,” said Stranik, who purchased the 10-acre property fronting State Route 82 with her sister in 2011 before opening the following year after planting 8,000 vines. “Even though we have 10 varietals that yield six tons of grapes a year that fill 300 cases, it’s always a challenge growing grapes in Arizona.”
Along with her sons, Stranik said she and her sister Shannon Zouzoulas are constantly replacing their grape vines.
“We now have 6,000 producing vines and 2,000 that are growing,” she said. “It's constant work, but it’s a total blast working with your kids. I never get tired of this.”
Neither do the annual partygoers and grape stompers, who have been returning for the Great Crush Festival that never disappoints for more than a decade, leaving those wearing white-gowns and togas berry-stained from a half-ton of grenache grapes the vineyard turns into a red wine and two varieties of rose.
“I fell in love with wine before I started this, but I had to learn everything about it from growing to producing by volunteering at wineries in the area in 2007,” said Stranik. “They were thrilled to help me, steered me in the right direction, and it’s been a labor of love ever since.”
Arizona Hops & Vines
To learn more about the winery, visit their site below where you can get the most out of their calendar of events, the blog, or online store front! What are you waiting for? Get hoppin'!