Arizona Legislator Sponsors Bill to Terminate Historic Preservation Property Tax Exemptions

Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

- Arizona Legislator Sponsors Bill to Terminate Historic Preservation Property Tax Exemptions: Owners of historic homes in Arizona would have to pay property taxes just like anybody else to help pay for public schools and community colleges. That's if a state senator has her way. Sen. Linda Gray, R-Phoenix, wants to eliminate a 34-year-old property-tax classification for historic residences that cuts a homeowner's property taxes in half.
http://tinyurl.com/ya4yjex - Arizona Republic

- KAET Interview with Arizona State Parks Director Assesses the Legislature's Sweeping Damage to State Park System and Possible Means of Future Funding: State parks are in a life or death battle for their existence as state lawmakers look for ways to cut the budget. Renee Bahl, Executive Director of Arizona State Parks, will talk about the dire situation.
http://www.azpbs.org/horizon/detailvid.php?id=2264

- Additional Footage of Jan 15th Public Meeting on Arizona State Parks Provided by Arizona Heritage Alliance:
http://azheritage.wordpress.com/

- National Trust for Historic Preservation Sponsors Rally for Arizona State Parks: What you’ve heard is true: the Arizona State Legislature is devastating parks funding, forcing the closure of all but nine state parks. By the end of March, seven of Arizona’s eight state historic parks will be shuttered. Among parks that will close their doors to visitors are such historic icons as the 1882 Tombstone Courthouse, the Yuma Territorial Prison, and the 1904 Arts & Crafts Riordan Mansion in Flagstaff.
http://www.cdrac.org/sat/save_arizona_state_parks.doc - Ms Word Document

- The Center for Desert Archaeology Moves to New Offices in Downtown Tucson: On Jan 27th, the Center has moved from its old location at 300 East University into the Historic Bates Mansion complex at Toole and Stone. The Center's new address is 300 N Ash Alley, Tucson AZ, 85701.

- Defense Attorney in 4-Corners Looting Case Seeks Informant's Records: A defense attorney is seeking an address book, recordings and other information in an attempt to challenge the integrity of an undercover operative key to a multistate investigation into illegal artifact trafficking. Walter Bugden, a Salt Lake City lawyer, is representing Durango, Colo., antique dealers Carl Lavern Crites and Marie Crites and two other indicted co-defendants rounded up during a June 10 raid that federal agents coordinated across Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14273748

- Casa Grande Ruins Music Festival to be Held Tomorrow: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument was created to preserve the culture of an ancient desert tribe - the Hohokam. Last year, the monument organized a music festival to celebrate and explore the connection of modern tribes to their Hohokam roots. The festival begins at 9 a.m. Jan. 30 at the monument, outside Coolidge. American Indian artists and craftsmen will demonstrate skills. Merchants will offer a selection of jewelry, wood carvings, gourd art, basketry, pottery, flutes and other musical instruments. There will be storytellers and a flute booth for the kids.
http://tinyurl.com/ybeccdz - Arizona Republic

- Desert Diamond Casino and the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance Adopt Southwestern Indian Art Fair: The Southwest Indian Art Fair has been resurrected because Desert Diamond Casino stepped up to sponsor the annual event. The Arizona State Museum, which has hosted the event for 16 years, announced in October that it was canceling the fair this year due to $478,000 in state budget cuts. The museum also made other changes, including cutting jobs and pay, closing on Sundays and charging $5 admission for some visitors.
http://tinyurl.com/yawc9vz - Arizona Daily Star

- Damage from Heavy Rains Temporarily Closes Gila Cliff Dwellings: Heavy rains have forced the closure of New Mexico Highway 15 between the Gila Visitor Center and the trailhead for the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The approach to the West Fork Bridge has washed away; Lower Scorpion Campground, Upper Scorpion Campground, TJ Corral, Woody’s Corral and the trailhead to the Cliff Dwellings are all closed until further notice. The Gila Visitor Center remains open, but anyone considering visiting the area should use extreme caution. Continued rain and snow have caused numerous mud and rock slides along Highway 15 and many road dips are running with water. Travel at present is not advised.

- Southwestern Cave Providing Detailed Ancient Climatic Data: UA researchers report that the Southwest's climate had rapid shifts between wet and dry periods 11,000 to 55,000 years ago. Ice Age climate records from an Arizona stalagmite link the Southwest's winter precipitation to temperatures in the North Atlantic, according to new University of Arizona research.
http://uanews.org/node/29591

- Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Sponsoring Advanced Section 106 Training Class in Tucson, on March 10, 2010: The Advanced Section 106 Seminar focuses on the effective management of complex or controversial undertakings that require compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Taught in a small, interactive setting, this seminar encourages group discussion and problem solving. Designed for experienced Section 106 users, the seminar focuses on the challenges of seeking consensus and solving adverse effects to historic properties. The class is taught by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation staff who are engaged both on a daily basis and have practical hands-on experience with Section 106 issues.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/sec_106_advanced_training.pdf

- Lecture Opportunity (Glendale): The Agua Fria Chapter of the Arizona Archaeology Society is offering a free lecture on Preservation Archaeology, on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the Glendale Public Library Auditorium, 5959 West Brown (south of Peoria Ave). Membership is not required. Refreshments will be served. For the past 26 years, Holly Young has worked in archeological repositories in Arizona. Currently the Curator of Collections at the Pueblo Grande Museum, she developed that institution’s repository and collections policies and procedures. Her areas of expertise include the curation and management of archeological collections and archives, the preservation of museum collections through preventive conservation, material culture research and interpretation, and the archeology and cultural history of the Southwestern United States.

- Lecture Opportunity (Tubac): Trade Beads in the Southwest is Topic of Santa Cruz Valley AAS Program February 11. Bead historian Steve Ellis will give a presentation to the Santa Cruz Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society on February 11, 2010, 7 PM, at the North County Facility at 50 Bridge Road in Tubac. His topic will be “European Glass Trade Beads in the West.” The presentation is free and open to the public.

- University of Arizona School of Archaeology Announces New Masters Program in "Applied Archaeology:" The School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona offers a Master’s Degree with a track in Applied Archaeology. Applied Archaeology is an emerging field of study within Anthropology that creates and uses knowledge in the context of application. These applications include collecting information about archaeological sites for use in cultural resources management, recovering archaeological data from threatened sites to mitigate the adverse effects of land modifying projects, managing historic properties to comply with historic preservation legislation, assisting Indigenous groups with identification of traditional cultural properties and heritage management, and creating a sustainable cultural environment by using the tools of preservation archaeology. All of these applications produce knowledge that is significant in the discipline of Anthropology.
http://anthro.web.arizona.edu/news_events/news_story.php?id=349

- Ancient India Featured at the Archaeology Channel:
Rooted in 5000 years of continuous development, a unique civilization continues to prosper in India. To address a need for wider appreciation of this vast country, with its diverse cultures and deep history, we bring you Timeless India, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel.
http://www.archaeologychannel.org

Thanks to Mike Jacobs, Gerald Kelso, and Vincent Murray for contributions to today's newsletter.