City of Globe Prepares for Centennial Celebration

by Donna Anderson The stage is set and the big event is coming together as the city of Globe prepares to celebrate 100 years of growth since its incorporation in 1907. The Globe Centennial Steering Committee has been working for two years and they are seeing their efforts blossom as the History of Globe, Arizona book is now on sale at local stores, and plans for the 10-day celebration are coming together. The celebration begins on Friday, March 23 with the opening of Centennial Hall in one of the restored and redecorated historic Southern Pacific buildings on Broad Street with the opening ceremony at 2:00 p.m. The building will be open throughout the event with many historic displays and photos, along with an array of souvenirs offered by the Centennial Gift Shop. The very first performance of the Centennial Musical, "Justa Cafe," will be offered by the Copper Cities Community Players that same evening. The play will be staged in the theatre on the third floor of the old county courthouse, now known as the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts. The musical, written and staged by players' members, begins at 7:00 p.m. with songs, dancing and storytelling of the city of Globe. All reports are calling this a "must see" event, which will be presented five times during the celebratory period. Tickets may be purchased at the Center for the shows on Friday, March 23 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 24 at 7 p.m.; a 1 p.m. matinee on Sunday, March 25; and at 7 p.m. on both Thursday, March 29 and Friday, March 30. On Saturday, downtown Globe activities promise a grand mixture of fun, including the Globe Firehouse show and the Shine Car Show from 9 a.m. to noon, with awards in the early afternoon. The morning begins with the big Centennial Parade at 10 a.m,. which will move from south to north Broad Street with Globe Rotary Chairman John O'Donnell in charge. Entry forms are now available at the greater Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Globe Main Street office. The Chamber of Commerce and the Gila County Cattle Growers will simultaneously kick off their Block Party on Broad Street at noon. The Chamber will provide food and fun booths and entertainment with the Cattle Growers stationed on the lot of the former Pioneer Hotel and Globe theater buildings. They will offer displays, Ely the mechanical bull and simulated cattle heads for youngsters to try their hand at roping. Nancy Sheppard, champion trick roper, will hold shows at 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.. Cowboy history stories will be told by Jinx Pyle at 2 p.m., followed by more tales from Eddie Armer at 3:30 p.m. The chuck wagon arrives late in the afternoon, ready to serve hungry folks from 5 to 7 p.m. A campfire will be the site of more stories and fun while diners are treated to an all-day prepared meal of roast beef, cowboy beans, Dutch oven biscuits, tossed salad and bread pudding. Plans also call for a beer garden and fiddlers to entertain guests while they dine. Besh-ba-Gowah Indian Ruin Park and Museum will be open on Saturday with entertainment and demonstrations all day in celebration of National Archaeology Month. Admission is free and guided tours will be available at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. On Sunday, March 25, a book fair will be held at the Globe Senior Center on South Broad Street from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. The fair will feature about 60 book sellers, authors and vendors in the big room at the Center, while the next room will get ready for book presentations by individual authors. Well-known historian Marshall Trimble will present a program around noon. The event is being sponsored by Friends of the Library. During this same time period, Besh-ba-Gowah will have Native American entertainment, pottery-making, basket weaving and other demonstrations. Guided tours will be conducted at 2 p.m. Admission is $3 on Sunday. Don't forget the "Justa Cafe" matinee at 1 p.m., followed by the Centennial Band concert at 4 p.m. The band is made up of area musicians who have played locally over the years. Cruz Mendoza is in charge of the band. On Sunday evening, the Centennial Stargazing program will be offered by Janet Lennon of Tonto National Monument, followed by an opportunity for the audience to move onto the ballfield at Globe Community Center to view the night sky through telescopes provided by members of the East Valley Astronomy Club. Centennial Hall will be the center of attention on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with an opportunity to learn more about the history of the city. A Globe High School alumni reunion will be a highlight on Thursday at the high school gymnasium as fellow classmates reminisce and view school pictures. Light refreshments will be served. Those planning to attend are asked to contact Gila County Supervisor Shirley Dawson, who with her husband Edd, are chairing the event. Please call her office at the Gila County Courthouse or fill out a registration form and get it to her. Justa Cafe will feature another performance that same evening. The young people of the community will be the focus as a Youth Gathering will be held at the Globe City Park on Pine Street on Friday from 2:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Activities are planned for pre-schoolers through high school. Various school organizations will have food booths. The Boy Scouts will also celebrate their annual Scout Day from 3 to 5 p.m. with demonstrations and fun events. Scoutmaster Joe Brunson will oversee the activities. A pet show, face painting, and numerous other fun competitions will be available for the little ones. This event is being co-sponsored by the Youth Committee and the teens who provide "The Hang Out" each month. Teen bands will be featured from 3 to 4 pm and again from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Young dancers from the dance studio will perform from 4 to 4:45 p.m. Singers and drama groups from performing arts at the local schools are encouraged to participate and perform their own routines. Youth Gathering will be monitored by the young people who have assured a clean and safe gathering. The final performance of Justa Cafe by the Community Players will be held at 7 p.m. A street fair on Broad Street, under the auspices of the Globe Lions Club and Globe Main Street, will be the highlight on Saturday, March 31.There will be arts and crafts, food, various booths, and entertainment from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Plans are in the works to have a ferris wheel and some kiddie rides on South Broad Street on Friday evening and all day Saturday until 10 p.m. The Centennial Gala will be the big finale, an auspicious occasion at 6 p.m. which will highlight those who have worked so hard to put this event together and in celebration of the people who have built the community over the years. The Apache Gold Conference Center will host a dinner, beginning at 6 p.m. with a social hour and silent auction, followed by a prime rib meal at 7 p.m. Those in attendance can dance to the music of Sipie and his Big Band Sound until 10 p.m. The dinner is sponsored by the Cobre Valley Community Hospital Foundation as a benefit supporting the local hospital. Sunday kicks off with area churches offering special services to greet their congregations and guests visiting the Centennial celebration. Open houses will be announced by the churches following the services. The re-enactment of the placing of the Santa Cruz de Globe will be the final attraction on Sunday at 2 p.m. with a processional from Holy Angels Catholic Church down Broad Street to Ruiz Canyon and to the top of the hill where the original cross was placed in 1936 as a symbol of friendship between the Mexican people in the area and many other nationalities who made up the community in those early years in Globe. The Salas and Navarro families are preparing this treat to close out the Centennial celebration. These plans for the celebration are "works in progress" with a good possibility of some additions and/or changes as outlined here. However, the committee plans to make this the biggest and best celebration to honor 100 years for the City of Globe. For more information, stay tuned and visit the committee website at www.globe-100years.org, as well as the Chamber of Commerce website.