Safford (Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert: environment, condos, trip)

[FunkyPioneer]

There's never any water in the Gila river. Its nothing like Heber, at all. Think Phoenix shrunk down, its still hot, dirty and there is nothing to do.

[leegurl_09]

FOR AZGOLFER: I am moving to safford/thatcher area, need an apartment, saw you replied and may have some info, I wrote you an email with more info, my email is leegurl_09@hotmail.com if you have any info that could be helpful, please let me know, thanks!

[Winkelman]

Originally Posted by FunkyPioneer

There's never any water in the Gila river. Its nothing like Heber, at all. Think Phoenix shrunk down, its still hot, dirty and there is nothing to do.

Actually there is water in the Gila, more during the monsoon season and during the winter rains.

Safford is booming and housing prices have gone up but its still very affordable compared to Tucson or Phoenix. It still has a rural feel to it with all the cotton farms. Copper is the biggest reason for the boom, there is going to be a lot of job growth over the coming years.

[BillyBaroo]

One of my all time favorite movies is Lost in America (1985) They end up in Safford, Arizona looking for jobs. Albert Brooks applies for a job as a delivery boy and the drugstore owner tells him, "I don't believe an older man in a motor home would work out." His wife ends up getting a job at a Wienerschnitzel working under a manager named "Skippy". Funny movie, worth renting if you've never seen it. There's a lot of funny scenes that were shot in Safford.

[Al_R]

Thank you, Wristons, for replying. Never too late :-)

Since my original message, I've been there a few times. I LOVE IT!!! I could enjoy a bit more water in the river - then again, I'm 'used to' the Salt River here in Phoenix being dry.

I've e-chatted with AZGOLPHER a few times. Looking forward to meeting him soon. My biggest holdup thus far is selling in Phoenix. Can't move until I 'unload' this West Valley home. Already looked at several homes for sale in Safford. Can't wait until the market improves and we can get some 'reasonable' offers.

Then ... it's 'off to Safford' with me. Lookin' forward to the day :-)

Thanks again for responding, Emory. If you email me at ablique (at sign) cox.net, and leave me a phone number, I would enjoy giving you a call on my next visit there. I'm hoping to get down there in the next week or so.

PS: I have an aunt here from Wa. State (who has had enough of the rain) and has moved here. Presently living with us. She went with us the last time to Safford and loved it. She has a few 'potential' buyers (better selling market) on her $300k home in Wa.. We may buy a 'package home' deal in Safford and pay her back - sure, we would be paying taxes & bills on two homes. But, we 'may' come out ahead considering home prices. Anyway, it's worth investigating :-)

Hope to hear from you through email.

Al R.

[saffordpastor]

There's never any water in the Gila river. Its nothing like Heber, at all. Think Phoenix shrunk down, its still hot, dirty and there is nothing to do.

Your wrong there...I have lived here in Safford most of my life and there is actually water in the Gila. Especially up in the Box canyon, (also known as the Riparian area.) There is good catfish, and even smallmouth bass fishing there and I have caught Catfish all up and down the river throughout the valley. There are portions that do run dry during the dry times but there are other parts that never do.

Safford is a great place and is booming like crazy now...there are hundreds even thousands of homes going up or in the process. There are 5 or 6 new hotels getting ready to be built, Motel 6, Marriot Springhill suites, Holiday Inn express, Hampton Inn and Comfort Suites that I know of. Big O Tires, Carls jr, and a new large Hospital wing is getting ready to start, and a 70 million+ Government/private project will be started in the spring.
2 new private prisons are possibly going in here which will add 1000 + jobs.

Safford is much more than a dusty, hot , dirty town with nothing to do, it is a booming small city with a great future. We are growing and yet preserving our small town feel with a lot of vibrant main st. activities and so on.

We have one of the most wonderful mountains in Mt Graham, great places like Bonita creek, Ariviapa canyon, Frye mesa resevior, Tanque Hot wells and dunes, Black Hills backcountry Byway, Roper lake, and plenty of public land to hunt, fish, and just generally have a good time in.
It is one of the great undiscovered places in AZ.

[FunkyPioneer]

I wonder how nice it will be once the mine starts poluting and they lay half the people they hired off this January( I have family in management for the mines, they hired double the people they needed to get going and plan major layoffs in January). I was born in Safford, My grandfather was the principal of the Safford elementary school for over 40 years, it used to be great. Until the mines moved in. I'm well aware of the area, and know many many people there.

[saffordpastor]

Funkypioneer..

You do have some valid concerns. However the folks that came into Safford that will be leaving were construction workers and we were expecting that. I do believe that there will continue to be growth albeit of a more stable variety. I really believe that there is no where to go but up as far as Saffords future.

As far as the mines and polluting...I sinceraly hope they have learned better. I remember driving into Clifton and seeing where chase creek flowed into the San Francisco and how it would turn the water a bright almost flouresent blue. EPA put a stop to that and supposedly they have reformed. We will see.

For someone who was born and raised here you seem to have a very pessimistic view of the Safford area. Maybe some day you can return and enjoy the good living here.

[saffordpastor]

One more thing...that garbage that flowed out of the mines nearly ruined the farming in the valley here...left a crust from irrigation water. That is gone now, Thank God.

[FunkyPioneer]

I am very pessimistic because I had planned on moving back before the mines moved in.

The mining will be the same as its always been. Toxic and green. Except this time its going to be way worse because its so much closer to town. My cousin is one of the head engineers for the mine, my aunt and uncle are upper management, I have 2 cousins that drive trucks and another uncle that does maintenance work. I know a lot about whats going on with the mine.

Its not just the construction people who will be leaving, the mine has lay offs planned.

It makes me cry saffordpastor, it really dose. It my home, and they are ruining for money and no one seems to care. We would catch tadpoles in the Thatcher high football field when they flooded it the summer. Look for indian pottery in the field behind my grandparents home. I camped on Mt Ghram my whole childhood, we used to have picnics at the little creek. My aunt owned a cotton farm in Pima. We used to go pick the bits of cotton left over from harvest to make yarn and knit doll clothes form. What do you think will happen to Safford when the water is too toxic to drink and people start getting sick? It will die, people will leave and it will end up like Globe did, deserted. If you think the mine is out to help the Safford area your so wrong, so wrong.