Gabrielle Giffords, former U.S. Representative, gave up her seat in Congress one year after the Jan. 8, 2011 mass shooting where she was shot point-blank in the head.
Jared Lee Loughner allegedly shot 19 people at one of Giffords’ public events called "Congress on Your Corner." Six people died, including a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl, and Giffords spent every day in rehabilitation.
Giffords, who represented District 8, announced her resignation on Jan. 25.
As summer nears, Tombstone residents expect the typically popular Allen Street to quiet down as tourism decreases.
Every year, the town is affected by what locals call “the dead zone,” which is when revenue falls and businesses struggle. Local business owners are preparing for a rough few months.
“On average, retail sales in Tombstone are strongest in February and March,” said Robert Carreira, director of the Cochise College Center for Economic Research. “Sales begin to decline in April and May, and then fall off considerably in June.”
Burt Webster, assistant manager of the O.K. Corral, said he estimates profits will decrease by at least 50 percent during this year’s dead season.
“The snowbirds have flown the coop, the kids are still in school, and the town will be dead until Memorial weekend,” said Carey Granger, senior tour guide for the Good Enough Mine Underground Tour.
August is the slowest month of the year for retail sales in Tombstone, Carreira said. Sales are typically down more than 40 percent.
Is the town “Too Tough to Die,” also too tough to progress?
The Smoke-Free Arizona Act, which was signed into law in 2007, prohibits smoking in most enclosed places and places of employment. Under the ordinance smoking is also prohibited within 20 feet of all business entrances, open windows or ventilation systems.
Though the law has been in effect for five years, Tombstone has not fully complied.
The old Tombstone High School building, which has been vacant since 2005, is back on the market and available for prospective buyers.
Tombstone Unified School District board members voted to terminate their 20-year lease agreement with Bill Smith of J&W Transformations at the most recent meeting. The decision came because the company, which started negotiations in 2010, did not meet the contract’s requirements on time or as scheduled, according to Karl Uterhardt, TUSD superintendent.
“With the lease in position it makes it very difficult for other people to talk about the property or make offers,” Uterhardt said. “By letting go of the lease, people are now able to look at the property.”
