Triangle L Ranch Bed and Breakfast in Oracle, Arizona

The following letters document the experiences of people who attended the GLOW art exhibition. The event was unfortunately shutdown early by the Pinal County Sheriff's Dept. on Sept. 9th, 2006.

Your support is appreciated. Stay tuned!

(Bold emphasis is added, otherwise, all letters posted are unedited)

Submit letters and questions to Sharon by email to info@triangleLranch.com
or by regular mail to

Sharon Holnback
Triangle L Ranch
P.O. Box 349
Oracle, AZ 85623

Dear Seargent LeBlanc and Corporal Ellsworth,

I am writing concerning the events that took place at the Trangle L Ranch's GLOW event on September 9, 2006. As I'm sure you know by now, GLOW is a well-respected family event and an opportunity for people of different ages and backgrounds to mingle and experience art and music. Due to it's reputation as a positive and creative event, it received more publicity than in years past. In fact, I wrote a preview of the event for www.aznightbuzz.com, the music branch of www.azstarnet.com / Tucson Newspapers.

When my friends and I arrived at the ranch there were two officers making sure that people crossed the street carefully. We asked them for information and they were calm and friendly. We entered, and no sooner had I started snapping a few photos when police officers stormed in with a vengeance, shouting that this was an "illegal event" and that we had to "leave immediately or be arrested." We were with one friend's 14 year old and another friend's 10 and 14 year olds. We were herded quickly down the winding dirt path and I was at the end of the line because I was desperately trying to snap a few photos of the art installations for a review. This was made difficult by the officer behind me who rudely prodded me along and made rude and sarcastic comments, such as, "Yeah, yeah, it's really pretty. Now get out of here."

A member of our group attempted to speak with one of the officers and calmly told them that it was a peaceful, family art event and that there was no need to treat us so harshly, and the officer became so argumentative that our friend had to placate him and end the conversation.

Needless to say, this upset the children we were with, who had moved away from the officers, apparently calling them "idiots" when speaking to eachother further up the path. Apparently the officers heard this and rushed up to them shouting, "We heard you calling us idiots!" and continued to verbally harrass and mildly threaten them by throwing around the words, "illegal" and "arrest". When the 10 year old asked, "Why is this illegal?" the officer replied, "Because it is!"

I had to reassure the kids that nobody was going to be arrested. I didn't say anything to the police officers the entire time, short of giving them an exasperated look when telling the 10 year old we wouldn't be arrested. As we moved into a more accesible area off the path, my group heard two officers walk by talking about the possibility complaints against them. One of them said, "Well, they won't be complaining about ME because..." and I didn't hear the rest of what they said, but I'm sure someone in our group did.

There were a few officers standing together watching us leave, who got very excitable when they saw I was taking photos. They called out, "We don't like having our pictures taken!" and another shouted, "Come back and get my good side!" I tried to get a photo of these officers, but it didn't turn out well because while I was trying to snap the photo, they were getting so agitated that a friend dragged me away. I never told them I am on payroll for Tucson's Newspapers and somehow doubt if they would have changed their behavior if I had. They seemed like they were picking fights.

When leaving, we were surprised by the number of police cars blocking the dirt roads on the way back to our vehicle.

You are welcome to see the photos that I have and several are up on AZ Night Buzz, but I'm not sure if they will be helpful in your investigation.

Like the other witnesses you heard from, my friends and I were shocked and appalled by the brutish, unprofessional and immature behavior of some of the officers that basically raided the event and treated law-abiding citizens, children and elderly adults like street junkies. The possibility that the boorish behavior of these officers of the law could affect the attitudes and opinions of the children we were with towards law enforcement truly bothers me. And the children were right in their comments regarding the officers- their actions were idiotic, not to mention, insulting, unsafe, embarrassing and unecessary.

I used to book and oversee large and small events at downtown Tucson's Club Congress and on the few occasions that we had to involve police, I was very pleased with the professionalism in which they handled each situation. Again, some of the officers at GLOW were perfectly pleasant, but a good handful of those Pinal County police involved behaved in a shocking manner- nothing like what I had seen from Tucson Police at large events.

These officers did not "serve and protect" us in the least and I hope their behavior at GLOW is not indicitive of a large, even more dangerous issue. Despite the disturbing events of that evening, I'm glad that this matter is being addressed, investigated and nobody was hurt.

Thank you for your inquiries and for your follow-through. Feel free to reach me, should you have any further questions or requests.

Regards,
Adrienne Lake
Writer, www.aznightbuzz.com

I have attended GLOW for two years as both a volunteer and a guest. I drive two hours from Phoenix to support the event because it is an unique outdoor art experience that unites communities. (Last year when I was assisting with parking a group of local teenagers drove up to me and asked what was going on. I explained the event and they said, "Wow, nothing cool like this has ever happened in Oracle.")

I plan, execute and evaluate events professionally and have done so for 14 years and I can say that GLOW is a well-run event. I have worked events that number over 74,000 in attendance. I also work with law enforcement in many levels and departments and have a great respect for what they do. But Saturday night was different. I have never seen such unrelenting stubbornness and arrogant behavior from officers. Their behavior not only gave the Pinal County Sheriff?s department a bad name, it reinforced the stereotype of what "power hungry" looks like. They had no right to remove people from the event and the manner in which they did so was an unwarranted misuse of power and authority. It was unfortunate that their only goal was to remove everyone. They had no intention of resolving the issue, which remains unclear.

Last year, officers came into GLOW, walked around, and gave their nod of approval. That was also on a Saturday night with a crowd of the same size and run in the same manner. I have no idea why this year they behaved so differently considering the crowd was the same peaceful, art-loving folk.

Sharon, you host a wonderful event and I know that GLOW will survive this unfortunate incident. You can count me in as a volunteer next year as well.

Cindy Dick
Phoenix, AZ

To Whom it May Concern:

I was at Glow when the sheriff's department shut it down, what a sad moment. This was my second time attending Glow, and both times I have been impressed with what a peaceful low key event it is. About twenty minutes before the Sherrif's Department arrived I recall commenting to the people I was with how very quiet it was considering the number of people and the presence of live music in several places at once. It had the same subdued energy familiar to me from the Yaqui Easter ceremonies: a multigenerational gathering of people celebrating peacefully, reverently. There were no drugs present and I think I saw one person with one beer the whole evening.

The whole tenor changed with the arrival of the police. Although all of the attendees I saw were non-argumentative, the police were aggressive, loud, and abrasive. The police seemed afraid, but I don't know of what: the attendees were, for the most part, a bunch of older grey-hairs, with a handful of younger folks (including babies, toddlers and kids) thrown in. I was distressed to see the police rudely refusing to explain what was going on when I politely asked, and distressed to see the way they treated peaceful people so disrespectfully (the reports of police harassment of slow elderly and handicapped people I can affirm. I witnessed this with my own eyes and ears).

Shame on the Pinal County Sheriff's Department for handling this so badly!

Janet K. Miller

My husband and I moved to Oracle in 2005. One of the first events we attended was GLOW. We loved it and looked forward to it all year. Friday night of GLOW 2006 we had a great time. We parked on Oracle Ranch Road and took the shuttle to the driveway. There was a golf cart waiting if we needed assistance but we opted to walk down the long driveway. All along the driveway were glowing balloons. We bought our tickets at the gate and walked the path looking at the art installations. We watched the fire dancers, new this year. In the barn was an amazing display of tree photographs, framed in amazing metal frames. There were about 300 people there. We had hamburgers and listened to some music. Later we went into the main house for cake and coffee. We glowed as well in glitter and LED lights.

Saturday night we were back. Tonight we planned to mostly listen to music. At 10:00 PM we were sitting in the front row at the main stage. One band was just finishing up when Sharon made an announcement that there was a problem on one of the side roads with parked cars. We were parked once again on Oracle Ranch Road. A few minutes later another message. This time we heard the police were going to do a walk through and that no car could be parked with a wheel on pavement. People laughed. There is no way to park anywhere without touching pavement. A few minutes later one of the band members went to the mic and said, "The gestapo have arrived, our tax dollars at work." The disappointment and frustration were evident in his voice. As he turned to walk away the officers stormed the stage and yelled, "hands behind you back.... under arrest.... inciting a riot". They removed him from the stage and threw him up against a horse trailer directly across from where we were sitting.
Without thinking I jumped up and walked to one of the officers standing next to the man in handcuffs. I asked, "Why are you arresting him?" The officer replied, "you're not his mother", in a very menacing voice. I said, "No, I am his witness" and we looked at each other for a few seconds eye to eye. I wanted him to know I knew what he was doing was illegal. I was concerned for the handcuffed man's safety. I then returned to my seat.

Another officer, still on stage took the mic and said, "Everybody out. You have 10 minutes or your cars will be towed." The whole thing seemed like slap stick comedy; in fact, some of the people sitting there thought it was part of the show. Quickly it became evident that this was for real. The officers did every thing short of shooting or clubbing someone to get the crowd worked up. Despite their best efforts people began to leave in an orderly way. I estimate there were between 600- 800 people.

At the gate stood another officer, one hand resting on his gun, the other on his club. He stared straight ahead and would not make eye contact. Ahead of us walked a young family: a husband, a wife with a baby sleeping on one shoulder, her other hand clutching a small child. Beside us walked an elderly man bent over his cane. A look of bewilderment on his face. Everyone looked shocked as I imagine I did too.

I wasn't able to forget the faces of the people I saw as we walked down that long driveway. It took me a few days to understand. I realized I had seen this dazed, shocked look before. It was on the faces of the people walking across the Brooklyn bridge on September 11, 2001, as I sat watching television in my New York home. I was waiting to hear from my husband who was in New York City that day. I saw those looks on the faces of my friends and neighbors in the days that followed and on my husband when he finally made it home. I never expected to see those looks at G:OW and never would I have imagined the cause to be officers of the law.

Sue Ann Carroll

Dear Sharon,

I thought it was street theatre, a specialty act hired for the event to entertain us while one band put away their equipment and the next set up. I was sitting at the back of the audience area in front of the bandstand so didn’t see the troops entering, only the man in a uniform appearing on the stage and a couple of others standing nearby. When he began speaking I thought he had his act down perfectly – the slightly stupid, blustering small-town lawman. With no apology, no introduction, he shouted that we must leave immediately and that in ten minutes all our cars would be towed away. He repeated this several times with a pugnacious, bullying attitude.

I was waiting for the next part of the act. No real representative of the sheriff’s department would behave this way. If there was a problem with parking on the street a real sheriff’s deputy would apologize to the crowd and politely ask that the owners of the improperly parked cars go and move them. License plates and car descriptions would be read. This man was obviously (I thought) acting a part.

Then a member of the band standing nearby said, “The Gestapo has arrived I guess we’d better leave,” One of the deputies put handcuffs on him. This made me even more certain that it was theatre because this is the United States and people don’t get handcuffed for saying something. The man had made no threatening gesture, had no weapon and was not resisting anything.

It was shortly after the handcuffing that I realized that these were actual sheriff’s deputies or other law officers. On the way to my car I felt threatened and intimated. There were several cars with blinking lights out on the street blocking the intersections making it difficult to see oncoming traffic. The officers were standing as if they were resisting attack, many of them with a hand resting lightly on their gun or nightstick. It was scary. I was afraid to make eye contact with them

A family was walking in front of me, the father carrying a sleeping child, another child, perhaps 4 or 5 years ole walking along side with his mother. “Are they going to hurt us?” the little boy asked, his voice quivering.

My experience of Glow, and I have attended all three years, is that it is the most mellow, peaceful, family sort of event. There is no alcohol sold and I have never seen anyone using drugs or looking as if they had. It attracts families because it is a wholesome place to take children.

Just before the sheriff’s department interrupted I was chatting with my guests about how good it was to see so many high school aged kids having a good time doing something fun and educational with no alcohol or drugs around. Many of them had gone to a lot of effort with their lighted clothes and we were admiring the results.

If the raid was because it was believed that the event was a drunken or drugged up party, nothing could have been further from the truth. I’ve seen more riotous church suppers. All that would have been required is that someone from the sheriff’s department walk through and he would have seen that.
If it was because there was a parking problem then surely the proper response would be for someone to politely ask that the offending cars be removed. The sheriff’s cars were apparently able to get to the entrance so the road could not have been blocked as was claimed.

The officers appeared to be pumped up the way they are when doing a drug raid. They were frightening to the citizens who had come to enjoy a community event that it has been hoped would encourage others to visit Oracle and spend money in the community. I think visitors who saw the articles in Tucson papers and attended will think twice before venturing up here again.

As I was walking to my car (parked so that two cars could easily pass between it and the car across the street), I heard a woman behind me talking to her friends. From their conversation I gathered that they were from a city nearby and had driven to Oracle just to attend Glow. She said, “You think these little towns are idyllic but when you get a good look you can see they are all run by a bunch of red-necks.” My first impulse was to turn around and tell her what a wonderful place Oracle is. But she had just seen exactly how Oracle is, the lovely evening of community togetherness and then the raid by a bunch of thugs dressed as law officers. I might have to rethink life in Pinal County myself.

Whose idea was this raid and who led it so it was handled in such a clumsy and frightening way? What discipline will this person receive? How can I know that this person is no longer in a position to make similar decisions in the future?

It seems to me that the role of the sheriff’s department in a county is to encourage and assist at this sort of event, not raid it. What is the thinking of the sheriff about this?

I don’t know of anything that could be done to give the children back their trust and appreciation of law officers. I fear some of them were too frightened to recover easily. Adults were also frightened. An evening we had looked forward to and paid for was shockingly interrupted. What can be done to repair this damage?

Christine Baines, Oracle

September 12, 2006

Dear Editor,

On September 9th my wife and I went to an art showing in Oracle Arizona called Glow put on by a local artist. The artist owns the property that this showing was taking place. At approximately 10:00 we were shocked to here a group of sheriffs officers hollering as they walked down the main drive that the party was over and everyone was to leave immediately. At first I thought it was a joke as these guys looked to be ready to do battle. At that time no explanation was given as to why we were to leave immediately. The group of people that was in attendance was a quiet group including families, and people of all age groups. No body was drunk, although some people may have brought their own drinks, and nobody was acting out of order. I finally understood why the sheriffs felt compelled to close down this event when I heard that the parking was blocking emergency vehicles access. I was amazed to find as we walked back to the car that the only vehicles blocking the driveway and adjoining roads were sheriff’s vehicles, I guess that emergency vehicles could gain access as the sheriffs had. There were 2 sheriffs’ vehicles at the 3 exits I could see and at least 4 sheriffs on the property. This was a planned attempt to close this event down. For the Pinal County Sheriffs to show those kind of numbers on a Saturday night would leave the rest of Pinal County low on police protection. The sheriffs were wrong in how they handled themselves at best, and they were wrong in closing such an event down. My opinion is that this is an example of the Rambo syndrome, the small county sheriff not allowing this to happen in his county. The Pinal County Sheriff owes the owner of the property an apology!

Ford Goodman

Sergeant LeBlanc-

I appreciated reading in Tucson Weekly the fact that you are so distressed about how your officers comported themselves on the Saturday night GLOW festival.

My wife and I brought our 4-year-old and 1-year-old to the event. We were with friends who had a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old. We were lucky enough to be on our way out when your officers can storming into the scene. They were yelling at anyone who would listen "This party's over. We start towing in 10 minutes. Get out now!" Our 4-year-old kept repeating "we need to go now before they take our car!!!" What an amazing disservice your officers did to police in general, teaching this impressionable 4-year-old that cops are thugs.

I guess what's most problematic is that these officers did not have the facilities to observe their surroundings as they rushed in threatening everyone. They encountered our group of kids right near the entrance, well before the "gestapo" line was uttered. Had they taken even one moment to consider what they were seeing, they would have realized very quickly that this was no rave or drug scene, but rather a family event whose worst fault may have been creating some traffic or parking problems.

I have every respect for our police, but that is based on the premise that they make every effort to ascertain a situation before they use force, whether verbal or physical, to quell it. Clearly these officers need, at a MINIMUM, some serious training. I guess while they learn how not to threaten innocent citizens, I will work with my son to UNLEARN the lessons he learned that night.

I wish I had images to share with you. Unfortunately, the only images I have were in my head. And to be honest, while I did have a camera that night, there's no way in hell I was going to start snapping pictures with the police acting in such a threatening manner.

I truly hope you stick to your promise of getting to the bottom of this, and that you take the necessary steps to ensure that this never happens again.

Sincerely,

Derek Roth Gordon
Tucson, AZ

Hi Sharon

I arrived back from vacation too late this year to attend your wonderful GLOW exposition, which I have enjoyed for two previous years. The shocking invasion of this community event by the Sheriff's Dept saddens me very much, both the fact of it and the ugly way in which it was carried out. At issue for me, after reading the witness of attendees, is the question of whether a community is owned by its citizens or by a handful of uneducated thugs with badges and unresolved dominance issues. With what authority do they presume to barge into lawful gatherings and terrify children and elderly people? Are there no constitutional protections against such outrages? Are these violent "cowboys" not accountable to anyone? If not to the community, then to whom? Who hires such horrible people? Who screens them? Your guests are quite charitable in demanding reprimands for the most sociopathic among them. I can not understand how dangerously rude individuals with such questionable judgement can be allowed to keep jobs as public servants. They should be fired.

Michael Moore
26 year Oracle resident

New “Clue” Character: Corporal Snyder, on the stage, with handcuffs

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Gestapo has arrived. I’m sorry but we all have to leave. It’s our tax dollars at work.”

“Corporal Synder” (the only name he would give) immediately put the truth to the words of the man at the mic, leaping onto and crossing the stage, then demanding loud enough for all to hear through the still-connected mic, “Put your hands behind your back,” and then handcuffing the white-haired man.
It was the beginning of the end of a serene evening at the third annual “Glow,” an art-and-music event hosted by Sharon Holnback, owner of Triangle L Ranch on Triangle L Ranch Road in Oracle.

Along with art and music, the group, ranging from infants and children to wheelchair-bound 80-somes, had been enjoying hot dogs, hamburgers and homemade cookies and cake. To drink, we had the choice of water, soda or coffee. There was no alcohol and not a whiff of the dreaded weed, marijuana.

We had been told during interruptions to the previous band’s set that parking along the road was a problem – that sheriff’s deputies were saying they would tow all cars “with two wheels on asphalt.” The threat seemed spurious. Parking half on the shoulder and half on the road is not uncommon and often a necessity in this area.

Moments later, in the midst of all of us 50- and 60-year-olds, Corporal Snyder came barreling through, followed by a handful of other deputies who, with shoulders ahead of hips, obviously meant business.
The “G” word was uttered, the handcuffs placed, and the crowd rose up. Cries of “What are you doing?” and “Freedom of speech” rang out. Corporal Synder responded: “You have been warned. This is an unlawful assembly. Anyone who does not leave will be arrested for trespassing.”

What? We were invited. We paid our $10 each. Did Corporal Synder?

No. He crashed the party and then was rude and inconsiderate to his elders. And by forcing all to leave at once, he created a dangerous traffic jam.

He should be spanked.

And we are left to ponder, what would have happened had we been teen-agers?

Julie Szekely

Live music at the Main Stage
Photo by Jeff Smith

It was one of those rare, beautiful events where a mass of peace loving folks had gathered to enjoy an evening of art, music and socializing. My band, the Carnivaleros, was preparing to perform when we got a call from our violinist Heather Hardy from the main highway. She said that the authorities would not let her in and they were extremely rude to her. We told her to park at the Circle K and I borrowed one of the volunteers cars to drive over and pick her up, as she had some heavy gear to bring in. As I got to the main highway, there was one sheriff's car parked there with the officer standing beside his car with no other traffic or parked cars in sight. I asked him if I could cross the highway, pick up Heather and come back the way I came, mentioning that I have a parking spot from where the car was previously parked. He said "No, once you leave you can't return". So I turned the car around and parked, assuming Heather would have to drive back to Tucson as little choice was on the table. As I walked the 1/4 mile back to the stage we called her and told her as much but by that time Sharon had managed to get through with one of the small shuttles. So we were pleased that it seemed as if all were well. Then, as we were setting up more equipment the band and the crowd both heard this yelling and screaming headed our way. (The stage area was at the end of the 1/4 mile loop) We all looked up to see five or six officers storming our way, yelling at children and the elderly alike to disperse in 10 minutes or you will face charges and your vehicle will be towed. My reaction was to calmly make a remark into the microphone as such: "The Gestapo have arrived, here's your tax dollars at work so I guess we have to leave". Two of the officers then grabbed me and forced my hands behind my back and cuffed me stating that I was inciting a riot. Well, I think we all know who was actually inciting a potential riot and it wasn't me. Anyway, they dragged me off the stage and pushed me up against a horse trailer. My wife Connie and my friend Marx both tried to approach me and the officers yelled at them to back away from me and do not speak. I was not arrested and no rights were spoken to me. While the crowd tried to reason with them, I remained detained for 15 to 20 minutes until they coerced the crowd to leave. Then the officer who cuffed me asked me if I was going to continue to agitate the crowd. (Hmmmm, they're all gone now...) I said no and he removed the cuffs. On a personal level, I felt abused and humiliated and on a social level I was outraged that a group of thugs posing as our protectors would turn the tables so quickly, violently and rudely on what was a beautiful social gathering.

Gary Mackender
Accordionist and Bandleader
The Carnivaleros

"The Carnivaleros sounds like their name suggests - an amalgam of
Tex-Mex, circus music, Zydeco, traditional Western, spy themes,
Eastern European motifs, and everything else under the sun."
Stephen Seigel, Tucson Weekly

Gary Mackender

here is our story!

It is also attached as a word document. Please use it
however you need it - with or without my name.

A good friend and I were very excited Glow was
happening again! We marked our calendars and on
Saturday evening began the hour long drive though the
Arizona night to Oracle, such a wonderful place with a
rich art historical narrative that continues today.

My friend had never been to Glow and I was excited to
go back. Last year I had thoroughly enjoyed myself.
What is more fun then live music and light-specific
installation and performance art?

What transpired upon our arrival was unbelievable and
utterly shocking. We turned off Oracle onto
Rockcliffe Blvd., passing a cluster of police cars,
and headed down the street a sheriff’s squad car with
flashing lights blocked Oracle Ranch Road. I naively
assumed they were there for traffic control. Oh, how
wrong I was.

A uniformed sheriff pounded his flashlight on the
window of the cute Audi sports car I was driving. I
rolled down my window surprised that my car had just
been assaulted, ready to ask where the best place to
park would be. Not two words into my question, the
sheriff began yelling “YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE
HERE! HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH THE BLOCKADE?!” Still
confused about what was going on, I said “No one
stopped us – ” this enraged him more, making him even
more incoherent.

Then a second officer, dressed all in black, stormed
over to the car screaming “YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF
HERE!”

I politely asked “Then where should I park?”

The unbelievably rude and caustic officer in black
yelled something about “HE ALREADY TOLD YOU!” –
pointing at the Sheriff.

“Told me what?” I responded. I got the same response! Another minute of his hostile evasive talk ensued. He kept yelling finally exploding: “WE ARE CLOSING THE
EVENT DOWN!!! NOW GET OUT OF HERE!!!!”

After the confusing conversation I asked once more
just to be clear – after all, we had driven an hour.
We deserved some sort of explanation for this
insanity.

The officer in black spouted more top volume
incoherent jargon. I had the clear impression that he
wanted me to start a fight with him ... a perfectly
surreal encounter.

This shocking, disgusting performance by law
enforcement officers, an endless spew of arrogant rage
and complete lack of decorum, insulted my intelligence
and deeply offended my friend. I asked for their
badge numbers with every intention of reporting there
disgraceful behavior.

The officer in black screamed “NO!! NOW GET OUT OF
HERE!” and implied that if we did not leave he was
going to arrest us.

This was unbelievable. Police give their badge
numbers when asked. Presumably they have nothing to
hide – like their identity, for instance. I asked
again, making sure I heard this correctly: “You are
not going to give me your badge number??”

“NO! NOW GET OUT OF HERE!”

Not wishing to be chained and arrested, I turned my
car around and drove home. While on the way I called
the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. No one apologized;
I was instructed to call back during the week.

I called Wednesday afternoon to file a formal
complaint. A very nice Sergeant took down the story
and told me he would get back in touch with me.
If the two law enforcement officers had been
reasonable, clear, rational, and had simply stated:
“I’m sorry you drove all the way out here, the event
is being closed because thus and so ... please turn
your car around, thanks,” that’s all it would have
taken.

In the end both I and my friend had been belittled,
insulted and offended by the two officers who had
accosted us in the car yelling incoherent rage. Our
offence: showing up at an event approved by the Pinal
County Board of Supervisors.

Any police officer who behaves in such an outrageous,
hostile, and vile manner does not deserve the
privilege of wielding the state’s sanctioned physical
force. This was absolutely unconscionable. Screaming
at polite citizens who ask for instructions is way
past bizarre. These thugs deserve instant dismissal.

If anyone acted the way they did on the job, they
would be fired immediately, if not arrested. Cops
misusing their authority are no exception. Law
enforcement should be held not to a higher standard
than other citizens! They brag about “protecting” and
“serving” but in merely pushing their weight around,
they forfeited all respect. They should be ashamed of
themselves and the Police Force and Sheriff’s
Department should be horrified that bad apples like
these generate only contempt.

Investigation will certainly reveal that these
officers were out of line. I have learned that many
other people who traveled to Oracle to enjoy Glow were
treated the same. I request a letter of apology and
reimbursement for a tank of gas. At least these thugs
didn’t break the window of my car.

Demion Clinco

P.S. We had our interaction with the two officers around
9:40.

Artwork in barn/gallery
Artwork in the barn/gallery
Photo by Jeff Smith

Hi Sharon,

My daughter and I attended .....GLOW and enjoying ourselves, yes indeed we thought it was some kind of joke..................then we realized ....this was for real............get out!!!

I just wanted to say thank you for the beautiful event, enjoyed the art, musico, musicians and firedancers and so sorry for ALL. Certainly a shock and felt we were in a 3rd world country/dictatorship.

I will not be able to attend tomorrow or i would be there, working.

Stand tall and strong, peace, light and blessings..........

Sandra

Hi Sharon,

Ruth Marblestone, Rafael Perez and Ving Marblestone-Perez here!!!

We tried to get to glow and were told that we could go to the event by the NICE officers at the turnoff of oracle Road. We walked down the the turn and were rudely told to leave by the officers blocking the road. We walked back up to oracle and the nice officers told us there was no way that they could keep us out.

We walked back down and past the officers blocking the road. We were just at your main ranch house when the officers were yelling at the crowd from the stage: "You have been lawfully warned to leave and if you do not do so you will be lawfully dealt with."

We were scared, we had our 13 month old son with us and we left quickly. The whole scene was quiet and respectful and it was only the officers that were aggressive and loud.

We are sorry that this happened to you.

We hope that we can connect with you soon.

Ruth K. Marblestone

Sharon,

I had the good fortune to attend GLOW on Friday night. Jim was performing, as he has in the past. He looks forward to the event and was sorry (almost) that we had concert tickets for Saturday night. So I can speak to what was a well-managed, smoothly running, completely enjoyable event Friday night. I arrived about 8 PM with another local friend, an artist and teacher who has just moved to Oracle. She was pleased and impressed with art and the event and we spent a little over two hours roving, listening, eating and chatting with new and old friends. This is just the sort of event Oracle is known for and we want to keep offering.

For nearly three years I have lent my efforts to a regional economic development group, the Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition. The Coalition came about when many of us realized that in order for our communities to survive, much less thrive; something needed to happen in a planned fashion to bring attention to the wonderful gifts our area has to share. These gifts are not only the beautiful environment, they are the talented people and generous community members who care about each other and are so hospitable to visitors.

Of the economic development initiatives our Coalition is supporting, Tourism ranks highly. The newest genre is Geotourism, defined as Tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place its environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture, and the well-being of its residents. This is absolutely the definition of GLOW. This is also why your signature event is so critical to the success of our regional tourism plans.

When I heard about the events of Saturday night I was concerned not only for you, but for the future of our nascent tourism plan for the region. I knew you would respond appropriately and only hoped that your well-reasoned manner would be matched by the County officials. We will all work with them to assure that your reputation is restored and enhanced. Further we as a Coalition will work to create a County Event Checklist to better protect event planners in the future.

Lynn Perez-Hewitt
President of the Board of Directors
Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition

To Whom It May Concern:

I was in attendance Saturday night, Sept. 9 2006, at the GLOW event. I had gotten a ride with three other friends, from Tucson. Everyone was having a great time wandering around the ranch looking at the art and listening to the great music. Then the Keystone cops with ste-ROID RAGE and their Foolish leader, Wyatt Twerp show up screaming like two year olds, throwing temper tantrums GET OUT, GET OUT or be ARRESTED!

I was trying to give (the owner) Sharon’s, 80 year old, Mom a hand getting up the hill to her car, before she was arrested. There were cops screaming at us and everyone else the entire way. Sharon’s Mom had to abandon use of her walker, she wasn’t going fast enough. We got to her car and loaded her walker in the back. Then I started looking for my friends, to get a ride out of the chaos. Looking around I could see a lot of people in my same dilemma, looking for friends and family members that were scattered by the sheriffs. There were cell phones pressed to everyone’s ears.

The best way I can describe the Sheriff’s approach to clearing the people out of the area is this. To have 20 storm troopers run into a movie theater, with torches, screaming FIRE FIRE GET OUT!

I received a call from my friends, saying two were back at the truck. I headed out looking for our fourth friend and found them. Once we were all in the truck we drove out to see that the only vehicles blocking the road were the sheriff’s. They were all over. This raid must have been plan in advance. For that many officers and vehicles out there that fast. This was a great night to be a criminal in Pinal County, all the sheriffs were busy threaten 80 year old ladies and small children, at an art event.

Jack Marek Jr.

I want to add to the growing record of first hand experiences at GLOW on the evening of September 9. I was standing at the edge of the driveway near the main house, where I had just finished helping the student cohort from Aravaipa Campus, Central Arizona College pack up after offering GLOW attendees free chair massages as part of their clinical practice. (And lest that be misinterpreted somehow, let me point out that chair massages are basically back rubs for fully clothed people of all ages who are sitting in chairs.)

Striding down the driveway without stopping to observe any of the people they were passing came a coterie of law enforcement officials, shouting "The party's over. You have 10 minutes to leave or you will be arrested." With their dark clothes, nightsticks and weapons, and the angry energy they were radiating, I could not believe I was in Oracle Arizona at an annual family-style event. I was so forcibly reminded of the days of "police riots" in the South during the Civil Rights era in the 1960's, that for a moment I wondered if this might all be a "street theater" parody of the horror and injustices of those days.

After the handcuffing incident I realized this was for real. As I left, I happened to notice that there appeared to be more law enforcement vehicles than I have ever seen at one time on this side of the county; and that they were the only vehicles obstructing the flow of traffic on the road. I immediately wondered how so many vehicles had assembled there in such a short time; and wonder --even now-- whether this was somehow organized well in advance.

The pretext, that GLOW visitor vehicles were obstructing the road seems flimsy at best, especially considering that Oracle Ranch Road is a complete loop, and therefore fully accessible even if there is something at a single point along the road.

My hope is that this incident is a wake-up call resulting in many substantive actions that will assure that our community will never ever be "handled" like this again.
Mary Myers

Letter to Pinal County Sheriffs Dept. and Board of Supervisors:

Dear Sir,

I am writing to inform you of the disgraceful and belligerent behavior
and actions engaged in by the Pinal Counties Sherifs Department during
the annual evening art event, Glow, on Saturday the ninth of September.
As you may or may not know Glow is an annual nighttime art festival held
in Oracle at the Triangle L guest ranch. It is attended by all ages and
is very much a family event. Various artist from Oracle and Tucson
present lighted sculpture along a desert path on the ranch and by the
main house a small stage is erected and acoustic music played. No alcohol
is sold but guests may bring their own. I personally have attended and
participated in the event for the last three years and I can truly say it
is a very diverse crowd with people from many walks of life. A local
group of business people and women sell hot dogs and pies.
On Saturday night officers showed up at this quiet peaceful gathering
concerned about the parking situation. The staff of the ranch was working
in good faith with these officers to fix the situation. Another officer
dressed in black and wearing a large black cowboy hat showed up conferred
with the first two to arrive and then they and others marched in and began
threatening people . It was truly beyond the pale and utterly unnecessary.
I personally witnessed two deputies yelling at the top of their lungs at
an eighty-one year old woman with a walker to get out or be arrested. I
saw a grey haired man handcuffed and shoved against a horse trailer face
first because he was asking why they were doing this. The officers refused
to answer any questions. When a man who was holding a boy, who couldn't of
been more than three, asked one of the deputies what was going on the
deputy replied that he was going to arrest him and implied that bad things
could happen to him in jail. Needless to say the child was terrified. I
saw one man approach an officer trying to explain that he had had a couple
of beers and did not feel safe to drive the officer told him to go home
and that he didn't give a dam. Despite the fact that an officer told me
this was about public safety the situation created these officers clearly
made the situation infinitely more dangerous. People were scared and
exited rashly. The public safety was clearly the last thing on the minds
of these officers. Who seemed to have made up their minds long before they
arrived.

Congratulations on scaring old ladies and children at what basically
amounted to an art opening. This wasn't a rave or a drugged out hippy
party it was a family event. I did not see a single intoxicated person. I
was utterly disgusted by the belligerence and indifference these public
servants had to the public at this event. I have seen many situations
where the police needed to assert control. I might have expected this kind
of behavior if they were raiding a biker meth lab. Never have I witnessed
less professional behavior. This night has left a stain on the sherifs
department and on Pinal county.

Sincerely
Michael Wells

9/11/06
RE: GLOW – Art Event
Triangle L Ranch
Oracle, AZ

To Whom It May Concern:

I was working as a volunteer at the ticket table for GLOW on Saturday
September 9, 2006 from 7:30 – about 10:30 PM. We were in radio
contact with others who were organizing the event and those who
were handling the parking and shuttles into the ranch. As it
approached 9:45 PM, the crowd coming into the ranch was thinning
considerably and quite a lot of people were starting to leave, thereby
alleviating the parking congestion on Oracle Ranch Road. At
approximately 10:00 PM we could hear over the radio that some
Sheriffs had arrived and needed to speak to someone in charge of the
event and that there were problems with cars parked along Rockcliffe.
We heard over the radio at that point the Sheriffs were not going to
allow any more people to enter the ranch, so we closed down the
ticket table. At approximately 10:15 PM or so, we observed several
Sheriffs in brown uniforms and two officers in dark navy or black
uniforms (one in a black cowboy hat), who appeared to be in charge,
coming into the ranch with Sharon to check things out. A few minutes
later we could hear a PA announcement from one of those officers that
the event was being closed down and that everyone had 15 minutes to
clear the premises or be arrested.

It is my opinion that this was an unnecessarily heavy handed tactic
that actually created a potentially unsafe situation for the
approximately 500 people that were attempting to leave. I estimate
that the average age of the attending crowd was 50+. I saw several
older people struggling to hurry up the ranch driveway, who could
have easily used the assistance of the shuttles to get to their vehicles.
But because the crowd was being hurried out, the shuttles were unable
to get to them.

At approximately 10:30 PM I was walking up the ranch driveway to
leave the premises with Darrel Klesch. We were right behind a group
of officers, 2-3 brown uniformed Sheriffs and the 2 dark uniformed
Officers and we were able to clearly hear their conversation. One of
the brown uniformed Sheriffs asked the group, “I thought this was
supposed to be a rave?” One of the other brown uniforms responded
“I guess not.” One of the dark uniforms was asking the others if
anyone had asked any of them for their name and badge numbers.
The cowboy hat dark uniform laughed and answered, “Yes, I was
asked by several people, but I gave a false name and number.” They
all laughed.

My conclusion about this behavior is that the cowboy hat dark uniform
officer was in charge. He was grossly misinformed as to the nature of
the GLOW event. And even when presented with the obvious was not
able to change his tactics to a more appropriate behavior. This officer
did not display intelligent leadership qualities and was obviously
disgruntled that he was not able to carry out his raid.

As I drove out of the area, my observation was that the only people
blocking the roads were the police.

Signed,
June Rettig

Hi,

What a disappointment to be turned away from GLOW by angry, mean, disrespectful law enforcement who screamed at us, "Are you arguing with me?" when I was just meekly and politely asking questions, which he refused to answer. I haven't been treated so badly in my life. I was shocked at his unnecessary attitude. He kept screaming at us to leave, but it was obvious that there were cars behind me and in front of me which prevented me from moving. If he had wanted to help, he would have been conducting traffic instead of just screaming at the people stuck in the line of cars. I wish I could have gotten him on video--he was appalling.

Hope next year is better organized so we can enjoy a GLOW in 2007.

Beverly Dulaney

Hello,

I attended Glow on Saturday. I just want to tell you that I really enjoyed it until the cops showed up and closed it down. It was shocking to see how belligerent those police were. They scared the little kids that were in the vicinity. I was with friends near the outdoor stage when the cops came by yelling loudly and threatening to have everyone's car towed away if we didn't get out in 10 minutes. It felt like we were being treated like criminals or a bunch of drunken rowdies and it was disgusting. And when I saw them put handcuffs on a man who was on the stage, I just couldn't believe it. We only got to be there for a little under 2 hours, and it was just such an awful ending to a beautiful evening. I just can't get over how nasty those cops were.

I hope that you will still be able to have Glow in the future, maybe with a little different parking.

Sincerely,
Sharyl Rohler

My friends and I tried to attend Glow Saturday night and had a very
unpleasant encounter with the Pinal County Sheriffs.
When we tried to turn onto the dirt road off the highway, there were
officers blocking traffic. They were extremely rude, shining flashlights
in our faces, telling us to back up and turn around. We were trapped with
cars in front and behind us. When we politely asked if there was
someplace else to park, they said "Do you want to argue with us?" We
tried to ask for further inormation they repeated the same phrase and said
it was an unauthorized event and we had to leave.

We were really disappointed and insulted.

Thought you might want to know.

Thanks.
Colleen Kelly

To the administrators of Pinal County:

I was an attendant at the GLOW Festival in Oracle on Saturday, October 9, 2006 and I would like to describe the behavior of the police as deplorable. I was at the front entry of the Triangle L Ranch where the police kept stating that it was impossible for any emergency vehicle to gain entry to the ranch. I saw no problems of the sort. At the sounds of a siren, a path could have been easily cleared. The crowd was of mixed ages and the police treated everyone as criminals. GLOW is a festival of lights and many people had luminous costumes on. I heard of one incident directly from a person who was told by a policeman that people dress like this must be doing drugs. Quite a conclusion having seen the mix of the crowd.

The people running glow were very concern that there was handicap access and people with health problems were driven from the front entry into the ranch. When the police disperse the crowd and demanded everybody to leave they had no consideration for those people who needed help up the road. I saw some old people obviously undergoing some difficulty hobbling up the road. If there was a safety issue, the police enhance the possibility rather than diminished it.

My impression, against what I experienced was the police are public servants and are suppose to assist in the public well being. Glow was scheduled from 8:00 PM to 12:00 PM. The police evacuated the crowd at 10:30 PM. As a public service, the police should have stayed and maintained safety for the hour and a half rather than act like power hungry thugs. They were adversarial from the moment they arrived, even to the point of handcuffing a participant for saying something negative. Is it against the law to state negative opinions? Are our police so poorly trained that they can not control their tempers?

All and all the police overreacted to an extremely well behaved group of participants while the police displayed extreme negative behavior. I understand that some of the the police at the event were sympathetic with the attendants and thought there was a no need to evacuate the event but the officer in charge should be reprimand for his loathsome out of hand behavior (and probably made to apologize publicly). There were people of all ages enjoying some simple clean fun. It would be a shame if GLOW had to be canceled in the future because of a few officers not really serving the cause of the people.

Robert Hoffman

On the sculpture path
Photo by Jeff Smith

Hi Sharon,

Many of us look forward to Glow as a favorite annual event. [Paul and I like to come both Friday and Saturday nights.] Many of us in the Oracle community were blown away by what happened last night. We want to make sure that Glow continues to be an annual event, and to offer support.
My hope is that it would be as simple as having cars park only on one side of the street, or perhaps have an alternate parking lot with shuttles. My concern is that this was not handled well by the Sheriff's Dept. Such a beautiful peaceful family event should not have be dealt with like a "bust." My granddaughter's ages 4 and 8 were terrified that the police were going to tow away the family car. Friends reported seeing at least nine Sheriff's vehicles.

Thank you for all you do. I believe you have a great deal of community support. Let us know what we might do to help.

Dawn Weiss

Sharon,

We were so sorry that your beautiful party got crashed
tonight by the evil police out there. what a bunch of
idiots. That had to be the tamest party ever shut
down in history. so many nice people we met there...
Id love to volunteer to help you in the future
coordinating parking or a shuttle from a nearby
parking location. also with anything else. Glow is
such a beautiful event. what happened tonight makes
me want to help in the future to really make it work
in spite of problems like this.

Again, so very very sorry...
Neil and Christina

To whom it may concern :

Living at the Triangle L Ranch in Oracle for the past 5+ years has been nothing less than
heavenly for me. Each morning I get up & silently give thanks to God for my good fortune. The
peaceful vibes here are on a spiritual level and most guests feel the same way even after being
here for one or two days. So you can imagine what it's like to LIVE hear every day. Sharon Holnback,
my best friend, and the owner of this land & guest ranch, feels the same way. She also feels the need to
share this wondrous place with others. Sharon's vision is to make this little paradise a place where people can come and relax, take walks, make art, and generally feel safe against
the crazy things going on in the world today. So, the Triangle L Guest Ranch Bed & Breakfast has been a wonderful retreat for people of all race/religion/ way of life, etc.

So, when she came up with the idea of GLOW, I thought it was just the most fabulous concept : a night, under the full moon, for people to participate in Art, Music and Performance with LIGHT as the common denominator. (Hence the term "GLOW".) This was our 3rd year having the event and each year more people attend. (Last year approx. 1000 people came.) This year's GLOW was proving to be bigger & better than ever. Everyone seemed to be in harmony. The calmness and "happy vibes" permeated the whole 50 acres of the ranch. I was the DJ of the event & was spinning tunes in front of
the Bunkhouse on Saturday night around 10pm, when the Tucson band The Carnivaleros were ready to
perform. I stopped playing CD's and went up near the stage when out of the blue an officer of
the law "stormed" onstage, took the microphone, and yelled "THIS IS AN ILLEGAL GATHERING AND EVERYBODY MUST LEAVE NOW OR BE ARRESTED!" I, along with eveyone else in the
audience, was stunned. It felt like I was shot with some mind & body numbing solution. I
then proceeded to observe chaos and confusion overtake the whole area. Eventually everybody left the
premises leaving me and a few others in a state of shock and disbelief. Whatever the reason
the officers had in dispersing this gentle group of adults and children, they completely MISREAD the gathering and treated us like potential rioters or drunk and drug-crazed ravers. Which was just the
opposite of what we were, which was intelligent, joyous, "happy campers", enjoying a wondrous night
together, away from the evils of the world around us. I, personally, bear no animosity toward the
officers present that night.

It's just left me a litlle confused and saddened. But the Triangle L Ranch
will prevail in it's mission to continue to give shelter and revitalization to all people. And I mean
All People.My humble point of view.

Peace, over'n'out - Dave "Kidd Squidd" Squires "from The Bunkhouse".

Hi Sharon,

Please feel free to share my comments with the Pinal County Supervisors, Pinal County Sheriff Dept, the media, and anyone else who may be interested.

First of all, congratulations on organizing your art event, Glow. I started smiling as soon as I saw the blinking balloons marking the driveway down to the event. The mood of "light, entertaining, and fun" continued as I followed the well-lit paths guiding people around the ranch to see the art sculptures and everything. I saw old folks and young kids having a good time enjoying your event. Glow was pure family entertainment. And thanks for the complimentary coffee served in the main house.

Then around 10:15 pm I witnessed what I describe as some young redneck macho John Wayne wannabees with guns and badges breaking up the art event. They showed no respect for your paying guests in the manner they took over the stage with their threats of "leave in ten minutes or your cars will be towed." There was no need to grab the musician on stage to handcuff him. That's a sorry example of Pinal County's law enforcers protecting, serving, and helping control a situation. I have to compliment Kidd Squidd, the DJ. He said the right thing in his microphone, something like, "well if it's time to go, let's all go together peacefully...let's not mess up the good vibe that we've had all evening." His calm words were actually helpful. He should have had more volume on his mike; the sheriffs could learn from him. I heard one middle aged woman say, "what's going on...there's no booze or drugs...what's the problem?"

I left Glow soon after the sheriff told us to go. As I reached the end of the driveway I saw two sheriff's cars with lights on, but I did not see anyone helping to direct pedestrians and vehicles trying to leave. I walked down to the intersection of Oracle Ranch Rd and Rockcliff Rd toward my car, and I saw another sheriff's vehicle with lights on. But I did not see anyone assisting with traffic control at this intersection either. I drove onto the highway and headed back to Tucson, and I thought, "I hope there are no accidents tonight" as a result of the way the sheriffs mishandled their authority.

I look forward to attending Glow in 2007. I hope the sheriffs attend a class or two in crowd control and traffic control and learn how not to turn a nice event into an ugly one.

Stew Kobritz

Dear Sharon,

Here is my experience of Glow. This is the 3rd Glow show I've attended and they have all been the same: mellow, artistic, family-oriented, mystical, creative, full of nature and gentle. People are so happy to be there. I know I look forward to it the entire year. Burros and geese in the background making their sweet noises. The over all energy is sweet and wholesome.

It was the same this year, both nites, until 10 pm on saturday nite, Sept 9. I was close to the entrance when all of the sudden the lights went black and I heard a mean man at the loudspeaker say "This is an illegal event and is closed. Everyone must move their cars within 10 minutes or they will all be towed away!". That changed the mellow, sweet event to chaos. Children were running around crying, adults were trying to protect them. The officers were loud, mean, demanding, intimidating and impatient. Some were physical and threatening. One officer handcuffed a man and slamed him into a horse trailer. (He later released him after threats). Small children were told that they would be "Taken to jail and bad things would happen to them".

This was totally inappropriate behavior and has upset me and hundreds of people, not to mention the small children, who might be scarred for life. This heavy-handed aggession must be stopped. This is still America, isn't it?

Sometimes lately, I'm not sure. What a shame to distrust officials, but that is exactly what this stunt did. This could easily turn into a scandal, and right before the elections??
Someone made a HUGE mistake. The average age of the attendents was 50 years old. Grandparents there with their grandchildren. Are these criminals? Surely the police have more important things to do that to bust little children.
I counted 10 sheriff's vehicles. Commandos arresting children in sparkly costumes.

Pinal County has injured it's reputation beyond imagination with this one. I, for one, am so angry and disappointed, I don't even know what to do to protect the public. Isn't that what the police are supposed to do? Now we are needing to protect our children from the police. What is wrong with this picture??

A concerned citizen and Glow participant,

Susie Cox

To Whom It May Concern,
I’m writing to voice my concern about the unfortunate series of events that occurred on Saturday night . I have attended GLOW along with my wife and 9year old son Gabriel the last two years of which I have participated as an artist, volunteer, and GLOWgoer, It is by far one of the most creative, festive, enjoyable and safe arts events in Southern Arizona. Sharon Holnback should be congratulated on opening up her little piece of paradise for the two nights out of the year that she hosts this inspiring event. I never once experienced rowdy behavior within the Triangle L boundaries during this children of all ages event. This celebration of illumination must continue and with the cooperation of the community of Oracle, the law enforcement agencies and the understanding of the immediate neighbors it will GLOW for many years to come. I would hope the officers that closed down the event this year will be questioned by their superiors and be reprimanded for any inappropriate action that occurred. LONG LIVE GLOW! Dan Wilhelm.

By: Sharon Brady

“GLOW”, Triangle L Ranch, Oracle, AZSaturday, September 11, 2006, around 10 PM

Personally, I had trouble sleeping later that night. When I closed my eyes I saw the men dressed as sheriffs charging in shouting and acting ugly. It reminded me of films I’d seen of storm troopers. Now I have a few unanswered questions: who gave the order to treat peaceful citizens in such a manner, when last year the sheriff’s department walked through quietly observing the lawfulness of this Oracle event, and then, just as quietly, left us to enjoy ourselves? Who were the men in black with guns hanging on their belts who seemed like support team? Why more than 10 police cars blocking up the roads when we scattered and left? What was the basic reasoning in threatening, cuffing, and scaring law-abiding citizens?

This is what I remember:

We had been to Glo on Friday night and enjoyed it a lot, as we have for the past 3 years. It’s become an event many folks look forward to, one that brings out many local families. We decided to return on Saturday night to enjoy it again, and listen to a band we really like

Sitting chatting with my husband Bob and a few friends, waiting for the band to begin around 10pm, we are in the second row of seats (there were only about 2 rows, some people were standing, some sitting around round tables back a bit further.

Suddenly, we heard shouting and along to my left saw men, Sheriffs? Running towards the stage, posturing in a threatening manner and angrily shouting that we have to ”Get Out Now! Party’s Over! We’re shutting this down NOW! You’re all trespassing!” It seemed like a raid! For what??? A relaxing fun night with no alcohol? We all just sat there, frozen, frightened and shocked. A few people started yelling “Why? Why?” Someone said “We haven’t done anything wrong!” It didn’t seem possible, not in Oracle, not at such a quiet and mellow event where families pass a pleasant evening.

As these men came running and shouting towards the stage, the band leader was setting up at the microphone and he said “Here comes the gestapo. Your tax dollars at work, folks. Guess we’d better go.” Then he turned around and began to exit stage right. A sheriff ran across the stage behind him, grabbed him roughly, and screamed at him, “Put your hands behind your back! Put your hands behind your back now!” Other sheriffs began to run behind him. They then cuffed the band leader! Children were crying, people were standing, milling around asking “What’s going on? Why? Why? Men in sheriff uniforms were shouting at us “You are trespassing! Get out now!” That’s when I got really upset. It didn’t seem possible. Is this what democracy looks like in 2006?

Bob went up to the bottom of the stage and asked the main leader of these sheriffs why he cuffed the bandleader, and first got a reply that went something like it’s none of your business, get out of here, then when asked again, saying it was illegal, this sheriff shouted that the bandleader was inciting a riot! Jeez. Bob said that there was no reason to cuff this man, he threatened no one - not the police and not the people. This angry sheriff told Bob that he’d cuff him right now if he didn’t leave at once. Others were questioning this too - the bandleader had said “let’s go”. He’d had been walking away from the mike, across the stage. His back was to us. All he wanted to do was play his music. All we wanted to do was listen. It was a sweet evening shattered by these ugly-acting men. The sheriff was behaving in a manner to incite a riot. HE was out of order

Then this sheriff shouted that if everyone wasn’t off the property in 10 minutes he’d arrest everyone left. We were trespassing. Then Sharon Holnback (owner of the property) came up to the mike and said she was sorry, but there was a parking problem. (Why couldn’t the sheriff just have said the same thing, in a calm and respectful manner. If it was just a parking problem, why so many police cars? Why men in black? Why dogs in a police van? A parking problem? If it was more than a parking problem, why not do a walkthrough, just like last year?

I can just imagine the reaction of the schoolchildren who were at the event the next time a “nice policeman” come to their school to inform the class how the police are paid to protect them. A mother with 2 children (about 7 and 9 years old) were crying and asking their mother why these policemen were so mean and mad. She replied that they were just ignorant men. “That means stupid”, she said, adding that they weren’t taught to behave well, “not like you kids”, she said.

We walked out behind a shaking old man leaning on a cane. We’d seen old people with walkers, children playing with glow sticks. It’s revised my old-fashioned concept of police as protectors of the public, as people who can keep their heads, use the power we invest in them wisely, and create an aura of calm if they are anticipating stressful situation. I am appalled

Sharon Brady, Oracle Arizona

Dear Chief Deputy Monahan,

I was shocked and appalled by the brutal and irresponsible actions of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department last Saturday night at the “Glow” art exhibit in Oracle.
I arrived about 8:30 p.m. and it was a very pleasant evening, cool and quiet with a big bright moon. There were, I would guess, several hundred people of all ages, from families with small children to older retirees. Everyone was relaxed and courteous, taking in the artwork, the soft music, the peaceful atmosphere, and truly enjoying themselves.

Suddenly I observed three men in dark clothing come running into the crowd, screaming angrily at the top of their lungs “The party’s over! Everybody get out!” More men appeared, making “or else” type threats in a nasty tone of voice. My first thought was that some thugs had crashed the gate, possibly armed, and that something terrible was about to happen.

Next came a chaotic scene with terrified people stumbling in the dark, trying to find the exit, children crying in their parent’s arms, older people having a hard time moving fast enough.
I never once heard the men identify themselves as deputies, and could hardly believe it when someone finally told me that’s who they were. They turned a lovely evening into a dangerous nightmare for everyone present.

Once I learned it was a policing authority, of course I wanted to know what the problem was. This question was answered with sneers of “We don’t have to tell you anything, just get out!” Another officer said it had something to do with the parking on the street, that there wasn’t enough room for an emergency vehicle. I knew this to be untrue, as I had only just walked in on that road and the cars were pulled neatly off the pavement - there was plenty of room. Yet another officer said we were an “illegal gathering” which I found equally dubious as the event had been well publicized. The next officer we asked answered with, “Do you live around here? If you don’t, get out or there will be more trouble!” I have yet to receive an explanation as to what the actual problem was.

I hadn’t even gotten to my car when I reached the obvious conclusion: this was a pre-meditated act of aggression. To believe that this well publicized event in this small community was a surprise to authorities on the 2nd night of the 3rd year is not remotely credible. Any and all issues could easily have been addressed and resolved beforehand. Why wait until the height of the event? Why do it in such an ugly manner? It was a display of hatred and contempt unlike any I have ever witnessed. To what end I cannot imagine. I would fervently hope that men with such vile temperaments would no longer be given the privilege of serving the public trust, which they so clearly disregarded.

I would hope that your office could provide myself and everyone who was in attendance that evening, with firstly an explanation, secondly an apology, and thirdly proof that the men involved will be reprimanded for their actions.

Sincerely,
Lorinda Paca

Saturday, 9/09/06 “Glow”, Triangle L Ranch, Oracle, AZ
By Stephen Robert Carrubba

On Saturday evening at approximately 10pm I was attending “Glow”, a community event of light, music, and art on private property. At approximately 9:45 we were sitting in front of the music stage, about 10 feet from the microphone when someone announced that any cars that didn’t have all 4 wheels off of the road might be obstructing traffic and would be would be towed. The street was clear and passable, although cars were parked on both sides, exactly like the last 2 years of the “Glow” event.

At this time the bands were doing a changeover, the next band preparing to play around 10 pm. Police officers approached the stage area and spoke with one of the band members. The band leader then said something like the gestapo is here, we have to go, that’s your tax dollars at work. The bandleader then immediately walked away from the microphone and away from the police officers.

Sheriff Deputy, Corporal Snyder, immediately walked onto the stage, over to the bandleader, told him to turn around and handcuffed him. I was 10 feet away , witnessed this, and thought Corporal Snyder was heavy-handed. Corporal Snyder then approached the microphone and informed the crowd in a loud voice to “go home, the party is over”. The small crowd was disappointed and protested vociferously, although peacefully and very orderly.. Corporal Snyder kept yelling at the crowd to go home.

I approached Corporal Snyder (about 6 feet away, he was on the stage, I was on the ground below him) and asked why the band member was handcuffed and by now “guarded” by police officers in black uniforms. I asked “What is the charge?” Corp Snyder replied “Inciting a riot”. It appeared to me that Corp. Snyder was inciting a riot by continuing to yell at the crowd that they were “in violation of a ‘lawful order’ and would be subject to consequences if they didn’t leave now”. I had a brief, heated, orderly exchange with Corp. Snyder. I felt threatened and decided to leave. Corp. Snyder was still very excited and yelling into the microphone.

During the approximately 10 minutes that I witnessed Corp. Snyder and the other officers on the stage I felt intimidated and threatened “under the color of authority”. I witnessed the First and Fourth Amendment of the Constitution be ignored. I heard “consequences for refusing a lawful order”. I thought “lawful orders” emanate from the legislature or the judiciary, not some cop with a traffic problem. The episode gave me the feeling that I am living under a regime not tolerant of personal freedoms guaranteed to us by our Constitution.

Lights and the Moon at the barn
Photo by Jeff Smith

Letter to the Editor:
(THE TUCSON WEEKLY, THE MINER, THE DAILY STAR, THE TUCSON CITIZEN, THE DOWNTOWNER)

This past weekend was the annual art event “Glow” hosted by Sharon Holnback, at her ranch in the hills of Oracle. It’s an after dark event that brings a blending of artists from Oracle and Tucson to set up lit sculptures and create performance art amongst the desert scrub and oaks, and is perhaps one of the most enchanting events because it is held during the full moon of September, when the nights are cool, and the moon is at its fullest.

Attracting an audience of people from all walks of life, from the very young to the elderly, it is a magical sight to see the hundreds of lights and glowing sculptures spread around the ranch. The event has grown, and roughly 800 people attended this past Saturday night.

Sitting under the large oaks with live music played softly performed by “The Infinite Compassion Orchestra”. We sat with families and children under the full moon sharing our picnic. The Yavapai College had bought its body work students to offer free massages to those attending the event, and set up by the main house. Coffee and pie were being served to all in the big rambling kitchen, and hot dogs and burgers were being cooked up for the hungry at the driveway entering the property. I came with my husband Mike, and my 5 year old, Eden and our friends Patti and Jen. We set up base camp at a big table near the stage and my son was soon enthralled by the lights and atmosphere, and found friends to play with under the huge twisted trunks of trees that were lit with glowing balls of fabric and marbles. Standing watching a dancer swinging glow lights in a rhythmic dance to the band singing acoustic treats, it was a magical event.

My friends and I decided to take a second walk through the pathway that runs behind the barn, and has sculptures lit amongst the cacti and the trees where we ran into friends and neighbors, both from Oracle and Tucson, and wondered on the spectacle of it all. It is such a peaceful event and an adventure for those who are not familiar with the beauty of Oracle or the Triangle L Ranch. It’s a unique opportunity for Sharon to share her stewardship of this beautiful 120 year old ranch and open her doors for all to see.

As we headed back toward the dell at the end of the driveway where the music played, we saw a rush of people heading out of the property and up the driveway, between shouts and some chaos, we saw an old man hobbling on his walker up the steep section of the drive being pulled along in the crowd. “They shut it down” was the first thing we heard. “Who?” we asked over the shouts. Then I heard a booming voice on the microphone down at the stage shouting “MOVE…MOVE ….NOW, you must leave the property immediately”.

Concerned about my five year old and looking to find my husband I ran down toward to the stage to see what was going on. There, looming on stage was a very large man dressed in black garb with guns in holsters, shouting maniacally at the public, telling us the event was closed and we were to move out because of safety issues. It was the Pinal Sheriffs Department. It took me a moment to register what was happening, but it now appeared as though the Sheriffs had taken it upon themselves to charge into the event and herd everyone out there like a wild cattle run. I understood from my husband and others that Gary Mackender of the band the Carnivaleros, who were just going on stage at the moment the Sheriffs turned up, had made a joke over the microphone about this invasion. He had been forcibly slammed against a neighboring horse trailer in full view of the audience, and handcuffed.
The large man in black barked that parking was blocking the streets and it was unsafe because emergency vehicles couldn’t access the property or surrounding area. He then continued to bully his way onto the stage and yell to everyone that the event was closed. I understand much of the crowd booed at him at this point, and his manner was agitated and he became defensive and aggressive. Everyone was stunned by his behavior towards the guests, let alone his concern over the small children witnessing his actions. He seemed beyond control of his emotions and what appeared to be rather in fear of the situation, becoming more aggressive toward those of us who asked him to be civil. My 5 year old clung close. “Who are these people mummy? They are scary and bad. I don’t like them.” he said.

On reflection, after the chaos subsided and the property emptied out, the only vehicles blocking the streets were the entire posse of sheriff department cars. I believe that we saw the entire Pinal Sheriffs department at the event, and with the shortage of Sheriff in a county that covers many miles of land, this was a little disconcerting.

It became quickly apparent that the only danger being made was by the Sheriffs themselves, forcing about 600 people to exit the property and drive out onto Highway 77 all at the same time. It was an appalling display or power and animosity toward a very peaceful crowd, and I did ponder on the idea that perhaps they had decided that this was the perfect event to practice handling a civilian crowd. The Sheriffs acted as if we were about to riot, and seemed determined to encite anger. Because of their outward aggression toward the people watching them, the guests were rightfully furious. We were also dumbfounded by their lack of professionalism.

Did they mistake“Glow” for the Woodstock of Oracle? These men were clearly pushing their powers too far, and either mistook us for New Orleans refugees wanting to loot, or Iraqi prisoners of war, and they made it obvious to us that they were clearly capable of abusing their power as officers of the law.
It was probably was the most exciting thing happening in the county that night for them, and something they would be talking about for weeks to come. Unfortunately though, they hadn’t considered their actions and that “Glow” was extremely peaceful, organized and no one felt like rioting.
I do admit a feeling of wanting to take a slap to the big guy with the guns in the black (my protective mother instincts) and tell him to behave himself, but I controlled my emotions and thought better of it. This man was not receptive to being told anything by anyone, and when I approached him to tell him he was not handling the situation well, he told me that he was not here to be “warm and fuzzy”. It would have helped.

They were absurdly overreacting to a very peaceful and manageable situation. If there had been problems with emergency vehicles not gaining access to the roads, it was certainly not the publics parking, but the fact that all of the Pinal Sheriffs vehicles were blocking the roads. And just how did they manage to access the area if the roads were so blocked. I averaged out that 800 people attended and most came as a group in cars, so there were hundreds of cars parked on the road sides, on a loop road that surrounds the property. Not enough to warrant the entire sheriffs department to take the action they had.

I would hope that should there be an emergency situation, that none of these officers would be in charge of anything, particularly caring for the public. I clearly left there not wanting my child to be protected by any of these men. Colonel Snyder's actions were those of a menace and a high school bully. We all felt as though we were being treated as uncivilized and unintelligent human beings, and for a fleeting moment I imagined that this was what my mother saw and felt as a 4 year old child when she was marched to a train to take her to a concentration camp. It may sound extreme, but the way the Colonel handled this situation, was extreme and absolutely appalling. He endangered us far more than we and our cars endangered the safety of the public at large. (I might note that the only public at large were the attendees of the event, the neighborhood was quiet, and most of the neighbors were at the event), aside from possibly quail, coyote and a few mice and sleeping rabbits.

Perhaps the Sheriffs department should review the training methods the department implements that encourage this type of behavior as allowable. If this is the case, then its time to revisit basic training in civility and professionalism when handling a crowd. The Colonel was abhorrent in his behavior and completely unprofessional in his approach to this situation. Should he have had the decency to get on stage (without slamming people against objects, or handcuffing them) and just say, “We’re sorry folks, the parking is causing us to close this event down, please leave the property in an orderly manner” it would have made more sense. However, his abrasive and abusive actions scared the children, angered the adults and endangered many of the elderly.

If the Colonel and his men represent the Pinal Sheriffs department, then all law abiding citizens living in the land of Pinal have a serious problem that needs to be addressed. I was told by one Sheriff during the stand down that they knew absolutely nothing about this event happening. I know that Sharon Holnback had driven and met with Pinal officials outlining the event and all that was involved. Whatever political plays are being made by this department and its officials, they endangered my family, my friends and our community. My child may never trust a man in uniform again. It will certainly take a lot for me to take a Pinal Sheriff seriously as an officer working for the good of the public. Wake up Pinal County…smell the coffee…or see the Glow!

Nicky Freegard

Date: September 13, 2006 2:31:00 PM MST
To: Manny.Gonzalez@co.pinal.az.us,jerald.monahan@co.pinal.az.us
Cc: info@triangleLranch.com
Subject: Glow 2006

Dear Manny and Jerald,

I am writing you about the despicable behavior of the sheriff's department at Glow on September 9th, 2006. I was returning to the event with my 7 year old daughter to reinstall some repaired lighting equipment and was not allowed to enter. I was told the event was shut down! The sheriff could not give me a clear answer to why it was being shut down. Upon further questioning he stated that an emergency vehicle could not get in so the event was deemed unsafe. He also stated that he was unaware of the event and that the event was a surprise to him. Upon my further questioning and probing, he stated that he himself did drive his vehicle beyond the Glow entrance and then back again, without any obstruction issues, and he himself did not really understand it all. After a waiting for all of the cars to leave, we were allowed to enter to pick up our equipment.

What a shame and embarrassment that Glow was shut down in a forceful and threatening style. Glow is a fun, creative art oriented, peaceful event with people of all ages attending, including elderly and children.

Last year I recall seeing uniformed Sheriff's in attendance and they seemed to be enjoying themselves, interacting positively with the crowd. I recall saying hello to two of them. I find it odd that all of the staff at the Sheriff's department was not aware of the event.

Sharon Holnback who is the owner of Triangle L Ranch is the nicest, calmest and most easy going person I know. I understand that she tried to reason with the sheriffs for over 45 minutes before they decided to threaten the crowd with arrests.

I would like you to send me more information on what prompted the sheriff's behavior. I am still struggling to explain to my 7 year old daughter what happened, and why.

Dear Sharon,

Good art tends to have a strong impact, and this truism was never more evident
than with what I witnessed at the end of last Saturday's Glow event. The
artists who were dressed up like Pinal County Sheriff's officers put on a
shocking and memorable performance. I don't think I've seen anything like it
since Andy Kaufman was alive and doing his bit as the macho wrestler who beat
up petite women in the wrestling ring.

Like all good shock-art, this performance caught me complete off guard. None
of us near the main stage and the ranch house had any idea why the performers
were so upset and rude. The stark incongruence between the contemplative
nature of the event thus far and the brute authoritarianism of the performance
art created a very surreal situation, mirroring many of the tensions and
conflicts in the greater society. These artists did a masterful job of
creating a foil, and greater appreciation for, the peace and tranquility
expressed in the art and performances prior to their arrival. Like Kaufman,
they effectively used intimidation to make sure that EVERYONE was involved in
their unfolding drama, from the young to the very old. And, there were other
details that added such realistic touches to the irony, such as using their
artistic glowing squad cars to block access and line-of-sight triangles on
Highway 77. This added to the drama immeasurably-- I really felt my heart
racing as I attempted to make a left turn on the highway with these cars
blocking my view. I'm not an expert on these things, but I guess good art
forces the audience to face death, and in that moment gain a greater
appreciation of life.

You'll have a tough time following this performance next year. But,
congratulations on a riveting event. I'll remember it always.

Sincerely,
Peter
Else

Date: September 13, 2006 10:47:44 AM MST
To: Triangle L Ranch <info@triangleLranch.com>
Subject: the dark side....

dear sharon, this was the first year i had attended glow. i had heard wonderful things about the evening from friends and was excited by the opportunity to witness the magic of an evening under the moon with the unique presence of luminous art, music and desert beauty. the ethereal blue balloons upon entering soothed my soul. i was pleased by the diversity of the people, the efficiency of organization and the gentleness of spirit of all i encountered. and then. and then. my friends and i were sitting behind the main house in a gazebo when we heard a stunningly forceful voice say that the property had to be vacated within ten minutes or cars would be towed - i was shocked and said to my friends that it had to be a joke by the performing band. it was not. we left and were quite surprised to see a canine unit and flashing squad car lights at the entrance to the ranch. my car was locked with my keys inside and i had to walk back down to the ranch to search for assistance. as i walked back in, three policemen walked toward me. one said "where do you think you're going? speechless for a moment at the belligerent tone of voice - i mentioned my keys - they made no offer to assist. sharon kindly asked one of the shuttle drivers to drive me back out to get help from another shuttle driver to see what could be done. every encounter i had with the triangle l staff and helpers was generous and calm. karen lombardi, who had been working all evening as a shuttle driver, drove us to the fire station to ask them if they could help. on our way there, we had difficulty negotiating around the three, count 'em, three!! squad cars (lights flashing) at the intersection. at the fire station, the two fellows immediately jumped into their vehicle, and saved the day with their ability and kindness. what a contrast! my experience of oracle over these past twenty years has been that it is a place of true community. disparate voices are heard, challenges are met with conscientious resolution. i trust the folks of this fine town will rise to the occasion and deal with this situation effectively. hopefully, the officers involved will learn a thing or two about themselves and their truly unfortunate reaction to such a beautiful family event. most sincerely, peg kazda, tucson, arizona.

SHARON! While I was unable to attend GLOW because of work responsibilities, This story managed to touch me in several ways. On Saturday night, some of the guests at the event I was catering had experienced GLOW on Friday night, and, literally GLOWED with their experience. In particular, my client and friend Nancy Mellan took away nothing but positivity from the event! You should have seen the magic in her eyes as she told me she had attended!

On Sunday morning, I went to my yoga practice at Yoga Oasis, and my teacher Mira had been to GLOW for the first time on Saturday night. Again, she simply GLOWED with her experience....up to a point..... The band that was playing at the time of the unfortunate RAID included her friend, fellow practitioner, and roomate, Will, who also works for me from time to time. The surreal experience she described...well, can only be described as that......a crowd of people enjoying ART, music, young to old people, a community, suddenly herded like cattle for reasons fairly unknown to them. The story touched so many of us on Sunday morning, and, strangely (or perhaps serendipitiously!?!?!?) , galvanized our practice to one of celebration, elation, and lightness. Amazing how far-reaching that which we create can be.

Sharon, I've known you for so long, and I can applaud and celebrate your passion for life, humanity and art. I will pass this on in the hopes that others who have been touched by these events will be able to tell their stories. Please let me know of any other support you might need, but just know that I am sending you nothing but positive vibes back!

I know my story is all second hand, but I am forever touched by events that I did not experience directly. As we just pass the 5 year mark on 9/11, I'm sure we can all attest to how far-reaching events that don't touch us directly can be.

That all being said, don't hesitate to pass this on, use it, or simply know that I care!

peace, love, and happiness....
Ron Wassell
President/owner, Blue House Catering, inc

Hi Sharon -

Barb Else (flutist) here w/ my story. I am sorry about Saturday night.
I was working in your ranch house 8-10pm providing information, helping in the kitchen and generally trying to be a nice hostess for the many interesting guests, most of whom were seniors and boomers as well as some families.

My plan was that my brother would meet me in the ranch house when I was done around 10. I was going to grab a cup of coffee, enjoy the main stage music and take a stroll around the installations with my brother. One reason to walk with my brother is I have night blindness and he would be my escort on the dim paths. (On Friday when I played flute I was parked in one spot most of the night and did not see much.)

Just around 10pm my brother came in and said that it seemed that the event was being shut down by the Pinal Sherrif. Peter said he would listen to what is happening and wait outside for me. I told him I needed to check in with volunteers (Mary or Sarah) and get my bag from the kitchen. Then, I heard a man announcing the shut down giving a 10 min stern warning. {My immediate concern was the seniors' ability to leave safely all at once and whether the Sherrif had turned off aux power for any extra light. I served coffee to numerous older adults enjoying the evening and ranch house and advised them all to take care as they viewed the installations.} I got my bag and left the house and Peter was gone. I later learned from Peter that he was ordered to move on and out. Peter told me he explained to the Officer that he was waiting for his sister working in the main house and the officer told Peter something to the effect that he did not care . I made my way towards the exit following the flow of the crowd and on the heel of a stranger so that I would have steps to follow in my night blindness. Near the gate exit I caught up with Peter and he spotted me. He walked with me to my car (parked way over in the weeds) where I could see once I was in the car with headlights on. I did a simple three point turn in my Subaru wagon with no problem and exited. I forwarded your e-mail for comments to Peter also.

namaste,
Barb Else

It was clear that there was no assistance by the Sherriff or his officers to assist in their mandated 10 minute shut down of the event. That was a potentially dangerous and risky mandate.

after reading this a couple times, Sharon, I have to
think that sometimes, even to the point of unreason
and absurdity, gifts often come strangely wrapped.
My vision is that this will all turn out very very
well for you, the Glow event, the town of Oracle, all
due to your ability to smoothly navigate this
difficulty. Yes, those who made mistakes need be held
accountable, but they too will benefit in the bigger
picture. This is all actually very good for me to
whitness right now. It reminds me of what I already
well know but seldom want to remember.
It's all so very very good...

Neil