Yuma Territorial Prison Chain Gang campaign goes national

The interest in saving the Yuma Territorial Prison has now reached a national audience with an online interview featured by Big Blend Magazine.

The 30-minute live on-air interview took place Friday with Tina Clark, city of Yuma historian, and Heritage Festivals Coordinator Susan Sternitzke. During the interview, they discussed efforts to keep open the Yuma Territorial Prison, which had been slated for closure effective March 29 by the Arizona Parks Board due to the state's financial difficulties.

Since then, the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Festival has launched the Save the Prison Chain Gang campaign to raise funds and support to keep the historic attraction open.

The radio program featuring the interview with Clark and Sternitzke, “Way Back When,” is currently online at www.blendradioandtv.com.

Big Blend Magazine is an online magazine and radio talk show that has an average of 2.4 million monthly readers on its Web site. The magazine is operated by Nancy J. Reid, editor and production director, and her daughter Lisa D. Smith, who is an editor and marketing director.    BigBlendMagazine.com opened its doors as a print and online publication in the Southwest in 1997. It became a completely online publication in 2006, and has expanded to national and international coverage.

Today, the Daily Blend e-mail newsletter is sent out to more than 250,000 subscribers, keeping them informed of new articles, radio shows, videos, giveaways, recipes and more.

Sternitzke said she is hopeful that when word spreads across the nation, those who have ties to Yuma will want to help. If the Facebook site, currently with 2,800 members in less than week of Yumans across the country, is any indication, the momentum and word is spreading.

For more information about the campaign, visit www.savetheprison.com. Donations can be made at branches of The Foothills Bank.

Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.