Old-fashioned values...wrapped in a franchise known for its lack of them

I'm always interested in old-fashioned business values. I guess it is a bit of nostalgia on my part; on the one hand, I wish all businesses had Jimmy Stewart as the manager. On the other hand, I am aware that Silent Spring was written during that "Golden Era," and that it was a time of child labor, unfair wages and pitiful working conditions. It's easy to look back and see either the good or the bad, but every age is mixed.

Today McDonald's is known for its poor employee benefits, lack of available health insurance, union-busting and environmental destruction from buying cheap South American beef. So it seems odd to feature a McDonald's franchisee as the epitome of the best of old-fashioned values, but it's true. I heard of the Canchola family and their incredible success with a McDonald's store on the U.S./Mexico border shortly after moving here; just mention the name to any long-time Tucsonan and they will probably nod. Rumor is that their first year, every child (there were six) worked to keep the store going. The family contributed to the community and became the stopover for those going shopping over the border (we've been there multiple times). I'm not a big fan of McDonald's, but I am a big fan of the Cancholas and their compassionate business ethics. For this reason, I am sad that the store is being handed over to someone outside of the family, and I also give the family my best wishes. I only wish everyone could be as amazing in their community; it would be a different world.

End of era at Golden Arches in Southern Arizona
"...'You have to give back.' "
That attitude is something Canchola credits others for instilling in him.
"A lot of people helped me in my life. I learned from them, and I learned that you don't pay those people back. You can't; you pay forward," he said in an interview with the Star in 1988. "You help somebody else that's coming along."
From that mind-set grew the idea of a Christmas Day celebration for children living in dilapidated, hillside shacks on "el otro lado" — the other side of the border.
What began as a family-sized event grew to involve thousands of children, coordination with immigration officials and volunteers from all over Southern Arizona who were drawn to the Canchola family fiesta.
This year, the burger joint will stand dark on Dec. 25, although the new owners hope to host the party again starting next year.
Dr. Richard Carmona, who volunteered at the Christmas party for 20 years, called the news the "end of an era."
"The Cancholas are a wonderful family who have done so much for this community," he said. "The situation is very sad."
Carmona, president of Canyon Ranch Institute in Tucson, would travel to Nogales from Washington, D.C., for the annual event when he was U.S. surgeon general.
"I always remember this one little girl who wouldn't eat her hamburger because she wanted to take it home and share it with her family," he said. "The event brought so much happiness — at least for a little while — to so many." (picture from www.azstarnet.com)