CULTURE • SCIENCE • IDEAS
JULY 2019 • JOHN LUTES • PRESCOTT GEM AND MINERAL SHOW • KISS ME, KATE MEETS ERMA BOMBECK • KIT CARSON • RESIDENTIAL SOLAR • WORLD EYES ON DELLS • MORE
5enses • 2
Serving the Prescott region with local perspectives on culture, science and ideas, now with added electrolytes! Publisher: John Duncan Managing Editor: Ed Mickens Copy Editor: Abby Brill Design: Steven Ayres Contact us! 5ensesMag@gmail.com 928-421-1123; 5ensesMag.com All content ©2019 4am Productions Cover photo: "Buckin' Bones," pendant by Kit Carson
IN S IDE
Vol. 7 No. 7 • July 2019
6 Prescott Gem and Mineral Show 7 Perspective: Making Residential Solar Work 8 News from the Wild 11 Artist: Kit Carson 12 Kiss Me, Kate at PCA 13 Erma Bombeck at Stage Too 14 Events 15 World Eye on the Dells 16 Perceivings by Alan Dean Foster 17 Molly Talks Flowers at Whipstone Farm 19 What's Up? Saturn, That's What 20 Bird of the Month: Steller's Jay 21 On the Shelves: Book Tips 22 Beyond the Veil 22 Russ Miller's Oddly Enough
3•5enses
4 Interview: John Lutes
5enses • 4
Supporting the Bold and Beautiful for 38 Years
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Interview by Ed Mickens
hen I saw the [2008] recession coming,” says John Lutes, “I thought, ‘I’m right in the heart ofthe thing that’s going to collapse.’
Lutes was talking not only about why he decided to retire from glassblowing, an art he had practiced for decades (“I made big, crazy-ass pieces.”), but also the changes to Van Gogh’s Ear, the prominent Whiskey Row gallery which he co-owns. “The gallery still carried pieces priced at $4000 or $1000, but we had to adjust to reality. In 2004 or 2005, 78% ofour sales came from individual sales of$1000. After the recession, 78% ofour "The super-rich were going to stay rich. The middle-class, the upper sales came from $200 tickets. The middle part ofthe art market just middle class who thought they were attaining wealth in the 1990s and early dropped out. Van Gogh’s Ear had to be crafty to survive.” 2000s, were the people who would buy my work, maybe spend $1500 on a That meant still carrying the high-end work that had always piece ofglass. It has collapsed. In the United States today, there’s not many distinguished its image, but with lower price points. Prints. Cards. “And we people in the upper middle class who think they’re attaining wealth. The sell a ton ofearrings.” lower middle class still kind ofexists, but not a lot ofthem. There’s more Those earrings helped the gallery survive, even thrive, as it marks its and more wealth disparity in the country than ever. We did recover from the 16th anniversary. But Lutes also gives credit to the Prescott community. 2008 recession, but it really hit that middle super-hard.” Local color
“We have hundreds ofpeople in town who always bring visitors to Van Gogh’s Ear. It’s local color, and a must-see. We’re a tourist destination. About 65% ofthe art we display comes from within a 50-mile radius. Ifyou expand the radius to 100 miles, that’s about 95% ofour art and artists.” Van Gogh’s Ear was started in 2003 by 13 artists (now pared down to four) who branched offfrom Arts Prescott (which Lutes also helped found in 1994), the cooperative gallery “Everybody loves downtown owned and operated by its artist/owners. Prescott. Why wouldn’t more The new idea was to people want to live in it?” expand the art market in Prescott, and to focus on a more professionalized business, in terms ofboth art and sales. But what brought John Lutes originally to Prescott wasn’t art, it was furniture. The Pittsburgh-area native had completed his degree in forestry at Northern Arizona University in 1978, and was working on his MBA when he realized he needed to generate some cash. He took a minimum-wage job in the Flagstaffwarehouse ofMcMahan’s Furniture, a small, family-owned California chain, stocking, delivering, and eventually selling. The company noticed, and in 1981 asked Lutes to open a new store, as manager, in the space they had taken over from Sam Hill’s Hardware, in the heart of downtown Prescott. The store did well, all the way to the end ofthe century, when the McMahan family, facing the pressures soon epidemic for all brick-andmortar retail, sold their chain to a larger, national chain. That chain went bankrupt soon after. With 11,000 square feet ofhardware-turned-furniture store vacant and boarded up, the idea for Van Gogh’s Ear solidified, then took a piece ofthe subdivided space. “So I’ve been doing business in the same location for 38 years.”
photo by EdMickens
5•5enses
Making a difference
By then a Prescott booster, member ofthe arts and humanities council and typically outspoken, Lutes recalls “telling the City Council in 2002 that I was going to change Whiskey Row into 17 art galleries instead of17 bars.” He pauses. “Frankly, that movement happened. I think today, at least, there are more galleries than bars.” Lutes still wonders, however, whether the rest ofthe business community, and much ofcity government, understand the message. His neighboring bar owners, he says, “get fixated on when they’re going to close the street for their next brewfest. I’m no prude. I drink. But why do we expend so much energy promoting alcohol?” Likewise, he questions the logic of“art shows” and food booths occupying the courthouse plaza. “They should be out at Granite Creek Park. Tents full ofjunky art do nothing to promote the real, tax-paying businesses ofdowntown. When I see people walking around with art on a stick (like those butterflies you stab into the lawn), I know they’re not coming in to see what I have.” He has long supported downtown attractions that are more performance-based. “I’d like to see a more progressive vision ofdowntown,” says Lutes. “I think we need to attract and retain a more youthful population. There are no good jobs or industries attached to being simply a retirement community. Prescott needs affordable, downtown housing. Youthful populations like to step outside, walk over to the coffee shop with their laptops. They’re working at home — they bring their industry with them. That’s what artists always did: they bring their manufacturing ability with them. They’re a cottage industry. They don’t have to live in Seattle or Portland. They can live in a small town like this, ifthey find it to have a vibrant, downtown, lively population. Growth should be concentrated, not sprawled out all over town. That’s an antiquated idea. “Everybody loves downtown Prescott. Why wouldn’t more people want to live in it?” Getting involved
It was perhaps inevitable that Lutes would become more active in progressive politics. “Creative people, and those who strike out on their own to make a living actually crafting something, tend to be more liberal and progressive,” he observes. “After the 2016 election, it became obvious that we needed to get out and march. My wife and I had protested the Vietnam War, and we knew it was time again.” He quickly helped form Prescott Indivisible, a non-partisan community which seeks to “promote a progressive and inclusive agenda in support of human rights and the environment,” becoming a member ofits steering committee and treasurer. Soon realizing that it had become “impossible to be apolitical these days. When I hear ‘non-partisan’ I have to laugh,” Lutes took a seat on the executive committee ofthe Yavapai County Democratic Party in 2017, serving as events chair and coordinating the group’s numerous organizing and fundraising activities. At the beginning of2019, Lutes was elected Chairman ofthe Yavapai Democrats. His intent is to move the party in a more progressive direction,
courtesy Xenia Orona “rather than hanging on to the idea that we have to be conservative enough to be in Prescott. But conservative doesn’t mean anything anymore. It’s turned to regressive.” Lutes wants to pay special attention to the environment. “The climate science hasn’t changed since I was in forestry school, 40 years ago. We knew then that cities like New York and New Orleans would flood, and that western forests would burn. Yet we did very little.” Now is the time. “There’s no reason Prescott shouldn’t have a carbonneutral plan in place, say, a 50% reduction by 2030, 100% by 2050.” Progress depends on the community. “People need to participate, to stand for the issues they believe in.” All people, regardless ofparty, “need to look carefully at who they vote for. Do they represent your values?” And for those seeking change? “Be bold.” Ed Mickens is managing editor of5enses.
5enses • 6
A Metamorphic Experience The Prescott Gem and Mineral Show
T
by Lesley Aine McKeown
he earth shakes, and a rumble from down deep signals a volcanic eruption.
There's a club for that
You can see all this and much more right here. The Prescott Gem and Mineral Club began over 16 years ago, and the annual show it hosts has Molten lava pours over the sides ofthe volcano. In the cooler air the grown to become the state's second-largest gem show. Careful curation of gases trapped in the molten material expand. Pop! A cavity forms in the exhibits attracts quality vendors, offering everything from rough materials to lava. Mineral-rich rain seeps slowly into the lava and our cavity, passing high-end gemstone jewelry, and features local, through but leaving behind elemental molecules. nationally recognized lapidary artists like Through the magic oftime-lapse text we watch as small crystals begin to grow inside this bubble. More time passes as pressure and sediment form Keith Horst. My favorite is the fluorescence room, a hard shell around our crystal nursery. featuring specimens that seem completely uninteresting in normal light, but under ultraviolet fluoresce to neon greens, pinks, purples and blues that are simply stunning to behold! “We have gold-panning, geode-splitting, demonstrations on cutting cabochons, and tool displays. We have three thousand pounds ofgeodes, and you can split your own and take it with you!” says Maggi Lieber ofPGMC. “With paid admission you get a raffle ticket, and raffle items include mineral specimens, handmade jewelry and a grand prize valued at $250!” There's a section for kids, where budding Fast-forward thousands or millions ofyears to Weirdnaturalscenes arise from cut Arizona rockhounds can hold a 350-million-year-old August 2019 and the Prescott Gem and Mineral Show. A little girl watches rapt as a dull gray stone ball she’s specimens:. above, Sycamore Creek jasper; below, dinosaur bone or coprolite (fossil dinosaur mushroom jasper; photos by Hans Gamma poop), and learn how a living animal turned selected from a heap is gently and expertly cracked to stone. open. Nestled inside are hundreds ofsmall crystals, and “It's so important to us that kids get to those six-year-old eyes are the first to see them in the experience all this, because they're our history ofthe world. It just doesn't get any better than future,” says Lieber. that, and you don’t have to be a rockhound to Dedicated volunteers do much more appreciate the wonders ofgeology. than put on a great show. The PGMC ofLong before Arizona became a state, it was known fers a plethora ofeducational opportunities for its rich mineral and metal deposits, especially for every age group. For a nominal annual copper, and the combination ofvolcanic, metamorphic membership fee of$12 ($15 for the whole and sedimentary rock and copper make Arizona the family), members can access a fully most mineral-rich state in the country. Copper-based equipped lapidary shop with slab saws, polminerals like turquoise, azurite, malachite and ishing machines, a flat lap machine and chrysocolla can be found throughout the state, as well much more, plus expert instructors to guide as gemstones like peridot, garnet, chalcedony and one them in use ofthe equipment. The enthuofthe rarest amethysts in the world, from the Four siasm for rocks is never more apparent than Peaks Mine. Petrified wood shows up in every county, during the monthly field trips to remote and you can find beautiful agates and jaspers in a vast and interesting terrain around the Southwarray ofcolors and qualities. Arizona is one ofthe est to collect specimens and fossils while world's few sources offire agate, an iridescent, opallearning about environmental stewardship like gemstone prized by many jewelers. and conservation.
Perspective by Brendan Cassidy
Monthly meetings welcome visitors and feature expert speakers. Dedication to education is central to the mission ofthe PGMC. Every semester it sponsors three full scholarships at Yavapai College in Lapidary, Jewelry and Geology. This is an extraordinary opportunity for students interested in exploring these subjects, and applications are available for download at the club website. So whether you’re interested in buying jewelry or simply collecting rocks, the Prescott Gem and Mineral Show provides all that and more. The club encourages you to stop by, join as a member, sign up for field trips, and split a geode. Beware, attending can lead to symptoms that include an inability to resist anything sparkly, stooped posture, owning more pieces of quartz than underwear, and finding yourselfcompelled to examine every rock in your driveway. Lesley Aine McKeown has been making jewelry for over 35 years, and is obsessed with stones. She lives and works in Prescott, and sells her jewelry nationwide.
With a statewide average of286 days ofsunshine annually, Arizona is one ofthe most practical places for solar energy in the country, and we have the third-largest cumulative amount ofsolar installed as of2018. While these facts may paint a sunny picture ofArizona as a solar hotspot, recent policy changes backed by utilities like APS threaten to put the brakes on our state’s booming solar industry. Contrary to popular belief, residential solar is not designed to replace or “get people off” the grid. Residential solar is a different way to generate clean power for everyone on the grid, in a decentralized and affordable way. Residential solar systems provide power companies with a host ofbenefits. APS charges different rates for electricity based on when consumers use it, in what’s called a time-of-use model. Pricing is based on demand, and the highest demand times are in late afternoons and early evenings, when most rooftop solar systems produce most oftheir electricity. Unless a home is equipped with a battery bank, all the electricity produced by a rooftop solar system is pushed directly onto the grid and used by surrounding homes. APS buys this electricity from the owner ofthe solar system, then immediately sells it to other customers. APS is currently buying electricity from new solar customers at $0.116 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is a great deal for it, because it can immediately sell it at a profit. The current APS solar buyback program pays customers with newly installed solar panels a fixed price for their energy, and locks it in place for ten years. Customers are credited a dollar value for the electricity they generate, which is then deducted from their bills each month. This policy change replaced the APS net-metering program, which was a considerably better deal for solar customers. Net-metering is a one-forone trade ofenergy from the solar system for energy from the grid. In other words, for every kWh a solar system generates, APS allows that customer to draw a kWh from the grid at no charge. APS also gave net-metering customers a 20-year lock on the program, perfect considering the typical lifespan ofthe systems. Net-metering is the national standard for residential solar. The decision to roll this program back has made going solar less attractive to new consumers and is an obvious attempt by APS to increase profits while decreasing consumer choice. While it’s true now that going solar is still a great deal, it’s also obvious that it won’t last forever. In a state with such an abundance ofsolar resources, shouldn’t we be incentivizing our citizens to install solar systems on their properties, thereby reducing our reliance on coal and nuclear power? When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. In Arizona we’ve been handed sunshine, shouldn’t we be making solar power? Brendan Cassidy, with a BA in sustainability from NAU, is a certified installer
ofgrid-tied solar systems. He will be speaking at the Yavapai Democrats monthly meeting on July 11: yavdem.org.
7•5enses
Solar at Home: Bring Back Net-Metering
5enses • 8
News from the Wilds by Ty Fitzmorris
The first raindrops ofthe monsoon reflect the stormy skies from the leaves ofNew Mexico Locust.
I
n most years, July in the Mogollon Highlands growls with the rumbling ofthe afternoon clouds and rings with the first drops from monsoon storms.
recorded history has July received no rainfall at all. It is this predictability that allows many ofour plants and animals to survive. Even the unusual climatic patterns in El Niño years, like this one, do not affect July rainfall or temperature in any measurable way in the Mogollon Highlands. We enter the second great proliferation oflife ofthe year, which will continue until September. Birds fledge their young while reptiles hatch, and some mammals, such as the bats, give birth, while others begin their mating seasons, as do the badgers. A second “spring” offlowering happens now, led by the deep purple four-o-clocks (Mirabilis spp. ), varicolored penstemons, golden columbines, clovers and monkey-flowers. Most noteworthy is the explosion ofinsect life during this time, especially at night. Beetles fly in huge diversity, from the massive Grant’s Hercules beetle (Dynastes granti) to the glorious scarab (Chrysina gloriosa), considered to be the most beautiful beetle in North America. Thousands of species ofmoths, from giant Saturn moths to small bird-dropping mimic moths to beautiful cecrops-eyed silkmoths (Automeris cecrops pamina) are flying now, and can be drawn to porch lights for close observation. During the daytime butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies and cicadas abound, while the ants launch their nuptial flights. The dazzling diversity oflife in July is extraordinary, and is one ofour most wonderful times ofthe year.
After the high temperatures and low humidity ofJune, the plants and animals ofthe wild areas are at their most stressed, at high risk ofdeath Ty Fitzmorris is an itinerant and often distractible naturalist from extreme temperatures and lack ofwater. But during this time many who lives in Prescott and is Curator ofInsects at the Natural species give birth to their young, provision nests and lay eggs, in anticipation History Institute. He can be reached at Ty@PeregrineBookCompany.com. ofabundance and growth. Though this is a gamble, the first, massive raindrops near the beginning ofthe month, and the first flush ofmonsoon flowers that follow, prove it to be wellfounded, and so the second grand flush oflife begins. Though the climate ofthe Central Highlands can be harsh — dry and firescorched in early summer, cold and snowy in the winter — these tough times are typically followed by some ofour most exuberant seasons. So it is with the annual drought ofJune, which is followed by the coming ofthe rains in July. Especially in drier years, the July showers are a cause for celebration. They are, however, something ofa mixed blessing — they will bring a second wave ofgrowth and flowering, but in the short term they bring lightning, which, when combined with the low fuel-moisture levels from a dry June, can lead to a proliferation ofnew fires. July is the most reliable month in Cecrops-eyedsilkmoths are endemic to the Mogollon Highlands, andrarely seen. This male (note the featheredantennae) willnot feedas an adult, spending his adult life in search ofa mate. terms ofrainfall, and only once in our
High Mountains • Ravens teach their young to fly now. Ravens are unusual in that they fly preferentially in rough weather, and perform extraordinary aerobatics in gales and high winds. • One-month-old elk calves begin traveling with their parents and start to lose the spots that have helped hide them during their first weeks. • Badgers ( Taxidea taxus) form pairs and mate. These remarkable creatures are important predators ofpocket gophers, venomous snakes, mice and rats. • Orange milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) flowers attract fritillary, checkerspot and, most notably, Monarch butterflies. • Example: Maverick Mountain Trail, #65. Ponderosa Pine Forests • Bergamot (Monarda menthaefolia) flowers. The lilac flowers draw in native bees in large numbers, giving it its other name, Beebalm. • Several species ofants have their annual nuptial flights within days after the first rains. Early in the morning, winged males and females fly in tremulous clouds from the unobtrusive colony entrance. After mating, the males die, and the females shed their wings and start their own colonies. • Wiry Lotus (Lotus rigidus) flowers. These small, snapdragon-like flowers are bright iridescent yellow, but change to orange and then red after they are pollinated. Their yellow appears bright to us because it includes a certain amount ofultraviolet pigment, and human vision sees just barely into the ultraviolet spectrum. Bees, by contrast, see ultraviolet clearly, and flowers ofthis color are called ‘bee-purple.’ • Example: Miller Creek Trail, #367. Pine-Oak Woodlands • Young Western screech owls lose their down and molt into their adult plumage. They stay near their parents and hunt with them just after sunset. • Longhorn oak borers (Enaphalodes hispicornis), large, lumbering black beetles with long antennae, emerge from their underground pupae and begin looking for mates. They are harmless, though large and alarming. • Example: Little Granite Mountain Trail, #37. Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands • Juniper berries proliferate on some trees while others have none. This is because some ofour species, such as one-seed juniper ( Juniperus monosperma) and alligator juniper ( Juniperus deppeana) have male and female flowers on separate plants, while others, notably Utah juniper ( Juniperus osteosperma) have both on the same plant. The berries, which are actually cones surrounded by fleshy tissue, are important food sources for many birds and mammals. • Example: Tin Trough Trail, #308.
Maka ki ecela tehani yanke lo! (“Only the earth lasts forever!”) — war cry ofThašúnke Witkó, aka Crazy Horse, 1876
Grasslands • Young Sonoran mountain kingsnakes (Lampropeltis pyromelana) hatch after the first rains. These snakes are harmless to humans, though they resemble the venomous Sonoran coralsnake (Micruroides euryxanthus). Their identities can be determined by the simple rhyme “Red on yellow kills a fellow, red on black is a friend ofJack.” Ifthe red on the snake’s body borders yellow, the snake is the venomous coralsnake, ifthe red borders black, then the snake is the more common kingsnake. Either way, all our snakes like to be left alone, and will move away from people given the chance. • Bluestem Pricklepoppy (Argemone pleiacantha), for obvious reasons also known as “tissue-paper flower,” blooms. • Parry’s Agave (Agave parryi) seed pods begin to grow by the end ofthe month. • Example: Mint Wash Trail, #345. Rivers, Lakes, and Streams • As the monsoon rains arrive, our intermittent creeks, including Granite, Butte, Aspen and Miller Creeks, begin running, sometimes in turbulent flash floods. • Young common mergansers are nearly grown, though still unable to fly. They will stay with their mothers and learn to fish for several more months. • Arizona blackberry (Rubus procerus), not native to Arizona, begins bearing its delicious berries along the perennial streams ofthe Verde Valley. • Golden columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha), one ofour most beautiful flowers, appears now. • Grand Western flood-plain cicadas ( Tibicen cultriformis) emerge at night from their larval homes in the roots ofcottonwoods, sycamores, and willows. They climb trees and buildings in the thousands and shed their larval skins as the winged adults break through. Once the wings harden, the cicadas fly into the treetops. This is by far the most conspicuous insect in the Central Highlands, yet little is known about its ecology or biology. • Dragonflies abound above creeks and lakes. Look for giant darners (Anax walsinghami), flame skimmers (Libellula saturata), and twelve-spotted skimmers (L. pulchella). • Example: West Clear Creek Trail, #17. Deserts/Chaparral • Prickly pears, mesquites and mimosas bear their seeds and fruits. Western pipistrelles and Western mastiffbats bear their young, and horned-lizard eggs hatch. • Couch’s spadefoot toads (Scaphiopus couchi) emerge at night, sometimes in the hundreds, to eat, mate, and lay eggs after the beginning ofthe monsoon rains. The tadpoles can mature in as few as eight days, a crucial desert adaptation, since pools rarely last long. • Tarantulas emerge in sometimes large numbers. These spiders are harmless to humans, but should not be handled due to stinging hairs on their abdomens. • Rainbow hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus pectinatus) and buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) flower. • Example: Agua Fria National Monument
9•5enses
A very briefsurvey ofwhat’s happening in the wilds
5enses • 10
“Dinner and Show” Goes Upscale YCPAC and El Gato Azul Join Gracious Dining and Good Entertainment by Michael Grady
Red wine goes with meat. White wine goes with fish. It used to be that simple. Now wines are paired with cheese; cheeses are paired with entrees and dessert courses and — ifyou’re the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center — multicourse dinners and drinks are paired with onstage performers as part ofthe YCPAC “Dinner Before the Show” series. So what type ofvegetable pairs best with a two-time Grammy winner with a country twang and a penchant for ballads? That’s advanced science. OneStop Shopping
YCPAC has been offering “Dinner Before the Show” as part ofits mainstage season for many years. The idea grew out ofa desire to streamline the parking-dinner-parking-show rat race for its patrons. “Skip the traffic and the parking hassles,” its website enthuses, “and enjoy an elegant gourmet meal, steps away from your evening’s entertainment.” YCPAC has upped its culinary game this season by enlisting a local favorite. Barry Barbe — renowned Prescott chef, entrepreneur, and the driving force behind the beloved El Gato Azul World Bistro — will don the hat and helm the stove for all seven ofthe this season’s Dinner/Show packages. Artist-entrée pairings have very few hard-and-fast rules. But Chef Barry has created a menu that cleverly riffs on the spirit ofeach artist’s following. Diners for LeAnn Rimes, for example, will feast on a down-home beeftenderloin, paired with potato croquettes and finished with a Southern bourbon pecan pie cheesecake. Clint Black diners will enjoy a slow-roasted, mustard-encrusted prime rib, served with a potato soufflé and chased by a peanut butter/double chocolate ganache. Diners for club singer Storm Large will tuck into duck — seared, roasted, and served with a maple reduction on a bed ofwild rice, between courses ofbread-pudding salad and ginger crème brulee. (An itemized menu for each is available online.) Making a Memorable Evening
Dinner Before the Show has a way ofturning a 7pm concert into a fullon memorable evening. Tables are elegantly arrayed on a terrace, some with views ofthe college’s ever-changing art gallery. Or choose a seat overlooking the lobby below as it fills with the buzz ofexcitement for the impending performance. In any case, you’ll be sure to offer a silent toast to all the poor souls struggling to park downtown. YCPAC's 2019-20 season will feature seven productions with the preshow dinner option. All dinners (and shows) will take place at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon Street in Prescott. Dinners are $36 per person, purchased separately from show admission. Reservations are accepted up to 48 hours before the performance date. Seating is limited.
For reservations, specific show menus or further information, please call the YCPAC ticket office at (928) 776-2067 or visit ycpac.com.
by Lesley Aine Mckeown
I
n a gully, half-buried in the dirt, lies a steel sign fallen from the road above.
Over years, the sun bakes and blisters the paint, the wind sandblasts it, the rain activates the acids in the soil. The smooth metal slowly decays as the iron oxidizes, building complex textures and patterns ofblack and red rust. The hard edges soften and shred as the earth consumes them, returning the ordered components ofthe metal to its elemental beginnings, recycling them into the environment to be taken up again in new forms. “It’s a metaphor for life.” We’re standing in Kit Carson’s yard, and it’s a wonderland, an artist’s palette ofsteel. Neatly organized by shape, he calls it his Library ofVisual Solutions. I call it heaven, an arrangement ofcollections ofobjects, the beginnings ofa sculpture. A beautifully patinated truck door panel will meld with a rusted gear, a bullet-ridden gas can and a shovel into a shaman-like image. What’s most interesting is the way Kit incorporates this sun-patinated steel and aluminum into his jewelry. Drawn to the color inherent in environmentally exposed ferrous metals, he uses these pieces as canvas for what he calls his Romantic Rust Series. The technique that makes Kit’s work unique, and enables him to bring depth and life to it, is engraving. Exquisitely engraved images ofrabbits, ravens, cacti and clouds ofsilver and gold are layered with turquoise and gemstones in a dizzying array ofcolor and textural depth. Each evokes a modern aesthetic, yet there is a feeling ofthe past that tugs at you, a sense of the familiar. Actor and comedian Robin Williams, a loyal customer, said it best: "Kit Carson's work is like Rene Lalique meets Dr. Suess at the High Noon Bar." Raised in Arizona and a native of Prescott, there’s little wonder that the themes ofhis work are southwestern, but looking deeper you’ll see the influence ofthe elegant lines ofArt Nouveau. This combination makes Kit Carson’s work unique. Inspiringly reflective with an easy smile, Kit is a renaissance man, an artist’s artist. “The distance between art and craft is so close. You have to know your medium to express your heart — in art,” he says with his classic grin. Ifyou haven’t experienced Kit Carson’s magic, you can see a large collection ofhis work at Van Gogh’s Ear on Whiskey Row. You may also enjoy watching an episode ofthe PBS Craft in America, Landscape series called “Kit Carson Jewelry.” His work is featured in galleries and private collections around the world, including those ofElton John, George Clooney and Steven Spielberg. See more at kitcarsonjewelry.com. Lesley Aine Mckeown has been creating jewelry for 35 years, showing her work in fine galleries across the US and Canada. She lives and works in Prescott.
11•5enses
Romance for the Rust ofLife Kit Carson, Local Artist
5enses • 12
You’ll All Kow-Tow
Teen Summer Stock Presents Kiss Me, Kate at PCA
M
aybe you know the classic, 1948 American musical Kiss Me, Kate, currently in revival on Broadway.
It’s based on Shakespeare’s comedy, The Taming ofthe Shrew, but probably better known for its songs by that giant ofthe American Songbook, Cole Porter. (Songs from Kiss Me, Kate include “Too Darn Hot,” “So in Love,” and the wry “Always True to You, in My Fashion.”) Maybe you know the also-classic 1953 film version, starring Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel and — especially! — the astonishing dancing ofAnn Miller. Kiss Me, Kate is a rollicking, fun piece of American musical-theatre history. Now, a group ofambitious high school students will show us that they, too, know this piece of history when they present Kiss Me, Kate on the mainstage at the Prescott Center for the Arts, July 12-21. For this we can thank the PCA’s Teen Summer Stock Ensemble (TSSE). TSSE is an intensive program exclusfor older teens and young adults “Don’t be afraid and just do it. ively (15-22) to provide a taste ofwhat it’s You will reap many rewards.” like to work in a professional setting. The participants are immersed in the process ofmounting a fully produced musical, guided by teachers and professionals with industry experience. Not only do the participants have the opportunity to dance, sing, and act, but they create sets, take workshops, and market their show throughout the community. Did you know that students involved in theatre coursework or experience outscored non-arts students on the 2005 S AT by an average of65 points in the verbal component and 34 points in the math component? Last summer, 30 teens performed the award-winning musical, Shrek, to more than 1,000 patrons. Scott Neese, music faculty at Yavapai College, was last year’s director and will be directing this summer’s production ofKKiss Me, Kate. Neese says, “Kiss Me, Kate is from the Golden Age ofBroadway, and it is structured differently than the productions over the last three years. I’m thrilled to coach voice for this timeless classic and also bring about more education of Shakespeare to area youth.” Kiss Me, Kate has a clever plot that intertwines a fictitious production of The Taming ofthe Shrew with the backstage “real” lives ofthe director/leading man and his leading lady, in a tempestuous relationship. Toss in a subplot about another cast member and her boyfriend in trouble with the mob (a great excuse for two stereotypical gangsters to sing “Brush Up Your Shakespeare”), and you get some fast-moving antics. There are 16 students participating on stage and another twelve students who will bring their musical talent to a live orchestra pit. Part ofthe training for this production includes lessons on stage combat. The team of students get to learn how to safely perform the illusion ofa punch, slap, and kick. Local instructor Brian Moultrop says, “My goal when working with students is to help give them self-confidence while having fun.” Ben Minkler, a Prescott High School freshman, spoke enthusiastically about how he loves theatre and the playfulness ofthe process. He wants to continue in the performing arts for a lifetime. “Don’t be afraid and just do it,” he says. “You will reap many rewards.” Good advice for the public, too. Brush up your Shakespeare. Tickets are on sale now for Kiss Me, Kate by calling (928) 445-3286 or online at pca-az.net.
Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End Comes to Prescott
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hen humor goes, there goes civilization.”
Engel with Bombeck’s children Betsy, Andrew, and Matthew, will make its Prescott debut July Thus wrote one ofthe most popular humor- 19 at the Prescott Center for the Arts Stage Too. ists ofthe 20th century. All-American housewife Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End is an intimate, oneErma Bombeck turned the frustrations ofthat woman show that traces the evolution ofthe thankless job into affable wit and pearls ofwiswriter from her humble Ohio origins (still, a girl dom. It’s a good guess that most households from with a taste for the aphorisms ofDorothy Parker) the 1960s into the ‘80s experienced a Bombeck to struggling journalist (until her breakthrough column clipped and poswhen the Dayton Journal “Ihaven't trusted polls since I Herald hired her, the copygirl, ted on the refrigerator read that 62% ofwomen had door, or maybe even a for two weekly 450-word huaffairs during their lunch hour. mor columns — for $50!) into bumper sticker (“Insanity I've never met a woman in my life comedy history (and a hilltop is hereditary. You get it from your kids.”). She was who would give up lunch for sex.” hacienda in Paradise Valley). the jester ofsuburbia. Her There’s laundry to be nationally syndicated newspaper column At Wit’s done, ofcourse, and stumping for the Equal End turned into more than a dozen bestselling Rights Amendment, but quips abound. “Seize the books, coast-to-coast lecture tours, television ap- moment. Think ofall those women on the Titanpearances and, posthumously in 2015, a stage ic who waved offthe dessert cart.”The show was play. a sell-out, with an extended schedule, in the Audiences will have the opportunity to walk That play, written by Margaret and Allison Phoenix area last fall. down memory lane, but keep in mind this play is For the Prescott run at PCA, the role of not just for people that knew Erma — younger Erma will be performed by Cathy Dresbach, generations can relate to her humor too. one ofArizona’s best comedic actresses. “Never accept a drink from a urologist.” Dresbach says, “her writing ofangst on children Dresbach is well known for portraying hunbeing mesmerized by the television is the same as dreds ofcharacters for local theatre organiza- electronics today, like the cellphone. Her humor tions and for her own comedic writing. But is timeless. It is a celebration ofthe mundane in most Arizonans will everyday life.” remember her as the Dresbach started acting in “Thanksgiving dinners take Girl Scout on the eighteen hours to prepare. They high school and became a writer locally produced are consumed in twelve minutes. and performer at the age of19. children’s program Halftimes take twelve minutes. She has advice for budding actThe Wallace and This is not coincidence.” resses and writers who like to Ladmo Show. She make audiences laugh: “Get out wrote for the show and made regular appear- there and do it, the doors are open to women like ances for five years. never before.” This will be Dresbach’s own debut performExpect the play to be a comic and heartfelt ing onstage in Prescott, where she visits regu- look at one ofour country’s and Arizona’s most larly and remembers going to the Prescott beloved voices. That voice reassures all ofus, esPines camp as a young girl. She says she is pecially women, that yes, the world is sometimes honored to play someone so gifted, and recrazy, but ifwe look at it and laugh, we have it members growing up reading Bombeck’s covered. columns on her mother’s refrigerator. Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End is playing for six Dresbach observes, “Erma was a trailblazer weekends at the PCA’s intimate Stage Too, July for all female comedic writers. I and other 19-August 25. Tickets are avaiable by calling the writers like Tina Fey owe a debt to her. She box office at (928) 445-3286 or visiting pcaproved women can be funny.” az.net. Space is limited.
13•5enses
One Woman’s (Pithy) Voice
5enses • 14
Things to Do in July Talks & presentations Living History Adventure • Saturday, July 13: Take a peek back at territorial Prescott through activities like period gardening, cooking, handcrafts, blacksmithing, printshop work and more. Monthly event. Sharlot Hall Museum, 415 W. Gurley St., 928-445-3122 Nature, health, & outdoors Prescott Farmers Market • 7:30am-noon Saturdays, May-Oct: Features local food and much more. Yavapai College, 1100 E. Sheldon St. Prescott Audubon bird walk • 8am Saturday, July 13: Monthly bird walk. Highlands Center for Natural History, 1375 S. Walker Road, 928-776-9550, HighlandsCenter.org, PrescottAudubon.org The National History Institute • July 26-28: 8th Annual High Sierra Natural History Celebration. 126 N Marina St, Prescott, info@NaturalHistoryInstitute.org, 928-863-3232 Groups & games Northern ArizonaTattoo Fest • 12-11pm July 5-7: Northern Arizona Tattoo Fest will showcase products like hairdressing, beauty products, accessories for decorating nails, permanent makeup and tattoo services, massage technology, medical cosmetics and much more. Prescott Resort and Casino, 1500 AZ-69 Prescott, NorthernAzTattooFest.com, 888-657-7855 Prescott Indivisible • 6-7:30pm Friday, July 5: Monthly meeting of nonpartisan group seeking to promote a progressive, inclusive agenda in support of human rights and the environment. Granite Peak Unitarian Congregation Education Center, 882 Sunset Ave., 928-443-8854 Citizen's Water Advocacy Group • 10am-noon Saturday, July 6: Monthly CWAG meeting, open to public. Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 882 Sunset Ave., 928-445-4218, CWAGAZ.org) Modern Board Gaming • 4-8pm Wednesdays, July 10 & 24: Play modern, European-style board games with Prescott Area Boardgamers. Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500, Prescott.Library.info LAN party • 10am-10pm Saturday, July 6: Play multiplayer computer games like Killing Floor and Tribes in monthly Prescott PC Gamers Group event. Step One Coffee House, 6719 E. Second St. Ste. C, Prescott Valley, PPCGG.Com, $10
Prescott Computer Society • 1-3pm Saturday, July 3: Monthly meeting, open to public. Prescott Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., 928-777-1500, Prescott.Library.info PFLAG Support Night • 6:30pm Friday, July 19: Monthly support night for LGBTQ+ and those who love and support them. First Congr. Church, 216 E. Gurley NAZGEM Support 7pm Friday, July 26: Monthly support group for members ofthe transgender and beyondgender-binaries community as well as family, friends and youth. Granite Peak Unitarian Congregation Education Center, 882 Sunset Ave., facebook.com/LGBTQYavapai)
4th Friday Art Walk • 5-7 p.m. Friday, July 26: Monthly art walk includes artist receptions, openings, and demonstrations at more than a dozen galleries. ArtThe4th.com. Participants: Arts Prescott Cooperative Gallery • 5-8pm July 26: Roy Hill: "Oil & Acrylic paintings" Reception for the artist, music and refreshments, show runs July 26–Aug 21. 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717, Performing arts ArtsPrescott.com Adult Summer Movie Series: Loving Vincent Art2 120 W. Gurley St., 928-499-4428, • 5:30pm Tuesday, July 9: 2018 Oscar-nominated ArtSquaredPrescott.com Loving Vincent tells the story ofVincent van ButiFULL 211 N. Granite St., 928-848-4767, Gogh in hand-painted animation. Prescott Butifull.com Public Library, 215 E. Goodwin St., Huckeba Art Gallery 227 W. Gurley St., 928-777-1500, Prescott.Library.info 928-445-3848, Huckeba-Art-Quest.com Prescott Pops Symphony Ian Russell Gallery 130 S. Montezuma St., • 3pm July 7: “The Music ofAmerica” 928-445-7009, IanRussellArt.com Continuing the theme ofour Independence Kriegers 110 S. Montezuma St. Ste. F, Day holiday, Pops open the season with a 928-778-4900 celebration oftruly American music: hits such as "Stardust" and "Georgia On My Mind," Prescott Center for the Arts Gallery favorites by Irving Berlin, and selections from 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286, PCA-AZ.net Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs. Random Art 214 N. McCormick St., • 3pm July 28: “Magical Tour ofthe Movies”The 928-308-7355, RandomArt.biz ever-popular Pops Chorus along with many of Sam Hill Warehouse 232 N. Granite St., your favorite soloists join the orchestra under 928-350-2341, PrescottCollegeArtGallery.org the direction ofMaestro Darrell Rowader. 1100 Sean Goté Gallery 702 W. Gurley St., E. Sheldon St, YCPAC.com, 928-776-2000 928-445-2233, SeanGote.com Open mic poetry Van Gogh's Ear 156 S. Montezuma St., • 5:30pm Wednesday, July 24: Poet Eric Larson 928-776-1080, VGEGallery.com emcees monthly open-mic poetry. Peregrine Gallery 110 S. Montezuma St. Suite 1, Book Co., 219A N. Cortez St., 928-445-9000, Weir ScotAWeir.com, 307-371-1910 PeregrineBookCompany.com Yavapai College Art Gallery 1100 E. Sheldon Thumb Butte Distillery St., 928-445-7300, YC.edu • 2pm Sundays in July: Ping Brothers Review 'Tis Art Center & Gallery • 6pm July 5: Joe Booth Band • July 15–Aug 15: Astral Glass Studio, glass artist • 6pm July 13: Save the Dells/Cathy Rusing for Cindi Shaffer and steel artist Joe Shaffer in City Council Fundraiser multimedia collaboration • 6pm July 26: Cheektones • July 25–Aug 20: Main gallery — Eclectic works • 5pm July 27: Social Lubrication – open to the in various media by local artists, opening public. 400 N. Washington Ave., reception July 26, 5-8pm. 105 S. Cortez St., 928-443-8498, ThumbButteDistillery.com 928-775-0223, TisArtGallery.com
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by Ed Mickens
ome artists believe their work can change the world. Sometimes they’re right.
That’s certainly the beliefofArtists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN), a virtual community of900 members worldwide. With a focus on endangered wildlife, they believe their images can help focus public attention on the plight ofa species, inspire action from a larger audience, maybe even pressure authorities to take an interest in conservation. And many put their money where their hearts are, donating their works for sale to raise funds for local groups doing the hands-on work ofpreservation. Since 2016 ABUN has launched 26 projects, aiming a spotlight on jaguars in Brazil, snow leopards in Mongolia, the slow loris in Sumatra, poison-dart frogs in Peru, or the blue-throated macaw in Bolivia. For the group's 27th project, ABUN artists took an unprecedented step: highlighting an endangered landscape, and all the threatened life that hangs in a balance within. Their choice? Prescott’s own Granite Dells. “We have a world-class landscape here,” says Walt Anderson, wildlife biologist and longtime professor ofenvironmental studies at Prescott College. “Maybe it’s time we realize that.” Anderson is also an artist, known for his remarkable nature photography, much ofit shot in the Dells. Well aware ofthe fragility ofthe environment and its biodiversity, Anderson helped found the Granite Dells Preservation Foundation back in 2010, with the goal ofpreserving as much ofthe Dells environment as possible, for the healthy survival ofits wildlife, as well as the enjoyment and inspiration offuture human generations. As a member ofABUN, Anderson was instrumental in bringing the plight ofthe Dells to the attention ofhis fellow artists. Since many were working from remote locations, like Germany, Singapore, Australia and Brazil, he generously offered his own photographs as a starting point. The artists’ responses, both finished work and works-in-progress, are posted (along with Anderson’s original photographs) on ABUN’s Facebook page.
Granite Dells landscape by Sam Greenleaf
ABUN's immediate goal is an exhibition and auction ofthe best ofthe work in Prescott in October. The deadline for submissions is July 14. A local committee chaired by Gerry Garvey will host events that involve over a hundred art pieces, including work by respected artists like Marion Schon from Germany, Sam Greenhill from England, Kitty Harvill, an American with residency in Brazil. and a good number from Prescott and Chino Valley. Donated works will be offered for sale, with all proceeds to benefit the nonprofit Granite Dells Preservation Foundation and its activist cousin, Save the Dells. “Maybe it’s even an annual event,” muses Anderson. “It’s an opportunity for people to get information, get involved, save the Dells, even walk away with a piece ofthe Dells, in art.” But will it influence local authorities, now embroiled in a proposal for just one ill-planned development? “We envision working with the city and other entities to expand existing open space into a greater Granite Dells Park & Preserve,” says Anderson. “We need wise solutions now. Once the Dells is fragmented, it loses its value, for wildlife, for recreation, for tourism, even for nearby development. I think we can have a win-win solution.” Walt Anderson will speak at Peregrine Books on July 13, signing an elegant, collectible edition ofhis Dells photos with, ofcourse, all proceeds to benefit the Granite Dells Foundation. The opening ofhis one-man art show, “Wild at Heart” at the Natural History Institute, is July 19, 5-7pm.
15•5enses
Preview: International Spotlight on the Prescott Landscape
5enses • 16
The Death ofFilm
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Perceivings by Alan Dean Foster
ilm has been dead for some time now.
I don’t mean movies. I mean the strip oftransparent film base that’s coated on one side with a gelatin emulsion containing microscopically small light-sensitive silver halide crystals. That film. It’s mostly dead because it has been replaced. More and more movies (for convenience we can also call them “films”) are shot digitally. No transparent plastic film, etc., involved. In its own distinctive, rollicking way, the history ofmotion pictures is as much a history of20th- and 21st-century science as it is ofentertainment. Contrary to what many folks might think, it is the science that has driven the medium and not the other way around. The same is true ofthe food we eat, the way we get around, the kinds ofhousing we live in, even how we take care ofour children and pets (not to confuse the two). Science drives it all forward. It’s just that science is more front-and-center with motion pictures than it is with other aspects ofour daily lives. As with each new scientific development, advances in filmmaking are often greeted not with acclaim, but resistance. No doubt when movies were first projected on a screen, in tents and rented barns, there were entertainment Luddites who insisted that was no way to watch movin’ pitchers. The only proper way to watch was to dump a penny into a slot on a machine weighing slightly less than a wood-burning stove, place your eyes against a metal frame, and turn a crank. That way you could even control the speed of the movement ofthe pictures within, and freeze your favorite image of Little Egypt. When innovation drove the price from a penny to a nickel (especially in the case of“films” like those ofLittle Egypt), Nickelodeons began to appear in We are now at the point of every bar and pool in the US. replacing live actors with hall But the reproduction oflife was not their digital equivalent. quite true, and the films, lasting a minute or two, were over all too soon. Also, your wrist tended to lock up. After a while, the projection ofmoving pictures in barns and tents gave way to emporiums for the showing oflonger films, and the movie theater was born. It’s difficult today to imagine the impact ofthose first films. When The Great Train Robbery, considered the first “feature” film, made its appearance, it caused a sensation. The final frames, which have nothing to do with the story, consist ofan outlaw pointing his weapon at the camera and firing his revolver. People in theaters actually screamed and ducked. And this in the absence ofsound. When the first color films appeared, their arrival was not greeted with universal approbation. Having reached its aesthetic apex, in films like The Wind and Intolerance, The Cabinet ofDr. Caligari and Metropolis, silent black-and-white cinematography had come to be regarded as an actual art form. Hand-tinting and then two-strip Technicolor were novelties. Interesting novelties to be sure, but like the color sequence ofthe masque ball in The Phantom ofthe Opera, just novelties.
Lurking on the horizon was another, far more potent disruptor: sound. Another scientific gimmick, studio bosses insisted. Suitable for inserting a song or two into a film, or a musical dance number, but the sound was tinny and voices did not sound natural. Better to stick with subtitles and let the audience imagine the voices oftheir favorite actors. Give the audience what it wants
Except the audience disagreed. While The Jazz Singer was a sensation, it really was a novelty. What finally killed the silent film was not Al Jolson, but Busby Berkeley and his ilk. All-singing, all-dancing films were the development that broke silent film. Or to be more inclusive, it was musicals, Mae West, and the Marx Brothers. Nothing much changed, from a scientific standpoint, until the advent ofa new invention that had little to do with film. Something called television. Desperate to get their former audiences offtheir couches and back into theaters, studios tried everything. Wide-screen formats like Cinerama turned out to be gimmicks, while Panavision did not. 3- D enjoyed a briefflurry ofinterest until people realized it was little more than a variant of 19th-century stereoscopic photos with the added inconvenience ofhaving to wear cheap cardboard glasses. Improved sound helped the theaters, and better sound continues to drive the content ofmany films. Watching something like The Lord ofthe Rings in cut-rate mono is a good way to understand how important the science ofsound is to bringing viewers into theaters. Now we confront perhaps the most important scientific advance in film since the arrival ofsound: computer graphics. Progress in CGI has been astounding, from its first clunky appearance in films like The Last Starfighter to ever greater sophistication. Where does it go from here? Where once we replaced subtitles with the spoken word, we are now at the point ofreplacing live actors with their digital equivalent. CGI is already the norm for large crowd scenes. No longer does a cinematic spectacle require thousands ofextras. We don’t pay them anymore; we render them. And tomorrow? How soon will we reach the point where live actors are no longer required at all? Where the uncanny valley no longer exists and it becomes impossible to tell an actual human from its digital equivalent? Why more on p. 18
by Molly Beverly
I
really got into farming to grow my own food," says Shanti Rade ofWhipstone Farm.
"I didn't grow up on a farm. We didn't even have a garden. But my senior year ofhigh school I had the opportunity to work on a farm as a school project. It was a revelation — life changing — the idea that I could produce sustenance for me and my family. Then when I started selling vegetables and saw how happy people were to get them, I was hooked. I love the social and community aspects ofhow food brings people together." Shanti, her husband Cory and their three children run one ofthe larger market farms in Yavapai County, on 18 acres in Paulden. They are not certified organic, but they use no harmful chemicals or synthetic fertilizers. They use only natural pesticides, approved for use in organics, as a last resort. They utilize crop rotation, physical barriers, beneficial insects and soil-plant health to combat bugs. Weeds are controlled by hand or tractor. They fertilize with compost and manure to develop soil with vitality. Sheep, chickens, and other farm animals help eat the weeds and bugs, as well as supply eggs and meat, and add to the ambiance ofthe farm. Learning by doing
Shanti graduated from Prescott College with a degree in agroecology and met Cory as an employee. For both ofthem it was starting from scratch. The old generation ofChino Valley farmers had passed on or moved away, so they had to learn from trial and error what would and wouldn't grow here; insect, weed and disease control; sources for organic fertilizers; efficient water use; employee management; creating markets; packaging and storage. And they learned how to accept what could not be controlled, like desiccating heat, drought, deluge, high winds, freak frosts and whatever else Mother Nature sent over. Shanti wants to remind anyone who has tried gardening and failed, "You haven't tried hard enough. Failure is constant. You have to clean up, learn from your mistakes and replant.” Their farm produce looks beautiful at the market, not because they have it all figured out, but because they only
bring the best. The rest goes to the chickens or compost pile. "So," I ask, "with all ofthis, what got you interested in growing flowers?" Shanti replied, "I guess I wanted to try something new. I was intrigued with learning about a whole new facet offarming. But flowers seemed impractical; they aren't a necessity. I started with one row ofsunflowers. Now I plant over 100 different varieties. Flowers account for almost 30 percent ofour farm's sales. People respond to beauty and you don't need to teach people how to cook them. But mainly they bring me a lot ofjoy.” The concept oflocal flowers is growing. Most commercial flowers are grown with heavy chemical applications, cheap labor and high transportation costs because they come from halfway around the world. Whipstone's flowers support the local economy, a clean environment and fair wages. Cory and Shanti have a big following in Prescott and Flagstaff, an established business and a lot ofexperience, but with farming nothing is a secure. The biggest catastrophe came in the summer storm of 2017. A super-thunderstorm dropped giant hail and sent a river ofwater right through their main growing fields. Mud flooded the fields over two feet deep. Over 90 percent oftheir crops were ruined. Their biggest concern was being able to pay their dedicated and hardworking staff. When customers saw the videos ofthe damage, they wanted to help. Shanti says, "Being independent, resourceful farmers, we were resistant to asking for help. Some friends advised us that we needed to give our supporters a mechanism to do so. Reluctantly, we started a fundraiser. This was the biggest lesson ofall. Our community — customers, fellow farmers, flower growers and friends across the country — donated over $30,000. It still chokes me up. We made payroll and I realized we're not just selling vegetables and flowers. It's about community." ChefMolly Beverly is a food
activist, teacher, and as chair ofSlow Food Prescott she champions community gardens and sustainable food education. You can findWhipstone Farm vegetables and flowers at the Prescott Summer Market, Saturdays 7:30am-noon at Yavapai College. Photos by Olivia Leon
17•5enses
It's About Community: Whipstone Farm
5enses • 18
Saturn
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What's Up? by Adam England
hen I was a kid growing up in Prescott Valley, on clear nights I loved to sleep on the trampoline.
From the comfort ofmy sleeping bag I would see the planets and constellations move across their celestial highway, called the ecliptic; I would watch satellites — and in time the International Space Station — zoom in various directions as they orbited high above; and I would wake my mom at crazy hours to make her come watch the occasional meteor shower with me. The moment that really hooked me on astronomy, though, was when I first looked through a telescope and saw the rings ofSaturn with my own eyes. Ofcourse, I had seen pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope, or from the flybys ofthe Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft. But to actually look through a cheap backyard telescope and be able to discern not just a distant planet, but also its magnificent ring system, reflecting the sun's light? That was an awakening moment for this little boy that changed his life forever.
Saturn in natural color as seen by Cassini in July 2008, courtesy NASA Mythic figure
Being the second-largest planet, Saturn was well known to ancient cultures. Babylonian, Hindu, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Roman, Chinese and Arabic astronomers all recorded Saturn’s movement across the sky and included it as a major character in their respective mythologies. Hindu astrology named it Shani, the judge ofall deeds performed in one’s life. To this day, in the Greek language Saturn is known as Kronos, leader ofthe Titans. Around 150 ACE, the Greco-Roman astronomer Ptolemy modeled a geocentric solar system with the Earth at the center. He studied Saturn in opposition, meaning when it was both at its closest to Earth and most illuminated by the Sun as viewed from Earth. Using this (incorrect) model, he devised the most accurate calculations ofSaturn’s movements for over a millennium. Fast forward 1460 years to Galileo Galilei. His observations ofSaturn, starting in 1610, resolved something on either side ofthe planet, which he took to be large moons. When he looked at Saturn later, the rings were angled almost perfectly flat as seen from earth. His two “moons” disappeared, then reappeared again in 1616. His progression ofsketches showed both his improvement in telescope technology and his increasing understanding ofthe Saturnian system.
19•5enses
1610 Galileo's first sketch
1616 Better telescope
1623 Published etching
We can now observe Saturn, 837 million miles distant, with inexpensive home telescopes. We can see the rings shine brightly back at us here on Earth when it is again in opposition on July 9. The rings average nearly 70,000 miles wide but only 66 feet thick. By comparison, that is wide enough to fit nine Earths, but only as tall as a bowling lane is long. They are composed ofmostly dust and small rocks up to the size ofa car, but we can see them so well from Earth because those rocks and dust particles are covered in water ice. Like prisms, they diffuse and reflect the sun’s distant light back to our eyes on Earth and give us an amazing show night after night, for millions ofyears to come. To learn more about the sky or telescopes, or socialize with other amateur astronomers, visit prescottastronomyclub.org or Facebook @PrescottAstronomyClub to find the next star party, Star Talk, or event. Local insurance broker Adam England moonlights as an amateur astronomer, writer, and interplanetary conquest consultant. Follow his rants and exploits on Twitter @AZSalesman or on Facebook @AenglandLM.
The Death of Film
from p. 16
hire a new actress for a role when you can insert Marilyn Monroe? Or for that matter, Lillian Gish? Why hire Daniel Day-Lewis to portray Lincoln when you can generate a composite ofthe actual Abraham Lincoln from historic photos? And then have him say and do whatever you desire? Right now CGI is vital for creating believable aliens and alien worlds. What happens, and it will happen soon, when it can be employed to recreate this world, in any time or place, and populate it with seemingly real but in actuality entirely artificial people? Add in real 3-D, which will be the theatrical equivalent ofvirtual reality. The walls and ceiling and floor ofthe theater vanish, to be replaced on all sides by a computer-generated world. Think Star Trek’s holodeck, only larger and more refined, with much greater depth. You are no longer watching a movie: you are within it. That too will happen sooner that most people think. And when it does, once again the audience will find itself persuaded to scream and duck. Prescott resident Alan Dean Foster is the author ofmore than 120 books. Follow him at AlanDeanFoster.com.
5enses • 20
Bird ofthe Month: Steller’s Jay
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by Russ Chappell
hile visiting evergreen mountains at altitudes of3,000 to 10,000 feet, be on the lookout for Steller’s jays.
Your first sign may be their loud, scolding calls from high in the trees, but also look for them at campgrounds, where they will likely to be scouting for food. These large, dark songbirds soar gracefully on 17-inch, rounded wings. Their large heads, straight powerful bills, prominent head crests and long tails making them easy to identify. Their thick bodies measure between eleven and 13.5 inches, and they weigh up to 4.9 ounces. In addition to their loud calls, they possess exceptional mimicking talents, often imitating birds, squirrels, cats, dogs, chickens, and mechanical objects. Consumers ofinsects, seeds, berries, nuts, small animals, eggs, and nestlings, Steller’s jays also dine NoelReynolds via Wikipedia at picnic tables and bird feeders, especially where peanuts, sunflower seeds and suet are located. They are often seen carrying several large nuts or acorns in their beaks as they cache food for winter. Steller’s jays and blue jays are the only North American jays with head crests, but Steller’s jays own the title for having the most frequently misspelled name in the animal kingdom. Although their mixed colors of azure and blue are certainly stellar, their name comes from Russian naturalist Georg Steller, who discovered the species in 1741. Both parents build the nest, which is constructed ofstems, leaves and moss, held together with mud and lined with animal hair, pine needles and soft roots. Nests are located on horizontal conifer branches, close to the trunk, and are ten to 16 inches in diameter, up to seven inches tall. There is one annual brood consisting oftwo to six eggs, spotted bluegreen, brown, purple and olive. Incubation takes about 16 days, followed by a 16-day nesting period. Steller's jay populations are stable, rating eleven out of20 on the Continental Concern Score, and they are not on the 2016 State ofNorth America's Birds' Watch List. These magnificent birds have recently been sighted at most ofour area lakes, and are a great addition to anyone’s bird list! The Prescott Audubon Society is an official chapter ofthe National Audubon Society. Check it out online at PrescottAudubon.org.
by Peregrine Book Company staff Invitation to Meditation: How to Find Peace Wherever You Are
by Howard Cohn and Jack Kornfield "Do you ever feel stressed out and just need a break? This book will help you return to the spacious state we all operate best from. And it is all very simple." — David The Book of Symbols
by The Archive For Research in Archetypal Symbolism "You are looking at the best encyclopedia ofsymbols and the meaning(s) behind them that you will ever find. The thing is phenomenal for inspiration ofall sorts! I highly recommend this." — Joe Gut
by Giulia Enders "How much do you know about your gut? This book was easy and fun to read, and quite informative too. Plus there are drawings!" — Jon Ghost Wall
by Sarah Moss "Power, Love, Devotion, Honor — here is a very short list ofthemes you will find in this perfectly paced novella. I enjoyed every moment, though a few were difficult to read." — Jon Spinning Silver
by Naomi Novik "A ridiculously gripping fairy tale that pulled me in, start to finish. Novik wonderfully blends classic fantasy with both folklore and stark facts into a story that manages to be absolutely original despite elements ofa re-telling. Every sentence was a little piece ofgold to tuck away." — Sienna Kitchen Confidential
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21•5enses
On the Shelves
5enses • 22
Is It Spiritual Awakening?
Beyond the Veil by Danna Templeman
There is a lot oftalk from many different arenas that we are in time ofawakening.
other side ofthe veil. One ofthe most-repeated sentiments I hear is that material things do not matter. What matters most is family, friends, comMany ofus feel anxiety, joint pain, insomnia, headaches, adrenal fatigue, munity, and love. When a person is dying or has crossed over, their beliefs change, even if depression, the physical list goes on and on. Polarization ofpolitics, morals, in life they were very goal-driven and materialistic. Not all souls are on the religions. People simply being ugly to each other. same page, but a high percentage have these beliefs. The beings inhabiting One beliefis that we are being shown the darkness, so that we will all come to the light: a global understanding ofallowing people to be who they the planet now seem to be divided more than ever. I don’t pretend to know the answer on how to bring the people together. But the guides definitely are, without judgment or ridicule. The other part ofthat beliefis that, as a want me to get the word out global community, we will understand we have that we need to come to a to take care ofour beautiful blue planet and stop peaceful understanding. big business and industry from destroying our “One ofthe most-repeated sentiments I The problem is that home. Sounds a bit like something that would hear is that material things do not everyone believes they are have been said in the 1960s. But were the hipright. It’s not that simple. pies wrong? Those kids from the ‘60s were matter. What matters most is f amily, Obviously, everyone has the fighting for equality, peace, legalization of f riends, community, and love.” right to their opinions and marijuana, and questioning the system. Now, beliefs. But there are some they are gray-haired, getting or already retired, beliefs that aren’t okay at all: and still protesting on the square. discrimination, hate, taking children from their parents, hurting people or The guides are shaking their heads in agreement with the hippies. Take animals, and destroying the planet. Simply not doing any ofthese things is care ofeach other and the planet. But wait! There is another side ofthis being a decent person. coin. What ifit is a dog-eat-dog world? What ifonly the strong and ruthI sincerely hope that this is a spiritual awakening, and we are moving in less survive? That’s how we ended up with Trump as president. the right direction. It definitely will take all ofus woke folks to bring about Still, the question is: who is right? And does it matter? Ifwe follow the the positive change we are looking for. path ofthe hippies, we have a kinder, gentler civilization. Ifwe follow the path ofconsumerism, people will have jobs, a better economy in certain DannaTempleman has more than 20 years experience as a psychic and medium. ways, and the 1% get richer. She can be reached at azsunseeker@gmail.com. I have the pleasure ofvisiting with souls that have crossed over to the
Santa Catalina Island, in the Sea ofCortez offBaja California, Mexico, is the home ofa unique rattlesnake species. Its diet consists primarily of mammals (deer mice) and lizards (desert iguana). This highly endangered pit viper looks very much like its mainland rattler relations, but is somewhat smaller, and it is a very skilled climber. Reptile collecting, and feral cats introduced to its environment, are the reasons given for this snake’s recent decline. ODDLYENOUGH — The Catalina Island rattlesnake lacks a rattle! The “button” at the base ofthe tail has degenerated to such a point that the rattle immediately falls offwith each shedding skin, instead offorming a new rattle segment, like every other type ofrattlesnake! Russ Miller is an illustrator, cartoonist, writer and reference librarian.
23•5enses