DECEMBER 2020 | VOL 6, ISSUE 12
By The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce
BECAUSE A
HEALTHY BUSINESS CLIMATE AND A
THRIVING COMMUNITY ARE INSEPARABLE
GRAND CANYON RAILWAY
STAYING ON TRACK THROUGH COVID-19
WEATHERFORD HOTEL
SEASONAL IRISH COFFEE BAR
ADVOCACY
LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP
INTRODUCTION @7000ft is published monthly by the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce with revenue from member dues, advertising and sponsorships. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents of this publication, by any method or purpose whatsoever, without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Only Chamber members can advertise in @7000ft. To inquire about advertising please contact the Chamber.
Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce 101 W. Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928) 774-4505 info@flagstaffchamber.com flagstaffchamber.com
CHAMBER LEADERSHIP Officers
Directors
Chair Mark Love Massage Envy
Monica Attridge Hozhoni Foundation
1st Vice Chair Clay McCauslin KAFF/KMGN Radio 2nd Vice Chair Guillermo Cortes Shepard-Wesnitzer, Inc. Treasurer Mark Harris
Terry Marxen Chevrolet Cadillac
Immediate Past Chairman Brenda Carter APS
Ex-Officio Dr. Colleen Smith President, Coconino Community College Randon Cupp Foundation Chair, Foothills Bank Stephen Thompson Collins Real Estate
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7000ft | DECEMBER 2020 | VOL 6, ISSUE 12 | GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Doug Bonate BBVA Compass Bank Colleen Brady Arizona Daily Sun Walter Crutchfield Vintage Partners Michael Horton Suddenlink by Altice Jacquie Kellogg West USA Realty Cecily Maniaci Toasted Owl Tyler Mark WestPac Construction Palmer Nackard Nackard Companies Fred Reese Little America Hotel Megan Roach FYP Director Richard Sanchez State Farm Insurance Flo Spyrow Northern Arizona Healthcare Kelly Tulloss Sutcliffe Floral
WBA Community Ambassador
Misti Warner Warner Companies
Tanya Christie National Bank Williams
Bryce Warren Twin Arrows Casino Resort
CONTENTS
BUSINESS INFLUENCERS
GRAND CANYON RAILWAY PAGE 6
HOTEL WEATHERFORD PAGE 08
04 05 06 08
NEW MEMBERS AND CHAMBER EVENTS MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT GRAND CANYON RAILWAY FEATURE
CHAMBER ADVOCACY PAGE 09
09 10 12
CHAMBER ADVOCACY LOCAL ELECTIONS SHOP LOCAL ADS AND OFFERS UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS
WEATHERFORD HOTEL SEASONAL EVENTS
ON THE COVER: HISTORIC GRAND CANYON RAILWAY ENGINE PHOTO BY GRAND CANYON RAILWAY
GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | DECEMBER 2020 | VOL 6, ISSUE 12 |
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CHAMBER EVENTS
RED WING SHOES
RIBBON CUTTING
RIBBON CUTTING
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RED WING SHOES
RIBBON CUTTING
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4 1. Flagstaff Market Station - Ribbon Cutting 2. Trailside Apartments - Ribbon Cutting 3. Cycle Bar Flagstaff - Ribbon Cutting 4. Congressman O'Halleran - Business Leaders Meeting
NEWEST CHAMBER MEMBERS STERLING POINTE APARTMENTS
UNCOMMON APARTMENTS
923 W UNIVERSITY AVE FLAGSTAFF, AZ 86001 (928) 662-3061
910 S MILTON RD FLAGSTAFF, AZ 86001 (928) 249-8018
WWW.STERLINGPOINTEAPTSFLAGSTAFF.COM/
WWW.UNCOMMONFLAGSTAFF.COM/
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VIEW FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Shop Local this Holiday Season! The most prosperous and inviting communities across our great land are those with many small locally owned businesses that give their communities a distinct character and flare. Sound like Flagstaff? For many years, the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce has supported and promoted Live, Love and Shop Local because we know that the lifeblood of our small business community relies on a high volume of consumers taking advantage of the great products they provide. If you're like me, you like choices, and small businesses offer unique and diverse items that cannot be found in chain stores. Shoppers don't have to leave Flagstaff to find top notch retailers, great deals and exceptional customer service. When we buy local, we are helping retailers that provide a valuable tax base for the government along with much needed jobs for local residents. In addition to providing a tax base for city services like street repairs, fire protection and trash collection, small businesses provide a tremendous amount of support to non-profits, too, so they can provide for those less fortunate.
Julie Pastrick President + CEO
It's obvious that everything we're looking for cannot always be found in Flagstaff, but before you go out of town or buy online, look around and shop in your hometown first. There's great value shopping here in your backyard. Buy Flagstaff first so your money stays local. Now more than ever, as many businesses are reopening and returning strong after temporary closures to slow the spread of COVID-19, businesses need to feel confident that they can make it and keep their doors open with a larger consumer base, not a smaller one. Keeping your dollars local will add to the prosperity of our community and the quality of life which we all enjoy. If you were to go to a community outside of northern Arizona and do your shopping, you· are elevating their economy. The Chamber asks you to stay put and shop here to elevate our local economy. Lots of great local businesses cater to outdoor recreation gear, culinary delights, boutique style clothing and jewelry, beer and wine, river running, snowboarding, skiing and more . Name a retail need, and we likely have a retail outlet in Flagstaff with those items. So we encourage everyone to LIVE LOCAL-LOVE LOCAL-SHOP LOCAL! Why? Our Greater Flagstaff Chamber motto states it the best: Because a healthy busi ness climate and a thriving community are inseparable. Local businesses are relying on you to play your part in supporting our economy. Many great local businesses are at your fingertips right here in this issue! During the holidays there’s nothing like the Grand Canyon Railway's Polar Express. Every year, since my grown children were little, we’d huddle together over Christmas and I’d read them the Polar Express. Please enjoy a behind the scenes look at the train in this issue. A holiday tradition we’ve loved from the start is the famous pine cone drop shown in this edition. Thanks to the Weatherford Hotel for such an enormous annual gift to the community. Happy Holidays from all of us at the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce. By now, we’d hoped the virus would be behind us. Since it isn’t, be safe, be healthy, and wear a mask.
STAY UP TO DATE!
ENews @flgchamber
@flagstaffchamber
EVERY OTHER TUESDAY IN YOUR INBOX!
GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | DECEMBER 2020 | VOL 6, ISSUE 12 |
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Advancing a Strong Community
Photo credit: GCR
JEFFREY D‘ARPA
GENERAL MANAGER OF RESORT OPERATIONS GRAND CANYON RAILWAY AND HOTEL
Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023 (800) 843-8724
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE GRAND CANYON RAILWAY?
the right thing to do are typically the same.
Grand Canyon Railway is a 64-mile railroad, built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and completed on September 17, 1901. The arrival of trains led to increased tourism to the area, and the railway company was instrumental in the creation of the Grand Canyon Village to serve guests. Declining ridership due to the popularity of the automobile led the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to cease passenger service of the Grand Canyon Railway in July 1968. Service was restored to the Grand Canyon on September 17th, 1989.
TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR PERSONAL SUCCESS?
HOW LONG HAS GRAND CANYON RAILWAY BEEN IN BUSINESS?
HOW HAS GRAND CANYON RAILROAD ADAPTED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?
Grand Canyon Railway inaugurated rail service to the Grand Canyon on September 17th, 1901. IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND CHANGE YOUR PROFESSIONAL PATH IN SOME WAY, WOULD YOU? Not at all. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR INDUSTRY? Hospitality is at the core of what we do. Bringing guests to the Grand Canyon in a memorable way makes lasting memories that they’ll cherish forever. We have a great hotel, fantastic property and incredible vintage era trains. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT IN YOUR PROFESSION? Don’t be afraid of making mistakes and know that the hardest thing to do and
Surrounding myself with good people and identifying future potential. I enjoy developing the career of someone with good work ethics. DOES YOUR WORK DIFFER FROM THE EXTERNAL PERCEPTION OF WHAT YOU DO? IF YES, HOW SO? I have worked in National Parks and beautiful places for most of my career. Most people think I’m the luckiest person alive and I tend to agree with them.
Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel was fortunate to work with the Xanterra Travel Collection home office in developing a comprehensive Covid-19 pandemic plan. There was an enormous amount of research and planning that went into drafting our policies to keep the guests and employees safe at our properties. We have learned to work with Covid-19 and manage its impact on our operations. It’s a virus and all we can do is mitigate its transmission and decisively act when cases are recognized within the community. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE THIS YEAR? I think anyone working in 2020 would have to admit Covid-19 and its enormous impact on business has been the biggest challenge of not only the year but in many decades.
WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU OR REMOTIVATED YOU THIS YEAR IN SPITE OF THE CHALLENGES? Seeing the resiliency of our workforce adapting and thriving despite the numerous changes in their daily routines. The sacrifice we’ve all endured and the compassion towards each other in the reality that we’re all in this together gives me hope for the future. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF BEING IN THE CHAMBER COMMUNITY? Northern Arizona is a destination for people from all over the world. Each and every Chamber business has a unique story of success, perseverance and innovation. Getting to know these business leaders and their teams through networking and Chamber functions has been a great benefit. DO YOU HAVE A RULE OR MANTRA YOU STRIVE TO LIVE BY? I always ask my team and myself to put forth our best efforts in everything we do. Striving for excellence will always result in an honest day’s work. WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE THE GCR IN 10 YEARS? We are always working to create a better guest experience at Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel. With the new addition of our exclusive Rail Baron Charter cars we hope to expand this class of service to offer more private car experiences. Taking guests to the Grand Canyon is a once in a lifetime experience and it is our hope that we will continue providing our services for the next decade and century to come.
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WEATHERFORD HOTEL HOLIDAY SEASON COFFEE BAR The historic Weatherford Hotel in downtown Flagstaff has experienced gun fights, the 1918 flu, world wars, bankruptcies, hauntings, floods and fires through the last 120 years, and its owners say the three-story Moenkopi sandstone Victorian building will survive the coronavirus pandemic, too. “The Weatherford Hotel stands as a tribute to its early 1900s turn-of-the-century heyday,” said co-owner Henry Taylor. “It’s very essence is resilience and timeless elegance, and COVID-19 will not keep it from honoring the 2020 holiday season with the warmth, beauty and style that residents and visitors have come to expect.” Owners Henry Taylor and Pamela “Sam” Green are unveiling a new tradition with the Weatherford Irish Coffee Bar, managed by coffee barista extraordinaire Zaq Snodgrass. “We are so excited to bring a unique morning coffee service to the downtown community with a touch of sophistication, while keeping that local Flagstaff charm,” said Snodgrass. The Irish Coffee Bar is a full-service espresso bar in the Exchange Pub with specialty coffee favorites like lattes and cappuccinos and also harder Weatherford signature coffee drinks with additions like Irish whiskey and Irish cream. Snodgrass says performance and presentation is also part of the experience, with glasses lined up across the polished pine bar and sharply dressed, seasoned baristas performing the morning Irish coffee ritual with precision and grace. “The Weatherford Hotel is a mainstay attraction in the heart of downtown Flagstaff. They greet thousands of visitors from out of town each year offering amazing amenities and the ever-popular New Year’s Eve Great Pinecone Drop. This event, along with their local community Monday Night Blues series, has created a true sense of place for downtown,” said City of Flagstaff Economic Vitality Director Heidi Hansen. “The addition of the Irish Coffee Bar will make the historic downtown district even more inviting to locals and visitors as they stroll, shop, dine and sip!” On the heels of the Irish Coffee Bar opening will be preparations for positioning the Great Pinecone from the hotel’s decorative cupula, like a giant holiday ornament three stories above Leroux St. and Aspen Ave. “This year marks our 22nd anniversary of the Weatherford Hotel’s Great Pinecone tradition,” said Sam. “New Year’s Eve celebrations will no doubt look much different this year, but our local symbol of hope and prosperity for the New Year will be perhaps more meaningful than ever before as we ring in 2021.” Last May marked 45 years of Weatherford Hotel ownership for Henry. Sam joined the hotel 40 years ago, first as a waitress, then as kitchen manager, head bottle washer and whatever other job needed to be done. The two married in 1983 and Chelsea was born in 1984. “The impact this family has made to the downtown and Flagstaff is astonishing,” said Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans. “Their massive renovation and historic preservation efforts inside the building and out are just mind-blowing – including returning the grand wrap-around balcony to the second floor, the creation of the beautiful turn-of-the-century-style Zane Grey Ballroom, the restoration of the Exchange Pub façade and the restructuring of the entire basement to fortify the building and create the spacious Gopher Hole. They also invented the Pinecone Drop tradition for our town, which, in normal years brings thousands of visitors and locals together in one big joyous celebration.” The Irish Coffee Bar is open 7 a.m. – 1p.m., Thursdays - Mondays. For more information, visit WeatherfordHotel.com
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2020 LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS A Host of Local Elected Positions Change Hands, and Many Stay the Same The results of the local 2020 elections have been certified by Coconino County, and many places saw turnover as a result, while several of the local elected positions saw incumbents returned to office. The offices of County Sheriff and County Attorney saw no change, as respectively, Jim Driscoll and Bill Ring ran unopposed in the general election, and were returned to their posts for another 4-year term. Supervisors Liz Archuleta, Matt Ryan and Lena Fowler, also ran unopposed, and were returned for four more years to the County Board. Joining Supervisors Archuleta, Ryan and Fowler on the County Board this term will be newcomers Patrice Horstman, who filled the seat of departing Art Babbott, and Judy Begay now representing District 4. At the City of Flagstaff level, newcomer Paul Deasy defeated sitting Councilmember Charlie Odegaard for the vacated Flagstaff Mayor position. Mayor-elect Deasy will be joined on Flagstaff City Council by newcomers Becky Daggett & Miranda Sweet. Councilmember Jim McCarthy was reelected to another four-year term, prevailing over Anthony Garcia by just 71 votes. Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans sought a highly contested seat in Arizona’s State House in Legislative District 6, but was bested by former Representative Brenda Barton of Payson by just under two thousand votes. The top vote getter in the LD6 state house race was current State Representative, Walter Blackman, who will return to the State Capitol in Phoenix, AZ for two-more years. In the State Senate race, newcomer Wendy Rogers bested Felicia French by a sizable margin. Senator-elect Rogers hails from Flagstaff, and will represent LD6 in the Arizona Senate this coming January. Senator-elect Rogers beat sitting Senator Sylvia Allen in the August 2020 primary for the Republican nomination. Filling-out the rest of the County constitutional offices, Armando Ruiz, County Assessor, Patty Hansen, County Recorder, Tommy Lewis, Jr., County Superintendent of Schools, and Sarah Benatar, County Treasurer were all elected to four-year terms. In the City of Williams, Craig Fritsinger beat Dawn Trapp for a four-year term on Williams City Council by just 32 votes out of more than 1,200 ballots cast.
CONGRESSMAN O'HALLERAN SITS WITH BUSINESS LEADERS Congressman Tom O’Halleran Sits With Key Business Leaders Post-Election In a socially-distanced scenario with masks, Congressman Tom O’Halleran, fresh off his reelection to Arizona’s Congressional District 1, met with key Flagstaff business leaders to discuss current lame-duck session relief bills, and other actions in D.C. The Congressman also provided an outlook for potential COVID19 vaccines, and noted money still exists in Washington to assist businesses, but acknowledged the path to move those dollars outside of D.C. through the U.S. Treasury Department is unclear at the moment. Those in attendance included Northern Arizona Healthcare’s (NAH) President & CEO, Flo Spyrow, Hozohni Foundation Director, Monica Attridge, Mountain Capital Partners Chief Planning Officer, J.R. Murray & Tim Dodt, Senior Director, Commercial Lending at Alliance Bank of Arizona Flagstaff. NAH President, Flo Spyrow, provided direct insight regarding the strains on providing healthcare in northern Arizona, and stressed the need to upgrade facilities locally to continue providing top-level care well into the future. Flo also emphasized, and the Congressman acknowledged, the need to collaborate with our Navajo Nation leaders on education regarding COVID19. Monica Attridge asked about vaccines, their timelines, and the guidelines that may come with vaccines, whether they be state or federal? The Congressman felt states would receive guidance on early vaccine delivery, and sectors of the population would be prioritized, including health care workers. Tim Dodt, Alliance Bank, discussed the impacts of the federal small business assistance programs, including PPP & EIDL. Alliance Bank handled many PPP loans at the time CARES Act money hit the street in April 2020. J.R. Murray, former GM at Arizona Snowbowl, and Chief Planning Officer at Mountain Capital Partners discussed the Snowbowl’s upcoming winter season, and expectations for operations in a COVID19 environment. Employment demand is high at Arizona Snowbowl, as seasonal jobs elsewhere in the Flagstaff visitation industry can be sparse with COVID19-related closures. Asked about the general business environment in Flagstaff at this time, Sr. Advisor for Public Policy at the Chamber, Joe Galli, stated the regulatory environment in Flagstaff is overly aggressive, and places much undo burdens on local businesses, unleveling the playing field for those who compete in Flagstaff, and throughout Arizona.
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