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PAYSON ROUNDUP
ARIZONA NEWSPAPERS AND NATIONAL LOCAL MEDIA ASSOCIATIONS’ NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
75 CENTS
FRIDAY | DECEMBER 16, 2016 | PAYSON, ARIZONA
payson.com
Businesses brace for minimum wage hike by
Alexis Bechman
nesses are letting customers know prices are going up. The Payson bowling alley posted a sign outside notifying customers the cost of a game is going up at the start of the new year. At Community Presbyterian Church’s day care center, the hourly rate is going from $3.75 to $5, which will increase the cost for a full week of child care from $135 to $150. That will add up to an extra $780 per child annually. The movie theater has said it will also increase its ticket prices. At Scoops Ice Cream & Espresso, owner Chris Higgins says he will also be raising prices. Higgins said he and his wife have not determined how much to raise prices, but probably less than 10 percent. For Higgins, the cost of doing business goes up
roundup staff reporter
From ice cream to child care, with the voter-mandated increase to the minimum wage prompting salary adjustments in January, a number of local businesses say their prices will rise as well to deal with the added expense. Arizona’s minimum wage currently sits at $8.05 an hour, above the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, which took effect in 2009. In November, voters approved Proposition 206, raising the minimum wage to $12. On Jan. 1, the minimum wage in Arizona increases from $8.05 to $10 per hour. It will rise another 50 cents each year thereafter until it hits $12 in 2020. Before the increase even takes effect, local busi-
Sick
HUNGRY
Drive hopes to collect $50,000 and 30,000 pounds of food by Feb. 5. The He spent all his life in construction, money will keep the area’s three local but an injury on the job near retire- food banks afloat well into the year when donations typically trail off. ment left him nearly destitute. The Community Presbyterian He served his country in the Army, Church food pantry typically serves but his disability check leaves him just 1,100 people a month, handing out enough money some 450 bags to pay the rent of food, each and cover out-ofweighing 10 pocket medical pounds — a costs. total of 4,500 So on pounds. Wednesday this One man week, these two on Wednesday Rim Country resicollected sevdents lined up for eral bags of a box of food at a food from local food bank. the church, Never mind the explaining he economic recovlives on a fixed ery — the need Social Security for enough food income. An to get through injury on a the month conconstruction tinues to grow at job forced him the region’s food to retire early. banks. Medical 2015 poverty rates Now he lives problems account in a trailer in for about half of Under 18 Gila County: 37 percent Tonto Basin. the people who All ages Gila County: 21 percent He hates need help from All ages Arizona: 17 percent to depend on the food banks, All ages U.S.: 15 percent handouts — according to Rev. and last came Chuck Proudfoot. Source: U.S. Census Bureau to the food Gila County’s bank in July. poverty rate is Besides, he more than double couldn’t afford the state and national average. The the gas to drive the 31 miles from county also has an unusually high per- Tonto Basin to Payson to pick up food. centage of residents without medical He mostly eats ground beef and other insurance. cheap foods he can find in the Tonto So once again this year, the com- Basin market. Doesn’t taste like much, munity is rallying to fight hunger in but it’s “better than starving.” Rim Country. See Food banks, page 2 This year the Payson Area Food by
Alexis Bechman
roundup staff reporter
every year thanks to rising food costs. Two years ago, the cost of ice cream supplies jumped 20 percent. They have had to raise their prices four times in 5 percent increments over their eight years in business, but try to keep things affordable. Higgins said they typically hire high school students to work part-time at the ice cream shop, giving them an opportunity gain work experience. The store typically pays minimum wage and offers raises as the mostly young workers take on more responsibilities. Several employees currently make more than $10 an hour. The staff varies from nine in the winter to 18 in the summer. With the minimum wage increasing to $12 by 2020, Higgins said he will no longer offer new employees
• See Prices to rise, page 17
Photos courtesy of DJ Craig
File photo
Scoops may raise its prices to cover the cost of higher wages.
Joy to the world
The Payson Choral Society delighted a crowd given to laughter and singing along with its annual Christmas concert last weekend. Much of the money raised will provide music scholarships for students. To see a video of some of the songs, go to payson.com.
Storm expected to be short-lived by
Michele Nelson
roundup staff reporter
It’s been so mild this week one hardly needs a jacket. But don’t put away the winter clothes just yet — the National Weather Service says a storm from the Pacific will hit us today, Dec. 16. Yep. This sunny, mild weather will make way for both rain and snow. The NWS says that winds should kick up on Thursday evening heralding the destabilization of the mild weather by a Pacific storm system.
•
By Friday, strong winds from the Southwest will bring rain to lower elevations and snow to elevations above 8,000 feet. Then, after nightfall, snow levels could drop to 4,500 feet. By Saturday, however, the wet stuff should cease to fall with no precipitation predicted for the rest of the week. Weather.Astro50.com, manned by local weather buffs, reports the area has received approximately 17.48 inches so far this year — well behind the long-term average. The storm will leave the cold weather behind, though — so keep those warm, toasty jackets out and ready to put on ... because winter is coming.
Tonto tribe gathers donations by
Michele Nelson
roundup staff reporter
For more than a decade, the Tonto Apache Tribe has quietly collected toys, household goods and clothing throughout the year to THE WEATHER
Today: Rain likely with a high of 48 and a low of 27. Storm expected to clear out by Saturday, leaving sunny skies with temps climbing to the mid 50s by Tuesday. See page 11
See our ad and upcoming events on page 18
spread the holiday cheer to some of the needier tribes around the state. On Monday, Dec. 12, tribal members and employees wandered around a room piled high with clothes, shoes, household goods and toys. They stuffed men’s, women’s and children’s clothes into bags ready for distribution. Although a tribal elder of the Tonto tribe started the program, Marianne Foster has taken over administering the details for the last three years. Foster works in the finance department of the tribal administration. She said donors contribute year after year to the effort. “We have one gentleman, he will call
every year and ask us to come over to pick things up,” said Foster. This year, he donated 10 boxes of clothes. Foster said the tribe picks an Arizona Apache reservation to support, then identifies which 12 elder families need the most help. “Each year, I start looking for a reservation to support and then call,” said Foster. “We haven’t been to Cibecue for many years, that’s why we decided to go there this year. We will help 12 families and 90 people.” Foster said the Tonto tribe is very blessed because of the casino and their small
• See Tonto tribe, page 11
Michele Nelson/Roundup
Marianne Foster helps to pack up donations that will go to Cibecue.
PAYSON AREA FOOD DRIVE
GOAL: 30,000 lbs.
Please help us meet our goal of raising 30,000 pounds of food and $50,000 in financial donations for local food banks. Look for the drop boxes around town, or mail your check to Payson Area Food Drive, P.O. Box 703, Payson, AZ 85547.
27,000 lbs.
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12,000 lbs.
3,000 lbs. 0 lbs. 2,226 lbs.
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GOAL: 50,000 Feb. 5, 2017 $
volume 26, no. 100
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