Relocation Guide 2015

Rim Country MOVE TO

ARIZONA’S

2015 RELOCATION GUIDE

Celebrating small-town living at its finest!

HOUSING • SCHOOLS • ECONOMY • DEMOGRAPHICS • JOBS • NEIGHBORHOODS Photo courtesy Brooke Kubby

RELOCATION GUIDE

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RELOCATION GUIDE

Coming home to Rim Country

Relocation guide photos not otherwise identified by Pete Aleshire

by Pete Aleshire

roundup editor

So I’m strolling through Green Valley Park on the Fourth of July, storm clouds gathering and a lifetime of memories spooling through my head.

All around kids laughed and tumbled through Green Valley Park.

Here they screeched in the safety of the giant bounce castle, there they grimaced through the ring toss, over there they snagged fly balls on the green hillside in front of the bandstand.

I paused before the war memorial to all the Rim residents who made the ultimate sacrifice since World War I. A little girl stood in front of the names incised in bronze in the cloud-dappled sunlight, touching a delicate forefinger to one particular name on that heart-wrenching list. Overhead, the wind of the threatening monsoon made the flags snap and rustle.

I have spent the Fourth of July in many places — great cities and football stadiums, even on foreign shores. I have never felt it so deeply as I do here in Rim Country at Payson’s July 4 celebration, with its games and intimate display of fireworks.

Raised in California where I launched my ramshackle career, I lived 28 years in the Valley before luck and circumstance landed me unexpectedly in Payson nearly seven years ago. Life’s funny like that — so many fortunate disasters shape our path and determine our fate. At first I thought Payson was a broken lifeboat on a wide sea. Now I understand that it’s the place I was seeking all that while.

Maybe it’s also the place you’re seeking.

So we put together this year’s Rim Country Relocation Guide as a first step to helping you find out. Inside, you’ll find all kinds of information compiled by people who actually live here. The Payson Roundup’s been here for 75 years. It’s our home.

Initially, we struggled with the cover photo. Rim Country has such a wealth of places that define it, starting with the 1,000-foot-tall ramparts of

Rim Country MOVE TO

ARIZONA’S

2015 RELOCATION GUIDE

4 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

the Mogollon Rim. The Rim catches storms and feeds streams like Fossil Creek, East Verde and Tonto Creek. Because we can rise from 5,000 feet to 7,400 feet in 28 miles, we can sit in a lawn chair on the banks of a trout stream in the morning and go snowshoeing in the afternoon.

We thought about putting Tonto Natural Bridge State Park on the cover, the world’s largest travertine arch. Visits to the bridge jumped about 60 percent in 2014, a sign of the recovering economy that has perhaps brought you to Rim Country in 2015.

But in the end, we opted for an image of Payson’s July 4 celebration, which so perfectly captures the small-town pleasures of life in Rim Country. Here, you can’t go to the store without exchanging at least a little gossip with people you know. Here, people rally to help their neighbors — whether it’s the community food drive, the great wealth of churches working on community projects, the Payson Community Garden, or donations to schools through the Credit for Kids program.

The July 4 celebration showcases the spirit of that beloved community. For instance, high school student Brooke Kubby actually took our cover shot — from the room of a house on the Payson Golf Course with a couple of her friends in the foreground.

Although, last year we almost got rained out. Just as the fireworks show was slated to start, the monsoon opened up. Organizers held off on the fireworks, waiting for a break in the storm. Some folks started streaming off. But we locals stayed, savoring the warm summer rain. You never complain about rain in Rim Country, just turn your face to the sky and catch the drops on your tongue. We knew that they’d light it up when the storm paused.

Sure enough, the rain slackened, the clouds parted and the fireworks commenced. Sitting on the shore of Green Valley Lake, I exclaimed and clapped as the fireworks exploded right overhead.

I’m not ashamed to say that it brought me to tears, to live in such a place, in such a country — home, finally, after all my wandering.

John Naughton, Publisher • Pete Aleshire, Editor in Chief

708 N. Beeline Highway • PO Box 2520 • Payson, AZ 85547 (928) 474-5251 • payson.com No portion of the Rim Country Relocation Guide may be used in any manner without the expressed written consent of Roundup Publishing, a division of WorldWest Limited Liability Company. © 2015

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 5

THE REGION

Rim Country economy heats up

Housing starts, sales, new business all rising swiftly

by Alexis Bechman roundup staff reporter

With a huge boost in new home construction and quite a few new businesses opening in Payson last year, officials say the area is definitely in the midst of a turnaround.

With several subdivisions, a four-year college and more businesses on the horizon, economic development officials predict 2015 will bring more growth than any year since the onset of the recession back in 2007.

Bobby Davis, Payson’s economic director, said he is working to both shore up existing businesses and attract additional growth. Projects in the pipeline include not only the 6,000-student university, but small manufacturing firms and an industrial park with higher paying jobs. The new businesses should bolster Payson’s sales tax receipts and provide yearround activity to help smooth out the town’s otherwise tourist-dependent economy.

The area already holds two dozen small manufacturers, a fact many people find surprising, Davis said. Those manufactures include HPR Ammunition; Rim Country Manufacturing, which builds tripods and gun parts; Urban Survivalist food products and Trident Winery.

Davis is in talks with two other small manufacturers interested in expanding to Payson, including one out of California and another from North Dakota.

With the area’s natural beauty, mild four seasons and guaranteed water supply, Payson is an attractive place for manufacturers.

Davis said water is a huge selling point. While other towns in the state and country are already struggling to provide an adequate water supply, Payson for the last three decades has had a plan. That plan is in full effect with crews busy building a pipeline from the C.C. Cragin Reservoir and a A welder works on a new bridge over the East Verde River along Houston Mesa water treatment facility near Mesa del Caballo. When complete, the pipeRoad. The bridges provide all-weather access for the forested communities of line will deliver enough water to see Payson’s population expand to 38,000 Beaver Valley, Whispering Pines, Geronimo Estates and others. and still have a cushion to weather droughts and emergencies indefinitely.

“Any town in Arizona would trade us for that supply (of water),” Davis said.

Besides being a prime location to move for the beauty alone, the area New Home Construction – Largest employers: Payson: Payson School District could soon boast a four-year college. Davis said he gets calls weekly from 2012 – 35 Mazatzal Casino businesses interested in opening before the college so they can get ahead of 2013 – 36 Medical Center the pack. Among them is a new, multi-story hotel behind Walgreens, a new 2014 – 70 fast food restaurant on the corner of Bonita Street and Highway 87 and a Resources Tractor Supply Company next to Tiny’s Restaurant.

Median Income: for new businesses: The town has stepped up efforts to make the planning and building Payson $44,600 process easier for business owners. Last year the town hired Davis and conArizona $49,700 • Rim Country Regional tinues to hold weekly community development meetings where a member Gila County $40,000 Chamber of Commerce: of every town department attends to work with new owners.

Nation $53,000 rimcountrychamber.

These meetings not only take away any surprises owners might encoun com, (928) 474-4515 ter when they start building, they eliminate the guesswork, he said.

Payson businesses: Davis also received grant funding to hold free educational workshops Total firms 2,575 • Payson Economic for business owners. Topics include navigating social media, building a Retail sales $282M Development: marketing plan on a shoestring budget and maximizing profit.

(928) 474-5242, ext. 396 The workshops are a joint venture between the town, Gila County and Sales per capita: the Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Payson $18,319 • Gila County Industrial “This is an up and coming area,” Davis said. “And I think 2015 is going Arizona $13,637 Development Authority: Nation $12,990 (928) 473-1129 to be a very good year for us.”

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 7

THE REGION

Many Payson businesses rely heavily on the influx of summer visitors to events like the classic car show in Green Valley Park.

Economy turns as new businesses boom

by Alexis Bechman roundup staff reporter

Like most cities across the country, Payson’s recovery from the recession has been slow, but steady. Thanks to a recent influx of new chain stores and restaurants, the town is starting to look busy again as empty storefronts fill up, with even a few new businesses planned.

Smaller mom and pop shops have toughed it out, giving the town charm amidst a growing sea of big-box shops.

On the horizon are plans for several new housing developments and retail chains.

And Rim Country’s economy continues to register strong gains, with town revenues growing in almost every category.

Sales tax receipts increased twice as fast at the statewide average in 2014 — topping 8 percent. Building permits and plan review fees by would-be developers and builders jumped by some 60 percent over the previous year, according to town financial reports.

In the pipeline are plans for a Jimmy John’s sub shop in a new building south of Walmart and a Tractor Supply Company west of Tiny’s Restaurant.

Last year, a number of new businesses opened including a Native Grill & Wings restaurant, rue21 clothing store, Summit Swirls, a yogurt shop, Pirate’s Cove mini golf, Carl’s Jr., Scrubs and More Boutique, a Starbucks Coffee in Bashas’, Pet Club and the Pinon Café.

The recent arrivals add to Rim Country’s

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Rim Country boasts a wealth of innovative businesses, which display their wares at the many craft festivals slated throughout the year in both Payson and in Pine-Strawberry.

distinctive businesses.

Rim Country has always attracted folks with diverse experience who have opted for lifestyle over maximizing income — which means the business community includes its share of former corporate executives, artists and entrepreneurs.

Moreover, the busy summer tourism season brings a flush of business that can sustain unusual business models. For instance, Fossil Creek Creamery has award-winning goat chees-

es and fudge and is featured at local restaurants.

The area also supports craft stores and art galleries, including three galleries operated by the local artists whose work adorns the walls.

For a complete list of businesses, visit PaysonMarketplace.com. The site, operated by the Payson Roundup, is an expanded online phone book. The site provides detailed information and reviews about nearly every business in Rim Country, including those smaller shops tucked away and off the main highways.

RELOCATION GUIDE

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 9

THE REGION

Building a diverse economy

by Alexis Bechman roundup staff reporter

Payson knows where it is going and how it wants to look when it gets there.

Last year, the town completed overhauling its general plan, the land-use blueprint for the next 10 years.

While the town population currently sits at 15,000, the plan envisions a town of about 38,000 in 20 square miles, the commercial and cultural hub of Rim Country.

The town has focused on providing zoning to broaden and deepen the economic base of the community, which some say relies too heavily on seasonal tourism and attracting retirees.

Outdoor and family tourism remain crucial to the economy, since the area serves as a gateway to four national forests, three year-round streams, lakes and hundreds of miles of hiking, biking and riding trails radiating out from the edge of town.

Moreover, the region remains popular with retirees — with easy access to the Valley, varied medical and social services, recreational amenities plus mild but distinct seasons that satisfy the urge for a little snow and fall colors without the need to break out the snow shovels.

The new general plan, however, envisions more stable, year-round, high-wage industries.

That’s why town leaders have so doggedly pursued the plan to build a four-year university here — with all its spin-off benefits.

The general plan reflects those priorities,

The region’s economy currently depends heavily on visitors drawn to things like Payson’s concerts in Green Valley Park.

But Payson’s general plan envisions a build-out population of 38,000 with a year-round economy.

setting the limits on everything from housing densities to where commercial businesses, industrial development and apartment complexes end up.

The plan focuses on making sure the town provides plenty of space for businesses that produce both jobs and sales tax revenues, which supports most town services. However, residents don’t want to sacrifice the small-town feel, forested neighborhoods and amenities — like the town’s two large parks.

The last time the town overhauled its general plan, many residents worried mostly about managing growth without outstripping the water supply. But work on the C.C. Cragin pipeline to double the town’s water supply took care of water worries. And the recession refocused the community on attracting new residents and businesses and establishing a stable, year-round economy less subject to the boom and bust of the sales-tax-dependent tourist industry.

Payson residents have focused on reviving — and then diversifying — the economy of a town that once relied on new construction and tourism to sustain a 4 percent growth rate.

The plan now includes a proposed 6,000-student university campus, likely to produce a more diverse, year-round economy; restrictions on land use; a circulation plan that determines how much traffic each street will carry; and detailed projections for housing, resource management, annexations and many other elements.

The 2010 U.S. Census listed 8,958 housing

10 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

After three years of near-stagnation, the construction sector recovered in 2014, with a 60 percent rise in building permits in Payson.

units. The town had 6,581 households with an average family size of 2.27. At that time, the town’s population was 15,300 with 4.5 percent children under 5, 17.5 percent under 18 and 30.6 percent older than 65.

Payson was founded in 1882 with a population of 40 people. The tally grew slowly to 200 residents in 1922, then to 500 in 1930. By 1990, the population had reached 8,377. It exploded in the next decade, rising 62 percent to 13,620 in 2000.

RELOCATION GUIDE

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tral system. The design will let st over the world and access researc com Tyler T Parkway fore twee cam fore ting, backers were still 0 26 and th the complicated and wy.Valley H E. tar cam ng process necessary to to S Rim Club guis Service to approve a diParkway layo he property. Advocates cars sity plan need to pay for spac ent appraiser to set the M and. Although they had The construction of the C.C. Cragin pipeline (left) made it possible for Payson and Star Valley to push for the construction of a 6,000-student universola could get sitythat campus done on a 253-acre site owned by the U.S. Forest Service (right). The site lies south of Highway 260 and west of Rim Club Parkway. The Rim Country Educational Alliance plans to buy the land for $4 million then negotiate a finalto dealthis with Arizona State University toon buildboth the campus.

Backers hope year buy land sides of vanc ocess is turning into anHighway 260 to build a 6,000-student university campus mak onth delay.

Thewith addition of 6,000 students he Alliance has continued to explore other andwill actu- interact teachers all over the world and Alliance Separate Legalsites Entity, which

by Pete Aleshire materials from anywhere the ally build the own the facilities. ersaccess at research the university andinspin-off tact withAother universities interested incampus the and project, plan to this year start construction on a The Alliance will then lease the facilities to the community.

The campus willthroughout blend into a hilly, forested university and to other related businesses, using 6,000-student universityon campus 253 acres Forest ing demand the regio with ASU to build theon huge, Service parcel of U.S. Forest Service land seems finally within the lease payments and sales tax money gener- site on the boundary between Payson and Star new high-skill jobs.

Valley. ated toconstruction keep the cost of the university referred plan. hope latefacilitiesin many grasp, althoughThe key hurdles remain.is to begin The campus design firm will create a forAt the start of 2015, the Rim Country as low as possible.

Perhaps most important arly next year Alliance — another in theThe oft-revised schedcampus designed for walking and biking. of al Alliance has worked out most of the ested Educational had struck anslip agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to buy the 253-acre details of a plan to have Arizona State University The dorms will create a campus community, nesses will boost economic activit site on the border between Payson and Star operate the campus. The largest public universi- with half-disguised parking garages, shuttles and a layout making that will minimize impact of Tempe campus lies Valley for $4.1 Star million. Valley The Alliancepartnered also con- ty in the months, thetheregion’s eco of Payson and tonation, setASU’s upmain the Rim tracted with DCK Global to draw up detailed less than 100 miles south of Payson. The ulti- cars and leave as much natural open space as possible. Moreover, campus will rely shifts on mate plan would dovetail will the programs plansSeparate for the first, 1,000-student to thetheeconomic th ationalengineering Alliance Legal Entity, which ac- on thesistant phase of the campus, together with the infra- two campus and give students in Payson online solar and geothermal power, advanced enertourist-based gy-efficient design to economy. make it a sustainability access Alliance to a wealth of classes instructors on e campus and own the facilities. willandthen structure for water, streets, power and sewers. The showcase.

A fresh scramble to arrange financing and the main campus.

Finally, university will bring ties to donations the university andofto other related businesses, The additionthe of 6,000 students and several The plan calls for the use of a combination of had delayed finalization the sale at this writing, but backers predicted the Alliance lower tuition and an endowment to keep costs thousand new workers at the university and likespin-off a performing arts play e payments and sales tax to atkeep businesses will increase the center, housing students much lower than the three existwill complete the land purchase early money in 2015 for generated the region. Moreover, the a demand throughout and startfacilities construction either in 2015 or ing public universities in the state, ensuring diverse community of artists and e university as late low as possible. early in 2016. Current plans call for the arrival ready supply of students. The campus will offer campus will bring in many new high-skill jobs.

Perhaps most important of all, the univerkey areas of study andthree undergraduate of the first students in 2017. alls for tuition 30 to 50 percent lower than the ex-degrees,publicity.

M

ost of other spin-off businesses. ultimately inject $150 million annually into the econTHE REGION sform the amenities, dend housing market of a g dependent on tourism ome owners according

Backers settle on 253-acre university site roundup editor

The full plans also call for a research park, dorms, a 500-room conference hotel, a new commercial and retail area and other spin-off businesses.

This could ultimately inject $150 million annually into the economy and transform the amenities, demographics and housing market of a rural town long dependent on tourism and second-home owners according to officials.

The towns of Payson and Star Valley partnered to set up the Rim Country Educational

including topics like nursing, business, rural health care, forest health, alternative energy, education, fire science and other topics.

Moreover, the Alliance plans to build a creative, state-of-the-art campus that will turn the whole town into a high-speed, wireless Internet site. The Alliance has already enlisted corporate partners, like Corning, which wants to install computer screen walls and counter tops that will connect the dorms, classrooms and offices to a central system. The design will let students

MESSINGER MORTUARIES

12 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

sity and related businesses will boost economic activity during the normally slow winter months, making the region’s economy more diverse and more resistant to the economic shifts that can have such an impact on a tourist-based economy.

Finally, the university will bring with it a host of new amenities — like a performing arts center, playing fields, a boost for the already diverse community of artists and a flush of regional and national publicity.

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 13

THE REGION

The joys of a rural school district

Community supports its kids

by Michele Nelson

roundup staff reporter

One of the joys of a rural school district is the size.

For a parent, it’s possible to get to know the superintendent and board members and even to see them in line at Walmart, where everyone shops at one time or another.

There’s also a sense of community and ownership of the schools. Many residents come out to watch football games or theatrical presentations, and at Christmas time, it’s standing room only for the holiday concerts.

The 2,300-student Payson Unified School District forms the hub of the various schools.

The Payson district operates five school sites. Uniquely, every student attends every school in the district.

Payson Elementary School is a kindergarten through second-grade school, Julia Randall Elementary, is a third- through fifthgrade school, Rim Country Middle School is a junior high, and Payson High School, has ninth through 12th grades. Payson Center for Success is a charter high school.

Each school has a perhaps-surprising array of top-ranked programs and activities. Like many rural school districts, Payson schools face sometimes-challenging demographics, with sizable populations of low-income and special

education students.

However, the district’s teachers have worked to offer students many extras rare in a rural school, including ski and caving trips with an outdoor adventure club; a chance to design research projects using a satellite orbiting the planet Mars; a state-of-the-art 3-D printer for engineering projects; a championship band and music program; college credits for classes taught in partnership with Gila Community College; a full drama program; complete agricultural, business, computer, engineering, construction and culinary arts programs as well as athletic programs that draw in the whole community.

Several other smaller school districts teach primary grades, with students transferring to Payson High School when they get older. This includes the small, well-funded Pine School District to the north and the Tonto Basin School District to the south.

The Rim Country hosts private and charter school options, including the Shelby School in Tonto Village, with one of the top chess teams in the whole country and an approach that individualizes instruction drawing in experts from other fields.

In Payson, the private Christian school offers a faith-based education, while Morgan’s Creek Montessori in Star Valley has classes for the little ones.

14 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

Payson was one of the few districts in the state that won overwhelming support for a school budget override vote last year, a token of community support for its schools.

The Rim Country community has supported its school system with a bond passed in the early 2000s. This allowed the district to significantly upgrade the facilities and buildings. The historic rock building near the newly built Julia CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

RELOCATION GUIDE

Welcome to Gila County’s

RIM COUNTRY

What an Relocating excellent choice! to Gila County?

Be sure to visit www.gilacountyaz.gov Board of Supervisors — 928-474-7100 Tommie C. Martin, District 1 Michael A. Pastor, District 2 John Marcanti, District 3 Building Permits — 928-474-9276 (for unincorporated areas only) Planning & Zoning — 928-474-9276 Septic Permits — 928-474-9276 Cooperative Extension — 928-474-4160 Voter Registration — 928-472-5340 ext 8733 Health & Emergency Services — 928-474-1210 Dog Licenses — 928-474-1210 Library District — 928-472-5340 ext 8768 www.gcldaz.org/gila/ Buckhead Landfill — 928-476-3350 Sheriff — 928-474-2208 Non Emergency 2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 15

THE REGION

Parent support provides school ‘extras’ Randall Elementary School houses the district’s administration, while the elementary school covers grades 3-5, plus a pre-kindergarten program.

Rim Country Middle School and Payson High School also received upgrades and a fresh coat of paint.

Current facilities projects include work on the football field and track and a new set of bleachers.

Just as every other district in Arizona has struggled with state-imposed budget cuts, PUSD suffered, but continues to hold its own.

Test scores have held steady — remaining a little bit above the state and national average in most grades.

The 2014-15 school year inaugurates a new standardized test for graduation, the AZMerit test. The Arizona Department of Education decided to delay administering letter grades to districts until the newness of the test wears off.

However, the district remains way above average in the extras provided to students, thanks to the combination of determined teachers and strong community support — a benefit of the rural nature of the district.

Unlike half of the districts in the state, the Rim Country voters passed an override tax which brings more than a million dollars to the district in a time when the state continues to slash funding for K-12 schools.

The school system remains a focal point of the community, dominating sports coverage in the local paper, receiving consistent coverage of special events and performances and benefiting from more than $200,000 donated annually to the state’s Credit for Kids tax write-off donation system, as well as thousands of hours of volunteers’ time.

Extras include field trips in the elementary schools, trips to watch plays in Phoenix and a firsthand look at the operations of local farms and ranches. High school culinary arts students compete for scholarships to nationally ranked cooking schools, and business classes and clubs fly to other states to compete nationally.

The district also offers award-winning music and theater classes, art, sports and career and technical education at Payson High School.

Because of the Rim Country’s central location in the state, teachers take their students to the Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University campuses. At ASU, students participate in photographing Mars at the Mars Imaging Project or see the facets of an insect’s eye on an electron microscope. At Northern Arizona University, students may watch the stars from the Lowell Observatory.

This year, the Payson High School Marching Band ranked ninth in the state in its division.

Just keeping up with the busy schedule of the rural school district can easily be a full-time job.

16 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

School programs like the thriving agricultural vocational program sponsor floats in local parades and train students for careers. Payson High School also has a high college attendance rate. Community contributions support a wealth of extracurricular activities.

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 17

THE REGION

Gila Community College serves needs

by Michele Nelson roundup staff reporter

Don’t think the pursuit of education ends by moving to Payson — Gila Community College offers residents from high school-age to senior citizens classes from art to math, nursing to fire science, yoga and writing.

Students starting out on the higher education path may obtain an associate degree in numerous subjects.

In the 2013-14 school year, the college (both the Payson and Globe campuses) granted 279 degrees and certificates to students.

Some diligent high school students not only graduate with a high school diploma, but an associate degree as well.

For those interested in hitting the ground running after high school with job skills, the Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology pays for dual credit certificate programs in medical assistant, fire science and cosmetology.

GCC also has a vibrant nursing program that students from outside of Rim Country flock to study. Many nursing programs in more urban areas have waiting lists.

In the past four years, the college has partnered with industry to create new areas of study

Gila Community College graduates a bumper crop of students each year (top) and offers popular vocational programs in nursing, fire sciences and other career areas. The college caters to both students taking advantage of this low-cost head start on a four-year degree and enrichment classes for the area’s many retirees.

from medical coding and billing, to culinary arts and medical assistant.

The college even helps those wishing to change or start a new career with valuable skills for the local job market and global marketplace.

Many seniors explore a new passion in life learning to paint, create ceramics or take a photograph. As an added bonus, seniors attend classes for free.

18 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

GCC even has a scholarship group, Friends of Rim Country Gila Community College. In 2014, 100 GCC students received scholarships.

Moving closer to ending its purgatory as a provisional college, GCC has sent an initial packet of documents to the Higher Learning Commission seeking accreditation. It might take three to five years, but once done, GCC would be independent.

RELOCATION GUIDE

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 19

THE REGION

Payson since 1970 ...

One heck of a ride

by Teresa McQuerrey

roundup staff reporter

My family came to Payson in December 1970. My parents were teachers. We had traveled through Payson at least once a year since coming to Arizona in 1965 — making an annual spring break visit to the Valley. From that experience all I knew about Payson was it had convenient gas stations, really tall pine trees and the air smelled magical.

Actually, the air in Payson was some of the best recorded for many years — it has since lost that claim to fame. But throw open the windows during or after a summer monsoon storm and the scent of the stuff can still make me swoon (in a good way).

Once we moved here, the number of homes surprised me — the population at the time was about 3,000, mostly working families. The town had just three schools: the elementary (now known as Julia Randall Elementary School); the junior high (now Rim Country Middle School); and the high school.

The high school had 10 classrooms, a library, an office and gym. Most of the classrooms were in the main building, including the home economics room and shop class, along with the office and library. Even then, the school was running out of room. My mother was hired as a remedial reading teacher and her class was held in what was also the school board meeting room.

It has been a while, but if I remember correctly, we had one grocery store — Wilson’s — on Main Street. Peggy’s was operating back

then — at its same location — and you could also shop at Suttner’s, a locally owned variety store that was next door to Wilson’s. Kittycorner across the street were the post office and a bowling alley.

There were just a couple of antique stores, no thrift shops, three or four gas stations and no stoplights. When they put the first light in at Beeline and Main Street, it was a big deal.

There were a few real estate offices and soon more took root. The newest subdivision was Payson North and Swiss Village was limited to shops on either side of Forest — one of those was the real estate office for the development and the other was a bakery and the Swiss Village Inn. A couple of other motels along Beeline accommodated other visitors.

The hospital was at its current site, but about a 10th of its present size and the sawmill was still operating.

The only constant government presence was a couple of Gila County Sheriff ’s deputies and a skeleton support staff and a county road crew, plus the school board. Payson did not become incorporated until 1976.

My, how Payson has changed ...

The population is now 15,000, with many residents living in retirement. Over the years, subdivisions of different sizes multiplied like rabbits. That development slowed during the recession, but that seems as if it is about to change.

A lot has gone by the wayside — if you want to shop in a locally owned grocery store, you have to go up to Pine and visit Ponderosa

20 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

Market. Those three gas stations in town when my family moved here are no longer standing and neither is the sawmill. In its place you can go to a fitness center, some restaurants, an investment counselor and the movies.

About the movies — when we first came to Rim Country the only place to see a movie was out in Star Valley — in the building occupied now by the Moose Lodge. Later there was a small theater off East Bonita. So, to have the little multi-screen facility at Sawmill Crossing was another big deal.

Dining choices have expanded over the years too. Since my parents were teachers and money was tight, I don’t recall going out to eat often, but I do remember a restaurant called The Candlelight and another called Mag’s Hambun.

The Beeline Cafe and (Tony’s) Diamond Point Shadows were here and are still serving up delicious food today.

Payson had no fast food drive-thrus until the early ’80s when McDonald’s came to town. That was another big deal. We did have a drive-in of sorts — Womack’s, which later became Pedro Wong’s and now is home to Alfonso’s.

There were no community parks, but the rodeo grounds were where Rumsey Park is now located, and there was a golf course.

Payson probably saw the most changes during the late 1970s and through the 1980s.

Payson and the Rim Country have continued to change. But when change stops death is not far behind. So, we continue to grow and thrive — perhaps in a measured way now, but still moving forward.

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THE REGION Payson Weather: Just Right Average high: 73 Average low: 39 Average rain: 22 in.

January February March April May June July August September October November December Annual

Avg Avg Avg Avg Record Record High Low Rain Snow High Low

54 58 63 71 80 90 93 91 85 75 63 55

25 27 31 35 42 50 58 58 51 40 30 25

2.3 2.3 2.7 1.2 0.7 0.4 2.4 3 1.8 1.9 1.7 1.75

4.8 5 4.7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 2.2 3.6

77 80 89 91 99 106 107 104 103 94 8.3 76

-8 1 3 15 22 31 39 37 33 16 6 -7

79 39 22 23 107 -8

In short there’s simply not a more congenial spot

by Pete Aleshire

roundup editor

Now, maybe we’re overdoing it just a little — but we believe Rim Country’s weather makes it just a little bit like Camelot, where “the crown has made it clear. The climate must be perfect all year” to most emphatically assure “there’s simply not a more congenial spot for happily-ever-aftering than here in Camelot.”

OK. Maybe that does sound a little like hyperbole.

But then, the average year-round high is 73.

The winter offers up breathtaking, lovely snowfalls — but rarely deep enough on the driveway to break out the snow shovel.

We’ve got spring wildflowers and hundreds of species of migrating birds, but none of the spring slush and muck that afflicts less happy climes.

We’ve got lazy summers and swimming holes — but no triple-digit temperatures and big air

conditioning bills.

We’ve got crisp falls saturated with golden sycamores, but no hard early freezes and miseries of slushy mud.

In truth, Payson enjoys a Goldilocks climate — not too hot, not too cold — just right.

January’s the coldest month, with average highs of 54 — and average lows of 25.

June’s the hottest month, with average highs of 90 and average lows of 49.

Compare that to summer highs often topping 115 down in the Valley and you can understand why visitors flock to Rim Country in the summer.

Moreover, Rim Country averages about 22 inches of rain annually — three times the total just 100 miles south in Phoenix.

On average, the wettest month is August, with 3 inches — delivered in spectacular monsoon thunderstorms brewed in the Gulf of California that break against the ramparts of the

22 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

Mogollon Rim. June remains the driest month, with about a third of an inch.

When it comes to snow, Rim Country keeps it chill. At Payson’s 5,000-foot elevation, winter storms move through periodically — leaving 2 to 6 inches of snow, which usually melts away after a couple of days.

However, up on the 7,500-foot-tall Mogollon Rim, the snow lingers all winter — perfect for folks who want to go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, but don’t want to shovel the driveway.

Rim Country offers the perfect balance of seasons, enough to soothe the souls of desert rats and stimulate the seasonal nostalgia of the snowbirds. Or as King Arthur put it: “A law was made a distant moon ago here; July and August cannot be too hot. And there’s a legal limit to the snow here, in Camelot ... I know it sounds a bit bizarre, but in Camelot, Camelot, that’s how conditions are.”

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THE REGION

The C.C. Cragin Reservoir makes Payson one of the few towns in Arizona with more than enough water for its build-out plans.

Rim Country averts state water shortage

by Pete Aleshire

FASTFACTS

roundup editor

Payson remains one of the few towns in Arizona with a guaranteed source of water sufficient to provide for all its projected future water needs — even if the current, historic drought continues.

Alarm about a possible water shortage in the rest of the state — especially other rural areas — continued to mount in 2014. Here are a few indicators: Drought: For starters, one of the worst droughts on record continued to affect much of the state. Most of the state remained in moderate to severe drought all year long. That’s not nearly as bad as the “extreme” to “exceptional” drought that has afflicted California, but the dry spell here has lasted with only a few wet years thrown in for more than a decade. Long-term climate forecasts linked to the buildup of heat trapping pollutants suggest such drought will become more common and last longer.

Colorado River: Lake Mead last year fell to its lowest level since water managers filled it up in the 1930s. Lake Powell, upstream on the Colorado River, is less than half full. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has warned that if Lake Mead falls much further it will have to restrict or cut off deliveries to Nevada and Arizona, creating an instant water crisis for Phoenix and Tucson.

Other reservoirs: The Valley gets about half of its water from the Salt and Verde river water-

Average daily water use: Payson: 89 gallons Phoenix: 108 gallons Los Angeles: 123 gallon sheds. Unfortunately, the drought has affected those areas as well. Roosevelt Lake this winter dropped to about 40 percent of its capacity.

Forecasters expected a wetter-than-normal winter thanks to El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean, but that might not restore the reservoirs to normal.

Groundwater shrinking: The Colorado River basin has used 41 million acre-feet more from groundwater than rainfall has put back in since 2004, according to a study by NASA and the University of California-Irvine. That’s almost twice the capacity of Lake Mead. Arizona continues to draw down underground water tables that would take centuries to refill even if water use declined despite projected population growth.

Water deficit: A report by the Arizona Water Resources Development Commission says that in coming decades the state’s annual water use will grow from about 7 million acre-feet to about 11 million acre-feet. An estimated 1.2 billion acre-feet remains stored in underground water tables, however, much of that water is too deep and too far from the areas that need it to solve the problem.

Climate change impact: A recent study by

24 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that the flow of the Verde River will decrease by 8,600 acre-feet annually in the course of the next century, mostly because of groundwater pumping.

As a result, the river could go dry intermittently — as well as many of the groundwater wells in the area. Cities in the Verde Valley and the Salt River Project are in a protracted legal struggle with Prescott and Chino Valley, arguing that growth in those areas threatens to dry up the Verde River.

All of that bad news for the rest of the state underscored the enormous advantage Rim Country enjoys thanks to its long-term water supply. Local officials worked for 20 years to obtain rights to 3,000 acre-feet of water from the C.C. Cragin Reservoir, enough to double Payson’s long-term water supply. Payson then negotiated an agreement with the Salt River Project that controls rights to all the surface water in the Tonto National Forest and lined up federal grants and financing to build the pipeline.

The town currently uses about 1,800 acrefeet of water annually. The addition of 3,000 acre-feet means Payson will have enough water to supply a projected build-out population of nearly 40,000, with plenty of water to serve as a cushion in the event of a drought.

As a result, Rim Country remains one of the best places to invest in real estate or launch a business — thanks to a long-term supply of the single most important resource for the future.

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THE REGION

The C.C. Cragin Reservoir holds 15,000 acre-feet of water and Payson will soon complete a pipeline that will provide it with 3,000 acrefeet of that water. The pipeline will nearly triple the town’s long-term water supply — enough for a buildout population of 38,000.

Rim Country solves water woes

by Pete Aleshire

roundup editor

Payson continued work in 2014 on the project that will guarantee its future: The C.C. Cragin pipeline.

By 2018 the pipeline will bring to town 3,000 acre-feet of water annually, enough to nearly triple its long-term water supply and provide water to sustain a population of about 40,000.

The project will make Payson and other Rim Country communities among the few in the state with a permanent, long-term supply sufficient to meet all its projected water needs.

Payson is even now talking about using the gush of pure, snowmelt from a reservoir atop the Mogollon Rim to recharge its underground water table. The new water could restore the water table to historic levels and revive springs that dried up when the water table dropped in the face of over pumping. Moreover, the town is working on plans to turn the mostly dry American Gulch meandering through town into a groundwater recharge project — which could make Payson the only town in Arizona with a trout stream running through its center.

After decades of effort and an act of Congress, Payson secured rights to 3,000 acrefeet of water annually from the C.C. Cragin Reservoir in the state’s most productive and reliable watershed. The watershed can fill up the reservoir in even a low-rainfall year and provides so much water that it must spill the excess 60 percent of the time.

Payson has already re-plumbed its existing water system to get ready for the arrival of the new water in 2017 or 2018. The town could

build the pipeline more quickly, since it has obtained all the necessary permissions from the U.S. Forest Service. However, when the recession slowed the pace of new construction and difficulties delayed construction on a planned 6,000-student university campus, the town delayed start of construction.

The town currently uses about 1,800 acrefeet annually drawn from a network of groundwater wells. The new water from C.C. Cragin will sustain future growth, but isn’t needed for current use, so the town isn’t rushing to borrow the $30 million it needs to complete the project.

Ultimately, the town will rely on water from the pipeline for nine months of the year, while also putting about half of the flow of the pipeline back into the water table. The town will then rely on its wells during the winter months when snow on the Rim shuts down the pipeline.

So while competing rural communities like Prescott, Sedona, the Verde Valley, Sierra Vista and others cope with a looming water shortage, Payson has enough water to support all its future growth plans.

The town has so far installed a network of new pipes to make that possible — connecting the isolated well-based networks into a single townwide system. The town even signed long-term contracts with the two country club developments in town to provide ample water to irrigate the golf courses, which previously relied on reclaimed water. That has guaranteed the future of the golf course developments, nestled in the forest with views of the dramatic rock formations of Granite Dells.

Prior to locking in the C.C. Cragin water,

26 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

the town struggled to deal with the same kind of dropping water table that casts a shadow over most other rural communities in Arizona. At one time, Payson was known for having adopted the toughest water conservation measures in the state, but the pipeline has dramatically changed the outlook.

By contrast, towns and cities throughout the rest of Arizona face an uncertain water future.

Many climate projections suggest the region faces longer, more severe periods of drought in coming decades. Payson’s ample water supply should then give it another key advantage over its economic competitors.

The water will flow from the C.C. Cragin Reservoir — previously called the Blue Ridge Reservoir — high atop the Mogollon Rim. An international mining company built the reservoir to store water it could trade with the Salt River Project, which eventually acquired ownership of the dam and rights to the 15,000 acre-feet of water in the lake. Payson lobbied tenaciously for a federal law that gave it rights to the water as well. It finally succeeded in winning water rights, but that meant it had to help overhaul and maintain SRP’s 15-mile-long pipeline from the reservoir to the headwaters of the East Verde River and build its own $32 million, 15-mile-long pipeline.

Payson imposed a $7,500 per-house water impact fee to raise money to finance the pipeline project and qualified for federal grants and long-term, low-interest-rate loans. The town lowered that fee to about $5,400 and eliminated other impact fees to help lower the cost of development.

RELOCATION GUIDE

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 27

THE REGION

Small town, with advanced medical care

by Teresa McQuerrey

conditions. Its Critical Care Excellence Award recognizes hospitals for superior outcomes in pulmonary embolism, respiratory system failure, Organizations worth their salt consistently measure their perfor- sepsis and diabetic acidosis and coma.

It ranks hospitals with a one- to five-star scale, with five defined as mance, comparing their performance against others in their industry.

The health care industry is no different. It measures the quality of care “better than expected.”

PRMC is the anchor for the Rim Country’s health care community provided to patients through a process called “core measures.”

Payson Regional Medical Center, which serves all of Rim Country, and continues to work to grow the area’s health services. It can trace its monitors recommended treatments. The experts agree that these recom- roots back to a small clinic funded and built through the efforts of both mended treatments benefit the patient by reducing the risk of complica- pioneer and new residents.

Today, Payson Regional Medical Center is a 44-bed, acute care hospitions, reduce the number of recurrences producing better outcomes.

Such conditions include heart attacks, pneumonia, reducing the risk tal committed to providing quality, patient-centered care.

The medical center’s of infection after surgery, more than 115 skilled immunization managephysicians and allied ment, stroke, and prevenhealth practitioners reption of venous thrombosis resent a variety of specialembolisms. ty areas.

PRMC ranked No. 1 PRMC offers an array for the second quarter of of outpatient services and 2014 for inpatient and specialty clinics including outpatient core measures. outpatient imaging, bone “We are proud to say that densitometry, diagnostic we are one of 14 faciliX-rays, ultrasound, nucleties in our hospital sysar medicine, nuclear cartem with 100 percent for diac stress testing, CT and inpatient and outpatient PET scans, MRI, family measures. practice, pediatrics, ENT, “Achieving these meaphysical therapy and sures tells us that we are rehabilitation services, providing excellent health and orthopedic surgery. care to our patients at It also implements Payson Regional Medical telemedicine, which in­­ Center,” said Lance Porter, te­ grates online comPRMC chief executive Celeste Allen, C.N.A. and Kristen Curtis, R.N. prepare a patient’s room in Payson Regional Medical Center’s med-surg unit. munication and digital officer. videoconferencing to Not only do PRMC officials measure its performance month to month and year over year, enable face-to-face consultations with physicians, patients and specialists throughout the state and country. others in the industry recognize it as a top performer in the industry.

Payson Regional Medical Center is located at 807 S. Ponderosa St. To Payson Regional Medical Center was named a 2013 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures by the Joint Commission, the nation’s leading contact the hospital, call (928) 474-3222. accreditor of health care organizations. The honor recognizes hospitals that excel at meeting the commission’s measurements for patient care. Senior Circle Senior Circle is a membership program committed to enriching the This was the third time PRMC has earned the designation and only 1,224 — or approximately one-third of eligible United States hospitals — lives of adults age 50 and better. For $15 a year, members receive a selection of valuable discounts on health care goods and services; social activireceived this award.

In 2013, it received recognition as an outstanding rural hospital from ties and events; travel opportunities; exercise and wellness classes; in-hospital privileges and much more. For information, call (928) 472-9290. two different sources.

Becker’s Hospital Review ranked PRMC among its 100 Great Community Hospitals for 2013 and Healthgrades gave it a five-star rating Healthy Woman Healthy Woman is a free community resource designed to empower for critical care of patients with respiratory failure and sepsis, based on rankings and awards from a variety of sources. In the case of PRMC, the women with the knowledge to make informed health care and well-being sources were the Truven Health Analytics (formerly Thompson Reuters) decisions for themselves and their loved ones. For information, call (928) 472-9290 or visit the website www.HealthyWomanOnline.com. and the Joint Commission and Healthgrades.

Complementing the work of PRMC are long-term care and residential PRMC has been on Truven’s list of 100 Top Hospitals four times: most care facilities: Payson Care Center, Rim Country Health, Powell Place and recently in 2013 and also in 2010, 2009 and 2006.

PRMC is one of only two Arizona hospitals meeting the criteria for the several small group home care facilities, along with Hospice Compassus.

Several home health services, including PRMC’s, also provide assis2013 Truven Health 100 Top Hospitals award.

Healthgrades is a comprehensive online resource to help compare, tance to residents in need of medical help in their residences and other select and connect with a doctor or hospital. It compiles information businesses offer non-medical help for clients with limited mobility or about clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, patient safety and health other disabilities.

roundup staff reporter

28 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

RELOCATION GUIDE

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 29

THE REGION

Rim Country’s blessed by many churches

by Teresa McQuerrey roundup staff reporter

Dennis Pirch, the outdoor columnist for the Payson Roundup always signs off on his column: “Enjoy the Arizona outdoors, God’s creation.”

Just look beyond the rooftops around town to the Mogollon Rim or up at the clear night sky and you will surely see the truth that we are in an overwhelmingly beautiful part of God’s creation.

The Rim Country boasts numerous churches that celebrate that truth

at least once each week and they are almost all active in much of the community’s affairs.

The churches contribute to every good cause in the community, playing the leading role in the community food drive that supports the food banks, programs to help children from low-income families and the increasingly popular community garden. Many congregations were at the forefront to help the seniors and disabled residents displaced from their apartment complex by an early November 2014 fire.

Rim Country Cowboy Church: Meets at Star Valley Baptist Church, 4180 E. Highway 260, Star Valley; 474-5557

Calvary Chapel Payson: 1103 N. Beeline Hwy. at Sherwood, Payson; 468-0801 Catholic Church of the Holy Nativity: 1414 N. Easy St., Payson; 478-6988

Rim Valley Church: 208 S. McLane Road, Payson; (801) 513-4286

Christopher Creek Bible Fellowship: Hwy. 260, Christopher Creek (928) 4784857 or (928) 478-4310

Rock of Ages Evangelical Lutheran Church: 204 W. Airport Rd., Payson; (928) 474-2098

Church of Christ : 306 E. Aero, Payson; (928) 468-0134

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: 1000 N. Easy St., Payson; (928) 474-3834

Church of Christ in Payson: 401 E. Tyler Parkway, Payson; (928) 474-5149 Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints: Ponderosa; Mogollon; Manzanita Wards: Aero Drive and 913 S. Ponderosa, Payson; (928) 472-8709, (928) 474-6367, (928) 468-1103. Pine Ward: Highway 87, Pine; (928) 476-3757 Church on Randall Place, SBC: 6338 W. Randall Place Pine; (928) 4764249, (928) 472-6439, (928) 970-4249 Community Presbyterian Church: 800 W. Main St., Payson; (928) 474-2059 Crossroads Foursquare Church: 114 E. Cedar Lane, Payson Desert Community Christian Fellowship, SB: 173 Stephen’s Way, Tonto Basin; (928) 479-2216 East Verde Baptist Church: Houston Mesa Road at Whispering Pines Control Road; (928) 474-9385 Expedition Church: 302 S. Ash, Payson, (928) 474-9128 First Baptist Church (Fundamental): 303 W. Main St., (928) 474-3530 First Baptist Church of Pine: 4039 N. Highway 87, Pine; (928) 476-3552 Gisela Community Church: Tatum Trail, Gisela Iglesia Evangélica La Roca: 302 E. Rancho Road, Payson; (928) 238-0240

St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church 511 S. St. Philip’s St., Payson; (928) 474-2392 Jehovah’s Witnesses: North Payson Congregation, 1616 N. McLane; (928) 474-7867: Congregation Espanol de Testieos de Jehovah, (928) 472-7867 Lifehouse Christian Center: Meets at Mountain High Coffeeworks, 3652 N. Cemetary Rd., Pine; (928) 2420773

Seventh-day Adventist Church: 700 E. Wade Lane, Payson; (928) 474-9209 Shepherd of the Pines Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod): 507 W. Wade Lane; (928) 474-5440, (928) 478-8603 Shiloh Christian Fellowship: 501 E. Rancho Rd., Payson; 474-3138

Mount Cross Lutheran Church: 601 E. Highway 260, Payson; (928) 474-2552

Star Valley Baptist Church: 4180 E. Hwy. 260; (928) 474-5557

Mountain Bible Church: 302 E. Rancho Road, Payson; (928) 472-7800

Strawberry Chapel in the Pines: Fossil Creek Road, Strawberry; 476-3893

Payson Bible Fellowship: Meets at Rim Country Health and Retirement Community, 807 W. Longhorn Road

Tonto Basin Bible Church: Hwy. 188 off Dryer Dr., Tonto Basin; (928) 479-2299

Payson First Assembly of God: 1100 W. Lake Drive, the Church at Green Valley Park, Payson; (928) 474-2302 Payson First Church of the Nazarene: 200 E. Tyler Parkway, Payson: 474-5890 Payson Living Word Bible Church: 208 S. McLane Road, Payson; 474-8606 Payson United Methodist Church: 414 N. Easy Street, Payson; 474-0485 Payson United Pentecostal Church The First Church: (928) 469-2171 Ponderosa Bible Church: 1800 N. Beeline Hwy., Payson; (928) 474-9279

30 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

Tonto Basin Catholic Mission: Meets Thursdays at the Tonto Basin Chamber building for Catholic Mass Tonto Creek Shores/Tonto Valley Bible Church: Lots 240-241 Valley View Road, Gisela; (928) 474-1360 Tonto Village Chapel: 15 miles East of Payson on Highway 260, turn left on Control Road, go 1 mile; (928) 9514493, (928) 478-5070 Unity of Payson: Meets at Board of Realtors Conference Room, 600 E. Hwy. 260, Payson; (928) 478-8515

RELOCATION GUIDE

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928-478-6972 2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 31

THE REGION

The Mazatzal Hotel and Casino remains one of the top employers in Payson and contributes to community causes.

Tonto Apache Tribe vital to community

by Pete Aleshire

roundup editor

The Tonto Apache Tribe not only taps into Rim Country’s rich past, it is playing a vital role in the region’s economic future.

The tribe has a 300-acre reservation and a bustling casino resort alongside the highway at the south entrance to Payson, with more than 200 tribal members living on reservation land.

The Tonto Apache Tribe remains a key element of the community, operating a casino and conference center, contributing to many community charities and causes, and laying plans for the development of the mostly raw land that lies along the entrance to the town. The tribe is also in the midst of negotiating a historic water settlement with the federal government. That settlement will likely provide the tribe with a permanent water right that could support additional, income-producing enterprises on reservation land. If the deal goes through this year, it could also provide millions in federal funds for the crucial C.C. Cragin pipeline project, which would give the tribe a permanent water supply.

The casino remains one of the biggest employers in town and the setting for conventions and activities, including broad community gatherings and commercial trade shows and conventions.

The tribe has worked to adapt to a modern economy while preserving its ancient traditions, as illustrated during the beautiful coming-ofage Sunrise Ceremony of Caroline Guerrea on

The Tonto Apache Tribe recently held its first Sunrise Ceremony in history on land added to the reservation after a century of struggle.

a portion of reservation land won in a historic land settlement with the federal government several years ago.

The addition to the reservation capped a century of struggle by tribal members to regain at least a portion of their ancestral lands — as

32 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

well as a chance to welcome the larger community.

In the days when the Apache were hunted by the armies of both the United States and Mexico, fleeing bands led by people like Cochise and Geronimo would sometimes stop in their headlong flight to stage the elaborate ceremony. They believed the invocation of White Painted Woman and the G’aan Mountain Spirits at the heart of the ceremony would bless and protect their people.

White Painted Woman is among the central figures in Apache belief and mythology, having given birth to the heroes Killer of Enemies and Child of Waters, who slew many monsters to make the world safe for human beings. She continues to safeguard the people, renewed in such ceremonies.

The Tonto Apache suffered persecution and exile, with sojourns on reservations distant from their homeland. They finally gained through sheer persistence creation of their own reservation in 1972, but initially only 85 acres, making it the smallest reservation in the nation.

In 2010, they won the addition of another 292 acres. This finally gave the roughly 140-member tribe the space to create the sort of encampment necessary to stage a Sunrise Ceremony.

The joyful ceremony drew singers, dancers and medicine men from the San Carlos and White Mountain reservations to celebrate the renewal of a ceremony stretching back thousands of years.

RELOCATION GUIDE Payson Regional Bone & Joint 928-472-5260

Preferred Women’s Care 928-474-9744

Rim Country Family Care 928-474-2888

Payson Surgery Associates 928-472-1222

Payson Healthcare Specialists Cardiology, Internal Medicine 928-472-3478

Payson Healthcare Family Practice 928-472-4675

WHEN IT COMES TO

FINDING A DOCTOR, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.

Same- and next-day appointments are often available.

Call today or visit PaysonDoctors.com for more information.

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1/16/15 1:12 PM

The Church of the Holy Nativity

WiFi available • Restaurants nearby • Near Mazatzal Casino Cable TV • HBO • 24-hour Front Desk/Lobby

811 S. BEELINE HWY. • PAYSON, AZ 85541 www.americasbestvalueinn.com For reservations, call 888•315•2378 PHONE: 928•474•2283 FAX: 928•474•5448 A Roman Catholic Parish Under the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter QR Code Scan with Smartphone

Serving all of Arizona’s Rim Country Payson 928-474-4554 Pine/Strawberry 928-476-3433 Christopher Creek 928-478-4221 Heber/Overgaard 928-535-3244 erarim@erayoung.net www.erarim.com

Each ERA office is independently owned & operated

1414 North Easy Street + Payson, Arizona 85541 Church: 928-478-6988 + Rectory: 928-474-5209

Welcomes you Sunday Mass 10:00 A.M.

Weekday - Wednesday Mass & Holy Unction 10:00 A.M. First Wednesday of the Month - Benediction & Chaplet of Divine Mercy 5:30 P.M. Followed by potluck supper.

2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 33

THE REGION

Rim Country boasts vivid, varied history

by Teresa McQuerrey

roundup staff reporter

Ancient Native Americans first made their homes in Rim Country between about A.D. 800 and A.D. 1350 when they mysteriously abandoned their centuries-old settlements throughout the region. Other groups like the Yavapai and Apache filtered into the region as the cliff dwellers left, making their camps along streams and creeks to grow summer crops and sustaining themselves with hunting and gathering.

More than 200 years later, the whites came into the area in the 1870s, passing through at first, and then eventually settling down. Miners were still a transient population, but ranchers and farmers put down roots — literally and figuratively.

The early 1880s saw the start of commercial endeavors — general stores and saloons, with small establishments eventually following.

Little schools were scattered throughout the area, each serving one to four large families and providing places to gather for a dance from time to time. The oldest surviving members of some of the area’s pioneer families have great stories to tell about those dances. People would sometimes travel a couple of days to attend; set up camp around the school; dance all night, with the little ones falling asleep under benches pushed up against the walls; enjoy a community supper and often a community breakfast the next morning before setting off for home.

Payson’s first rodeo was held in 1884 — a competition of ranching skills, plus some horse racing and other events. The event featured food, gambling and dancing, along with a little too much liquor on occasion and a few fights.

The story goes that if the cowboys became too rowdy, the law would chain them up to the big oak that stands in front of the Payson Womans Club building on West Main. At the time, the community had no jail.

Payson’s remote location kept the community tiny until in the 1950s the state built the Beeline Highway from Mesa. Even then, it was not an easy trip up through the mountains from the desert to the Rim Country.

As more people came to settle in Payson, the

Payson Pioneer Cemetery

need for other services arose.

The Junior Woman’s Club went to work to raise the money to start a medical clinic and bring a doctor to town. That clinic was the start of Payson Regional Medical Center. Before the clinic was built, Payson only had a resident doctor from time to time. In 1912, Dr. Christian Risser III arrived to serve as the Rim Country’s first permanent resident physician. He served an area of a 50-mile radius around Payson, and made many of his calls on horseback.

In 1919, Christian Risser IV was born, delivered by his dad in the home the family had built at Oak and Main. In 1933, Dr. Risser died of pneumonia, suffered after traveling in a rain storm from a call in Tonto Basin.

Pharmacist Don Manthe and his wife, Phyllis, came to town shortly before the Beeline was built on the advice that once the road went in, the town would boom. They built the first pharmacy and were often called on for medical help when there was an emergency that couldn’t wait for the long trip to Globe or Cottonwood.

However, some medical emergencies were so extreme the area’s pilots were called to service. There were a couple of different landing strips over the years, their locations still evident by the street names — Aero Drive on the southwest side of town and Airline Boulevard on the

34 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

northeast side.

The Junior Woman’s Club was founded by the younger women of the community following the model of the Payson Womans Club, which started in 1921 — the community’s first civic organization. The Womans Club members created the town’s first library.

Almost all of the small schools had closed by the time of the Great Depression and children were bused from the nearby ranches. The bus was a converted truck with benches along the side of the bed in back and a canvas cover secured for protection from inclement weather.

The Presbyterian Church was the first formal house of worship in Payson, but the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) had built a chapel in Pine earlier. It was used as the Pine Strawberry School District’s office and board meeting room until the new school was constructed and now serves as the community’s museum.

With the arrival of the Beeline, Payson homes and businesses spread out from the original footprint of the town, which was centered where McLane Road meets West Main.

Main was known as First Street and Frontier, to the north, was Second Street. On the west end of Main the area was called Texas Flats for all the Texas transplants.

The Rock Building at what is now Julia Randall Elementary School was a Civil Corps of Engineers project in the 1930s.

The museum complex to the west of JRE was the Payson Ranger Station for the Tonto National Forest well into the early 1970s when the ranger station on Highway 260 was built. At a distance from the ranger station is the Payson Pioneer Cemetery, with graves dating back to the 1880s.

Stop by the old ranger station and pick up one of the many books the Northern Gila County Historical Society has for sale on the area’s history, many written by the descendants of the men and women who first settled the area. Then visit the old cemetery and pay your respects to the people who made Payson the town it is today and were proud to be part of the Rim Country.

RELOCATION GUIDE

Jeremy Ulmer • (928) 468-6181 612 S. Beeline Highway, Suite A • Payson, AZ 85541

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Visit us on Facebook

904 N. Beeline Hwy. 474-0700 head2toeess@hotmail.com www.fromheadtotoeessentials.com

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JacksonWhite Shareholder & Attorney

www.JacksonWhiteLaw.com | 928.458.7379

Hours: 8 to 5 Monday thru Saturday

2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 35

THE REGION

Useful numbers when you make a move

Payson Post Office: 100 W Frontier St, (928) 474-2972

SuddenLink – TV, phone, Internet 252 E Highway 260, (928) 468-6750

Pine Post Office: 3847 N Highway 87, (928) 476-3275

CenturyLink – Internet, phone and TV service through DirecTV (800) 244-1111

Tonto Basin Post Office: 77 Old Highway 188, (928) 479-2210 Arizona Public Service (APS): 400 West Longhorn, (928) 474-2204 Payson Water Department: 303 North Beeline Highway (928) 474-5242 Pine-Strawberry Water: 6306 Hardscrabble Mesa Road (928) 476-4222 Star Valley Water Department: 3675 E. Highway 260 (928) 472-7752 Payson Water Company - Pivotal Utility Management, LLC (866) 681-0148 N Gila County Sanitary District 2200 W. Doll Baby Ranch Road (928) 474-5257

DirecTV – satellite (888) 338-4801 Dish Network – satellite (888) 975-1855 Alliant Gas (Pinnacle Propane) 200 W Longhorn Rd, (928) 474-2294 Griffin’s Propane 1315 Red Baron Rd, (928) 478-6972 Matlock Gas & Equipment 15792 N Az Hwy 87, (928) 474-1193 Northern Energy 1311 Red Baron Rd, (928) 478-8465 Payson Fire Department 400 West Main Street (928) 474-5242

Hellsgate Fire Department 80 Walters Lane (928) 474-3835

Pine-Strawberry Fire Department 6198 Hardscrabble Mesa Road (928) 476-4272 Tonto Basin Fire District 373 S. Old Highway 188 (928) 479-2203 Whispering Pines Fire District 10603 Houston Mesa Road (928) 474-3088 Christopher-Kohl’s Fire District 930 Christopher Creek Loop (928) 478-4011 Houston Mesa Fire Department 8139 Mescalero Road (928) 472-7908 Payson Police Department 303 North Beeline Highway (928) 474-5177 Gila County Sheriff’s Office 108 West Main St, (928) 474-2208

113 E. HIGHWAY 260 928-474-6050 APPLIANCES MATTRESSES CRAFTSMAN® TOOLS LAWN & GARDEN EQUIPMENT

36 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

REAL ESTATE

Writer finally finds himself at home

The wonderful people and the small-town charm of Rim Country communities will make you feel right at home.

by Keith Morris roundup staff writer

Seems like I’ve spent my whole life looking for home, moving long distances half a dozen times.

I grew up in rural Alabama and loved the hospitality, sense of community and charm — but wanted to find a larger world with more professional opportunities.

So I kept looking, making half a dozen moves of at least 700 miles.

A year ago, I was living in Show Low, working for the newspaper, coping with the winters, feeling discontented.

Then came the unexpected opportunity to take a job with the Payson Roundup in Payson.

I jumped at it.

I moved mostly for the job, for the milder winters and the perfect summers and for the chance to be so much closer to the Valley, with all of its cultural resources.

But I didn’t know a lot about Payson.

I looked at probably three dozen properties while trying to find a new home in Payson without luck. There were plenty of houses for sale, just not many in my price range.

Frustrated, I put in an offer on a place I didn’t really love — for fear of not finding anything else.

After a sleepless night, I changed my mind, which didn’t make the real estate agent happy. Just when I was wondering what I’d do, she showed me a home in Star Valley. The place needed work, but it was in my price range. So I jumped at it.

I’m so glad I continued searching and didn’t settle for the house I originally picked because I love where I ended up. I’m across the road from the Tonto National Forest and my dogs and I simply cross the road and are off on our daily hikes on Monument Peaks Trail, which is part of the Payson Area Trails System (PATS) that make living in this area a real joy. I love walking my dogs regularly, but never had a lot of opportunities to hike in the woods as I do now.

I usually just walked them on our dirt road.

Turns out, one of the things people love most about Rim Country is easy access to the outdoors — with a wealth of trails for hiking and biking, not to mention streams everywhere.

Although Monument Peaks is the most convenient for me, it’s just one of the PATS trails. We’ve traversed miles of PATS trails in the 16 months we’ve been in Rim Country and always enjoy the chance to escape to the beauty of the forest. Free PATS hikes are offered one Saturday every month and are a great way to experience all the area trails.

I also love all the great restaurants in the area. And one of my favorite places is the Sawmill Theatres. I’ve always been a big movie fan and I spend many hours watching the latest Hollywood releases on the silver screen.

But the thing that I’ve enjoyed most in my short time in Rim Country is the wonderful people that make this such a great place to live. Payson has a small-town charm and most people just seem to be friendly. It reminds me of Alabama, where I was born and have spent a significant portion of my life. That southern hospitality you’ve probably heard of is a very real thing. Well, I get the same kind of vibe here.

I’ve moved several times in my life. I think I may have finally found a home.

2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 41

NEIGHBORHOODS

Rim Country Real Estate Guide: Pine 2014 Sales

93 units $19 million total $208,000 average $190,000 median 151 days on market

Mogollon Rim

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Strawberry 2014 Sales 54 units $8.4 million total $157,000 average $151,000 median

Control Road 2014 Sales Whispering Pines

28 units $5.7 million total $204,000 average $178,000 median 198 days on market

Beaver Valley

East Verde Estates

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Houston Mesa 2014 Sales East Verde Estates

30 units $3 million total $106,000 Average $96,000 median 120 days on market Mesa del Caballo

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42 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

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NEIGHBORHOODS

Finding a home in the right neighborhood Ton t

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Christopher Creek 2014 Sales

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22 units $4.7 million total $216,000 average $175,000 median 162 days on market

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Star Valley 2014 Sales

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34 units $7 million total $209,000 Average price $175,000 median price 154 days on market

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Hwy 260

2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 43

REAL ESTATE

Some of the best view lots in Payson are back on the market, now that the long, housing slump seems to be ending.

Real Estate market finally perking up

by Michele Nelson

roundup staff reporter

Rim Country offers real estate with a view of water, or saguaro covered hillsides, or a pine forest, a ranch, or a vista of the majestic Mogollon Rim — all at affordable prices.

The median sales price for a home in the Rim Country in 2014 was $150,000.

A lot of beauty for a reasonable price.

Elevations in the Rim Country allow for diverse ecosystems ranging from the saguaro cactus strewn warmth of Tonto Basin on the banks of Tonto Creek minutes from the shores of Roosevelt Lake, to the ponderosa pine coolness of Whispering Pines near the top of the Rim on the banks of the East Verde River.

The tiny hamlets of Pine and Strawberry have enough snow to keep winter lovers entertained, but not exhausted with shoveling. In summer, the temperatures are the coolest in the area.

Area residents think of little Payson as the big city, with enough shopping to fill the larder or decorate the house along with a host of other urban amenities.

The Payson area has houses from doublewide prefabricated homes to mansions locked behind private gates, buyers just have to decide what will make them happy.

Deborah Rose from the Realty One Group said she has a whole system for helping a buyer identify their interest.

“I ask a lot of questions,” said Rose. “I have a Discovery Form that asks what is their vision

Sales in Rim Country picked up in 2014, but the median sales price remained modest at $150,000.

and plan and goals (for a property).”

She said some people have non-negotiables such as their budget or a need for three bedrooms and two baths, privacy or no homeowners association.

Once the buyers have shared their ideas on what they would like in a property, Rose introduces them to the different communities in the area.

She said the good news is the market has really improved. “I would definitely say it hasn’t been this busy for me since 2005,” she said.

44 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

The uptick of buyers looking at the surrounding areas does not surprise her.

“We follow a pattern, the Rim Country follows the Phoenix market that follows the Las Vegas market.”

Most exciting, empty lots and new construction have taken off. Last year, 74 lots sold in Payson, while in 2012 only two lots sold.

Rose also said the market seems to be seasonal with the pricier homes selling in the winter months and young families buying less CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

REAL ESTATE

Payson MLA Stats

2014 2013 Homes sold Avg. per/sq ft Avg. days on market Avg. sold price

435 $118 132 $222,200

463 $107 153 $194,700

Outlying areas Stats for 2014 Community

Christopher Creek Control Road Deer Creek Houston Mesa Pine Round Valley Rye/Gisela Star Valley Strawberry Tonto Basin Young

Average Days on Sale Market

$216,093 219 $204,400 198 $100,500 134 $96,000 120 $190,000 151 $200,500 125 $103,900 259 $175,000 154 $150,750 182 $108,500 260 $165,000 268

Horton Creek (above) provides a draw for communities like nearby Christopher Creek where the average sales price for a home in 2014 was $216,093. Green Valley Lake (below) enhances the value of homes in some Payson neighborhoods.

Home prices rising

expensive houses in the summer. “(But) we’re still mostly a retirement community,” said Rose. She hopes to see more young families move into the area to keep the community vibrant.

She said between 2013 and 2014, the price of houses went up an average of 14.2 percent.

From 2012 to 2013, however, prices increased by 8.64 percent.

The time houses remain on the market has shrunk as well.

“The absorption rate is down to 132 days (four months),” she said. The time on the market hit a high of 10 months in 2011 then dwindled to 5 months in 2013.

Rose said Payson home prices have increased steadily, but still remain a bargain compared to the fully recovered Phoenix market.

Another sign of the good times, foreclosures are drying up, said Rose.

2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 45

REAL ESTATE AND NEIGHBORHOODS

Furnish your dream house on a budget

by Alexis Bechman

roundup staff reporter

With plenty of furniture, collectible and antique shops, Rim Country offers many options for homeowners looking to outfit their new home.

Whether your style is cowboy collectible, woodsy cabin charm, vintage, modern or somewhere in between, the area is a treasure trove for shoppers within all budgets.

Here is a list of businesses that can take your home from drab to fab.

FURNITURE

Roud’s: The largest furniture store in the area, Roud’s Fine Home Furnishings, located at 107 E. Highway 260, offers everything from new mattresses to entertainment units and sofas. Prices are on the medium to high side.

Mattress Experts & More: This store, located at 221 E. Highway 260 in the Safeway Center, expanded its inventory last year to include more than bedroom furniture.

When the business opened in 2010, the owners had no intention of getting into furniture, but they listened to their customers.

“We wanted to buy quality closeout models that could be sold at hugely discounted prices.

We will be getting new closeouts in about every seven to 10 days, so the styles and products will be changing constantly.”

Payson Galleria: Located off Bonita Street, Payson Galleria also offers new furniture, but in a smaller, more intimate location. Besides new, the shop also offers gently used furniture, mattress sets, interior décor, most of it American made, including some from Payson craftsmen.

Bealls Outlet: Need a cheese grater or new towels? Bealls is the place for discounted housewares. They offer 15 percent off for seniors on Monday and 15 percent off for those 49 and younger on Fridays.

Big Lots: Big Lots opened in the Rim Country Mall in 2013 and quickly became the place for reasonably priced furniture and housewares.

They offer an eclectic mix of frames, pillows, bedding and knickknacks.

Walmart: Open 24 hours, Walmart is the place for any last-minute items.

Home Depot: Carries a wide variety of products to spruce up and repair your home, including paint, carpet and area rugs.

THRIFT SHOPS

There is a thrift shop on just about every corner of Payson. Most are filled with bargains and it is quite common to find a gem among the junk. And to boot, nearly all of the thrift stores are run by non-profits so all sales go toward

Rim Country has a host of antique shops and thrift stores where homeowners can outfit their houses with flair — even on a strict budget. Here, a customer browses at Kountry Chicks in Star Valley.

supporting a good cause.

Thrift stores include Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which recently relocated to a larger building at 425 N. Beeline Highway, Loot Resale (403 S. Ash), Senior Center Thrift Store (512 W. Main St.), Pine-Strawberry Thrift Store (3916 N. Highway 87, Pine), the Nook (408 W. Main St.), Time Out Thrift Store (500 S. Beeline Highway), Animal Welfare Thrift Shop (434 S. Ash St.), St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store (1006 S. Beeline Highway) and Kountry Chicks, which moved from Payson to 3632 E. Highway 260 in Star Valley (across from B. Diane McDaniel Park) in October 2013.

ANTIQUE SHOPS IN PAYSON

Bootleg Alley Antiques & Art (520 W. Main Street).

Carpenter’s Wife (112 W. Wade Lane): Frequently named by Rim Country voters as the best antique shop with 16 rooms filled with antiques and collectibles.

Granny’s Attic Antiques (800 E. State

46 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

Highway 260): Features several rooms brimming with treasures. One of the interesting collections Granny’s Attic has is antique fishing lures and rods. Whether it’s china, sewing machines, books or linens — you can probably find it at Granny’s Attic.

Main Street Mercantile (216 W. Main Street).

Western Village of Payson (1104 S. Beeline Highway): The place for rustic, cowboy memorabilia and household goods.

ANTIQUE SHOPS IN PINE

Just about 15 miles north on Highway 87 is the small, artsy community of Pine, where antiques abound.

Search for treasures at the following shops: Auntie Gail’s Collectables, Hardscrabble Road to 3691 Hall Lane; Coach House Antiques & Boutique, 3824 N. Highway 87; Pine Country Antiques, Inc., 4078 N. Highway 87; Tymeless Antiques & Treasures, 3716 Prince/ Hardscrabble Road.

RELOCATION GUIDE

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w w w. c h i t w o o d s c a b i n e t s . c o m Payson Showroom 812 North Beeline Highway, Payson, AZ 85541 928-474-3386 Phone 928-474-0682 Fax info@chitwoodscabinets.com

Stop by our showroom to try out our interactive kitchen design program. So you can see what your kitchen will look like with all your design selections before you order.

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 47

NEIGHBORHOODS: PAYSON

Payson: Homes in every price range 2014 Payson NE 136 units $37 million total $274,000 average $191,000 median 133 days on market

2014 Payson NW 161 units $31 million total $191,000 average price $176,000 median price 121 days on market

Payson Airport

Payson Town Hall

Planned university site

Payson High School

2014 Payson SE 84 units $18 million total $214,000 average $160,000 median 143 days on market

2014 Payson SW 154 units $181 million total $196,000 average $200,000 median 145 days on market

Mazatzal Casino

48 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

Payson Population: 15,245 Owns own home: 73% Housing units: 8,958 People/household: 2.3 Per cap income: $23,668

Quick Facts Median household: $44,661 Total firms: 2,575 Retail sales: $282 mil Sales per cap: $18,319 Land area: 20 sq mi

RELOCATION GUIDE

Creative Quilting Award-winning Custom Machine Quilting by

Debbie Stanton

Want to know more? Read my new blog at creativequiltingbydebbiestanton.blogspot.com 928-476-5111 Cell: 928-970-1505 debbiestanton51@gmail.com

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CRAFT BEER HEADQUARTERS

1109 N. BEELINE HIGHWAY 928-474-9589

Hours: Monday-Friday 8-4, Saturday 8-12 Noon and Closed Sundays Closed Weekends November thru March

2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 49

NEIGHBORHOODS: PAYSON’S SOUTHWEST QUADRANT

Photo courtesy of DJ Craig

Green Valley Lake at the end of historic Main Street in Payson’s southwest quadrant actually has a couple of fish-loving bald eagles to delight visitors.

Payson: Surprising neighborhood diversity What surprises most new homebuyers in Payson is the wide array of development. You find new, site-built homes with prices in the hundreds of thousands just up the street from an older mobile home community.

SOUTHWEST PAYSON

In the southwest quadrant of Payson you will find the oldest homes in the community located along Historic West Main and Frontier streets.

One of the older formal developments is also in this area — Rodeo Ranches, to the south of Payson Golf Course. This area features larger homes priced in the upper range of the mid-level, with many dating back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. To the north of the golf course is Country Club Estates — Unit 1 is a mix of site-built and manufactured homes, while Unit 2 is site-built.

Around the golf course are the developments of Greenfaire, Fairway Oaks and Fairway Knolls, built in the 1980s and 1990s.

Farther north of the golf course is the oddly named Country Club Vista — nowhere in this area does anyone actually have a vista of the country club. However, it is the oldest of the developments linked by name to Payson Golf Course, with homes built in the 1960s and ’70s. The site-built homes range from moderately priced, two-bedroom cottages to multi-level contemporaries at mid-range prices.

The homes just north of the original town site over in the area around Payson High and Rim Country Middle schools include multi-family units, older homes, newer homes built on razed lots and manufactured

50 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

Payson’s southwest section includes historic Main Street, the site of several parades every year. Here, a couple of locals dress up in the famous Payson dancing tree costumes made originally for the town’s Fiesta Bowl Parade float.

housing. Development names on a 1998 map of the area include: Wooded Estates, Hathaway Addition, Greer Subdivision, Payson Heights and Mogollon Rim Addition 3. The newest development in the area of Julia Randall Elementary School is Stone Creek, where homes are modular.

RELOCATION GUIDE

AM E R I CA’S

F LO O R

STO R E

DAN GOOD FLOORING

810 N. Beeline Highway • Payson, Arizona 85541 www.dangoodflooring.com (928) 472-4597 (928) 472-4598 fax

Dan Curtis Cell (928) 978-0006

Payson Pet Care

VETERINARY CLINIC

(928)

474-VETS (8387)

1010 N. BEELINE HWY • PAYSON, AZ 85541

Rim Country Museum & Zane Grey Cabin Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10am-4pm • Sunday 1pm-4pm

700 Green Valley Parkway Payson, Arizona

(928) 474-3483 • www.rimcountrymuseums.com

NGCHS — Preserving Our Western Heritage

2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 51

NEIGHBORHOODS: PAYSON SOUTHEAST AND NORTHWEST SOUTHEAST

Built in the 1950s and early 1960s were the older homes on East Bonita and East Frontier. Only one small area has a name designation, the Russell Addition, located to the north side of Bonita. Homes of the same vintage lie along Aero, Phoenix and Cedar streets just off the Beeline Highway. Both areas have a mix of site-built and manufactured homes.

The Twin Lakes manufactured home park has been around since the mid-1960s and the Sherwood Forest Mobile Home Park just north of St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church was created in the early 1970s.

South of the Catholic church are Cowtown Estates, where building started in the mid 1960s. In the early 1980s, Golden Frontier, in the vicinity of Payson Regional Medical Center, started developing, linking Cowtown Estates and the surrounding neighborhoods to the older areas along East Frontier and East Bonita.

The growth from East Aero, Phoenix and Cedar streets was to the east with the creation of the Pinon Ridge and Elk Ridge developments; and Rim View Heights Estates. These newer areas have more expensive homes than those closer to Beeline.

NORTHWEST

The schools complex along Longhorn Road (which is essentially the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extension of Highway 260) marks the north boundary of the southwest quadrant of the community. The areas developed around the schools are Forest Park, Payson West, Woodland Meadows and then farther north, on McLane, Timber Ridge. To the west of Rumsey Park and Payson Public Library, the residential areas are called Trailwood and Woodhill. Farther up McLane are Western Manor and Alpine Village.

Payson North is part of the northwest quadrant, which has mixed site-built and manufactured homes. Farther north is Payson Ranchos, a mixed neighborhood of moderate-sized, site-built homes and manufactured housing. To the north is another modular home community called Payson Pines.

FASTFACTS Population: 15,245 Under 5: 4.5% Under 18: 17.5% Over 65: 31% Female: 52% White: 92% Hispanic: 10% Foreign born: 4%

52 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

HS graduate: 90% College; 18% Own home: 73% Housing units: 8,958 Veterans: 2,119 People/house: 2.3 Per cap. $: $23,668 Household $: $44,661

Below poverty: 12% Total firms: 2,575 Retail sales: $282 mil Sales per cap: $18,319 Land area: 20 sq-mi People/sq mi: 786

RELOCATION GUIDE

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Payson Home Inspections 928-970-1187

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 53

NEIGHBORHOODS: PAYSON NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST QUADRANT

Opposite Payson Ranchos on the Beeline is one of the older developments in Payson, called Payson Air Park. At one time, it was one of the community’s landing “strips” thanks to its relatively flat and open layout. It has an older, mixed stock of sitebuilt and manufactured homes, Payson Elementary School and several churches.

To the south of Payson Air Park is more of Payson North, with a mix of site-built and manufactured homes in varying price ranges, and its later addition — the site-built homes of Alpine Heights.

South of Payson North is Park Payson Pines, another area with mixed stock.

Farther east are the high-end country club developments of Chaparral Pines on the north side of East Highway 260 and on the south side, The Rim Club. North of Chaparral Pines are Oak Ridge Hills and The Woods at Payson, which are also upscale developments.

Payson vs. Arizona

Payson serves as the hub of Rim Country, hosting regional events like the big Fourth of July gatherings and staging not only the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo in August, but other events like the Native American Rodeo.

54 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

Under 5: Under 18: Over 65: White: Foreign born: HS graduate: College: Own home: Per cap $: Median hsehld: Below poverty: Sales per cap:

Payson Arizona 5% 7% 18% 26% 31% 14% 92% 73% 4% 13% 90% 86% 18% 27% 73% 64% $23,668 $25,358 $44,661 $49,774 12% 18% $18,319 $13,637

RELOCATION GUIDE

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Forest Hills

Condominiums Caroline Dacres Property Manager

Ph. (928) 472-6055 • Cell (928) 951-2454 • Fax (928) 472-8124 333 North McLane Road • Payson, Arizona 85541 Email: foresthillscondos@yahoo.com www.foresthillsaz.com www.move.com/apartments/listing/c430938

• Ready Mixed Concrete • Grout Pumping • Backhoe Services • Excavation • Concrete Pumping • Sand & Rock Materials • Landscaping Materials • Material Hauling • Free Estimates • Culverts, Bands & Flares

JoNic Glass, Inc. 410 W. Main Street, Suite D

928-474-2225

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Gila Concrete LLC. • 928-474-3747 office • 928-474-6078 fax 201 W. PHOENIX STREET, PAYSON, ARIZONA 85541 gilaconcrete@yahoo.com 2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 55

NEIGHBORHOODS: STAR VALLEY

Star Valley is surrounded by national forest land which offers plenty of trails for horseback riding, hiking and ATV rides.

Star Valley: Savoring deep rural roots

by Teresa McQuerrey

FASTFACTS

roundup staff reporter

The Town of Star Valley celebrates 10 years of incorporation this year. Concerns of citizens about water shortages spurred the creation of Star Valley in 2005.

The town’s leadership over its short history has continued that concern — expressing it through careful management of municipal resources.

The Star Valley Town Council and its staff have been so conservative with the budget, it was able to buy the local water system outright and had funds available to secure revenues requiring matches. Recently the town leaders have moved to secure more water sources for the community — enough that early projections show it will have water to serve its residents for nearly 100 years.

It has also paved most of its roads; provided funds for senior transportation and the Meals on Wheels program for the community’s shutins; and made numerous contributions to both area and outside organizations. It has also built a small refuge for enjoying the outdoors, the B.

Area: 6.4 square miles Population: 2,300 Households: 677 Families: 421 Households with children: 24% Married couples: 51% Average household size: 2.3 Average family size: 2.9 Median age: 44 Female/males: 100/98 Median income: $27,375 Median family: $32,000 Per capita income: $19,400 Below poverty line: 10% Diane McDaniel Community Park.

The land for the park was purchased a few years ago and during 2014 it was improved to accommodate a variety of events: a dedication ceremony; a small business showcase, and a chili and salsa cook-off to benefit the Payson Rodeo Committee’s scholarship fund. It was the site for a welcome barbecue for the 57th annual Hashknife Pony Express Ride from Holbrook to

56 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

Scottsdale in late January.

The park boasts newly installed covered ramadas for picnics, a children’s play area, horseshoe pits and a sand volleyball court. By the summer of 2015 it will have a grassy area CONTINUED ON PAGE 57

NEIGHBORHOODS: STAR VALLEY

and additional improvements.

Star Valley maintains its rural, small-town atmosphere with minimal commercial and industrial areas and plenty of quiet neighborhoods. The community generally offers lower-cost housing than neighboring Payson, as well as more large lots with horse privileges.

Most residents have their own wells for drinking water and rely on septic systems for wastewater. However, they enjoy the rural atmosphere and the lack of town sales and property taxes.

The community relies on the Gila County Sheriff ’s Office for policing. The independent Hellsgate Fire District provides fire protection, financed with a property tax.

Town officials and residents like it that way and are proud to live in an area surrounded by national forest, offering plenty of adventures including trails for horseback riding, hiking and ATV rides.

Star Valley boasts about 2,300 residents, with one-quarter older than 65, but families also take advantage of lower home prices. Like most of

Rim Country, the median age is 44.

Highway 260 cuts through the middle of the town, with most businesses located along the highway front, and residential areas and ranches behind that.

A quick drive around town reveals a myriad of home styles and values. While a number are modest manufactured abodes, the town also has many horse ranches and higher-end, new homes in The Knolls subdivision. The mix of house types in a single neighborhood remains typical of the housing pattern in Rim Country.

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| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 57

NEIGHBORHOODS: PINE & STRAWBERRY

Summertime and the living is easy

Pine’s restaurants, festivals and antique shops draw a steady stream of summer visitors. The town has recently solved water problems that once limited growth and now remains a mecca for vacationers and second-home owners as well as a core of year-round residents.

Pine & Strawberry savor small-town joys

by Teresa McQuerrey

roundup staff reporter

Friendly and generous, the residents of Pine and Strawberry are also fierce when it comes to protecting the unique nature of their communities.

Pine and Strawberry, sitting along North Highway 87, may not be off the beaten path, but they are still great places to get away from hustle and bustle.

Small, quiet and friendly in a wonderfully old-fashioned way, the area offers a variety of home options.

Second-home owners dominate the real estate market, which offers lots of homes in all price ranges nestled in the trees, many with sweeping views of the looming Mogollon Rim. Once beset by water shortages, the community formed a water improvement district and now has an ample supply — a rarity for a rural community anywhere in Arizona.

The topography and the varied building patterns in the course of the community’s long pioneer history has created a mix of homes for vacationers, retirees and year-rounders.

Strawberry has a greater share of ranching

PSenior INE-STRAWBERRY Citizens Affairs Foundation Pine Strawberry Thrift Shop Wed-Sat 9am-4pm • 928-476-4633

Pine Strawberry Dining Hall

Mon-Fri serving lunch at 11:30am • 928-476-2151

www.thepinemall.com

3916 North Hwy 87 • P.O. Box 1281 • Pine, AZ 85544

58 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

properties in the narrow, meadow-graced valley.

The community has many horse properties and also lies along the road that leads to Fossil Creek.

Summer festivals, rural ambiance, a mild climate and a state-of-the-art, full-service library add to the popularity of the tiny mountain hamlets. There’s also a thriving hiking and mountain biking community.

The two unincorporated communities host numerous festivals that attract throngs of visitors as well as summer and full-time residents who savor the small-town camaraderie and cultural heritage.

Steve Cantrill 928.978.1971

Steve.Cantrill@erayoung.net ccPaysonProperty.com ERA Young Realty & Investment PO Box 1600 Payson, AZ 85547 928-474-4554 Each ERA Office independently owned and operated

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RELOCATION GUIDE

Pine & y Strawberr

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Sunny Mountain Realty The Brightest Sp t under the Rim Now mee t some of the nicest, most helpful and knowledge able agents working on the mountain!

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Dianne Mitchell BROKER/OWNER Cell: 928-970-1083 Dianne@sunnymountain.com

Carol Gianndrea, GRI REALTOR®

Cell: 480-216-7620 Carol@sunnymountain.com

ASSOCIATE BROKER

Cell: 928-978-9166 Kim@sunnymountain.com

John Mayhall, GRI, SFR

Maria Drury, GRI, CRS, ABR

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Happy Jack Area Specialist Cell: 602-320-6181 brendaa@wildblue.net

3774 N Hwy 87 Pine, AZ 85544

Open 9 to 5, 7 Days a Week Call or Stop By Any Time

2015

Jim & Sue Lewin REALTORS®

Jim’s Cell: 928-978-9023 Sue’s Cell: 928-978-4117 thelewins@sunnymountain.com

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 59

NEIGHBORHOODS: PINE & STRAWBERRY

Pine/Strawberry hold array of festivals Festivities kick off in May and continue through to the Fall Apple Festival, with holiday celebrations tacked on at the end of the year. Anchoring the events are the decades-old Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day arts and crafts festivals that draw throngs of visitors from around the state.

The Strawberry Patchers’ Quilt Festival and Strawberry Festival are also popular summer attractions.

The Fire on the Rim Mountain Bike Race in September has become an attractive stop on the state’s cycling circuit. Held in September, the race includes 15-, 30- and 45-mile events on high country trails. A beer garden, food wagons, auctions, spaghetti dinner, kids race, bands and camping add to the overall ambiance.

Newcomers are also drawn to the two towns because of their location near the C.C. Cragin Reservoir northeast of Strawberry off State Route 87. It’s a popular spot for trout fishing, boating, camping and stargazing.

Also in the two mountain towns, the Historic Walking Tour, Pine-Strawberry Museum and the presence of the many original log and rock cabins, provide residents, both new and old, with a connection to the pioneers who settled the area in the mid-1800s.

Pine and Strawberry offer easy access to the Mogollon Rim and Forest Road 300 and to CONTINUED ON PAGE 61 Fossil Creek via a five-mile trail that descends 1,500 feet into the canyon.

Auntie Gail’s Collectables

Coach House

Antiques

& Boutique

3824 N. Highway 87, Pine, Az

Hardscrabble Road to 3691 Hall Lane Cell: 928.978.0469 Shop: 928.476.3009

www.coachhouseantiques87@yahoo.com 928.476.3641

Associate Broker

Ginger@GingerJeffers.com Cell: 928.970.1220

Prudential

Arizona Realty

P.O. Box 329, 3640 Highway 87, Pine, AZ 85544 Bus 928.476.3279 Fax 928.476.2474 Toll Free 800.287.1430 www.GingerJeffers.com An independently owned and operated member of BRER Affiliates, LLC. Not affiliated with Prudential

PONDEROSA MARKET

Groceries, Liquor, Supplies In-House Meat Cutter

Open 7 Days a Week 6112 W. Hardscrabble Mesa, Pine, AZ 928-476-3590

60 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

Associate Broker

DaleinPine@theriver.com Cell: 928.978.2307

Charlotte Cantu

Glassware • Dolls • Toys • Jewelry Consignment & Rental Spaces Available Open Monday to Sunday 10 to 4

Ginger Jeffers, GRI

Dale Oestmann, ABR, CRS, GRI

P.O. Box 1712, Pine, AZ 85544

Art for the home and the perfect gift

Myra’s Art Gallery Owned and Operated by Ed and Myra Kraemer

Prudential

Arizona Realty

P.O. Box 329, 3640 Highway 87, Pine, AZ 85544 Bus 928.476.2272 Fax 928.476.2474 Toll Free 800.287.1430 www.daleinpine.com An Independently owned and operated broker member of BRER Affiliates, LLC

The BEST Bar on the Mountain!

Fine art and handmade crafts featuring original paintings, prints, sculpture, photography, Indian jewelry, pottery, and greeting cards.

Services include custom framing including barn wood, steel sihouette art and mirrors. www.myrasartgalleryand studio.com 3788 N Highway 87 PO Box 1586, Pine, AZ 85544 928-476-2256

For Great Food and Gifts, come to

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NEIGHBORHOODS: PINE & STRAWBERRY Some of the old buildings have been trans- short-lived.

The two towns, located just above 5,500 formed into antique stores, cafés and gift shops that are popular draws among visitors and part- feet in elevation, are located underneath the and full-time residents. Among the pioneer Mogollon Rim in the largest stand of towering homes that have been renovated is the popular ponderosa pine trees in the world.

Today, Pine and Strawberry have a yearRandall House that sits in the middle of Pine.

Years ago it was transformed into a restau- round population of about 4,000 people, but it can more than double rant that serves up unique in the spring and summer breakfasts, quiches, juicy when heat-weary, desert burgers and creative salads. dwellers eager to escape Pine and Strawberry Pine and Strawberry the Valley’s searing temare a retiree’s dream and a Population: 2,000 Area: 32 sq miles peratures flock to the two vacationer’s haven, partly Elevation: 5,448 feet towns. due to the mild year-round Established: 1884 The community is climate in which the win- Households: 882 served by a K-8 school; ter lows hover around 23 Housing units: 2,242 the Senior Citizens Affairs degrees and the summer Married: 62% Foundation, which offers highs reach 92 degrees.

Family size: 2.6 The temperatures are Under 18: dine-in and Meals on 3% cool enough in the sum- Over 65: Wheels programs and 23% mer to spend the entire day Median age: operates a thrift store; the 53 Isabelle Hunt Memorial outside. While snow occa- Household: $40,000 Library; and numerous sionally drapes the towns Family: $46,000 community groups. in the winter, it is usually Per capita: $25,000

FASTFACTS

Fancy Finds Where Fresh Ideas Happen!

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Wesley Schleef ~ Owner

928.951.3464 Metal Art Sculptures Furniture Home Decor

3972 N. Hwy 87 • P.O. Box 2091, Pine, AZ 85544-2091

4069 N. Hwy 87 - Pine, AZ 85544 Email: fancyfindsretail.com Website: www.fancyfindspayson.com Phone: (928) 476-3220 We’re Open: Daily 10-5 waiting for yo u!

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Pine, Arizona 85544

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Try Our Salt Water Taffy

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For reservations, call 928-970-9511

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Find the most fabulous things at D E E L N I Tymeless Antiques PI & Treasures

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ISHOP PARK ARK, 3617 N. HWY WY 87, PINE INE, AZ 85544 BISHOP

UNCLE TOM’S TE XACO Your Everything Store HOT STUFF PIZZA

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2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 61

NEIGHBORHOODS: TONTO BASIN

Visitors to Tonto Basin come mostly for Roosevelt Lake (above), but residents treasure the rural lifestyle and community events like the annual Halloween party at the Tonto Basin School (below) which draws hundreds of kids and family members each year.

A little bit of desert in the high country

by Michele Nelson

roundup staff reporter

Tonto Basin — a cozy community by the banks of Tonto Creek — lies only 20 minutes from Payson, but it feels a world away.

Unlike Payson’s pine-covered slopes, saguaro cactus dominate in the basin.

Tonto Creek runs through the town, splitting the basin that the Mazatzal and Sierra Anchas mountains define.

The creek flows from headwaters coming off of the Mogollon Rim, through the Hellsgate Wilderness and down to Tonto Basin before Roosevelt Lake swallows it up.

Residents live on both sides of the creek, which can prove a challenge when runoff down the creek cuts the community in half — usually several times a year.

Folks on the far side of the creek sometimes have to wait for days before they can make the crossing — but live there anyway for the natural beauty and the friendly people.

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Gila County hopes to get enough federal funds to bridge the crossing in years to come.

Humans have settled the area since pre-historic times. Ancient hunters from the last Ice Age stopped in the basin for game and drink.

The Salado Indians created settlements filling the basin with farms, irrigation canals and stone Area: 31 sq mi buildings.

Elevation: 2,238 ft Then came the Apache and Population: 840 their wandering ways — until Households: 439 finally the farmers and ranchers Housing units: 726 settled to take advantage of the rich With children: 9% soil deposited by the invading and Married couples: 51% receding waters of the creek.

Female headed: 7% Tonto Basin offers impressive Household size: 1.9 hunting and recreation opportuniFamily size: 2.4 ties, but it also houses families.

Median age: 58 One of the projects the commuUnder 18: 10% nity is most proud of is the school.

Over 65: 33% Preschool children to eighth-gradMedian income Household: $23,398 ers attend. One of the only schools Family: $29,091 in Arizona to remain debt free, the Per capita: $15,157 community built the school in the late 1970s with money raised from residents. Today about 70 students attend.

But the stream also affects the school. During really wet storms, students cannot reach the school because the water is too high to cross, so the school closes down — for creek days.

In all ways, Tonto Basin is a town defined by nature, especially its creek.

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RIM COUNTRY | 63

NEIGHBORHOODS: TONTO VILLAGE & CHRISTOPHER CREEK

Tonto Creek defines nearby settlements, with year-round fishing and summertime swimming holes.

Communities thrive on sound of water

by Pete Aleshire

roundup editor

The secluded forest life and can-do attitude that drew so many early residents to Rim Country still reign supreme in Christopher Creek and Tonto Village and their neighboring subdivisions tucked throughout the Tonto National Forest.

The two forested communities provide both a gateway to the towering, forested expanses atop the Mogollon Rim and easy access to Tonto Creek.

The little community of Christopher Creek lies tucked in among the ponderosa pines about 17 miles east of Payson, near the base of the 1,500-foot-tall ramparts of the Rim. The community includes both high-end mountain homes and modest cabins, many fronting on Christopher Creek. The community also attracts many vacationing families, eager to spend time in the forest with streams where kids can hunt crayfish and splash about all day long.

Upstream the creek harbors popular camping areas, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks the little creek throughout the summer.

Most of the homes are owned by retirees and vacation homeowners. The average house price remains well above the average for the region.

Residents have a church, a little store, rental cabins and two popular restaurants — but mostly lots of peace and quiet.

Just down the road lies Tonto Village, with much lower home prices, a mix of housing

Christopher Creek, Tonto Village and Kohl’s Ranch lie about 15 miles from Payson and 900 feet higher.

and a larger percentage of year-round residents. Tonto Village has a bar and grill and lots of wildlife — including bears that sometimes make the rounds to see if they can find any untended trash bins. Residents report frequent sightings of elk, deer, javelina and other wildlife.

The community lies along the Control Road, a scenic dirt road that connects Tonto Village to Pine and Strawberry.

Both communities lie close to Tonto Creek — one of the most popular fishing areas in the state. The spring that gushes from the base

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of the Rim flows through a state fish hatchery, which supplies most of the rainbow trout stocked into the region’s lakes and rivers all summer.

On Tonto Creek sits Kohl’s Ranch, a historic lodge and restaurant that offers summer rentals — and time shares. A road hugging the stream is lined with more expensive, custom homes with an access to the creek almost unique in the state. Camp Tontozona lies at the end of that road. In August, the site is home to the first CONTINUED ON PAGE 65

NEIGHBORHOODS: TONTO VILLAGE & CHRISTOPHER CREEK

FASTFACTS Christopher Creek Population: 156 Income: $34,440 Median age: 60 Over 65: 35% Under 18: 6% Average Home Price: $399,000 Size: 2,500 sq ft Bear Flat at the end of a steep dirt road, not far from Christopher Creek, lies along a stretch of Tonto Creek just before the stream enters the Hellsgate Wilderness, which offers one of the premier canyoneering opportunities in Arizona.

week of practice for Arizona State University’s football team.

The cluster of settlements lies about 20 minutes from Payson and perhaps 15 minutes from where Highway 87 tops out on the Mogollon Rim. That provides easy access to a string of trout-stocked lakes atop the Rim, some of the best camping spots in the

state and year-round recreation.

The elevation is about the same as Pine and Strawberry, which means these communities get a lot more winter than Payson or Star Valley. Pines line the streams rather than the cottonwoods and sycamores found along the East Verde River on the outskirts of lower-elevation Payson.

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Tonto Village Population: 256 Income: $30,000 Avg Age: 43 Under 18: 27% Over 65: 20% Married: 72% With kids: 36% Home age: 23 years 2nd home: 71%

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2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 65

NEIGHBORHOODS: EAST VERDE ESTATES & FLOWING SPRINGS

String of communities savor East Verde

by Pete Aleshire

roundup editor

Tucked out of the way amongst the junipers, sycamores and cottonwoods, a handful of unincorporated subdivisions like beads on the necklace of the East Verde River offer a leafy retreat and a rural lifestyle.

The subdivisions offer stream front lots at a surprisingly affordable price 10 minutes outside of Payson. The subdivisions mingle a core of yearround residents, with retirement and vacation home owners.

The yearround residents give each commu- East Verde Estates nity an intimate, Population: 178 cohesive feel, but Income: $51,000 the population Married: 60% 20% swells in the sum- With kids: Home age: 16 yrs mer with grand2nd Home: 28% children, second-home owners and renters. The Flowing Springs Population: 41 communities line Income: $37,500 both sides of the Married: 69% East Verde River, With kids: 22% with its swimming Home age: 19 yrs holes and pools 2nd home: 47% stocked with trout all summer long.

The Salt River Project now augments the flow of the river with water from the C.C. Cragin Reservoir, doubling or tripling the natural, spring-fed flow.

East Verde Estates lies along the East Verde River and a canyon topped by beautiful limestone rock formations. About a third of the lots remain undeveloped, but unlike many other rural communities in the area, second-home owners account for only about 28 percent of the nearly 200 homes.

The little subdivision grew from one of the original homesteads in the area and once provided the setting for a ranch run by several Tonto Apache families.

The community includes vacation rentals, a popular bed and breakfast, great fishing and swimming holes — all seven miles from the region’s employment center in Payson. Surprisingly moderate in price, the homes offer rare riverfront property in a desert state, lying only 100 miles from the fifth largest city in the country.

The nearby community of Flowing Springs offers similar advantages, but it’s much smaller, more expensive and more dominated by vacation homes.

The community lies down Flowing Springs Road, which also offers some of the best camping and fishing spots in Rim Country. The road ends at a gate, which protects Flowing Springs’ residents from traffic when the road hugging the banks of the East Verde draws recreational crowds.

FASTFACTS

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NEIGHBORHOODS: WHISPERING PINES, BEAVER VALLEY, MESA DEL FASTFACTS

The East Verde River offers great summer stocked trout fishing all along Houston Mesa Road and the Control Road, which harbor a series of small, unincorporated communities.

Whispering Pines Population: 148 Median age: 55 Under 18: 23% Over 65: 25% Married: 72% With Children: 37% Home age: 23 years 2nd homes: 71% Beaver Valley Population: 226 Income: $37,166 Married: 68% 18% With kids: Home age: 20 years 2nd home: 47% Mesa del Caballo Population: 765 Income: $26,188 47 Avg age: Under 18: 22% Over 65: 17% Housing: 406 2nd Home: 23%

Treasures along Houston Mesa Road Whispering Pines

It’s easy to miss this little community completely, since most of the homes are nestled in the trees facing the East Verde River. Strung out along Houston Mesa Road, Whispering Pines has only a handful of community gathering spots. Mostly, it consists of second homes and retirement hideouts oriented toward the trout-stocked creek.

The stream has been augmented in recent years by water released into the headwaters of the East Verde from the Blue Ridge Reservoir atop the Rim. This often triples the natural, summer flow.

Dominated by vacation and second-home ownership patterns, the community lies about 15 miles from Payson on the well-maintained Houston Mesa Road. The unique homes are tucked in among the trees fronting the creek. The homes are both further away from shopping and other town amenities than most of the other creekside communities, and more expensive.

The community has its own volunteer fire department and a cozy, intimate feeling. Many families have owned land and homes there for generations. The area was the site of one of the original homesteads in the region and maintains a remote, western feel.

Beaver Valley

A friendly, small-town intimate community, Beaver Valley has surprisingly affordable stream front property and its own water company and fire department. The East Verde River runs through the middle of the community, in a stretch of stream with reliable flow thanks to underground rock formations. The community dates back to one of the first homesteads in the region and once even had its own little, tourist-oriented small gauge railway. It’s about eight miles from Payson on Houston Mesa Road and sits almost on top of stocked fishing holes and popular camping, hiking and picnicking areas. The subdivision has a grassy playground for children — often the grandchildren of longtime residents or the children of visitors enjoying an old-time vacation.

n to us Ho

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87 260

Mesa del Caballo

Sitting on a mesa overlooking the East Verde between Beaver Valley and Payson, the unincorporated community offers some of the least-expensive housing in the region in a rural setting.

Plagued by water shortages in recent years, the community has obtained access to water from the pending C.C. Cragin pipeline. The arrangement has already eliminated the water shortages and water hauling charges that once bedeviled the community. That should clear the way for build-out development of the unincorporated community and bolster property values.

The roughly 800 properties offer an array of conditions and prices, from endearing rural getaways to real fixer-uppers. Now that they’ve solved the water problem, it is one of the best deals for homes and real estate, with easy access to the East Verde River and miles of hiking, riding and biking trails.

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RECREATION

Organized recreation abounds

Payson residents enjoy a host of horse-based programs and events as well as a full array of recreation programs like soccer, Little League, and other sport leagues for both youth and adults.

by Keith Morris

roundup staff reporter

Payson may be a small town, but, along with many recreational activities for children, it also offers a wide variety of organized recreation for adult residents.

Among them are men’s, women’s and co-ed slow-pitch softball leagues, as well as a co-ed sand volleyball league. The Payson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department runs these leagues, as well as dodgeball tournaments.

The softball and sand volleyball games are held at Rumsey Park, which is at the center of Payson’s recreational scene. One of the biggest advantages Payson offers recreational enthusiasts is the many artificial turf soccer and softball fields at the park.

“We are one of the very few small communities that have facilities like that — that you can use year-round,” said Payson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director Cameron Davis.

“And because of our mild climate, there are people who are out on those fields in January and December. Unlike grass fields that die off in the winter, our residents actually are able to get out and play on our facilities.”

Also, Taylor Pool at Rumsey Park opens from Memorial Day weekend through the end of July, with open swimming from 1-4 p.m. daily. EVO Swim School offers swimming lessons and kids can compete on that organization’s swim team each summer.

Additionally, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for adults, as well as students in the eighth-12th grades is held every May. The recreation department also offers kids

Photo courtesy of DJ Craig

camps for baseball, basketball, soccer, football, volleyball and wrestling. Parks and Rec also offers a six- to eight-week summer rec camp, offering sports and activities for kindergartners through sixth grade from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday, featuring lunch, in the middle school gym beginning the week after school ends.

Although Parks and Rec isn’t currently offering tennis lessons or leagues, Rumsey Park does feature tennis courts.

Bat Night is offered once a year, featuring a biologist teaching kids about bats at Green Valley Park. There have also been fossil digs.

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Meanwhile, Green Valley Lake offers fishing, canoeing and kayaking.

Special events each year include: the Mogollon Monster Mudder 5K Run the first weekend of June. That’s part of the Mountain High Games, which also features a horseshoe tournament, a mud bog, a 4-H 3D archery tournament and ATV trail rides by Rim Country Power Sports.

Another big event, held each May, is the annual Sprint Triathlon for ages 15 and over, consisting of a 500-yard swim, 14-mile bike and 5-kilometer run. The Turkey Trot 5K Run is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

The Fourth Annual End of Summer Madness ASA Fastpitch Girls Softball Tournament should once again be a huge boon for the local economy. Parks and Rec is also trying to attract a large soccer tournament.

And, of course, there’s the ASU football team training at Camp Tontozona for one week every August.

Green Valley Park is the site of the Beeline Cruise-in Car Show, the Wildlife Festival, the Optimist Kids Fishing Festival and the hugely popular Fourth of July celebration.

For rodeo fans, the Payson Event Center hosts the Arizona High School Rodeo Finals in June, the Southwest Junior Bull Riding Association event in July, the Southwest Indian Rodeo Regional Finals and the AHSRA and Arizona Junior High Rodeo Association season openers in September.

Additionally, the event center sees the Gary Hardt Memorial Spring Rodeo in May and the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo in August.

RECREATION

Region offers recreation for every season

by Michele Nelson roundup staff reporter

Lots of people come to Arizona to escape the harsh winters that plague much of the rest of the country. But once here, they miss the play of the seasons. Don’t worry: We’ve got the problem solved here in Rim Country — with four distinct seasons — all of them reasonable.

Nowhere else in Arizona has as much water as the Rim Country or such perfect weather to enjoy it. Trout-stocked Tonto Creek, Horton Creek, East Verde River, Fossil Creek and Haigler Creek flow year-round.

Rim lakes like Woods Canyon, Willow Springs, Chevelon, Bear Canyon, Knoll, and the C.C. Cragin Reservoir are less than an hour from Payson.

South of Payson the Salt River Project watersheds of Roosevelt Lake, Apache Lake, Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake, offer world-class fishing, boating and water recreation. Fishermen can catch bass in Roosevelt, Apache or Saguaro lakes.

But the Rim Country has other four-season recreation, with more than 300 average days of sunshine and an altitude ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 feet, terrain that ranges from Sonoran Desert to the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world.

SPRING: SHADES OF GREEN

Cottonwood- and sycamore-lined streams like the East Verde form a joyful cheering section for spring, with the naked branches of winter exploding with leaves — with wildflower color highlights thrown in for emphasis. Birding, wildflower photography, hiking and camping all remain popular, especially in the riparian areas along the East Verde River and Tonto Creek. Payson has a 50-mile network of trails in town, which connect to hundreds of miles of Forest Service trails of all difficulties.

To find out about hikes, meet up with the Payson Packers each Tuesday morning for a half-day guided hike or see the Payson Roundup’s Visitors Guide. Also, Payson, Pine and Strawberry are all gateway communities to the Arizona Trail, which runs from the Mexico to the Utah border.

SUMMER: THE TOURIST SEASON

In the summer, visitors escape the desert heat to splash about in streams and lakes, including Fossil, Tonto, Horton, Haigler and Christopher creeks — not to mention the East Verde River. When it’s a sweltering 100 degrees in the Valley, it’s a perfect 80 degrees in Payson. To learn the secrets of the wealth of trout-stocked streams, attend a meeting of the Flycasters Club held monthly in Payson. The Rim lakes, Willow, Woods, Bear Canyon, Black Canyon, Chevelon, Knoll and the C.C. Cragin Reservoir sit at an elevation of 7,000 feet and are just a 30-minute drive from Payson.

The Mogollon Rim (top photo) gives the region year-round weather, which offers both summer delights like an ATV ride through Box Canyon (middle photo) and the occasional snow storm along the East Verde River (above).

FALL: STUDY IN YELLOW AND RED

Rim Country offers a weeks-long display of fall colors, from the cottonwoods and sycamores along the riparian corridors to the aspens atop the Rim. By October the bugle of elk in the rutting season permeates the early morning air. Hunters converge on Payson decked out in fatigues and driving ATVs. The riparian corridors offer some of the best displays of fall color in the state.

WINTER: BRING YOUR SNOWSHOES

Payson usually gets only a few big, snow-producing winter storms fit for snowball fights and snowman production. Residents get the variety of winter snow without much need for snowshoes — and even can hope for a white Christmas. Payson makes the perfect base of operations for winter sports atop the Rim, which lies just a half-hour drive to the north and east. Snow-covered forest roads atop the Mogollon Rim offer nearby places to go snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

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RECREATION

Rim Country boasts world class attractions

The Mogollon Rim (above) draws many visitors, but Fossil Creek and Tonto Natural Bridge (below) also bring people to Rim Country.

by Pete Aleshire roundup editor

In most places, getting out of town for the weekend requires planning, timing and a savings account — even in Arizona with its year-round climate and its wealth of scenic wonders.

But Rim Country has such a wealth of beautiful places with a fascinating history that you can undertake adventures on a whim — and create a life memory in the course of an afternoon.

So here’s a list of some of the Rim Country attractions just down the highway that other people happily drive hours to enjoy.

Tonto Natural Bridge State Park: The world’s largest natural travertine bridge offers a great outdoor escape — and a gripping lesson in geology.

A vast dike of dissolved limestone deposited by ancient springs created the massive wall of travertine. Pine Creek then cut a cavernous tunnel through the center.

Tonto National Monu­ ment: These 800-year-old ruins tucked into a soaring, rock overhang overlooking Roosevelt Lake offer a fascinating glimpse at a lost civilization and an enduring mystery.

The Sinagua built whole cities along the Salt River, with most of their settlements now hidden

by Roosevelt Lake. But after centuries of living along the river, they built a series of fortress-like settlements in the uplands. They occupied these beautiful constructions for less than 200 years before vanishing mysteriously.

Fossil Creek: This creek offers perhaps the most beautiful and accessible swimming holes in the state and perhaps the single most important refuge for native fish. The spring-fed creek tinted tropical-seas-turquoise creates a chain of deep, crystal clear pools and waterfalls in a deep canyon just east of Strawberry.

You can reach it down a rigorous hiking trail from the Strawberry side

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or drive an hour to get to the creek on a 15-mile dirt road outside of Camp Verde, which makes it a beautiful day trip from Rim Country.

East Verde River: This trout-stocked stream starts beneath the Mogollon Rim then runs past the second-home and retirement enclave of Whispering Pines, the historic, laid-back refuge of Beaver Valley, the hidden delight of Flowing Springs and the leafy paradise of East Verde Estates. Fishermen, photographers, bird watchers, hikers and sun bathers can get easy access to the creek off Flowing Springs, Crackerjack and Houston Mesa roads.

Tonto Creek: About 15 miles northeast of Payson, this stream offers hiking, camping, fishing and daydreaming opportunities. The Game and Fish hatchery at the headwaters provides trout stocked all over Rim Country. Don’t miss Horton Creek Trail, one of the most beautiful hikes in the state.

Mogollon Rim: Forest Road 300 threads along this 200-mile-long chain of 1,200-foot-tall cliffs that marks the southern edge of the uplift that created the Colorado Plateau. Great views, camping, fishing and winter cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Rim Country Lakes: A series of lakes atop the Mogollon Rim provide some of the most popular fishing and camping spots in the state, most of them a roughly 40-minute drive from Payson.

Roosevelt Lake: The first federal reclamation project in the West, Roosevelt Lake also offers terrific fishing opportunities for bass, catfish, buffalo fish and other warm-water species, plus campgrounds and boat-launching ramps.

RECREATION

Junction 87 draws a crowd to a two-stepping jam session at the Buffalo Bar and Grill every Sunday night.

Rim Country offers low-key nightlife While Rim Country offers small-town charm, it also features enough places to hang out, listen to music, enjoy a good meal and meet fellow wanderers to make it an interesting place to both live and visit.

In addition to a multi-screen movie theater, a bowling alley, and several forms of gambling at the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino, the area also has more than its share of bands, musicians and artists — including some big-league talents like songwriter/performer John Carpino, who has made a career out of writing about and making music in Rim Country. So, here’s a list of places residents entertain one another.

Sidewinders Saloon: This relaxed bar in Pine offers live music most weekends, where locals and visitors mingle on a big dance floor.

The weekend music provides a great way to cap a day of hiking or brow­sing antique shops.

Mazatzal Casino: Operated by the Tonto Apache Tribe, the resort includes an array of slots and live poker and blackjack, hotel, two restaurants (where you can find the best allyou-can-eat fish fry and steak sandwich) and a long succession of special events. The casino regularly lands touring acts.

Buffalo Bar and Grill: Repeatedly named the No. 1 place to meet singles by readers of the Payson Roundup, the Buffalo has a small dance floor, pool table, plays music most nights and offers live music most weekends.

Journigan House: This historic restaurant on Main Street offers steaks and seafood — not to mention live music on the weekends. The Journigan House has a big patio for summer dining, a great deal on Happy Hour specials, an eclectic menu — and lots of ghost stories of its own.

Native Grill & Wings just opened last August and has quickly become the destination of choice for many sports fans to watch a game on one of its many high definition flat-screen televisions. But what good would big screen

Dimi Espresso: This coffee shop only opened a couple of years ago, but it has quickly come to be the place to meet friends for a hot drink. Sit in front of the fireplace and read a book, play pool or strum a tune on the collection of instruments offered. The café frequently hosts events, from belly dancing to ballroom dancing and open mic.

TVs be without good food, and Native boasts a wide variety of that, including chicken wings featuring a large selection of sauces.

Concerts in the Park: The Payson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Depart­ment sponsors free Saturday night concerts in Green Valley Park all summer long, with top-ranked acts performing in an old-style bandstand for crowds seated on a grassy amphitheater.

Special Events from spring to fall offer lots of opportunities to get out of the house and mingle with visitors and locals. Some of the most popular events include a classic car show every spring, craft fairs, the Mogollon Monster Mudder, the giant July 4 bash, and the August Doin’s during the Payson Rodeo.

Beeline Bowl: This popular bowling alley hosts several active local leagues, has beer and basic grub.

Sawmill Theatres: This six-screen theater offers all the latest releases, but with one-third less the crowds than Phoenix. Located in the Sawmill Crossing next to Scoops Ice Cream and Espresso and the popular Macky’s Grill, the theater offers low-cost matinees.

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928.951.3775 1103 S. S. BEELINE BEELINE HWY, HWY, PAYSON, PAYSON, AZ AZ 1103

210 E. Highway 260 • Payson, AZ

928-474-6883

NativeGrillandWings.com

facebook.com/TheNativeNY

@theNativeNY#myNative

THAT Brewery & Pub Locally Made Made Craft Craft Beers, Beers, Locally Great Food, Bar/Wine, Outdoor Dining, Dining, Horseshoes, Horseshoes, Outdoor Sand Volleyball, Volleyball, Sand Saturday Live Live Music Music Saturday Open Wed-Sun at 11 am & Holiday Mondays

3270 N. Hwy 87, Pine Az www.thatbrewery.com 928-476-3349 2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 73

A FINAL THOUGHT

A view of forever ...

by Pete Aleshire roundup editor

When I need to change my perspective — or repair it — I head for the Mogollon Rim. The 200-mile-long chain of 1,000-foot-high cliffs defines Rim Country and the view from just about anywhere in Payson. It captures the winter snows and the monsoon storms.

It has made me catch my breath on the drive to work 1,000 times. It waits patiently when I need time to myself — or an adventure to share, whether it’s with snowshoes in the winter or a fishing pole in the summer.

So when I sat down to sum up the reason Rim Country became the home of my heart after all my wanderings, I thought immediate-

ly of the Rim, with its 100-mile views and its dramatic moods.

This line of cliffs marks the edge of the vastly uplifted Colorado Plateau. The sheer layered cliffs are made from sand dunes and sea bottoms laid down, buried, compressed and then uplifted once more into sunlight and storm.

This state’s landscape and history have been dramatically shaped by this rampart of rocks, first fused before the first dinosaur cracked its shell. It also sharply divides the Sonoran Desert from the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest. It affects the climate of the region, forcing the release of snow and rain from passing storms — and in the process making Phoenix

possible by filling up a chain of reservoirs.

The Rim forms one of the most dramatic ecological divides in the country. It even bears mute witness to at least two terrible events that wiped out most living species on the planet.

So the view from the Rim does in fact cover far more than 100 miles. From there, you can see all the way from the birth of mountains to the end of all things.

Perhaps that’s why I go to the Rim and sit on the edge with my feet dangling, both in trouble and in joy.

I only mention it now because I never set out to live within sight of the Rim. And now I’d never want to live anywhere else.

Let me help protect you before mayhem strikes.

From a tree branch falling on your car during a windstorm to a GPS that sends you the wrong way down a one-way, mayhem can strike anytime. So get an Allstate Agent like me who knows how to help you make sure you’re protected. Don’t wait—call me today!

MATHEWS INSURANCE 928-472-6064

Subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co., Allstate Indemnity Co. © 2013 Allstate Insurance Co.

74 | Move to RIM COUNTRY | 2015

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Serving the Valley and Northern Arizona Payson, Az. 85541

RELOCATION GUIDE

Homes & Land

Kim Anderson

ABR, CRS, GRI The Real Estate “Matchmaker”

SOLD

405 S. Beeline Hwy, Suite C Payson, AZ 85541 Cell (928) 978-3913 www.LivingInPayson.com Kim@LivingInPayson.com, Equal Housing Opportunity

Save money on your garbage service AND help the local economy

ROADRUNNER

RUBBISH REMOVAL Service is our #1 concern We are the only locally owned and operated company dedicated to the local communities of Payson, Star Valley, Pine, Strawberry & the surrounding areas

Call ROADRUNNER

RUBBISH at

928-474-0603 Thank you, from the Roadrunner family

• CHEAPEST monthly rate in the Rim Country for a residential 96 gallon cart with a once a week pickup • 40 yard roll off containers • 2-8 Yard Bins • You speak with a local person in the local office • You give your business to a local company that supports the local community • We are proud contributors to many Rim Country Charities!

2015

| Move to RIM COUNTRY | 75

Š 2014 BRER Affiliates LLC. An independently owned and operated broker member of BRER Affiliates LLC. Prudential, the Prudential logo and the Rock symbol are registered service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Used under license with no other affiliation with Prudential. Equal Housing Opportunity.