8 minute read
Wedding & Events
Make Mother Nature your Guest of Honor
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re planning a wedding in Greater Prescott or somewhere else that’s full of natural beauty and charm. That’s something you should turn to your advantage by honoring its beauty and all that it provides us. Naturally (haha!) the best way to do this is to hold your event al fresco, as long as the weather is something you can work with. If not, there are many other ways you can infuse your proceedings with nature-made materials and themes. The many, many couples planning to get married in 2022 (a record 2.6 million, according to www.theknot.com) are all looking for ways to make their occasions memorable, so here are some of the special ways they’re looking to incorporate the environment. Q
Florals, florals and more florals
Flowers are so versatile; they can be bunched or woven loosely for a more natural appearance, hung from chandeliers and wall installations, and textured fresh blooms and dried filler are expected to decorate many events this year. If you want to marry in a field of flowers but the practicalities just won’t make it work, consider using a thicket of wildflowers and greenery to define the aisle. Whether the ceremony is outdoors or in, this will make your entrance even more stunning!
Choose built-in décor
Find a venue that isn’t going to need a lot of adornment to make it attractive. It can be a meadow with an outstanding view of surrounding mountain peaks, a house of worship with ornate carvings and picture views or a garden featuring an outstanding mural. It lets what’s already there shine and reduces waste.
Tread lightly
Whatever your wedding theme, choose sustainable products and practices to keep it as earth-friendly as possible. Choose recyclable or digital invitations, consider a charity registry for environmental nonprofits, choose seasonal, locally grown flowers and donate leftover decorations and leftover food, for example. You don’t need to broadcast your choices; lead instead by quiet example.
Rattan the night away
This earthy element gives furniture, lampshades, cabinets, bar carts and ceiling pendants the structure they need to command attention yet give your gathering a touch of nature-loving fun and class. It pairs great with pampas grass for a tropical theme or other boho touches for an elegant yet casual vibe.
You don’t have to pine for me
But you can if you want to! By all means pay tribute to the ponderosas that have defined Prescott as an outdoorsy haven for generations! Use pinecones in garlands, accents in bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces, ring displays, cake decorations, everything! These are most associated with winter weddings, but up here you can rock them all year long.
2022 Prescott Bridal Affaire Expo Photography by Blushing Cactus Photography
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 6
Where: NEW LOCATION! Event Center at the Sam Hill Warehouse, 300 N. Montezuma St., and Hilton Garden Inn, 232 N. Granite St., Prescott.
What to Expect: The largest and longest-running wedding expo in Northern Arizona returns for its 17th year to feature the best Greater Prescott vendors in the business, providing every type of service and product you could want for your dream wedding.
Local businesses offering music, photography, wedding coordinators, floral, rentals, cake samples, food samples and wedding gowns will be featured throughout the event. It’ll be jam-packed with lots of fun and excitement, raffle drawings every 30 minutes and a grand prize worth thousands of dollars. Parking and admission are free.
More information: www.starstruck-events. com/prescott-bridal-affaire-expo.
I-17 Improvement Project to Begin Spring 2022
A longtime transportation annoyance — delayed traffic on I-17 — may come to an end — but it may take about three years.
After several years of environmental and design studies, the Arizona Department of Transportation has approved a $446-million project to improve Interstate 17 between Sunset Point on the north to the Anthem Way traffic interchange to the south.
The 23-mile improvement project likely will begin in April or May.
The project is intended to help solve a decades-long concern of traffic delays caused by accidents, weather or other uncontrollable factors.
A contract was awarded to Fann Contracting in Prescott, and co-developer Kiewit Engineering Group Inc., one of North America’s largest engineering and construction organizations. The developer team will go by the acronym KFJV — Kiewit-Fann Joint Venture team.
The interstate to be improved is in mountainous terrain from Anthem in Maricopa County to the south to Sunset Point in Yavapai County to the north.
I-17, the primary connection between Flagstaff on Interstate 40 and Interstate 10 in Phoenix, is the most important highway between the Valley of the Sun and the communities in northern Arizona. It carries well over a million travelers each year, according the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Mike Fann, owner, Fann Contracting, studies aerial maps of the Interstate 17 improvement project. The $446 million project should provide flexibility and reduce traffic delays on 23 miles of I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff. (Photo by Ray Newton)
Fund sources
Fann Contracting Eager to Begin
•$40 million, Arizona’s higher-thanexpected recovery revenue and Federal COVID-19 relief funds •$130 million, state highway funds appropriated by Arizona Legislature in 2019 •$90 million, Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant •$50 million, Maricopa Association of Governments •$135.9 million, federal and matching state highway funds, including $83.6 million approved by the Arizona State Transportation Board.
More information is available at www. azdot.gov.gov/I17-anthem-way-to-sunset point.
Mike Fann, owner Fann Contracting in Prescott, said the project will include widening 15 miles of the four-lane highway, replacing two bridges and one bridge deck replacement, widening of 10 bridges, and perhaps most important, the creation of eight miles of what are being called “flex lanes.”
“The only time we expect any traffic delay at all because of construction — when we have to blast. As soon as that action is taken and we have assurance that no safety issues are involved, traffic will be moving again,” Fann said.
The 1-17 flex lanes will operate as separate two-lane roads that carry one direction of traffic at a time in either a north or south direction.
“Flow of traffic will be determined by what is the greatest need at the time along that winding 8 miles of mountain driving between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point,” Fann said. For example, flex lanes will carry major northbound traffic on a Friday or Saturday, but on a Sunday, ADOT will be able to open the flex lanes to take southbound traffic to Phoenix.
Flex lanes will be next to but separated with concrete barriers from the southbound 1-17 lanes. Access to flex lanes will be controlled by carefully monitored gates.
Fann said during peak construction times, more than 500 people will be employed. The KFJV team will be responsible for maintaining the safe and functional operation of this stretch of I-17 up to three years after construction is done.
Stories by Ray Newton The Prescott Pioneer
APS Feeds Hungry, Shelters Homeless
APS, the largest electric utility in Arizona, contributed more than $10 million annually to worthy community organizations and programs. Arizona Public Service often gives directly to hungry and homeless.
Such service is especially true in Yavapai and Coconino and portions of Navajo and Apache counties. APS serves 1.3 million customers in 11 Arizona counties.
Tina Marie Tentori, APS Director of Community Affairs, Phoenix headquarters, said combatting hunger and ensuring food security are important focus areas within one of the APS strategic pillars — human needs and services.
APS supports Prescott Meals on Wheels, the Coalition for Compassion and Justice, Prescott U.S. Vets, Flagstaff Shelter Services, Flagstaff Family Food Center and Housing Solutions for Northern Arizona. Others are Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Area Agency for Aging and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Tentoria said APS employees statewide had contributed more than $44,000 to the Arizona Food Bank Network, which provides more than 4.6 million pounds of food or 3.6 million meals.
APS Media Relations Manager Jill Hanks described help APS provides to central and northern Arizona families.
She serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Ronald McDonald House of Central and Northern Arizona, an organization that APS and its employees endorse. Hanks said from Jan.1 to Nov.30, 2021, the Roald McDonald House provided housing — two places in Phoenix and one in Mesa — for families whose children had to receive medical treatment at a hospital at least 30 miles from their homes.
That support gave 138 families from four central and northern Arizona counties 1,915 nights of housing valued at $107 a night: • 47 families in Yavapai County, 677 nights • 18 families in Coconino County, 410 nights • 51 families in Navajo County, 699 nights • 25 families in Apache County, 129 nights
Hanks said APS supports through the Ronald McDonald House of Central and Northern Arizona the “Dinnertime Heroes,” a project that provides meals for these families.
Both Tentori and Hanks said interested people can apply once a calendar year for various forms of support. Applications must be filed Feb.1 to Oct. 15. Details about support available and criteria for applying are available online at www.aps.com/en/about/community/ in-the-community/community-impactgrants.
