7 minute read
Out & About
Karen Shaw
Daryl Weisser Karen Shaw Karen Shaw
Karen Shaw
Daryl Weisser Karen Shaw
Daryl Weisser
Karen Shaw
Stay Healthy while you Expolre the World
by Dr. Hojat Askari, Founder and Medical Director, Thumb Butte Medical Center
Travel of all kinds has been curtailed over the past two years. We’ve all developed a case of cabin fever, with the remedy being more travel. Lots of us are spreading our wings and getting ready to trot the globe with a new appreciation of having the freedom to do so.
Yet at all times, and particularly now, we need to remember the health risks that can accompany international travel and fortify ourselves against communicable diseases.
BEFORE YOU GO
Embrace a healthy lifestyle — Everything we’re told to do as far as eating healthy, exercising often and sleeping well is as essential for your immune system as for every other part of your body.
Know the COVID transmission level — Visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html.
See your doctor at least four to six weeks before you
leave — Tell your health care provider about your upcoming trip and ask for recommendations about vaccines and other preventive measures you can take given your personal risk factors. Pack a medical kit following their advice. If you don’t have a primary care physician or yours can’t provide all of the required immunizations, specialized Yavapai County Community Health Services RNs can consult with you and provide them if available, for a fee. See www.yavapaiaz.gov/chs/ travel-immunizations for more information.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE
Be cautious around tap water — Find out whatever you can about the water quality you can expect from public systems where you are going. If you are at all concerned, drink out of sealed water bottles or bring a bottle with you that includes a filter. Avoid having ice in your drinks as well.
Choose restaurants wisely — Eateries may not be held to the same standards you’re accustomed to in the U.S., so try to stay with those that have a good reputation, especially among locals.
Wash your hands — Do this regularly, including before and after you eat, and carry hand sanitizer with you for when you can’t get to a sink with soap.
The Western Heritage Center on Whiskey Row of Montezuma Street is among Prescott’s most popular downtown destinations. Visiting are Glenn Brownlie, Jay and Christie Olney and Sonia Villarreal. (Photo by Ray Newton)
Western Heritage Center Celebrates
During the three years it has been open free to the public, the Western Heritage Center has become a popular destination on Whiskey Row in downtown Prescott.
Center founder-owner and President Dennis Gallagher invited visitors to celebrate its third anniversary during the three-day weekend, May 2729 filled with live music and other entertainment, raffles, door prizes and more. Hosts dressed in period attire representative of Western heritage.
Exhibits cater to broad range
Records show since its opening May 16, 2019, thousands of people from all 50 states and more than 55 countries have walked through the center doors at 156C S. Montezuma St., Gallagher said.
Prescott Mayor Phil Goode said he often stops in at the center. “I meet a lot of new people visiting town. I enjoy sharing what I know about Prescott. More important, when people come in WHC (Western Heritage Center), they realize how truly historic Prescott is in the scheme of Arizona history — its traditions and certainly its strong cowboy culture. They come in here, stroll around at their leisure, and walk out knowing they have seen things that were a part of the real lives of ordinary people.”
The group sponsored a fundraiser May 14 at the Elks Theatre on Gurley and is cooperating with the City, the Prescott Rodeo, the Prescott Chamber of Commerce and other local museums and hotels to help support the upcoming World’s Oldest Rodeo® June 28 through July 4.
While closed during much of the pandemic, the center’s image as a source for the preservation and promotion of western heritage has grown nationally and internationally.
“We’re providing a facility unlike any other in the region,” Gallagher said. “We are not a museum. Rather, our goal is offering visitors an educational experience that lets them focus on history and heritage of Prescott and Yavapai County. We have is a showcase of artifacts — art, music, literature, photos and movies, exhibits from real ranches and farms, mines and businesses — things that were a part of the lives of people.”
With no paid staff, the center has more than 40 volunteers keeping doors open for visitors.
One of Bill Nebeker ’s most acclaimed sculpture is “If Horses Could Talk,” located at the Hwy 89 roundabout on the northeast edge of Prescott near the airport. (Photo by Ray Newton)
Nebeker Show Drawing Crowds
“If Horses Could Talk,” featuring art of Prescott artist Bill Nebeker is “One of our popular recent exhibits, for sure,” said Edd Kellerman, executive director, Phippen Museum.
He was talking about Nebeker’s 50 years of sculpting and casting western life in bronze that opened March 18 and continues through July 24.
Because the exhibit is up through Prescott Frontier Days® and the annual rodeo in late June through July 4, “We’ll have people from all over the country coming to see it,” Kellerman said. “I envision thousands coming to this show over coming weeks. Nebeker is one of the most respected and well-known western artists in the nation. His art captivates people.”
Ken and Diane Fidyk, who recently moved to Prescott from Southern California, said, “We had heard of Nebeker’s realistic sculptures. When we saw the one at the roundabout near the Prescott Airport, we were awed. That compelled us to come to this exhibit.” They were referring to the larger than life-size bronze featuring a cowboy with binoculars sitting on a ledge searching for a buck, while his horse is looking down the other way at a deer crouched under the ledge. The show is named after that award-winning sculpture.
Merry Nebeker, Bill’s wife, suggested the exhibit to museum staff members more than two years ago. “Bill is such a legend that we all thought a 50-year retrospective would be terrific,” she said.
Prescott Mayor Phil Goode agreed: “Having Bill Nebeker use his tremendous talent in keeping the history and tradition of Prescott and the American West alive — we are blessed. Thanks to Phippen Museum for this great exhibit that brings so many visitors to town.”
Tennies for Tots Benefits Kids
At the end of May, a local organization — Tennies for Tots — collected shoes, socks and other necessary items for preschoolers throughout the Central and Northern Arizona Head Start Programs.
Paula Sedillo, president of Tennies for Tots, said the nonprofit charity participated in a Fire-Fighter Angel Foundation Car Show at the StoneRidge Golf Course in Prescott Valley May 21, where donors contributed.
The organization also will request help from local businesses and individuals throughout the summer to gather donations for back-toschool distributions, she said.
A $20 donation provides a child with shoes, socks, a book bag and a story book.
Since 2019, the charity has provided not just shoes and socks but also clothing and winter wear. In 2020 and again in 2021, more than 3,000 pairs of shoes and socks were distributed among Head Start programs for children.
The organization also has donated to local school districts and to Boys & Girls Clubs, as well as helped families who have suffered losses through fires, floods or other traumatic events.
Lisa Sahady, regional philanthropic adviser for the Arizona Community Foundation Yavapai County, praised the organization for its dedication. “Within the last five years, they’ve grown from giving 150 pairs of shoes to now, more than 3,000 a year in Yavapai and Coconino counties and the Hopi and Navajo nations.”
Donations can be made through AZGives.org, Facebook, or PayPal by using tenniesfortots@gmail. com or by mail addressed to Tennies for Tots, 425 E. Pittsburgh Road, Paulden, AZ, 86334.
