Prescott LIVING Spring 2023

LET’S

NOW IS THE TIME TO LIST! INVENTORY IS LOW! CALL ME TODAY!

9.9 ACRES! 3G + RV CARPORT OVER 2,600 SQ. FT.! ONLY $950,000

Great Views! Wonderful Privacy! Super Fast Starlink Internet transferable to new owner, huge great room with pellet stove, oversized 3 car garage, fenced back yard perfect for pets, fruit trees, garden area, and so much more up Williamson Valley!

TRI PLEX BACKING TO GOLF COURSE! $699,900

Gross rents of $4,300 a month, one 2bd/2bth unit with fireplace 2/year lease, one 1bd/1bth w/year lease, & one 1bd/1bth vacation rental on the golf course sold fully furnished. Owner will carry with only 100K down at 7% interest only 5 year baloon call for details.

3 CAR GARAGE! BUILT IN 2020! IN GRANITE DELLS ESTATES! ONLY $724,900!

4 bedroom 2 ½ baths, over 2,200 sq. ft. 3 car tandem garage, larger corner lot, super move in ready Mandalay home with high efficiencies. Just listed. Hurry!

2018 BUILD WITH LARGE .43 ACRE LOT AND 40FT HOBBY GARAGE SOLD FOR $750,000!

Super 3 bedroom + den & 2 ½ baths, high efficiency home with owned solar! High end upgrades and fixtures! 2G + 40 ft additional 2G & RV parking + storage shed.

PLACING YOUR NEEDS FIRST!

27 YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING FOR AND WITH YOU.

SUPER VIEWS! BRAND NEW WITH 3G ON 2 ACRES! ONLY $649,900! Brand new 3 bed 2 bath home with very open floor plan and high end upgrades, located in a custom home neighborhood on 2 acres of land. Stunning views and extra large 3 car garage!

8+ CAR GARAGE! VIEWS AND ON 8.79 ACRES, ONLY $875,000!

Amazing deal over 3,100 Sq. ft. 4 bedroom 3 ½ baths, attached 5+ car garage, detached 3 Car garage, great views incredible privacy. See it today!

2 ACRES WITH VIEWS SIDES TO STATE TRUST LAND! ONLY $149,900!

Truly a rare find privacy and views, electric in the street, flat lot, no flood plain. What an incredible location next to state trust land! Gotta love less neighbors!

SUPER PRIVACY, GATED COMMUNITY IN PRESCOTT $699,900!

High ceilings 12 and 14 ft. open floor plan, excellent floor plan, and .28 acre lot close to downtown Prescott. Just listed.

PRESCOTT’S PRIME SHOPPING

BASHFORD COURTS

130 W. Gurley Street • bashfordcourts.com

(Across from the Courthouse Square)

Luxury Home Furnishings

Cover photo by Andrew McQuality Landscaping by Manzanita Landscaping

If you’re turning 65, or soon to be retiring, we can help you prepare for and understand all the moving parts of Medicare.

We provide comprehensive reviews and comparisons of your Medicare options and Social Security benefits, at a free no obligation phone or in-person meeting.

Have your questions answered, and understand your health plan options.

Do you have questions regarding Medicare?

Do you need help understanding the Medicare process?

Medicare can be difficult to understand, especially if you are just beginning the process. You might be receiving large amounts of mailers and letters regarding your options, and it can be complicated to navigate through. But that’s what we do- we help you quickly understand, and make the right choices. There is never a cost for our advice, and there is no obligation to enroll. Our job is to help you understand, and earn your trust so when you do need a plan, you feel confident working with us!

When it comes to Medicare plans, one size does not fit all. Let us help you make a confident decision.

We are licensed Medicare plan specialists, locally focused in Yavapai County since 2007. We help educate our clients by answering their questions and providing clarity. We can be as in depth or as concise as you’d like to be, and we are happy to meet in person or by phone. We know ALL the plans in Arizona, and can help you select the right one this year, as well as help you year after year.

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER

Elaine M. Earle, CPA

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Laurie Fisher

SALES & MARKETING

Laurie Fisher

Vice President of Sales & Marketing

Julie Turetzky

Director of Public Relations

Jacey Bailey

Executive Sales & Marketing Assistant

Jenna Leatherman

Executive Sales & Marketing Assistant

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

Michele Rodriguez

Creative Director

Abigail Biegert

Graphic Designer

Keith Dobie

Social Media Coordinator

Jennifer Hunter

Digital Media Representative

EDITORIAL

Christia Gibbons

Senior Editor

Blake Herzog

Staff Writer

Prescott Pioneer Writer

Ray Newton

Contributing Writer

OPERATIONS

Bea Lueck

Vice President

Terry Scheib

Delivery Manager

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Bea Lueck

Prescott LIVING is published by ROX Media, LLC. Editorial content is provided by affiliates of ROX Media, LLC, community members and local organizations. ©2023. All rights reserved. No part of this publication, including but not limited to editorial content, illustrations, graphics and photographic images, may be republished, reproduced

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Hometown AT HOME IN EVERYBODY'S

Spring is always a joyful time in Greater Prescott, and especially so after the winter we just had!

We’re ready to soak up the sun, grow our gardens, play in the grass and frequent the local events beginning to bloom like our favorite trees and flowers. With everything there is to do, residents don’t always have a lot of time to spend at home these days.

Still, it’s an awesome time to dust off and open up your home to the world after months of shivering and snow days. This is our annual Home & Garden issue, and we’ve got plenty of ideas for warming and sprucing up your space from giving your bathrooms an earthy makeover to knowing the signs your roof needs replacing.

We’ll also show you how to carve out a cozy reading or reflection nook.

If you’re left with belongings you don’t know what to do with after your spring cleaning, we’ll guide you on whether it’s a good idea to consider renting a self-storage locker.

We’re doing something different with our ROX Interview this month. Rather than interview just one person we reached out to several local experts within the housing industry — Realtors, designers, electrical experts, landscapers — to learn more about who they are and how they serve their clients’ needs in today’s market.

Other local businesses including Watters Garden Center and Allied Electric provide advice on home matters through their own articles.

We’ll inform you about local news in the Prescott Pioneer, take a peek into the outdoor adventures to be had this spring at the Highlands Center for Natural History, list the top five reasons to visit our forests, highlight the cultural contributions of the Mountain Artists Guild, and the effort to raise money to complete a documentary about beloved 95-year-old Prescott resident and Holocaust survivor Esther Basch.

Still more awaits you inside Prescott LIVING!

“We’re ready to soak up the sun, grow our gardens, play in the grass and frequent the local events beginning to bloom like our favorite trees and flowers.”

Elaine Earle Publisher, Prescott LIVING Magazine

Voices of the Community

At Prescott LIVING Magazine, our slogan is “The Voice of the Community” because we believe the stories in our local region are best told by the people, companies, nonprofits and governments that comprise our community. Here are the “voices” who helped make this issue possible!

Tod Christensen Managing Broker, Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, Sedona

Sheri L. Heiney President/CEO, Prescott Chamber of Commerce

Ken Lain Owner, Watters Garden Center

Marnie Uhl President & CEO, Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce

Loree Walden Marketing Manager, Yavapai Humane Society

Donna Werking Owner, Marketing Agency Northern Arizona Social, LLC

John Hughes Mayor, Town of Dewey-Humboldt

Phil Goode Mayor, City of Prescott

Jack Miller Mayor, Town of Chino Valley

Kell Palguta Mayor, Town of Prescott Valley

Maggie Tidaback Economic Development Project Manager, Town of Chino Valley

Amber & Mario Traina Owners, Allied Electric

Maddie Stanik Teen Advisory Council (TAC) Member, The Launchpad Teen Center

The Prescott Pioneer

EPA Has Cleanup Proposal for Iron King Mine

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking public comment through May 13 on its proposal for addressing contamination at the Iron King Mine-Humboldt Smelter Superfund site in Dewey-Humboldt.

The mine produced silver, zinc, gold and lead for about 70 years before closing in 1970, while the adjacent smelter ran from the late 1890s to 1937.

The activity at both sites produced mine tailings, wastes called dross and slag and lead and arsenic contamination, with lead and arsenic also reaching the Agua Fria River and contaminating surface water and soil farther away from the site.

Most of the cleanup work would happen at the mine and smelter sites. Waste and contaminated soil would be gathered up and buried in two waste repositories, which would be lined and capped to keep any harmful substances from escaping into the air, spreading farther into soil or reaching waterways.

One repository would be placed on each side of state Route 69; loading the waste into them would take at least a year. When finished the waste would no longer threaten human health, wildlife or the environment, the EPA said.

Eventually, some of the filled areas could become parks or open space.

There have been three cleanup efforts in surrounding residential yards over the last 16 years where contaminated soil was replaced by clean soil, and the EPA plan would do this for additional yards in the area. The total cost of the cleanup is estimated at $72 million.

Public comments can be submitted via email to Remedial Project Manager Jeff Dhont at dhont.jeff@epa.gov or Community Involvement Coordinator Georgia Thompson at thompson.georgia@epa.gov or sent to Dhont at 75 Hawthorne St. (Mail Code: SFD-8-1), San Francisco, CA 94105. A public meeting was held at Dewey-Humboldt Town Hall on March 29.

Prescott Launches New General Plan Website

An updated website for the City of Prescott’s 2025 General Plan is now available for residents to learn about and give feedback for a broad land-use policy document that will go up for a citywide vote in two years.

The site is at www.planprescott.com and includes the 2015 version of the general plan, which under state law must be updated and get voter approval every 10 years.

The plan is essentially a vision statement about what kind of residential and commercial development or open space should be located where in the city as well as sections on roads, water resources, environmental planning, economic development and quality of life.

The website has other portals where residents can participate in surveys and find out about upcoming public meetings, as well as see related documents and keep track of what stage the planning process is in.

They can also sign up to get email updates throughout the process. City officials said the general plan will provide:

• A collaborative community vision.

• A collection of goals and policies to achieve that vision.

• A tool for decision makers, developers, businesses and citizens.

• A framework for general planning.

PRESCOTT | PRESCOTT VALLEY | CHINO VALLEY | DEWEY-HUMBOLDT SPRING 2023

Prescott’s Transition between City Halls Almost Complete

Most of the City of Prescott’s departments have moved from its former City Hall at 201 S. Cortez St. to the National Bank of Arizona building at 201 N. Montezuma St., where an open house was held March 9.

The new location has one-third more floor space, and the new council chambers is double the size of the old one, with about 250 seats.

All departments have relocated except Development Services and Utility Billing, which both have public service counters. No moving date has been set as of press time.

The $2.5-million sale of the old city hall was approved in February at the final City Council meeting to be held in its chambers. Officials had been negotiating with Stroh Architecture LLC and Phoenix Rising

Investments after the companies’ initial $2 million proposal was the council’s top pick for the job last October. Interim City Manager Tyler Goodman said the property had been appraised at $2.2 million.

The 61-year old former city hall structure will be demolished.

Led by Prescott architect Douglas Stroh, the design firm released a conceptual design for a planned 5-story building with a 20,000-foot hotel, 50 apartments and underground parking, but Goodman said major changes are likely before the final design is submitted for approval after some residents were concerned about building height and other factors.

Updated renderings and designs are expected to be submitted to the

Historic Preservation and Planning and Zoning commissions beginning in June. Officials will also negotiate a development agreement that will include many details of the project, with the designs and agreement possibly reaching the Council for consideration in September.

The sales agreement will be voided if all city approvals aren’t obtained by May 31, 2024.

“This is not the be-all end-all, it’s the first step of many, many steps to not only completion but just to begin construction,” Goodman said.

The proceeds from the sale will go toward the renovation of the new city headquarters.

Read more stories on page 106

Stories by Blake Herzog

The Prescott City Council sits in the council chambers of the "old" City Hall on Cortez Street. Photo courtesy of the City of Prescott.

GREATER PRESCOTT HOME EXPERTS SHARE

Hard-Earned Wisdom

This year for our annual Home & Garden issue, Prescott LIVING decided to check in with professionals working in different areas of Greater Prescott’s housing industry to learn a little about how they were drawn into the industry, how they’ve navigated market turbulence, what’s in demand from their clients, and ways homeowners can protect the investment in their properties.

Prescott LIVING: What got you into this profession?

Arizona Modern Landscapes: It has always been a dream of mine to own my own business. I grew up being exposed to the construction industry at a very young age, and at the age of 15 I began to work for New Life Landscapes and learned extensively about the landscaping trade.

This led me to the conclusion that one day I would open my own landscape company.

Prescott LIVING: What are the most difficult and gratifying parts of your job?

Arizona Modern Landscapes: The most difficult part of my job is time management. While this is a skill that I’ve improved, there is not enough time in the day to complete all the tasks a business requires.

There is no better feeling than completing a project and seeing the satisfaction in the customer’s face. In that moment, I see

more than just a happy face, I see thorough and quality work, many laborious hours, and tons of coordination that has come together successfully.

It takes a lot of trust to invest thousands of dollars into a yard, and for that I am very grateful.

Prescott LIVING: What are your clients asking for most from you right now?

Arizona Modern Landscapes: Well to be specific, the most common question asked is “When can you start?”

With spring and summer approaching, everyone is seeking a beautiful yard that they can enjoy with their loved ones.

However, the product that I have been selling the most, aside from pavers, is synthetic grass. Not only is synthetic grass pleasing to the eye because of its vibrancy, but it is little to no maintenance, and the turf we offer is very high quality. In the last two years approximately 90% of my projects included synthetic grass.

Prescott LIVING: How do you work within Greater Prescott’s climate and watersupply limitations to give your customers what they want to do in their yards?

Arizona Modern Landscapes: I always recommend artificial turf because, as mentioned previously, it requires zero water, and it is green year-round.

For the clients who prefer the freshness of real grass, I educate them on the high-end irrigation and sprinkler systems that have been created to conserve water.

Prescott LIVING: What can people in this area do to invite more wildlife into their yards?

Arizona Modern Landscapes: I recommend bird feeders that are off the ground or bird baths! Ground wildlife can be hard on landscaping. I recommend bird feeders that are off the ground or bird baths! Ground wildlife can be hard on landscaping.

Nethan Acosta, Owner, Arizona Modern Landscapes

“Everyone is seeking a beautiful yard they can enjoy with their loved ones.”

by Nethan Acosta, Owner, Arizona Modern Landscapes

Prescott LIVING: What got you into this profession?

Allied Electric: We opened Allied Electric because we wanted to make a positive difference in the local community and provide a level of quality with electrical work that Mario just wasn't seeing a lot of around here.

Mario has over 20 years of electrical experience, most of it from New York City, and he has an obsession with doing quality work to code. My background was in business conference production where we produced conferences centered around the customer experience, so I learned a lot about how to make customers happy.

Both of us were passionate about providing our community with the best electrical service in town. So, with our combined knowledge, we were able to do that!

Prescott LIVING: What are the most difficult and gratifying parts of your job?

Allied Electric: The most difficult and gratifying are the same answer: A difficult or unhappy customer.

Every business has experienced them, and it’s how you handle it that makes all the difference.

It’s very rare that someone isn’t happy with our work, but when we come across those folks, we love being able to meet their needs and turn it around.

That's why we offer 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. We don’t love that they aren’t happy but love the opportunity to really listen to them and let them feel heard and valued, learn from the experience, and do everything we can to turn the situation around and put that smile back on their face.

We also love to hear feedback from happy customers who tell us we brighten their day just by the way we answered the phone, or that they are over the moon with the fact that we were on time and helped resolve their electrical issues quickly and in a friendly and professional manner.

It’s so gratifying to know we are helping our community when they need it!

Prescott LIVING: What are your clients asking for most from you right now?

Allied Electric: It’s really everything! Needing to replace old smoke detectors, troubleshooting power or outlet issues, replacing an old panel or upgrading it so they can

have enough power to support their home’s electrical needs, installing whole house surge protectors to protect their appliances and technology from power surges or lightning, installing ceiling fans.

If it’s electrical, we are always doing it all.

Prescott LIVING: What’s the latest in energyefficient, environmentally friendly features, etc?

Allied Electric: Of course, electric vehicle (EV) charger installs for electric cars and charging stations are continuing to rise, and I doubt that we will see a decline any time soon. More and more car manufacturers are adding an EV line to their car offerings, and it’s becoming more accessible to own one. You no longer have to spring for a pricey Tesla or be bound to the other only option of a Prius. It’s exciting how many options, designs and price ranges there are for EVs now!

We are happy to be able to help those new car owners by installing the chargers and helping businesses with installations of EV charging stations.

Read more from our home experts on page 76 Q

“If it’s electrical, we are always doing it all.”

by Mario Traina and Amber Traina, Owners, Allied Electric

Amber & Mario Traina, Owners, Allied Electric

Prescott Mayor Phil Goode

“During my time serving the citizens of Prescott as Planning and Zoning Commissioner, Council member and Mayor, one overarching topic has been growth and development in Prescott.”

“After moving here, I became involved in many organizations and as a result was quickly plugged into the issues facing our community.”

“Among them, growth, land development and private property rights were front and center, next to water and infrastructure.”

“Often, I hear calls to ‘stop growth’ and ‘stop building’ from both new and longtime Prescott residents. As much as we would like to keep our fair town exactly as it was when we moved here, the truth is that no elected official or governing body has the power to put a halt to growth and development.”

“ We can manage growth and encourage appropriate development, however, we can never take away legitimate rights

of property owners who wish to develop and build on their property.”

“Likewise, property owners must comply with applicable zoning, height restrictions building codes and the City’s water policy.”

“ Through codes, ordinances and ballot initiatives, we can manage and control the pace and appropriateness of growth. We can influence how new development impacts our water supply, our traffic patterns, our public safety services and our infrastructure, but we cannot arbitrarily stop it.”

“ What does all of this mean for Prescott? ”

“New home construction will continue. We are in a desirable community. Prescott has been growing consistently over a 10plus year period. It remains a manageable level of growth, provided that the City works to keep up with appropriate services and public safety infrastructure.”

“ We must all work together to maintain the community and culture of Prescott, while welcoming a sustainable pace of growth and providing an affordable place for all of our valued residents to live.”

EVENTS

• Prescott Earth Day and Wildfire Expo

Downtown Prescott

April 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Whiskey Off Road

Mountain Bike event

Downtown Prescott

April 28, Starts 7 a.m. and goes to 6 p.m. on April 30

• Yavapai County Home Show

Findlay Toyota Center

May 19-20, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

May 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 49th Annual Phippen

Western Art Show & Sale Courthouse Plaza

May 27-30

Details: www.phippenartmuseum.org

For more information, please contact Community Services at 928.759.3090 or visit www.prescottvalley-az.gov.

Save the Date

for these great Prescott Valley events!

ARBOR DAY — April 28, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bob Edwards Park, 7201 E Long Look Dr. A local fourth-grade class will help the Parks team plant trees. Includes a class gift, lunch and reading of The Giving Tree. If your class is interested in participating, please reach out to Parks and Recreation at 928.759.3090.

Mayor Kell Palguta

PRESCOTT VALLEY

“When a community can take ownership of its direction, so many great things can happen. Here in Prescott Valley those great things are happening.”

The key to having such an incredible community is making sure we build off the momentum that we have started over the past few years. We cannot force anyone to move here, open a business or practice medicine any more than the next city or town.”

The one thing we can do is make Prescott Valley the most appealing and desirable community in Arizona where businesses want to open, doctors want to practice medicine, and families feel safe with the low crime rate.”

Along with enjoying the good schools and great town amenities, they’ll want to live here and raise a family.”

—Mayor Kell Palguta

MUSIC ON THE GREEN — May 13, June 10, July, Aug. 12, 7 to 9 p.m., Civic Center Theater on the Green. Live music from local bands. Bring blankets and chairs to sit on.

PITCH HIT & RUN — May 28, 11 a.m., Mountain Valley Park 4-Plex. Join us in partnership with Major League Baseball for their official youth skills competition. This event is for children ages 7 to 14 to show off their baseball/softball skills and compete for MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Nationals.

CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT — June 10, 4 p.m., Mountain Valley Park Pavilion. Bring a partner and get in on the cornhole action. With prizes for the winning teams and fun competition for all, this double-elimination tournament is one you won’t want to miss. Check-in is at 4 p.m. and the first bag will be thrown at 4:30 p.m.

For more information on Prescott Valley events and classes call 928.759.3090 or visit www.prescottvalley-az.gov.

From left: Debbie Ward, Yvette Wielenga, Dr. Kristin Newell, NMD, Dr. Karissa Walton, NMD, Carmen Dalton, FNP Emily De La Huerta

Town of CHINO VALLEY

“I’m very honored Mayor Miller chose me to become vice mayor of our town. But most important is, I am honored to serve the citizens of Chino and do my job the best I can.”

Event

Fabled Horse Solutions — R.E.A.C.T.

April 22 to April 23

Compass Training Center

3926 Shooting Range Road, Chino Valley Contact: 928.848.9885 or info@CompassTrainingAZ.org.

Are you really ready to protect yourself and others from a deadly force encounter?

This is a two-day class in rapid engagement and concealed tactics. It is specifically designed for people to test their mental and physical readiness, decision-making ability and speed to targeted skills.

We are hiring!

Chino Valley Aquatic Center is looking for motivated, responsible and enthusiastic people to work this season! We are hiring for poll managers, lifeguards and cashiers.

To see the job descriptions and fill out an application head over www.chinoaz.net. We can’t wait to add you to our team.

“—Vice Mayor Eric Granillo

For over four decades, Prescott Women’s Clinic has been the go-to quality medical practice in the local community for obstetrical and gynecological care for adolescent girls and women.

Town of DEWEY-HUMBOLDT

Mayor John Hughes welcomes all travelers to stop by “Our Arizona Country Town. We may be little, but we are the Gateway to Prescott and have all the conveniences you and your family may need along the way to your destination. Our Town Hall is located on Main Street, turn right at the light.”

—John Hughes, Mayor, Town of Dewey Humboldt

Council business

The selection of a Council member to fill a vacant seat will 6:30 p.m., April 18, during the Town Council regular meeting. The swearing in will 6:30 p.m., May 2, during a regular meeting.

History

The story behind the names — Dewey-Humboldt

New Office Hours

Since Feb. 27, the Town of Dewey-Humboldt’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It was Dec. 20, 2004 when Dewey and Humboldt were wedded through incorporation. Although the two experienced vastly different upbringings, they had always had a symbiotic relationship.

Within these two stories lies the account of the two major industries in early Anglo Yavapai County history. Dewey was a ranching town providing the food, while her future husband Humboldt was a mining town earning the cold hard cash.

Like Prescott, Dewey and Humboldt have the distinction of being named for people for which there is no evidence they ever laid eyes on the towns named after them.

The Dewey-Humboldt Town Library is at 2735 S. Corral St. For more information call 928.632.5049 or visit www.ycfld.org/ dewey.

John Hughes, Mayor, Town of Dewey-Humboldt

Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center YCPAC

by Ray Newton and Blake Herzog

The performing arts complex at Yavapai College has been renamed the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center after the philanthropists established an endowment for the college’s performing arts programs.

“On behalf of Yavapai College and the Yavapai College District Governing Board, I’d like to thank Jim and Linda for their tremendous generosity, which will undoubtedly impact the performing arts and our communities,” said Dr. Lisa Rhine, President of Yavapai College.

The endowment of an undisclosed amount is expected to be a sustainable source of financial support for the performing arts at Yavapai College and continue to bring top talents, from local to international, to the community at the former Yavapai College Performing Arts Center (YCPAC), which has 1,064 seats.

The name change was approved by the college’s district governing board in February. Installation of prominent new signage displaying the name will be followed by a dedication ceremony and reception to honor the Lees and their commitment to supporting and improving the college’s dramatic and performing arts programs.

“We appreciate the very generous gift from Jim and Linda, which will provide support and directly impact the performing arts center as well as our students that participate in our

many performing arts programs,” said Marnie Uhl, President of the Yavapai College Foundation Board.

The facility opened in 1992 as the Yavapai College Performance Hall and was renovated and rebranded as a performing arts center for its 20th anniversary in 2002, as its mission expanded to include more diverse programming to widen its appeal to the community.

It is considered one of the premiere performance spaces in Northern Arizona. It is home to several local groups besides the YC performing arts programs, including the Prescott POPS, Arizona Philharmonic, Yavapai Symphony Association and the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering.

The Lees are known for their decadeslong support of Greater Prescott community programs, particularly in the arts and sciences. They are the sponsoring donors of the planetarium at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and support several groups that have performed on the YCPAC stage. Their wealth comes from Prescott residential development as well as commercial projects including Prescott Gateway Mall and the surrounding area.

In exclusive remarks to Prescott LIVING, Linda Lee said, “Ever since we moved to Prescott, we knew we wanted this community to be the core for performing, musical and

artistic talent in Central and Northern Arizona.

“The performing arts have always been a core to prosperous communities. Prescott and the surrounding area are unique in Arizona, and seeing Yavapai College take a strong lead is gratifying.”

Jim Lee echoed her remarks: “We want performing and artistic programs to be shared throughout this region at levels that otherwise would not occur. That’s why our endowment will allow new and stimulating programs and performances to come to town to entertain and educate our population.”

The performing arts center features live performances, films, satellite projects and educational and informational events. To learn more visit www.ycpac.com.

From left (back) Mary Talosi, Executive Director of the Yavapai College Foundation, Dr. Lisa Rhine, President of Yavapai College, and (front) Linda and Jim Lee. Photo courtesy of Yavapai College

Earth Tones WARM UP YOUR BATHROOM WITH

by Blake Herzog

The basically all-white bathroom is almost a default setting, but design trends have breezed through trying to update this practical but chilly look.

Now we’re witnessing the rise of the natural wood vanity, poised to overtake the white-painted units that have dominated the market for decades. They’re accompanied by voluminous swatches of earth tones helping to ground our lavatories in nature’s energy and warmth.

Either or both will make yours a welcoming respite from the rush and drama of everyday life.

WOOD VANITIES

This might sound like a recipe for soggy, warped drawers and cabinets, but that really doesn’t have to be the case.

Solid birch, oak and maple can stand up well to the humid conditions of a bathroom as long as it’s wellventilated and the vanity has a quality finish such as polyurethane, lacquer or varnish.

They’re also easier to repair and rehab if they are damaged, so you can keep them looking beautiful for years, if not decades.

High-density plywood doesn’t have the same appeal as solid wood but doesn’t expand as much due to moisture and is more affordable, so with a quality stain in the color you desire it can be a beautiful option.

Countertops also can be a wellsealed wood surface such as butcher block and any other solid wood,

especially oak. If you want contrast, you have many other options from concrete to quartz.

EARTH TONES

For those who aren’t in the market for a new bathroom vanity there are plenty of other ways to add an earthy quality to bathrooms by selecting the right colors for smallticket items like bathmats to big ones like a new floor.

Muted browns, beiges and greens can give your bathroom a natural, glowy undertone alone or be paired with grays or off-whites, charcoals, navies or bronze tones.

Well-varnished wood floors are a lovely option, and with a little extra TLC such as wiping up any droplets that do land on them, can shine with the same beauty as a wood vanity.

Bamboo and cork are a couple more sustainable materials that probably are better suited

for bathroom use — both repel moisture and are mold and bacteria resistant. Bamboo is stronger and comes closer to the look of a hardwood floor, while cork is softer, warmer and reduces noise, though it tends to be less durable.

Many prefer tile floors, and they’re available in more materials, colors and patterns than ever. Travertine and limestone are two varieties that naturally bring brownish or sandy hues to your floor or shower wall with an understated beauty, while ceramic tiles can bring a riot of warm colors if you choose.

Wood-effect porcelain tile can offer the best of both worlds.

If you’re not up for a major bathroom renovation then painting or wallpapering the walls with taupe, sage, peach or a darker earth tone like espresso or sienna can infuse this room with coziness, as can towels and other linens.

Replace your Roof SURE SIGNS YOU SHOULD

It’s never fun to think about replacing your roof, but the lid on your house has many ways of telling you it could be time to consider it, from the obvious to the understated.

These are some of the signals: It’s also important to know when the current roof was installed and its expected lifespan. Asphalt shingles, the most common type of roofing, typically last 20 to 25 years and these tips are mainly geared toward them.

ROOF LEAKS

Major leaks and water damage inside your home are perhaps the most blatant indicators that your roof needs attention.

While smaller leaks can be patched by a roofer or as a DIY project, they’re generally not a good sign about the overall condition of the roof. If noticing water damage is a frequent event or you’ve had a major roof failure it’s time to take action.

SAGGING ROOF

This is a huge red flag but can be easy to miss, especially if you aren’t comfortable climbing up

there yourself (and if you do, be careful to not put any additional weight on a saggy section).

Roofs can sag due to age, excessive snow and ice load and faulty engineering or installation, among other factors. If you or a friend have a decent-quality drone and a license, you can take a look for sagging or other flaws that wouldn’t otherwise be visible or hire a roofing company to do it for you.

MISSING OR DAMAGED SHINGLES

A handful of missing shingles doesn’t mean you immediately

need a full roof replacement, but they should be replaced quickly to prevent any further damage.

Anything more could signify bigger problems with the integrity of your roof. The top layer of shingles peeling up at the corners or lifting at the center also is bad news.

GUTTER GRIT

Asphalt shingles are embedded with grainy particles that shield them from the sun’s harshest rays. If you’re seeing more and more of these flowing out of the gutters, you could be due for a replacement.

WHOLE HOUSE SURGE PROTECTORS Save Money

by Mario Traina and Amber Traina, Owners, Allied Electric

Installing a whole house surge protector on your home is a smart investment for you and your family.

It does exactly what the name suggests — protects your home against surges, significantly prolonging the life of expensive appliances and technology by as much as 30%.

A whole house surge protector gets installed onto your panel and acts as a guardian to your home. It takes any excess electricity and sends it to the earth, rather than into your home’s appliances and technology.

It’s a lot like a crossing guard redirecting traffic to a clearer path and safer destination.

This is very important to have because utility surges happen randomly to homes multiple times a day. The average North American home faces as many as 2,000plus surges a year, according to the National Electrical Contractors Association. Wow!

Day-to-day, smaller spikes of electricity come from inside the house from the cycling on and off of large appliances, as well. This will wear down the equipment over time.

On the other hand, surges that come directly from the utility company can completely destroy everything immediately with just one surge.

This type of surge can be caused by downed power lines and lightning strikes on utility equipment.

Not only do surges and lightning strikes affect your home’s appliances, but your computers and televisions too. According to the National Electrical Safety Foundation, 40% of all computer crashes and data losses come from power surges.

Whole house surge protection is not the same thing as a power strip you can plug into your wall. Though, it is smart to keep your devices on a UL listed power strip while having a whole house surge protector. This adds an extra layer of protection.

GROW BETTER Peonies this Spring

by Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, Watters Garden

From one corner of the globe to another, peony plants have been transplanted and admired. Asia prizes the plant for medicinal uses, with the root of white peony used to treat liver problems. The early Greeks and Romans also found medicinal purposes for peonies.

Peony derives its name from a Greek myth. Paeon, a student under Aesculapius, the god of medicine, was well aware of the medicinal qualities of peony plants. He used them to heal a wound suffered by the god Pluto.

The upstaged Aesculapius was displeased and threatened retribution. Pluto saved Paeon’s life by turning him into a peony plant.

These fragrant flowers prefer full sun. An exception to this rule applies to gardens below the 4,500-foot elevation where peonies benefit from shade through midday due to the summer’s intense heat. Grow peony plants in fertile and well-drained soil.

PLANTING PEONIES IN THE GARDEN

Dig a shallow, wide hole and set your peony plant. I cannot stress the importance of drainage for peonies enough. Amend the soil heavily with mulch and water well with a root stimulation product, the best additives when transplanting flowers.

Through early spring, you will see the rebirth of the crown poking through the soil. In April, each plant will grow actively, with flower buds soon to follow. May and June, their beauty fills the gardens.

LANDSCAPING WITH PEONIES

Peonies often are planted individually. Because of their sizable maturity, perennial beds should be planted toward the back of the garden when sharing perennial beds with other flowers. Peonies are often planted in groups, side by side, to form a row.

They make a bold statement when planted in this traditional style of formal English gardens.

PEONY PLANT CARE

Support peony plants with stakes or hoops, just as you would tomatoes. The large blooms are heavy, especially after a monsoon rain. Trimming back and disposing of the foliage in autumn prevents disease.

Other conditions may cause a gradual decline in peony health. If you see one specimen stunted while the peony plants around it are blooming, remove and destroy that plant before it infects the others.

Peonies like to be mulched heavily through winter. Apply a 2-to-3-inch layer of shredded cedar bark over your plants after the foliage has died in autumn.

FINER POINTS ON PEONIES

Often when we see pictures of huge, beautiful flowers in books, we assume they come from the tropics. Mother Nature made an exception with mountain peonies.

These cold-hardy perennials grow in temperatures as low as -20 degrees. They even grow in the most frigid north-facing gardens of Arizona. Peonies can hold their own with the most beautiful tropical flowers but with far better fragrances.

Plant peonies in gardens near entrances and patios where their fragrance is enjoyed readily. Lisa and I grow stunning Itoh peonies, the most fragrant of all perennials, in large containers. Placed by the entrance to our home, it’s unavoidably enjoyed by all who approach.

Peony plants with double flowers are the most fragrant. Even the foliage of peonies is sufficiently attractive to warrant planting in a cozy corner near a doorstep.

To extend the blooming season, stagger your varieties. Purposely plant early blooming varieties, others late, with others that bloom between.

As if stunning beauty and heady fragrance weren’t enough, peony plants are exceedingly long-lived. Peonies are unlike other perennials in that they rarely need to be divided.

In fact, they dislike being disturbed. If you do divide them to increase your stock, autumn is the best season to do so.

Over Achieving Natives

Watters hand selected natives are locally famous for continual blooms, natural beauty and low care

Ken, McKenzie & Lisa Lain, owners

Light your Landscape IN A FLASH

Installing or upgrading exterior lighting for your home can be intimidating if you’ve never done it before, but once you sketch out an idea of what you want to accomplish and learn about some of the techniques that can get you there, the details have a way of falling into place.

All you need is a little time to hone in on your goals and start planning.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO LIGHT AND WHY?

Safety and security are often primary motivators, both to improve visibility for family and friends and to deter would-be intruders.

Highlighting favorite yard features such as stately trees, smaller plants that disappear

at night or the intricate texture of a wall or fence also can be a priority. And, of course you want to see well enough to grill or entertain outdoors.

In some cases HOA or municipal regulations may limit what you’re able to do or you may want to avoid pointing lights upward to preserve your night sky view.

WHAT DO YOU WANT THE FIXTURES TO LOOK LIKE?

Many people appreciate ornamental light fixtures such as posts, lanterns, hanging lights or ceiling fans on patios and porches while recessed lights, rope and string lights and other subtle choices leave the focus on the landscaping, walkway or other area being lighted.

Larger lights on the house such as motion-sensor floodlights can be difficult to conceal, while wall sconces aren’t meant to be and should match the architectural style of the home.

WHICH LIGHTING TECHNIQUES BEST SERVE YOUR PURPOSE?

This is easier to know in some cases than others, but use your creativity when you can.

Uplighting trees from the base is a popular way to highlight their height and the texture of the trunk, but also take a look at the shadows they can cast on your house or fence for a potentially intriguing effect.

Cross-lighting a tree, statue or other feature from two or more sides brings its three dimensions into sharper relief.

The Perfect Retaining Wall System

VERSA-LOK retaining wall systems are cost-effective, easy-to-install, and give you endless design options.

VERSA-LOK segmental retaining walls are made from high-strength concrete units, dry-stacked, interlocked with pins, and set on granular leveling pads. These mortarless walls do not need frost footings. And when stabilized with geogrid soil reinforcement, VERSA-LOK walls can be built 50 feet tall and even higher. From intricate landscaping features to tall, commercial walls, VERSA-LOK delivers your best value in segmental retaining wall solutions.

BUILDING ARIZONA... ONE BLOCK AT A TIME

PHOTO BY HALEY INMAN

Jennifer McMahon

Frederick Borst

Nancy Read Linda Wood ©

Terri Kiffer

Tammy Bates

Georgia Myers

David Smith

Jackie Smith

Wendy Woolley

Paige McCargar

Laura Spaeth

Molly Auman

Christopher Wood

Tiffany Taylor

Read, Reflect IN A NOOK OF YOUR OWN

Everyone deserves a spot at home where they can take a few minutes or more for themselves to catch up on all the books and magazines piling up or simply be able to muse, plan, pray and/or meditate, preferably away from the electronic devices that tend to run our lives.

Reading nooks and meditation spaces share many characteristics, even if they’re used slightly differently. They generally are smaller spaces with some degree of seclusion centered on whatever kind of seating the user finds most comfortable for what they are doing.

Many readers prefer a large, plush chair, while soft but sturdy floor cushions are embraced by those meditating. In many

cases you have enough room to use both for either activity.

Some floor plans, especially openconcept, don’t have a lot of “nooks,” but all you really need is a corner of a room that doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic. If even that’s hard to come by, you can use bookshelves, a screen or plants to create some privacy from the hubbub.

Natural light is a big plus for your mood and overall health — you can always add a lamp for night use. Some of the items that have a place in either type of space or a multipurpose one include:

A

RUG

It will help define your space, which is essential if you don’t have many other

borders to use. The pattern needs to be pleasing to you and could also be an assist for meditative moments.

A TABLE OR SHELF

This can hold your favorite reads, inspirational texts, any photos or other objects you focus on for meditation or prayer, plus puzzles, stress balls, a mug for your favorite tea or coffee or whatever else you want to have near.

CANDLES AND DIFFUSERS

Candles are inherently calming (LED ones more so, for some), and one of the most commonly used objects for external meditation. Scents from a candle or diffuser can soothe and direct readers and contemplators alike.

BRING YOUR FLOORING

Up to Date

If the flooring in part or all of your home is nearing the end of its road, it can be difficult to commit to replacing it because it’s a major expense, and you don’t want to end up with regrets over your choice.

But at some point you’ll have to make that leap, and it’s easier to do when you have options to update your look with elements that have timeless appeal.

Many trendy flooring choices fall squarely into this category, carrying

benefits that aren’t going to fade away if they don’t make next year’s “hot” list.

WIDE PLANKS, BIG TILES

Both of these are in demand because they excel at making spaces feel roomier.

Wider and longer boards are coveted for this exact reason, but since there aren’t so many giant trees being cut down anymore

it’s easier to find these shapes in vinyl planks or engineered wood

than traditional hardwood.

Tiles don’t have that issue, and it’s easy to order them at six square feet or larger. This also cuts way back on the amount of grout you need to maintain.

ENGINEERED WOOD

As the stock of new-growth or reclaimed wood starts to run low, it’s a good idea to consider engineered wood.

These floorboards consist of a thin layer of hardwood on top of a high-

quality plywood core that’s stable and durable while drastically reducing the need for hardwood. Since they can be fashioned into wider planks than solid wood, it happens to be engineered for one of our biggest current trends.

CHECKERBOARD PATTERNS

Nostalgia has breathed new life into the energetic black-and-white tile patterns associated with diners and dives, and it’s making its way back into modern as well as retro homes.

Other color combos are along for the ride, paring white with blue or green or neutral shades like beige and brown. This effect can be achieved with old-school linoleum, vinyl, even marble to give a fun twist to a high-end environment.

WHITEWASHED WOOD

White floors are giving many rooms a lift these days. Because the beauty and utility of hardwood floors often comes with

a darker cast some homeowners feel they have to fight against to make rooms cheery, treating them with chemicals or finishes that give them an ashy or white color lightens the mood of the room — allowing the natural grain and knots of the hardwood to show through.

CARPET

While most trendsetters banished this option from homes a couple decades ago in favor of rugs partially covering wood or tile floors, many people crave the softness and warmth of carpets, particularly in bedrooms.

Low-pile carpet has been making inroads into some of the chicest markets in the U.S. and even picking up on some hard-surface flooring trends, including checkerboard designs and the use of natural fibers like wool (the only choice suitable for wall-to-wall carpeting) and large area rugs of jute, sisal and cotton.

“We are excited to introduce Biofeed® Solutions, Inc. liquid enzyme-based fertilizers to our portfolio. Let us take your landscape to the next level with natural, powerful, and eco-friendly plant nutrition!”

5 Good Reasons TO RENT A STORAGE UNIT

Recent estimates have found there’s about 13 square feet in self-storage space for each and every American, which makes it a little too easy for people to leave stuff they really don’t need languishing in their lockers for decades.

On the other hand, there are plenty of valid reasons to keep some items in a storage unit, especially when you have a specific exit strategy.

1. When you’re between homes

Sometimes there’s a gap between when you have to be out of your old place and when you can get into the new one, forcing you into a limbo space that probably isn’t as big as you’re used to and definitely isn’t worth setting up the same

way. This also applies to college dorm rooms.

2. During major renovations

For ease and convenience, consider putting some of your belongings in storage. This option also can be handy for storing used appliances that are still in good enough shape to be reused somewhere else.

3. When you’re a collector

This mainly applies to valuables being collected at least as much for their investment value as for personal pleasure. If they’re either too big to keep at home or you’re not confident they’ll be secure there, renting a unit can be a wise decision.

4. If you have business equipment or files

If you’re transitioning from an office to working from home there may be paper files you’re legally obligated to keep or will only need to look at a couple of times a year or tools you’ll only use seasonally or for finite periods — those can go here.

5. When you don’t want to upsize

If you have some things you simply can’t let go for sentimental or other reasons and getting a storage unit will relieve the pressure to move to a bigger home, it can be a very cost-effective choice.

REFLECT YOUR STYLE

with Mirrors

Decorating with mirrors is a perfect way to enhance natural light and make a room appear larger and brighter.

For instance, placing one across from a window echoes the natural light and foliage, essentially bringing the outdoors in. But don’t just hang it anyplace.

To decorate with mirrors, treat them like a piece of art. Unlike a painting though, consider the mirror’s reflection. Position your mirror to reflect a beautiful view, marvelous architecture or brilliant natural light.

Here a few ideas if you’re looking to decorate with mirrors.

Position is key. Especially in a small room where you want to increase

natural light, place your mirror where the light naturally falls to make the room appear brighter and larger.

Add mirrored tiles to a kitchen to brighten the space and add a glamorous touch. These can be on a wall or added to the backsplash to reflect more light and space. They will require extra cleaning, so be aware.

Add mirrored furniture such as a sideboard in the dining room, a mirrored headboard in the bedroom or a mirrored desk in an office. Just keep mirrored furniture to a minimum for a clean aesthetic.

Choose mirrored accessories for a touch of elegance including a mirrored tray on your coffee table or ottoman or mirrored picture frames on a side table.

Double check the mirror’s reflection and ensure it’s eyecatching. Nobody wants to see your clutter in the corner reflected in the mirror over the sofa or fireplace. Instead, strategically place mirrors to reflect your showstopping chandelier or gallery of artwork.

Consider a mirrored wall for high impact. Particularly with a small room, decorating on a large scale with a mirrored wall can make the room feel bigger and brighter. And no, mirrored walls are not outdated. If done right, they are modern and beautiful.

With limited space, choose a large floor-standing mirror in a corner to maximize the impact and add light and perceived space.

Marketing with Artificial Intelligence

M a r k e t i n g a n d a r t i f i c i a l i n t e l l i g e n c e a r e t w o f i e l d s t h a t a r e i n c r e a s i n g l y b e i n g u s e d t o g e t h e r . W i t h t h e e m e r g e n c e o f b i g

d a t a , a r t i f i c i a l i n t e l l i g e n c e ( A I ) i s b e c o m i n g a n i n c r e a s i n g l y i m p o r t a n t t o o l f o r u n d e r s t a n d i n g c u s t o m e r b e h a v i o r a n d

o p t i m i z i n g m a r k e t i n g c a m p a i g n s

A I c a n b e u s e d t o a n a l y z e c u s t o m e r d a t a a n d i d e n t i f y

p a t t e r n s , t r e n d s , a n d c o r r e l a t i o n s t h a t c a n b e u s e d t o b e t t e r t a r g e t a n d p e r s o n a l i z e m a r k e t i n g e f f o r t s . A I c a n a l s o b e u s e d t o a u t o m a t e c e r t a i n m a r k e t i n g t a s k s , s u c h a s e m a i l

m a r k e t i n g , c o n t e n t c r e a t i o n , a n d a d t a r g e t i n g .

A I c a n a l s o h e l p m a r k e t e r s i d e n t i f y n e w o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r

g r o w t h , s u c h a s t a r g e t i n g n e w c u s t o m e r s e g m e n t s o r

e x p a n d i n g i n t o n e w m a r k e t s B y c o m b i n i n g m a r k e t i n g a n d A I ,

b u s i n e s s e s c a n g a i n a d e e p e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e i r

c u s t o m e r s a nd c r e a t e m o r e e f f e c t i v e m a r k e t i n g c a m p a i g n s .

I n 2 0 2 3 , N o r t h e r n A Z S o c i a l l a u n c h e d t h e i r n e w i n t e g r a t i o n

o f A I a p p l i c a t i o n s f o r t h e i r c l i e n t s . C o n t a c t u s t o l e a r n m o r e .

4 SPRING CLEANING

Data Tips for More Sales

by Sheri Heiney, President & CEO of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce

While we quickly head toward the heat of summer, there’s still time to do some spring cleaning with your data. A nice clean email list can help you make the most of your ecommerce and increase summer sales.

SEGMENT

Did you get every name on your list the same way? Or did they get added through a variety of sources including ads, referrals, point of sale signups, and other ways?

Take a moment to look into what each way tells you about them. Did they come to you after an e-commerce transaction or sign-up as part of a contest? How you got them is as important as how they continue to interact with you.

Look for ways to give them more of what they want in a personalized way by understanding what brought them to you in the first place.

REMOVE NONDELIVERABLES

You know the bounce backs you get every time you send? Look at the list and check for any obvious problems. Many are due to key errors and are easy to recognize. Fix them. If it’s not obvious why they aren’t going through, get rid of them. You don’t want to pay for invalid contacts.

GET RID OF DUPES

Sometimes people get on lists from multiple ways, or they use different email addresses without realizing it. Take a quick scan for duplicate names. Do them a favor and merge the contacts. No one enjoys receiving two emails from you on each send.

ADD SOME SUMMER SPICE

Depending on your business, you may see more visitors in the summer on e-commerce or in-person. Since we’re talking about digital marketing here, look for ways you can add some summer spice to your website

content, your newsletter, your landing page and your email messaging.

People are ready for fun times. They want school to be over and — unlike last summer — be able to do something.

There’s an excitement in the air that has not been there for a while. Use this renewed energy to take a second look at your digital marketing. Make some quick tweaks and get ready for summer and increased sales.

For more information about the Prescott Chamber of Commerce, visit www.prescott.org or call 928.445.2000 or 1.800.266.7534, or stop by the Visitor Information Center, 117 W. Goodwin St.

Living and Loving PRESCOTT VALLEY

by Marnie Uhl, President and CEO, Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce

Prescott Valley has so many reasons why we love to live here. I consider them our community "Points of Pride" and while I could write pages naming them all, here are a few of my top "Prescott Valley Points of Pride."

THE FLAGS ALONG HIGHWAY 69

Each major holiday, patriotic days and special days recognizing our armed services, flags are placed along Highway 69. The American Legion Post No. 108 puts the flags up on the south side of the highway, and VFW Post No. 10227 handles the north side.

We salute you and thank you for your service and reminding us to keep patriotism in our hearts.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY PARK

Mountain Valley Park, 8600 E. Nace, is on 69 glorious acres in the middle of Prescott Valley. Any day of the week there is activity on ballfields, soccer fields, skate and dog parks.

The lakes, with their water features, sit on 12 acres surrounded by an

all-accessible walking path, over 100 trees, and they are home to a variety of waterfowl, fish and other wildlife. The two lakes have been added to the Arizona Game and Fish Community Fishing Program. A valid fishing license is required for those over the age of 10.

PRESCOTT VALLEY HEALING FIELDS

In 2012, Prescott Valley held its first Healing Fields at the Prescott Valley Civic Center to honor those lost Sept. 11, 2001. Every year since, 2,977 flags representing and honoring those who died that day — along with 19 Granite Mountain Hotshot Flags representing the firefighters who perished on June 30, 2013 — are installed by volunteers and on view for Patriot Week 24/7.

The Healing Fields will be on display Sept. 8-15. For more information visit www.healingfieldpv.com.

IFL 2022 CHAMPIONS NAZ WRANGLERS

This professional indoor football team first kicked off in the Findlay

Toyota Center in 2021. The team became part of our community and brought exciting game action, a wonderful and fun mascot named Whiskey and a dance team called the Mustangs.

In 2022, only their second year, the NAZ Wrangler won the IFL Championship. Tickets are now on sale at www.nazwranglers.com.

VALLEY OF LIGHTS

The Valley of Lights is home to over 65 lighted and animated displays consisting of millions of lights. It is open Thanksgiving through Dec. 30 and viewed from your vehicle.

The Stroll through Valley of Lights was added to allow up close and personal viewing the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Valley of Lights is located at Fain Park, 2205 5th St.

For more information visit www.pvchamber.org.

Photo by Heidi Dahms Foster

FORM 990

Key for Nonprofits and Donors

There are a lot of people in need and problems to solve locally, nationally and globally.

Those fortunate enough to be able to contribute financially to further a cause donate to an existing organization dedicated to serving them.

Sometimes, though, if there doesn’t seem to be anyone addressing those they see crying out for help, they form their own 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit to raise money and look a solution.

Those people are few and far between, and others may look askance at them because they can’t imagine the time and dedication it requires to establish and succeed with a nonprofit, and they’ve also heard of or fallen victim to scams perpetrated by fraudulent “fundraisers.”

That’s why filing a Form 990 every year is so important.

by Blake Herzog

Nearly all nonprofits qualified for tax-exempt status are required to submit either Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-N or 990-PF to the Internal Revenue Service every year to maintain it, depending on the size of the organization.

If they either don’t file the form or it’s incomplete or inaccurate, they are subject to financial penalties. In most cases it’s due on May 15. Tax-exempt status automatically will be revoked after three consecutive years of failing to file a valid 990.

Form 990 and its attachments ask for information on the organization’s contacts, governing board membership, assets, revenue, expenses, liabilities, number of employees and more background to help officials and the public understand the group’s purpose

and what percentage of its funds go to charitable work versus administration and overhead.

All completed Form 990s are posted and searchable by name by the public at apps.irs. gov/app/eos, as well as other information

Form 990 is the foundation of the transparency required of 501(c)(3) nonprofits and a tool for potential donors to determine their financial stability, programming costs and more information valuable in making a final decision.

A study recently released by SmartAsset reports Yavapai County residents are among the most generous in the state of Arizona, so you don’t want to give your neighbors any reason to not support your cause!

For more information: www.irs.gov/charities-and-nonprofits

Prescott LIVING: What got you into this profession?

LUXE Real Estate Group: Elena was looking for a career that offered flexibility, a chance to apply her business knowledge, and the opportunity to be her own boss. Gwen sought to take her 25-plus years digital marketing career in a new direction that allowed her to be relationship-focused, while still marketing a product.

Both are extremely satisfied with their decision to become real estate professionals.

Prescott LIVING: What are the most difficult and gratifying parts of your job?

LUXE Real Estate Group: The most difficult aspect of selling real estate is the uncertainty of the market, particularly recently. Fortunately, we’re extremely nimble, so can pivot quickly and intelligently

to best serve our clients. The need to buy or sell a home is often tied to a major life transition, which can be very stressful. We both agree that the ability to help people through stressful, and sometimes unwanted, transitions in their lives is the most gratifying part of our career.

Prescott LIVING: What are your clients asking for most from you right now?

LUXE Real Estate Group: A real estate market crystal ball.

Prescott LIVING: Is the current Prescott-area market better for buyers or have interest-rate hikes canceled out affordability gains?

LUXE Real Estate Group: The market is gradually shifting toward a state of equilibrium and so is more favorable to buyers than it has been, but rising interest rates are definitely sidelining demand

from buyers who need to finance a home purchase.

In the luxury market, most of our buyers are purchasing with cash and thus are more affected by the health of the stock market than the interest rates.

What we’re hoping for is a balanced market, where supply equals demand and buyers and sellers are equally favored.

Prescott LIVING:

What should sellers do to get the best return on their homes?

LUXE Real Estate Group: Once the decision has been made to sell the home, sellers need to step back and look at their home through the eyes of a potential buyer. Investments in enhanced curb appeal, neutral interior colors, and needed repairs and maintenance will pay off handsomely when it comes time to sell.

“The market is gradually shifting toward a state of equilibrium.”

by Gwen Holloway and Elena Sanwick, REALTORS®, LUXE Real Estate Group — Luxury Prescott

Elena Sanwick and Gwen Holloway

Prescott LIVING: What got you into this profession?

Laura Spaeth: I had retired from a career in nursing after 32 years and needed a change. I asked a friend who was a Realtor at the time, “What should I do for the rest of my life?”

She said I should go into real estate. I said, “Are you kidding?” Something I had never thought of. Next thing you know, I was taking a nine-day crash course. Been loving it ever since.

Prescott LIVING: What are the most difficult and gratifying parts of your job?

Laura Spaeth: The most difficult part of my job is dealing with limited listings, the ever-changing interest rate changes and keeping buyers and sellers current of these changes.

Buyers sometimes come in with unrealistic expectations with criteria for the home of their dreams and it’s your job to educate them to the best of your ability and what’s really going on. Sellers, on the other hand, are in the position of getting back to a market with competitive price points, days on the market

and negotiations coming in from buyers, especially after the ease of the last couple of years. They need to listen to advice so you can help them with planning, strategy and analysis.

The most gratifying thing is being recognized for doing the work on your end. Data, numbers, etc. There is a lot that goes on “behind the scenes” so it can become an easy decision-making process for your sellers and buyers.

Then, you know you’ve done your job. Whoever you are representing, if they have purchased the home of their dreams and are satisfied with the results, it will be a win-win for all parties and you are sure to gain a referral.

Prescott LIVING: Is the current Prescott-area market better for buyers or have interest-rate hikes canceled out affordability gains?

Laura Spaeth: Because Prescott has always been recognized for desirability in our area, offering outdoor recreation, diversity, a vibrant downtown vibe and beautiful weather days during the

year, it is still a destination for many.

So, even with the fluctuation of interest rates we are still seeing mortgage rates continuing with a downslide, adding the return of more buyers to the markets. I also see more buyers returning to the market with new home sales, and there are many loan programs out there to help anyone in this market with a purchase.

Prescott LIVING: What should sellers do to get the best return on their homes?

Laura Spaeth: To receive the best return, hire a solid, experienced Realtor who can offer unrivaled marketing with a reputable company. I can help you set the price for your house competitively, sending potential buyers a message to generate qualified inquiries to your property for any price point.

Also, make sure the house is in good condition. Fix items that need repair, replacement or remediation. No one wants to buy a broken piece of property.

Read more from our home experts on page 118 Q

Laura Spaeth

“Interest rates are still looking very doable.”

by Laura Spaeth, Realtor, Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty

Nora Dean

Janet Cameron

David Jamieson Alexis Madrid

Karen Shaw

Daryl Weisser

Patty Stecker

Jan Bracciale

Tiquing in Chino Valley

by Maggie Tidaback, Economic Development Project Manager, Town of Chino Valley

We consider ourselves the Quad Cities' No. 1 destination for boutique and antique shopping. You may be surprised, but certainly fascinated, by all we have to offer. For instance:

1. RANK HORSE CO. 1

Owner Morgan Reid combines her love of western grunge, cowgirl vintage, and desert vibes here. 150 S. AZ-89

2. THE WATERING CAN Specializes in vintage wedding decor for rent as well as creating custom florals.

323 Butterfield Rd.

3. COUNTRY TREASURES

One could spend hours discovering that perfect gift in this shop.

827 W. Rd. 3 N.

4. SEW-N-SEW

This one-stop-shop carries all your basic sewing needs, along with apparel, quilting and craft fabrics. Alterations and basic sewing lessons are available.

1120 S. AZ-89

5. OLD SOUL FLORAL

Offers fresh flowers, plants, and gifts. Owner Sara Canfield specializes in a European/ American design style. Beyond decorating for small events, she offers a DIY Brides service. 1174 S. AZ-89

6. THE PEA VINE

Explore hand-crafted gifts, art and more made by more than 90 local artists!

400 W. Butterfield Rd.

7. WILD SAGE ANTIQUE AND BOUTIQUE

S o much offered here including antiques, collectibles, vintage Western wear jewelry, purses, home décor and new and used clothing. 48 N. AZ-89

8. BARN SOUR RUSTICS

Indulge in western flair galore in furniture, gifts and décor.

743A E. Rd. 2 N.

9. RIPS ANTIQUES

Here’s where you’ll find the jewel of the Nile and lots of other lost and buried treasures. 3977 N. AZ-89

10. MARY’S COZY HOME FURNISHINGS

Wander around in more than 6,000 square feet showcasing gently used and new furniture. 1299 N. AZ-89

11. CHINO VALLEY JEWELERS

Specializing in vintage jewelry sales, custom design and repair, Chino Valley’s original hometown jeweler since 1996 will make your eyes shine.

335 Butterfield Rd.

12. COUNTY ROAD BOOKS

At Hometown Book Store, Country Roads Books and more, you’ll find used and new books in such categories as children’s, religion, history and more. We trade books, too.

318 W. Perkinsville Rd.

MAKING TALKING More Productive

by Maddie Stanik, Teen Advisory Council, The Launch Pad Teen Center

The Launch Pad Teen Center continues its mission to help Yavapai County be “better together” by encouraging residents to use its discussion guidebook to help ease civil discourse over shared meals.

Hoping to sign up 200 families to use the guidebook quarterly to spark conversation, members of Launch Pad’s Teen Advisory Council (TAC) surveyed community members from May through December on what is on their minds.

Productive conversations are no easy task, and it can be difficult to avoid escalated conflict in discussion without tools that foster understanding and respect.

TAC members have been working to tackle this issue and provide county residents with the resources to promote civil discourse through the Better Together Campaign.

Teens collected almost 1,000 surveys from people throughout

the community willing to share the issues they identify as challenging to discuss.

The campaign’s goal is to aid in mending the division that many Prescott residents report feeling within the community, reflected in the survey data showing that one third of participants feel their input is rejected when they speak up about their views on controversial topics.

After analyzing the data from the surveys, it is clear that residents of Yavapai County feel there is strong disunion in our community with over 81% of participants answering “yes,” when asked if they feel there is division in our county.

From the data gathered, TAC teens created a guidebook that outlines the steps to effective communication. It provides communication techniques that encourage empathy and understanding, which can help empower people to voice their opinions.

Starting with the comfort of conversation over a homecooked meal, the goal of the guidebook is to present the results of our survey and provide the community with communication tools that encourage respect and understanding during our day-to-day interactions, no matter how big or small.

All of the divisive issues presented in the guidebook are taken directly from the results of the Better Together Campaign survey, giving families the opportunity to pick and choose which topics they feel are appropriate and relevant to discuss.

The diversity of our town is what makes it so special, so let’s work together to make it “Everybody’s Hometown” once again, one meal at a time.

Please go to form.jotform. com/223536174823154 to receive a guidebook and commit to quarterly dinner discussions.

Photo courtesy of The Launch Pad Teen Center

Sharlot Hall Museum

Blushed Before BLUSH LIKE YOU'VE NEVER

by Blake Herzog

Perhaps you’ve noticed that blush has been ascending the cosmetics chart for a couple of years now, rising from afterthought to essential.

Now, we’re in the “super blush” era.

The new maximalist effect emulates the all-over flush of a face actually blushing and makes everyone look bright, youthful and invigorated for spring and early summer, giving us back what the use of protective sunscreen has taken away for many of us.

It’s a highly adaptable look. You can use strong pink accents along the cheekbones for a contoured look and incorporate unusual shades like orange, brown and deep pink to deliver a bronze, sun-kissed look.

Continued on page 86 Q

Cream, liquid and powder products are all in high demand as we have fun with techniques like these:

SUNBURN BLUSH

This look has become very TikTok famous for SPF devotees, workaholics who don’t get outside much, and others seeking a youthful flush without the danger attached.

Starting with a clean face after finishing your skincare routine, apply a matte blush with a light touch on the bridge of your nose and top of your cheeks, hitting the same spots the sun would. Blend the blush up toward your temples to erase any harsh lines.

Bright but deep tones of red or pink create a more natural look.

DOUYIN BLUSH

Named for the original Chinese version of the global sensation that TikTok became, this hack is similar to but more contained than a sunburn blush.

Use cream or liquid blush (some even use lipstick, but it may get too blotchy) to paint small “v” shapes aimed at the center of your body atop your cheekbones, at the corners of your eyes and the tips of your nose and chin before blending upward with a slightly damp sponge or your fingers.

BLUSH DRAPING

For a retro ‘70s-glam look that looks amazingly fresh today apply blush over your foundation on the highest points of your face — at the very top of your cheekbones, under your eyes, plus a dusting at the arch of your brows, nose, chin and the center of your neck.

Lightly blend the blush with a brush, ideally the same one you just used for the foundation without erasing the lines you’ve just created. This can be a spectacular look for anyone of any age.

MID-TONE BLUSHING

Blend your blush and undereye makeup as the final step of your application by using setting powder under your eyes with a big fluffy brush, then add blush that’s one shade lighter than what you’ve already used to bring down the translucent powder to your cheeks and create a seamless look.

THE WORLD WIDE W

If you’re short on time but want your blush to leave an impression on the beholder, just draw a “W” across your face for a quick-anddirty faux sunburn.

Just drag a blush stick or brush diagonally down one cheek, then pull it up to the bridge of the nose, then draw down and then up on the other cheek and blend.

7 DAYS A WEEK

IMMUNITY VIBES Cold & Flu Prevention

HELLO SUNSHINE Health & Wellness

Nutrients

PRESCOTT RISING Boost Energy

WHISKEY ROW PREP Prevent Hangovers

HAIR OF THE JAVELINA Hangover Relief

STAMINA Athletic Endurance

HAPPY DAZE

Migraine Relief

MYERS’ COCKTAIL Improve Conditions

Love Local

Your Guide to Prescott’s Beauty & Wellness Stores and Services

Skin Perfection 3190 Clearwater Dr. Prescott 928.541.0003

www.skinperfectionaz.com

Strada Salon 931 12th Pl. Prescott 928.778.2028

www.stradasalonaz.com

BEAUTY

Aboost Wellness and Salon 543 W. Gurley St. Prescott 928.910.4111

www.aboostwellness.com

A Valley of Vitality 2047 Willow Creek Rd. Prescott 928.442.6026

www.avalleyofvitality.com

ERA Salon & Spa

515 E. Sheldon St. Prescott 928.778.0860

www.erasalonandspa.com

Prescott Medical Aesthetics 172 E. Merritt St., Ste. D Prescott 928.277.7414

www.prescottbotox.com

Rogers Academy of Beauty 2375 E. AZ 69 Prescott 928.848.9929

www.rogersbeautyschool.com

Salon Tru Blu & Day Spa 1436 W. Gurley St. Prescott 928.445.4126

www.salontrublu.com

Salud Spa 130 W. Gurley St., No. 307 Prescott 928.800.1777

www.salud-spa.com

SkinFit 223 White Spar Rd. Prescott 928.460.3317

SkinPlus MedSpa 1747 Willow Creek Rd. Prescott 928.582.0716

www.skinplusmedspa.com

Sundara Sanctuary 6594 E. 2nd St., Ste. B Prescott Valley 928.277.4874

www.sundarasanctuary.com

The Cut Above Salon & Spa 8600 E. Valley Rd., Ste. D Prescott Valley 928.772.8728

www.thecutabovesalonandspa.com

Wilson Aesthetics & Beauty+Wellness

8196 Florentine Rd. Prescott Valley 928.350.5484

www.wilsonaestheticsaz.com

Photo by Blushing Cactus Photography

Benefits of proper HYDRATION

Helps HEADACHE

Dehydrated tissue around the brain shrinks causing extra pressure and headaches.

More OXYGEN & NUTRIENTS

Improves transport of nutrients and oxygen in the blood.

Curb HUNGER studies show a glass of water curbs hunger pangs.

Helps CONSTIPATION

Improves digestion and colon function. Better elimination.

Better DETOX

Improves toxic waste elimination. Reduces stress on kidneys.

Better Physical PERFORMANCE

Reduce fatigue, improves vital function & motivation while decreasing oxidative stress.

Boost your BRAIN Increases mental activity and eliminates foggy thinking.

Improves your MOOD If you’re dehydrated, you can feel tired, cranky or irritable.

May help BLOOD increase blood volume, blood pressure and heart rate.

Better ENERGY 1% drop in cellular hydration is equal to 10% net loss of metabollic efficiency.

Metabolize FAT optimize kidney and liver function and improves fat metabolism.

Smoother SKIN Helps skin look smoother, healthier and younger.

Better DIGESTION. Crucial to proper digestion, being hydrated may help relieve acid reflux.

Happier BONES & JOINTS Water helps minimize joint pain and damage caused by friction.

Love Local Your Guide to Prescott’s Style Stores and Services

STYLE

Artful Eye Jewelers

124 S. Montezuma St.

Prescott 928.445.5570

www.artfuleyejewelers.com

Bashford Courts

130 W. Gurley St.

Prescott 928.642.7984

www.bashfordcourts.com

Classy N Sassy

220 W. Goodwin St., No. 3

Prescott 928.776.7467

Drawn West

134 W. Gurley St. Prescott 928.778.5725

www.drawnwestaz.com

Fancy That!

124 N. Granite St., No. A

Prescott 928.445.1883

www.fancythatprescott.com

French Hen Boutique

108 N. Montezuma St. Prescott 928.445.3424

Hello Gorgeous Boutique

130 W. Gurley St., Ste. 309

Prescott 928.273.0499

www.shophgb.com

Lost in Socks

130 W. Gurley St., Ste. 303

Prescott 928.445.1833

www.lostinsocks.com

Purple Clover Boutique

130 W. Gurley St., Ste. 205 Prescott 928.499.5195

www.purplecloverprescott.shop

Scarlett’s Curated Collection

107 N. Cortez St. Prescott 928.227.2581

www.scarlettsinprescott.com

The Clothes Hound

122 S. Montezuma St.

Prescott 928.771.0811

www.clotheshoundclothingco.com

Vincenzo’s for Men

130 W. Gurley St., Ste. 310

Prescott 928.445.3501

Wardrobe

520 W. Sheldon St., Ste. 2A

Prescott 310.709.8099

Photo By: Ashley Lekan Photography Fitness Models: Stephanie Miller, Prescott Chamber of Commerce & Crystal Christ, Prescott Chamber of Commerce Machine Location: Rx Prescribed Fitness, 546 6th Street, Prescott, Arizona

TOP 5 REASONS TO Visit Our Forests

1. IMMUNITY BOOST

Spending time in forests, in particular, helps you fight off infections of all kinds through your inhalation of phytoncides, or chemicals emitted by plants to ward off insects. Studies have found our bodies respond to these by creating more of a type of white blood cell known as “natural killers,” which are the backbone of our immune system and can defeat disease-causing cells.

2. VITAMIN D

There are few natural food sources for this essential vitamin; milk and other foods are fortified with D to compensate, but most of our bodily supply comes from casual exposure to sunshine

as UV rays reach the skin and trigger its creation. The vitamin in turn regulates your calcium and phosphate supply, which is critical for healthy bones and teeth.

3. STRESS AND MOOD

Spending time in the forest, whether exercising or just looking at trees, has been proven to lower blood pressure and stress-related hormones like cortisol, elevate mood and reduce fatigue. Simply looking at pictures of trees does some of the same things for us, but the results aren’t as dramatic as being immersed in the real thing.

4. EXERCISE

People, especially children, tend to exercise more while they’re

outside, in part because they’re already benefitting from the positive mental health gains from being outdoors. Simply walking in the forest can make us feel less lonely and reduce depression, especially when partaking in it with friends.

5. REDUCED RISK OF HEART ATTACK, DIABETES AND OBESITY

Another hormone found to increase with time in nature is adiponectin, which regulates blood glucose levels and reduces chronic low-level inflammation. Diabetic patients who spent time walking in a forest or green space were found to have significantly improved blood glucose levels.

The search for world-class cancer care begins and ends right in your local community at Arizona Oncology. Your personal care plan is coordinated by an expert team of medical, radiation oncologists and expert support staff giving you comprehensive care and support - so you can focus on healing, while we focus on you.

ALLAN ESPINOSA, MD Medical Oncologist IYAD HAMARNEH, MD Medical Oncologist

ALAN LANGERAK, MD Medical Oncologist

MARSHALL DAVIS, MD Radiation Oncologist

Serving the tri-city area since 1986. POSC allows patients to have elective surgery, spend minimal time recovering at the facility and then continue to recover in the comfort of their own homes – all in the same day.

SPECIALISTS

Dr. Bradley Benson (928) 445-4818

Dr. Craig Leicht (928) 445-2700

PLASTIC SURGERY

Dr. Burt Faibosoff (928) 777-5817

ORTHOPAEDIC SPECIALISTS

Dr. Richard Bassett (928) 777-9950

Dr. Kyle Chun (928) 777-9950

Dr. Bertrand Kaper (928) 778-9250

Dr. Greg Keller (928) 708-4545

Dr. Paul C. Pflueger (928) 777-9950

Dr. Judah Pifer (928) 778-9250

Dr. W. Lee Richardson (928) 777-9950

Dr. Bradley Williams (928) 778-9250

PODIATRY

Dr. Brad Hayman (928) 776-9428

Dr. Evan Simonson (928) 777-9950

UROLOGISTS

Dr. Paul Nguyen (928) 771-5282

“Healthy is an outfit that looks different on everybody.” —Unknown

YOUR PILLOW GETS NASTY Sooner Than you Think

Once you find a pillow that feels right and allows you to sleep the way you want to, it can be hard to let it go.

You should, though, after a year or three for the sake of your health.

That’s the consensus of many sleep and bedding experts who say that bed pillows’ tendency to trap allergens, absorb oils and lose their

cushioning abilities means that after a certain point they’re likely to degrade your sleep quality and do more harm than good.

The materials in and quality of the pillow are important to establishing its ultimate lifespan, and investing in higher-end pillows could end up saving money over the long run.

Indicators your pillow is past its prime include:

• Your neck or head hurts when you wake up in the morning.

• It appears to be causing acne or other skin breakouts and irritation.

• It’s lumpy, flat or doesn’t retain its original shape or return to it after being folded in half.

• It has yellow stains, generally caused by absorbing sweat, face and hair oils and saliva.

• It makes you sneeze, your eyes get red and watery, or you have other allergic reactions to it.

• It’s smelly, which could be a sign of mildew or mold.

Your comfort should be the first consideration, however.

Using zippered pillow protectors in addition to or instead of conventional pillowcases prolong the life of your pillow, as well as washing or spot-cleaning it as often as its contents permit. Be sure to follow the instructions for maintaining pillows, and don’t put memory foam, hybrid or latex pillows in the washer.

Replacement recommendations for pillows:

• Polyester or down alternative — 1 to 2 years

• Memory foam/polyfoam — 2 to 3 years

• Down/feather — 1 to 3 years

• Latex — 2 to 4 years

• Buckwheat — every 3 years

Blue Cross AZ Insurance Not Accepted at YRMC

After unsuccessful negotiations between Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) and Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona (BCBSAZ), the latter’s insurance coverage no longer is being accepted at Greater Prescott’s largest hospital system, in some cases.

YRMC President and CEO Anthony Torres announced in February that the hospital’s locations in Prescott and Prescott Valley were not part of Blue Cross AZ’s coverage network and costs would be shifted to patients through out-of-pocket costs and deductibles.

Outpatient services provided by Yavapai Regional Medical Group facilities continue to be in-network, he added.

Torres said the two entities had not been able to reach an agreement after lengthy talks. “As a not-for-profit health care organization, we rely on reimbursement from health plans to sustain essential medical care and community benefits. Unfortunately, BCBSAZ has been unwilling to agree to a new contract that would put patients and our community first.”

He said the failure to reach an agreement could affect the medical center’s ability to provide “essential care” to the community and recruit doctors and nurses, while some patients may need to travel longer distances to receive certain types of care.

In mid-March, Dignity Health spokesperson Abby Kay told Prescott LIVING, “For nearly a month, Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center has been eager to have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona return to the negotiating table and reach a fair agreement on behalf of its members.

“We are pleased that BCBSAZ has agreed to re-engage in negotiation discussions as both organizations have a responsibility to address this matter professionally, fairly and with a sense of urgency in the best interests of those who are directly impacted.

“It is our hope to work together toward an equitable contract that will put patients first and allow us to continue providing our full range of health care services. We apologize for the inconvenience this situation has created and sincerely appreciate the community’s

patience as we continue to work through this negotiation,” she said.

In a February statement, BCBSAZ said the dispute affects about 20% of its 58,000 members in Yavapai County, and all will still have in-network care at YRMC for emergency treatment. The insurer contended YRMC was seeking reimbursement at twice the average rate for Phoenix hospitals.

Those currently out-of-network include members of PPO and EPO using the statewide/national Blue Cross PPO or EPO network, HMO plans using the statewide HMO network, Medicare supplement plans in the Senior Preferred Medicare Supplement Network, and plans using the BCBSAZ Workers Compensation Network.

Members of the Federal Employee Program and HMO Neighborhood Network plan members will be covered at least through the end of this year. Patients can find out whether they may be affected by the contract termination by checking their Member ID number at www.azbluefacts.com/yavapai.

Photo courtesy of Yavapai Regional Medical Center

Stories by Blake Herzog

YC Begins Offering 4-Year Business Degree this Fall

Registration begins April 17 for Yavapai College’s Bachelor of Science in Business degree, the first at a rural Arizona community college to be offered since the state approved such programs two years ago.

The four-year, entirely online program will offer three concentrations in curriculum: organizational management and leadership, accounting and entrepreneurship.

YC President Lisa Rhine said the new program will be affordable and convenient for county residents.

“This degree can instantly transform lives,

help them reach a higher job level, increase their wages, start something new, grow something current, and most importantly, not be gouged with financial or travel burdens,” she said. “We want our students to graduate from YC, and we want them to stay in Yavapai County.”

The program is open to new and continuing students as well as graduates. It requires 120 credit hours for completion, which equates to a typical four-year degree schedule.

Accelerated eight-week courses also will be offered in August, October, January, March and June. The nationwide Higher Learning Commission granted accreditation for the

degree program in March.

Students will pay $155 per credit hour for upper-division classes, or about 45 out of the total required. No further student fees will be charged, and there will be no textbook fees, with the course using Open Educational Resources (OER).

Classes are set to start Aug. 12. Information and applications are available at www.yc.edu/ v6/schools/bucs/bsb.html.

YC has six locations and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates. It’s planning to launch a second four-year degree program, a bachelor of science in nursing, in fall 2024.

Learning a Trade IS A POINT OF PRIDE

by Nancy DeWitt, Owner, Patriot Pest & Termite Control

There’s more to life than getting a four-year degree.

This is the right path for many students as they finish their high school years, but it’s impractical or unnecessary for others, especially when they’ve committed to learning a trade profession or already have by the time they graduate.

Plumbers, electricians, construction workers, medical techs, public safety responders, mechanics, pest control technicians and many more workers provide essential services and can earn $50,000 or more a year.

Most of these jobs require some training or a two-year degree, but it likely will cost much less than the oppressive expense of a university’s tuition.

In many cases, students can begin their journey to a well-paying career while still in high school at campuses like Mountain Institute CTED and Yavapai College’s Career and Technical Education Center, which are open to district, charter or homeschooled students.

Extracurricular clubs like FFA, 4-H, JROTC, SkillsUSA and others also can be gateways to picking up valuable skills for professional trades.

We’re here to cheer on every student who chooses this admirable path toward a satisfying career! And we’re proud to sponsor Prescott LIVING’s Education Section and offer a window of opportunity for students of all ages.

In each issue it provides a comprehensive guide to the public, charter and private schools available for them from kindergarten through postgraduate studies, along with several articles about education in Greater Prescott and pointers toward school success.

Education Directory

Sponsored by Patriot Pest & Termite Control

UNIVERSITIES/COLLEGES

Embry-Riddle

Aeronautical University

3700 Willow Creek Rd. Prescott 928.777.6600

www.prescott.erau.edu

Northern Arizona University - Prescott Campus

1100 E. Sheldon St. Prescott 928.523.2988

www.nau.edu/statewide-campuses/ nau-yavapai-college

Northern Arizona University - Yavapai

7351 Skoog Blvd.

Prescott Valley 928.523.2988

www.nau.edu/prescottvalley

Prescott College

220 Grove Ave. Prescott 877.350.2100

www.prescott.edu

Yavapai College

1100 E. Sheldon St. Prescott 928.445.7300

www.yc.edu

TECHNICAL & TRADE SCHOOLS

Career & Technical Education Center (CTEC)

220 Ruger Rd., Suite 1 Prescott 928.776.2002

www.yc.edu/ctec

Guidance Helicopters, Inc. Helicopter Flight School

6565 Crystal Ln. Prescott 928.443.9370

www.guidanceaero.com

Mountain Institute

Career Technical Education District (CTED)

220 Ruger Rd., Ste. 2

Prescott 928.771.0791

www.micted.net

Rogers Academy of Beauty

2375 AZ-69 Prescott 928.848.9929

www.rogersacademyofbeauty.com

PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Chino Valley Unified School District #51

650 E. Center St. Chino Valley 928.636.2458

www.chinovalleyschools.com

Humboldt Unified School District 6411 N. Robert Rd. Prescott Valley 928.759.4000

www.humboldtunified.com

Prescott Unified School District

300 E. Gurley St. Prescott 928.445.5400

www.prescottschools.com

Mayer Unified School District No. 43 PO Box 1059

12606 E. Main St. Mayer 928.642.1000

www.mayerschools.org

Yavapai Accomodation School District No. 99

K-12

7497 E. Addis Ave. Prescott Valley 928.759.8126

www.yavapaicountyhighschool.com

PRESCHOOLS

American Lutheran School Private School 1085 Scott Dr. Prescott 928.778.7049

www.americanlutheranschool.com

Bright Futures Preschool

Humboldt Unified School District

6411 N. Robert Rd. Prescott Valley 928.759.5130

www.bf.humboldtunified.com

Busy Bee Learning Center

8665 E. Florentine Rd. Prescott Valley 928.772.6333

www.busybeelearningcenter.net

Cedar Tree Montessori Private School

129 N. Pleasant St. Prescott 928.771.8785

www.cedartreemontessori.com

Christian Academy of Prescott Private School

148 S. Marina St. Prescott 928.445.2565

Cornerstone Christian Preschool Private School

700 W. Rosser St. Prescott 928.771.2754

www.prescottcornerstone.com/ preschool

Discovery Gardens Early Childhood Center

Prescott Unified School District 300 E. Gurley St. Prescott 928.442.1283

www.prescottschools.com/ discoverygardens

James Family Prescott YMCA 750 Whipple St. Prescott 928.445.7221

www.prescottymca.org/preschool

Little Dreamers Preschool Academy 7175 E. 2nd St. Prescott Valley 928.800.1488

www.azlittledreamers.com

Little Explorers Learning Academy

12150 E. Turquoise Cir. Dewey 928.379.5068 www.facebook.com/ littleexplorerslearningacademy

Valley Learning Center 2235 AZ-89, Ste.1 Chino Valley 928.636-1656

www.valleylearningcenters.com

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Abia Judd Elementary School Prescott Unified School District 1749 Williamson Valley Rd. Prescott 928.717.3263

www.prescottschools.com/aj

Coyote Springs Elementary School

Humboldt Unified School District 6625 N. Cattletrack Dr. Prescott Valley 928.759.4300

www.cs.humboldtunified.com

Del Rio Elementary School

Chino Valley Unified School District 1036 North Rd. 1 West Chino Valley 928.636.4414

www.chinovalleyschools.com

Granville Elementary School Humboldt Unified School District 5250 N. Stover Dr. Prescott Valley 928.759.4800

www.ge.humboldtunified.com

Humboldt Elementary School Humboldt Unified School District 2750 S. Corral St. Prescott Valley 928.759.4400

www.he.humboldtunified.com

Lake Valley Elementary School Humboldt Unified School District 3900 N. Starlight Dr. Prescott Valley 928.759.4200

www.lv.humboldtunified.com

Liberty Traditional School Humboldt Unified School District K-8 3300 N. Lake Valley Rd. Prescott Valley 928.759.4500

www.lib.humboldtunified.com

Lincoln Elementary School Prescott Unified School District 201 Park Ave. Prescott 928.717.3249

www.prescottschools.com/lincoln

Mayer Elementary School

Mayer Unified School

District No. 45

12568 E. Main St.

Mayer 928.642.1101

www.mayerschools.org

Mountain View Elementary School

Humboldt Unified School District

8601 E. Loos Dr.

Prescott Valley 928.759.4700

www.mv.humboldtunified.com

Taylor Hicks Elementary School

Prescott Unified School District

1845 Campbell Ave.

Prescott 928.717.3276

www.prescottschools.com/th

Territorial Early Childhood Center

Chino Valley Unified School District

Preschool-2nd Grade

1088 Mahan Ln. Chino Valley 928.636.3842

www.tecc.chinovalleyschools.com

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Bradshaw Mountain Middle School

Humboldt Unified School District

12255 Turquoise Cr. Dewey 928.759.4900

www.ms.humboldtunified.com

Glassford Hill Middle School

Humboldt Unified School District

6901 Panther Path Prescott Valley 928.759.4600

www.gh.humboldtunified.com

Granite Mountain School

Prescott Unified School District 1800 Williamson Valley Rd. Prescott 928.717.3253

www.prescottschools.com/gms

Heritage Middle School

Chino Valley Unified School District

1076 North Rd. 1 W.

Chino Valley 928.636.4464

www.chinovalleyschools.com

HIGH SCHOOLS

Prescott Mile High Middle School

Prescott Unified School District

300 S. Granite St.

Prescott 928.717.3241

www.prescottschools.com/pmhms

Aspire High School

Yavapai Accomodation School

District No. 99

2970 Centerpointe East Dr.

Prescott 928.759.8126

www.yavapaicountyhighschool.com

Bradshaw Mountain High School

Humboldt Unified School District High School

6000 Long Look Dr. Prescott Valley 928.759.4100

www.hs.humboldtunified.com

Chino Valley High School

Chino Valley Unified School District

760 E. Center St. Chino Valley 928.636.2298

www.cvhs.chinovalleyschools.com

Prescott High School Prescott Unified School District

1050 N. Ruth St. Prescott 928.445.2322

www.prescottschools.com/phs

Mayer High School Mayer Unified School District No. 44 17300 E. Mule Deer Dr.

Mayer 928.642.1200

www.mayerhs.mayerschools.org

Tri-City Prep

Grades 6-12

5522 Side Rd. Prescott 928.777.0403

www.tricityprep.org

Yavapai County High School

Yavapai Accomodation School District No. 99 6325 Baja Cr. Prescott Valley 928.759.8126

www.yavapaicountyhighschool.com

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Acorn Montessori Schools Preschool-8 8556 E. Loos Dr.

Prescott Valley 928.772.5778

www.acornmontessori.com

Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center (AAEC) High School

7500 E. Skoog Blvd. Prescott Valley 928.775.3200

www.aaechs.com/campuses

BASIS Prescott

K-12

1901 Prescott Lakes Pkwy. Prescott 928.277.0334

www.basised.com/prescott

Canyon View Prep Academy High School

9030 E. Florentine Rd. Prescott Valley 928.775.5115

www.canyonview-prep.org

Franklin Phonetic Primary School

K-8

6116 E. Hwy. 69 Prescott Valley 928.775.6747

www.franklinphoneticschool.com

La Tierra Community School

K-7 124 N. Virginia St. Prescott 928.445.5100

www.latierracommunityschool.org

Mingus Springs Charter School

K-8

3600 N. Sunset Dr. Chino Valley 928.636.4766

www.mingusspringsschool.org

Mountain Oak School Preschool-8th Grade

1455 Willow Creek Rd. Prescott 928.541.7700

www.mountainoakschool.org

Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy High School 551 1st St., Prescott 928.717.3272

www.northpointacademy.org

Park View Schools Middle School 9030 E. Florentine Rd. Prescott Valley 928.775.5115

www.parkviewschool.org

PACE Preparatory Academy High School 6711 E. 2nd St. Prescott Valley 928.775.9675

www.paceacademy.com

Prescott Valley School

K-8 9500 E. Lorna Ln. Prescott Valley 928.772.8744

www.pvschool.com

Skyview School

K-8

125 S. Rush St. Prescott 928.776.1730

www.skyviewschool.org

Tri-City College Prep High School 5th-12th

5522 Side Rd. Prescott 928.777.0403

www.tricityprep.org

Willow Creek Charter School

K-8 2100 Willow Creek Rd. Prescott 928.776.1212

www.willowcreekcharter.com

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

ASCEND School

K-12 special education 3021 Centerpointe East Dr. Prescott 928.443.9290

www.azautismascend.org

Orme School High School 1000 E. Orme School Rd. Mayer 928.632.7601

www.ormeschool.org

Prescott Adventist Christian School

K-8

2980 Willow Creek Rd. Prescott 928.224.8022

www.prescottadventistchristian school.com

Primavera School Preschool-5th Grade 1446 Moyer Rd. Prescott 928.445.5382

www.primaveraschool.org

Sacred Heart Catholic School Preschool-8th Grade 131 N. Summit Ave. Prescott 928.445.2621

sacredhearteducation.com

Trinity Christian School

K-12 1212 Warrior Way Prescott 928.445.6306

www.trinitychristianaz.com

Sponsored by Patriot Pest & Termite Control

Never Too Early to LEARN TIME MANAGEMENT

by Blake Herzog

The last thing a toddler should have to worry about is time management. But that is precisely the age you can start teaching children about concepts related to the passage of time.

These are the very first steps on the path to effectively scheduling their time.

This is one of the most important skills they take to school, extracurricular activities and on to the grownup world of jobs, family life and finding time for all those workouts they’ll need to fit in every week.

It’s never too late to start modeling and incorporating these very adult actions for your kids, but it’s never too early, either. The earlier and more consistently

you do it, the more natural and commonsense it will be for them.

If you incorporate it into their play, the more fun it will be later in life.

AGES 1-2

Keep regular mealtimes and bedtimes whenever possible. Very young children thrive on order and repetition.

AGES 3-4

Create a schedule out of symbols representing different occasions in your preschooler’s day, like a bowl of cereal for breakfast, books or crayons for the start of the school day, a pillow for naptime, etc. Have your child check off the pictures after the tasks are done, and soon she or he will know the order in which things happen and how to predict the day.

AGES 5-7

Use a visual timer to help kids see how much time is left to complete a task, such as a homework assignment. Several smartphone apps offer timers like this aimed at young children, but something as simple as an hourglass, kitchen timer or an analog clock works for picturing elapsed time.

AGES 8-11

Have your kid set up a schedule for working on a longer-term assignment like a science fair project they’re given a month to work on. Ask them to break the project into smaller steps and estimate how long each one will take. If it ends up looking like they won’t have enough time to do everything, they’ll need to decide how to work more efficiently.

Photo by Blushing Cactus Photography

ENROLLMENT & ALL MATERIALS ARE FREE CAREER SKILLS IN TRADE PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GRADES 10-12:

Mountain Institute CTED provides enhanced Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses for students currently attending high school - any type, including public or private school, charter, faith-based school, and home school students. These courses are designed to help students compete in today’s highly skilled workforce by preparing them for industry certifications, and students earn college credits in each program, all at no cost. MICTED serves the greater Prescott area, and all of Western Yavapai County.

OUR

We

We

Working together to nurture and inspire passion through hands-on learning, thematic lessons, and expeditions.

Education is the basis for the growth and progress of society, allowing people to contribute more in their areas of expertise and create better communities. Education on every level develops problem-solving skills and provides the opportunity for empowerment through hard work.

Welcome to the Education Section! The section appears in every bimonthly issue including a complete directory, local articles and messages from local schools to help you decide what best suits your personal or family needs.

Sponsored by Patriot Pest & Termite Control

“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life.”

—Plato

Prescott LIVING: What got you into this profession?

Linda Hughes: I actually have a varied profession that would include home designer, partner with my custom homebuilder husband, owner of a design studio for our new homebuilding clients and a home furnishings boutique owner. I’ve also been a Realtor on and off for the last 37 years.

My father, uncle and grandfather were all custom homebuilders. I loved growing up on the jobsite, being outdoors in beautiful locales and watching the different trades do their magic.

Prescott LIVING:

What are the most difficult and gratifying parts of your job?

Linda Hughes: The most difficult aspect of building and designing custom homes is getting it all started. From working with banks, engineers, architectural review boards, creating all the layers for the plans and obtaining permits from local entities. You know, the tedious part.

The most satisfying aspect of building custom homes is knowing the dwelling will be here long after we’re gone. The knowledge

that many joyous celebrations and homecomings will take place in our client’s homes. That it becomes a respite from the world we live in, a sanctuary that soothes the soul. There is no other place like home.

Prescott LIVING: What are your clients asking for most from you right now?

Linda Hughes: Our clients first and foremost want us to listen to them. Their wants, needs and specific details to what’s most important to them. Today that means creating a home with the most efficient systems and creative design while staying within their budget.

What works for their specific living patterns, i.e: casitas for extended family, aging parents or boomerang children, separate offices, hobby rooms, gyms, ensuites, loads of outdoor living, kitchens for multiple chefs.

In the Prescott area, the modern mountain ranch style is what is being requested. Natural materials such as authentic stone, reclaimed lumber and loads of view-framing windows. The colors of nature are finding their way into new homes with warmer tones and varied textures.

Prescott LIVING: What are some of your most trend-proof design options?

Linda Hughes: My advice is always, keep it classic. Time-proven design and styles will never let you down. Neutral colors are easy to update with rotating art, pillows, florals and home accessories. Adding color in this way is simple and relatively inexpensive.

If the client wants to express themselves, I suggest the powder room. It’s exciting to develop a little jewel box of unique lighting, tile, plumbing fixtures, mirrors and wall coverings.

Prescott LIVING: How do you know when a project you’ve been working on is finished?

Linda Hughes: Creating a unique home for our clients does eventually come to an end once it’s ready to move into. What happens after is the individual layering of detail that humans bring with them from their lives.

I would say that it’s never finished. Not only does life change, but new friends, grandbabies, communities and neighbors have their part in continuing the evolution of your home.

“There is no other place like home.”

by Linda Hughes, Owner, Sugarpine & Lantana Design Studio

Feral Felines, A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM

by Blake Herzog

It’s springtime and you’re likely noticing a bumper crop of tiny wildlife in your neighborhood or open space around your home.

They could be fawns, reds (baby javelinas), coyote pups or bobkittens, which can be difficult to distinguish from domestic or feral kittens — they are usually larger and have shorter tails.

Feral or community cats occupy what’s sometimes an uneasy middle ground between pets and native species, yet they have an important role to play in the urban or semi-rural environments in which they live.

Besides controlling rodent populations and their negative impact on humans and other animals, the cats’ presence keep additional felines from moving in and has the effect of culling and

which leads to overpopulation and starvation in feral cat colonies as they compete with each other for a limited amount of resources.

This is why many animal advocacy organizations and local government agencies have TNR (trap-neuterreturn) programs that loan traps and offer other assistance to people to humanely catch the cats and take them to a veterinarian for surgical sterilization.

Afterward, a small portion of the tip of the animals’ left ear is removed and they are released in the location where they were trapped. This lets them maintain their role in the ecosystem without the risk of overpopulation.

Some residents choose to support community cat colonies with food

Kittens can be spayed as young as six or eight weeks, and if you intend to socialize them enough to be adoptable this is the best time to try.

One thing to keep in mind is that “kitten season” is upon us and it’s not uncommon to find seemingly abandoned litters of young kittens outdoors whose mother is away hunting for food or a new den.

Unless they are injured, the best thing you can do is monitor them as closely as you can for several hours to see if their mother returns.

DETERRING CATS

If you have a garden, bird feeders, nests or other areas of your property you want to protect, humane and effective ways to repel feral cats include scattering citrus peels, coffee grounds or pipe tobacco around

TNR programs in Greater Prescott:

• Yavapai Humane Society www.yavapaihumane.org or 928.771.0547

The Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic loans traps to residents to trap feral cats, which are brought in for surgery, then released where they were found.

• United Animal Friends www.unitedanimalfriends.org or 928.778.2924

Provides “colony caretakers” with free spay/neuter certificates to veterinary offices, then the caretakers release them back into their territory.

with Chiropractic and Cold Laser Therapy

by Dr. Maryanne Kraft, DC, CVCP, CBP

Some may still be surprised when they hear about animal chiropractic, but it is one of the most effective, non-invasive treatments available for treating many different conditions and injuries for animals and their people.

Cold laser therapy for animals is another treatment not widely known and understood.

Animal chiropractic or veterinary orthopedic manipulation is the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral subluxations and dysfunctional joints of the spine and extremities.

The spine houses the central nervous system, which controls everything in the body. The subluxation or misalignments of the vertebral bodies can cause nerve interference resulting in miscommunication from the central nervous system to whatever that nerve innervates, i.e. organs or specific muscles.

Chiropractic adjustment helps to remove the nerve interference and restore the proper communication.

Cold laser therapy or low level light therapy uses frequencies to balance

the energy of the cells. It has many benefits and helps to significantly increase the healing processes.

It can be used to treat sprains/strains of muscles, ligaments and tendons, it decreases inflammation and pain, and it resets neurological strength.

The specific animal adjusting technique called veterinary orthopedic manipulation or V.O.M. was developed by veterinarian Dr. Bill Inman. This technique is a very gentle form of adjusting using an activator tool.

This technique allows the practitioner to identify any and all neurologically compromised segments of the spine with an objective muscle reflex, correcting all misalignments that may or may not be showing symptoms yet. The gentleness of this tool ensures no pain and an effective adjustment.

Many different signs can indicate when a pet may need to see an animal chiropractor.

In dogs and cats, things like not wanting to jump or play, being less active, sudden onset of a tilted head and walking in a circle, paralysis, limping, even incontinence can indicate something is out of alignment.

In horses, an uneven gait, poor performance or bucking under tack can indicate a need for a visit.

The benefits of using animal chiropractic and cold laser therapy for your animals cannot be measured. A simple adjustment can save your animal’s life!

Our animals count on us to love them enough to give them the best care. I hope this article has given you the knowledge and confidence to find a local animal chiropractor for the future care of your animals.

MAKE YOUR HOME & GARDEN Safe for your Pet

by Loree Walden, Marketing Manager, Yavapai Humane Society

Our homes, gardens and yards are full of items that are potentially hazardous to our fourlegged family members. It is our responsibility to keep them safe.

As we prepare for the warmer summer months ahead it’s a good time to look around our homes and do a little safety check.

Synthetic chemical fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and certain mulches all contain ingredients that can make your pet very sick, or worse.

There also are a variety of plants and flowers that are toxic for your pets. A few of them include lilies, lily of the valley, oleander, foxglove, sago palms, azaleas, rhododendrons, tulips, English ivy, hibiscus and hydrangea. A complete list can be found online at pets.webmd.com.

Little things laying around your home like coins, batteries, jewelry, paper clips, rubber bands, buttons,

string and more seem harmless to us, but they could become a choking hazard to your pets.

Plastic grocery bags easily can become a suffocation hazard to those curious cats who love to climb in them and play (I can’t tell you how many times my cat Pooh Bear has gotten himself tangled up in one while I’m unloading groceries).

Medications, cleaning supplies, plant food and other things found in cabinets could also be potentially fatal. I had to baby proof my cabinets, because my cats have figured out how to open every cabinet in my apartment!

The garbage can is another danger, as it could contain something that smells good to your pet but in reality, isn’t good for them at all.

Electrical cords should be kept where they can’t get to them, perhaps behind furniture or taped to the walls, as too many times we’ve heard of them biting through and ending up with an electrical jolt or worse.

There also are a number of foods that can make your pet sick. You can find a complete list of foods that can sicken your pets at pets.webmd. com and other pet care websites.

Animals give us so much, including their unconditional love. In exchange, it’s our job to take care of them, love them and make sure no harm comes to them. The investment in time you take to make sure your home and garden are safe is nothing compared to the benefits you’ll receive from your furry family member.

Bryan Pressner Karen Shaw

Bob Luken

Janet Cameron

Berkshire Hathaway Names New GM

Real estate industry leader John “JT” Thompson has been appointed as general manager by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada, Arizona and California Services, which has an office in Prescott.

Thompson will oversee and support managers across 34 offices with more than 2,900 real estate sales executives, the company said in a press release. His efforts will focus on developing sales production, recruitment, retention and continuing the company’s core services, mortgage, title, escrow and insurance, while increasing market share.

He succeeds Troy Reierson, who is now the CEO of the Las Vegas-based company.

Thompson has been in the industry for 35 years and was a co-founder of Intero Real Estate Services, a Silicon Valley real estate services company. He played a vital role in the company’s exponential growth, and it was recognized as one of the fastest-growing organically built companies in the nation. Under his leadership, Intero was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in 2014.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Arizona Properties’ local office is at 172 E. Sheldon St., Suite A in Prescott.

John Thompson

County Justice Center Construction Almost Finished

The Yavapai County Justice Center in Prescott is nearing completion, about a year behind schedule.

With parking-lot striping and other final touches being completed, construction should be substantially completed in April and control of the facility handed over to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department over the summer, county spokesman David McAtee said.

The center on Prescott Lakes Parkway, next to the county’s juvenile justice center, is about half a mile east of AZ-89 on a site first identified for additional jail cells and other services in 2003.

Following years of debate and public votes against increasing the countywide sales tax supporting the jail system, the county raised the property tax rate in a move justified as necessary to build the center.

Construction began in August 2020, and the center initially was scheduled for completion in summer 2022 but the project has been delayed by supply-chain issues and labor shortages, primarily related to the pandemic.

At $63.1 million, the justice center is the most expensive project undertaken by Yavapai County.

It contains a booking and holding facility with 152 beds, which is securely connected to two courtrooms for hearings. It also will house an inpatient behavioral health evaluation center and a Connections Center intended to link people charged with crimes and those suffering from mental illness to services that help sustain their ability to live in the community.

It will expand the county’s jail capacity beyond the 664 beds at the Camp Verde

Detention Center, which the county says has been over capacity for several years.

With about two-thirds of the county’s total population, Greater Prescott is where the majority of criminal incidents take place and having a holding facility nearer to its municipalities and sheriff’s substations will reduce transportation costs and officer hours spent away from patrol and other duties, the county said.

Holding facilities at the Prescott location are intended for inmate stays of up to 14 days. Those being held for longer periods will be sent to the Camp Verde jail, and sentences of a year or more are normally served in the state prison system.

For further progress updates on the center visit www.yavapaijustice.com For information about any available jobs there visit www.ycsojobs.com.

Stories by Blake Herzog

Adventuring by Rail

THROUGH THE ARLBERG TO SALZBURG

by Tori Ward, Cruise and Resort Specialist, ROX Travel

When purchasing train tickets for reserved seats in Europe, I always hope for the best views. Although we selected the high-speed Rail Jet Express that departs Zurich shortly before 11 a.m. there are several other, albeit slower, options.

By the time we arrived in Salzburg at 4:03 p.m., I wanted to get back on the train and do it again in the opposite direction.

It was the most beautiful train journey I’ve ever taken. The snow-covered Alps as the train ascends upward through the Arlberg pass are dramatic with lush meadows below full of activity as the final harvest before winter sets in.

We blinked once and almost missed Liechtenstein, which the train passed through.

Our hotel in Salzburg was close to the station and a good walk after a long ride. After a quick check-in, we immediately merged onto Linzer Gasse with the rest of the pedestrian traffic and headed for the riverfront.

Wandering through shops and arguing over dinner choices took up considerable time, but we didn’t stray across the river until after dark. Views from the east side of the river granted us the best aspect of Fortress Hohensalzburg, the 11th century castle that dominates the skyline.

Continued on page 130

Europe Train-Arlberg

Photo by Tori Ward

The evening sky was overcast as we trooped across the bridge into old town Salzburg, the Baroque historical heart of the city with its Sound of Music sites familiar from film and a previous visit during college.

Carnival rides and booths were in the process of being prepared for Octoberfest all around Residenzplatz, where Mozart lived as a youngster. The beautiful 17th century Salzburg Cathedral with its museum full of sacred items sprawled majestically over the square while the castle bathed in light, glowed on the hilltop above.

There is a cable car up to the fortress, and even if you only go up to the outside terrace bar for a beer, the view from that vantage point is amazing.

The following morning we sprinted as quickly as possible through cold and rain soaked streets to Mirabellplatz to catch our bus for Lake Hallstatt.

It might be a community known for salt mines since prehistoric times, but the beautiful Alpine village that curves along the lake is so pristine with its clean lines and brightly colored homes tightly packed on the thin strip of land between water and mountain that social images of it as the most Instagramable town in the world has created an explosion of over-tourism.

The town strictly limits the number of tourists allowed in each day so advanced planning is vital.

We returned early enough for a lovely stroll through Mirabellgarten. Admission to both the gardens and palace is free. And, although the main attraction in the palace is the Marble Hall, the staircase leading up to it is an attraction in itself.

The palace hosts a Mozart concert almost every night, and it is a popular attraction, so plan early.

Salzburg was cozy like a sweater, but we were leaving the next morning for Vienna a much more formal affair.

Tori's Tips

Purchase tickets in advance for a tour of Hallstatt and any attraction or concert you may want to attend in Salzburg. Travel agents will help you pack the most into your journey.

Bring cash and an umbrella during the fall and spring on visits to Hallstatt. There are few restaurant choices and many won’t take cards. Accommodations in the town itself are very limited if you intend to spend more than a few hours.

Walking is the best form of transportation in Salzburg. The town is compact, and it’s easy to find your bearings quickly.

If you are traveling from Zurich, make sure you have euros instead of Swiss francs.

Scan for more information or to book your next trip with ROX Travel.

Hallstatt

Photo by Tori Ward

GRAND TOUR OF SWITZERLAND SCENIC SWITZERLAND FROM BASEL

Zurich > Interlaken > Lausanne > Zermatt > Gornergrat > St Moritz

Lugano > Lucerne

15 DAYS

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Experience Jungfrau Railway, Europe’s highest-altitude railway station

• All in one blockbuster tour of Switzerland including all the scenic lines and key mountain excursions

• Traverse the Swiss Alps onboard the Golden Pass Line

• Take in a mountain panorama from the top of Gornergrat

• Experience Jungfrau Railway, Europe’s highest-altitude railway station

• Traverse the Swiss Alps onboard the Golden Pass Line

• Board the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz

• and more!

• Take in a mountain panorama from the top of Gornergrat

• Board the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz

• and more!

• Amazing Matterhorn views from the Gornergrat Cog Railway

Jungfrau mountain

Jungfrau mountain

• Enjoy time in two of Switzerland’s most scenic alpine towns – Interlaken and Chur

• Enjoy time in two of Switzerland’s most scenic alpine towns – Interlaken and Chur

• Alpine Adventure via boat and cable car or the worlds steepest cog railway to the top of Mount Pilatus

• Beautiful Scenery of The Golden Pass railway

• Highest railway station Europe atop the world-famous Jungfrau Railway

• Alpine Adventure via boat and cable car or the worlds steepest cog railway to the top of Mount Pilatus

• Highest railway station Europe atop the world-famous Jungfrau Railway

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Enjoy wonderful views of the iconic Matterhorn mountain from the Gornergrat Cog Railway

• Admire the majesty of the Swiss Alps from the panoramic carriages of the Glacier Express

• Marvel at the change in scenery onboard the UNESCO listed Bernina Express, and enjoy a true Italian pizza in Tirano!

• Marvel at the change in scenery onboard the UNESCO listed Bernina Express, and enjoy a true Italian pizza in Tirano!

• Experience the glamorous and world-famous Swiss resorts in Zermatt and St. Moritz

• Experience the glamorous and world-famous Swiss resorts in Zermatt and St. Moritz

New Team Leaders KEEP STAFF, CUSTOMERS AT FOREFRONT

Submitted by Yavapai Gaming Agency

The Yavapai Gaming Agency, Bucky’s and Yavapai Casinos, is pleased to introduce our new food and beverage management team to our hometown of Prescott and the Tri-City area.

Our new team includes, Alex Rivera, food and beverage director; Mert Dorsey, kitchen manager; and our front of house managers Rachael Olson, and Yoshiko Jai. The team is revising menus for breakfast and lunch with a separate dinner menu and ambiance. We’ll be using all fresh ingredients, refurbishing Bucky’s Café and upgrading Yavapai Cantina to a sports bar.

The team extends their gratitude and appreciation to the dedicated food and beverage staff who worked through many challenges the last several years as they worked with grace, warmth and a friendly focus on each other and customers.

From left, Mert Dorsey, Rachael Olson, Alex Rivera, Yoshiko Jai

ALEX RIVERA

Chef Alex’s culinary journey began in Puerto Rico at 11 when he started cooking with his grandmother and mother while learning to treat everyone with respect and love.

“At work, our team is a family, and we have to take care of each other. I treat employees the way I want to be treated, and I share my enthusiasm and desire to succeed,” he says.

Chef Alex studied at the Hotel School of San Juan and the Florida Culinary Institute, where he added confectionary and international cuisine.

His professional career includes the Omni Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia, and being on the opening team for Desert Diamond Casino’s Glendale facility.

As executive chef for two Arizona IHG hotels, his restaurant was the highest producing Burger Theory in the nation.

His most recent experience is the new family businesses, Abondance International Cuisine and The Kitchen, both in Prescott.

Chef Alex thanks is wife Alma and daughters Maya, and Thalia, for their unconditional love and support. Alma is an accomplished chef, too, and her mother Guadalupe prepares traditional family recipes in their kitchen.

MERT DORSEY

Mert has been employed by Yavapai Gaming Agency for six years. Beginning as a cook, Mert has worked his way up to kitchen manager. His career began at the age of 11 at a restaurant on Gurley Street as dishwasher.

He has been in the food and beverage industry for 40-plus years. Mert believes his success is a direct result of the family like relationship shared with the Yavapai Gaming kitchen staff.

On a personal note, Mert met the love of his life in grade school in Chino Valley. Their son is a CAFMA firefighter.

Growing up in Cave Creek, Rachael’s first job was at Harrold’s Cave Creek Corral, and from there she has worked every position a restaurant has to offer from dishwasher to manager.

With 27 years in the food and beverage industry, and currently working on her BA in business management, Rachael encourages a fun and energetic work environment.

She returned to the Prescott area in 2014.

RACHAEL OLSON

Living in Prescott as a small child brings fond memories of the Square, Washington Elementary School and the Cat’s Meow store on Gurley Street.

Yoshiko was born in New York and relocated to San Francisco as a child where she was raised by her Japanese grandmother who shared her talents and love for cooking.

Yoshiko was taught American style cuisine with Japanese flair. Moving down the West Coast and landing in Long Beach, she expanded her skills and knowledge in the kitchen working alongside world renowned chefs and adding the unique skill of butchering to her repertoire.

Applying skills from front of house to back of house is seamless as her bartending skills are as impressive as her kitchen abilities.

YOSHIKO JAI

THE PRESCOTT FRONTIER DAYS® WORLD’S OLDEST RODEO® HONORS ITS

HEROIC BULLFIGHTERS

FOR THE 2023 RODEO

BULLFIGHTER QUIRT HUNT

HANDLING BUSINESS ON OPENING NIGHT OF THE 2022 WORLD’S OLDEST RODEO

PHOTO BY BLUSHING CACTUS PHOTOGRAPHY

WRITTEN BY YVONNE GIBBS

Fearless, agile, and adept at reading the bull’s next move, a bullfighter is in the arena before the bull is released from the bucking chute. Once a bull rider has been bucked off or jumped off himself, communication between the bullfighter, the barrelman, and the bull itself is key to protecting the fallen rider. While he’s distracting the bull to get it away from the rider, the bullfighter is also in constant contact with his team to protect the rider as well as each other.

Part of rodeos since the 1900’s, the job has evolved from a rodeo clown who entertained fans to a professional athlete, the bullfighter. Later, to recognize the greater danger faced by these athletes, “bullfighter” began to replace the term “rodeo clown.” While comedy is still used as a distraction and to amuse rodeo fans, some of the humor of clown work began to disappear by the late 1970s.

Often consisting of a team of two to four athletes, being a bullfighter has become one of the most important jobs at a bull riding event. Although some bullfighters still wear clown makeup, they are mainly seen in brightly colored, loose garments that are designed to tear away easily and distract the bulls, while wearing protective gear underneath.

Long-time bullfighter Quirt Hunt started as a bareback rider and a bull rider and found bullfighting more to his liking. “I like the satisfaction of doing a good job, and the close calls,” says Hunt. “Saving the cowboy when you have ahold of the bull and bring his head up, it makes you feel good.”

Beau Schueth grew up watching the rodeo near his hometown of O’Neill, NE and wanted to compete but found that it wasn’t roping or riding that he liked, but

bullfighting. After a great deal of hard work, he’s now a national champion bullfighter. “I actually wanted to ride bulls,” Beau recalls. “In college, I wanted something to do, so instead of wasting money learning how to ride bulls, I decided to fight them.”

At the 2023 Prescott Frontier Days, Inc - World’s Oldest Rodeo, we are celebrating our bullfighters and “Dances with Bulls” will be the rodeo parade theme held on Saturday, July 1, 2023 in downtown Prescott, Arizona. Quirt Hunt, one of Pro Rodeo’s top bullfighters and a performer who values humans’ relationships with animals, will serve as the Grand Marshal for the Rodeo Parade. We hope you will join us as we welcome Quirt and extend a warm welcome to Beau Schueth, our newest bullfighter and marvel at their skills as they protect our bull riders. Learn more about the World’s Oldest Rodeo and tickets on sale, only at www.worldsoldestrodeo.com

EVER WONDER WHAT STANDS BETWEEN 2,000 POUNDS OF SOLID MUSCLE AND A FALLEN BULL RIDER? ONE GUY – THE BULLFIGHTER.

QUIRT HUNT BEAU SCHUETH

Photo by Blushing Cactus Photography

Photo provided by Beau Schueth, Bullfighters Only

Performance #1

Performance #2

Performance #3

Performance #4

Wednesday, June 28 – 7:30p

Thursday, June 29 – 7:30p

Friday, June 30 – 7:30p

Saturday, July 1 – 1:30p

Performance #5

Performance #6

Performance #7

Performance #8

Saturday, July 1 – 7:30p

Sunday, July 2 – 7:30p

Monday, July 3 – 7:30p

Tuesday, July 4 – 1:30p

Thursday, June 29 – 8 PM - 12 AM

Friday, June 30 – 8 PM - 1 AM

Rodeo Dance The Parade

Saturday, July 1 – 8 PM - 1 AM

@ Depot Marketplace - 303 N Montezuma St

GATES OPEN TWO HOURS BEFORE EACH PERFORMANCE. JOIN US EARLY FOR MUTTON BUSTIN’, FOOD, SHOPPING AND FAMILY FUN.

LOCATED AT THE PRESCOTT RODEO GROUNDS

WE'LL SEE YOU On SOMO!

The fun and flair of Whiskey Row doesn’t stop where you think. Did you know about South Montezuma, the extension of the entertainment district? Welcome to SOMO — Prescott’s hottest destination.

This revitalized area is the half-mile between Goodwin Street and Montezuma’s curve westward into White Spar Road, and it is jumping with businesses new and venerable. It has a funky yet sophisticated atmosphere, some of the best restaurants in Prescott and chances to shop, relax and rejuvenate.

RESTAURANTS

ATMESFIR

232 S. Montezuma

Prescott’s most exclusive fine dining, with an endlessly inventive menu that changes seasonally, daily or even hourly as the kitchen innovates.

BILL’S GRILL

333 S. Montezuma

The freshest burgers and fries in town served in a casual setting, along with fish and chips, tacos, sandwiches and craft beer.

B. SIMPLE

222 S. Montezuma

Comforting breakfast food with a New Mexican twist and everything made inhouse.

COLT GRILL BBQ & SPIRITS

202 S. Montezuma

Handcrafted smoked pork, ribs, burgers, tacos and much more in laidback western décor.

VIBES JUICE BAR

224 S. Montezuma

Cold-pressed juice, smoothies and açaí bowls made with vibrant flavors and superfood nutrients.

WHISKEY RIVER TAVERN

214 S. Montezuma

Top-notch burgers, tacos and cocktails served with live music every night.

AND MUCH MORE ARTISAN AESTHETICS AND WELLNESS

212 S. Montezuma

Full-service day spa that will get you looking and feeling like new with beauty and wellness treatments for all.

COMMON GROUND COMMUNITY BIBLE

CHURCH

236 S. Montezuma

A spiritual community offering ministry without judgment through services, bible study and service to the less fortunate.

FITE AND SONS

MERCANTILE & ICE CREAM

208 S. Montezuma

The sweetest shop on SOMO also has homemade fudge, toys, souvenirs and a yearround Christmas store, and don’t miss the Fite Girls Boutique next door.

FITE GIRLS

210 S. Montezuma

A boutique featuring classic cuts and textures with a nod to Southwestern comfort and sass, from boots and bags to dresses, blouses and a herd of cute cowgirlish hats.

GOLDEN NUGGET VACATION RENTAL

226 S. Montezuma

Two 700-foot, onebedroom apartments with full kitchens on the second floor of a historic building, each with its own rooftop deck with a view of Thumb Butte.

SOUL RIDE BIKE SHOP AND TAPROOM

230 S. Montezuma

A hub for mountain bikers to prepare for the ride and unwind afterward.

TEESLANGER

226 S. Montezuma

This t-shirt shop has a lot more up its sleeve, including conceal carry purses, bugout bags, vintagequality signs, Christian jewelry and lots of merch from their own His Army and Armed AF brands.

TRAX RECORDS

234 S. Montezuma

The area’s best selection of used and new vinyl and CDs from every genre and other collectibles.

JUST OFF SOMO

EARTH AND HERBS ARIZONA

218 W. Goodwin

This metaphysical and herbal supply store also offers reiki healing and just opened at its new location in March.

TRAX Records

Colt Grill

b. simple

Photo by Blushing Cactus Photography

Photo by Blushing Cactus Photography

MOUNTAIN ARTISTS GUILD Fosters Local Talent

by Blake Herzog

As the galleries on Whiskey Row and around Courthouse Plaza rightfully bolster Prescott’s reputation as a hub for fine visual art, the Mountain Artists Guild a couple blocks north at 228 N. Alarcon St. is the longtime foundation of the area’s artistic community.

Formed in 1949 by renowned Prescott sculptor and painter George Phippen and three female artists, today it has about 300 members.

The 501(c)(3) nonprofit has been using exhibits, two annual art shows, demonstrations, youth classes, workshops and its galleries to

broaden opportunities for artists and residents of all ages and skill levels.

The next year it became the first nonprofit organization to hold fundraising events on Courthouse Plaza and hasn’t stopped since — the Mother’s Day Fine Arts Festival with more than 100 exhibitors is coming up May 13-14, and the equally large Fine Art and Wine Festival is set for Aug. 5-6.

Guild Executive Director Andre Lewis says the proceeds go toward numerous activities, including art lessons for kids:

“Several times a year we’ll have a youth program that runs for about five weeks, and those programs are for ages 6 to 11 and 11 to 14. And students can be ‘scholarshipped’ into those classes, meaning they wouldn’t have to pay, which means right now about $100.

“We give them scholarships based on how the committee votes, it’s not a financial thing, it’s whether we have the money.”

The guild has in the past awarded college scholarships of up to $1,000 to high school students, he adds,

Photo courtesy of Mountain Artists Guild

but is not currently able to because of budget constraints. Over the years the guild has prioritized reaching out to veterans as well and twice a month offers free classes and supplies for vets at any skill level.

It also provides two to three “open studio” periods per week when, for a fee, anyone in the community can drop in and hone their skills in a particular genre or medium.

Guild members work in virtually every visual art medium, including oils, watercolor, drawing, sculpture, jewelry,

metalwork, glass, ceramics, mixed media and photography.

For a fee of usually $70 a year, members benefit from discounted entry fees for exhibits, shows, open studios and workshops, can list their website on www. mountainartistsguild.org, hold solo shows in the guild’s two smaller “spotlight” galleries and network with other artists. They also volunteer their time.

Six exhibits are held annually in the guild’s main gallery, Wild and Wonderful will be on display through May 5, to be followed by Colors of the West May 10.

Anyone who would like to join the Mountain Artists Guild or learn more about its gallery, classes and events can visit the website, call 928.445.2510 or email andre@mountainartistsguild.org.

Photo courtesy of Mountain Artists Guild

Photo courtesy of Mountain Artists Guild

The Tales That Lay Before Us, Vol. 2 | June 19-23

(ages 9-14)

This popular camp returns, inviting students to explore frontier folklore through the colorful world of the stage. A week of thespian activities will expand campers’ knowledge of theatre as well as the Museum’s living history experience, as they learn how to bring theatre and history together from our living history interpreters. The week will end with the students performing in a special play!

Registration: $130/child regular, $110/child members Limited to 24 spots. Register at Admissions, online, or by phone.

History comes to life through youth camps and programs.

Discover Arizona’s story in a whole new way at the Sharlot Hall Museum. Register today.

Full STEAM Ahead | July 18-21 (ages 9-13)

What does the history of the Prescott area and Arizona look like without the science of agriculture or the engineering of irrigation systems? In this camp, kids will dig into the connections between history and the STEAM fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics.  Camp activities include creating a mini irrigation system, designing a historically inspired model house, investigating the practice of archaeology, and participating in a community art project.

Registration: $110/child regular, $95/child members Limited to 16 spots. Register at Admissions, online, or by phone.

and December), guests of all ages get to connect with history in a hands-on way through a historically inspired craft or activity. Included with regular admission. For monthly dates and themes, visit our website.

PRESCOTT'S 'MOM' Raising Money for Documentary

by Blake Herzog

Esther Basch is a Holocaust survivor who speaks at every opportunity about the horror she endured and how she still carries the love and forgiveness she learned from her father, who was a rabbi, and her mother in her heart today.

“Every time I speak, I feel a great weight lifted off my shoulders,” she says.

She’s also raising money to complete the documentary film The Honey Girl so her — and their — message can spread even farther.

The last time Basch saw her parents was on her 16th birthday in May 1944 as they arrived by train at Auschwitz from their home in what is now Ukraine. Each was forced to walk in a different direction.

She was emaciated when liberated from a labor camp in Germany in April 1945. Honey Girl was the name given to Basch by soldiers after the camp was liberated and survivors were let into areas that had been reserved for the Nazis and told they could have anything they wanted. She gorged on a jar of honey.

She and her late husband Joe, who she met and married shortly

afterward in a camp for survivors, had four children and eventually settled in Phoenix.

Four years ago she came to Prescott to live with her daughter Rachel Turet, and almost everybody else here calls her “Mom.”

Basch, who turns 95 on May 28, travels across the city, state and country to share her story. Everywhere, people listen, including at a Reno, Nevada juvenile detention center she recently visited. She says:

“The teacher says to me, ‘Mrs. Basch, I don’t know how these youngsters will behave, but if they misbehave, we’ll take them out.’ And I said, ‘I’m a tough cookie so I’m not worried about it.’ And all those youngsters listened to me in awe. And when I finished they came to me thanking me and hugging me. And the teacher says, they never heard a thank you from these youngsters until I showed up.’”

She and Joe recorded video testimonies in 1996 for the USC Shoah Foundation, founded by Steven Spielberg. Now, she’s the focus of a film co-executive produced by her daughter.

A volunteer crew has finished filming The Honey Girl, but needs about $40,000 for post-production costs before it can show. Visit www.honeygirlfilms.org to watch a trailer and find a link for donations.

Esther Basch during the February 2023 Mardi Gras celebration at the Windsock Lounge in Prescott.

Photo courtesy of Rachel Turet

AllWethatAre

by Tod Christensen

Have you ever thought about the difference between live and survive the emotional difference between existing and feeling alive?

Art and culture through the ages have helped us to evolve pushing our imaginations and creativity toward puzzles we solve

Great literature has been the cornerstone for all that we’ve become combined with art and music they are the parts to our sum Homer introduced us to the legend of Achilles and his heel A phrase many know but not knowing it was from Homer that we steal

Books and stories and even poems bring us pictures and scenes in our mind put to bed with these stories or filling up the hours when we feel confined Transported to a brand new place where we dreamed and wondered and watched as down into the Valley of Death rode the six hundred

JM Barrie told us about Peter and Wendy and all the lost boys while Louis Lamour and Zane Gray spun campfire tales of cowboys John Stienbeck gave us the classic The Grapes of Wrath and Mark Twain found a way to both teach us a lesson and make us laugh

Books and their authors took us to worlds only they could create and birth like J.R.R.Tolkein and his Lord of the Rings we could find only in Middle Earth

Harry Potter opened up the world of magic to a brand new generation when they found the secret entrance hidden between platforms at the train station

And how can we forget the real life lessons that for years we refused to see like the one we learned in the classic To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Or the much earlier Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe that showed us when it came to treating others we still had so far to go

The stories by Dr. Suess both taught us and made us smile like when he showed us the places we’d go and how we would enjoy every mile And there are the darker classics that scared us by Edgar Allen Poe where we first learned that at night there are some places we truly don’t want to go

So stories come to us in all shapes and forms teaching us and entertaining us with all kinds of subjects and platforms Pushing us deep into our minds giving us the courage to travel and go far teaching us that who we are now is not really all that we are

SPRINGHILL SUITES PRESCOTT

Located in historic downtown Prescott, an easy walk to Whiskey Row, local restaurants and nightlife.

Spacious mini-suites with kitchenettes, heated indoor pool and FREE breakfast. Newly Remodeled

Conveniently located between Prescott and Prescott Valley, across from the Trader Joe’s Marketplace.

FIND YOUR Spring Awakening AT HIGHLANDS CENTER

by Blake Herzog

There’s no “right” time to visit the Highlands Center for Natural History, an admission-free, 80-acre “classroom without walls” that is open year-round, weather permitting. But as spring rises and warms into early summer it brings a special energy to the ponderosa, oak and juniper woodland.

It’s teeming with wildlife, plants and wildflowers bursting with growth, and schoolkids from throughout Greater Prescott are streaming through on field trips.

Visitors of all ages explore trails, attend classes, programs and events and just revel in the beauty and vitality of the Central Arizona Highlands.

“It is a really spectacular place because you’ll see hummingbirds and other pollinators in our riparian area,” says Education Director Sarah Vincent.

“We have a lot of birds visiting because of the water resource, and then all of the mammals that tend

to be more active in the late spring/ early summer frequent the trails, as well as the garden occasionally — anything from a mountain lion to an Abert’s squirrel.

“We get all the animal visitors but just with the plants and the gardens, it’s a really lovely time.”

Since the turn of this century, the nonprofit center has been drawing students of all ages to its verdant campus on the bank of Lynx Creek,

a gateway into Prescott National Forest with 3 miles of interpretive trails, the James Family Discovery Garden, amphitheater, programs and special events, plus one indoor classroom and the Benson Family Nature Store inside the LEEDcertified James Learning Center.

The garden is another spring highlight, especially for families. Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, “It’s a lovely stroll for people to come to kind of get to know us, spend some

time outdoors, go have a cup of coffee with a friend,” Vincent says.

It also incorporates a nature play area for kids and learning circles about the different types of habitat found in the region: woodland, forest, riparian, chaparral and grassland.

Trails include the quarter-mile Stretch-Pebble Loop, which is ADAaccessible and offers a spectacular view of the formation of the rod-like rocks it’s named for.

The Highland Loop is a more challenging 1.5-mile trail traversing the outer borders of the property and links to the national forest’s trail system, which takes users to adjacent Lynx Lake and beyond.

You can learn much more about what’s happening now and yearround at www.highlandscenter.org or by calling 928.776.9550. It is located at 1376 S. Walker Rd. in Prescott.

Photo courtesy of Highlands Center

Photo courtesy of Highlands Center

FUN Outdoor Adventure

UPCOMING EVENTS

For more information visit www.highlandscenter.org/calendarevents. Fees apply except otherwise noted:

• Grow Native Plant Sale

Online preorders start April 19, with pickup May 5-6. In–person shopping will be available at the Nature Store beginning May 8.

• Guided Walk

Hike with a Naturalist

May 13, free, open to the public and geared toward adult learners.

• Colored Pencil Drawing Series

May 15-26, instruction by local illustrator and author Diane Iverson.

• Arizona Native Plant Societyled Walk for the Central Highlands

May 20

• Summer Nature Camps

June 5-21 for ages 4-13; scholarships are available.

• Shakespeare in the Pines June 16-17 and June 23-24.

Open Space Preservation Partnerships Provide

by Joe Baynes, Director, Recreation Services for the City of Prescott

In November 2022, Yavapai County, the Town of Prescott Valley and the City of Prescott entered into an intergovernmental agreement for the purpose of purchasing Arizona state trust land around Glassford Hill.

State trust lands are administered by the Arizona State Land Department and the beneficiary of the proceeds of the land sales is primarily K-12 education.

The effort to collaborate on purchasing and preserving Glassford Hill dates back to 1997, and in 1998 a major milestone was achieved when the state land commissioner set aside 1,893 acres on Glassford Hill as “suitable for conservation.” this was important because State Trust lands must be sold at auction for appraised value.

The “suitable for conservation” designation brought the appraised value down significantly.

In 2000, City of Prescott voters passed a 1% sales tax dedicated to street projects and open space (the tax has since expired). The revenue generated from the tax allowed for many open space purchases in and around the Granite Dells and contiguous to Glassford Hill.

Most recently, the City was successful in acquiring the 480-acre historic Storm Ranch in the heart of the Dells, as well as a transfer of 474 acres of property in the Dells though an annexation and development agreement with Arizona Eco Development, a private development company.

The partnership with Prescott Valley and Yavapai County is an opportunity to create a regional park that will consist of approximately 5,000 acres of the most scenic property in the state.

The intergovernmental agreement is a 10-year agreement with the partners meeting each year to determine what we collectively would like to target for purchase.

We have identified approximately 2,200 acres of the most prominent features of Glassford Hill for purchase this year. We currently are working with our state legislators and Arizona State Parks and Trails to receive funding to off-set

some of the cost of the project.

These investments in open space properties create not only quality of life enhancement for our citizens but also economic benefits through eco-tourism and the sales tax dollars generated from those visits.

Preservation of these prominent landmarks will continue to reap benefits now and into the future.

Photo and map courtesy of The Recreation Services Department

—Anonymous

"There's no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this."

Watson Lake

Photo by Blushing Cactus Photography

Design for New Granite Dells Park Underway

The City of Prescott has hired engineering firm Kimley Horne and Associates to provide the design and construction documents for a new Granite Dells Gateway Park.

The park will be built on the east side of Old U.S. Highway 89A, which loops off from state Route 89 between the Granite Gardens Trails on the south and the Phippen Museum and Constellation trails to the north.

The 20-acre site will serve as a western gateway not only to the City’s 1,600 acres of open space within the rugged landscape of the Dells but also the more than 3,000 acres of state land it is working with the Town of Prescott Valley and Yavapai County to purchase for a regional park, including Glassford Hill.

It also will serve as a hub for the Mile-High Trail System.

“When we say gateway, it’s not just potentially the west gate for the Glassford Dells park, it’s also a jumping-off point where you go here, and then you can go north, south, east or west,” Prescott

Recreation Services Director Joe Baynes said at the Feb. 28 City Council meeting where the contract was approved.

The initial vision for the park calls for features including a 3-acre fishing lake, natural play areas focusing on activities like boulder-hopping and log climbing, and trails that can be used by all ages and abilities, along with connections to the Peavine, Constellation and Granite Gardens trails and to the Point of Rocks.

Most of the site will be ADA accessible, though it’ll likely provide access to some highly technical trails through the Dells.

Councilman Erik Moore said he supported the project but had some concerns about traffic along Route 89. Baynes said the city is planning a new roundabout at the intersection with Old Highway 89A to help calm traffic coming through the stretch.

Baynes also said a 100-year-old cement bridge on the property over Granite Creek likely can be brought back into service for the new park.

Mayor Phil Goode asked whether the park’s construction could run into new regulations that could force cost overruns, citing reports of the Interstate 17 expansion project being $76 million over budget, mainly due to a new federal definition affecting disposal of fill material from the construction.

Baynes said officials will have a better idea once the park reaches the 30% design phase, which is expected in May. Kimley Horne, the engineering firm, said it would incorporate public input into its process, with a public meeting tentatively set for April 30 and a second sometime in November.

The $360,000 contract with Kimley Horne runs for 16 months. Final designs are anticipated to be submitted by the end of December. The City has budgeted another $4 million in its Capital Improvement Plan to be spent on the park as early as next fiscal year, though it will compete with other priorities while inflation and more concerns effectively shrink the budget.

Conceptual Map for Granite Dells Park, Courtesy of City of Prescott

PV Begins Conceptual Design of 'Lasso Loop' Trail

The Town of Prescott Valley is developing a conceptual design for a 24-mile multiuse trail to loop around the city to give residents and visitors more chances to live an active lifestyle and travel throughout the community, a potential to spur economic development and reduce pollution.

Paved shared-use paths, bike surface lanes, soft-surface trails, horseback trails and river and creek bank trails would be shaped into a bike, pedestrian and equestrian corridor connecting parks, neighborhoods and commercial areas, connecting the edge of Mortimer Farms to the base of Glassford Hill, according to the Town’s website.

Prescott Valley’s landmarks, history and culture would be highlighted through signs,

public art displays and other enhancements.

The “lasso” concept was presented to the Town Council at a March meeting where Town Manager Gilbert Davidson said, “This is obviously a major investment and wouldn’t be done overnight, but this is a way toward beginning to think about what we could do to transform this community,” particularly with bridges or tunnels for pedestrian connections across state Route 69.

Town planners said they’d been studying similar trails from Tucson to Kentucky that have become assets to their areas. Safe pedestrian routes are increasingly in demand from residents and homebuyers around the country and could be a tool for attracting employers and raising property values.

Other potential amenities along the route include a dog park, horse corrals, ramadas and picnic areas, bike repair stations, connections to existing trails and larger gathering spots including event venues, amphitheaters or a “summer slide” attraction on Glassford Hill.

Public outreach while it’s designed will influence the end result.

The concept is in its early stages and challenges exist, officials said, including property acquisition, maintenance and pursuing grant funding across a number of years, but the benefits could be significant. No cost estimates were provided.

“I love this, it’s such a great idea, so fantastic,” said Councilwoman April Hepperle. “I know it’s very much at the vision stage right now.”

Map courtesy of Town of Prescott Valley

QA & ANNIE ALEXANDER, ARTIST, AND ASHLEY WADE, GLOBAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GALLERY BEYOND WORDS

Q: How did you become interested in working together in art?

A: Ashley: I had just closed my cookie company in L.A. I realized I could be of service here in Prescott and use what I learned in the art world. I like a challenge.

Annie: I saw reopening Beyond Words as a way to get 20 years of work out of the warehouse. It seemed like the next right thing to do.

Q: What is the biggest challenge of your work, working together?

A: Ashley: Working with my mom ha ha ha. It’s THE challenge. It’s a huge learning curve. I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity.

Annie: My art is extremely physical. It’s very challenging at my age. It’s challenging to work peacefully through the disagreements. Turning it all over. Letting go of control.

Q: What is the greatest reward of your work?

A: Ashley: Working with my mom. I feel very fortunate to learn from her. And to be able to see how much her work encourages others. It definitely inspires me on a daily basis.

Annie: When people are inspired by what they see. Some even start doing art. It’s very rewarding.

Q: Where would you like to vacation next, why?

A: Ashley: China. Despite the politics, I’d love to help my mom fulfill her dream of studying papermaking there. I used to live in Taiwan; I studied Mandarin for two years.

Annie: I’d love to go to China; the countryside. It would be a mega vacation to visit the birthplace of papermaking.

Q: What is the last book you read; what did you enjoy about it most?

A: Ashley: The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter. The author is a brilliant storyteller, and the way it grips your gut and paints incredible imagery. It’s a story of true human connection.

Annie: I just started reading that after Ashley. I love the awareness of the land. It’s a beautiful story.

Q: What is your favorite Prescott activity?

A: Ashley: Between yoga, art and hiking. All of them allow me to meet extraordinary people. I didn't move here for Prescott, the town, but I’ve fallen in love with it. And that’s a happy surprise!

Annie: Walking the Granite Creek trail. It has been my true companion, through the seasons, for the last 30 years.