“The House has the power of the purse and we ought to use it wisely and positively – that starts with keeping government open, delaying Obamacare, and not allowing special exemptions for Congress or the President. House Republicans have now offered three funding bills to avoid a government shutdown and protect American families, while Democrats refuse to negotiate and insist on protecting Obamacare. The Senate Majority leader should follow the House’s lead and act to prevent a government shutdown.”
Officials Releasing Details on Yarnell Tragedy
The Arizona State Forester has released the Yarnell Hill Fire Serious Accident Investigation Report, which analyzes the circumstances leading to the June 30 entrapment and deaths of 19 firefighters of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew. The report and accompanying documents are available athttps://sites.google.com/site/yarnellreport/.
The State of Arizona convened an accident investigation team July 3 to review the conditions and events leading to the tragedy. The investigation team visited the site of the accident, reviewed audio and video files, interviewed individuals associated with the incident, reviewed fire weather and behavior data, and examined available records and physical evidence. The resulting report contains the most complete information available about the accident.
“Our mission was to find out what happened and to discern the facts surrounding this tragedy to the best of our ability,” said Jim Karels, investigation team lead and the State Forester for the Florida Forest Service. “We also hope this report facilitates learning within the wildland fire community in order to reduce the likelihood of repeating actions that contributed to the loss of life.”
The 116-page report includes a fact-based narrative of the incident and offers the investigation team’s analysis, conclusions and recommendations. It also includes a discussion section that is meant to facilitate understanding and learning by exploring various perspectives and issues that arose during the investigation.
“Our number one concern right now is ensuring that the families have the information and support that they need as this report is released,” said Arizona State Forester Scott Hunt. “Beyond that, it is critical that the State of Arizona and the broader wildland fire community have the opportunity to thoroughly review the report so that we fully understand the events leading to the loss of the Granite Mountain hotshots.”
Governor Jan Brewer’s statement
“The Yarnell Hill Fire always will be remembered for the loss of our brave 19 firefighters from the elite Granite Mountain Hotshots. The tragic human toll felt by their families, friends and the community is truly immeasurable. I commend the Serious Accident Investigative Team for its swift, expert work to examine and report the facts that led to the tragedy.
“I appreciate the recommendations they have made to the state with the aim to help improve wildfire safety and suppression in the future. I hope that the findings of this nationally-recognized team of investigators will further the healing process and give guidance for wildland firefighters in Arizona and around the nation.”
Seeking Community Input on YC Master Plan
Folk Music Festival Offers Music, Workshops and More
Sharlot Hall Museum is proud to present the 35th Annual Folk Music Festival this coming October 5th and 6th. This festival has become a major event for fans of traditional, roots and Americana music. A mix of performances, workshops and opportunities to participate in the fun makes this an event not to miss!
This year’s performances will be comprised of over 150 artists from Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and other states, all making music on four separate stages throughout the shady Museum grounds. Music lovers will appreciate the feeling of having a “backstage pass” at this event as musicians mingle with their audiences and participate in impromptu jam sessions. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. each day, with performances taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to this event is just $8 for those 16 years of age and older or $6 for Museum members. Children ages 15 and under are free.
The Festival officially kicks off on Friday, October 4 with a tribute to the Legendary Songwriters. This stellar concert performance will take place at the historic Elks Opera House beginning at 7 p.m. and will include performances by Joe Bethancourt, Beth Fitchet Wood, the Close Enough String Band, Gary “Dr. K” Kaplowitz, Greg LaCosse, J.C. and Laney, Manzanita Road, the Mexican Beaded Lizard Band, Sharlot Hall Generations, Terry Berrett, Tom Munch and more. Tickets to Legendary Songwriters are $15. For tickets, call 928-777-1370 or visit www.elksoperahouse.com.
For further information on this year’s Folk Music Festival, look for the newspaper flyer about the Festival at the Prescott Chamber of Commerce and other places around town, or call us at 928-445-3122.
Photo: Last year’s Woody Guthrie Tribute was a highlight of Sharlot Hall Museum’s annual Folk Music Festival.
Business is Booming in the Quad Cities
A visit to Frontier Village on Highway 69 provides a stark comparison to the region’s shopping scene a couple of years ago. A new McDonald’s, a 3,000-square-foot Starbucks, the new 20,000-square-foot Planet Fitness facility and the much-welcomed Picture Show Entertainment provide a sign of the improved economy.
And when you visit Frontier Village’s website, you can watch a video titled, To Think They Called us a Ghost Town, complete with a Ghost Train song and messages including, “alive, well, ready and waiting.”
Prescott’s Chamber of Commerce CEO David Maurer is enthusiastic about Picture Show Entertainment, saying the additional movie screens at Frontier Village are an improvement for area residents. “There are 14 movie screens at the Harkins in Prescott Valley, so between the two, there will be a lot of movie opportunities,” he said.
Frontier Village Marketing Manager Amber Hudson is enthusiastic about the theater, too. “It has brought jobs into the area, and there are all kinds of networking things they have the opportunity to do there in the theater. As far as the different movies, different features, they can host events and movies,” said Hudson. The entire theater was rehabilitated, she said, including the carpet, the walls, screens and chairs.
For people who want to grab a bite to eat either before or after the show, the list of options keeps growing: Zeke’s, Fujiyama, Burger King, a new McDonald’s, Peter Piper Pizza, Applebee’s, Golden Corral, Subway, Red Lobster and others.
Planet Fitness has a tentative opening date of Nov. 11. Co-owner Steve Thomas has another Planet Fitness in Yuma and is opening the Prescott facility with his two sons and daughter-in-law.
Of the nearly 700 Planet Fitness centers across the United States, 50 percent of members have never belonged to a gym or workout facility. “Some members have been working out all their lives, but for many, this is a new experience,” said Thomas. Planet Fitness has a philosophy: it is a judgment-free zone. Thomas says people regularly comment on the comfortable environment, which is very important to people wanting to make a life change and become more healthy.
In addition to the shopping center newcomers, Hudson says owners of many stores in Frontier Village have renewed their leases. “Our ultimate goal is to refill the center. We’re working hard to do that. The more stores you have, the better the shopping experience will be for the community,” she said.
The owner of Top 4 Nails agrees. Anna Hoang Le says the addition of new retailers is good for her business. “Things are very good and I will stay here for a long time,” she said.
Auraly Hollingsworth is looking forward to a robust future in Frontier Village. The general manager of Rack on Cue Family Billiards says they opened in July and things are going well. “People are embracing the family friendly message,” she told Quad Cities Business News. The local businesses are giving a lot and we are giving back to other businesses,” Hollingsworth said. She wants to see more people, including high school groups realize they can come and hang out. “There is not a lot for people under 21 to do in the area after the sun goes down.” Rack on Cue Family Billiards is open from 11 a.m. until midnight.
The bustling shopping area is just one sign of the region’s economic turnaround, says Maurer. “For the last couple years now, little by little, you begin to see the improving economy, new stores, new opportunities.” As you look around each of the cities in the area, he adds, you can see signs of the turnaround in the economy. QCBN
For more, visit www.frontier-village.com.
Written by Theresa Bierer, QCBN
Chino’s Pumpkin Festival
Through Oct. 27 at Freeman Farms, it is the 7th Annual Pumpkin Festival
A real Pumpkin Patch, hay rides, a corn maze, merry-go-round, petting zoo, train ride, horse, interactive live animal shows, concessions, vendors, face painting, Saturdays and Sundays & Columbus Day, 9 am – 5 pm, 928-636-5714 or http://www.azpumpkins.com or http://www.chinovalley.org/
PV Library Board
Prescott Valley , Arizona 86314
Embry-Riddle Continuing to Grow
In the past 35 years, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has established itself as the educational leader in aviation, aerospace, security and related industries. The campus occupies 539 acres near the Prescott municipal airport, and is currently enjoying a period of success and distinction. This year marks the largest enrollments to date on the Prescott Campus, which hosts more than 1,850 students hailing from all 50 states and over 30 countries. The campus’s average GPA and standardized test scores for its incoming class are the highest of any institution of higher learning in the state of Arizona, and the Phi Beta Lambda Business Club recently swept the state competition for Arizona universities for the seventh straight year. The men’s and women’s soccer teams and men’s golf team are the defending conference champions in the NAIA’s Cal Pac conference; and the men’s golf team was the NAIA Academic National Champion with a 3.733 overall team GPA. In addition, the Golden Eagles flight team recently won its second consecutive and ninth overall National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) national title. Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus has also been recognized by Affordable Colleges Online as one of only one percent of U.S. private colleges whose students earn a $1 million dollar return on their educational investment.
Within the last couple of years, there has been rapid growth at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus. The athletic department has added the new intercollegiate sports of men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, and women’s softball to the existing programs in women’s volleyball, men’s wrestling, and men’s and women’s soccer. Academically, helicopter flight has joined the long-standing and world-renowned fixed-wing Aeronautical Science pilot training program (one in five pilots are Embry-Riddle graduates). Plus, Embry-Riddle has responded to national and private security needs by expanding on its unique and wildly successful Global Security and Intelligence Studies major with new majors in Cyber-Intelligence and Security, Software Engineering (with a cyber-security focus) and a master’s degree in Security and Intelligence Studies. Also, in order to help leverage its astronomical observatory and space physics major, a new major in astronomy has been added. Finally, a new degree in Global Business – complementing the only Aviation Business Administration major in the world – offers a five-year Bachelor-Master’s degree track in partnership with Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz.
The recent growth has allowed Embry-Riddle to enhance the excellence it has always provided its students. It has upheld the standard for Aerospace Engineering – holding the #1 ranking by US News and World Report in this category 14 years in a row and since the category was created – with Electrical, Computer, Software and Mechanical Engineering also contributing to the College of Engineering, the largest of the three colleges on campus. Though continuing to grow, the university prides itself on small class sizes, faculty mentoring, state-of-the-art technology and hands-on-experience in the fields students study. Embry-Riddle is also a military friendly campus, with 10 percent of the students being veterans and an additional 20 percent being members of the Reserve Officers Training Corps who will graduate with a commission as officers in the U.S. military. In fact, Embry-Riddle provides more Air Force officers, pilots and rated flight slots than any institution except the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Embry-Riddle is a proud member of the Prescott community: hosting Town Halls and debates for U.S. Senators and Congressmen; educational lectures and programs that are open to the public; regional math and science competitions for school-aged children; public events like the memorial for the Prescott Hotshots killed in the Yarnell fire; and assisting with the annual City of Prescott Fourth of July celebration.
The public is always invited to visit campus to cheer on the athletic programs, participate in a community event, and/or tour the campus and meet some of these exceptional students. QCBN
Bryan Dougherty is dean of enrollment management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. For more information, call 800-888-3728, or visit Prescott.erau.edu.
Midnight? Holiday? Emergency Pet Doctor is In
In the hilly and mountainous regions of Northern Arizona, it is not uncommon for pets to come into contact with wild animals such as javelina, coyotes, snakes or poisonous insects. Arizona’s extreme temperatures also can be dangerous to pets. All too often, pets are injured or become sick during the night or on weekends or holidays – times when the family veterinarian is not in the office.
Until recently, concerned pet owners would have to try to reach the veterinarian after hours or drive the animal to Phoenix for emergency care. But not anymore.
Open every night since September, on weekends and holidays too, the Prescott Area Pet Emergency Hospital (PAPEH) on Highway 69 between Prescott Valley and Prescott is ready to see you now, fully staffed with doctors and nurses throughout the night.
“If you’re concerned, we’re concerned,” said Dr. Scott Reed, veterinarian and founder of the Prescott Area Pet Emergency Hospital.
The new 3,000-square-foot hospital looks more like a spa for humans than a hospital for animals. It is modern, spotlessly clean and as comfortable for clients (pets) as it is for their human family members.
“Whether it’s a stomach ailment, broken toenail, caesarian-section birth, car accident, rattlesnake bite or porcupine encounter, our veterinarians see the pet right away and make it as comfortable and pain-free as possible,” said PAPEH technician Kay Lyons.
The hospital is fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including an X-ray machine, ultrasound equipment and lab.
“People want more advanced care for pets and answers quickly. They want to know how fast we can treat their pets and where the pets are kept. Within an hour we will have completed the examination, have results from lab work and X-rays, have a diagnosis, consulted with the family and begun treatment,” said Dr. Reed.
Vicki Leavitt of Prescott visited the hospital with her Jack Russell terrier, Zayus, this summer when he cut his front leg. “It was quite a laceration,” she said. “He probably jumped over some barbed wire while we were out running in the forest. He cut a vein and was covered in blood. I knew he needed stitches.”
She was particularly impressed with the speed at which the veterinarian saw Zayus and the care he received. “They were really good. The doctor was willing to try a local anesthetic and not just knock the dog out, which would have been easier and definitely more expensive. There were a lot of stitches, but the local anesthetic worked. The facility is also very nice. My kids were with me and they enjoyed looking through a book they keep in the lobby with pictures of all the patients.”
“If emergency surgery is needed, we get them straight in. We can do any kind of surgery except neurosurgery, which we would refer to specialists in Phoenix. We want people to know your pet is never alone [and] never out of our sight. There’s always a doctor or nurse monitoring your pet and family members can visit and stay as long as they’d like.”
Saying he doesn’t want the cost of medical care to be a barrier to treatment, the Pet Emergency Hospital strives to keep emergency medical care accessible and affordable. The examination and consultation is $87.
“The emergency room fee is the same no matter what time clients come in. Our staff is ready to see your case at 8 p.m. or 4 a.m.,” said Dr. Reed, who maintains an apartment on the premises for his staff to rest between shifts.
The emergency hospital does not perform routine procedures that a family veterinarian practice would provide such as spay or neuter surgeries or vaccinations.
“Typically, most communities this size [approximately 108,000 people in the Prescott, Prescott Valley, Dewey-Humbolt area] have an after-hours pet emergency hospital. The Quad Cities has had a void,” said Dr. Reed. He adds that 25 percent of the clients are from the Valley, either visiting the Prescott area or are second-homeowners. Additional cases come from Cottonwood, Camp Verde and surrounding areas.
PAPEH sees an average of 40 to 45 companion pet clients – dogs, cats, reptiles or birds – an evening.
“Ninety-five percent of those cases are emergencies and require urgent care,” said Dr. Reed. “Emergency medical care is the most challenging kind of veterinary care because you have to make decisions quickly.”
The Prescott area facility is the eleventh practice started by the Denver-based physician through his Veterinary Emergency Consulting Services business. Raised on a small farm in Oklahoma, Dr. Reed has always had an interest in the health of animals. With an undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and his veterinarian degree from Colorado State University, Dr. Reed has been practicing emergency medical care since 1995. He has started pet emergency hospitals in Colorado, Missouri and California.
His Prescott-area business model is a cooperative venture with area veterinarians. With buy-in from local vets, PAPEH is able to provide after-hours emergency and critical care, continuity in client care from medications to record keeping, and a break for the doctors who run weekday practices.
Dr. Tandra Gaul of Mile Hi Animal Hospital in Prescott says the Pet Emergency Hospital has improved her quality of life. “After putting in a long day at work, at least now I know I am done for the night. Once I go home, I’m not going to need to come back like I used to. It’s better for the patients, as well. We’re coming to work very well rested, not having been up half the night with a critical patient.”
The business research and project overview reveals the Prescott-area is similar to Pueblo, Colo., where Dr. Reed opened an after-hours emergency and critical care hospital in 2009. In fact, the demographics in the Prescott area are “35-40 percent stronger than Pueblo.”
The Pet Emergency Hospital has three full-time veterinarians and 11 full- and part-time staff members including nurses and experienced emergency technicians. And there is room to grow. The location has enough developable space for a 6,000-square-foot build-out.
Now that the Prescott Area Pet Emergency Hospital is established, Dr. Reed is exploring the Flagstaff and Kingman/Lake Havasu markets. QCBN
Yavapai College Names New Vice President
Yavapai College has hired Stuart Blacklaw, Ph.D. as its new vice president of instruction and student services. Blacklaw replaces Dr. Greg Gillespie, who accepted a job as president of Ventura Community College in Ventura, Calif., this summer. Blacklaw is scheduled to start at Yavapai College on November 1.
Blacklaw was chosen from among 85 applicants from across the nation. His most recent position was vice president for instruction at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In his new position, Blacklaw will be responsible for Yavapai College’s 76 programs of study, 32 degree programs and 57 certificate programs. He will also oversee the College Library, Instructional Support & Improvement, Student Services, and Teaching & eLearning Support (TeLS).
“To have 85 colleagues from across the nation apply for this position speaks volumes of the positive reputation of Yavapai College,” Dr. Penny Wills, Yavapai College president, said. “It was a thorough selection process, and we’re thrilled that Stuart agreed to join Yavapai College.”
“From the moment I stepped on to campus, I knew this was a good place to be,” Blacklaw noted. “There was warmth and positive energy everywhere. As I traveled around the area, I discovered that the environment I found so welcoming on campus was actually part of the culture of the community. It was so easy to picture my family there, enjoying all that the region and the College has to offer.”
Blacklaw has served in higher education as an adjunct and full-time faculty member, a program director, department chair, faculty senate president, assistant, associate and full dean. Blacklaw has a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Olivet (MI) College and a master’s degree in Telecommunication Arts from the University of Michigan. He completed most of the coursework toward his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan and completed the coursework and dissertation through Capella University, earning a Ph.D. in Higher Education, Academic Administration in 2008. His dissertation identified best practices in the development of assessment strategies that lead to instructional improvement.
Blacklaw worked in radio, television and print journalism before and while attending the University of Michigan. He subsequently became an assistant professor of Communication at Olivet College, where he taught media courses, advised student media and other organizations and served in various leadership roles.
He won awards for leadership and for teaching, including the Livingston Professorship, the highest faculty teaching honor awarded by Olivet College.
After 12 years as a full-time faculty member, Blacklaw became the associate dean for curriculum and assessment at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, New York and later served a similar role as a dean at Monroe Community College in Rochester. Blacklaw also served as an assistant dean in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Grand Rapids Community College.
Stuart collects and listens to a wide variety of music, and he enjoys golfing, “mostly,” he notes, “for the opportunity…to stroll through dense woods and wade in shallow ponds.”
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