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Low-Income Housing to Accommodate Local Families

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Dozens of apartments currently under construction are designed to benefit low-income families from the Quad Cities area under local, state and federal guidelines.

Creekview Village Apartments, a 72-unit family apartment complex, will provide affordable rental housing for tenants. Located at 519 Miller Valley Road, the complex will contain six three-story walk-up apartment buildings. It also will have a one-story clubhouse.

The complex will have 24 two-bedroom and 48 three-bedroom apartments, a playground, barbeque area, basketball court and walking paths. All units will have two bathrooms, and patios or balconies.

The complex is expected to be complete around the first of the year.

Applications for rental units will be made available to the public when construction nears completion, said David Kotin, president and designated broker at Kay-Kay Realty.

Kay-Kay also manages the Canyon Run Senior Apartments on White Spar Road.

Kotin, a 28-year veteran executive with Kay-Kay, says the project is the result of a partnership between Bethel Development, Inc., and Rainbow Housing Assistance Corp.

The Creekview Village Apartments are funded through low-income tax credits allocated by the Arizona Department of Housing in 2017.

Kotin said that rents for the various units are determined by income levels of applicants who are accepted. Presently, 26 units have been designated for families with less than 40 percent of the median income, 33 units for those with 50 percent or below of the median income, and 13 units for those with 60 percent or below of the median income.

Recent data show that median income in the Prescott area is $45,190. The U.S. average median income is $53,482.

Rainbow is a Phoenix-based non-profit organization that provides housing opportunities and programs for residents in rental communities throughout the country. Bethel Development is an Ohio-based company that specializes in affordable housing. Bethel has developed 29 affordable housing projects in Ohio, New Mexico and Arizona.

In addition to the project in Prescott, Bethel is constructing another 76-unit senior living complex in Phoenix. It, too, is scheduled for completion around the first of the year.

Flynann Janisse, executive director of Rainbow, recently said, “It has been a pleasure to have a strong partnership with Bethel Development over the years. We are eager for these new developments to open so we can further support residents of affordable housing in meaningful ways.”

Rainbow is slated to provide a wide range of on-site and online services both for the Prescott and the Phoenix complexes when they are finished. Rainbow also is involved with several other housing developments throughout Arizona.

Among those core services for family tenants are afterschool enrichment programs, computer training, financial literacy classes, job training, nutrition classes and a resident services coordinator.

Kotin said the efforts of Bethel and Rainbow have consistently resulted in quality products and experiences for those involved. “Both consistently emphasize quality in all phases. Management monitors very carefully all operations to assure that high standards are maintained.” QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

For more information about the Creekview Village Apartments, call 928-541-9960.

Skyview School Teaching with Multiple Intelligences Theory

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As a native Prescottonian, parent and school administrator, I know school choice makes Prescott an ideal home for families. Not any one school can provide the needs of all children, whether it be a school district, a publicly funded charter school or a private school. We are no longer living in a society where educational one-size-fits-all works for our children. In Prescott, parents have multiple options for their children, from kindergarten through high school, and Skyview School is one of those choices.

As a kindergarten through 8th grade elementary school, Skyview was designed with Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory in mind. He believed a child’s learning is not based solely in the logical, mathematical or language arts, but also in how she interacts with nature, how she responds to music and art, and most importantly, her emotional intelligences: how she sees herself as well as those around her. All these sources of intelligence inform her ability to solve problems and offer creative responses to her cultural needs. In other words, intelligence is a dynamic process where learning is actively using more than one area of the brain. Needless to say, this kind of holistic learning extends far beyond what can be measured only by academic testing! When a curriculum is designed to include these different intelligences, it is more likely to meet not only different learners in the classroom, but each learner will experience a more holistic, well-rounded lesson.

Multi-age classrooms are another aspect of how Skyview does things a little differently. Except for kindergarten, each level is comprised of two grades; for instance, Primary combines first and second graders, Intermediate 3-4 combines third and fourth graders, Intermediate 5-6 combines fifth and sixth graders, and our Middle School combines seventh and eighth graders. This allows the school to meet the different academic levels of individual students in a gentle way. If a third grader is above his grade level in language arts, for instance, he can be challenged right there in the classroom! However, if a second grader needs a little refresher on first grade skills, she may do so without any social stigma or anxiety as those skills are woven into the essentially two-year curriculum.

Skyview School also believes that children need to be active participants in the world around them. Starting in kindergarten, field trips are an integral part of the annual schedule. The little ones start with walking field trips to the library or, if they are learning about their community, they might visit the local fire department. Beginning with third grade, field trips become more involved and overnight trips are planned. These trips not only help to support the subjects being taught; they also provide opportunities for students to experience their peers outside of the school setting. Social skills are strengthened, and a sense of classroom community is built.

Finally, this sense of community becomes a profound and ingrained message to our students as they grow through the grades and eventually graduate into high school. By eighth grade, they have learned that they are essential members of not only their school community, but of the greater world outside. A Skyview School student knows he has a responsibility to his fellow human beings: to be kind and respectful, regardless of race or religion. Students also develop a love and respect of the natural environment, knowing our world is a finite place that needs to be protected.

As our mission states, Skyview School strives to “enrich the lives of students and to ensure that future generations are well prepared to live their lives with meaning, dignity and the ability to work together for a better world. We want to create life-long learners; students who are actively engaged in their learning as well as their community, both in school and in the greater world around them. Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” QCBN

 

By Dianne Jacobson

Dianne Jacobson is the operations manager at Skyview School.

 

Lowell Observatory Hosts Lunar Legacy Celebration on July 20

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In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, Lowell Observatory will host a Lunar Legacy celebration on July 20, with activities running from 10 am until close at 10 pm (lowell.edu/apollo). This event is part of an 18-month-long, community-wide effort celebrating Flagstaff’s scientific role in preparing for the Apollo missions to the Moon (https://www.flagstaffarizona.org/lunarlegacy/).

 

From 1961 to 1969, scientific illustrators worked with telescope observers at Lowell to create detailed lunar maps in preparation for the Moon landings. Meanwhile, all the Moon-bound astronauts engaged in training exercises at several locales around northern Arizona, including Lowell Observatory. The July 20 celebration will highlight these efforts with themed tours and programs, live music, and a discussion by scientists and others involved in the Apollo astronauts’ training.

 

Schedule of Events for July 20, 2019

10 am – 10 pm | Hands-on Moon-themed activities for kids

 

10:15 am and 4 pm | Lunar Legacy Tours

Hear the story behind the Moon mapping and astronaut training that occurred at Lowell in preparation for the Apollo missions to the Moon.

 

1 pm and 4 pm | Lunar Legacy Exhibit

See the tools used in the Moon mapping project at Lowell and the detailed maps that resulted from it. Also on display are photographs and signatures from the astronauts’ visit to the observatory.

 

5 and 6 pm | Lunar Presentations on the OmniGlobe

Geologist Greg Vaughan of the USGS Astrogeology Science Center will lead guests through a 25-minute exploration of the Moon via our interactive OmniGlobe spherical display.

 

5:30 – 6:45 pm | Live Music from the Flagstaff Community Band

Hear an outdoor concert featuring space songs performed by the Flagstaff Community Band, including an exciting new piece by composer Erik Morales called “One Giant Leap.”

 

7 – 7:45 pm | Lunar Legends Panel

Listen to past and present scientists (“Lunar Legends”) talking about Flagstaff’s role in preparing for manned spaceflight missions, from Apollo to modern-day efforts. Scheduled panelists include Carolyn Shoemaker (comet discoverer and wife of the “father of astrogeology”—Gene Shoemaker), geologists Gerald Schaber and Lauren Edgar, and Gene Shoemaker’s secretary Jody Swann.

 

7:45 – 8 pm | “One Giant Leap” Video

In a video captured during the dedication of Lowell Observatory’s Discovery Channel Telescope in 2012, Neil Armstrong narrates the harrowing moments leading up to Apollo 11’s landing on the Moon. The video culminates with vintage footage of Armstrong taking his “One Giant Leap for Mankind,” which displays at 7:56 pm, 50 years to the minute after Armstrong’s feat.

 

8 – 8:30 pm | “One Giant Leap” Retrospective.

Lunar Legends panelists recall Armstrong’s first footsteps on the Moon, what it meant to them, and how it continues to inspire scientific pursuits. Moderated by astronomy historian William Sheehan.

 

8:30 – 9 pm | Lunar Legends Mingle

Guest may enjoy the opportunity to talk one-on-one with the Lunar Legends, take pictures and have autographs signed. In addition to Lunar Legends panelists, others expected to be on hand include Bill Tinnen and Ray Jordan.

 

8 – 10 pm | Meet an Astronomer – Phil Massey

Meet massive star expert Phil Massey, and take a peek at real-time images of planets, stars, galaxies and other celestial objects to be displayed on a large television screen outdoors using the observatory’s MallinCam system.

 

11:30 pm – 1 am | After Hours Clark Viewing

Stay late to view the night sky through the historic 24” Clark Refractor that was used to map the Moon. Additional fee applies.

 

 

Open Hours

Hours for Lowell’s July 20 Lunar Legacy celebration are 10 am – 10 pm. Regular admission rates apply and are good for same-day readmission: $17 per adult; $10 per child aged 5-17; $16 for seniors, AAA, military, college.

 

 

About Lowell Observatory

Lowell Observatory is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) research institution, founded in 1894 by Percival Lowell atop Mars Hill in Flagstaff, Arizona. The observatory has been the site of many important discoveries, including the first detection of large recessional velocities (redshift) of galaxies by Vesto Slipher in 1912-1914 (a result that led ultimately to the realization that the universe is expanding), and the discovery of Pluto by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930. Today, the observatory’s 14 tenured astronomers use ground-based telescopes around the world, telescopes in space, and NASA planetary spacecraft to conduct research in diverse areas of astronomy and planetary science. Lowell Observatory currently operates multiple research instruments at its Anderson Mesa station, east of Flagstaff, and the 4.3-meter Discovery Channel Telescope near Happy Jack, Arizona. The observatory also welcomes more than 100,000 guests per year to its Mars Hill campus in Flagstaff, Arizona, for a variety of educational experiences, including historical tours, science presentations, and telescope viewing.

 

Contact

Kevin Schindler, Lowell Observatory

(928) 607-1387

kevin@lowell.edu

Prescott Regional Airport Service Continues Upward

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A Prescott City Council member quipped, “It must be something in the air,” when he heard that Prescott Regional Airport (PRA) had been named 2019 Outstanding Airport by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

That honor was given to Prescott for the Western Pacific Region, according to the FAA.

The FAA statement said in part, “This award is granted in recognition of the exemplary work done by the city in proactively completing a Prescott Regional Airport master plan with significant involvement from the community, focus upon enhancing safely of the airport, and accommodating contained growth in commercial air service.”

The award was announced June 7.

Dr. Robin Sobotta, airport director, acknowledged the award and praised the airport staff and SkyWest Airlines, which operates the commercial airline United Express. That carrier provides two takeoffs and two landings daily at PRA. Non-stop destinations are Los Angeles and Denver.

Kristi Miller, airport management analyst, told QCBN that United Express routinely has exceeded previous passenger records during the past several months. Airport officials indicate passenger projections will go beyond the estimated 25,000 enplanements for 2019. The commercial carrier has been operating out of Prescott only since Aug. 28, 2018.
To accommodate all the expansion, PRA, also known by its historic title of Ernest A. Love Field, will soon be the site for a new air terminal. Planners and architects are actively involved in the pre-construction phases of an $11.9 million terminal building. Love Field, the name it was given 91 years ago to honor Love, a hometown hero who died in combat in World War I, is currently operating out of a building constructed several decades ago.

How “Busy” is Prescott Regional Airport?

PRA is the fifth busiest airport among the 114 in Arizona. The other four are Phoenix Sky Harbor, Deer Valley, Phoenix Mesa Gateway and Mesa Falcon Field.

PRA is the 44th busiest airport in the United States. It ranks just below Oakland and just above Portland. It has more annual operations than Dallas Love Field, San Diego and Raleigh-Durham.

In 2018, the airport had 235,554 aircraft operations. That includes all takeoffs and landings. That averages 656 daily operations, based on a 30-day month.

The majority of aircraft operations are non-commercial. For example, flight training programs of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and of the several private flight training schools in Prescott make up by far the majority of takeoffs and landings.

A report released through the City of Prescott based on 2018 airport operations and 2019 projects indicates that PRC generates a $160.3 million economic impact on the greater community. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Full details of the economic impact are available by contacting the Airport Administration at 928-777-1114 or online at flyprescott.com.

Calling on a Community to Battle Cancer from All Sides

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Clearing the five-year mark can seem like an invisible finish line in a contest that many cancer patients feel is the race of their lives. Cindy May, owner of Cindy May Marketing in Flagstaff, crossed that line in March. “Cancer changed me,” she said. “Through my journey, it caused me to take a step back. I always realized that family, friends and work are all important, but I feel it on a much deeper level now.”

May serves on the board of the newly-formed Flagstaff committee of the Cancer Support Community Arizona (CSCAZ), answering the call from statewide organizers to help with local connections. The organization has existed in Phoenix for 20 years and is the only one in the state that provides complimentary, year-round emotional, nutritional and educational support for anyone impacted by cancer. But, until now, there has not been a one-stop shop for comprehensive resources in the Flagstaff area.

“It was wonderful having the support and love of the doctors around me,” recalled May, who was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2014, “but once I was walking out of the chemo room, that’s when the battle started in my head. I wasn’t sure how to support my children and my husband on an emotional level. It was kind of like hunting through information to see what I could find and not knowing what I needed.”

May reached out to Heidi Hansen, City of Flagstaff economic vitality director, to join the board as well. “I have had several friends who have had cancer and been able to beat it, but most recently, I lost a friend to her battle. It really touched home and made me more interested than ever to make this horrible disease something that no person or family has to tackle on their own. Having assistance in Flagstaff is so very important, and knowing the money raised will always stay local is the main objective for me.”

The Flagstaff organization is coming together under the leadership of psychologist and two-time cancer survivor Sandi Ernst Perez, Ph.D. Networking with support services is underway and a series of public health lifestyle programs are beginning this month. The group is also connecting cancer patients and families to activities that keep minds busy and lives normal. Ultimately, Perez says, the group is seeking a brick and mortar location — a home where those dealing with cancer can experience warmth, information and support of all kinds under one roof.

“I was so lucky,” said Perez, who discovered a tiny sore on her head at the edge of her hairline 14 years ago. Innocuous as it seemed, the small tender bump revealed Stage 4 metastatic melanoma. “I was healthy, had no symptoms, didn’t feel sick and was absolutely stunned.”

Treatment was aggressive and immediate for the former competitive swimmer and lifeguard who had enjoyed an active, outdoor lifestyle and a full, busy life. “I had two kids and a great job at a non-profit. Cancer was not part of my plans. Had it not been found, I probably would not have survived the year.”

Eight years later, cancer struck again. “Melanoma is a sneaky thing. It can go anywhere. It can be in between your toes, in your eyes, in soft tissue.”

This time, Perez was very sick. She learned the tumor was in her intestines. “I feel so fortunate that I have a strong constitution, I have a really positive personality by nature. Because I’m a psychologist, I used the tools that I taught other people to use when they were facing really serious life-changing circumstances. I got a good therapist, put together a team, asked questions and made the best decisions with my husband that I could make at the time.”

Perez and her doctors incorporated Western medicine and holistic therapy, including immunotherapy, visualization, radiation, surgery and medication. “All those things made a difference in my recovery both times.”

Today, she and her husband, Jon, are thrilled to relocate to Flagstaff from Phoenix, where she is serving as vice president of Northern Arizona Cancer Support Community.

“Sandi brings with her a wealth of experience creating and managing successful initiatives promoting health and community throughout Arizona,” said CSCAZ CEO Debbie DiCarlo. “She’s done therapeutic work with the White Mountain Apache Tribe and has led organizations such as Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation. Perhaps most importantly, because of her own experience with cancer, she passionately believes that all families deserve access to quality professional care.”

At the core of CSCAZ’s work is a series of free programs that focus on five interconnected elements to help those facing cancer: emotional support, health and nutrition, education, social engagement, and resources and referrals to bring awareness of community resources to patients and their caregivers.

“Working together, we can make a difference and strengthen an already incredible Northern Arizona community,” said Perez. “I am honored to open the doors of the first Cancer Support Community Arizona outside of Maricopa County.

DiCarlo, who became CEO after losing a dear friend to the disease, learned about Cancer Support Community Arizona while her friend sought treatment.

DiCarlo says the organization spent a year-and-a-half meeting with cancer patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals in Flagstaff. “One thing is clear: there’s definitely a need for comprehensive, free, professional services in Northern Arizona. A cancer diagnosis is overwhelming. Individuals and families need the right information at the right time to navigate the process.”

She says everything CSCAZ does is backed by evidence-based research. “We truly directly partner with the medical community and academic research community with critical research behind the services we provide. A cancer diagnosis upends a family’s world. They learn how to change eating and lifestyle habits in a way that empowers them. We don’t say, ‘You should do this.’ Instead, we’ll say, ‘Evidence has shown that when you are able to add more fruits and vegetables in a diet, life spans can be increased,’ for example. Anything the patient and the family can do to understand and participate in disease management makes a huge difference in the outcome.”

Promoting healthy lifestyles can include yoga or cooking classes, she adds. “Whatever a patient or family member can do to decrease stress and anxiety can decrease conditions like inflammation in the body.”

The organization also works to battle unwanted isolation. It organizes events and finds resources to fund activities, like plays and sporting events, that may not be in the family budget while a member is going through treatment. As a referral center, CSCAZ guides patients and families to resources that can help them navigate health insurance policies or learn how to care for wigs.

“Our motto is remove as many barriers for participation as possible, at no charge,” said Perez. “It’s a club we didn’t sign up to be a member of, but we know what the power of community – sharing our stories and getting ideas, hope and inspiration from each other – can do for the spirit, soul and immune system. It boosts all of those things. That’s why I’m passionate about it.”

In Phoenix, the programs provided by CSCAZ are housed in the historic Ina Levine House, a 3,000-square-foot estate that serves as the nexus for the community. The long-term goal for Northern Arizona is to find a similar location. “We’ll keep looking until we find a great place,” said Perez.

In the meantime, CSCAZ is partnering with other community organizations and educational institutions, including Native Americans for Community Action and Coconino Community College, which provide programs at their sites.

Joining Perez, DiCarlo, May and Hansen to drive the expansion into Northern Arizona is Museum of Northern Arizona Development Director Liz McGinlay.

“My life is busy, my business is busy, I’m on different boards. This is not just service on a board level to help them get started, but a personal issue to me,” said May. “To have all those daily life answers in one safe place, I am all in.” FBN

By Bonnie Stevens, FBN

For more information, visit cscaz.org.

Groundbreaking Makes Hilton Garden Inn a Reality

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As soon as the Shumway family from Snowflake tossed dirt in the air as a part of a groundbreaking ceremony, it seemed that heavy equipment started moving in to start building the multi-million-dollar Hilton Garden Inn Hotel.

More than 50 people from the City of Prescott, Prescott Chamber of Commerce, business community and general public gathered at the intersection of Montezuma and Sheldon for the event on June 11. They heard Steve Shumway and his family praise the “cooperative attitude and spirit of the greater Prescott community for its support and cooperation in bringing the modern hotel to Prescott.”

The 100-room, multi-story hotel will be connected to the historic Sam Hill Warehouse via a century-old railway trestle. The old warehouse, which belonged to Prescott College before being sold to the Shumways, is being converted into a conference center. Shumway quipped, “Now everyone in the country will know what is meant by the question ‘Where in the Sam Hill is it?’ The answer: ‘In Prescott, next to the Hilton Garden Inn.’”

Shumway introduced Dennis Porter, president of Porter Brothers Construction out of Gilbert. Porter told Quad Cities Business News that he and his team were making every effort to purchase supplies and materials locally to support the Prescott economy. “We’ve also already hired two local firms and sub-contractors,” he said.

Prescott Mayor Greg Mengarelli welcomed Shumway and his wife, Heidi, and his parents, Doug and Dixie Shumway, to the community. “We think you should move over here from Show Low. We’ve got a lot more to offer,” he said with a grin.

Mengarelli told the crowd that, for a time, he was unsure whether the hotel would be built because so many moving parts were involved, especially public and private partnerships. “But it happened, and all of this region will benefit economically and hospitality-wise.”

Prescott City Manager Michael Lamar repeated Mengarelli’s praise for the cooperative efforts within the community. He noted that Arizona Public Service and Prescott College were particularly supportive.

A recent study commissioned by the City of Prescott had a consulting firm, Applied Consultants, project potential economic benefits as a result of the construction and operation of the hotel and adjacent facilities. The report estimated the annual economic impact would be in the range of almost $18 million a year, with the 10-year impact approaching $180 million. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

City of Prescott 4th of July Fireworks Event Details

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For the first time in recent memory, the City of Prescott will host their Independence Day Fireworks on Watson Lake on Thursday, July 4. The family-friendly event will begin at 1 p.m., with fireworks expected to take place around 9:00p.m. Here are important event details.

  • There will be a variety of family-friendly activities, including live music, water slides, inflatables, games and activities, plus a beer garden (21 and over). There will also be food vendors with a variety of options available. The 108th US Army Band will be performing during the Fireworks celebration.
  • $5 general admission fee (Children under 5 are free).
  • $20 unlimited inflatables pass (general admission included).
  • Gates will open at 12:30 p.m.
  • Parking:
    • Parking at Watson Lake is limited, and first come, first served, for a $10 fee. Ample handicap accessible spaces are available at the Watson Lake area, also for $10 fee.
    • Free parking is available at Pioneer Park, with free shuttles running to the event, between 2 p.m. until 11:45 p.m.
  • State Route 89 will be closed between the Willow Lake Road roundabout, and Prescott Lakes Parkway, starting at 2 p.m., until following the fireworks show. The road will re-open as soon as the area is safe for traffic.
  • Watson Lake is closed for the entire day, due to preparations for the event.
  • We ask that visitors kindly observe the following restrictions: No coolers, no canopies, no backpacks, no outside liquids, no outside food or drink, no BBQs, no animals, no firearms, no outside fireworks. Blankets encouraged. All bags are subject to search.
  • Please bring a flashlight to navigate after the fireworks show.

For more information about the Fireworks, and other events in Prescott, go to visit-prescott.com, or prescottevents.net, or call Recreation Services at 928-777-1122.

 

 

 

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Volunteering to Keep Hikers Safe in the Canyon

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Education, self-assessment and planning are guidelines voiced repeatedly by the Grand Canyon National Park Service to ensure that hikers “Hike Smart” and understand the meaning of the adage, “Down is optional; up is mandatory.” Helping to ensure safety are Prevention Search and Rescue (PSAR) volunteers stationed on the trails.

Implemented in 1997, PSAR was created as a result of increased heat-related illnesses on Grand Canyon trails.

“District Rangers from south, north and inner canyon were having to leave their posts for distress calls along the trails,” said Meghan Smith, acting PSAR supervisor. “The PSAR program was created so we can be stationed at precise areas. We’ve grown into a group of five to seven seasonal rangers with one year-round permanent supervisor. When the program started, we had 30 volunteers and now have 75, with a waiting list.”

PSAR volunteers must attend an annual two-day training and have a current CPR and Wilderness First Aid Card. “They carry basic medical supplies, water, electrolyte powder, salty snacks and a radio,” said Smith. “They are not medically qualified by NPS, but the seasonal staff do carry diagnostic kits to check blood pressure, sugar and oxygen level.”

Volunteer PSARs also shadow rangers as part of their training and are required to do seven hiking patrols per season.

PSARs talk to hikers on the trail, answer questions, offer advice and make recommendations as to how far to hike. Smith says the PSARs also offer information on weather and heat conditions and provide hiker assist.

“Hiker assist is when we take action and do something for someone. For example, a hiker might have separated from the group and is feeling a little anxious,” said Smith. “One of our volunteers will stay with that person and give emotional support.”

Ann Scott is in her fourth year as a PSAR volunteer. “When I visited the Grand Canyon in 1988, I fell in love with it. All I wanted to do was come back. It was like a magnet. I love talking to the visitors on the trail and offering advice on how to have a safe and enjoyable hike below the rim. It is like an extension of my first summer job as a lifeguard. The main difference is that lifeguards rescue people after they get in trouble, but PSAR rangers try to give them information and advice so they don’t need to be rescued.”

Retired NAU Physiology Professor Stan Lindstedt says his background was ideal for the PSAR program. “I had a very active research program working on muscle physiology. This was a good head start for the PSAR program. I always said my job as a professor was the best in the world. Now that I’m a PSAR volunteer, I feel I have the best second career.”

Lindstedt is often exhausted leaving the trail at day’s end but calls it “a wonderful kind of exhaustion.” He says the NPS staff in charge of the program is outstanding. “They are probably the best administrators I have had the privilege of working with. It is apparent that everyone involved in this program is visitor-centered. Our collective goal is maximizing the enjoyment of all visitors.”

The volunteer PSAR season runs from April through October. Volunteers patrol the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails and, when possible, patrol North Kaibab, Hermit and Grandview trails. “We cover them all when we can, but when we can’t, we focus on the more populated trails,” said Smith.

One of the main supporters of the PSAR program is the Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC), which outfits rangers and volunteers with top-of-the-line gear. “We provide radios, backpacks, sleep kits and other equipment,” said Mindy Riesenberg, director of marketing and communications for GCC.

With summer almost here, Smith is adamant that hikers understand the dangers of heat illness, know the warning signs of dehydration and their limits when hiking. “Headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, cramping and decreased urine output are signs of heat illness.” QCBN

Family Owned Title Company Celebrating 15 Years in Sedona

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Pioneer Sedona branch manager Janet Gazda is a Northern Arizona native, albeit from Prescott, who initially dreamed of becoming a nurse.

“Except, nursing involved blood. And the thought of blood makes me nauseous,” said Gazda who eventually set her sights on the (almost) bloodless real estate industry.

She got her start in construction, overseeing a group that worked on stores and malls. That job led her to a position with the Association of REALTORS.

“I had a feeling something was not right and later discovered that a member of the team was embezzling,” said Gazda, who took the discovery as a sign. “After that, I was determined to only ever work for someone I could look straight in the eye and believe.”

The “someone” turned out to be NAU alum Keith Newlon, founder of Pioneer Title Agency.

“I took a position a couple years after we opened in Sedona,” said Gazda, who jumped in not only when it came to title and escrow, but in helping local realtors with continuing education, something she still champions on behalf of the office today.

And while Gazda would leave Sedona in 2010 for Scottsdale (for love!) before coming back in 2018, she always stayed with Pioneer. In fact, the mother of three – with four grandchildren and counting – has recruited one of her daughters into the business.

“My youngest is actually living in Cottonwood and working for our sister company, Yavapai Title Agency,” said Gazda, who has delighted in showing her daughter the ropes in recent years.

The only thing that gets her motor running more than that: an actual motor. When not busy at Pioneer or mentoring, Gazda and her husband are avid motorcyclists.

Like Gazda, Deb Staats has been a member of Pioneer Sedona since nearly day one. But her road to the industry – and Sedona – was perhaps even more winding.

“Growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut, but thought I might settle for a pilot,” said Staats, a Michigan native, who went so far as to enter flight school.

Like Gazda, her potential career similarly made her nauseous.

“But not because of blood,” said Staats with a laugh. “For me, it was all those dizzying equations! I was far more artistically inclined, so I changed my field of study to art.”

She would graduate with a degree in the arts and move to Colorado, where she ran an art supply business for 14 years.

“In the 1980s, a boyfriend introduced me to Sedona. I fell in love…with Sedona, that is. Not the boyfriend,” said Staats, who moved to Sedona full time in 1986.

But, she was still nearly two decades from Pioneer.

“I actually opened my own gift shop – eScentuals, named and stylized that way for our popular scented potpourri wax some seasoned residents might remember – and ran it successfully for several years. I even met my husband thanks to the business,” said Staats, who sold it in 1993.

After the sale, Staats got into timeshare work.

“Of all things – I had a knack for handling timeshare closings,” said Staats.

By 2001, she moved over into title work full time, eventually joining Pioneer Sedona in 2004.

“It was right when we were getting the ‘Sedona Top 20’ off the ground,” said Staats, explaining that the Sedona Top 20 is an annual event wherein they work with local brokers to determine the top 20 realtors in the area each year and honor them – plaques and all – during a fabulous night of food and drink at a “wow” residential property in town.

But don’t let the fancy soirée fool you: Staats is tougher than many of us have had to be.

“In 2005, just as I took on the branch manager role for Pioneer, my husband was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor most will know as the type that took Senator John McCain’s life,” said Staats, noting the survival rate beyond a few years is nearly zero.

Staats would have to pull back from managing the branch, but somehow, the determined couple beat the odds together.

“And my husband is still with me,” said Staats, who championed Pioneer’s multi-year sponsorship and participation in Relay for Life in his honor. “Today, he’s a 14-year survivor, a medical miracle and inspiration to me daily.” QCBN

By Alison Bailin Batz, QCBN

Study Shows Promising Water Future for Prescott

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Some eyes were opened and some people were startled when they heard that, despite an increasing population and economic expansion, less water is being used in the City of Prescott now than 14 years ago.

In fact, water usage has decreased about 2 percent annually on average since 2014. That is what Prescott Mayor Greg Mengarelli told those attending a City Council work-study session Feb. 26. Mengarelli led the study session, saying, “I earlier did not have a great handle on our water portfolio, so we decided to get scientific data.”

The city contacted water expert Gary Woodard. Under terms of a $25,000 contract, Woodard began a long-term analytical study of past, current and future water conditions in early 2018. In his preliminary report in February, he presented initial findings. He will file a comprehensive final report later this spring.

During his report, Woodard revealed that in 2004, Prescott used 8,000 acre-feet of water. He contrasted that with 2018, when Prescott used just 6,700 acre-feet of water – 1,300 fewer acre-feet, even though 4,000 new water users had been added in those 13 years.

Woodard emphasized that his study involved data collected from water meter and utility data from the city, county and state.

Possible Reasons for Decreased Water Use

During his 45-minute presentation illustrated with PowerPoint graphs and charts, Woodard cited four factors that seemed to be driving the decline of water usage in Prescott. Among them:

Changing population demographics – smaller households, more seasonal residents and fewer children and teenagers;

Aggressive conservation efforts – rebate-related water efficient programs, enhanced conservation, including drought-tolerant water-sensitive landscaping, water reclamation and rainwater harvesting;

Passive conservation in existing homes – conversion of appliances to more water efficient devices, e.g., showerheads, dishwashers, washing machines, and toilets;

Construction of new water and energy efficient houses and businesses.

He noted some other factors unique to Prescott that affect water use. He said despite its population, only about 140 swimming pools were in the entire community. He also said only a few homes had evaporative coolers but instead used air conditioners.

Prescott’s water supply comes from a diverse portfolio. It includes groundwater, surface water and reclaimed water. That puts it in a better position than communities that rely upon a single water source. Additionally, in 1998, Prescott invested in two municipal reservoirs, which now serve as critical sources for the recharge program.

Several years ago, too, the City of Prescott began thinking of what is called “the Big Chino Water Pipeline,” a plan to import water from an aquifer northwest of Paulden. Mayor pro-tem Billie Orr said that Woodard’s presentation caused her to think of the Big Chino as a “…good insurance policy, but not something needed immediately.”

Woodard responded, “Your investment in the Big Chino aquifer was a smart one. I compare it to life insurance. You want it, in hopes that you don’t need it.”

Retired from his former position as a professor and administrator at the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center and the NSF-SAHRA Water Center, Woodard has degrees in chemistry, public policy studies-resource economics, and a J.D. from the University of Michigan. He was involved internationally with UNESCO on water issues for arid lands. He was the co-author of the National Water Act for the Kingdom of Saudi Aribia. In more than 37 years of research about municipal water issues, he has directed and conducted studies around the United States, including water use models he developed for eight major municipal water departments and two water companies in Arizona.

“Gary’s credentials are unassailable,” said Mengarelli. “He has worked all over the world in the field and published dozens of papers. We were excited to hear what he had to say about Prescott’s water supply.”

Mengarelli told Quad Cities Business News, “I think now we can make better decisions with fact-based information rather than fear-based narratives.”

City Manager Michael Lamar echoed Mengarelli. “Information being given to the City Council will change the dialogue about water in Prescott. This information also will have major policy implications for the council going forward.”

Woodard will present the final results of the longitudinal study later this spring in a public meeting.

To view the Prescott City Council meeting, visit facebook.com/prescott-mediacenter/videos/359840414607118/?t=3857. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN