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You are here: Home / Archives for Ann Herrington

Ann Herrington

Mentoring Through Quad Cities ATHENA Leadership Awards

May 24, 2023 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Nominations being accepted for September High Tea.

The Quad Cities ATHENA Leadership Awards not only celebrate, recognize and honor women for their leadership skills, career achievements, community service and mentorship, they also promote what leadership looks like. ATHENA recipients say this is powerful because younger or less experienced women in the workplace can identify local role models they can talk to, observe in action and learn from.

“Leaders become mentors for others and impact future growth,” said 2022 ATHENA recipient Teri Drew, executive director of NACOG’s Yavapai County Workforce Development, in a 2022 QCBN interview. “My parents and siblings were and continue to be my mentors. They taught me what to and not to do growing up, and those strong ethics pay off.”

On Sunday, Sept. 24, women from across the region will come together at Starting Point in the Prescott Gateway Mall for the 4th Annual Quad Cities ATHENA Leadership Awards High Tea, presented by Quad Cities Business News. They will hear stories of struggle and triumph, perseverance through fear and how to tap into their inner strength in times of adversity. They will also learn how women lean into their core values and their hopes for the future.

“I believe my life is a blessing and given as a blessing. Giving back is just what I believe I need to do. Mentoring others is one of my tenets and receiving the ATHENA award strengthened that,” said 2018 Flagstaff ATHENA recipient Theresa Bierer, an associate professor of practice in management in the W.A. Franke College of Business at Northern Arizona University. “In our lives, everyone is so busy, but what really makes the fabric of a community is people who step outside of themselves and put others and community first. To me, that’s what the ATHENA Award embodies.”

This year, QCBN will recognize an individual with the traditional ATHENA Leadership Award and also will present the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award. In addition, for the first time in Northern Arizona, the Quad Cities ATHENA Leadership Awards will celebrate a business or organization that supports, develops and honors women leaders with the ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award.

Individuals, businesses and organizations are encouraged to nominate extraordinary women leaders who are making a difference in their communities and pioneering a path for others to impact the future.

“My hope for young women entering the workplace is for them to do what they love and love what they do,” added Drew.

Nominations are being accepted until Friday, Aug. 4, at prescottathena.com. QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

Photos by Kay Lyons: QCBN women have been instrumental in bringing the ATHENA Leadership Awards to Prescott. Photographed here are QCBN Co-Owner Amy Bix, Editor Bonnie Stevens and Advertising Manager Ann Herrington. 

Filed Under: Business, Education, Elections, Local News, Tourism Tagged With: Amy Bix, Ann Herrington, Athena Awards, Bonnie Stevens, Teri Drew, The Quad Cities ATHENA Leadership Awards

Planting Seeds for the Prescott Food Forest

April 26, 2022 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Advocates work to create a center focused on growing healthy food.

In Prescott, it’s an idea ripe for the picking: a gardening discovery center exploring the world of growing food and eating healthy for all generations, to be called the Prescott Food Forest.

With a slogan of “Where People Come to Grow Together,” the plan has been growing.

One of the central elements of the project is creating a community garden, a concept not new in Prescott, as a previous community garden near Granite Creek had closed a few years ago.

However, with the pandemic in 2020, interest in community gardens flourished as people woke up to worries about food security. The community garden concept is loosely modeled on the old victory gardens essential during both World Wars, backyard gardens where citizen gardeners maintained plots to grow vegetables, fruit and herbs to augment dwindling national food supplies.

Prescott realtor and entrepreneur John Murphy is spearheading the Prescott Food Forest project and will lead the presentation of a comprehensive plan to the Prescott City Council within the next few weeks.

Plans call for the center to be located on a two-acre parcel of land owned by the City of Prescott near the Heritage Park Zoo. In the 1999 Prescott Master Plan, this parcel was chosen as the future home of a community garden.

Healthy food has long been a passion for Murphy, who started a non-profit foundation several years ago, the Make 100 Healthy Foundation, with the goal of encouraging healthy lifestyles for longevity.

“A key factor in living a long and healthy life is the food we put into our bodies,” Murphy said. “Growing food has become somewhat of a lost art form. When I started this foundation a few years ago, the mission was to grow 1 million new victory gardens in the next five years. Why this mission? It’s because we have a rampant epidemic of obesity and diabetes. People think they are eating healthy food, but they are actually eating empty food with little nutritional value. This is an opportunity to fill a void created when the previous community garden went away.”

Murphy and the three-person board of directors for the Prescott Food Forest will be asking the City of Prescott to approve their plan to create the food forest design, which will include the gardening discovery center with a community garden.

“The property is already fully fenced, has water and electricity and is a blank canvas to build on,” Murphy said. “We are asking the city to grant us a 10-year lease, and we will beautify the property for the good of the community.”

After an analysis of why the earlier community garden in Prescott failed, planners will hire a garden manager who will be on site to tend the gardens and maintain the property, help oversee alternative growing models for optimal food production and engage with all who use the garden.

Murphy said that LeRoy Miller, a Yavapai County Master Gardeners member, has volunteered to serve as acting garden manager until a permanent one can be found. The long-term goal is to build a strong organization with members and volunteers who share a common mission: to bring people together with purpose and pleasure, discovering the joys and benefits of growing food.

Prescott resident and Quad Cities Business News Advertising Manager Ann Herrington is also a board member. She heard about the proposed project last year when Murphy made a presentation to the Prescott Frontier Rotary Club.

“He’s really an incredible guy,” she said. “He’s worked hard on this and gotten a lot of people in the fold. He’s making connections and is talking with Prescott Meals on Wheels about the prospect of them buying food from us. He’s also connecting with local schools where they can come as a field trip to see how the food is grown. The goal is to help people learn how to be healthier.”

Herrington calls the location a perfect fit. “It’s just been sitting there for years. We have to get in there and clear it and make it all happen.”

The layout for the project includes creating small structures such as kiosks, raised garden beds, a greenhouse that can produce food year-round (via aeroponic vertical gardening), an industrial kitchen and a fruit and vegetable stand. A focus on sustainability, which Murphy said was lacking in the previous community garden, will be highlighted.

“We have a whole group of people who have gotten behind this concept for Prescott to have a garden we can call our own,” he said. “There’s been a lot of thought and effort put into building it and sustaining it. It’s not just a feel-good, spur-of-the-moment effort, but rather, it aims to be part of the fabric of Prescott’s outdoor community. We want to create a fellowship through the efforts of gardening.”

Also vital to the mission of the Prescott Food Forest is its design as a gardening discovery center. Organizers envision a gardening educational platform that will be a world-class   attraction accessible to all residents of Prescott, as well as visitors and tourists.

Board member Stephanie Leon, who also drafted the menu of gardening classes, will be the Prescott Food Forest education director, Murphy said. Classes and seminars will be offered on gardening, preserving food, healthy cooking and eating, pickling, promoting immunity, overcoming the challenges of high-desert gardening, and teaching alternative growing methods such as indoor, patio, hydroponic and vertical farming.

In addition, the Prescott Food Forest facility will host field trips and educational videos, and stage special events featuring local celebrity chefs. Acting manager Miller will seek other experts to present seminars and demonstrations on healthy cooking and up-to-date gardening techniques.

“We plan to offer multi-generational gardening classes, including a ‘Grandpa and Me’ program,” said Murphy. “Older and younger folks who don’t think they have anything in common will find they have much more in common than they thought.”

Herrington will be one of the teachers at the new facility. Toward that goal, she will soon be completing a three-phase course at Cornell University to become certified as a whole food, plant-based nutritionist. She received a $500 “Arline’s Angel Award” toward her tuition through his foundation, which was set up by Murphy to honor his parents.

Upon approval from the City of Prescott, a community awareness and fundraising campaign will commence, with a “Let’s Get Growing Prescott” theme. The goal is to raise $100,000 to build, maintain and market this effort.

Prescott Food Forest volunteers debuted plans to the public on Saturday, April 23, during the 2022 Prescott Earth Day Festival downtown. Revenue generation plans include sponsorships, grants, rental income, charging admission for select events, membership fees and selling produce to the public, restaurants and other food providers.

Murphy said he hopes they will have the Prescott Food Forest plans approved by the end of this month. “We will present a full vision, which includes a working budget, an implementation plan and design layout.”

There will also be charitable giving by providing food and education to the underprivileged, with a plan to give away at least 10% of what is grown to the food bank and other outlets that help those in need.

“We’re going to have a big gala towards the end of the summer,” Murphy said. “We’ll use the money to build a greenhouse by October before it gets frosty. We’re also going to have a big pumpkin patch.”

“The Greater Prescott Outdoor Fund has allocated a $7,000 grant that will help us get started,” said Herrington, who is overseeing fundraising efforts.

Murphy, who was chairman of the Commission on Well-Being for the City of Prescott, said he has always wanted to give back to the community. “I believe this will be a legacy project, a destination location for gardening, learning, fellowship and community gatherings.” QCBN

By Betsey Bruner, QCBN

Filed Under: Local News Tagged With: Ann Herrington, John Murphy, LeRoy Miller, Prescott City Council, Prescott Food Forest

Pet Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

November 28, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

To keep your pets safe through Christmas celebrations, check out these tips and have a happy holiday season for you and your pets!

Oh, Christmas Tree: Securely anchor your Christmas tree so it doesn’t tip and fall, causing possible injury to your pet.

Tree lights: The skinny cords on Christmas tree lights are not well insulated and are easy for a puppy to chew into. Electrocution can result, so safety is paramount.

Avoid Mistletoe and Holly: Holly, when ingested, can cause pets to suffer nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems. And many varieties of lilies can cause kidney failure in cats if ingested. Opt for just-as-jolly artificial plants made from silk or plastic, or choose a pet-safe bouquet.

Tinsel-less Town: Kitties love this sparkly, light-catching “toy” that’s easy to bat around and carry in their mouths. But a nibble can lead to a swallow, which can lead to an obstructed digestive tract, severe vomiting, dehydration and possible surgery.

That Holiday Glow: Don’t leave lighted candles unattended. Pets may burn themselves or cause a fire if they knock candles over. Be sure to use appropriate candle holders, placed on a stable surface. And if you leave the room, put the candle out!

Skip the Sweets: By now you know not to feed your pets chocolate and anything sweetened with xylitol, but do you know the lengths to which an enterprising pet will go to chomp on something yummy? Make sure to keep your pets away from the table and unattended plates of food and be sure to secure the lids on garbage cans.

Careful with Cocktails: If your celebration includes adult holiday beverages, be sure to place your unattended alcoholic drinks where pets cannot get to them. If ingested, your pet could become weak, ill and may even go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.

Selecting Special Treats: Looking to stuff your pet’s stockings? Stick with chew toys that are basically indestructible, Kongs that can be stuffed with healthy foods or chew treats that are designed to be safely digestible. Long, stringy things are a feline’s dream, but the most risky toys for cats involve ribbon, yarn and loose little parts that can get stuck in the intestines, often necessitating surgery. Surprise kitty with a new ball that’s too big to swallow, a stuffed catnip toy or the interactive cat dancer.

House Rules: If your animal-loving guests would like to give your pets a little extra attention and exercise while you’re busy tending to the party, ask them to feel free to start a nice play or petting session.

Put the Meds Away: Make sure all of your medications are locked up and be sure to tell your guests to keep their meds zipped up and packed away, too.

A Room of Their Own: Give your pet his own quiet space to retreat to complete with fresh water and a place to snuggle. Shy pups and cats might want to hide out under a piece of furniture, in their carrying case or in a separate room away from the hubbub.

New Year’s Noise: Please keep in mind that strings of thrown confetti can get lodged in a cat’s intestines, if ingested, perhaps necessitating surgery. Noisy poppers can terrify pets and cause possible damage to sensitive ears. And, remember that many pets are also scared of fireworks, so be sure to secure them in a safe, escape-proof area as midnight approaches. QCBN

By Ann Herrington

Ann Herrington is the publisher and editor of The Tucson Dog Magazine.

Filed Under: Columnists Tagged With: Ann Herrington, Christmas, Dogs, pets, The Tucson Dog Magazine

Making Thanksgiving Safe for Pets

October 30, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving is a special holiday, full of home cooking, visitors and gratitude, but it can also have some hazards for pets. I would like to share some tips with you to keep your pets safe and healthy through this holiday so everyone can have a good time!

Overindulging in food isn’t good for humans, but for pets, it can be even worse. Fatty foods are hard for animals to digest. Poultry bones can damage your pet’s digestive tract. And holiday sweets can contain ingredients that are poisonous to pets.  Below are some specifics about some things that can do serious harm to your pets:

Keep the feast on the table – not under it. Eating turkey or turkey skin – sometimes even a small amount – can cause a life-threatening condition in pets known as pancreatitis. Fatty foods are hard for animals to digest, and many foods that are healthy for people are poisonous to pets – including onions, raisins and grapes. If you want to share a Thanksgiving treat with your pet, make or buy a treat that is made just for them.

No pie or other desserts for your pooch. Chocolate can be harmful for pets, even though many dogs find it tempting and will sniff it out and eat it. The artificial sweetener called xylitol – commonly used in gum and sugar-free baked goods – also can be deadly if consumed by dogs or cats.

Yeast dough can cause problems for pets, including painful gas and potentially dangerous bloating.

Put the trash away where your pets can’t find it. A turkey carcass sitting out on the carving table or left in a trash container that is open or easily opened, could be deadly to your family pet. Dispose of turkey carcasses and bones – and anything used to wrap or tie the meat, such as strings, bags and packaging – in a covered, tightly secured trash bag placed in a closed trash container outdoors (or behind a closed, locked door).

Be careful with decorative plants. Don’t forget that some flowers and festive plants can be toxic to pets. These include amaryllis, Baby’s Breath, Sweet William, some ferns, hydrangeas and more. The ASPCA offers lists of plants that are toxic to both dogs and cats, but the safest route is simply to keep your pets away from all plants and table decorations.

Quick action can save lives. If you believe your pet has been poisoned or eaten something it shouldn’t have, call your veterinarian or local veterinary emergency clinic immediately. You may also want to call the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline: 888-426-4435. Signs of pet distress include: sudden changes in behavior, depression, pain, vomiting or diarrhea. Contact your veterinarian immediately.

I hope these tips help you keep your pets safe and healthy during the Thanksgiving holiday and I will be back next month to give you some more great tips for the December holidays!

Peace, love and biscuits to you and your pets! QCBN

By Ann Herrington

Ann Herrington is the publisher and editor of The Tucson Dog Magazine.

Filed Under: Columnists Tagged With: Ann Herrington, pets, The Tucson Dog Magazine

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