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Understanding Your Customers Through Data

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Customer tracking data is extremely valuable, he says.

Knowing where Quad Cities customers are traveling from helps business owners know where to send marketing messages about their products and services. Regional Economic Development Center economist and data analyst Ryan Jones says knowledge about demographics are key to making effective business decisions. He shared information about tools that can help inform businesses with the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce last month.

Customer tracking data is extremely valuable, he says. Whenever cell phone customers download apps, companies download data about the customers and sell it to other companies.

Buxton and Placer.ai are two companies that capture such information. With information from cell phone apps, these companies can acquire customers’ marital status, income and education level.

For example, the data show that 73% of visitors to the Founding Fathers Collective in Prescott live within 25 miles of the entity, but they also come from Phoenix and Bagdad, Arizona.

“They know where you live so they can tell how much you make and have customer profiles,” said Jones. “They can tell how likely someone is to visit Founding Fathers.”

Jones points out that grocery stores like to serve a population of about 14,000 people. While Chino Valley’s population is slightly below that, the Safeway there remains one of the busiest in the country. Thus, data helps companies determine their market reach based on elements beyond simply the number of people who live in the area.

He said the data reveals that 27% of the workforce in Chino Valley and 30% in Prescott and elsewhere in Yavapai County commute to Maricopa County for jobs. Also, the Prescott area is one of the most expensive in the state for cost of living.

One of the reasons for residents working in Maricopa County is the difference in salaries. The median salary 2020, while the national wage average for job postings in the U.S. has gone up 17% during that time. in Chino Valley is $38,200, and Prescott is $38,600, while the median salary in Phoenix is $42,600, compared to $43,400 for the country.

Meanwhile, wages advertised for job postings for Chino Valley and Prescott have increased 33% since 2020, while the national wage average for job postings in the U.S. has gone up 17% during that time.

Jones says Chino Valley has more jobs than expected with workers in government, retail and construction. He said the government jobs are considered secure while construction jobs are risky. Sixty percent of the workers in Yavapai County are employed by small businesses.

Using 2020 census figures, Jones reports that Chino Valley’s population has grown by 21% since 2010, while the state has grown 14% during that time.

Fifty-five percent of the residents are 18 to 64 years old, while 29% are 64 or older.

He also reported a trend that many Chino Valley residents are moving to Wyoming, noting that Chino Valley and Wyoming both have cowboy cultures and an appreciation for freedom.

Jones moved here from Minnesota 18 months ago. His degree from the University of Wisconsin is in financial investments and banking. He also studied business and economics in China. QCBN

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

Photo by Stan Bindell: Regional Economic Development Center data analyst Ryan Jones shared the importance of customer demographics with Chino Valley businesses. 

Rubs, Recipes Up In Smoke

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Lines form at new Chino Valley BBQ restaurant.

Andi and Jason Oubin have taken on the challenge of making great BBQ even better.

In May, the couple took over Eric Vernier’s longtime Big Daddy E’s Smokin’ BBQ in Chino Valley, and they have renamed it Up In Smoke BBQ.

The BBQ remains popular, as people stand in line, which sometime wraps around the small building, as they await this beloved food.

Andi said for the most part, Up In Smoke has kept the same recipes as Vernier’s because that’s what people like. However, she emphasizes that they want to walk their own path, so they use their own twist with the recipes.

Andi said they use Eric’s rub recipe, which is a salt savory rub, but they also use their own sweet rub. She said customers can order either and sometimes they order both for various plates.

Andi and Jason had their own restaurants in Ft. Mohave and Bullhead City.

“The most important thing is everything is homemade. The BBQ goes through the smoking process and we make the sides fresh every day,” she said.

Big Daddy E’s was also known for its catering, and Up In Smoke continues with that. Like Big Daddy, Up In Smoke is not open on weekends, so caterers need to pick up the food before closing on Friday and Up In Smoke will provide instructions for how to heat it up. In some case, Up In Smoke will deliver the food.

“We’re taking on all orders that come our way,” said Andi.

For the July 4th weekend, Up In Smoke provided 750 meals for the Williamson Valley Fire Department, which was providing meals for people who work in a mine.

Andi and her husband have 25 years of experience in the restaurant business. They started with a small restaurant called The Shack in Bullhead City for two years before having a catering truck.

“My husband and brother have done BBQ competitions, so they have fun with it,” she said. “My husband is self-taught with BBQ. We want to find out what everybody likes.”

Andi said Jason also worked with multiple chefs over the years. And Jason trained with Vernier for a month before taking over the business.

“We listened to what he had to say. He was here for years and he knew what people liked, so we adopted those practices,” Andi said. “But we’ve been 100% accepted by the community. We just can’t do everything as he did it. We have to be our own.”

However, Andi said they don’t want to shock anybody by changing everything dramatically either.

“Our BBQ is popular because it’s all smoked. You can smell it before you eat it,” she said.

Andi emphasizes that it is a family restaurant. Many of the staff members have stayed on. Regulars likely know the servers by name. “We just all mesh together so well,” she said about the six employees and customers.

The most popular dish is the brisket and the tri-tip beef.

Andi said Jason does all the smoking of the BBQ to make sure the flavor is consistent. “He can work that grill like no other.” QCBN

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

Protecting Our Groundwater and Rivers

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We encourage you to vote for those candidates who understand water issues and promise to work for solutions that help our area.

Our state legislators continue to fail to protect our water in our aquifers and rivers.

In the Prescott Active Management Area, which includes Dewey-Humbolt, Prescott Valley, Prescott, and Chino Valley, groundwater pumping exceeds natural and artificial replenishment  by over 18,000 acre-feet per year (afy) — that is a football field three=-and-a-half miles deep, disappearing from the aquifer every year, depleting our groundwater reserves.

The overdraft relentlessly continues to grow, decimating Del Rio Springs, and drying wells in Williamson Valley, Chino Valley and Coyote Springs. In the last 70 years, the flow from Del Rio Springs, the historical headwaters of the Verde River, has declined 90%. A partial, preliminary survey has identified more than 500 failing wells south and west of Chino Valley, along Williamson Valley Road, and in Coyote Springs. Occasionally, a failing well can be replaced by drilling a new well at great cost, but this is a long-shot gamble, so most afflicted homeowners install a holding tank and have water hauled to them. Their home value is reduced up to 50%.

The latest guidance from the Arizona Department of Water Resources not only fails to address the overdraft, but has already approved more than 10,000 new homes for new water service. And existing state law authorizes water for an additional 100,000 homes! Every new home consumes groundwater and worsens the problem.

Pumping in the Big Chino threatens Paulden domestic wells and the upper Verde River. The river begins perennial flow near Paulden where groundwater from the Big Chino emerges at Verde Springs, the only water source for the upper 25 river miles, which contains the finest riparian habitat in AZ. River flows have been steadily declining since 1996. In late June, we measured all-time record low flows at Perkinsville Bridge. We are witnessing the slow decline of the last surviving perennial river in Arizona.

Arizona water law authorizes groundwater pumping for the Big Chino Water Ranch pipeline, a project intended to support new homes, to dry up the river. It is totally legal for big agriculture to move into the Big Chino, irrigate without limit, and dry up the river. Additional residential growth in the Big Chino also can dry the river.

Meanwhile, our local representatives to the state legislature ignore our local problems – fiddling while our water disappears – and fail to provide solutions. In the last session, legislators from other rural areas introduced several helpful bills addressing rural water needs. Unfortunately, one state representative beholden to agricultural interests prevented any of these bills from being considered on the floor of the legislature. We need forceful action from our state legislators, and that has not happened.

It is true that the legislature recently enacted new state water legislation, spurred by the Colorado River water supply crisis. We do not receive any water – zero – from the Colorado River. The new law ignores the water problems in Northern Arizona. Instead, it authorizes expensive and unrealistic augmentation projects such as multi-billion dollar desalinization plants or importing water from the Missouri River. Prior Arizona water law continues to support drying the Verde River and draining our aquifers in the name of promoting growth.

If we want to have a sustainable water supply and a flowing river, local citizens and government need to step up with solutions. Solutions do exist. For example, a regional water conservation incentive program could reduce water use by rural wells and private water systems and improve existing weak conservation programs in Prescott Valley and Chino Valley. Also, a regional stormwater recovery and recharge program will reduce the overdraft.

First, we need regional cooperation to protect a shared water resource. There has been no regional water planning since the Yavapai County Supervisors discontinued the Water Advisory Committee in 2014. Local governments must begin to meet regularly and plan solutions to protect our groundwater and the Verde River.

Most importantly, it is essential for citizens to learn where candidates for the state house and senate stand on the critical issues facing our regional water supply and the Verde River. We encourage you to vote for those candidates who understand water issues and promise to work for solutions that help our area. QCBN

By Gary Beverly, Ph.D.

Gary Beverly is a retired scientist and business owner working to protect the Verde River.

Manufactured Homes Sell in Chino Valley Before They Hit the Market

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Homebuyers fill waiting list for homes coming to Paulden.

Southwest Homes recently sold five manufactured homes in Chino Valley and plans to sell 24 more in Paulden.

The homes sold out six days before they were to be placed on the market, and more than 200 people showed interest in seeing the models even after the homes were sold.

Southwest Homes owner Jon Rocha takes pride in the manufactured homes, saying that manufactured homes are built much better than they used to be.

The one-acre, three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes in Chino Valley sold in the $350,000 to $400,000 range. Rocha calls the five homes a micro-community and emphasized that they are more affordable than new stick-built homes that are commonly selling for at least $200,000 more.

“We are the most affordable option,” he said. “We have always been the most affordable, but now we’re more comparable to site-built homes in value and benefits.”

Rocha said these manufactured homes give working class people a chance to reach the American dream. He said four of the five homes were sold to young couples and one was sold to a retiree from out of state. With rents averaging $1,600 to $1,800 per month, people will pay about that or less for the mortgages for these manufactured homes, he said. “It’s the only housing that’s not being gobbled up by people from out of state.”

He says today’s higher quality of manufactured homes takes away the stigma of having a manufactured home, as they now have stem walls and meet much higher standards than in the past.

“The quality is there that wasn’t there a decade ago,” he said. “They have insulation comparable to site-built homes. They have traditional site-built features. A lot of the appliances used to not be up to standards, but now they are. The water heaters weren’t standard, but now they are.”

The new manufactured homes also have vinyl flooring. “The flooring is intact for the long haul,” he said.

The Chino Valley homes are 1,500 to 1,800 square feet and will have their own septic and private wells. The properties can have horses and other domestic animals.

The planned manufactured homes in Paulden, which are not available yet, will be on two-acre lots.

Rocha hopes to bring more manufactured homes to Chino Valley in the future, but added that may depend on what needs to be rezoned. “It’s a challenge. Either there’s no land or it’s way too expensive.”

Rocha already has a waiting list for the planned homes in Paulden and possible future homes in Chino Valley.

The interest in manufactured homes underscores the immense shortage of housing inventory in the Quad Cities area, he said. “People are outbidding others and going above the asking price to get in there.” QCBN

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center Providing Opportunities

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“We can have as many as 76 youngsters at the center,” said FEC Director Jennine Skousen.

If not for the Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center (FEC) at Yavapai College’s Prescott campus in Prescott, two local women said it would be impossible for them to hold jobs, attend college and have their children in an early childhood education program.

Sarah Martin of Chino Valley and Karely Rodriguez-Mata of Prescott are among dozens of parents who benefit from the FEC program as they balance work, college and parenthood. The program, now in its 15th year, provides a full week of early education and professional childcare, from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Martin said her 17-month-old daughter, Isabelle, is among the youngsters at FEC, as is Rodriguez-Mata’s daughter, Orianna, who is three years old. Both women had scholarships, too, which helped them financially.

“We can have as many as 76 youngsters at the center,” said FEC Director Jennine Skousen. “We have 23 students we use as support staff, and 13 full-time faculty and staff members. We have children ranging from three months old up to 5 years in this preschool educational program.”

Raising Funds for Family Enrichment Center
A large crowd attended a fundraising event last month in the YC Performing Arts Center to support the FEC. “No other institution I know of has a similar comprehensive program that benefits so many children, parents and students,” said Yavapai College Governing Board Chair Debbie McCasland. “Also, the program was recently given a 5-Star rating and awarded accreditation by the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education programs.”

Friends of the FEC President Janelle Goligoski urged attendees to support the FEC through contributions or other assistance. “Your help can provide support for the lab school, for students enrolled in the early education degree program. You can help provide tuition assistance and scholarships for qualified families. Most important, you can help us continue an atmosphere that underscores our community belief that children are the future.” QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

For more information, visit yc.edu.

Gentle Giants Transforming Lives in Chino Valley

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Horses with Heart enhances abilities, confidence, joy.

The girl with the pink leggings and brown cowboy boots pats the tri-colored pony on the neck, sits up straight in the saddle, and with reins confidently in hand, commands “Walk on.” As Majesty responds with a gentle stride, Lizzie smiles.

And for Dani Mackin of Prescott, this is what a miracle looks like. Dani is Lizzie’s mom. She describes her 9-year-old’s serious social anxiety as paralyzing. “She wouldn’t talk to people. She would do what we call ‘a possum,’ and just freeze, or run away crying when someone came near her. She wouldn’t talk to her grandfather. She never even petted our dog really. We had trouble finding babysitters.”

That was life when Lizzie was 6. And then, magic happened. Lizzie’s parents nervously put her on the back of a horse at a Happy Hearts rodeo sponsored by Horses with Heart. “We thought she’d freak out,” said Dani.

But, she didn’t. In fact, she loved it. The girl who rarely smiled, started smiling. “The next week she actually started to talk to my dad all of a sudden. It was unbelievable. We didn’t know what just happened but we knew we had to keep it going.”

Jan Grise believes in miracles. The program director and riding instructor says she sees them every day in the Horses with Heart arena in Chino Valley. “Horses connect with people. This is not therapy. But what we do is therapeutic. Individuals come out here and make wonderful strides emotionally, physically, cognitively.”

This summer marks the 29th anniversary for the organization that works with more than 150 riders each season (other than in 2020 during the pandemic), from May to October, ranging in age from 4 to 87. Grise, a lifetime equestrian, has been involved with Horses with Heart for 14 years.

“We serve people with special needs,” she said. “Our tagline is, ‘Horses with Heart is where difficulties become possibilities.’”

In the arena, five certified instructors plus volunteer support teams work with individuals with conditions such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, autism and Down Syndrome, as well as people with learning disabilities, veterans with PTSD and those recovering from a stroke.

Grise explains that the gait of a horse mimics a human’s walking pattern and can help riders regain the use of an arm or leg. “We have a rider with cerebral palsy who doesn’t walk well. She’ll  get on that horse and make it walk. When she does this, she’s reprogramming her muscles and her brain.”

Riders also connect with the horses by getting in sync with their breathing patterns, she explained. “They are such big animals, but they are gentle giants. Most of the riders will want to pet them or spend some time grooming them, touching them and looking at them eye to eye and breathing with them.”

Grise says the program serves several foster children who have had disruptive lives, trauma and a lot of emotional upheaval. She describes an 11-year-old rider who had so much trauma in her life she stopped speaking. “We started her in lessons. About two weeks in, she started whispering to her horse – we teach riders to talk their horses with ‘Walk on,’ ‘Whoa’ and ‘Trot.’ It was very much a whisper. By the end of the first six weeks, she started talking to her coach, talking to her horse and by the end of her second six-week session, she was talking to everybody.”

There’s also the story of a boy who started with the program at age 11. In his early 20s, he cantered his way onto the world stage in the 2015 Special Olympics and walked off a champion. “Out of 10 spots from the U.S., Jeremiah got one and went to Los Angeles for the World Games. He won gold and bronze medals. He is married now and doing marvelously well. When he started with us, he was pretty uncommunicative, very shy and withdrawn. Now, he is a very, very neat young man.”

Some of the horses are leased from locals, other are donated from people who have retired from the horse world. One is a miniature horse, who serves as a Horses with Heart ambassador for visits to schools and nursing homes.

“The horses are marvelous healing things that help our participants overcome their difficulties,” said Grise. “You come out here and see a participant one week and the next week, what a change! Some riders are born with severe developmental difficulties. Through the program, you can see them function at such a higher level. It’s just amazing. I’m in love with what I do.”

The non-profit organization charges $50 per session and operates on donations. The Horses with Heart program at Chino Valley is the only accredited one of its kind in Northern Arizona. For more information, visit horseswithheartaz.org. QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

Change is in the Air for Chino Valley

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As we embark on fall 2020, there will be some changes in the Town of Chino Valley. For starters, the town will have a new mayor beginning Dec. 8. Jack Miller, a long-time community member and the town’s current vice-mayor, will assume the role of mayor for Chino Valley.

Tom Armstrong, who has been on the Planning and Zoning Commission, will become a Chino Valley council member, duly elected during the town’s primary election. The General Election scheduled for Nov. 3 will determine the last new council member. With only two new council members and the current council having some experience with the town’s challenges and issues, there comes a level of consistency that will allow for an easy transition; thus, council can continue to focus on their respective areas without much deviation from their current priorities.

Another change for the town will be the securing of a new town manager. Cecilia Grittman will be retiring after 20 years of service, the last four years as the town manager. We are using an executive search firm to look for our new manager and have heard from an overwhelming number of people who are interested in serving our community. We hope to have the new manager on board in early 2021.

Simultaneously, the town clerk who has served our community for 20+ years is also retiring. Jami Lewis has been a dedicated employee and exceptional town clerk for Chino Valley and we wish her well in her new adventures. Erin Deskins, a paralegal who previously has worked in the court system, has been deputy town clerk and will become the town clerk upon Jami Lewis’s retirement in early December.

These changes can seem scary to some, but mostly are positive for our community. With change comes opportunity.

I’d like to take this time to also commend the Town of Chino Valley staff members and all the hard work they do for customer service. The first week in October was National Customer Service Week. Everyone working for the town – all the elected officials, the members of our boards and committees and all our volunteers – works selflessly to support our community year-round.

Obviously, customer service from department to department or division to division manifests itself a little differently, but ultimately our citizens don’t care about that and we all get grouped together. Points of contact for the public can be markedly different, but the experience should be similar. Being intuitive about what individuals are seeking when they ask a question can be paramount to a positive customer service encounter. We’ve worked hard to eliminate the following:

Inconsistent and sometimes confusing answers to (what can be) technical questions.  The average citizen may not understand setbacks, water credits, site plan review, HURF funding, enterprise funds, etc. We need to explain things in language that all can understand and our message needs to be consistent.

 

Lack of transparency in the governmental process. We are very transparent in our processes, but if someone doesn’t understand what we are saying, he or she might not understand the next steps and therefore may think the process was not transparent or we weren’t upfront. We will continue to work on the Unified Development Ordinance, Engineering Standards and other areas to refine our processes
and make things clearer for the public. I believe we have the right staff and council in place to ensure this and carry it through to a finished product.

We all need to keep an open mind when dealing with our citizens who are often confused about access to government services. We need to think from their perspective when communicating with them. For example, they might not understand why a code complaint may take several months until resolution, or the public process involved with a rezoning matter. Being as clear, accurate and timely as possible benefits us all and becomes an efficient use of our time. All of this applies to our internal customers as well, especially treating our fellow workers with respect. I encourage us all to always try to look at things from a different angle or lens. QCBN

 

By Darryl Croft, QCBN

 

Darryl Croft is the mayor of Chino Valley.

Chino Council Focusing on Water, Roads

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As we welcome in the New Year, let’s look for great optimism in our country and the world. There is so much more that unites us than separates us, and the same is true for our communities. The recent groundbreaking at the airport for the new terminal and runway demonstrates progress that benefits our region.

We always appreciate citizens’ input. In fact, it is necessary for any elected official to receive input from our citizens if we want to be successful at what we are elected to do. As I wrap up my last year as the mayor in Chino Valley, I want my constituents to know that, even if we did not always agree, I have always respected and appreciated your point of view and your input. As a council, we receive input from so many of our citizens, and these guide our discussions and decisions when we talk about the town’s direction.

We will be embarking on a council retreat in February, giving council members an opportunity to discuss primarily two items: water and roads. These topics, as well as some other capital projects and economic development initiatives, constitute the bulk of what creates our strategic direction. Formalizing these items will be important; distractions with upcoming elections both locally and nationally could make leadership lose direction or be tempted to react instead of plan.

With the road maintenance property tax failing last year, we are struggling with ideas on how to take care of our roads with the limited funding we receive through the Highway User Revenue Funds (HURF), which is primarily the sales tax on gasoline. Because of the state’s other priorities, legislators have been able to sweep some or most of these funds through the years, creating a shortfall that is becoming sorely noticeable to the motoring public. I believe this is obvious locally but also elsewhere.

Although we will continue to look for ways to fund road maintenance, I consider this a state problem and not one we can solve without some help. At our retreat, we will revisit our budget and funding sources, and will try to squeeze whatever money we can to put toward our roads. In my effort to manage expectations, however, our citizens need to understand that although we may come up with some funding for the short term, the amount we need for maintenance of our 153+ miles of roads requires a permanent solution.

Our discussion on water at the retreat will focus mainly on our commercial corridor on Highway 89, and to begin identifying where the best use of our limited resources should go. The most responsible expansion of our infrastructure needs to be where the return appears to be the greatest. With the expansion of water and sewer costing about $1 million per mile, it is critical we study and understand where the growth will occur and where the best return on our investment will be.

These discussions will help us to formulate our strategic direction for the next several years, coupled with items already on our never-ending list. So, send us an email, give us a call, provide your input – we are happy to hear what you think and incorporate ideas that might prove helpful. My push has been moving the town forward responsibly and focusing on economic development to create jobs and a more sustainable Chino Valley economy. We’ve got some good housing projects in the hopper and a few commercial projects that we’re excited to see hit the finish line.

Next month, I will discuss some of the economic development items we’ve been working on and how they will help Chino Valley into the future. QCBN

By Darryl Croft

Darryl Croft is the mayor of Chino Valley.

Getting Involved in the Community

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Recently, in another publication, an individual wrote that citizens need to communicate more with their elected officials. I could not agree more, and I invite all of you to get involved in some way:

Come to town council meetings;

Get involved in a town committee;

Attend a citizens academy;

Meet with or e-mail your local council members;

Volunteer in some capacity.

There are a plethora of ways you can get involved in our local community, and it is encouraged. We appreciate the diversity our citizens bring to the conversation and we recognize that we represent you. The council is truly trying to serve the will of our community, but sometimes it can be a quiet endeavor, so please get involved and let us know what you are thinking.

Being involved also helps to dispel some of the innumerable rumors with which we are constantly battling. We are a small community and we have not matured overnight. People seem more willing to believe in the rumors and half-truths than learn what our challenges are. Information obtained from social media is not always accurate, yet it may be repeated over and over, gaining a life of its own.

One misconception is that economic development equals unbridled growth. Every community needs some level of growth in order to sustain itself, and growth can be managed at some level and is healthy at many levels.

Chino Valley has recognized that many of its youngsters graduate from high school and move on to other areas to find employment. We lose some of the best from our community because of a lack of opportunity. We are making a conscious effort to try to change that dynamic with our business park and the hope of bringing jobs to our community. This will equal some growth, but a growth we think is healthy and important for our future well-being.

To support a future workforce will also be the need for housing and additional retail and other services. Some people see the combination of these things and a meltdown begins. Most communities in our area are struggling with this no-growth mentality, and often our citizens do not understand the role that their local government plays in relation to private development and private property rights.

Zoning, in itself, allows certain land uses simply by right, and every piece of property has some type of zoning, therefore every property has some rights for development. All rezones are done through a public process, and we encourage the public to participate. Most municipalities have a Planning and Zoning Commission that initially hears the potential development and rezone proposals and makes recommendations to the local council. The Planning and Zoning Commission is a recommending body, and it generally works through many of the development details before a formal recommendation is made to the council for a vote. Neighborhood meetings, public hearings and regular agenda items are all a part of the process and provide the opportunity for the public to voice concerns, encouragement and suggestions.

Ultimately, land use decisions become the responsibility of your elected officials, but we appreciate hearing from our constituents. We, too, care about doing what is best for our community and we all come with different cards in our deck from which to make our decisions. Having a healthy discussion and considering all the opinions before we vote is important. Please get involved! QCBN

By Darryl Croft

 

 

 

 

Chino Valley Mayor Darryl Croft is in his second year as mayor and previously was a council member.

 

 

Enjoying Summer Activities in Chino Valley

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Happy summer to everyone! The summer months bring a lot of activity and a lot of opportunities in our area.

From a recreation standpoint, the town is gearing up for its Fourth of July celebration. It is being held at the town’s community center from 4-8 p.m. There will be rides and activities for the children, along with free swimming at the Aquatics Center. We will have a live band, a beer garden and, currently, we are scheduled to have fireworks at dusk (approximately 9 p.m.). The last couple of years have been cancelled because of the fire danger, but we’re hopeful this year will prove different.

In May, the Chino Grinder wrapped up its off-road race, stretching across 100 miles for the longest event. This was the Grinder’s sixth year with more than 450 riders. The Grinder is getting a reputation as a difficult and challenging off-road race for the few tough enough to give it a try.

The Chino Valley Equestrian Association is busy with its activities at Old Home Manor. The town has a long-term lease with the equestrian group and supports its activities. The organization has been around for a little over three years and has really grown in the number of activities it offers for horse enthusiasts on 80 acres off of east Perkinsville Road.

The Chino Valley Mud Run is only a month out and then we gear up for our Annual Territorial Days, celebrating Chino Valley as the first Territorial Capital during the Labor Day weekend.

We’ve recently wrapped up both our budget and our special election. Although neither of our ballot measures passed in our special election, we don’t consider them failures. We specifically went to our voters to ask them about funding a road maintenance program because the amount of feedback we had received in our community outreach efforts regarding the condition of our roads warranted that we ask our citizens to participate in the solution. Overwhelmingly, we were told they don’t support a property tax to fund a road maintenance program. Our goal was to hear from our citizens, and we did.

We don’t have a solution for our road maintenance. With 153 miles of roads and less than $1 million in Highway User Funds for our roads program, it is impossible to keep up. Although we felt the maintenance plan was reasonable and fairly cost-effective, the amount of misinformation and lack of participation in our public meetings to learn the facts eventually became too much to overcome. Social media proved to be an obstacle that was difficult to stay on top of, and conversations in that venue were mainly non-factual and sometimes off topic and personal. I’m not sure how many people use social media as their news source, but if our election is any indication, it was probably more than we gave credit.

As for the other ballot measure having to do with purchasing water companies, that result was disappointing, too. It was obvious from our community outreach that many people in Chino Valley do not understand water and believe the town sold its water rights to the City of Prescott.

Although the town never sold its water rights and is not an assured water provider, the community seemed to think that the mere purchase of other water companies would lead to unfettered growth, which is simply not possible based on our water portfolio. The outcome will mainly hurt in our ability to expand from an economic development standpoint – making development more challenging, causing the town to come up with even more creative solutions for infrastructure in strategic areas.

One thing I’ve learned from this election and all the conversations I’ve had with the community is there is a deep distrust of government at all levels. Plus, we seem to be more on the rise of takers and not givers. Many people seemed to think we will come up with solutions by ourselves, but we are all a part of a community and the solutions should be agreed-upon by our constituents, not just by elected officials and town staff.

The sense of community and feeling an obligation to your community has diminished. Although at some level this is disappointing, I am heartened by the many good people I have met who came to our community meetings with an open mind and a sense of duty. All is not lost! QCBN

By Darryl Croft

Chino Valley Mayor Darryl Croft is in his second year as mayor and previously was a council member.