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COVID-19

Health Remains a Top Concern Entering the New Year

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‘Tripledemic’ keeping pharmacies busy, children’s medicine in short supply.

This new year, COVID-19 is sharing the headlines with the flu and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus. As hospital beds fill up, COVID deaths rise and children’s Tylenol, Advil and Motrin are difficult to find.

“This is really a hard time for children. We’ve had to turn away so many customers because our shelves have been completely empty of children’s pain and fever medicine,” said Mary Beth Koch, a certified pharmacy technician at Prescott Valley Safeway. “Even with regular medicine, people are having to wait on supplies, sometimes for a month at a time.”

Pharmacist Dr. Sheri Wadhams, co-owner of Wadhams Apothecary in Flagstaff with Manager Jane Blair, dispensed the last of her children’s Motrin on Friday, Dec. 23, and is currently unable to order any more, as wholesale distributors nationwide say it is not available. “We can’t get certain antibiotics, either. We are seeing a lot of sick people. Upper respiratory illnesses in children are going into pneumonia.”

Making their busy job busier, pharmacists are working with physicians to find substitutions for prescriptions and also with parents in search of relief for their children. “As soon as we get an amoxicillin suspension that we didn’t have for a week, we call that mom or dad,” said Koch.

The latest viral assault is being called a “tripledemic.” The Omicron variant, along with common seasonal viruses that seemed to have gone into hibernation during much of the pandemic, have hit hard with the holiday travel season, especially influenza and RSV. Although some believe RSV has reached its peak, medical experts say the nation is experiencing its worst flu outbreak in a decade, and they expect it to get worse.

To battle the viral pileup, pharmacists continue to recommend the COVID booster and seasonal flu shot. Prescott Valley Safeway reports a higher-than-usual demand for vaccinations this season, including shingles shots. In fact, one pharmacy staff member has been assigned to just giving shots. “I think people are saying, ‘Anything I can get do that might help me not get COVID or be a stronger, healthier person, I want to do,’” said Koch.

Meanwhile, the Biden Administration is making national stockpiles of the antiviral drug Tamiflu available to states in need. “The country is more prepared for this surge because the SNS [Strategic National Stockpile] holds strategic stores of Tamiflu. As a result, jurisdictions will be able to get the support they need to keep Americans healthy as flu cases rise this winter,” stated Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell in a news release.

Meanwhile, healthcare professionals continue to urge healthy habits such as getting enough sleep, eating right, taking vitamin C and drinking plenty of fluids. QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

Imagining a World Beyond the Pandemic

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To survive now and in the future, businesses must create an operational environment that can flex to future challenges.

Events like the COVID-19 pandemic can turn the world upside down. The immediate impact of this turmoil creates sometimes insurmountable challenges to small businesses. But it is nearly impossible to predict the long-term effects on those small businesses that have somehow managed to survive the initial blow.

Small businesses may have a narrower margin with which to withstand the upheaval of a global pandemic, or an economic downturn, but these businesses do possess one advantage over the large enterprise. If a “mom and pop” or small business recognizes the need to engender agility, there are fewer team members to convince and it is easier to turn the ship quickly. That does not mean that a business can avoid the commitment to continuous improvement. There is still a need to look at how things are done, and to comprehensively analyze what customers wanted last year, versus what they want this year.

Understanding trends, patterns and changes, and responding to those changes, is crucial to success. During the pandemic, local businesses struggled with issues involving in-person buyers vs. online presence. A tour company could no longer count on visitors to the area, and the very immediate issue was how to generate revenue. A retail store owner could not count on an influx of shoppers walking through the door.

During this time of change, the wise business owner tried to reimagine his products and services and find ways to connect with customers online and to create a flexible business environment that could carry him through the uncertain times and be agile enough to survive what might come next. To survive now and in the future, businesses must create an operational environment that can flex to future challenges. Managers must cut expenses and have a detailed understanding of what products and services to keep, what to change when business falls off, and how to prepare for continuous improvement and business reinvention.

Books and workshops can help, but the business owner must truly engage and change the management approach, the way team members are trained, how involved the team is in the day-to-day operation, and how team members can contribute to and adapt to change. Every aspect of the business – from location to hiring and training, to business investments, to product and service choices, to the competitive landscape, the efficiency of ordering, supply networks and day-to-day operations – must reflect a culture of team involvement, fact-based decisions and solid analysis of how to prepare for, and adapt to, change.

While small businesses may need support and advice to enable this kind of change and to create a foundation for agility, most cannot afford the expense of a business consultant. That’s where SCORE comes in. SCORE provides free counseling to small businesses. SCORE (the Service Corps of Retired Executives) was founded in 1964, and it is a non-profit arm of the Small Business Administration (SBA). Today, the SCORE team is comprised of active and retired business professionals who volunteer their time to provide free and confidential business advice to start-up businesses, businesses wishing to expand and small businesses facing the challenges of the COVID-19 economy and trying to prepare for the future.

These services are available to all small businesses, and SCORE provides subject matter experts and mentors who focus on all types of issues, challenges and business problems and opportunities. If you wish to explore these services, you can contact the team at 928-778-7438, via NorthernArizona.SCORE.org, or on social media at facebook.com/SCORENorthernArizona. QCBN

By Susan Obijiski

Susan Obijiski is a business consultant and Certified SCORE Mentor. Obijiski has more than 40 years of experience as a business executive and manager, and has worked in retail, in the arts, and for large and small corporations in software development, product development, quality management and other disciplines. She serves on the Sedona Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and has served as board chair for Simmons Graduate School of Management. She manages content for software companies creating articles, white papers, web content, blogs and technical content and has published four novels.

Saying ‘I Do’ to Micro-Weddings

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With concerns about public health and travel, brides and grooms are choosing small, intimate celebrations

Event planners are busier than ever and, not surprisingly, smaller weddings have taken the lead, especially in Northern Arizona.

“We’ve had a lot of micro-weddings of 50 people or less since March this year,” said Prescott-based Luella House Weddings and soon-to-open historic Willow Creek Inn owner Nancy Bewley. “I think it’s because small weddings make sense to people right now. People can spread out and the couple can have those who are most dear and closest to them attend, plus the expense is lower and the event is more manageable.”

Rhonda Messal, of Fort Worth Texas, planned her micro-wedding at Moran Point at the Grand Canyon last May. A total of four guests attended.

“I thrive on simplicity. I chose to have a small wedding because I’m a simple girl who was raised in the mountains of Colorado and I prefer a more minimalist approach to things,” said Messal, a human resources executive. “Getting married on the rim of the Grand Canyon and taking in God’s beautiful creation was simply amazing, and keeping it small was so hassle-free.”

Choosing to have her wedding at the Grand Canyon in April, April Margulies, owner and founder of Trust Relations Agency in Williams, said, “With COVID, there was no telling when things would open up again and we didn’t really want to wait to find out. My parents would not have been comfortable traveling at the time, so asking anyone to attend seemed unfair. In the end, it was a great excuse to keep the moment intimate and just focus on each other rather than planning and executing some complicated event.”

According to Las Vegas-based Cactus Collective Weddings owner McKenzi Taylor, 2021 weddings have become much more intimate affairs and micro-weddings have gone from second-best to many couples’ first choice.

“Gone are the days of the 300 person guest list, the splashy banquet hall and multi-tiered wedding cakes, at least for most post-pandemic couples who are more conscious of the health of their guests as well as the health of their bank accounts.

Williams Justice of the Peace Robert Krombeem confirms the trend as well. “With COVID making many of our hopes, dreams and plans for the future come to a screeching halt, we have seen a definite increase in small, spontaneous courthouse weddings.”

In Flagstaff, Sutcliffe Floral Owner Kelly Tulloss says she has seen a lot of brides have their weddings at Airbnb’s, out in the woods, backyards and courthouse weddings. “I think Flagstaff provides the perfect setting for smaller, intimate outdoor weddings, and they are very popular here.”

Churches also are seeing the shift to smaller weddings. Flagstaff’s Mountain View Church Pastor Nathaniel Bradford is preparing to officiate a micro-wedding consisting of the bride, groom, maid of honor and best man.

“Pastor Nathaniel and I are honoring the couple and their wishes to have just their immediate family present,” said Bradford’s wife, Cindy, who is the wedding coordinator at MVC. “They decided to keep their wedding small and simple and believe their love for each other and their faith is more significant than any crowd.”

Weddings in Sedona owner and Senior Planner Susan Perry says small weddings have always been popular in the Red Rock Country and continue to be. “We have a healthy range, from small elopement, to micro, to large custom weddings. Because we are such a popular wedding market, couples come from around the world to get married here.”

Meanwhile, Viola’s Flower Garden Wedding Coordinator Jessie Bangle says smaller weddings are here to stay. “Since COVID, people are sticking to 50 people or less, mostly for regulations, but also because these weddings are more intimate and less expensive. Going forward to 2022, we’re not seeing big numbers and the trend is unique styles of decoration and scaled-down weddings where the bride and groom can spend more time visiting with their guests.” QCBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, QCBN

School Bells Will be Ringing and Resources are All Around

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It’s important to remember, as the school year begins, that support is available to families that may need it.

The 2020-2021 school year presented a great many obstacles for administrators, teachers, students and families. As with most everything we all experienced over the last year, school looked quite different than any other time. But, as is always the case here in our beautiful community, everyone rose above the challenges to give our children the best in difficult times. I would like to personally extend a heartfelt thank you to Prescott’s teachers, administrators, staff, parents and students for their dedication and perseverance during the last school year.

Now, as we all begin to come out of the pandemic and move forward to better times, students will be returning to school this academic year with things looking a bit more normal. I’ve said time and again that the resiliency and togetherness of this community is something that I take great pride in and students having the opportunity to return to some normalcy feels like a wonderful reward for all they’ve had to endure in recent memory.

It’s important to remember, as the school year begins, that support is available to families that may need it. The Family Resource Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment, and provides school supplies, coats, shoes and more for those in need. They also provide resources for families suffering from homelessness, those enrolled in the Indian Education Program and supplies for teachers through the “Teachers Closet.” And organizations like the Launch Pad Teen Center provide a safe space for Prescott’s youth. The help and support that are available to our citizens is truly something to be proud of and a great reminder that even in dark corners there is light and help to be found.

In addition to resources for families and students, there are a multitude of local organizations that are available for those in the community that may need help in other areas. The Yavapai Justice and Mental Health Coalition has developed a website with a wealth of resources for members of the community that are in need of assistance. You can visit https://justicementalhealth.com/ to find a complete resource guide. Additionally, organizations like Prescott Area Shelter Services, Agape House of Prescott and the Coalition for Compassion and Justice provide resources and support for our citizens in need. Yavapai County and Prescott continue to do an incredible job of providing for the community and meet the needs of people experiencing a need for support.

As we put summer in the rear view and move into the fall months, we are all looking forward to the positive things to come. I wish all of our students and families a wonderful school year and am anxious to see what it holds for our community. QCBN

By Greg Mengarelli

Greg Mengarelli is the mayor of Prescott.

For the Love of Fiber

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Owner of Prescott’s only fiber arts store spins a creative course through the pandemic.

The names are colorful and exotic: Filatura di Crosa, Mountain Colors and Queensland Collection for yarns; Clover, Hiya Hiya and Karbonz for knitting needles and crochet hooks; Ashford, LeClerc and Schacht for weaving looms and spinning wheels; and Frabjous Fibers, Sweet Georgia and Louet for fibers.

These are just some of the tools of the trade for the passionate fiber artist. All these and more local, domestic and international products can be discovered at Fiber Creek, Prescott’s only fiber arts shop.

Textile art is one of the oldest forms of art in human existence, with the fashioning of clothing and blankets to provide warmth.

This ancient practice has reinvented itself through the ages, gaining new popularity since the 1920s, with original art developments in textiles.

Arizona native Carma Koester took her lifelong passion for all the fiber arts to a new level when she established Fiber Creek in 2008, with the goal of creating an environment for learning and sharing in the community.

”I have done handiwork of different disciplines since about the age of 5, from sewing, quilting, knitting and crochet,” said Koester, who will be 75 this month. “My grandmother and mother were the ones who guided me. I was such a tomboy. My grandmother thought I needed balance in my experiences.”

Koester located the current 1,950-square-foot space after purchasing “A Good Yarn” from Debra Dorrell, who now teaches classes at Fiber Creek.

“I knew we needed a bigger space and easier access for customers,” Koester explained. “Since I have been here, there have actually been about four fiber stores in this area. We are the only remaining fiber arts store.”

Early in 2020, the frightening march of COVID-19 across the land brought many new challenges, including the task of remaining in business.

“The pandemic has been very difficult for many businesses,” she said. “We are hanging in there through sheer will and determination. We have had many people from all over Arizona, as well as locally, telling us, ‘Please do not go out of business,’ but the climate is guarded because of everything that has happened in the last year and a half.”

Koester, who was born in Phoenix, calls herself “a worker bee” and routinely works six-day weeks, including weekend hours, repairing looms and spinning wheels. Her husband, Mark Koester, who is retired from the heating and cooling business, sometimes assists her with a variety of repair projects.

The couple lived in Prescott for 34 years before moving to Chino Valley three years ago. They have one living son who lives in Chino. “Our other son passed away 15 years ago,” she said.

The heart of Fiber Creek is the full schedule of classes, including weaving, taught by Koester, and beginning crochet, taught by Dorrell.

“My staff, Anna Sue, Gale, Katie, Kristin and Verla, are the greatest workers and team players, with hundreds of combined years of experience,” she said proudly. “Our success can be attributed to them.”

Koester has a philosophical take on creativity.

“I have found over the years, people who do tactile things learn to use their creative mind to accomplish tasks that can be mundane and boring because they allow their subconscious mind to get involved in what they’re doing.”

In some ways, the pandemic may have benefited the fiber arts.

“I think fiber arts are having a new resurgence because many who were home realized that they needed to be productive,” Koester noted. “Classes are now starting to pick up, but until the climate is right for some, they are still hesitant.”

Although some local fiber artists were working with yarn and inventory that they had in their homes, they did order supplies online. In the store today, sales include supplies and equipment for the fiber arts disciplines and occasionally some of the handcrafted items throughout the store.

Sandra Miner is one of the local artists using many of the services and materials the shop offers.

Miner said Fiber Creek “functions unofficially as a community center” for people with any of the fiber arts hobbies of knitting, crocheting, weaving and spinning.

“Carma and her well-qualified staff and instructors are welcoming to learners at any level. They offer classes, private instruction and free on-the-spot help with any project,” she said. “Personally, this is where I learned to knit when I retired and that has created a hobby as well as a group of friends. This business has provided a place to come to, especially for those of us who are aging. We are seeing the young generation developing their creative skills also.”

The town of Prescott has “many small business owners with compelling stories,” she continued, including Koester, who has sacrificed so much to keep her business afloat.

“Carma has subsidized it during the pandemic downturn with her own funds,” Miner said. “She views the shop as a business that also provides a community service.”

For Koester, being a “worker bee” includes exercising her boundless creative energy.

“I do everything: I carve in wood, I hand build ceramics, I paint,” she said. “I learned to carve wood when I was 9 or 10, and I’ve drawn my whole life. I’ve sewn from before I started school.”

However, her greatest love is weaving, which came later in life.

“I got into weaving by accident when my friend wanted me to be her substitute teacher at the college,” Koester said. “She told me I needed to learn one more thing and that was weaving. Spinning followed that.”

Fiber Creek also provides a place for “charity-minded people to do things for the local shelter,” such as creating comforting blankets. “When you accomplish something, you can get through the rough spots in life,” she said.

Recently, Koester has been experimenting with challenging media like dichroic and glass fusing.

“Well, I do it all because I like the challenge of learning new things. Age 75 is not too old to learn something. I think being productive is one of the best things. Accomplishment is the cherry on top of the sundae.” QCBN

By Betsey Bruner, QCBN

Remodeling Industry Going Strong

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The remodeling market declined significantly at the onset of COVID-19 in March and April of 2020, but has since more than fully recovered.

Welcome to “At Home With Tom & Sandy.” We are here to give you the inside scoop and tips on everything A to Z for your home. Settle in, enjoy, and have fun reading our column. We sure do enjoy sharing our words with you. Thanks for being such loyal and great readers.

Sandy:  Well hello, Tom, and happy April.

Tom:  Back at ya, Sandy. Inasmuch as you are the lady with her ear to the popular winds, what kind of calls are you getting these days? Are they COVID-related?

Sandy:  Oh my, not COVID. However, speaking of COVID, I am thrilled to see the rollout of the vaccines.

Tom:  My wife and I received our vaccinations at the Findlay Center. Very well organized. No waiting. But, I agree, so many are ready to move on and start to enjoy life.

Sandy:  Most of the calls we are getting at YCCA are homeowners asking for information on four basic topics. Bath remodels, kitchen remodels, interior and exterior painting and handicapped accessibility retrofitting.

Tom:  Wow! You really have your finger on the pulse. The remodeling industry is staying quite steady these days.

Sandy:  I would say steady, strong and pretty darn solid. With families staying at home more, their imagination takes over and opens all manner of ways to refresh their homes. Tom, can you give us some of your thoughts on these topics?

Tom:  Sure. The best starting point for any project is PLANNING!

Sandy: That message has been consistent. And good planning goes hand-in-hand with research.

Tom:  With just about everybody here having access to the internet, it has become something folks can do while staying at home. We find that most folks have been to our website long before they make the call.

Sandy:  I agree. At YCCA, we take the time to help folks wade through the tons of information out there. A call to us can save hours or even days of searching.

Tom:  YCCA is a great service to the community, for sure. Getting back to steps to take, I suggest the budget should be next. If you have $5,000 to do a 5’ x 8’ bathroom, then that will direct your focus to certain solutions. You truly need to communicate that up front with a design professional.

Sandy:  That is so true and so many folks are afraid to give out that information. I know the average national cost of replacement in a bath that size is almost twice that amount.

Tom:  Yes, you are right on. So, communicating budget up front saves you and the remodeler quite a bit of time.

Sandy:  The point is to not spend time guessing and working on a plan that does not even match the budget. And a budget can always be matched with a plan. Let’s talk about painting. I feel that planning for painting, while not as potentially complex, is still important.

Tom:  You need to choose colors, of course, and a qualified painter can help you select the type of paint appropriate for your project.

Sandy: A licensed, bonded and insured painter (also a member of the YCCA) can also assist with preparation, fixing all the knicks and cracks before painting. So, yes, planning is needed. When planning on painting, I always suggest obtaining three bids. It is important to call out the paint use. There are three levels of exterior paint and if this is not specified up front, the bids will most certainly be unbalanced. Gosh, I could go on and on about painting. I would hijack our column for sure!

Tom, I would say retrofitting for disabilities certainly needs planning. There are a lot of different ways to make aging in place more accommodating and comfortable.

Tom:  True, the solution to making your home more accommodating and comfortable begins with determining the level of disability one has and what that might lead to in the future. Many disabilities are not wheelchair-bound, as is the common perception.

Sandy:  Are there certifications people should look for? I see an alphabet soup of acronyms following people’s names. I am pretty savvy and I do not know what they all mean.

Tom:  LOL! I don’t either and I have a few after my name as well. Generally, you can Google the acronym and determine its significance. There are quite a few educational organizations out there that support the remodeling industry.

Sandy:  I am aware of some really good ones, like the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, or NARI. They do a great job of supporting designers, contractors and homeowners with all kinds of really super information.

Tom:  Great example. Renovations has been a member for years. It conducts courses, usually online, designed to help educate people in all manners of problem solving.

Sandy:  As an architect, you have had all kinds of training and education. Have you kept up with all the changes over the years?

Tom:  Mostly. The American Institute of Architects, as with many professional support organizations, has a Continuing Educational Unit (CEU). These are designed to keep old guys like me in the know. With many professional organizations, a member needs to have a certain number of CEU credits per year to maintain membership.

Sandy: That is great information for our readers to have. Tom, it is important to let our readers know that spending on residential improvements will continue to grow at a healthy pace over the next several years.

Tom: You are correct, Sandy. Professional remodelers from across the country from a group I belong to agree that this is the case. Consumer spending is at an all-time high.

The remodeling market declined significantly at the onset of COVID-19 in March and April of 2020, but has since more than fully recovered.

Sandy: I can attest to that after that small dip at the beginning of the pandemic, remodeler confidence bounced back and my phone continues to ring and ring.

Tom: It is nice to see that homeowners have a desire to invest in their homes.

Sandy: Tom, at the beginning of our conversation, you asked if the calls coming in were COVID-related. I said not really, but with homeowners using their time at home now to remodel, the demand and backlog for remodeling remains high. So, COVID did cause folks to look at their homes and make them more user-friendly and give certain rooms a facelift for more ease and enjoyment.

Tom: As a warning, projects are taking longer, COVID has created volatile material prices, labor shortages and material delays.

Make it a great month.  Thanks for stopping in “At Home with Tom and Sandy.”

You’re in good company and we love sharing important information with you.

See you next month. QCBN

By Tom Reilly and Sandy Griffis

Tom Reilly, LEED Accredited Professional, Architect, Contractor, Renovations 928-445-8506 www.renovationsaz.com

Sandy Griffis, Executive Director, Yavapai County Contractors Association.  928-778-0040

Remember to tune in to YCCA’s Hammer Time every Saturday and Sunday morning 7 a.m. on KQNA 1130 AM/99.9 FM/95.5FM or the web kqna.com. Listen to Sandy and Mike talk about the construction industry and meet your local community partners. Hammer Time is a great way to start your weekend.

As Cases Decline, Ducey Eases Restrictions On Elective Surgeries And Long-Term Care Facilities

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With nearly three and a half million vaccine doses administered across Arizona, we’re on track to fighting off the pandemic and returning to normal.

Governor Doug Ducey today rescinded three Executive Orders issued during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic:

“With nearly three and a half million vaccine doses administered across Arizona, we’re on track to fighting off the pandemic and returning to normal,” said Governor Ducey. “At the beginning of the pandemic, we took necessary measures to protect vulnerable populations and all Arizonans. Now the vaccine is out far and wide, and we have much better knowledge of the virus than we did before. I’m grateful to the hospitals, medical professionals and long-term care facilities that prioritized Arizonans’ safety, and I’m looking forward to scaling back on measures that are no longer needed.”

The Governor rescinded the following Executive Orders:

Governor Ducey issued Executive Order 2020-10 on March 19, 2020 to temporarily halt non-essential or elective surgeries. On April 22, 2020, he issued an order resuming elective surgeries if certain criteria were met. With cases continuing to decline, today’s order provides hospitals with the flexibility to conduct elective surgeries.

The Governor issued Executive Order 2020-22 on April 7 to protect long-term care facility residents. Early in the pandemic, the state acted on the best available science and federal recommendations to institute rules to protect vulnerable residents of long-term care facilities. With vaccination efforts well underway, new guidelines from federal partners, and the input of the Arizona Task Force on Long-Term Care, Arizona is now able to roll back some of those limitations and help facilitate additional visitation as well as off-site visits for long-term care residents without the need for quarantine upon return.

View today’s Executive Order HERE.

Enjoying Prescott’s Outdoor Beauty

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Our mild climate, beautiful mountain vistas, five lakes, multiple golf courses, sports fields, and the Granite Dells are an allure to visitors and citizens alike.

Spring is beginning to make an appearance here in Arizona, and we are all beginning to turn our attention once again to the vast array of outdoor activities available in the Prescott community. One of the greatest gifts our hometown has given us during the uncertainty of the last year has been the beauty of the great outdoors. Our mild climate, beautiful mountain vistas, five lakes, multiple golf courses, sports fields, and the Granite Dells are an allure to visitors and citizens alike. With so many natural assets, it’s no wonder Prescott has earned rankings such as “Top 10 Cities for Well-Being,” “Top Happiest and Healthiest Communities,” and “Best Destination in Arizona for Nature Lovers.” In 2020, Prescott again topped the charts, this time with trail usage topping 1.1 million users.

Our system of more than 450 miles of hiking trails is the supreme centerpiece to Prescott’s outdoor amenities. Many of the trails in the city’s system are accessible by bike or horse, and with the wide array of difficulty levels, there are options for every skill and age level. The city alone has more than 100 miles of trails, adding more every year. Some of the most well-known trails like Watson Lake trails, Peavine Trail, Willow Lake trails and Prescott Circle Trail regularly attract families seeking a day in the fresh air. Individuals seeking lesser-known trails and challenges can access the city’s complete trail system via the Avenza Map App. Links to the app and additional information on the local trail system can be found on the Recreation & Trails Page of the city website.

Continuing to improve and expand this trail system has been a cornerstone of the city’s Recreation Services Department endeavors for many years. Recently, the city partnered with Prescott Mountain Biking Association to upgrade the pump track mountain bike loop at Granite Creek Park. A pump track is a closed-loop practice track consisting of berms, jumps and rollers connected by bank turns. The rider “pumps” his or her way through in a continuous loop without having to pedal.

Open space is of great importance to our community and continuing to offer the important outdoor amenities we all hold dear is at the forefront of purchases and annexations in the Prescott area. As negotiations continue with AED, one of the main goals is connections associated with the Prescott Circle Trail and eventual connection to all areas of the Quad Cities.

As we continue to make our way to the other side of COVID-19, we are even more grateful for how blessed we are with so many natural assets. Taking the time to enjoy warm weather, time with family and breathe in the fresh air can do wonders in benefits to everyone’s mental health. And I encourage all citizens and visitors to get out and enjoy the beauty Prescott has to offer. Take to the trails! QCBN

By Greg Mengarelli, QCBN

Greg Mengarelli is the mayor of Prescott.

An Incredible Team Effort: Navajo-Hopi Relief Group Raises $18 Million in One Year

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I literally almost fell out of my chair when they called me and said, ‘We want to give you this large gift.’

When Ethel Branch first launched a modest GoFundMe last March to help Navajo and Hopi elders and families withstand the impacts of COVID-19, she had no idea how quickly it would grow.

One year later, the grassroots Navajo-Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund has received over 100,000 donations, gifts and grants totaling $18 million and has forged partnerships and mobilized hundreds of volunteers to deliver humanitarian relief to thousands in need.

“The success of our fundraising campaign was driven by the deep kindness and generosity of so many beautiful-hearted people across this country, and indeed the world, who care about the well-being of the Navajo and Hopi people, and recognize our unique vulnerability in the face of COVID,” said Branch.

In turn, it’s been a blessing to be able to have a significant impact during the pandemic by ensuring people have what they need to protect their families, including essential food, water and personal protective equipment, she said.

Over $7.2 million has been raised through the original GoFundMe, and an unexpected, unsolicited $10 million gift came in in December from MacKenzie Scott, former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

According to a Dec. 15 disclosure by Scott on medium.com, she donated $4.2 billion to 384 organizations in late 2020 that had worked in marginalized communities to alleviate suffering caused by the pandemic.

“We didn’t even know we were being considered,” said Branch. “I literally almost fell out of my chair when they called me and said, ‘We want to give you this large gift.’”

Scott’s team of advisors had specifically sought out relief groups like the NHFCRF with “strong leadership teams and results” serving in communities facing high levels of food insecurity, racial inequity, and low access to philanthropic capital.

The $10 million infusion from Scott came at a moment when the NHFCRF was facing an imminent funding shortfall and allowed the group to sustain services through the devastating winter COVID-19 surge.

“We were so worried about how we were going to continue to provide protection to our community members at that time,” said NHFCRF Deputy Director Cassandra Begay.

Begay believes the timing and magnitude of Scott’s generosity spoke to divine intervention and the power of women supporting women in doing impactful work.

“What’s really important to know about the MacKenzie Scott gift is they found us and they sought us out,” said Begay. “They vetted us through their very strict process.

“Oftentimes we’re invisible, so to be on the radar of this multi-billionaire recognizing our work, that doesn’t really happen,” she said. “In many ways her heart and her spirit aligned with ours.”

Branch said all of the support from Scott and all of the other donors brought a huge feeling of relief and gratitude.

“It’s been so heartwarming,” said Branch. “To see so many people care and step forward and want to help protect our people and preserve our language and culture has been amazing.”

Empowering self-reliance

Now, with over 300 volunteers, 32 staffers, 30 distribution teams and a fleet of transport vehicles, the NHFCRF has served over 367,000 Navajo and Hopi with humanitarian aid.

The relief group distributes between 10,000 to 20,000 care packages (valued at $100 each) at 10 to 20 locations weekly plus about five distributions of 6,000 PPE kits every week (valued at $18 each).

The NHFCRF also launched a culturally relevant public health education campaign designed to equip Navajo and Hopi community members with the knowledge they need to protect their families from the spread of COVID-19.

“We’ve done our best to create a protective shield for the Navajo and Hopi communities to help close the gap of social inequality and perpetual genocide evident in our poor economy, the health crisis, and the lack of basic humane infrastructure,” said Begay.

Branch said despite the recent reduction in COVID-19 cases, there is still a high demand and a strong need for services in the communities they serve.

“We just don’t know what’s going to happen with the virus,” said Begay. “As matriarchs, our hope is to continue providing protection and to keep moving forward to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

Branch, a Harvard Law School graduate and former Navajo Nation attorney general, credits her own mother, Ellen Billie Branch, for her work ethic and tenacity.

“My mom is so inspiring and hard-working and really captures that essence of what it means to be a Navajo woman and setting your mind to something and making it happen,” said Branch.

Ellen Billie Branch was also the inspiration for Branch to start the GoFundMe last March to protect elders and immuno-compromised individuals from COVID-19 by helping them with supplies that allowed them to stay home and stay safe.

Looking back, Branch said the mobilization of the now multi-million dollar NHFCRF effort has been an incredible team effort that has demonstrated that volunteers, local governments, foundations and other relief and aid groups can unify to take care of communities.

“On Navajo you’re faced with so much red tape and so many reasons not to do something, and we just knew with lives on the line, this has to happen, we have to make this happen,” said Branch.

T’áá hwó’ ají t’éego, or empowering self-determination and self-reliance, has been the driving force behind the NHFCRF effort, she said.

“It’s one of our founding principles,” said Branch. “We’ve been very adaptive, really focused on the goal of getting as many resources to our community as possible. It’s been really great to fulfill those principles of t’áá hwó’ ají t’éego and remind our people it’s possible – we can make a difference.”

‘Pandemic proof’

As they look to the future, Branch said she wants to make sure Navajo and Hopi communities are “pandemic proof.”

“Our next phase of operations will focus on strengthening the resiliency of our communities so we are never caught off guard like this again,” said Branch.

“We really want to go after those underlying issues like the lack of running water, electricity, overcrowded housing and overall poverty in our community,” she said.

Especially with the slowdown in the economy due to COVID-19, Branch believes there needs to be a focus on economic development and innovation, which has remained stagnant on the Nation for decades, largely due to lack of resources and infrastructure.

“There’s really no reason why we have to be in this state of economic paralysis that we’ve had for so long,” she said. “You can empower local governance all you want but if you don’t provide the tools, economic development is not going to come to that community.”

Branch is optimistic that the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration will make strides in helping Indian Country work toward parity with off-reservation communities.

“I’m really hopeful with this administration and Deb Haaland being so knowledgeable about infrastructure that there will be some attention paid to that,” she said.

Haaland’s appointment to secretary of the Department of the Interior was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. She is the first Native American to hold the position, which is being celebrated across Indian Country.

Branch said the NHFCRF will also be working toward ensuring long-term food security for Navajo and Hopi, including revitalizing farming at the local level with community gardens and focusing on healthy eating.

The two nations are often referred to as food deserts with only 13 full-scale grocery stores on their combined 29,945-square-mile territory.

“Local sustainability at the household level will be very important,” said Branch. “We have so many heirloom fruits and vegetables that are designed to grow in this climate and we have a long legacy of farming and providing for our own families.”

Ongoing public health education and language and cultural preservation are also a big part of the organization’s mission as they pursue their long-term goals.

Begay believes the COVID-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call for the world, which has inspired her to make choices not just for today, but for seven generations from now.

“It feels like we are coming from a place of strength and power through an alignment that is much greater than ourselves,” said Begay.

“I would say it was predestined for our group to come together,” she said. “I would say it was predestined by the Holy People to form a shield to help protect our people.”

By Rima Krisst

Arizona Expands COVID-19 Vaccination Eligibility To All

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Arizonans Age 16 And Up Can Be Vaccinated At State Sites.

Registration at Arizona’s state-operated COVID-19 vaccination sites in Maricopa, Pima and Yuma counties will be open to all Arizonans 16 and older beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 24, Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Health Services announced today.

“Our goal has been and remains to get vaccine into the community as quickly, widely and equitably as possible,” said Governor Ducey. “Given a thorough review of vaccination data, anticipated vaccine supply, and current demand among prioritized groups, now is the time to take this critical next step.” 

As of this morning, Arizona has administered 2,904,159 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 1,831,456 individuals, including 1,136,413 who are fully vaccinated. As of Monday morning, there were over 58,000 appointments still available from Friday’s release.

The change announced today advances a hybrid approach that had been based on age and also has had counties vaccinating frontline essential workers. It applies to appointments still available for this week at state sites in Maricopa and Pima counties. 

“We anticipate more and more vaccine reaching Arizona heading into April, making it possible now to expand prioritization,” said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. “We have been flexible and nimble throughout, while expanding the availability of state sites to vaccinate large numbers of people rapidly.” 

ADHS now opens appointments at 11 a.m. each Friday for State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona State University’s Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Tempe, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, the University of Arizona in central Tucson, and, as of this Friday, Yuma Civic Center in Yuma County. 

State sites complement county vaccination programs and the growing availability of vaccine at pharmacies and federally qualified health centers participating in federal vaccination programs. Sites using the Pfizer vaccine, including those run by the state, can vaccinate those 16 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccines, which are allocated to counties, are approved for those 18 and older.

Information about all vaccination sites across Arizona can be found at azhealth.gov/findvaccine. Those without computer access or needing extra help registering can call 1-844-542-8201 to be connected with someone who can assist. Note: You can use the patient portal at podvaccine.azdhs.gov to make an appointment for a relative.

To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination, please visit azdhs.gov/COVID19Vaccines.