2017: The year in review, Part I

County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Evelyn Marez of Holbrook was appointed to the Judicial College of Arizona.

Winslow’s historic Masonic Temple was beautifully restored after an arson fire two years earlier caused extensive damage not only to the temple but two other buildings in the city.

Councilwoman Francie Payne donated a piece of land in downtown Holbrook to be used as a micro-park with hopes of it becoming a community garden.

Phillip Rose took over as chief of the Holbrook Volunteer Fire Department. Rose had already been volunteering for the department for 12 years before being appointed.

Winslow Police Corporal Lawrence Dashee was awarded with a medal for bravery after noticing an early morning fire at a residence and getting the family from the home uninjured.

The Painted Desert Community Center built in 1961 and encompassing 23 buildings, sites and structures was named a National Historic Landmark.

February

Holbrook graduate Skylar Gishie was the high point roper in the national La Fiesta Truck Roping at the National Team Roping Tour and was presented with a new one-ton Ram dually Cummins truck as a prize.

Renowned metal sculptor and Winslow resident John Suttman added to the beauty of the La Posada Hotel by creating rails and ornate lamps.

Concerns arose with the implementation of the new minimum wage law for organizations such as the First Step Workshop, which was struggling to continue its operations as a result.

Winslow Junior High School seventh grader Jett Jue took the title as Navajo County’s top speller in the annual competition.

A bill entitled the New Deal Rural Broadband Act passed making broadband Internet a possibility for the rural areas of the state. Monies for the project was to come from state and federal government funds, and grants through the Corporation Commission.

The Hashknife Posse made its 59th trek to Scottsdale in their annual Pony Express run, carrying mail from across the globe in this important tradition that symbolizes the spirit of the Old West.

Holbrook High School senior Hope Bowden took second place in the varsity category in the 2017 Arizona Regional Braille Challenge.

March

Navajo County and Northland Pioneer College prepared for a reduction in revenues due to tax funding losses with the reduction of assessed valuations at Cholla Power Plant in Joseph City and had concerns over continued losses as uncertainty lingered over the continued operation of the plant.

Holbrook resident and Navajo dancer Delano Paddock took home second place in the Youth Division in the Heard Museum Hoop Dance World Championship.

Thanks to local donations, the Winslow Homolovi Observatory added an impressive newly refurbished Celestron CGE Pro 1400 telescope to the three already at the observatory.

Holbrook Junior High School students Damon Attakai and Mylee Demuth headed to the national competition after each won first place in their division at the Arizona Elks Hoop Shoot contest.

Cyndie Mattox was named superintendent of Winslow Unified School District. She started with two decades of experience as both a teacher and an administrator. Weeks later Dr. Justin Hartman was hired as the new principal over Winslow High School.

Governor Doug Ducey appointed Navajo County District II Supervisor Jesse Thompson to the State Transportation Board.

Incumbents Wade Carlisle, Earl Kester and Richard Peterson retained their seats on the Holbrook City Council against four other competitors for the positions.

Holbrook native Jason Foutz returned home to take the position of Chief Operations Officer at Northland Pioneer College.

Winslow residents came together in support of opening the Sweetland Community Garden on land donated by the city at the east end of the city.

Navajo County District III Supervisor Jason Whiting honored the Holbrook High School Lady Roadrunners for their achievement in making the final four at the state basketball tournament.

April

Navajo County made the decision to close the Child Support Division and the Navajo County Juvenile Detention facility due to budget concerns. The cuts caused the loss of 31 jobs but was anticipated to provide $800,000 to help offset an anticipated $1.2 million deficit in the budget.

Holbrook resident Atsuo Sakurai introduced Japanese sake to Arizona with his Arizona Sake brand beginning a year-long promotion of not only his very popular beverage but also of the City of Holbrook.

Winslow High School graduate and Harvard Professor Matthew Desmond was the recipient of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction for his book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American Society.

May

Randy Sullivan was named city manager after serving as interim city manager. The split decision by council came as residents spoke in favor of Sullivan and against a potential costly search for a manager from outside of the area.

The Winslow Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center introduced a new app to help tourists navigate the city and learn from their smartphone what there was to see and do in the city.

The City of Winslow hired Dan Brown as their new police chief. Brown had a 19-year history in law enforcement and came to the department from the St. Johns Police Department.

Brennan O’Hair was chosen as Holbrook High School’s Mr. Roadrunner in a contest with seven other participants.

The Winslow Police Department recognized Employees of the Year including Corporal Alicia Lopez, Lieutenant Ken Arend, Officer Marlita Jones, Sergeant Quintin Hayes and Investigator Doug Walton.

Holbrook voted 212 to 191 against the implementation of a property tax that was sought to add $100,000 to city coffers to pay the salary for a vacant police officer’s position.

The Holbrook School District welcomed Kevin Fosburgh as the new principal for Hulet Elementary School as former principal Mike McClellan took a position as principal in the Round Valley School District.

Winslow’s ASTA (Alliance Supporting Tribal America) Roofing and Construction won the 2017 Master Award, the highest annual award given by the Arizona Small Business Development Center Network for the company’s dedication and focus required in building a small company.

June

Lifelong Holbrook resident Cindy Tafoya took over as the director of the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce.

The Department of Agriculture Rural Development honored Winslow resident Carmelita Johnson as the Family Complex Site Manager of the Year.

Holbrook’s oldest church, the United Methodist Church, received a major interior restoration thanks to the efforts of Doug Kubrik and Pastor Jimmy Nelson. The work involved restoring the oak floor, restoring adobe walls and replacing paneling drywall.

The local senior citizen centers in Holbrook and Winslow lost federal funding to provide Meals on Wheels to senior citizens, causing concerns regarding welfare checks on homebound seniors.

Navajo County Manager Jimmy Jayne resigned after serving Navajo County for 14 years.

La Posada owner Allan Affeldt announced that ground had been broken for the construction of the Route 66 Museum, a $2 million project that was to showcase, through fine art, the history of the Route 66 corridor and would include the works of world-renowned artist James Turrell.

Northland Pioneer College began their search for a college president to replace retiring president Jeanne Swarthout, who is looking to retire in July of 2018.

Holbrook’s sake brewer Atsuo Sakurai, made two trips to the Japanese consulate in Los Angeles to provide them with his sake and to promote the City of Holbrook.