Year in Review: Part II

The City of Holbrook had three residents submit letters of interest to fill the council seat that was left vacant with the resignation of Richard Peterson. Those citizens included Gretchen Herndon, Mark Jackson and Jay Turley.

Snowflake Taylor Police Chief Larry Scarber retired after 40 years in law enforcement and named Bobby Martin, who has been with the department for 12 years, as his replacement.

Holbrook sake brewer Atsuo Sakurai, owner of Arizona Sake Company, won the gold medal for “Best of Class” from the 2019 Los Angeles Wine Competition for his sake. There were 2,350 wines from 19 countries showcased, tasted and scored at the 80th annual event held at the Los Angeles County Fair.

Holbrook natives Mike, Vince and Libby Budenholzer, as well as five of Mike’s six siblings and his four children, came to Holbrook to celebrate the dedication of Budenholzer Court at Holbrook High School. Mike is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year and his father Vince had served in Holbrook as a faculty member and legendary coach. The memory of Tony Munoz, who the gym is named after, was also honored, with his family in attendance. During his very active 23 years in the community Munoz served as a teacher, a coach and an administrator for the Holbrook Unified School District.

A large crowd gathered to share in the celebration at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post. This icon of the Mother Road has served up cold drinks and kitschy souvenirs for road weary travelers along Route 66 for the past 70 years.

The Cherry Bombs, a charity group with members in Winslow and Holbrook hosted Winslow’s first Pride event. The event, which included a family barbecue and a drag show was an unexpected success with over 200 people in attendance.

The Navajo County Fair hosted the Arizona Livestock camp for its 10th year with 215 youth in attendance, 267 entries to show and just under 500 animals brought to the camp. The camp nearly quadrupled the number of animals who show for the Navajo County Fair.

Of the 87 registered sex offenders living in Navajo County, the Sheriff’s Office along with the U.S. Marshall’s Office were able to verify all but six in a three-day operation. The 16 registered sex offenders living in the Winslow-Holbrook area were all verified and in compliance.

Former Holbrook police chief Mark Jackson was selected from three applicants to fill the vacant Holbrook City Council seat and to serve for the two years remaining on that term.

Following a public hearing, the Holbrook City Council voted to amend the water adjudication fee from the $5 approved at the beginning of the year for users of the city water and sewer systems to $8 to offset the increased legal costs of the water adjudication litigation involving the Little Colorado River water rights.

Holbrook Unified School District reported that it would be participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. As part of this program, Holbrook High School, Holbrook Junior High, and Hulet, Park and Indian Wells elementary schools and NCIS will offer healthy meals every school day at no cost to the students due to the implementation of the Community Eligibility Provision for school year 2O19-2020. Students will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit a household application.

Carvel and Cleone Solomon, longtime Snowflake residents, were selected as the grand marshals in the 2019 Snowflake Pioneer Days Parade. The Solomons were honored for their many years of devoted service to the community over the decades, quietly serving behind the scenes to help preserve and promote Snowflake’s unique heritage, cultural growth and community celebrations. Their efforts have helped preserve local pioneer homes as well as establish both the Silver Creek Performing Arts Association and Heritage Foundation.

The annual Taylor Rodeo was so successful that tickets sold out an hour in advance and refunds had to be issued to those unable to find a seat.

The Taste of Holbrook event welcomed more than 100 guests at the Heward House Hanger where awards were presented to Holly Hill as Youth of the Year, Youth for Christ for Organization of the Year, Tanryelle Interiors for Business of the Year, Pat Pogue for Businesswoman of the Year and Roel Marasigan for Businessman of the Year.

The five commissioners of the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) voted three-to-two that Arizona Public Service (APS) did not need to file an application with ACC to convert the Cholla Power Plant to biomass. The vote effectively shut down the ability of APS to obtain $2.5 million from the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff to complete the engineering and the studies needed to fully vet the viability of converting Cholla’s Unit One into a biomass generation plant.

During the Navajo County Mayor’s Summit, Navajo County Assistant Manager Paul Watson addressed 4FRI (Four Forest Restoration Initiative) efforts. Even though there is still a contract in place for phase one of 4FRI, the Forest Service determined that there was enough acreage available to put out a second contract with the contract timeline expanded from 10 to 20 years. The second contract is for the processing of 605,000 to 818,000 acres of forest over a 20-year period, or approximately 30,000 to 40,000 acres per year in addition to the initial contract.

Neil Traver, Northeast Division Manager for Arizona Public Service (APS) announced that APS had begun a three-phase project that would provide broadband access to facilitate economic development in Navajo County. With fiber optics already built out from Phoenix up to the Verde Substation, fiber would be brought up from Phoenix up to Payson while also moving the fiber from Prescott up to Flagstaff. Fiber would then be brought up from Payson to the Cholla Substation (in Joseph City) then from Cholla out to Flagstaff to the Coconino Substation by 2021. Utilizing a 432 pair line, it would provide unlimited capacity to the region.

The Winslow Police Department welcomed Officer Aaron Canyon to their ranks as a lateral police officer transfer.

Winslow celebrated the contributions of the Pueblo Indians with Laguna Days. The people of the Pueblo worked on the railroad and brought their rich culture to the community when they were housed in railroad cars in the city. The event included a Grab, a tradition where commodities were thrown out to the people by everyone that was named, baptized or confirmed with the name of a Saint in a celebration honoring their faith.

Local broadcaster, Loy Engelhardt was awarded a place in the Arizona Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame. Engelhardt has been in the radio business for over 50 years, getting his start in a small station in Abilene, Kan. He has been at KINO radio in Winslow since 1977.

August

Navajo County, as well as cities and towns within the county, made an all out effort to educate the communities on the importance of supporting the Jail Tax Proposition that would be on the upcoming ballot for the second time and the implications of cutbacks that would occur if it should not pass.

The Standin’ on The Corner Foundation found financial support for the restoration of its iconic mural located at Second Street and Kinsley Avenue in Winslow through a $10,000 check from the Route 66 Association of Arizona. Fundraisers had brought in $17,468 but the additional donation would allow for its completion.

Bob Moore, the investment advisor and portfolio manager for Navajo County reported that interest in the county’s investment portfolio experienced a significant increase during fiscal year 2018-19. The portfolio had a credit rating of a double A+, the highest credit rating available. The maturity of the portfolio is very liquid and the yield being provided was far in excess of long-term government bonding.

The Winslow City Council presented Loy Englehardt with a proclamation from Mayor Tom McCauley, which praised Engelhardt for his 50-year-long broadcasting career and his over 40-year commitment to Winslow sports and news. The city approved renaming the section of Cherry Street from Apache Avenue to East Pope that runs in front of the indoor pool Loy Englehardt Way.

Snowflake-Taylor Police Chief Bobby Martin hit the ground running in his new role as police chief by presenting the “Connect with a Cop” series on the police department’s Facebook page where citizens could potentially have their questions featured and answered in a future Facebook video. Chief Martin also provided tips and various information about how to keep the community a safe and well-informed place.

September

Navajo County voters took to the polls and voted nearly two to one to add a one-third of a cent sales tax to all non-grocery purchases of goods in Navajo County for the next 20 years. According to the unofficial results, 14,330, or 21.94 percent of registered voters, cast ballots out of 65,300 registered voters in the county. Of the total ballots cast, 9,480 voted in favor of the tax and 4,831 voted against it. The tax will go towards a Navajo County Jail District allowing the funds currently allocated towards the operations of the jail to be redirected to other necessary services in the county.

The new Jail Tax was estimated to bring in more than $2.5 million each year, or $15 million over the next 20 years, to offset the loss of revenues from the impeding closures of the Cholla Power Plant and Navajo Generating Station. The funds made available due to the passage of the tax will be used to maintain the level of services currently provided by the county. As a benefit to local municipalities, the implantation of the tax will mean they will no longer have to pay jail fees to the county to incarcerate misdemeanor arrests.

The 88th Annual Navajo County Fair opened with the theme, “It’s An American Tradition.”

Former Holbrook High School basketball coach Raul Mendoza was singled out for a docuseries by Netflix for his efforts in helping kids live their dreams on the court despite challenges they may face in other aspects of life. The series “Basketball or Nothing” was a six-part docuseries that shadowed Mendoza and the Chinle High School boys’ basketball team on their journey through the 2017-2018 season and into the playoffs.

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in Holbrook held a class on the importance of preserving and increasing the rapidly declining population of pollinators. It was noted that in the previous year there was a 40 percent reduction in the bee population worldwide. The office placed bee boxes in Holbrook, Pinetop and Taylor.

The Snowflake Town Council gave a recognition to Vice Mayor Kerry Ballard for his longstanding service in the Snowflake community. Ballard had served the town as an elected official for 24 years.

The Taylor Town Council moved forward with plans to improve the airport. The total amount of the project was estimated at $600,000, which would be fully funded by the Federal Aviation Administration. The project would extend the parking lot of the airport, finish the fencing around the perimeter, improve the entrance with a security gate, and allow for the removal of several large stumps.

Winslow Police Department Lieutenant Ernie Cano graduated from the 277th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy in Quantico, Va. Lieutenant Cano joined three other FBI National Academy graduates currently employed by the Winslow Police Department: Chief Dan Brown, Lieutenant Ken Arend and Sergeant David Sargent.

Winslow High School celebrated homecoming, crowning King Romeo Romero, son of Marco Romero and Lisa Lucero and Queen Brooke Williams, daughter of J.D. and Gina Williams.

October

During a meeting of the Winslow City Council, City Manager John Barkley informed the council that the commercial historic district of downtown Winslow has been nominated to be part of the National Register of Historic Places. The district is considered to be from First Street to Third Street and from Warren to Williamson Avenues.

With Superintendent Cyndie Mattox retiring at the end of the 2019-20 school year, the Winslow Unified School District Governing Board was determining the process for hiring a new superintendent.

Brantley Baird, owner of Rock Art Ranch in Winslow and a native to the area, chose Joseph City to host his Pioneer Museum. The outdoor museum is a display of equipment used for the past 100 years in the region and included old well rigs and corn cribs the pioneers used to store their corn.

Ofelia Lange and Jerry Stark expanded their business efforts beyond their Holbrook Mercantile and Knife City shop to include a general store in Sun Valley and a new restaurant in Holbrook.

Joseph City High School celebrated a grand homecoming, crowning King Ethan Hansen and Queen Sari Murdock.

The annual Pedal the Petrified fundraiser for NPC Friends and family brought out 250 bicyclists and netted over $34,000 for scholarships. The event hosted bicyclists from all over the nation, with participants from as far away as Minnesota and ranging in age from 15 to 78.

Navajo County Assistant Manager Paul Watson, retired from the county after serving as a public servant for 31 years. Watson headed up the economic development aspect of the county.

Holbrook poet Bea Darbe released her fifth and final book of poetry. A Whispering Word is a heartfelt collection of 120 poems based upon events and heartaches of people she has met and who have related to her the experiences in their lives.

After more than a year, the Magnuson Hotel on Hopi Drive in Holbrook finally came down. The two-story, 54-room hotel was consumed by fire in 2018 after transients in a trailer next to the hotel set the structure on fire and it jumped to the hotel. The massive eyesore was leveled to the ground with future plans for the lot not yet addressed.

A settlement was reached in the U.S. District Court Case Navajo Nation v. Katie Hobbs. The plaintiffs alleged that certain Arizona electoral practices violated the federal and state constitutions as well as the Voting Rights Act. The case, which stemmed from a November 2018 complaint by the Navajo Nation resulted was not in monetary settlement but an agreement to make voting more accessible for all citizens of Navajo County.

Northland Pioneer College implemented a third-party payment system, Nelnet, that not only allowed students to see their accounts in real time, it allowed them to no longer have to call the business office or walk onto a campus to make their payments. The next phase of the improvement plan was the enhancement and implementation of a web-based registration option. It would also enhance student support delivery with plans to implement a text based advisory system.

The Navajo County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of four 2019 120M2 Caterpillar motor graders from Empire Machinery in the amount of $1 million. It was explained that motor graders are one of the most mission critical pieces of equipment the public works department uses. The purchase replaced three motor graders ranging in age from 29 to 40 years old that had been operating and one more that is over 50 years old that had been inoperable for several years.

After 32 years of service and many hats worn, Holbrook City Clerk Cher Reyes retired. To her fellow employees, friends and community members Reyes said, “The City of Holbrook has been very good to me. It will always be my hometown.”

Holbrook Police officers Michael Kennedy and Matthew Theobald were honored by the Holbrook Police Department with the department’s Life Saving Award. Both officers responded to an overdose call and while one officer used CPR the other administered Naloxone, a medication used to treat narcotic overdoses in emergency situations. The officers were commended for their diligence in assessing the situation and quick thinking to begin life-saving efforts.

Navajo County Public Health Services issued a statement warning the public of the potential dangers posed by the growing trend of vaping. Vaping had become a reportable condition that was considered exceptionally dangerous, with reports of some cases of vaping-related illnesses ending in death.

The City of Winslow was moving forward with a public transit plan that would provide transport services to and from Flagstaff, and to and from Holbrook. It was noted that the entire transit initiative in Winslow will be subsidized by grant monies. The initial Arizona Department of Transit grant awarded Winslow with $208,000 and requires the city to match 20 percent annually. Another grant provided a bus, dispatch and computer equipment. Because of the savings on the buses, the city had had the match funding for that grant.

November

The group All Aboard Arizona visited Winslow in an effort to raise awareness for troubles being faced by rail passengers nationwide. Specifically, the Southwest Chief, a passenger train operated by Amtrak, that makes two stops in Winslow each day is in jeopardy. It was noted that newly appointed Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson decided to concentrate on state supported short corridors of 750 miles or fewer and to potentially get rid of long-distance trains.

Pollard Helium secured 10,000 acres of leased land between Joseph City and the Petrified Forest approximately a half of a mile north of Interstate 40 that contain helium gas. The company was testing with one constructed well and owner Joshua Pollard explained that the world’s demand for the gas and its discovery here could mean many jobs for the area once proper permitting is obtained. The permitting was being delayed as helium mining was a new endeavor for Arizona.

In a Navajo County Special Election, Winslow’s Proposition 422, a change in the city charter that moves general elections from May to November, bringing the City of Winslow in to compliance with state law was approved by the voters. In addition, Winslow, Joseph City and Blue Ridge school districts all asked voters to extend tax overrides that will continue funding for programs in those public schools. Winslow and Joseph City overrides passed but Blue Ridge voters denied the override.

Holbrook High School 2005 graduate Michelle Thomas was a recipient of the Native American Music Award for the music video for her song “Beautifully.”

Winslow’s Bonnie Brennan Elementary School received the Arizona Department of Education’s highest rating of “A.” The rating is based on a school’s performance on AzMerit standardized testing. This is the first Winslow school to receive that designation.

The Navajo County Board of Supervisors approved a special use permit for construction of a solar energy facility called Hashknife Energy Center. The facility, which is planned to sit on nearly 3,000 acres south of Joseph City will begin construction in 2021. The panels would reach heights of 10 feet, and construction would create between 200 to 400 jobs while under construction, and once it is complete, would sustain 3-5 full time jobs. The development would also cause ranchers to lose 3,000 acres from their grazing permits.

Debra Kester announced her retirement after 34 years of service to the county. Kester has served in many capacities in the county including in the Assessor’s Office and the last three years as treasurer. Her Chief Deputy Kari Lopez was assigned to fill the remainder of her term.

Long-time Show Low resident and former NPC public information/media relations coordinator Everett Robinson was appointed as Northland Pioneer College’s District 4 representative on the District Governing Board. He took over the position previously held by James Matteson, who resigned from the position.

Navajo County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Scott Peterson and Sgt. Wayne Lesperance, and U.S. Marshal T. Traistaru were presented with the Award of Valor after not only risking their lives during a high risk situation but also ensuring the safety of hostages during an hour-long standoff with a homicide suspect on the evening of Oct. 10 in Winslow.

Donovan John placed first in the AIA Region I Individual State Championship Chess Qualifier. Donovan, a senior at Holbrook High School, won his first four rounds and took a draw on the final round accumulating a total of 4.5 points during the tournament. He advanced to the state individual championships where he placed 15th playing against 70 of the highest ranked high school chess players in the state.

Kampgrounds of America, the world’s largest family of family-friendly campgrounds, announced that the Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA Journey Campground earned the 2020 KOA President’s Award. The owner of the property is Todd Winegar, with Larry Hager managing the property.

The Office of the Attorney General found no wrongdoing or illegal activities by Winslow Finance Director Elias Jouen after claims were made by former budget analyst Olivia Todd of discrepancies in the city’s financial report and alleged abusive behavior by Jouen.

December

A story in The Tribune addressed the serious blight in Holbrook as several property owners of large dilapidated buildings in the community were allowed to leave their properties in disrepair.

Navajo County prepared to adjust to the new minimum wage of $12, which while not affecting a large number of employees employed at minimum wage, did lead to wage compression leading to a larger increase in the amount of funds required to make those adjustments.

Brenda Hayducovich Daly, whose son Kevin graduated from Winslow High School in 1995 and had passed away last year, provided an early Christmas to the students of Bonnie Brennan Elementary School in Winslow when she provided new shoes for every single student in his name.

Navajo County Sheriff’s K-9 Deputy Legend, who was handled by Deputy Daniel Deets, was recognized for his four years of service to the department. The K-9 was allowed to retire after a stellar career of seizing over 1,550 pounds of marijuana, 351 pounds of methamphetamine, 20 pounds of cocaine, 13 and a half pounds of heroin, three pounds of fentanyl and over $3.3 million in drug money.

A wind turbine project located 27 miles south of Winslow was given the go-ahead by the Navajo County Board of Supervisors. The project is located right on the county line between Navajo and Coconino County on Highway 99 on private property. S-Power, the company planning to build this windfarm noted that the project had the ability to produce 477 megawatts of power and would include 164 turbines total with only eight of those on 3,650 acres within Navajo County.

Holbrook Police Chief Nathan Christensen reported an increase in the amount of crime reported over the last year compared to 2018. The total calls received this year exceeded the 6,970 calls taken in 2018 by 2,240 for a total of 9,210 for 2019. The number of dispatched calls also increased from 1,762 in 2018 to 1,958 in 2019.

Holbrook resident Pat Serna set the national record in the deadlift event when he attended the United States Powerlifting Association’s 2019 Christmas Classic in Peoria at the convention center lifting a hefty 585 pounds.

The Taylor Town Council honored the late Carl Cosper who was a former vice mayor of the town. “Carl Cosper could not have been a better man for the job and he did a great job. I know it wasn’t easy for him all the time to do it, but he stuck to it and followed it through,” said Councilman Fay Hatch before the council presented a memorial blanket bearing the image of Cosper to his wife, Sherry.

The Winslow City Council approved an amendment to a city ordinance requiring citizens to provide proof of identification. The amendment made it a class three misdemeanor for a person to refuse to provide identification or evidence of identity upon request of a peace officer who has lawfully detained said person. Identification in Arizona is not required unless there is a city ordinance. Police Chief Dan Brown noted, “This does not grant permission for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to come in nor does it target a specific group of people. Basically, anyone who is contacted in a police matter will be required to show identification. We contact a lot of people who give us false information. Sometimes, we are booking them in under different names, or no name at all.”

The Winslow City Council honored Winslow High School Baseball Coach Art Griffith earlier this month with a mayor’s proclamation. Griffith has been the head coach of WHS baseball for 50 years. He was recently inducted into the Arizona High School Coaches Hall of Fame.

The Two Plus Two program was presented at the Navajo County Community College Governing Board meeting as a program that creates a route for people who would like to become teachers to stay in their communities. People can do the first two years of a bachelor’s degree with their community college. At the end of that associates of arts degree, through the partnership, they are set up just right to finish the second part in conjunction with the teacher’s college at Arizona State University but with classes being provided in Navajo County.