Year in Review, Part II

Jim and Kristene Ballard, and Eva and Rene Juarez, were selected as the 2022 Pioneer Days Parade co-grand marshals.

Winslow City Manager John Barkley announced that he was resigning his position. In a written statement, Barkley explained that he has accepted a position as city manager of Charles Town, W.Va. Later in the month the city council selected Assistant City Manager David Coolidge to serve as an interim manager until the council could determine the next steps in securing a permanent manager.

The map for the five supervisorial districts and Northland Pioneer College Community College Precincts was approved by the Navajo County Board of Supervisors. Precinct 1 has a total population of 22,076 and includes portions of Winslow up to the northern border of Navajo County, west of Hard Rock and north of Pinon. Precinct 2 has a population of 20,763 and includes portions of Winslow and east along I-40 through Joseph City and Holbrook to the New Mexico border and north to include Greasewood and Tees Toh. Precinct 3 has a population of 20,855 and includes portions of Winslow, Joseph City and Holbrook south of I-40, and south to White Mountain Lake. Precinct 4 has a population of 21,209 and includes Show Low and Wagon Wheel. Precinct 5 has a population of 21,814 and includes Pinetop Country Club, Cibecue and south to Rainbow City.

The Eastern Arizona Counties Organization (ECO) made a contribution of $25,000 to support the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Range Rider Program that is directed by the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team. Created in 1993, ECO includes Apache, Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee and Navajo counties. One of the key activities the department is engaged in is reducing depredations on livestock in the wolf recovery area. Based on the number of documented depredations since 2019 when the program was initiated, there has been a decline in depredations, which is attributed to the Range Rider Program.

Navajo County was awarded a $9.7 million rural Broadband grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority to help ensure residents can live, work, learn and compete in a global economy by creating access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. The grant funds will be combined with the $10 million already allocated by the Navajo County Board of Supervisors from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds for a total of $19.7 million investment in broadband infrastructure.

Holbrook was one of several communities allowed to participate in a $600,000 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Assessment Grant. The three-year grant provides surveys and assessments of selected blighted buildings in the community.

Navajo County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Ernie Garcia was named the Arizona Sheriff’s Association Detention Administrator of the Year for his work in the Navajo County Jail. Sheriff David Clouse noted that Garcia has over 30 years of experience in detention, including 20 years as a warden in Winslow and nearly 12 years administrator at the Navajo County Jail. Clouse said, “A lot of why he was nominated has to do with his mitigation efforts as they pertain to COVID-19. That obviously brought a lot of concern and public questions of how we would handle it. We were treading unknown waters and we appreciate his leadership efforts in that.”

August

The Holbrook City Council approved a resolution for a Transmission and Access Easement Option agreement with Snowflake Solar LLC, in the amount of $156,000. The company was looking to build a large utility solar farm on land owned by Bill Jeffers. In order to facilitate the interconnection of the power into the Cholla substation, a transmission line had to be constructed and brought down to that substation with a portion of that path through the City of Holbrook. The easement will be approximately 2.13 miles in length, will include approximately eight to 10 transmission line structures located approximately 1,160 to 1,700 feet apart and shall not exceed 200 feet in width and would be located from north to south along Golf Course Road.

A building at the abandoned Star Inn, located at 1009 W. Hopi Drive, in Holbrook was engulfed in flames. Fire personnel from Holbrook, Joseph City and Winslow were on hand to battle the blaze, were able to contain the fire to the one building and kept it from spreading to the apartments behind the structure or the vacant building to the east. According to HVFD Chief Alex Baker, there was no definitive cause.

Holbrook had a successful recall of its mayor with Kathleen Smith winning over Merrill Young. Three Holbrook council seats were filled by Karina Pack, Robert Black and Arcenia Pacheco. The next highest vote getters were Adam Marsh, Kristie Patterson and Barbara Blythe. The Town of Taylor had four council seat vacancies that were filled by Sherry Cosper, Bill Baldwin, Jason Brubaker and Lynn Dewitt. Other candidates included Jack Babb and April Williams. Byron Lewis won the mayor’s seat for Snowflake over Bob Flake. Snowflake had two council seats that were filled by Greg Brimhall and Cory Johnson. Lauri Wong was also a candidate. There are 14 precincts in Navajo County with 67,247 registered voters who cast 21,642 ballots for a voter turnout of 32.18%.

Navajo County Treasurer Kari Lopez reported that rural property tax collections for the year, as of June 30, were nearly $90 million. Lopez said the county was a little higher in property tax delinquencies this year than the year before. In 2020, when stimulus money was rolling in, people were paying down their delinquent taxes.

Hashknife Posse Captain Mark Reynolds informed the Holbrook Council that a new bronze monument commemorating the Hashknife Pony Express was nearly complete at a cost of $80,000.

World Homes Initiative approached the Winslow City Council and citizens in the community regarding a “smart living city” project that they proposed for the community that would bring new industry, housing and opportunity to the city. WHI’s plan was to solve the housing crisis with net-zero carbon footprint technologies. Among these technologies presented were atmospheric water generation and an energy generator that uses no fossil fuels. Citizens expressed concerns following the company’s presentation due to the lack of history of those heading the project and the uncertainty of how the massive undertaking would be managed and financed.

The Holbrook Chamber of Commerce welcomed new board of directors as well as executive board officers. They include, Janet Dean, president; Tyreta Brown, vice president; Dani Day, past-president; Shar Gillespie, treasurer; and Lori Romo, secretary. The board of directors include, Paul Ortega, Lee Kits, Lonna Young, Karen Amakasu, Jennifer Basaldua and Mackenzie Stuart.

The Navajo County Board of Supervisors discussed the expenditure of funds from the county’s participation in the One Arizona opioid epidemic litigation, as a plaintiff in the multi-district litigation in Ohio against certain opioid manufacturers and distributors. The county was seeking to be compensated for additional burdens placed on the court system, the Public Defender’s Office, prosecution, probation, public safety resources and the greater need for treatment as a result of the opioid epidemic. Navajo County was awarded nearly $500,000 in compensation that the board was considering using to promote educational awareness.

September

Many county citizens came forward at the Board of Supervisors meeting to express their concerns with a proposed wind farm in the Chevlon Canyon area south of Joseph City. Not to be confused with the Chevlon Butte Wind Farm project already underway by the same developer, this new endeavor will encompass approximately 52,000 acres, produce 500 megawatts of electricity and employ 500 people during the construction. The project will be developed largely on private land owned by Aztec Cattle and Land Co. The applicant projected commercial operation to begin in 2025 and it will feature 104 wind turbines and up to six permanent meteorological towers. Some concerns expressed included noise, unsightly towers and damage to the landscape and wildlife in the area especially on private property.

The Rail Passengers Association welcomed the White House announcement of a tentative rail agreement and concessions from the Class I railroads around work rules and time-off policies. It was hoped that this agreement would be enough to settle a long-running dispute and avoid a debilitating shutdown of the nation’s vital rail transportation system.

The Winslow City Council heard from Winslow Beautification Committee Chair Kayla Weishan. She gave an overview of projects her committee had recently taken on which include weed removal, painting of fences, trash removal and basic repairs. Weishan said, “We started this group so that we could set an example for our kids and the rest of the community to help make our city more beautiful. We want to do more than just weed removal though. We want to continue helping the elderly and disabled citizens make their property and their homes more beautiful.”

Concerns were raised by Mayor Kathleen Smith over the shortage of police officers at Holbrook Police Department and the impact on the current officers who were working extensive overtime, adding concerns of officer and public safety.

Northland Pioneer College President Dr. Chato Hazelbaker announced that the college received a $1.6 million Department of Education Title Three grant. The grant will be used to create a virtual one-stop-shop to go along with the physical ones throughout the campuses, that will allow students to get information quickly and efficiently to accomplish the one stop shop strategic initiative. Hazelbaker also wants to use the grant to continue to develop the holistic relational model for academic advising.

October

The Winslow City Council made a unanimous decision to appoint Interim City Manager David Coolidge as city manager. Coolidge has been employed by the city for 15 years and has served in many capacities including IT director and human resources director.

The Winslow City agreed to commit $3 million in ARPA funds to the building of a new library complex. It was estimated that a fully furnished facility including new computers will cost approximately $3.5-$3.7 million. Winslow received $3.1 million in federal ARPA funding and has previously committed $100,000 of those funds to a utility assistance program for those struggling to pay their utility bills due to pandemic circumstances.

The Board of Supervisors accepted a $1.3 million grant award by the United States Department of Justice to be allocated to the county over the course of the next three fiscal years to assist the county in implementing their County Overdose Prevention and Engagement (COPE) program. According to Navajo County Attorney Brad Carlyon, the program is based on the 10 essential elements of opioid intervention and will utilize a rapid response team of justice system and behavioral health practitioners to identify individuals as risk of drug overdose. Patients will be linked with evidence-based treatment, recovery support services and ongoing monitoring. The goal of the program is to prevent overdose deaths and increase long-term treatment engagement.

The four community college districts that cover all of northern Arizona entered into a historic partnership agreement. The presidents of Northland Pioneer College, Coconino Community College, Mohave Community College and Yavapai College recently signed the Northern Arizona Community College Partnership (NACCP) intergovernmental agreement, which calls on the districts to collaborate and combine resources to better serve citizens and communities throughout northern Arizona. This includes sharing college courses to improve student success and completion and enhancing workforce development by utilizing the vast array of unique programs offered by each district.

November

Winslow Unified School District Superintendent Connie Gover announced that the district is overall a ‘B’ rated district according to the Arizona Department of Education. Each individual school site improved their letter grade from the last time they were awarded or maintained their previous ranking. The determination is based on a range of quantitative measures including the AzMERIT test.

Holbrook Unified School District No. 3 board members elected to continue in their positions included Debbie Shumway who will serve a two-year term, and Linda Yazzie and Claudia Jackson who will each serve a four-year term.

Each year the Dusty Desert Quilt Guild presents hand crafted quilts as part of the Quilts of Honor program and this year they presented quilts to five local veterans who served this country in the armed forces. Those recognized included William “Lucky” Warner, who served in the US Army from 2001 to 2004, Betty Peck served in the US Navy for 20 years from 1981 to 2001, William “Willie” Smith who was drafted in 1976, Richard L. Powers served in the US Air Force from 1968 to 1973, and Kendal J. Webster.

Daniel Lupien with Palmer Development Group and Danny Wasson with Wasson Commercial have come together for the joint venture Atlas Global Development Group with the intention of bringing industry and housing to Winslow. Another group, World Homes Initiative, presented much the same way to residents, but what that presentation lacked in a definitive history of development was in stark contrast to that of the partners involved in Atlas Global. According to Lupien, the World Homes Initiative plan was unable to garner enough investment funding, an issue that may not be the case for Atlas Global. He expressed the hope of developing an inland port in Winslow and flying international cargo directly to Winslow where it would then be put on rail cars or on the interstate to be sent out. The project includes 1,200 acres of industrial development and also a residential component, which would alleviate the immense housing shortage in the region. The land involved includes parcels south of Winslow and both east and west of Highway 87. It includes the extension of rail spurs, the expansion of the Lindbergh Regional Airport, and the creation of thousands of square feet of industrial space and housing. For the housing component, the development would not be traditional construction but prefabricated mode.

Navajo County Supervisor Jason Whiting was unanimously elected by his colleagues as the President of the County Supervisors Association. Whiting stated, “It is critical that county supervisors forge a strong partnership with lawmakers to inform their consideration of proposed legislation, helping them to understand what various policies mean to constituent services and the local taxpayer. Solid collaboration between the state and its counties promotes more efficient and responsive government across our state, and I am looking forward to leading the association’s work to this end.”

Northern Arizona University announced it would provide full tuition coverage for members of Arizona’s 22 federally recognized tribes beginning in fall 2023 through an expansion to the Access2Excellence initiative. This would provide tuition for all new first-time undergraduate students with a family income of $65,000/year or less beginning in fall 2023.

Winslow residents, visitors and members of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization came together for the dedication of the Tom Harris Field. This field is the 25th anniversary field as part of the Mike Kennedy “Diamonds Back” Field Building Program, with this being the 44th field created in this program. In the past, these fields have been named for a player who also donates their time and money to the field but this field was donated by the Diamondback front office along with the owners and the Diamondbacks Foundation. This was done to surprise and recognize one of their own, Winslow native and Diamondbacks Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Tom Harris, naming it the Tom Harris Field.

WUSD Superintendent Connie Gover stated that in schools around Navajo County there was a large absentee rate but it’s not all due to COVID. Gover explained that Navajo County officials reported an uptick in the number of COVID cases throughout the county. Gover stated that countywide the COVID cases went from about 30 a week to 100. The main variant is Omicron but there has also been an unusual increase of upper respiratory diseases such as RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), as well as flu cases.

Brian Reid was selected as Holbrook’s Man of the Year and Nicole Young as Woman of the Year. Both Reid and Young also served as the grand marshals for the Holbrook Parade of Lights. Other winners include Kelly Hill for Youth of the Year, Navajo County Fair and Rodeo Director Michelle Stock and Fair Board for Organization of the Year, and Tractor Supply for Business of the Year.

December

The Navajo County Board of Supervisors approved the official canvass of the results for general election after hearing from a number of residents who asked the board to delay the approval to further check the legitimacy of the election. Reasons presented included radio stations near voting polls playing democratic ads, poll workers changing parties since the previous general election, and the potential voting machines having algorithms inserted in them.

Most members of Arizona’s congressional delegation joined the rest of the House to give overwhelming bipartisan approval to a bill that would head off a national rail strike by imposing contract terms on rail workers’ unions. But the delegation – and the House – split on party lines on a second proposal that would mandate paid sick leave for railroad workers, a key demand of unions that was largely rejected by management in the latest tentative contract. That contract was rejected in November by four of the 12 affected unions, setting the stage for a possible strike as early as next week that lawmakers and the Biden administration said would be crippling to the nation’s economy. That led President Joe Biden, whose administration helped broker the tentative contract that was offered to union rank-and-file in September, to call on Congress to pass legislation forcing the unions to accept the tentative agreement.

Holbrook residents expressed concerns over the placement of the Hashknife Pony Express Monument, which was planned to be placed at Gillespie Park on the corner of Hopi Drive and Navajo Blvd. The concerns focused on the removal of a digital marquee that was in that same location. Citizens cited complaints over the lack of transparency in the decision made by city administration to place the monument there.

Through the support of the Friends of Petrified Forest and the Petrified Forest Museum Association, the Petrified Forest’s Department of Science and Resource Management was able to acquire a high-tech laser scanner and fast gaming laptop at the end of 2021 with the intention of digitally capturing three-dimensional anatomical details from Triassic fossils for park research, exhibits, and outreach. The scanner and its software were quickly implemented into the park’s paleontology program, collecting nearly 125 gigabytes of anatomical data.

The Board of Supervisors granted Hashknife Solar Energy Center permission to expand their solar project located south of Joseph City. The board approved an expansion of the permit granted in 2019, increasing the size of the project in two ways, firstly adding nearly 1,300 acres to the 3,960 acres for a total of approximately 5,240 expanding directly southeast of their current operations, and secondly increasing the storage capacity from 400 megawatts to 700.

The Winslow City Council inducted new council members Daniel Tafoya and Darcy McKee, as well as sitting Mayor Birdie Cano who renewed her oath after running unopposed in her November reelection. Tafoya and McKee are taking over the seats of former council members Rickey Jackson and Robin Boyd, both of whom have spent decades serving the people of Winslow.