By Joanna Dodder Nellans / The Daily Courier
July 25, 2009

A 200-acre ranch in the heart of the Agua Fria National Monument was two days away from the auction block this month when the Trust for Public Land completed a deal to step in and save it from potential development.

“It could have been disastrous,” said Christopher Byrne, Arizona project manager for the Trust for Public Land (TPL).

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has wanted to acquire the historic Horseshoe Ranch ever since President Bill Clinton created the monument nearly a decade ago.

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By Bruce Colbert / The Daily Courier
July 13, 2009

PRESCOTT - A new countywide program could bring fame and recognition to some scenic and historic roads in Yavapai County.

In April, the Board of Supervisors approved the county Scenic/Historic Route Program, and the advisory committee is reviewing the county’s first road nomination.

“This is essentially a grass-roots program modeled after the state’s scenic and historic roads program,” said Chris Bridges, county transportation planner.

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By Coty Dolores Miranda / AZCentral.com

The Ahwatukee Foothills Concert Band is a dream come true for 26-year Ahwatukee resident Crawford McClue, who founded the community musical group for musicians of all ages in 1991.

The band also is a source of joy to McClue, who celebrated his 98th birthday Wednesday , and still attends area concerts by the group.

“Having seen them when they first started, I’m amazed,” laughed McClue, a former organist listed in the band roster as “official kazoo player.”

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By Joanna Dodder Nellans / The Daily Courier
June 28, 2009

To Donald Nelson, a Hopi who grew up in Prescott, Homol’ovi is not just another state park.

“Homol’ovi State Park to me is a very special place, in that it reaffirms the history of our migration as Hopi clans,” Nelson explained of the park, which sits along the Little Colorado River about 60 miles south of the Hopi mesas.

“I would not be sitting here today if it were not for the strength, the courage and the tenacity of my ancestors to live and to survive in such a rugged environment, guided by a very strong faith and guided by the assurance that we would be taken care of if we were to follow certain instructions,” Nelson said.

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The Daily Courier
July 2, 2009

The Prescott Film Festival & Series presents its next screening with the ever-pressing question “Paper or Plastic?”

The award-winning film, showing at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, at Frontier Village Cinemas, follows competitors from throughout the United States as they put in hours of training, go from local to regional contests, and finally the national competition in Las Vegas where they compete for the title of “Best Grocery Store Bagger.”

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Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary will say thank you to zoo supporters with free admission on Community Appreciation Day Saturday, May 30.

The zoo, home to 125-plus animals, plans animal encounters every hour, and docents will be available throughout the park to tell each animal’s special story. The zoo will be offering membership discounts, and concessions will be on hand for those who want to have lunch at the park.

For more information, call 778-4242, ext. 0, or log onto www.heritageparkzoo.org.

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PRESCOTT VALLEY - A group of seven twenty-something adults took the stage at the Lonesome Valley Playhouse Wednesday evening while Clyde Neville listened intently.

Neville showed his appreciation after they finished singing the theme song from the Broadway musical, “Rent.”

He applauded and declared, “You guys nailed that sucker.”

The admiration is mutual toward Neville, the founder of the nonprofit playhouse, Prescott Valley’s first community theater.

Earlier in the evening, Jacob d’Armand, the 21-year-old co-artistic director of Prescott Independent Theater, had kind words to say about Neville, who is 40 years older.

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The Prescott College Art Gallery in the Sam Hill Warehouse will feature work from the college’s first juried art exhibition April 3-17. Visiting artist Richard Notkin will discuss Art & War in a lecture at the gallery 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 1. Notkin also will conduct a community workshop, “Ceramic Sculpture and Teapots: A Plethora of Techniques and Inspirations,” 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 4-5.Cost is $150 per person. Call 776-5258, ext. 1 for more information.

The Phippen Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary with “Remembering George,” an exhibit paying tribute to George Phippen, with permanent collection pieces and selected works from private collectors by Phippen and other Cowboy Artists. The show runs through July 26. Call 778-1385 for more information.

The Center for Biological Diversity has teamed up with local photographers, poets and Prescott College senior Allison Trowbridge to deliver a mixed-media interpretive exhibit, “The Verde River: Green Heart of Arizona - Endangered Desert Jewel” at the Prescott Public Library through March 31. Call 277-9155 for more information.

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The April/May 2009 issue of American Cowboy Magazine lists Prescott as one of the Best 20 Places to Live in the West.

The magazine writes of Prescott, “Most of the downtown buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, including Whiskey Row, once home to 40 saloons - including The Palace, frequented by Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and Virgil Earp, among others.”

The magazine continues, “Prescott is home to the ‘World’s Oldest Rodeo,’ which dates back to 1888. Wild West traditions are celebrated at the Folk Arts Fair in June and the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering in August. Great trail rides and campsites await nearby at Prescott National Forest.”

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The local showing of Lunafest, the fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers, and bringing women together in their communities, will take place for the third year at the Elks Opera House in Prescott, AZ on Friday, March 6th, 2009.This unique film festival will highlight women as leaders in society, illustrated through ten films by women filmmakers. The films range from animated shorts to fictional drama, and cover topics such as women’s health, body image, spirituality, relationships, cultural diversity, and breaking barriers.

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