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[
"Sam Watermeier"
] | 2016-08-28T08:51:08 | null | 2016-08-25T11:01:21 | She had to train to make her voice perfect before making it worse | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuvo.net%2Findianapolis%2Freview-florence-foster-jenkins-and-meryl-streeps-terrible-singing-voice%2FContent%3Foid%3D4216019%26show%3Dcomments.json | http://media2.fdncms.com/nuvo/imager/u/slideshow/4216021/florence1.jpg | en | null | Review: "Florence Foster Jenkins" and Meryl Streep's terrible singing voice | null | null | www.nuvo.net | null | http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/review-florence-foster-jenkins-and-meryl-streeps-terrible-singing-voice/Content?oid=4216019&show=comments | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.nuvo.net/d05cfa5f79fe46a36e5352ff40e6d4f18674c42d21ae3701ccc3c5358801cf31.json |
[
"Seth Johnson"
] | 2016-08-26T13:11:10 | null | 2016-08-18T15:19:54 | New light festival brings installations Downtown | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuvo.net%2Findianapolis%2Flights-culture-action-the-indianapolis-lights-festival%2FContent%3Foid%3D4201338%26show%3Dcomments.json | http://media2.fdncms.com/nuvo/imager/u/slideshow/4201341/aphidioidea_artist_image_2.jpg | en | null | Lights, culture, action: the Indianapolis lights festival | null | null | www.nuvo.net | null | http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/lights-culture-action-the-indianapolis-lights-festival/Content?oid=4201338&show=comments | en | 2016-08-18T00:00:00 | www.nuvo.net/7edea66b609aff54d10d53d66eb9ac1db3a55e8153e0d75add1615f338dad318.json |
[
"Brian Weiss"
] | 2016-08-30T20:50:41 | null | 2016-08-30T15:35:00 | Three of Wilder's most famous films will be shown at the Toby and IMAX® Theater | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuvo.net%2FSlash%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2Fima-state-museum-to-honor-gene-wilder-this-weekend.json | http://media2.fdncms.com/nuvo/imager/u/slideshow/4227065/genewilder.jpg | en | null | IMA, State Museum to honor Gene Wilder this weekend | null | null | www.nuvo.net | Wilder in 1970
Indy film lovers have a chance to pay tribute to the late Gene Wilder this weekend thanks to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and Indiana State Museum. Wilder passed away Aug. 29 from complications of Alzheimer's disease.
Fans can catch any of the following screenings for $5 each.
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN on Friday, September 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the Indianapolis Museum of Art Toby Theater. WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY on Saturday, September 3 at 11:00 a.m. at the IMAX Theater in the Indiana State Museum. This screening will be accompanied by a “concession stand takeover” where Wonka candy will be rampant. BLAZING SADDLES on Saturday, September 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the IMAX Theater in the Indiana State Museum.
And in case you didn't know: | http://www.nuvo.net/Slash/archives/2016/08/30/ima-state-museum-to-honor-gene-wilder-this-weekend | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.nuvo.net/b8cae15128a874f72fa06fed7571c082a9fc974659b7357aee0e38a5c5739958.json |
[
"Nuvo Editors"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:22 | null | 2016-08-24T15:36:00 | NUVO will take on the task of tracking Mike Pence's level of despair as the endless march to November's Election Day proceeds. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuvo.net%2FSlash%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F24%2Fpence-despair-o-meter-for-the-week-of-aug-22-2016.json | http://media2.fdncms.com/nuvo/imager/u/slideshow/4214152/meter.png | en | null | Pence Despair-o-meter for the week of Aug. 22, 2016 | null | null | www.nuvo.net | Today's Best Bets | All of today's events
-All Arts- Classical Music Comedy Festivals + Parties Film + TV Sports + Recreation Theater + Dance Visual Arts + Museums Written + Spoken Word -All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Downtown Mass Ave Butler-Tarkington EAST East (general) Irvington Martindale-Brightwood WEST Lafayette Square West (general) Avon/Plainfield NORTH Lafayette North (general) Carmel Noblesville Fishers Keystone NORTHWEST Muncie Zionsville NORTHEAST Broad Ripple Nora/Castleton SoBro SOUTH Bloomington South (general) Greenwood SOUTHWEST Southwest (general) SOUTHEAST Fountain Square OTHER Out of state Various Submit an Event
Film + TV -All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Downtown Mass Ave Butler-Tarkington EAST East (general) Irvington Martindale-Brightwood WEST Lafayette Square West (general) Avon/Plainfield NORTH Lafayette North (general) Carmel Noblesville Fishers Keystone NORTHWEST Muncie Zionsville NORTHEAST Broad Ripple Nora/Castleton SoBro SOUTH Bloomington South (general) Greenwood SOUTHWEST Southwest (general) SOUTHEAST Fountain Square OTHER Out of state Various Submit an Event
-All Music- DJs + Dancing Hip-hop Jazz + Blues + R&B Pop Punk + Metal Rock Roots -All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Downtown Mass Ave Butler-Tarkington EAST East (general) Irvington Martindale-Brightwood WEST Lafayette Square West (general) Avon/Plainfield NORTH Lafayette North (general) Carmel Noblesville Fishers Keystone NORTHWEST Muncie Zionsville NORTHEAST Broad Ripple Nora/Castleton SoBro SOUTH Bloomington South (general) Greenwood SOUTHWEST Southwest (general) SOUTHEAST Fountain Square OTHER Out of state Various Submit an Event
-All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Downtown Mass Ave Butler-Tarkington EAST East (general) Irvington Martindale-Brightwood WEST Lafayette Square West (general) Avon/Plainfield NORTH Lafayette North (general) Carmel Noblesville Fishers Keystone NORTHWEST Muncie Zionsville NORTHEAST Broad Ripple Nora/Castleton SoBro SOUTH Bloomington South (general) Greenwood SOUTHWEST Southwest (general) SOUTHEAST Fountain Square OTHER Out of state Various Submit an Event
-All Cuisines- American Asian Fusion Bakery Bar Food BBQ Brewery/Brew Pub Burgers Cajun/Creole Caribbean Chinese Comfort/Soul Food Deli Dessert Diner Egyptian Ethiopian Farm to Table Food Truck French Fusion Gastropub German Greek Hot Dogs Ice Cream Indian Irish Italian Japanese Latin America Mediterranean Mexican Middle Eastern Modern American Moroccan Organic Pakistani Pizza Russian Salads Sandwiches Seafood Spanish Steakhouse Sushi Tapas Tea Thai Vegetarian Wine Bar -All Neighborhoods- CENTRAL Downtown Mass Ave Butler-Tarkington EAST East (general) Irvington Martindale-Brightwood WEST Lafayette Square West (general) Avon/Plainfield NORTH Lafayette North (general) Carmel Noblesville Fishers Keystone NORTHWEST Muncie Zionsville NORTHEAST Broad Ripple Nora/Castleton SoBro SOUTH Bloomington South (general) Greenwood SOUTHWEST Southwest (general) SOUTHEAST Fountain Square OTHER Out of state Various | http://www.nuvo.net/Slash/archives/2016/08/24/pence-despair-o-meter-for-the-week-of-aug-22-2016 | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.nuvo.net/a6643b877dd8eef49fa322a065fa5a56b1e3607dd2bd4995323828957f8678d1.json |
[
"Sam Watermeier"
] | 2016-08-30T16:50:41 | null | 2016-08-30T11:42:59 | It’s simply beautiful — a hopeful, heartfelt film in a political year filled with hatred. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuvo.net%2Findianapolis%2Freview-southside-with-you-the-love-story-of-barack-and-michelle-obama%2FContent%3Foid%3D4226609.json | http://media1.fdncms.com/nuvo/imager/u/slideshow/4226611/southside_with_you.jpg | en | null | Review: "Southside With You," the love story of Barack and Michelle Obama | null | null | www.nuvo.net | click to enlarge
For an hour and a half, this film immerses you in another time. It transports us to a hot summer afternoon in 1989 when a young Barack Obama took his future wife Michelle for a day out in Chicago and tried to sweep the feisty lawyer off her feet. And like a great first date, it sends you out into the night with a heart full of hope.reminds us that movie magic doesn’t just lie in otherworldly spectacles and explosive adventures; sparks can also fly in simple conversations between ordinary people.At first, Michelle Robinson (Tika Sumpter) insists that the outing with Barack (Parker Sawyers) is not a date. After all, she is his adviser at the law firm where they work, and a romantic connection would be out of the question. But, of course, he slowly wins her over, washing away any sense of cynicism and wrapping her up in warm optimism.Sawyers casts a spell on the audience, making us forget we are watching a movie as he transforms into Obama. During one scene at a community meeting, he emerges as a mirror image of the inspirational speaker. Together, Sawyers and writer-director Richard Tanne elegantly emulate Obama’s way with words: the grand, sweeping statements; the intimate, emotional pauses; the down-to-earth yet also larger-than-life manner of speaking.isn’t just a crystal ball look at history in the making. It’s fun to peek into the past and figure out how Barack and Michelle became who they are today, but these characters also exude a timeless, universal appeal. Long before he ran for president, Barack was an ambitious law firm associate trying to succeed where his reckless, alcoholic father failed. And before she met him, Michelle was a lawyer working rigorously to rise through the ranks of a white, male-dominated world. Sumpter makes you feel the pressure of Michelle’s pursuit. These are two of the best performances of the year — portraits of iconic people that always feel raw, honest and achingly real. Sawyers and Sumpter share an electrifying chemistry, and you’ll fall in love with both of them, regardless of how you feel about the Obamas.The film strives to show how Barack and Michelle are compelling outside of their current political identities. It’s a simultaneously timely and ageless story. Love, of course, is a tale as old as time. And like politics, love is about bridging gaps between people and finding common ground in the midst of difference. But it’s not about denying the differences that lie along our paths. It’s about seeing them with empathetic eyes.is a story of opposites attracting. It’s an exploration of two very different people who stopped stubbornly clashing with each other and started seeing themselves through a sympathetic lens. It’s simply beautiful — a hopeful, heartfelt film in a political year filled with hatred. Like love, this movie will sneak up and floor you. | http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/review-southside-with-you-the-love-story-of-barack-and-michelle-obama/Content?oid=4226609 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.nuvo.net/2a7f193193a37e45324adfb2da29bb93069fd0f23875ad8b2435dba5c08e6132.json |
[
"The Statehouse File"
] | 2016-08-31T00:51:38 | null | 2016-08-30T16:49:32 | The Courts and the Judiciary Interim Study Committee met heard testimony Tuesday on the issue of LGBT civil rights in Indiana, but offered no recommendations for legislators to consider next year. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuvo.net%2Findianapolis%2Flgbt-civil-rights-transgender-bathroom-debate-goes-nowhere-in-committee%2FContent%3Foid%3D4227159%26show%3Dcomments.json | http://media1.fdncms.com/nuvo/imager/u/slideshow/4227411/equality2_2.jpg | en | null | LGBT civil rights, transgender bathroom debate goes nowhere in committee | null | null | www.nuvo.net | null | http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/lgbt-civil-rights-transgender-bathroom-debate-goes-nowhere-in-committee/Content?oid=4227159&show=comments | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.nuvo.net/c1b1c80878deb8269e6779440204d35b780e5f379e306af539a3485dc5f980b2.json |
[
"Morton Marcus"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:49 | null | 2016-08-16T14:52:00 | They demolished the Wigwam in Anderson last week. Soon the 1928 Fieldhouse in Muncie could meet the wrecker’s ball. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuvo.net%2Findianapolis%2Findianas-distressed-dozen%2FContent%3Foid%3D4196361%26show%3Dcomments.json | http://media2.fdncms.com/nuvo/imager/u/slideshow/4196367/andersonwigwampanoramicswcorner.tiff.jpg | en | null | Indiana’s distressed dozen | null | null | www.nuvo.net | null | http://www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/indianas-distressed-dozen/Content?oid=4196361&show=comments | en | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | www.nuvo.net/85223e133339da6597ada3c3742c0ef2783a681ee4ab2bf587448693ae8ebdc1.json |
[
"Dan Savage",
"In Addition To Being A Nationally Syndicated Sex Advice Columnist",
"Author Of Books",
"Savage Can Also Lay Claim To Being The Only Person At His Home Paper To Have Actually Converted His Sexuality Into A Profession. He Has A Boyfriend",
"A Child. He Is Also Wealthy Beyond The Dreams Of Avari... | 2016-08-31T12:50:51 | null | 2016-08-31T08:00:00 | Despite sex work being illegal, the movement is poised to change the laws, the main thing that needs to happen is clients to speak out. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nuvo.net%2FSavageLove%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2Fsavage-love-stand-up-for-sex-workers.json | http://media1.fdncms.com/nuvo/imager/u/slideshow/4227417/savagelove_595_1_.png | en | null | Savage Love: Stand up for sex workers | null | null | www.nuvo.net | click to enlarge
You can speak up, NAJ.The current line from prohibitionists — people who want sex work to remain illegal — is that all women who sell sex are victims and all men who buy sex are monsters. But talk to actual sex workers and you hear about considerate, regular clients who are kind, respectful, and sometimes personally helpful in unexpected ways. (A sex worker friend had a regular client who was a dentist; he did some expensive dental work for my uninsured friend — and he did it for free, not for trade.) You also hear about clients who are threatening or violent — and how laws against sex work make it impossible for them to go to the police, making them more vulnerable to violence, exploitation, and abuse, not less.There is a large and growing sex workers’ rights movement, NAJ, which Emily Bazelon wrote about in a terrific cover story for the “Should Prostitution Be a Crime?” May 5, 2016). Bazelon spoke with scores of sex workers active in the growing and increasingly effective decriminalization movement. Amnesty International recently called for the full decriminalization of sex work, joining Human Rights Watch, the World Health Organization, and other large, mainstream health and human rights groups.But there’s something missing from the movement to decriminalize sex work: clients like you, NAJ.Maggie McNeill, a sex worker, activist, and writer, wrote a blistering piece on her blog ( “The Honest Courtesan” ) about a recent undercover police operation in Seattle. Scores of men seeking to hire sex workers — the men ranged from surgeons to bus drivers to journalists — were arrested and subjected to ritualized public humiliation designed to discourage other men from paying for sex.“These crusades do nothing but hurt the most vulnerable individuals on both sides of the transaction,” McNeill wrote. “The only way to stop this [is for] all of you clients out there get off of your duffs and fight. Regular clients outnumber full-time whores by at least 60 to 1; gentlemen, I suggest you rethink your current silence, unless you want to be the next one with your name and picture splashed across newspapers, TV screens and websites.”The legal risks and social stigma attached to buying sex doubtless leave some clients feeling like they can’t speak up and join the fight, and the much-touted “Nordic Model” is upping the legal stakes for buyers of sex. (The Nordic Model makes buying sex illegal, not selling it. In theory, only clients are supposed to suffer, but in practice, the women are punished, too. Bazelon unpacks the harms of the Nordic Model in her story—please go read it.) But sex workers today, like gays and lesbians not too long ago, are coming out in ever-greater numbers to fight for their rights in the face of potentially dire legal and social consequences.Clients need to join the fight — or perhaps I should say clients need to rejoin the fight.Inwhich I read while I was away on vacation, author Faramerz Dabhoiwala writes about “Societies of Virtue” formed all over England in the late 17th century. Adulterers, fornicators, and Sabbath-breakers were persecuted by these groups, NAJ, but their campaigns against prostitutes were particularly vicious and indiscriminate; women were thrown in jail or publicly whipped for the crime of having a “lewd” appearance. The persecution of streetwalkers, brothel owners, and women guilty of “[walking] quietly about the street” went on for decades.Then a beautiful thing happened.“In the spring of 1711, a drive against ‘loose women and their male followers’ in Covent Garden was foiled when ‘the constables were dreadfully maimed, and one mortally wounded, by ruffians aided by 40 soldiers of the guards, who entered into a combination to protect the women,’” writes Dabhoiwala. “On another occasion in the East End, a crowd of over a thousand seamen mobbed the local magistrates and forcibly released a group of convicted prostitutes being sent to a house of correction.”Male followers of loose women, soldiers of the guard, mobs of seamen — not altruists, but likely clients of the women they fought to defend. And thanks to their efforts and the efforts of 18th-century sex workers who lawyered up, marched into court, and sued the pants off Society of Virtue members, by the middle of the 18th century, women could walk the streets without being arrested or harassed — even women known to be prostitutes.I’m not suggesting that today’s clients form mobs and attack prohibitionists, cops, prosecutors, and their enablers in the media. But clients can and should be out there speaking up in defense of sex workers and themselves. Sex workers are speaking up and fighting back — on Twitter and other social-media platforms, sometimes anonymously, but increasingly under their own names — and they’re staring down the stigma, the shame, and the law on their own. It’s time for their clients to join them in the fight. | http://www.nuvo.net/SavageLove/archives/2016/08/31/savage-love-stand-up-for-sex-workers | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.nuvo.net/7fd9a5dae308bbaf1d6806a6f0e6331c057fdea98d999b69869da5d81c3dfebf.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T14:49:03 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Tim Ernst fired a 145 for 36 holes to win the Payson Men’s Golf Association Club Championship at Payson Golf Course on Aug. 17. The two-week major tournament started on Aug. 10. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Fernsts-145-takes-mens-club-title%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/28/ernsts-145-takes-mens-club-title/ | en | null | Ernst’s 145 takes Men’s Club title | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Tim Ernst fired a 145 for 36 holes to win the Payson Men’s Golf Association Club Championship at Payson Golf Course on Aug. 17. The two-week major tournament started on Aug. 10.
Ernst beat runner-up Lou Manganiello by 10 strokes to claim the A Flight title.
Alex Armenta shot a 167 to win the B Flight by one stroke over runner-up Don Pollock (168). Jack Proietto finished third at 171.
Lou Crabtree’s 174 won the C Flight over runner-up Mike McKee (178).
Ken Althoff sank the longest putt on Aug. 10, finding the hole on No. 18 from 22 feet, 3 inches. Dennis Schwebs had the long put on Aug. 17, sinking it from 27 feet, 9 inches on No. 9.
Closest-to-the-pin winners on Aug. 10 included: Tim Hughes (No. 2, 22-0), Mike Anderson (No. 5, 11-8 1/2), John Naughton (No. 8, 7-3), Herb Sherman (No. 14, 8-8), and David Spargo (No. 17, 13-10).
Closest-to-the-pin winners on Aug. 17 included: Mike McKee (No. 2, 6-7 1/2), Richard Harding (No. 5, 8-1 and No. 14, 6-1/2), Ed Bossert (No. 8, 10-1) and David Spargo (No. 17, 6-10). | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/28/ernsts-145-takes-mens-club-title/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/43934c81544df34f1bd004d92dca6a8497a6b115f1da3989d0b92845f620806e.json |
[
"Rim Country Health"
] | 2016-08-30T14:49:36 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Have you been thinking of adding more physical activity to your life? Starting a walking program may be a great way to be more active. And walking on a regular basis may lead to many health benefits. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fwalking-step-right-direction%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/29/8-30_health-rch_walk_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Walking a step in the right direction | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Have you been thinking of adding more physical activity to your life? Starting a walking program may be a great way to be more active. And walking on a regular basis may lead to many health benefits. This article from Rim Country Health will give you tips on how to make walking a part of your daily routine.
What are the benefits of walking?
Walking is the most popular physical activity among adults. Taking a walk is low cost and doesn’t require any special clothes or equipment. Walking may lower your risk of health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, strengthen your bones and muscles, help you burn more calories and lift your mood.
Make walking fun by going to places you enjoy, like a park or shopping center. Bring along a friend or family member to chat with, or listen to some of your favorite music as you walk. Keep the volume low so that you can hear noises around you.
Do I need to see a doctor first?
Most people do not need to see a doctor before they start a walking program. But if you answer “yes” to any of the questions below, check with your doctor first.
• Has your doctor told you that you have heart trouble, diabetes, or asthma?
• When you are physically active, do you have pains in your chest, neck, shoulder, or arm?
• Do you often feel faint or have dizzy spells?
• Do you feel very breathless after physical activity?
• Do you have bone or joint problems, like arthritis, that make it difficult for you to walk?
• Are you over 40 years old and have you recently been inactive?
• Do you have a health problem that might keep you from starting a walking program?
How do I start?
1. Make a plan
The following questions may help you get started:
Where will you walk? How often will you walk? Who will walk with you? How far or for how long will you walk?
2. Get ready
Make sure you have anything you may need. Here are some examples: shoes with proper arch support, a firm heel, and thick flexible soles; clothes that keep you dry and comfortable; a hat or visor for the sun; sunscreen and sunglasses; a hat and scarf to cover your head and ears when it’s cold outside.
3. Go
Divide your walk into three parts:
Warm up by walking slowly; increase your speed to a brisk walk, this means walking fast enough to raise your heart rate while still being able to speak and breathe easily.
Cool down by slowing down your pace. When walking, be sure to use proper form, keep your chin up and your shoulders slightly back. Let the heel of your foot touch the ground first, and then roll your weight forward. Walk with your toes pointed forward. Swing your arms naturally.
4. Add more
As walking becomes easier, walk faster and go farther. Keep track of your progress with a walking journal or log. Record date, time, and distance. Set goals and reward yourself with a relaxing shower or 30 minutes of quiet time to yourself.
Review the sample walking plan for suggestions on how to start and slowly increase walking.
What about safety?
Keep safety in mind as you plan when and where you will walk, walk with others when possible and take a phone and ID with you. Let your family and friends know your walking time and route. If it is dark outside, wear a reflective vest or brightly colored clothing. Be aware of your surroundings.
How can I make walking a habit?
The key to building any habit is to stick with the new behavior. Having a regular walking buddy may help keep you going — even on days when you would rather stay home. You can cheer each other on and serve as role models for friends, family members and others.
When barriers come up, like time demands or bad weather, think of ways to beat them, such as joining the Rim Country Health Senior Fitness Center. If you have a setback, start again as soon as you can. With time, walking will become a part of your daily routine and may make it easier to try other types of physical activity.
How much do I need to walk?
The amount of time adults need per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (activity that speeds up your heart rate and breathing) is 150 minutes. Ideally you will walk 30 minutes per day x 5 days per week = 150 minutes per week.
Walking briskly for 30 minutes per day, five days a week will help you meet this goal. But any 10-minute bout of physical activity helps. If you can’t walk for 30 minutes at a time, you can split it up by taking three 10-minute walks instead.
For more health benefits and to control your weight, you may need to walk more. Aim for 300 minutes each week, or about 1 hour a day for 5 days. The more you walk, the more health benefits you may gain!
Should I stretch before I walk?
Most experts advise stretching only after you have warmed up. To warm up, walk slowly for a few minutes before picking up the pace.
Stretching gently at the end of your walk may help build flexibility. Do not bounce or hold your breath when you stretch. Do each stretch slowly and move only as far as you feel comfortable.
A great way to maintain your health is to join the Rim Country Health Senior Fitness Center. Call us at 928-474-1120 for more information. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/walking-step-right-direction/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/136d80bc39baa64e15a946a7077905e6c160e74d91d2fa2bbc4c6afb572f48ce.json |
[
"Tiffany Weiss"
] | 2016-08-28T14:49:04 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | John and Lorian Roethlein love Payson because of the great connection to the outdoors. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Fpedaling-through-life-together%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/26/rothlines_in_tandam_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Pedaling through life together | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | John and Lorian Roethlein love Payson because of the great connection to the outdoors.
“Payson has four perfect seasons, free open spaces to play, absolute beauty that really inspires us. It’s an outdoor mecca ... of hiking, biking and adventuring. It allows us to get to live a totally different lifestyle than anyone we know.”
These were the top reasons these Internet-centric recruiters, who could live anywhere, have chosen Rim Country as their home for the past dozen years ... after moving here “temporarily” originally, telling themselves, “This is just a stop.”
This couple lived in Tucson for nine years prior, moved briefly to the East Coast, and, in doing so, “found out that we’re West Coast people,” Lorian says.
Lorian describes herself as a “Navy brat” while John has moved his whole life. “Every time we traveled, we looked around, and coming back, really noticed that you can do anything here. The freedom!” she exclaims. She and John explored the area nearly every weekend that they have been in town, and say their son rides his motorbike “all over.” After renting their house for a year, they bought it, and never looked back.
The Roethleins have always loved farmers markets. Lorian says, “When we traveled, we always visited these. You can get the pulse of a town from farmers markets; a feel for the people.” The Farmers Market Coalition, in part, defines a farmers market as that which “operates multiple times per year and is organized for the purpose of facilitating personal connections that create mutual benefits for local farmers, shoppers and communities.”
John and Lorian were not planning to start a farmers market in Payson, but the economic downturn in October of 2008 created a one-month gap in business, as their biggest client “put all of their business on hold.” At that point, they didn’t know many people in Payson. They worked out of their home all week, then took off to enjoy the great outdoors on weekends. Within the same time frame, they noticed that the political changing of the guard was creating some negativity, so they asked themselves, “What can we do to interrupt this conversation? How can we bring some fun and positivity to this?” They vowed to “interrupt the political discord in a positive way.”
Voila, the Payson Farmers Market was born. “We knew nothing. And we had no idea that it would be this much work!” They now recall four weeks before the kickoff they didn’t have a single farmer on board. Nonetheless, says Lorian, “We’d committed, and we had to trust.” The couple resorted to driving around looking for people growing just about anything on at least an acre of land. “We’d go and knock on their door.”
Asked if they’d do it again, after a slight hesitation, Lorian replies, “Umm ... yeah. Each time we do it over, every year ... it’s new. A percentage [of vendors] come back, and a percentage leave. Kids can learn how it all fits together, and it shows how regular people can go for it and make this place stronger and stronger. You always run into people you know there ... you find out how their kids’ soccer games are going. You can interrupt the day and experience how good everything is here. It’s nutrition, but a ‘two-fer’ ... you feed your body and your mind. You connect with people, and your soul will be happy — laughing, playing. You leave feeling good!”
If you want to check it out, to connect and leave feeling good, stop by the Sawmill Crossing complex every Saturday morning through Sept. 10 from 8 a.m. to noon. More details can be discovered at www.paysonfarmersmarket.com. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/28/pedaling-through-life-together/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/1cb378999d1617c925c5a7bba9663989bac2c6d3d0785773d09ca0de5f1c0d32.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:49:33 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Last week, Republican voters were slightly ahead of Democrats in the number of ballots returned to the Gila County Recorder’s Office for the primary election. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Frepublicans-take-lead%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/republicans-take-lead/ | en | null | Republicans take the lead | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Last week, Republican voters were slightly ahead of Democrats in the number of ballots returned to the Gila County Recorder’s Office for the primary election.
A total of 11,725 people in Gila County have voted in the Republican primary this year, with 32.18 percent or 3,773 of those ballots last week. Of the 7,358 Democratic ballots, 2,362 or 32.1 percent had been returned.
For Libertarians, 143 ballots are still out with 19 back as of Monday. For the Green Party, out of 81 ballots 20 had been returned. Voters have until today to vote in person. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/republicans-take-lead/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/617b42f330c07f8c7529227bf70f6229404b17f05e16d3aec9525cc04633f68d.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:02:17 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | In an effort to recognize town employees who go above and beyond, the Town of Payson has started a Hero of Payson award program. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F24%2Ftown-payson-award-program-begins-airport-manager-d%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/23/Hero_of_Payson_Kenny_Evans_gives_award_to_Ray_Law_AB_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Town of Payson award program begins with airport manager, donor | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | In an effort to recognize town employees who go above and beyond, the Town of Payson has started a Hero of Payson award program.
On Thursday night, Aug. 4, the town council recognized Ray Law, Payson Municipal Airport coordinator, and Dennis Dueker as the first Hero award recipients.
Law and Dueker received the award after the town received a thank you letter from pilot Ken Foote of Prescott.
Foote wrote that he and his family often land at the Payson Airport, eat at the Crosswinds Restaurant, then camp at the airport campground. The next day, they usually eat breakfast at Crosswinds and fly home.
In November, several people donated money for the town to buy a used courtesy vehicle for pilots to use when they land in Payson. Law helped set up the rental program.
Foote wrote in July, his family finally got to explore the area outside the airport. They went to Woods Canyon Lake, the Tonto Natural Bridge and other sites. They spent three nights in town and spent about $500.
Foote commended the town and airport for getting the car and said Law and Dueker always goes out of their way to make him feel welcome.
He said landing in Payson is always an enjoyable experience.
Law said he was “absolutely honored” to receive the award. He also recalled when the runway was gravel.
Dueker took several of Law’s children for horseback rides on his Clydesdale horses at Dueker Ranch.
To use Payson’s courtesy vehicle, pilots fill out a one-page application. The car is loaned on a first-come, first-served basis. Call 928-472-4748 to reserve it. There is no charge, but pilots are asked to return it with a full tank of gas. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/24/town-payson-award-program-begins-airport-manager-d/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/7ab9f039c316f1f6fbcf9425e24d87e9cdcf1e09af5a4b86c1efe9431415f94d.json |
[
"Jon Wellinghoff",
"Solarcity Chief Policy Officer"
] | 2016-08-26T20:48:33 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | For the past three years, the rooftop solar debate in Arizona has been a “he said/she said” between utilities and rooftop solar companies regarding the value and benefits net-metered rooftop solar provides to ratepayers. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Facc-should-seek-impartial-cost-benefit-analysis-so%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/acc-should-seek-impartial-cost-benefit-analysis-so/ | en | null | ACC should seek impartial cost-benefit analysis of solar | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | For the past three years, the rooftop solar debate in Arizona has been a “he said/she said” between utilities and rooftop solar companies regarding the value and benefits net-metered rooftop solar provides to ratepayers. Both parties have a financial interest in winning this debate, and the tone has at times obscured the fact that it is really about what’s best for the people of Arizona.
There is a simple way for the state’s regulators at the Arizona Corporation Commission to end this back and forth: undertake a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, conducted by an impartial third party group, that will finally look at the full range of benefits that rooftop solar provides to all Arizonans.
SolarCity recently partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council to undertake such an analysis in Nevada, where in December a thriving rooftop solar industry was shut down virtually overnight by a
decision of the Public Utilities Commission (Nevada’s version of the Corporation Commission). The study analyzed a complete list of benefit categories for solar, as had been suggested by Nevada regulators. The results showed that Nevada rooftop solar benefits all ratepayers, including those who don’t install solar.
We believe the same results will be proven true in Arizona if the ACC will request that a full and fair study be done.
Last week, one of Arizona’s administrative law judges filed her recommendations for the state’s first of six upcoming utility rate proposals. She made the common sense suggestion that no decisions be made until after the ACC’s ongoing value of solar proceeding finishes, and delivers a methodology that captures all of the benefits and costs of rooftop solar. This is an encouraging example of regulatory leadership insisting on fact-based decision-making that the public expects.
SolarCity recently joined with six New York utilities and other solar companies to propose a data-driven investigation into rooftop solar’s benefits to the local grid. Critically, all parties agreed to maintain net metering policy for a period of three years, so that a thorough investigation can be conducted without upending consumer choice or job-creating industry. I implore the ACC to likewise balance any necessary changes with a gradual, phased-in approach so as not to destabilize consumers, solar businesses or utilities.
I believe it is in the interests of all Arizonans, both those with solar and those without, to conduct an impartial study that recognizes the full benefits that distributed solar extends to all ratepayers. It is also in the people’s interest to take on any disruptive changes on a gradual, manageable timeline. Arizona has too much potential as a national and global solar leader to do otherwise.
Jon Wellinghoff, the new chief policy officer of SolarCity, is the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and former general counsel and consumer advocate at the Nevada Public Utilities Commission. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/acc-should-seek-impartial-cost-benefit-analysis-so/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/33f747bf5584d53a5346c0c9a3e68def68212de907fef8011aba9e10bc551771.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:49:44 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Fire on the Rim Mountain Bike Race organizers Janet Brandt and Katie Calderon are living up to their promise that the Sept. 16-18 festivities will be bigger and better than ever. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fmountain-bike-race-fire-rim-september-16-19-pine%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/mountain-bike-race-fire-rim-september-16-19-pine/ | en | null | Mountain bike race Fire on the Rim September 16-19 in Pine | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Fire on the Rim Mountain Bike Race organizers Janet Brandt and Katie Calderon are living up to their promise that the Sept. 16-18 festivities will be bigger and better than ever.
Among the upgrades, Brandt says, is “a newly designed venue that will open up the available space and leave room for a free game area featuring beer (using water) pong, lawn darts, horseshoes and more.”
Also, the open space in front of the bandstand is being turned into a seating area where contestants and spectators can enjoy free entertainment from the bands Vinyl Nova, Plum Krazy and the John Scott Band.
Brandt and Calderon’s advice is for audience members to bring lawn chairs or blankets to relax on during what are sure to be high energy performances.
Parking this year should be hassle free and spacious since it has been moved to the rock yard north of the venue on Bradshaw Drive.
For those who attend the always popular Italian Feast by Chef Gerardo on Friday afternoon, gold race sponsor ERA Young Realty will provide a free shuttle from the parking lot to the main entrance.
Also new, tent camping has been moved to the field north of THAT Brewery between Beeline and Old County Road.
“A bike path will lead from the tent camping area to Old County Road,” Brandt says.
The addition of Glukos Energy as a sponsor is sure to be a real plus for the weary riders since the company has agreed to supply rehydration drinks to all the athletes at the aid stations on the course and at the venue.
For those who enjoy a few suds, the beer garden has been expanded to include most of the race venue where title sponsor THAT Brewery will serve up a variety of innovative craft beers.
Fire Mountain Wines has also jumped in as a sponsor and have available several tasty vinos available.
When hunger pangs strike, JB Smokehouse, Scoops, White Eyes, Pine Creek Fudge and THAT Brewery are sure to have a variety of tasty bites.
Scoops sells ice cream, White Eyes serves scrumptious fry bread, Pine Creek Fudge offers coffee and espresso drinks and the Brewery dishes out traditional pub fare.
Those who have taken in previous races, know the silent auction and bike raffle are always popular draws. This year, interest could be even greater since the raffle has as prizes four state of the art bikes and a high dollar skateboard.
Looking back, Brandt and Calderon realize the tremendous growth of Fire on the Rim has stemmed from the “great support from the community.”
This year, the race has attracted four gold sponsors, 12 silver and 27 bronze, all event records.
With race day approaching, fans have their fingers crossed that the Chandler-Gilbert Global Bikes team will return to Pine for a rematch against Payson 87 Cyclery.
The Payson foursome owns a win over highly regarded Global, but the two haven’t met in a rematch.
“We haven’t been able to talk them into doing it again,” says Brandt.
There is, however, a newly formed mountain bike club in Payson to which Brandt will soon extend an invitation. Should they accept, it will add even more local flair to the event.
The race and accompanying events will be held Sept. 16-18. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/mountain-bike-race-fire-rim-september-16-19-pine/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/574fc039b06a9f8e0576c86b77402465d40661d57ed55e14c32616deb5d6001c.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:49:48 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | I sent out an appeal to hear from my beloved readers and they got back to me!
I decided these tidbits gave me so much joy I couldn’t keep them to myself — despite a long list of topics to cover. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Ffoodie-readers-respond-fun-help%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/29/for_food_col_083016_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Foodie readers respond with fun, help | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | I sent out an appeal to hear from my beloved readers and they got back to me!
I decided these tidbits gave me so much joy I couldn’t keep them to myself — despite a long list of topics to cover.
So, for your enjoyment, here they are:
From NASCAR Dave in Strawberry (too many Dave’s in Strawberry so they all got a nickname — the NASCAR story is for another time) —
Dave loved my olive story from July. He knows a thing or two about the Navy, so he told me a couple of things I had never heard before.
“The U.S. Navy believes you can live on six to eight green olives per day because of the calories. They (olives) are on all life rafts and lifeboats as emergency rations eaten at sea. Add eight ounces of fresh water and theoretically, you can survive approximately seven days until you are rescued (hopefully). Add some dark chocolate and you have a real meal!”
Well, I couldn’t find confirmation of olives in Navy emergency rations, but maybe I hadn’t drunk enough rum … that’s a reference to NASCAR Dave’s other morsel of information about the U.S.S. Constitution, known affectionately as “Old Ironsides.”
Dave said the U.S.S. Constitution could carry 48,600 gallons of fresh water for its 475 officers and men, which should keep them alive for six months at sea.
Leaving Boston on July 27, 1798 with a mission, ‘to destroy and harass English shipping,’ the three-masted schooner listed on her ship’s log:
• 48,600 gallons of fresh water
• 7,400 cannon shot
• 11,600 pounds of black powder and
• 79,400 gallons of rum
See where I got the rum reference? Just wait, it gets better.
On Oct. 6, the Constitution arrived in Jamaica, where she took on:
• 826 pounds of flour and
• 68,300 gallons of rum
The ship then headed for the Azores, arriving there on Nov. 12. She provisioned with:
• 550 pounds of beef and
• 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine
Then the U.S.S. Constitution set sail for England. Along the way, she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchant ships — taking the rum supplies from each ship. That’s a lotta rum.
By the time Old Ironsides reached England on Jan. 26, 1799, the crew had run out of cannon shot and powder. Nonetheless, the crew made a night raid on a whiskey distillery up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. The landing party came back with 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch.
On Feb. 20 the U.S.S. Constitution arrived back in Boston with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no wine and no whiskey.
They did, however, have 38,600 gallons of water.
NASCAR Dave knows this story by heart because, “If you are a true sailor, you commit this to memory,” he wrote on a note.
I love my readers.
Especially Claire, a self-described, ‘old lady in her mid-eighties,’ who dropped off a note to thank the Healthy Foodie for the chamomile column.
“I love your column and especially the one about fixing a cup of tea for your boss, whom I assume is Pete, and then finding him asleep at his desk. I laughed a lot over that one.”’ Claire is a former neighbor of my editor.
She was such a great neighbor — she didn’t even take it too bad when Lobo (Pete’s dog from “Travels with Lobo”) got in her cat door in the middle of the night — after getting skunked. Claire just called Pete to tell him not to worry about Lobo, he was with her — and that he had met up with a skunk.
Too bad Claire has moved; neighbors like that are hard to find.
Her note said chamomile enabled her to toss her sleeping pills.
“Now I have a ritual,” she wrote. “Every night before I retire, I make me a cup of chamomile tea and go to bed with my book and as soon as I finish the tea or shortly after, I turn out the light and go to sleep. I can’t thank you enough for taking me off the pills. I even told my doctor as he does not like to prescribe sleeping pills.”
Claire, when I wake in the middle of the night and can’t sleep, I’ll think of you as I make my chamomile tea. It always puts me to sleep, too.
Then Lucy sent the Healthy Foodie an email with another idea on what to do with all that zucchini from the garden — noodles.
“The Spirilizer was our answer to the zucchini overflow,” she wrote. “We froze our zucchini noodles and had them all last winter and into the spring… For those living in the Paleo rage, vegetable noodles are great.”
Absolutely nothing I had ever thought of! What a cool idea. I believe I’ve also heard of cauliflower rice and cauliflower pizza crust, but I have not tried any of those things.
Lucy also just told me about how wonderful Sumac is as an herb. I might just have to whip up something about that…
Please keep the creative, funny, entertaining things about food coming. I do hope to hear from you more often.
The Healthy Foodie
mnelson@payson.com
928-474-5251, ext. 120
708 N. Beeline Hwy.
Payson, AZ 85541 | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/foodie-readers-respond-fun-help/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/81084661930a97fbd3a6ecfa4354786d6e6c508c1ac0644a466ddbc5e6cd1301.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:49:45 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | With the help of local officers, a large outdoor marijuana grow site was busted in Cibecue recently. The identity of the growers remains unknown. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fofficers-seize-2400-marijuana-plants%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/30/Marijuana_MJ_Ranger_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Officers seize 2,400 marijuana plants | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | With the help of local officers, a large outdoor marijuana grow site was busted in Cibecue recently. The identity of the growers remains unknown.
Officers found approximately 2,413 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $3 million on the White Mountain Apache Reservation.
An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crew spotted the plants in the forest on Aug. 19.
Officers pulled up the plants, loaded them on a helicopter and flew them to an area for disposal.
Before the raid, the White Mountain Apache Tribe Police Department received a report that two armed men had confronted a tribal member near the illegal grow site.
White Mountain Police, Tribe game rangers and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs asked for help from the Gila/Navajo County Narcotics Unit, which is overseen by DPS.
The multi-agency team hiked to the cultivation site where they uprooted the marijuana plants, bundled them into large bushels and had DPS fly them out.
The White Mountain Apache Tribe Fire Department then burned the plants.
“This is another case of state troopers working with their law enforcement partners to remove illegal drugs from our communities.
“In this case, armed men, working to protect the marijuana crop, confronted a tribal member on sovereign tribal land,” said DPS Captain Jennifer Pinnow. “Fortunately for all, no one was harmed by this illegal activity before law enforcement could take action.”
On Aug. 25, White Mountain Game and Fish Rangers and special agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted a traffic stop on BIA 12 and Highway 60 near the community of Cibecue which resulted in the arrest of the following suspects: Miguel Angel Acevedo Valencia, 31, and Ricardo Magallanes, 39, were charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; and Maria C. Rodriguez, 32, was charged for hindering prosecution.
The raid involved White Mountain Apache Game and Fish Rangers, Whiteriver Police Department, Gila County Drug, Gang, and Violent Crimes Task Force, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Fort Apache and San Carlos Apache criminal investigation units, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and Gila County Sheriff’s Office. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/officers-seize-2400-marijuana-plants/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/549a79df11b00433d14db7ee67f66879a32491d83d8c66e4728e23e2b66f2a72.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:52:47 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | I am running for Town Council because I feel I can make a very positive impact on the way our Town operates. I know that I would bring a great deal of experience to the Town Council, through the different Boards, Organization and Commissions that I have held. I bring a great deal of expertise in finance, community development and handling personnel issues to the table. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fcouncil-candidate-hallie-overman-jackmans-question%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/25/Hallie_Overman-Jackman_mug_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson council candidate Hallie Overman-Jackman's questionnaire answers | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor's note: The Roundup sent each candidate a questionnaire to answer. Their answers are printed unedited.
I Attended Butler University, I worked in the Jewelry Business for over 30 years in diamond importing, design and retail. Upon early retirement, I moved to Payson and opened a Payroll Company and did Land Development.
I moved to Payson in 1998 (18 yrs.)
I am running for Town Council because I feel I can make a very positive impact on the way our Town operates. I know that I would bring a great deal of experience to the Town Council, through the different Boards, Organization and Commissions that I have held. I bring a great deal of expertise in finance, community development and handling personnel issues to the table.
The people of Payson are amazing!!! We have so many talented people, from so many different backgrounds in our community. The knowledge that they have to share and their generosity is totally overwhelming. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful, bright and intelligent individuals living in Payson and the surrounding area. In times of need, whether it be for our food banks or housing displaced people and animals, because of Forest Fires, our Community always steps up to the plate to help one another.
I would like to see the Town of Payson REALLY become business friendly, not just "talk the talk" but "walk the walk.” I would want the Community Development and Engineering Depart to truly become business friendly. I would make sure that all Town Codes would be enforced equally and individual and companies received fast and accurate information. The Town is dealing with peoples livelihoods, this is how many feed their families, it is not fair or right to cause individual or business unnecessary delays, time is money. I will also work to restore many of the Citizen Review groups, roads, design review, etc. We have a lot of talent in our community, we need to take advantage of all that experience.
When elected, the residents of Payson will always hear the truth from me on Town issues. They will see Town Codes equally enforced. Payson Town Departments and personnel will be more responsive to their needs and concerns.
The retention of Police and Firemen will become a priority, these ladies and gentlemen put their lives on the line everyday for us, we have far too many leaving our Town and going elsewhere due highly to salary constraints.
Beautification of our Town, we have tons of Codes dealing with what is suppose to be done, we need to have them enforced. Our commercial corridor is full of weeds and debris, this needs to be address and resolved.
Many Town and Cities have codes regarding pan handling, we need to get this resolved for our businesses.
What I will accomplish, when elected, refer to the above.
Top 3 Priorities:
Town Department becoming truly Business and individual friendly.
Town Codes equally enforced
Police retention improved
Land use and planning knowledge: Elected to Arizona Planning Association Board of Directors
Past Town of Payson Planning and Zoning Commissioner
Strong knowledge of Town of Payson Codes
Experienced in reading engineering plans & Project review
Executive management experience: Contract review experience
Business Owner
Personnel issues
Confidentiality issues
Budget understanding
Community Commitment: Past President of Rim Country Rotary
Secretary Rim Country Rotary
Payson Area Food Drive
Board Member of Friends of Payson Park & Recreation
Secretary of Friends if Payson Parks & Recreation
Magic on the Mountain Christmas Decorations Green Valley Park
Heritage Festival Chair 08 and 09
Past Treasurer of Payson Community Kids
The Best way to contact me is email Halliepayson@yahoo.com or 928-238-0091 | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/council-candidate-hallie-overman-jackmans-question/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/554bb05d9202180ce54b2f8f0b89784fd4729e22f2beea963f54e6aa6c56f4a3.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:57:13 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | Reynaldo Guevara, 36, will do prison time after convictions for Aggravated DUI and Possession of Marijuana | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fguevara-sentenced-dui-drug-charges%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/guevara-sentenced-dui-drug-charges/ | en | null | Guevara sentenced on DUI, drug charges | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Reynaldo Guevara, 36, will do prison time after convictions for Aggravated DUI and Possession of Marijuana. Gila County Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Wright sentenced Guevara to two years in the Arizona Department of Corrections for driving drunk on a suspended license and placed Guevara on probation for two years for Possession of Marijuana.
On Sept. 3, 2015, Guevara was pulled over for a traffic stop by an Arizona Department of Public Safety Officer. The officer smelled the odor of alcohol and observed signs of impairment. Blood test results confirmed Guevara had THC, an active metabolite of marijuana, in his blood while he was driving. Guevara also had a bag of marijuana. A young child was riding in the car at the time.
Guevara also had a prior felony conviction for Possession of a Forgery Device in Maricopa County in 2012. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/guevara-sentenced-dui-drug-charges/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/9bb8523e4e50b459e5f4134d61b175b4b8ce1b7f2f9ec8fff420f59ea4e9b0f5.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:51:45 | null | 2016-07-18T00:00:00 | The number one reason is that I care about Payson. When I first ran for council in 2008, it was because the current administration at the time was decidedly "anti growth" and I saw the negative impact it was having on the local economy. My wife and I almost moved. But then I decided that this is my home, my children's home, and my grand children's home so I decided to get involved.
Right after I was elected the Great Recession hit and we as the council had to make some very hard decisions in the best interests of the town. There were some very tough years financially but with out of the box solutions to issues and the sacrifices the employees made we have been able to weather the storm better than many others.
Now we are in recovery mode. Things are getting better but the job is not finished yet. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fmayor-candidate-michael-hughess-questionnaire-answ%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/07/18/swartwood-hughes_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson mayor candidate Michael Hughes's questionnaire answers | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor's note: The Roundup sent each candidate a questionnaire to answer. Their answers are printed unedited. Hughes opponent, Craig Swartwood, did not submit a written response to the questionnaire.
Education/service/work background:
I graduated high school in Southern California in 1979. Went to a trade school in Phoenix the next year. Started out in architectural drafting and a switched over to automotive diagnostics.
When I moved to Payson in 1983, I began working in the building trades starting as a laborer and learning many of the different facets such as carpentry, roofing, painting, etc.
In 1998 I went to school for my real estate license and in 2006 went back to school to get my brokers license. I am currently an Associate Broker with ERA Young Realty.
I have served as a board member, officer, and president of the Central Arizona Board of Realtors. I have served as a deacon at my church and currently serve as a trustee. I am also on the board of directors for Grace Works Global, which is a Christian missionary organization that focuses on providing education to indigenous pastors in different areas of the world.
My work background is varied and diverse but my main areas of work have been either in the building trades, or in sales, with a lot of overlap. One thing that I am not and have not been is a general contractor or developer. I don't know where that got started. My main profession since 1998 has been a Realtor.
How long living in Payson:
33 years
Why am I running for office:
The number one reason is that I care about Payson. When I first ran for council in 2008, it was because the current administration at the time was decidedly "anti growth" and I saw the negative impact it was having on the local economy. My wife and I almost moved. But then I decided that this is my home, my children's home, and my grand children's home so I decided to get involved.
Right after I was elected the Great Recession hit and we as the council had to make some very hard decisions in the best interests of the town. There were some very tough years financially but with out of the box solutions to issues and the sacrifices the employees made we have been able to weather the storm better than many others.
Now we are in recovery mode. Things are getting better but the job is not finished yet.
Like best about Payson:
That is a hard question because there are so many things. The friendly people, atmosphere, weather, lifestyle. To some it up I would say that it's home, it's my home.
See Improve:
Many of the things that people say they want improved or that candidates say they want to do are not necessarily within the power or ability of the town or the council to do. Personally I would like people to work together to make this town the best it can be. That means listening to someone else's point of view and realizing that everyone can have good ideas and solutions to issues and being respectful always.
What can residents expect:
That I will make the best decisions I can for the town as a whole. I will have an open door policy.
Top priorities:
Number one is to continue to work on improving the financial position of the town. No matter what else you want to do, if you don't have a way of paying for it, you can't do it.
Two, one of the strategic challenges that both Payson and the surrounding areas will soon be facing is affordable fire protection and emergency medical serve. And I think that it has two major components. One is that we may need to regionalize fire protection. And two, how we can more efficiently and economically provide both fire protection and emergency medical service.
Three, be prepared for the unexpected. Things will alway come up when you are in office that will take away from the goals that you have. Being prepared for for that eventuality will allow you to better deal with the unexpected and give you a better chance to achieve the goals that you first set out to accomplish.
Qualifications:
I am in my 8th year currently on the council and 6th as Vice-Mayor. On the budget committee for the last 7 years.
Served on the town Affordable Housing task force. Graduate of the town leadership academy.
What could the council do better:
I think that given the limited resources that we have had to work with the last 8 years and the challenges we have faced that the council has done a pretty good job of managing the town.
Going forward, that we make good strategic decisions that will benefit the town 5,10 and 20 years down the road.
You can reach me by phone or text @ 928.978.4485
Town e-mail is mhughes@paysonaz.gov
My personal/ business e-mail is michael@mdhughesre.com | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/mayor-candidate-michael-hughess-questionnaire-answ/ | en | 2016-07-18T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/13bbd532a3a35b6dc7eae270ed7b7c2879369fa90514f8393b63b8f2cd126508.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:39 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Editor:
Sen. Allen recently posted one of her regular Lightning Bolt Updates entitled “Broadband GAP Becoming Serious Economic and Safety Concern for White Mountains and Rim Country” on Aug. 8, 2016. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fbroadband-issue%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/broadband-issue/ | en | null | Payson Roundup | Payson, AZ | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor:
Sen. Allen recently posted one of her regular Lightning Bolt Updates entitled “Broadband GAP Becoming Serious Economic and Safety Concern for White Mountains and Rim Country” on Aug. 8, 2016. This is perhaps the only lightning bolt update of Sylvia Allen’s with which I do not take umbrage. However, this is not a new issue and it’s surprising that Sen. Allen is just now looking into this. We have been working on this in the Verde Valley for several years as it indeed has far-reaching impacts for economic development and safety. Sen. Allen has held legislative office on-and-off since 2008. Why has she only recently recognized the critical importance of broadband to economic development in rural Arizona? Why has she not used her position in the state Senate to bring us needed telecommunications capacity thus far?
If you look beyond the hot-button issues, the work of a legislator is largely to take a practical approach in advocating for bills that everyone can get on board with. This is done by working intelligently to build consensus and ensure that every successful bill takes into account the wants and needs of their district. Instead, Allen has spent her time as a lawmaker spinning around highly-ideological, controversial, and sometimes embarrassing legislation that neither represents the district nor improves it.
The most effective lawmakers are those who can build relationships across the aisle and who make the effort to ensure that every facet of their district is getting representation at our Capitol. The people and businesses of Legislative District Six deserve a senator that is willing to work hard for them and advocate for the state to invest outside of Maricopa County. I can promise that if I am elected I will be such a legislator and will put to work my experience in economic development to see that growing our rural economies and improving rural infrastructure are top priorities at the state level.
Nikki Bagley,
State Senate candidate | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/broadband-issue/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/b87581674a54965e00aa7e6d860cbeebe9cb105b246a7e44b0d0c9db439601b1.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:38 | null | 2016-08-18T00:00:00 | With the primary election upon us, the latest round of campaign spending numbers have been released. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fpayson-council-spending-surges-final-days%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/18/Swartwood-Hughes_Crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson council spending surges in final days | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | With the primary election upon us, the latest round of campaign spending numbers have been released.
Town of Payson mayor and council candidates turned in their finance reports last week, which the town posted online Friday.
Every candidate showed a big increase in funds in the pre-primary report — which covers spending from June 1 through Aug. 18 — compared with the June 30 report, which covered expenses through May 31, when many candidates were just getting started.
For mayor, candidates Craig Swartwood and Michael Hughes are neck and neck with money for their campaigns.
Hughes reported collecting $3,500 and spending $2,760, some of which went to a fundraiser. Of Hughes’ funds, $1,500 comes from a personal loan.
Swartwood reported $3,350 in funds and spent $1,965 of that on signs and advertising. Of Swartwood’s funds, $1,000 is a personal loan.
Among their contributors, notable for Hughes are $100 from Payson Councilor Su Connell, $100 from outgoing Mayor Kenny Evans and $250 from Payson Councilor John Wilson and his wife.
For Swartwood, his largest donors have been $400 from both Ray and Julie Pugel and Robert and Sally Randall, $100 from Rory Huff, $200 from Scott Crabdree, $100 from Roy Haught and $100 from Scott Helmer.
In all, Swartwood has a leg up on contributions, with $2,350 in donations from supporters compared with Hughes’ $1,830.
In the council candidate race, five people are vying for three open seats. Hallie Overman-Jackman and Rick Croy are not required to file expense reports, however, because they are not spending more than $500 on their campaigns and therefore exempt.
For candidates, Kim Chittick, Barbara Underwood and Janell Sterner, spending is well past $500.
Chittick reported collecting $1,750 to date for the election and spending $1,400 of that, $320 of her funds are from a personal loan. Her donors include Mary Kastner, Cindy Gregory, John Wakelin and Stan and Jeanie Langham, who each donated $100.
Underwood reported a total of $1,760 and spending $1,345 of that on an ice cream social, advertising and signs. Her donors include John and Sue Wilson at $250 and $100 from Jim and Charlotte Garner.
Janell Sterner has collected $1,240 to date, spending $1,012. Her donors include Don Ascoli, Andy McKinney, Darlene Younker, Jim and Linda Muhr, and Robert Brockmeyer. Her biggest expenses have been for signs and the $200 float entry fee for the Rodeo Parade. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/payson-council-spending-surges-final-days/ | en | 2016-08-18T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/a414a1ff48cc701c1c848d350060877602d6b265f35d58eccb00dd104e6c0425.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:48:34 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | Red of nose, baggy of pants, Donnie Landis struck a pose in the midst of the Saturday performance of the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fhes-rodeo-clown-life%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/25/August_Rodeo_20165525_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | He's a rodeo clown for life | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | “My wife told me we were getting old and we need to start writing things down,” he tells the crowd.
“The other night we were sitting there watching TV and she said, ‘I would like a bowl of ice cream.’”
He pauses for effect. The families in the stands, the cowboys waiting their turn to rope, the announcer in the booth all pause to listen.
“I told her I would get it for her.
“She said, ‘You better write it down, because I don’t only want a bowl of ice cream, I also want whip cream on it.’”
He pauses again, looking quizzically comical, in face paint, a straw hat and suspendered pants loose enough to harbor a family of ferrets.
“I said, ‘I can remember you want ice cream with whip cream on it.’
“She said, ‘You better write it down, because I want ice cream with whipped cream on it and a cherry on top.’
“I looked at her and said, ‘I can remember you want ice cream with whipped cream with a cherry on top.’”
Everybody’s listening now, except maybe the bull riders, checking their gear, looking through the bars at the killer eyes of the 1,200-pound bulls.
Landis continues, looking perfectly serious over the curve of his tennis ball of a scarlet honker. “I was in the kitchen for a while, then I finally brought out the bacon and eggs and set hem in front of her.
“She stared at them for a while.
“Then looked up at me and asked, ‘where is the toast?’”
The crowd roars with laughter.
Landis has been cracking them up between the broncs, bulls, rodeo queens and heelers going on 40 years.
Donnie Landis grew up around rodeos.
He’s a fourth generation rodeo cowboy.
His great-grandfather was a pick up man, his grandfather rode bucking broncos, his mother served as a rodeo secretary and his father did it all -- riding rough stock, bullfighting and performing as a rodeo clown and producing rodeos in California. He was one of the founders of the California Cowboys Pro Rodeo Association.
Donnie, who calls himself a rodeo clown, barrel man and entertainer, has been working rodeos since he turned 12. He joined the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association when he was 18.
He’s now 56.
And he has no plans to slow down.
“Well, there is no retirement, so you gotta stay in it,” he said. “I’ll be working ’till I’m dead.”
Good thing he’s enjoying himself.
“I happen to love this sport,” he said. “I get to travel all around the 48 states. I get to see things people only get to read about in history books. And I get to be my own boss. I don’t have to really answer to anybody. I work minimal hours a week and I make more than a college graduate.”
How much?
“I make six digits,” he said.
So why can’t you retire when you feel the time is right?
“I spend a lot of money,” he said. “Look,” he says tilting his head back and opening his lips, “I need new teeth.”
Yes, he’s a natural comedian.
Perhaps he’d have been at home on a stage.
But the only stage he’s known is covered in dirt.
And he’s in the spotlight most every weekend in some part of the country, providing a light-hearted break for fans between broncs throwing riders and cowboys wrestling steers.
He’s good at what he does. That’s evident by the laughter he generates.
He’s been called to work the prestigious Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas repeatedly. He’s also worked the big rodeos in Salinas, Calif., Houston, Pendleton, Ore., as well as the Calgary Stampede.
He’s on his second marriage and lives in Gooding, Idaho. He’s rarely home as he’s spends 11 months a year driving from rodeo to rodeo. None of his seven kids went into rodeo.
Injuries are just part of the profession.
“I’ve broken my neck, I punctured a lung, I’ve broken several bones,” he said. “It’s a full-contact sport. When they blow that whistle, them bulls don’t understand that whistle.”
So it’s the bulls that have injured you?
“Them and my wife and my ex-wife,” he grins. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/hes-rodeo-clown-life/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/ab0156ea4b49889d2ac33bac22895c5e3e2fdafa2fb09da98def68f40321061b.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:48:35 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | This is getting crazy. We’ve got to do something about dark money. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fdark-money-insanity%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/dark-money-insanity/ | en | null | Payson Roundup - Payson, AZ | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | This is getting crazy. We’ve got to do something about dark money.
The Centers for Investigative Journalism reports that dark money groups have spent at least $500,000 to influence the primaries for the state legislature. So far, that doesn’t include spending in District 6, which represents Rim Country and much of northern Arizona. However, expect to see dark money special interest groups dominate races in November.
The Arizona Republic reported this week that New York billionaire Robert Mercer has poured at least $200,000 into the Arizona senate primary campaign of Dr. Kelli Ward, who is attempting to unseat Sen. John McCain. Mercer has previously backed both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
The money apparently contributed to a $400,000 barrage of attack ads that accused McCain of “betraying us on amnesty,” for favoring a comprehensive approach that combined tougher border security with a path to legal status for some 11 million, law-abiding, undocumented immigrants.
Moreover, Rep. Paul Gosar — an ultra-conservative congressman who represents northern Gila County — is facing a roughly $280,000 barrage of attack ads from Right Way SuperPAC, a Virginia-based political action committee formed in June, according to another story in the Republic. Gosar is seeking a fourth term in a safe Republican district, but faces a challenge from Ray Strauss, a former Buckeye councilman and minister. The roots and motives of the dark money flooding into the district remain unclear.
Strauss has raised only about $100,000 and has just $8,000 cash on hand — compared to Gosar’s $450,000 — with $183,000 cash on hand.
Two years ago, the dark money Fund for Growth targeted Gosar. Since then, he has reportedly moved from 65 percent support for the Club for Growth’s agenda to 90 percent.
Clearly, special interest groups are staging a financial coup without any need to even reveal where they’re getting their money. This comes courtesy of U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and the failure of either Congress or the state legislatures to require meaningful disclosure.
Alas, it will get worse between now and November.
This is crazy. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/dark-money-insanity/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/9f5e4e27b10a72aee2fbbb90ac8b34598374964c1aee0aef5b3025a0f2435908.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:48:46 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Christopher Creek had a small but significant role in a tragedy, which played out on Sept. 5 and 6 back some 46 years ago. Other Rim Country creeks, Tonto, Horton and Dick Williams with Christopher swept away 15 souls on a trip to eternity that fateful and tragic weekend | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Fmemories-one-rims-worst-tragedies%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/26/8-26_chris_creek_col_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Memories of one of the Rim’s worst tragedies | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | .
At the same time Sycamore Creek washed away a span of the bridge on the Beeline, near Sunflower, taking the lives of Arizona Highway patrolman Gilbert Duthie and Payson’s Marguerite Dickinson. Now, these are accounts about which most of us know.
Many other facts have come to light over these last three years and today we will put some of the stories, as best we know them, together with the families of victims and the survivors of the deadliest natural disaster in Arizona’s history.
One couple and their son were returning from dropping off a car, which they had donated to a missionary woman on the Navajo reservation. It was a mission of kindness and sharing from which they never returned — the couple, that is. A few miles from a tiny little town of Aneth in the very southeast corner of Utah, the bridge on McElmo Creek had washed away. The victim’s car and trailer were swept down the raging creek.
However, their 10-year-old son, Dewey, escaped from the plunging vehicle and grabbing a bush along the bank, he held on for dear life until rescued by two Ute Indian policemen. Family members of Richard and Nancy Fellars will be attending the dedication.
Heather Fuller and her friend, Pamela Weese, made their way out of a sinking vehicle, scratching and scrambling their way to a tree on higher ground as Heather watched the remainder of the families wash down Tonto Creek. Wet and cold, there they waited for rescue. Heather continues to come to Rim Country to fish the area streams and will be attending the dedication.
There will be a large delegation representing the MacDonald and Chandler victims.
Lori Duthie Thatcher, daughter of Gil Duthie, will attend in honor of her father.
Susan Leota Allen, the lone victim from Christopher Creek, will have her daughters, Lori and Lisa in attendance.
Here in the Creek, a couple of young friends were caught in the floodwaters, desperately holding on to a tree awaiting rescue. Suddenly, Kim Ashby’s hands slipped from the tree as Karen “Cookie” White quickly reached into the floodwaters, grabbed a handful of hair and brought Kim back to relative safety. This is an event that Cookie blocked from her memory for 43 years.
At the very first flood memorial event, back three years ago, an older gentleman from Tonto Estates desperately related the story of emptying his rain gauge three times over that fated weekend. He felt that there may have been more than six inches each time and that some may have splashed out before he emptied them.
That would correspond with an extensive study by NOAA which mapped the estimate of unrecorded rainfall amounts for the region. On their map was the innermost concentric ring in a fat, cigar shape extending from above Tonto Hatchery, across the neck of Promontory Point, to Woods Canyon Lake. Inside that ring as estimated to have received in excess of 18 inches of rainfall that weekend.
Moris and Beverly Rhodes and their three children were camping along the creek and were washed away in their Volkswagen minibus. Along the Tonto just before the confluence with Christopher Creek is the engine, transmission and undercarriage of the Volkswagen minibus swept away at the Horton Creek Bridge. Dave Elston tells of the search and recovery effort on the day following the flood, in which young Dave and his dad participated. Focusing their eyes on the ground, he happened to look up to find the body of that Volkswagen minivan hanging precariously some 25 feet above the ground in an oak tree. Margaret Kleinschmidt and others from her family will be in attendance. She is the sister of Moris Rhodes.
Allan Kelley hopes to attend with his grandfather Tom Magness. Tom is the nephew of Day and Mina Campbell who were washed away from their cabin on the creek.
Seven families representing 18 of the flood victims will be in attendance. Two of the survivors will also be there.
Dedication of the 1970 Labor Day Flood Disaster Memorial will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 3 in front of the Gila County Historical Society building in Green Valley Park. Family members of flood victims are in charge of the event and would like to extend an invitation to all interested parties in Rim Country to attend. Please bring chairs or blankets to sit on and raincoats in case of a storm.
Janis Hall has helped in the locating and notifying victim’s family members. She shared this account: “Upon contacting the Fellars family, the daughter named Nancy kept saying to me that she thought it was a hoax when she heard about it because it had been so long and why would anyone be so nice to remember them in this way.” ... and that’s another week in the Creek.
Editor’s note: The Rim Country Museum in Green Valley Park has a vintage photo exhibit on display that includes images from the aftermath of that terrible 1970 flood. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/27/memories-one-rims-worst-tragedies/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/e33e8d8bcf7ec6dda43133c1cdcca87b9c6477f8a3d0737bdd15e2d62a1b32ce.json |
[
"Photo Keith Morris"
] | 2016-08-27T14:48:42 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The name Milk Man doesn’t do him justice. The prized Salt River Rodeo Co. bull could just as easily be called Demon Beast, Terror Train or Big Bully. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Fbulls-rule-payson-rodeo%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/26/August_Rodeo_20166439_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Bulls rule Payson Rodeo | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | The name Milk Man doesn’t do him justice.
The prized Salt River Rodeo Co. bull could just as easily be called Demon Beast, Terror Train or Big Bully.
Cowboys who’ve attempted to ride him likely call him other names not fit for a family newspaper.
The big black and white beast doesn’t seem to like anyone sitting on his back.
And he continued to rid himself of any cowboy attempting to do so in quick fashion during the 132nd edition of the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo at Payson Event Center last weekend.
He entered the day having thrown 23 consecutive riders.
On Saturday afternoon, he pushed his streak to 24.
Milk Man threw Buckeye’s Wyatt Hester to the dirt right out of the gate. With Hester in a vulnerable position on the ground directly in front of Milk Man, bullfighter Clifford Maxwell quickly ran to his defense, leaping over Hester right in front of Milk Man’s horns trying to distract the angry bull.
The Taylor resident did his job, putting himself in harm’s way to protect the cowboy. The tactic worked and both escaped serious injury.
Both he and fellow bullfighter Luke Kraut stayed busy as several riders found themselves on the ground near angry bulls.
None of the 12 riders in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event lasted the required eight seconds on either of their goes to record a score. So the competitors all got their entry fees back.
So Milk Man and his buddies Super Hero, Radioactive, Wired Hot, Brush Fire, Bad Habit, Rio’s Jagged Edge, Jungle Love, Cult Leader, Tequila Worm, Dragon, Pot Licker, Silence Reigns, Big Money, Bull Butter, Gotta Go Joe, El Paso City, Western Star and Big Jake ruled the weekend.
Some of the other rough stock competitors had more luck.
Taylor’s Shon Gibson continued his strong season, winning the bareback riding competition with a score of 77 on Dakota Express and 76.5 on Lady Assassin. He and John Killian were the only riders with two successful goes, while the only other competitor, Rio Lee, turned in one scoring ride.
Tyrel Larsen of Inglis, Manitoba, Canada won the saddle bronc riding, which featured just two of the eight competitors entered scoring.
The rodeo drew 127 entrants; led by team roping with 44, tie-down roping with 32 and steer wrestling with 28. The rodeo featured a total payoff of $44,436.80.
While the number of contestants was down in some events, that wasn’t the case for the kids, who once again filled up the available slots for both mutton bustin’ and steer wrestling.
“We were turning kids away,” said Payson Pro Rodeo boss Bill Armstrong.
Armstrong was thankful the rain held off.
“We were very lucky,” he said. “It just sprinkled a bit.”
The crowds for the Friday night and two Saturday performances, as well as Thursday night’s Women’s Rodeo, were treated to plenty of action. And Donnie Landis was back once again to provide comic relief (see story on Page 1).
Armstrong and PPRC president Dan Wile said the rodeo wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of the 120 PPRC members and the 80-100 volunteers.
A pair of spurs that weren’t won will be raffled off in a fundraiser. Details have not yet been announced.
The Payson Pro Rodeo Committee reported the results in this story. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/27/bulls-rule-payson-rodeo/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/12d439a25aca733a38b2b6ad7685220a464928db2f353e983035c13347ceff8e.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:49:46 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The Tonto National Forest will start gathering information on the environmental impact of what may become the world’s largest copper mine — not to mention a humongous hole in the ground. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fmore-studies-massive-mine-near-superior%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/30/cronkite_copper_mining_2_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | More studies for massive mine near Superior | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | The Tonto National Forest will start gathering information on the environmental impact of what may become the world’s largest copper mine — not to mention a humongous hole in the ground.
A Tonto National Forest supervisor this week authorized added studies to gauge the environmental impacts, as required under the terms of a land exchange already approved by Congress.
The Resolution Copper Mine near Superior would use robots to hollow out a gigantic cavern 7,000 feet below the surface. Over a period of 40 years, the mine could provide 25 percent of the nation’s copper — worth an estimated $62 billion. The mine and related businesses could employ about 1,400 people, according to the company’s estimates.
Moreover, Payson officials have had talks with the University of Arizona about establishing a school of robotic engineering in Payson, which would include a control center for the robots hollowing out the ore deposit more than a mile beneath the surface.
But all that copper comes out of the earth at a potentially steep environmental cost.
The removal of 1.7 billion tons of rock could cause the collapse of the surface under scenic Oak Flat. That could create a 1.8-mile-wide, 1,000-foot-deep pit: Picture a hole twice the size of meteor crater — as deep as the Mogollon Rim is tall. The pit would likely consume the 760-acre Oak Flat, a campground and scenic field of boulders withdrawn from mining activities in 1955.
The pit would form gradually over the 40 years the mine would remain in operation, starting in 2020.
Moreover, the tailings taken out of the mine could have a big impact as well. The massive machines would hollow out the ore, crush it, then dump the crushed rock on a conveyor belt for removal. Processing would remove useful minerals like copper and molybdenum. The copper ore will go into a 22-mile-long slurry pipeline, supplied by 30 new groundwater wells.
The useful minerals will make up an estimated 1.5 percent of the crushed rock. The rest of the rock will likely end up on a 500-foot-high pile of tailings covering 4,400 acres of Forest Service land between Superior and Queen Valley.
Congress in 2014 gave the copper mine the go-ahead by approving a land swap. Rio Tinto would get some 2,422 acres, including Oak Flat — which several Indian tribes claim as a sacred site used to gather plants and minerals used in ceremonies. In return, Rio Tinto would turn over about 5,300 acres it owns elsewhere in the state — including environmentally sensitive lands along the San Pedro River.
Congress slipped approval of the land exchange bill into a defense appropriations bill, which avoided a straight vote on the exchange. The swap had the support of Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake as well as Republican Rep. Paul Gosar and Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, whose districts include Gila County.
Environmental groups and the San Carlos Apache Tribal Council have protested the land exchange, decrying the potential environmental cost and the loss of land considered sacred by many Apache.
Payson Mayor Kenny Evans, running now for Gila County supervisor, has supported the project. He has also negotiated with Rio Tinto and the University of Arizona about the possibility of opening a branch of the U of A’s mining school in Payson.
Evans said he hopes the Forest Service and the mining company will also explore alternatives to the current plan that would in effect put the mine tailings back into the excavated, subsurface cavern. That plan could perhaps dramatically reduce the eventual collapse at the surface as well as the size of any tailings pile.
A Tonto National Forest summary indicated the environmental impact study now underway will look at whether to put the tailings back into the mine once the ore’s removed. The EIS will also consider whether the tailings could go back into the developing crater at the surface as it begins to develop. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/more-studies-massive-mine-near-superior/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/0d475f0dff34b2a0a85482af132fa302fba0f49a04c76ee23428b1be534934a9.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T14:49:44 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | On a hot August day, 2.2 tons of grapes sat in Ray Stephens’ driveway. “We can make 150 to 175 gallons of wine out of 1.2 tons of grapes,” said the owner of Trident Winery. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fpines-trident-winery-getting-spirits%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/30/Crushing_Grapes3401_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Pine’s Trident winery getting into the spirit(s) | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | On a hot August day, 2.2 tons of grapes sat in Ray Stephens’ driveway.
“We can make 150 to 175 gallons of wine out of 1.2 tons of grapes,” said the owner of Trident Winery.
The winery has the distinction of being the only winery and tasting room in Gila County.
But first those grapes have to be crushed.
When thinking about crushing grapes, the 1956 episode of “I Love Lucy” comes to mind.
Remember that one?
Lucy, on vacation in Italy, decides to learn how to stomp grapes to prepare for a part in an Italian movie.
She quickly discovers that stomping grapes is hard work. Tired, Lucy starts to leave the grape-crushing pit, but her Italian partner berates her and refuses to let her leave. Lucy throws a pile of grapes at the Italian — who naturally throws grapes back at Lucy. They both end up in the barrel of crushed grapes.
At Stephens’ operation, instead of bare-footed grape-stompers he relied on an industrial-sized mixer, a committed assistant and helpful neighbors to crush the grapes.
Nina Seethaler rummaged through the huge boxes of grapes on the trailer in the garage to fish out five-gallon buckets of grapes.
Stephens ran the “industrialized stick blender” to crush the grapes gathered in five-gallon buckets.
“We call this the boat motor,” he said.
Britta Allen and Di Bustamante then pushed the pulp and juice from the pulverized grapes through a sieve, dumping the excess seeds and pulp into a trash can.
“We don’t have a regular crusher,” said Stephens.
When asked why they decided to help with the sticky, mushy and hot work of getting the grapes prepared, Allen said, “We’re just friends and he asked.”
Normally, Stephens does not use grapes in his wines. He finds other kinds of fruits, flowers or herbs.
Take Trident’s strawberry-chocolate wine: It has hints of cocoa, but has a strawberry colored blush and sweet tart taste.
The winery also makes an ocotillo wine from the flowers of the desert ocotillo plant. It’s more dry and light — kind of like a cup of chamomile tea chilled.
Other wines have been made out of melons, blackberries, or had maca added to them.
Maca is an herb from South America that many believe has medicinal qualities.
The variety of methods and tastes keeps him energized and excited about his work.
“I’m all about not being bored,” said Stephens.
So why boring old grapes?
“With the Chardonnay grapes, I’m going to do an orange or amber wine,” he said. “There’s no filtering of the skins.”
Most grape wines use just the juice, said Stephens. He won’t do that with this wine because he’s seeking the more full-bodied flavor that will come from this type of processing.
The other half of the grapes, Merlot, he will combine with a fruit, such as his Cabernet-Blackberry wine.
The secret behind Stephens’ wines lies in his connections with fruit producers and distributors.
In the case of these grapes, his friend Greg Gonerman who owns Chiricahua Ranch Vineyards sold him these two tons.
Stephens said Gonerman did the winery thing backward.
“He loves the growing of the grapes rather than making the wines,” said Stephens.
Most folks who wish to start a winery first buy grapes while they wait for theirs to mature, make wine and open a tasting room. As soon as they grow enough grapes, they make their own wine. But Gonerman found he had a pile of grapes with no way to process them, so he sold them to Stephens.
As Stephens talked about how he got the grapes, the industrialized stick blender decided to just stop. Just one of many things that can go wrong in the processing, said Stephens.
As Stephens waited for the industrialized stick blender to cool off, Seethaler, Allen and Bustamante focused on bringing in bucket after bucket of grapes.
It was all backing up with Stephens as the bottleneck. “Welcome to my world,” he said.
With a few knocks and taps with a tool, the blender started up again — and Stephens and his gang trudged on with the work of wrestling the grapes into wine. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/31/pines-trident-winery-getting-spirits/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/2590190aebe86a8aea6303868bdc25c8836e73c9035d58953a1c6ce5fe63d7ba.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:04 | null | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | Roundup reporter Michele Nelson was rushing her daughter to school when she got stuck in traffic. She honked. The geese honked. Standoff. So she took a photo while she waited at the goose crossing — counting her blessings and enjoying the Payson lifestyle. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fgoosing-traffic-rush-hour-jam-payson-style%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/22/Traffic_Jam_in_Payson_2_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Goosing Traffic: Rush hour jam - Payson style | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Roundup reporter Michele Nelson was rushing her daughter to school when she got stuck in traffic. She honked. The geese honked. Standoff. So she took a photo while she waited at the goose crossing — counting her blessings and enjoying the Payson lifestyle. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/goosing-traffic-rush-hour-jam-payson-style/ | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/1c42f5e0285f2fec9e9bd8eef1cacc030c668a9b92caa2b106bf4137acf4c15b.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T14:49:46 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | A man was critically injured Sunday afternoon after he crashed his quad near the Tonto Natural Bridge turnoff | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fman-injured-atv-adcident%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/29/Accident_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Man injured in ATV adcident | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | A man was critically injured Sunday afternoon after he crashed his quad near the Tonto Natural Bridge turnoff. An off-duty Phoenix police officer was driving on State Route 87 around 3 p.m. when he saw a man get thrown off his quad, roll through the air and land near the entrance to the bridge, said Pine Fire District Chief Gary Morris. It is unknown what caused the single seat quad to crash. The P-S paramedics responded and treated the patient. The male | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/31/man-injured-atv-adcident/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/a274345363c236c7cc901d21238148a9b98805179a707a2393ff467db0df6474.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:48:54 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | A Christopher Creek man died Monday after crashing several vehicles in a Payson intersection. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fchristopher-creek-man-dies-after-chain-reaction-cr%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/25/Roles_vehicle_TM_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Christopher Creek man dies after chain reaction crash | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | A Christopher Creek man died Monday after crashing several vehicles in a Payson intersection.
Daniel James Roles, 58, was driving a silver Toyota Tacoma westbound on State Route 260 when he suffered an undetermined medical issue and crashed into three vehicles at the intersection of Manzanita Street and East State Route 260, according to the Payson Police Department.
Three of the vehicles were just beginning to leave the Manzanita intersection after the light changed green when Roles sideswiped one vehicle and rear ended another vehicle, which caused it to strike a third vehicle.
All four vehicles were westbound on State Route 260.
Paramedics treated Roles on scene for a medical condition that happened before the accident. Roles later died due to this medical condition at Banner Payson Medical Center.
Two other people were transported to the Banner Payson Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
Initial medical assessment by the Gila County Medical Examiner indicates Roles’ medical condition was the contributing factor to the accident. Police Chief Don Engler said what that medical condition was is still being determined.
At least one lane of westbound 260 was blocked for hours Monday as crews investigated | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/christopher-creek-man-dies-after-chain-reaction-cr/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/497704e8db956be031f0104609d53dabe68e4d2842a89dc07188bf6a97d8668e.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:36 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Rep. Paul Gosar this week renewed his war with the Center for Biological Diversity, blasting the Flagstaff-based group for filing lawsuits on behalf of endangered species. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Frep-gosar-decries-legal-threats-endangered-species%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/29/Paul_Gosar_Official_Portrait_LR600_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Rep. Gosar decries legal threats for endangered species | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Rep. Paul Gosar this week renewed his war with the Center for Biological Diversity, blasting the Flagstaff-based group for filing lawsuits on behalf of endangered species.
The Center this week filed a notice that it might file a lawsuit to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to decide whether to list some 417 species as endangered or threatened. The federal agency has 60 days in which to respond.
Rep. Gosar issued a release saying “Extremist environmentalist groups, led by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), announced their intent this week to unleash several hundred more frivolous lawsuits against the Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations have a long history of abusing the ESA (Endangered Species Act) in order to force taxpayers to pay millions of dollars in government legal fees defending these arbitrary lawsuits. The truth is that misguided groups like CBD are simply using ‘sue and settle’ tactics to fund and implement their radical agenda. This behavior sets a dangerous legal precedent that must be stopped.”
Rep. Gosar has introduced several bills that would limit or eliminate court fees when environmental groups win lawsuits against the federal government.
Noah Greenwald, endangered species director for the CBD, said, “Rep. Gosar’s statement is full of so many factual errors and misrepresentations that it doesn’t even come close to passing the straight face test. All of the 417 species we are seeking endangered species protections for have already been found by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to warrant consideration for protection as endangered species, but have ended up in a bureaucratic limbo.”
Greenwald said lumping the 417 species together in a single action actually represents an effort to streamline the process.
He said one recent study found that on average species wait 12 years for protection once petitions are filed, although the law requires action within two years. In fact, 42 species have actually gone extinct while waiting for the USFWS to decide on whether to extend protection.
“Our sole interest in seeking protection for these species is to ensure none of them go extinct, something that can never be undone,” said Greenwald.
The notice by the environmental group represents the latest step in an effort dating back to 2011 to force the USFWS to take some action on behalf of 750 species various studies had suggested might be dwindling. USFWS admitted many of those species were likely endangered, but concluded it didn’t have the resources to decide for sure.
The USFWS in a 2011 settlement, agreed to take at least preliminary action on 750 species. The federal biologists eventually approved endangered species protection for 147 of those species and concluded more than 400 others might qualify for protection.
“They haven’t made what’s called a 12-month finding for 417 species — and they’re one to seven years late on making that determination,” said Greenwald.
The 417 species include 87 plants and 235 invertebrates such as snails, mussels and beetles.
Greenwald said the CBD will confer with the USFWS in the next two months to determine whether the agency intends to move forward. If not, the CBD may file a lawsuit to force action, he said.
Gosar put out a statement this week saying the “radical” environmental groups were mostly just trying to make money through successful lawsuits in which judges awarded them attorney’s fees. He sponsored the Collins-Gosar bill requiring the various government agencies to report how much they paid out in fees as a result of such lawsuits.
He has sponsored a series of such bills, most of which have not become law. Those bills include:
H.R.4315, would require federal agencies to make information used to make an ESA decision available to the public and accessible on the Internet.
H.R.4316, would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to disclose to Congress and online taxpayer money spent responding to ESA lawsuits; the number of employees utilized by the Fish and Wildlife Service for litigation purposes; and the amount of attorney’s fees awarded in ESA lawsuits and settlements.
H.R.4317, would require the federal government to divulge to affected states all data it uses to justify ESA decisions. It would also require the government to consult with affected states, tribes and local governments and utilize their data when formulating decisions.
H.R.4318, would place maximum amounts on awards of attorney’s fees by making the ESA conform to the Equal Access to Justice Act, which limits the prevailing hourly fee for attorneys to $125 per hour.
Greenwald noted the CBD does rely on fees awarded by judges who ruled various federal agencies did not follow the law, however he said overall the organization loses money on its legal efforts, covering the balance with donations.
“If we were trying to make money, we’d file lawsuits on each species rather than trying to reach a settlement. It’s just ridiculous,” said Greenwald.
He said court-awarded fees make it possible for environmental groups and citizens to go into court. The groups collect fees when the judge decides the federal agency has broken the law.
“I would point out that the whole idea of the government paying fees when they lose is to provide equal access to justice. It’s to level the playing field, so it’s not just big-pocketed industries that can go to court to take the government to task. I don’t think this is about legal fees. Rep. Gosar doesn’t want to see species protected under the Endangered Species Act.” | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/rep-gosar-decries-legal-threats-endangered-species/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/3c2b242faf4e7e101f4af78184868499449cc5e9fa1e18c4bce90c8a51c370cc.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:01:49 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | A man who tried to avoid arrest by giving police the wrong name was sentenced to prison earlier this month for criminal impersonation. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fman-gets-175-years-lying-police-about-identity%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/man-gets-175-years-lying-police-about-identity/ | en | null | Man gets 1.75 years for lying to Police about identity | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | A man who tried to avoid arrest by giving police the wrong name was sentenced to prison earlier this month for criminal impersonation.
During a traffic stop in which Seth Backus, 27, was a passenger, Backus provided a Payson Police officer with a driver’s license belonging to another person to avoid being arrested for an outstanding probation violation warrant.
Backus also had marijuana at the time of his arrest.
Backus’ criminal history includes three prior felony convictions for burglary and two felony drug convictions, according to Deputy County Attorney Duncan J. Rose, who prosecuted the case.
On Aug. 8, Judge Timothy M. Wright sentenced Backus to 1.75 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections for criminal impersonation and 24 months of probation for possession of drug paraphernalia. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/man-gets-175-years-lying-police-about-identity/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/c86cf1801a1ca68d6c807d2cee53c7c70ad32fa57040287ad049de4c932b3289.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:57:40 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | Because I believe I can make a positive difference in our community. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fcouncil-candidate-kim-chitticks-questionnaire-answ%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/25/Kim_Chittick_4_TOP_Council_t640.JPG?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson council candidate Kim Chittick's questionnaire answers | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor's note: The Roundup sent each candidate a questionnaire to answer. Their answers are printed unedited.
Education/service/work background:
California State College and University system. 20 years as an Auditor. Too many volunteer positions to list. (Besides, in the interest of respecting the need for non-profits to maintain political neutrality, I will not name the ones to whom I have given my efforts. Their ongoing needs are far more important than mine.)
How long have you lived in Payson:
22 years in September
Why are you running for office:
Because I believe I can make a positive difference in our community.
What do you like best about living in Payson:
Being surrounded by National Forest and the strong sense of community
What would you like to see improve:
I would like to see Payson be transitioned from being a “pass-thru” community, to a destination.
If you join the council, what can residents expect from you:
Residents can expect honesty, transparency and a willingness to do my homework so that I am voting as an informed Council person.
What do you hope to accomplish while on the council:
I would very much like for us to find, establish and develop, a “center”, a “heart” of Payson. I would also like to see an increase in small, locally owned businesses prospering, rather than simply surviving.
What are your top 3 priorities:
(1) Ascertain means by which Town of Payson can better serve our locally owned businesses, as well as bring more diverse businesses to our community. (2) Find and develop the “heart” of Payson, in order to give our community a sense of place. (3) Increase the usability of the Multi-event center by partnering with the Tonto Apache Tribe.
How are you qualified to serve as a Councilor/Mayor:
I have served as a Director on several Boards. I have a strong desire to serve and make a difference in our community. I am semi-retired, so, I have the time to dedicate to the study, research and “homework” that being a Town Council person requires.
What could the council be doing better:
I believe that our current Council has completed their elected duties to the best of their abilities and in keeping with their personal beliefs, philosophies and ethics. My goal is not to be better than someone else, or to critique the job someone else is doing, but instead to be the best that I can be for our Town.
Anything else:
I moved to Payson 22 years ago and adopted Payson as my hometown. I love Payson and the Rim Country and have no intention of leaving, therefore, I feel that it is my responsibility to be the difference I want to see in my world.
What is the best way for voters to learn more about you?
My candidate Facebook page is listed under Kim Chittick, and my email address is kimforpaysoncouncil@gmail.com | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/council-candidate-kim-chitticks-questionnaire-answ/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/c1384c12273aacc8da7d2447c09671213edbf5ca313090be560ed62bea8845fa.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T22:48:34 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Two customers came to express their outrage, confusion and shock about the water bills they received from the Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District at the Aug. 18 board meeting. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fsticker-shock-pine-water-customers%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/sticker-shock-pine-water-customers/ | en | null | Sticker shock for Pine water customers | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Two customers came to express their outrage, confusion and shock about the water bills they received from the Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District at the Aug. 18 board meeting.
Bob and Pamela Hougary decried their $1,800 bill. The local couple had purchased a large piece of property, put in an orchard and populated it with livestock, then received the bill after the rate changes went into affect.
“The water rates are discriminatory to families and people with large pieces of land,” said Pam.
The second complaint about bills came from Ray Pugel, real estate agent and developer. He expressed his anger over a $5,190 bill he said stemmed from an incorrect meter reading for his RV resort.
“My wife found out you have been mis-billing us for quite a few months,” he said. “I think all of you would have been surprised by this bill.”
Pugel was not protesting the amount of the bill so much as he was angry that PSWID did not call him to alert him about the large adjustment. Nor did PSWID give him the option of a payment plan to pay off the bill.
The Hougarys, in comparison, fall under the category of the higher end users of water.
Mahir Hazine, treasurer of the board, said PSWID had repeated meetings over a period of months before agreeing on the new rate system that caused the Hougarys’ high bill.
“We analyzed the months of July and January,” said Hazi “Those customers (using 5,000 gallons plus) accounted for 35.6 percent of the water, but only paid for 18.3 percent of base and usage revenue.”
He said in January, those high-volume users continued using more water, while paying proportionately less.
In other words, the users of less water were subsidizing those using more water, he said.
“We got closer to equitable (with the new rates),” said Hazine.
As for customer service, Hazine said there have been numerous changes regarding the staff in the PSWID office.
Earlier this year, PSWID lost its longtime office manager. The district recently hired a new office manager, Karen Killen.
During the Aug. 18 meeting, the board discussed what role Killen could play to resolve customer disputes. The board decided that policy required more conversation.
However, the board has discussed the rate structure over the course of many meetings and public hearings.
The Hougarys admitted they had not attended those meetings due to a full work schedule.
Hazine said the board had financial reasons to change the rates. Currently PSWID has a substantial loan on the books from paying for the water company.
“We had over $6 million left on that loan,” said Hazine. “We also have $6 million of repairs needed,” he said.
The new rates will keep the water district solvent.
The original $6 million loan covered the cost of buying the water district from the previous owner, Richard Hardcastle. The district then found the system so run down it required extensive upgrades and repairs.
Hardcastle did have a low monthly base rate, but the lack of sufficient water resulted in a building moratorium and summer water hauling charges that doubled and tripled monthly bills.
Those problems led to the purchase of the water company from Hardcastle.
Hazine said PSWID has the loan structured with a balloon payment on the $6.4 million balance to keep the payments under control.
Recently the board refinanced the loan to avoid having to come up with the $6.4 million in one chunk.
“It costs us $250,000 in fees to refinance,” said Hazine. “We were able to refinance (and) extend the balloon payment to 2025 ... but who knows what the (interest) rates will be by then.”
In addition, the district must come up with another $6 million for upgrades and repairs.
“The analysis (on the system) has been done and we have a master report,” he said. “Our budget is $500,000 per year. We had to go in and prioritize. Last year we did one major project.”
Hazine said the board has created a capital program focused on necessary repairs, starting with adding more valves to the main lines so that if a leak occurs, PSWID will not have to shut off a long stretch of pipe.
“We can fix it much quicker,” said Hazine, “(now) every time we have a leak, we have just a limited number of valves to isolate the problem. We have to drain a larger area so there is water wasted draining it and then we have to charge it up again and chlorinate it all again ... that’s not an efficient way to do it.”
Pugel complained that these repairs could be contributing to his bills.
“I have backflow preventers at my house and at my other places of business,” he said. “It spews water because of the particulates in the line from all of the repairs.”
He said he has finally drained the line and cleaned out the mud, but he doesn’t know if that affected his usage.
“To this date, I have not seen a month-by-month usage,” he said. “I just don’t write you checks for $5,190. I depend on my water bill to know if I have a leak.”
Hazine admitted that PSWID could have handled Pugel’s account better.
He said Pugel’s resort meter is different from other meters. That confused the meter reader.
“His meter is new,” said Hazine. “He was pretty much paying zero to low water (rates). If he was using 3,500 gallons, it was plugged in as 35 gallons.”
The treasurer said it was PSWID’s mistake and the district would work with Pugel to correct the situation. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/sticker-shock-pine-water-customers/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/4a31b995cae350616ea9f6d0130311121572aa9aafbbd8da538584a7b64837b4.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:48:38 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Editor:
In the past several weeks, there have been quite a few comments on Facebook, and other social media, about the college coming to town. There will never be a college in Payson — at least not during my lifetime. There are several reasons why I make this statement. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fcollege-will-never-open%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/college-will-never-open/ | en | null | College will never open | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor:
In the past several weeks, there have been quite a few comments on Facebook, and other social media, about the college coming to town. There will never be a college in Payson — at least not during my lifetime. There are several reasons why I make this statement.
The first reason is political. Politicians, not all, will make any statement, tell the people what they want to hear as long as it will advance their career. These statements can range from a little fib to an outright lie.
Next: Our town is controlled by a very small group of residents who do not want Payson to grow and will do anything to prevent growth. Several members of this group have made this statement in public. This group is known as “The Good Old Boys.” Some of them have been or are on the town council. HPR wanted to expand their operation and provide an additional 100-plus jobs in town. Instead of bending over backward to help them, our town council, with some help from The Good Old Boys, suddenly came up with code and zoning restrictions on airport property HPR wanted to buy or already owned. At last report, HPR is moving its new operations to Texas where, rumors have it, they will receive a free building as well as no, or greatly reduced, taxes for several years. The existing operations will remain here, for now, but there will be no new jobs for Payson.
Payson is turning into a retirement community. Families with young children do not want to move here because our school system is substandard and there is nothing for young children to do. About the only career that our high school prepares its graduates for is flipping burgers. They are forced to leave town to further their education. As the young residents leave and the older residents are dying, Payson is shrinking. The town is constantly crying it has no money. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the tax base is shrinking, but instead of trying to attract new business the town council, with some help from The Good Old Boys, goes out of its way to discourage growth. I do not want Payson to grow into another Mesa or Tempe, but it must grow to sustain itself. We need more places to shop besides Walmart.
Running a town is exactly like running a business. The only difference is that a town does not have to show a profit, though it would be nice. Any business person will tell you that you have to be aggressive and go after new business. The only way to do this is to replace the entire town council, including the mayor, with forward thinking people who understand this concept. The grip of The Good Old Boys must be broken. Until this happens, the downward cycle will continue until Payson is broke and turns into another Jerome. Would I like to be on the town council? I would love to, but The Good Old Boys will see to it that never happens. People like me would stir up the pot too much and ruffle too many feathers.
I could leave Payson but the problems would still exist for the remaining residents. Payson may be a sleepy little town, but it’s time to wake up and smell the roses.
Bob Graziano | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/college-will-never-open/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/e94780601cba5f0891bccfa9c6eecf20be61e67e3b5e862f290f4601a8528901.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T18:49:34 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Meals on Wheels Benefit
The “Home Town Country Radio Show” — a production of the Humor Me Theater Troupe — celebrates the heart of the simple life at 7 p.m., First Fridays at the Payson Senior Center, 514 W. Main St. Proceeds benefit the Senior Center’s Meals-on-Wheels program. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fcommunity-almanac-tuesday-august-30-2016%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/community-almanac-tuesday-august-30-2016/ | en | null | Community Almanac Tuesday, August 30, 2016 | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Meals on Wheels Benefit
The “Home Town Country Radio Show” — a production of the Humor Me Theater Troupe — celebrates the heart of the simple life at 7 p.m., First Fridays at the Payson Senior Center, 514 W. Main St. Proceeds benefit the Senior Center’s Meals-on-Wheels program.
At the Mazatzal Casino
There’s always something happening at the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino, located on Highway 87 at milepost 251. For more information, call 1-800-777-PLAY (7529).
• Italian Buffet $10: Aug. 31 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Cedar Ridge Restaurant.
• Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! Every Tues., Wed. and Thurs. in September from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Slot Hot Seats for $200 Maz Cash and Chicken Dinner ($49 Meal Comp).
• Celebrate With Us! Mazatzal’s 23rd B-Day is Sept. 3. Enjoy food, hot seats, Players Club exclusives and more! Summer Spectacular drawings held every hour from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. There will be five $2,300 cash winners! Live entertainment is Desperado - Tribute to the Eagles. For tickets/info: Mazatzal-Casino.com/Events.
Election night party
The Gila County Republican Party invites Rim residents to come watch the election returns on Tuesday night, Aug. 30 at the Payson Republican Headquarters. Socialize starting at 7 p.m., and watch the Payson and Star Valley Council races; as well as the Gila County and state candidate race results. Ending time to be determined.
Call 928-951-6774 for more information. The HQ is located at 307 S. Beeline Hwy. Unit C, (off Bonita, east of Buffalo Bar and Grill).
Free clothing distribution
Kaitie’s Closet is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization collecting clothes for distribution free to those in need in Rim Country. Everyone in Rim Country needing children’s clothes is welcome.
Kaitie’s Closet’s distribution this month will be from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 31 at Rim Country Middle School, 304 S. Meadow, Payson.
Parents be sure and bring your children to receive new shoes at this distribution.
Organizers would like to take this opportunity to thank the community for their donations of new and used shoes, gently used children’s clothing and monetary contributions.
Payson Library events
Upcoming events at the Payson Public Library include:
• Preschool Story Time for ages 2 to 5, 10:30 a.m. Tuesday;
• Baby Story Time for ages 0 to 23 months, 10:30 a.m., Thursday;
• “Let’s Talk Spanish” language learning program, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Friday;
• Teens Only Pizza and Ping-Pong Party, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 3.
Calling all artists
The Payson Art League will present its Fall Fine Art and Fine Craft Show and Sale on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 11, 12 and 13. The show will be held at Julia Randall Elementary School in Payson.
All artists, in various mediums, are invited to participate. Applications are available at www.paysonartleague.org or by contacting Sally Myers at payson artleague@gmail, or 928-472-8651.
The deadline for entries is Sept. 1.
First Friday events
The First Friday celebration at the Community Presbyterian Church, 800 W. Main St., is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sept. 2. The featured performer is Anne James, of Cinnamon Twist and Aine, who will be doing a solo program “Remembering the 50s.” She will be playing a historic guitar from the legendary 50s group “The Browns.”
Supper is barbecue pork sandwiches and donations will be accepted to benefit the church’s food bank.
Home Town Country Radio Show
The Senior Center has opened its wonderful facility to embrace the whole community. Thanks to this generosity, the Humor Me Theater Troupe has finally found a home for community theater to showcase the amazing talent in the Rim Country.
The group’s production, “Home Town Country Radio Show,” is hilariously funny and full of great stories about country life. Local bands and talents will guest star.
The “Home Town Country Radio Show” celebrates the heart of the simple life at 7 p.m., First Fridays at the Center with a Heart, the Payson Senior Center, 514 W. Main St.
Proceeds benefit the Senior Center’s Meals-on-Wheels program.
Men’s Breakfast
The Men’s Ministry at Ponderosa Bible Church cordially invites all men in the community to a delicious hot breakfast at 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 3 at in the Worship Center. The cost is only $2. The study, “Go Fish” continues.
Ponderosa Bible Church is at 1800 N. Beeline Hwy., just south of Home Depot.
Beaver Valley Day
Beaver Valley Day is Saturday, Sept. 3. Enjoy a day of family fun including a large community rummage sale, food, games for kids plus a car and bike show.
Festivities begin at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast and a Firewise Education program at 9 a.m. featuring guest speaker Gary Roberts, Fire Prevention Officer with the Tonto National Forest Service.
Afternoon activities include games, a bounce house, a barbecue hamburger lunch and silent auction. Proceeds benefit Firewise community projects.
Beaver Valley is off of Houston Mesa Road, 7 miles east of Hwy 87. For information, call 928-468-9269.
Northern Gila County Fair advance ticket sales
This year in addition to advance ticket sales for the carnival, for the very first time, the Northern Gila County Fair has advanced ticket sales for fair-goers who would like a 3-day pass.
Wristbands for fair entry are at Bob’s Western Wear, 605 S. Beeline Hwy.; Lowery’s Windows and Doors, 107 Wade Lane, Ste. 3; and at Griffin’s Propane, 1315 W Red Baron Rd.
Wristbands are $10 each and good for Friday, Saturday (including the special event) and Sunday, Sept. 9, 10 and 11.
Advanced carnival tickets can be found at the same locations and are for unlimited carnival rides, Sept. 8–11. They are good for any single day and cost $20 each. Redeem them at the carnival ticket booth.
Normal ticket prices for admission are $3 for Friday, Sept. 9 and Sunday, Sept. 11; and on Saturday, Sept. 10 admission is $3 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., then $5 admission for the Ranch Rodeo and dance.
More information about the fair, the schedule of events and exhibits can be found at www.NorthernGilaCountyFair.com.
Amateur Radio instruction for FCC license test
The Tonto Amateur Radio Association is sponsoring instruction to enable participants to pass the FCC Radio Amateur General Class License test starting Tuesday, Sept. 6. It will continue through October every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at the Banner High Country Seniors building, 215 N. Hwy. 87, Payson. Those interested should contact John Swenson at 817-228-2710.
AARP Smart Driver Course
The next AARP Smart Driver Course is from 9:45 a.m. until 3 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break, Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Banner High Country Seniors, 215 N. Beeline Hwy., Payson.
To register, call 928-472-9290 or register in person at Banner High Country Seniors.
AARP members pay a fee of $15; non-members pay $20 (cash or check), payable on day of class.
The class is designed for those 50 and older, but is open to all people 18 and over. You may also earn a discount on your vehicle insurance.
Cooking class benefit
Prepare for the holidays and support Gila Community College student scholarships at the same time the Friends of Rim Country Gila Community College group plans a holiday hors d’oeuvres cooking class at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 10.
The suggested donation to participate is $25. Call Judy at 928-978-0472 for location and to reserve your seat.
Community Yard Sale
Clean out your closets and reserve your booth now for the Community Yard Sale, which is from 7 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Community Presbyterian Church, 800 W. Main St.
The Community Presbyterian Church sponsors the event. It’s a great one-stop shopping experience featuring many vendors and shoppers.
For just $10, participants get a 10-foot-by-19-foot space to sell items. Organizers do the advertising and manage the event. The church will be open for restrooms and drinking fountain.
All booth rental proceeds go to our Deacons Assistance Program, serving families in need in the Rim Country with financial assistance for utilities, rent, prescriptions, and our food pantry. It works closely with St. Vincent de Paul to offer our citizens help when needed.
Reserve your space now by calling the church office at 928-474-2059.
Benefit raffle
Rim Country Guns is holding a raffle to raise some funds for Fayth and Robert Lowery. Their daughter Emma has been in a Valley hospital for tests.
Raffle prizes are a Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport II or a Marlin 1895E 45-70. Each is valued at more than $700.
Tickets are $20 and available at Rim Country Guns or call Suzy Tubbs 928-978-3256. All of the money raised from the raffle will be for the Lowerys.
The drawing is at 10 a.m., Monday, Sept. 19. KRIM will do live broadcast of drawing. Printing by George has donated all printing for tickets and promotional posters for the benefit. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/community-almanac-tuesday-august-30-2016/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/964258cc52d9a2b5970faea75bc7324e72dc432bf1d60017e552c22989836469.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:48:44 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | As the last day to turn in ballots for the primary election looms, many candidates are making a last-minute push to secure votes. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Fpayson-town-council-race-polite-cheap%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/26/Payson_candidates_6_up_crop_082616-B_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson Town Council race: Polite & cheap | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | As the last day to turn in ballots for the primary election looms, many candidates are making a last-minute push to secure votes.
Campaign finance reports, which all candidates are required to file, show some local candidates have a lot more money than their competition, with some spending thousands and others just a few hundred.
In an election that has been mostly peaceful and courteous with none of the mud slinging that sometimes occurs in local elections, the candidates appear to be relying on free public forums to get their voice out and not a lot on outside media.
For Payson Town Council, Kim Chittick has the most money to spend. She has received the most donations and is the only candidate who held a fundraiser, according to the June 30 report, which covers donations received from Jan. 1 through May 31.
Candidates have until Aug. 26 to turn in their pre-primary finance reports covering the June 1 though Aug. 18 period, which the Roundup will publish once they are available.
Chittick’s fundraiser netted her $500, bringing her total to $960. Chittick’s most notable contributor is Craig Swartwood, who is running for Payson mayor. He donated $100. He has not donated to any of the other candidates.
Of the money collected, Chittick had spent $630, most on a fundraiser and advertising at the Sawmill Theatres.
Council candidate Barbara Underwood collected $600 for her campaign. The only contribution she received was from Jack Klausner for $500. She had not spent any of that money at the time of the filing.
Payson council candidate Janell Sterner had collected $373, including $100 she donated to herself. She spent a small amount of money on campaign buttons.
In the Payson mayor race, neither candidate made a big push for donations, at least early on.
Michael Hughes reported collecting just $200.
Craig Swartwood reported receiving no contributions.
Several candidates are not required to report how much they collected or spent because they have agreed not to collect more than $500. They include council candidates Hallie Overman-Jackman and Richard Croy.
The Roundup put in a public information request with Gila County for campaign spending from candidates running for county seats, such as the Gila County supervisors, but had not received that information as of press time.
Contributions
Kim Chittick Craig Swartwood $100 Steve & Becky Vaught $100 Kimberly Chambers $50 Andy & Cindy Kofile $50
Janell Sterner Jim & Linda Muhr $100 Don Ascoli $100 Janell Sterner $100 | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/27/payson-town-council-race-polite-cheap/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/3dd1e83c9641ba5c157dfb3fbc91335952312d8802d035f6bc66910e24d8d3a2.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:37 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Editor:
It’s now the political scary season! We were out of town for a week, and I am looking at six large, full-color cards lying about Paul Gosar’s record that were in my mailbox when I got home! | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fgosar-represents-people%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/gosar-represents-people/ | en | null | Gosar represents the people | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor:
It’s now the political scary season! We were out of town for a week, and I am looking at six large, full-color cards lying about Paul Gosar’s record that were in my mailbox when I got home!
Interestingly enough, they come from a dark money liberal superpac in Alexandria Va. Apparently, the Washington elites have had enough of Congressman Gosar doing what we elected him to do and want to replace him with go-along-to-get-along losers!
Make no mistake! The Washington elites are determined to destroy anyone who actually represents we the people!
Paul Gosar votes for best interests of the citizens of Arizona. Ray Strauss is an establishment stooge!
On a side note to (recent) letters, Congressman Gosar pays for his own insurance, as do I, and most others. The letter writer seems to think we should pay for his wife’s insurance as well! That is Marxism!
Dale Oestmann | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/gosar-represents-people/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/a73f3a82cca9c70d11c2ae20b58efea0a3dd5d8390c6af007d6fb2d8fa6adf55.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:00:00 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | Score another win for Michael Bonnette and the Rim Country Mountain Bike Association — now recognized as the mountain bike club of the Rim Country area on MTB Project’s website and application. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Frim-country-mountain-bike-association-partners-tra%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/23/RC_Mtn_Bike_Assoc_Logo_crop_B_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Rim Country Mountain Bike Association partners with trails app | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Score another win for Michael Bonnette and the Rim Country Mountain Bike Association — now recognized as the mountain bike club of the Rim Country area on MTB Project’s website and application.
“Our club is now officially recognized by MTB Project and I am in the process of sending over .gpx files to them and writing out trail descriptions so we can have our area trails listed on their app,” said Bonnette.
MTB Project started in 2013 with the idea that local riders, who know the ins and outs of trails, can share photos, videos and GPS created maps on an application for other riders.
MTB goes beyond traditional trail maps that simply show a single trail. It has “Featured Rides,” which are described on the website as, “a complete, recommended route that might include parts or all of several trails and maybe even portions of roads to connect them.” (www.mtbproject.com)
MTB rates trails from easy (five percent grade) to intermediate to extremely difficult (15 plus percent grade, obstacles and harder sections) and everything in between.
MTB admits it’s different from other mapping sites because it’s a guide — kind of like meeting a local mountain bike rider and downloading the information you’d like to know before you go: descriptions, photos and maps.
MTB has a close relationship with the International Mountain Biking Association. The IMBA staff and members contribute to the MTB database, review and edit the trails and photos uploaded to the site. In return, IMBA uses the MTB data in their advocacy efforts.
Bonnette said with this recognition, mountain bikers from out of town will know that RCMBA takes care of the local trails and hopes to build more.
“Soon, when people ask where to ride in our area, we can turn them on to the app and it will show them how to get there and they can follow it through GPS on their phone so they do not get lost,” said Bonnette. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/rim-country-mountain-bike-association-partners-tra/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/c36f92947f9b66fa4600375fab2cdb4d418f538deae9d0acf66c2d2c5bb18413.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:49:43 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Dove hunting season, which is the first of the fall shotgun seasons, opens Thursday and will end at sundown on Sept. 15. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fearly-dove-season-opens-thursday%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/early-dove-season-opens-thursday/ | en | null | Early dove season opens Thursday | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Dove hunting season, which is the first of the fall shotgun seasons, opens Thursday and will end at sundown on Sept. 15.
The mourning and white winged dove hunt has long been an Arizona tradition especially in the agricultural desert areas. Arizona is one of the premier states for this popular game bird with prolific numbers in the lower elevation desert regions near the watersheds of the Salt, Gila and Verde rivers.
With speeds up to 55 miles per hour, this quick flying and darting dove is a challenging target to catch up with in the early morning skies, especially for the hunter who has not had his shotgun out of the case since last quail season.
The 15-bird limit will be no easy task, even for seasoned shotgun enthusiasts. It is important to note that not more than 10 birds of a limit can be of the white winged species, which is somewhat larger than a mourning dove and has a distinguishing white bar on the wing. The majority of birds in the Payson and Tonto Basin area are mourning doves while the larger white wing have already started their fall migration to Mexico because of the recent late summer rains.
Another species is the Eurasian dove, which are even larger than the white wing and have a distinctive collar on the neck. This dove can be taken in unlimited numbers because it is considered an invasive bird and hunters can assist in reducing their numbers. The key for hunters is to be able to identify them on the wing so that there are no bag limit violations.
The Payson area, at 5,000 feet in elevation, has a limited number of areas where the mourning dove resides and has a huntable population of these quick flying game birds. The key is locating areas where there is water, food and roosting trees.
A secluded ranch stock tank can be golden in locating a flight pattern for doves. All wildlife and especially bird populations have benefited greatly when cattlemen build new drinkers or stock tanks on the local ranches. These locations can be real hot spots in the early morning or late afternoon.
For some of the best hunting, it is probably necessary to make a short drive to the lower elevation deserts of Tonto Basin and Roosevelt Lake. By being there early, one can watch morning skies and often find a flyway zone that doves are using when leaving the roost trees and going to the daily food sources. A pair of binoculars is very valuable and will certainly eliminate aimless looking for doves that may be flying from a water source to the roost trees.
The legal shooting hour begins a half hour before sunrise and extends to sunset for all locations in the state. Any time you are walking into hunting area in the reduced light period always be aware of where you take your next step. The desert areas are also the home of rattlesnakes, especially around water sources.
If you are an aging hunter and can’t hear the buzzing of a rattler, I would recommend a pair of gaiters for extra protection. With the long daylight hours of late summer, it is possible to hunt doves after a full work day and a short drive for the evening flight, but the walk back to the vehicle may be almost dark.
A dove hunt is a great opportunity to introduce a youngster to shotgun hunting for game birds in Arizona provided they have been properly taught gun safety. Arizona requires that anyone 10 to 17 years of age must purchase a valid hunting license, which is available at most sporting goods stores. The best deal is to purchase the combination youth hunting and fishing license for the 10- to 17-year-olds at a total price of $5, which already includes the Arizona migratory bird stamp.
Make sure to pick up all shell casings and any other litter you might come upon, and leave the outdoors a cleaner place because you were there.
If the area is private property where the doves are flying, ask permission first before entering and remember the discharge of firearms within a quarter-mile of any inhabited structure is illegal.
If you are a first time dove hunter, I would recommend attending one of the seminars in the field hosted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Further information about these dove hunting seminars can be obtained by going to azgfd.gov or stopping by a local sporting goods store and picking up a free pamphlet about dove hunting in Arizona. All facets of the dove hunting experience will be covered with a hands-on shooting opportunity in prime dove habitat in the East Valley.
If you go, keep gun safety the top priority and have a fun experience in the Arizona outdoors, God’s creation. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/early-dove-season-opens-thursday/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/35db4262fec78abe5dc572c1499d646884587aca5f8e8201a5ba873c25ffaa31.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:49:36 | null | 2016-04-20T00:00:00 | Early primary election results Tuesday night showed some candidates with a commanding lead, including District 2 County Supervisor Mike Pastor, while others, like the Payson council and mayor races, are too close to call. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fearly-election-results-are%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/photos/2016/04/20/Elections_Generic_Vote_Photo_600x400_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Early election results are in | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Early primary election results Tuesday night showed some candidates with a commanding lead, including District 2 County Supervisor Mike Pastor, while others, like the candidates for Payson council and mayor, were too close to call.
At 8:45 p.m., county officials put up the results of 7,690 ballots. There are 28,300 registered voters in the county.
Payson and Star Valley voters are choosing three new council members and in Payson, a new mayor.
For Payson mayor, Craig Swartwood was leading with 1,534 votes over Michael Hughes with 1,154 votes.
For the Payson and Star Valley Town Councils, there are three open seats. The candidates leading with the most votes for Payson were Barbara Underwood, Hallie Overman-Jackman and incumbent Richard Croy. Janell Sterner and Kim Chittick were trailing with the fewest votes.
For the Star Valley council, incumbent Gary Coon was leading with the most votes in early results followed by Bobby Davis and incumbent Barbara Hartwell. Incumbent George Binney and Raymond Armington had the fewest votes.
For Gila County Supervisor, District 3, Woody Cline had a slight edge over Kenny Evans. Just 41 votes separated the candidates as of 8 p.m. Whoever wins will take on incumbent John Marcanti, a Democrat, in November.
The incumbent supervisor of District 2, Mike Pastor, had a very strong lead, with 75 percent of early votes. Pastor will likely face Republican Tim Humphrey in the general.
For Gila County School Superintendent, Roy Sandoval had the lead over Gail Gorry, with 54.86 percent of the votes.
None of the candidates for state Senate or House in district 6 faces a challenger.
Republican incumbents Rep. Bob Thorpe and Rep. Brenda Barton will face Democrat Alex Martinez in November.
Nikki Bagley, a grape grower, former mayor of Jerome and community college professor, will face Sen. Sylvia Allen in the general election. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/early-election-results-are/ | en | 2016-04-20T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/77f9ddcbd5e85bafa9951341a5dac9caf3466597469243e5907c2344cc121a98.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:33 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Editor:
Recently I was in your wonderful town because of a death in my family. My brother, Tony Kreider, has moved to Payson and his wife died. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fprinting-george%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/printing-george/ | en | null | Payson Roundup - Payson, AZ | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor:
Recently I was in your wonderful town because of a death in my family. My brother, Tony Kreider, has moved to Payson and his wife died.
I used “Printing by George” because we were copying pictures, making funeral cards, etc. I’m writing this note because I was so impressed by their service. Some of their outstanding qualities: Kind beyond measure, accurate, artistic, friendly, patient, supportive, etc. I was so impressed I just had to contact the Payson Roundup.
Karen Kreider
Benicia, Calif. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/printing-george/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/eb4885e9fbee33f894b85dc04552361df4a6725f6299f5762b1ad6c091499a56.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:40 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Arizona Corporation Commissioner Bob Burns’ lonely crusade to force Arizona Public Service to disclose its dark money spending took another turn this week when he issued a subpoena to force the million-customer utility to turn over its records. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fcommissioner-subpoenas-aps%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/29/Bob_Burns_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson Roundup - Payson, AZ | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Arizona Corporation Commissioner Bob Burns’ lonely crusade to force Arizona Public Service to disclose its dark money spending took another turn this week when he issued a subpoena to force the million-customer utility to turn over its records.
Burns has pushed for the details of a reported $3.2 million dark money campaign in 2014 to ensure the election of Republican incumbents Doug Little and Tom Forese. The reputed APS dark money campaign targeted the pair’s Republican primary opponents and their Democratic general election opponents, dwarfing the money spent by the candidates themselves.
Burns has for more than a year pushed APS to disclose its undisclosed political spending, made possible by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which gave corporations the same free-speech rights as citizens.
However, the rest of the Corporation Commission has refused to back his demands. APS has repeatedly refused to reveal details of its spending, citing its free speech rights under the Citizens United ruling.
APS is seeking Corporation cent rate increase, despite record corporate profits. The utility giant is also seeking new rules that could significantly increase bills for people whose power use exceeds a certain threshold during peak use periods. In addition, APS wants the commission to adopt rules that would dramatically reduce the benefit to homeowners who install solar panels on their roofs.
The Arizona Corporation Commission is also under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, apparently in connection with the 2014 dark money campaign and subsequent allegations of conflicts of interest. Outgoing commissioner Bob Stump deleted hundreds of cellphone emails, raising questions about whether he served as a link between Forese, Little and APS executives during the campaign. Campaign laws in the wake of Citizens United allow special interest groups and corporations to spend as much as they like without disclosing the source of the money so long as they don’t directly coordinate their efforts with the candidates.
Burns obtained an Arizona Attorney General’s opinion saying that the commission has the right to compel APS to open its books. It’s unclear whether the opinion also applies to Pinnacle West, the APS parent company.
Burns sought support from the commission for a contract to hire an investigator to look into APS’ political spending — but the rest of the commissioners refused.
So this week, he issued a subpoena on his own. If APS refuses to comply with the subpoena, he could go to court to enforce compliance. However, it’s unlikely the rest of the commission would approve the cost of going to court.
The subpoena requires President/CEO Don Brandt to produce the documents by Sept. 15, in the middle of the general election campaign to fill three seats on the commission.
Burns is currently running for re-election.
Also running for re-election is former House speaker Andy Tobin, appointed to the commission by Gov. Doug Ducey after the resignation of a Susan Bitter Smith after the attorney general’s office held that her work as a consultant for cable companies constituted a conflict of interest with her duties as a commissioner. A Corporation Commission lawyer then advised Tobin to not vote on solar energy issues because his son-in-law works as an inventory-control specialist for SolarCity Corp. His brother also works for Cox Media, which is regulated by the commission. Tobin convinced his former colleagues in the Legislature to pass a law effectively exempting him from a conflict of interest due to the jobs of relatives other than a spouse.
Other Republicans running for the $80,000-a-year job regulating the state’s privately owned utilities are former lawmaker Rick Gray, former state senator Al Melvin and former Superior Court judge Boyd Dunn. Gray and Melvin have both said they don’t think APS should not have to disclose its political spending. Dunn has said he would have to study the matter if he’s elected.
On the Democratic side, former state representatives Tom Chabin and former corporation commissioner and state lawmaker William Mundell are running the open seats — and will face the top three Republican vote-getters in the general election. Both have said they would immediately force APS to reveal its political spending and have expressed skepticism about the proposed 8 percent rate increase as well as the new rules to reduce the benefit to homeowners of installing solar energy systems. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/commissioner-subpoenas-aps/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/157fe6dd1e5b1bd08732379fca617b2687cdf043a71ff2d0870f6ec7dfebc9dc.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:29 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Editor:
Some time back, there was an article that mentioned, putting a roundabout at the casino and event center intersection. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fconnect-main-street%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/connect-main-street/ | en | null | Connect Main Street | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor:
Some time back, there was an article that mentioned, putting a roundabout at the casino and event center intersection.
This article about a roundabout by the casino, did not go quite far enough. If only there was some way to connect McLane to this roundabout, it might solve the problem of Main Street. Until you can
have access to Main Street to make it a drive through, it is never going
to be anything more than a side street.
All of the businesses on Main
Street that are thriving are points of destination. Without enough drive-by traffic coming in here, you don’t get the looky-loos that are needed.
In addition, you need large signs at this point (south of the Roundabout) telling people what’s on Main Street. What type of shops and services are available. Signs for Green Valley Park, Payson Golf Course and Zane Grey Cabin. What do we have now? Absolutely nothing! We keep throwing money away on studies of what might be, what could be, what should be. Until people have easy access to Main Street It will never be
a “Main Street.”
Tom Tainsh | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/connect-main-street/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/39571eb06ca9618e32f2a69c49e1eed1e0ed27b47e0a1d12300f0ebee30df85d.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:49:13 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | St. Patrick’s Feast Day is on March 17, marking the death of Ireland’s patron saint in A.D. 461. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Fst-patricks-rim-country%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/29/st-patricks-rim-country/ | en | null | St. Patrick's in Rim Country | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | St. Patrick’s Feast Day is on March 17, marking the death of Ireland’s patron saint in A.D. 461. Because of the Irish Diaspora the event is celebrated around the world and the Rim Country was no exception in the early days of settlement. It became an occasion for Irish and non-Irish alike to meet for drinks at Payson’s saloons.
St. Patrick was a Roman citizen who was taken captive by Irish raiders at the age of 16. At age 21 he escaped to France where he became a Christian. Patrick entered a monastery and developed a compelling desire to return to Ireland and convert the people who had enslaved him. There he rose in the church hierarchy to become the bishop of Ireland at a time when the land was torn by bloody ethnic wars. It was two centuries later that his sacrifice in bringing Christianity to Ireland brought him an official sainthood in the Catholic Church.
Many local settlers embodied the Rim Country’s Irish connection. Henry Armer was born in Ireland in 1824, one of 13 children in his family. He emigrated to Oregon and in 1861 married Lucinda Hebard. Ultimately they settled a ranch near Roosevelt and the descendants of their 10 children carried a bit of the Irish to Payson. One of these was James “Bud” Armer who married Mary Margaret Chilson of that early ranch family. Mary Margaret’s dad, Emer Chilson, had named the mining camp east of town for her, Marysville, at a time Payson was still called Green Valley. Another of Henry and Lucinda Armer’s sons, Fred, gave Payson a fourth generation Armer named Eddie, who was Payson’s constable for some years.
Another of the local Irish was bachelor Patty Walsh who operated the Oxbow Mine. It is told how he celebrated St. Patty’s Day so thoroughly at the Pieper Saloon there was no ore milled from the Oxbow for the next several weeks.
Then there was the town’s well-known blacksmith, James Callaghan, who strangled a bobcat with his bare hands when the animal jumped through a boarding house window and onto his back. This strong son of the Irish also left his name on a mine several miles west of Payson, and because it was abandoned it became a haven for a “hippie” encampment during the 1960s. Later the Forest Service burned the makeshift buildings and cleared the area, leaving only Callaghan’s open shaft in the side of the hill.
Perhaps the most indelible Irish imprint on Payson was left by two lasses who were nurses, Theresa Boardman and Beryl O’Connell. Theresa was born a Haley and proudly wore a shamrock on her green dress each St. Patrick’s Day. She came from Tombstone to assist the legendary Dr. Risser, where she soon became known for her compassion, her services as the Rim Country’s mid-wife, and for her friendship with the families of the local Tonto Apache Tribe. After Dr. Risser died Theresa became the only medic in the area for a while. Meanwhile she had become the wife of local merchant Bill Boardman.
Beryl O’Connell came from Chicago where she trained as a nurse and she was sent to Arizona on doctor’s orders when she developed tuberculosis. Like so many others she was cured in the clear mountain air. Upon arriving here she presented herself to the Goodfellow lodge at the Natural Bridge, a place she had heard about before leaving the Midwest. To earn her way she asked to become their laundress, and soon she and Harry Goodfellow were in love and were married. It was a strong Scotch-Irish union! Beryl brought her professional nursing skills to bear in the area and left a loving Irish touch wherever she went to serve.
These two Irish girls softened the traditional image of hard-drinking Irishmen in the Rim Country. We can almost hear them pronouncing Irish blessings as they went about their tasks: “I sing as I arise today. I call upon the Father’s might, the will of God to be my guide, the eye of God to be my sight, the word of God to be my speech, the hand of God to be my stay, the shield of God to be my strength, and the path of God to be my way. I sing as I arise today.”
Next: April Fool’s Day | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/29/st-patricks-rim-country/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/82f5d41d1a0f51908a03272880c3bdf8fbc2fb8cd43b04029e570dd3c21eae8a.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:28 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Editor:
Developing the full length of Main Street would require buying a multitude of small business and lots and then finding owners to develop new businesses. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fideas-main-street%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/ideas-main-street/ | en | null | Ideas for Main Street | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor:
Developing the full length of Main Street would require buying a multitude of small business and lots and then finding owners to develop new businesses. That could possibly be accomplished in a small area, but it’s doubtful if it would be the destination draw that some people envision. The answer lies in renovating the bandstand and amphitheater in Green Valley Park, turning the venue into a world-class entertainment center. Move the bandstand back nearer the lake and enlarge it to accommodate a great sound stage and artist area. Install rows of seats or benches in a special seating area up front and some kind of seating on the slopes. Speakers like those in large shopping center lots would ensure good sound throughout. The area would need to be enclosed with ticket gates, restrooms and booths for food vendors, but the gates could be left open for many events. Parking would need to be addressed, but the shuttle system seems to work well. Book well-known acts or perhaps have festivals and publicize in newspapers and magazines. During the hot summer, people would come and spend a day or two in cool Payson (there’s a name for you — “Cool Payson”). Main Street would then become part of the experience and shops and restaurants would fit well. There are many of these small amphitheaters scattered across the U.S. and they are all popular.
Noble Collins | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/ideas-main-street/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/31a6ad1af917433b1296b820e0d4bffb02855698a9476b7b0129161f23b4df05.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:01:22 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | The Town of Payson is making the abandonment process a little easier. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F24%2Ffuture-small-projects-may-bypass-payson-pz%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/24/future-small-projects-may-bypass-payson-pz/ | en | null | Future small projects may bypass Payson Planning & Zoning | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | The Town of Payson is making the abandonment process a little easier.
At the last council meeting, the council held a first public hearing to amend the unified development code’s procedures to abandon town rights-of-way and easements.
Recently, a homeowner asked the town to abandon a portion of land on his property so he could build a garage off his home. The garage will sit on what is currently the town’s right-of-use. The town has the right-of-use because of a small ditch that runs down the side of his property. However, the town does not need the entire width of the section to reach the ditch, so it is appropriate to let him have some of that land back to build a garage, said LaRon Garrett, town manager.
In the past, the abandonment process was quite “onerous,” said Sheila DeSchaaf, with Community Development. First, the project would have to go to engineering for approval, then the Planning and Zoning Commission and finally, the town council.
DeSchaaf said the Planning and Zoning Commission would be taken out of the process to speed up the process, going from 90 days to 60 days approval.
DeSchaaf and Garrett said for larger or complicated projects, they would still go to Planning and Zoning and the community could still weigh in.
Mayor Kenny Evans said the change to the UDC would apply to small tracks of land.
Also at the recent meeting, the council voted unanimously to send a favorable recommendation to the Arizona State Liquor Board for Ayothaya Thai Café, 136 E. Highway 260, to receive a liquor license. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/24/future-small-projects-may-bypass-payson-pz/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/346922d249abe17febf6fa087c6aa9a9c46ba8b5727467e74cdba930b055236b.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:55:37 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | Have bushels of beans? How about pecks of peppers? Tons of tomatoes? Well, the Payson Community Garden has a class for you. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fcommunity-garden-hosts-food-preservation-class%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/23/community_garden6_edit_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Community garden hosts food preservation class | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Have bushels of beans? How about pecks of peppers? Tons of tomatoes?
Well, the Payson Community Garden has a class for you.
At 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 23 at the Church of the Nazarene, canning and dehydrating pros will teach Rim Country gardeners how to do the water bath and high-pressure canning methods.
They will also tell folks how to find the best dehydrator.
One aficionado said she makes all the dried food her husband takes out on his hunting trips by dehydrating.
Saves tons of money.
Learn expert tips and pick up packets of information to help make canning easy and possible.
Beginners will feel like pros putting up all the bounty of their gardens to enjoy all year. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/community-garden-hosts-food-preservation-class/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/f6dca2ac4bde8ad212c73b84cf2fe89b23c1e776511558a3e41b392bf1ff0488.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:00:53 | null | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | Two of the three former Arizona legislators with their hats in the ring for election to the Corporation Commission spoke to the Payson Tea Party Tuesday, Aug. 16. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F24%2Fcorporation-commission-hopefuls-defend-stance-dark%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/22/Tobin_and_Melvin_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Corporation Commission hopefuls defend stance on dark money | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Two of the three former Arizona legislators with their hats in the ring for election to the Corporation Commission spoke to the Payson Tea Party Tuesday, Aug. 16.
Incumbent Andy Tobin, a former House speaker appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey in January and former state senator Al Melvin are running as a slate along with former state lawmaker Rick Gray, who served as House majority whip.
Tobin and Melvin spoke to the Payson Tea Party.
Tobin said the Arizona Corporation Commission is the state’s largest bureaucracy. It oversees utilities, corporations and even the railroads.
“There are 2,500 railroad crossings
in Arizona and there is only one guy that inspects them all, but there are a lot of lawyers at the ACC,” Tobin said. In fact, he pointed out the number of attorneys at the ACC a couple of times, prefacing with, “There are a lot of good people down there, but there are a lot of lawyers.”
Tobin, Melvin and Gray have all spurred criticism for saying they would not force Arizona Public Service to divulge its political spending. Tobin has also drawn criticism for getting a law through the Legislature he once controlled as speaker to overrule a Corporation Commission attorney who said Tobin should not vote on issues potentially affecting family members, who work for utility companies.
Tobin said his goal is to make the ACC better, smaller and serve the public in a more efficient way.
He insisted he, Melvin and Gray did not form a coalition to beat fellow Republican Bob Burns, who is largely basing his campaign on a battle against “dark money” — claiming massive contributions from APS were used to get incumbent Republicans Doug Little and Tom Forese elected to the ACC in the last election.
APS reportedly spent millions in a dark money campaign on behalf of Little and Forese, who have since repeatedly supported APS requests in its long-running war with solar energy companies.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision allowed corporations and special interest groups to spend as much money as they like to influence elections without disclosing the source or their spending. The court left the door open to lawmakers to at least require disclosures, but the Arizona Legislature instead repealed the few restraints that existed and left it up to the federal Internal Revenue Service to determine whether a dark money group qualified for exemptions for campaign spending and disclosure laws.
Burns has pushed hard to force APS to disclose what it spent two years ago. APS has refused, citing its free speech rights to spend as much money as it liked without disclosure under the terms of Citizens United.
Burns got an Arizona attorney general’s opinion saying as an ACC commissioner he had a right to look at the APS books, but other commissioners refused to support his request.
Burns then attempted to hire a private investigator to look into the APS political spending, but the other ACC commissioners refused to support that request also.
Tobin said Burns is benefiting from large contributions from the solar industry — he said it amounts to about $500,000 — while Melvin and Gray are both declared Clean Elections candidates and he (Tobin) is using his own money and some supporter contributions.
Solar companies two years ago also spent money to influence elections, but only a fraction of the reputed APS campaign. The solar companies used a different provision of the law that did require them to disclose their spending.
Neither campaign is supposed to coordinate its efforts directly with the candidates involved.
The FBI is currently investigating the Corporation Commission and APS to determine whether anyone violated campaign laws.
Controversy has swirled around the commission for months because one sitting commissioner sent hundreds of emails to Little, Forese and APS officials during the campaign which he subsequently erased. Critics maintain the emails could have violated the law by effectively coordinating the APS dark money campaign with the campaigns of Forese and Little.
Material passed out at the Tea Party meeting by Melvin, stated that every lawsuit brought to prove the case on dark money has been lost and, “After months of harassment and bullying commissioners, there has been no evidence of any wrongdoing.”
“The Republican commissioners are stellar public servants,” Melvin said.
He said his goal is to fight the attempts to turn the nation into a welfare state.
“We can help put people back to work with reliable and affordable water and power.”
Melvin said nuclear power has been used by the U.S. Navy in its aircraft carriers, submarines, etc., for 60 years without injury or death. “It has a role in the future (of energy production).”
He said the future for a secure supply of water has to come from using the latest in desalinization technology, developed in Israel, in the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific, working with Sonora and Baja, Mexico. His proposal is to give Sonora and Baja the rights to the desalinized water in exchange for their rights to Colorado River water to be used by the Central Arizona Project.
Tied to that, he is working to get all the federal lands in the West turned over to the states, Melvin said.
APS is currently seeking an 8 percent rate increase. It also wants to impose extra charges on homeowners with solar power systems and pay far less when it buys excess power from those solar systems.
Two Democrats are running unopposed in their primary. Former lawmakers Tom Chabin and Bill Mundell both say they would vote to force APS to disclose its dark money spending. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/24/corporation-commission-hopefuls-defend-stance-dark/ | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/c004fba5b66d439193b9cf34a4ba9e1ee746fe990b85f140e5b109ff4169ab26.json |
[
"Connie",
"Randy Cockrell"
] | 2016-08-31T14:49:49 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Two and a half months after the end of the Pivot Rock Fire, 22 members of the Payson Packers C Group assembled in the Stage parking lot, ready to discover what the forest looks like after a managed wildfire burns out. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fafter-pivot-rock-fire%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/30/toms_creek_hike_1_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | After the Pivot Rock fire | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Two and a half months after the end of the Pivot Rock Fire, 22 members of the Payson Packers C Group assembled in the Stage parking lot, ready to discover what the forest looks like after a managed wildfire burns out.
This hike to Tom’s Creek has been an annual favorite for many years, thus we were eager to discover if the fire had ruined it. We were especially concerned the fire had burned the remnants of two derelict cabins.
Further, this outing would answer questions we had about walking through a burn area: Would we end up all covered in black soot? Would we have to suffer the strong smell of burnt wood? Would we encounter physical dangers?
Just north of mile marker 285 on Highway 87, we turned west on Forest Road 142, the Forest Service’s northern boundary of the Pivot Rock managed wildfire. The drive proved interesting: The forest on our left, the southern side, was only slightly blackened and showed a good deal of new, bright green growth, while the forest to our right, the northern side, looked completely normal. We were pleased to see a mule deer dash across the road from the burn zone to the unburned. The deer stopped just a few feet off to the side to watch our cars motor past in the dust.
About 3.6 miles after turning onto FR 142, we parked on the left, just past the “Toms Ck” sign. Walking south on the now dry creek bed, we could see signs of recent water flow from the monsoon. The stony bed covered in off-white, golf-ball-sized stones leads past several handsome 40-foot-high stone outcroppings.
After about a mile and a half, we turned left out of the stream bed and climbed a slight rise to follow a dirt road running through a different ravine. Despite the general charring and the evidence of ash in the dirt, this section had wildflowers, stately pines and occasional mushrooms. The pine trees appeared unfazed by the low-intensity blaze, with just a few scorch marks. However, many of the logs already on the ground when the fire passed through had been completely consumed.
At 1.94 miles from the cars, we were very happy to find that one of our old landmarks had survived — we’d reached the remains of the first cabin (GPS 34 30.090N 111 24.832W). We took a great many pictures and examined the ruin.
After covering 2.5 miles, we reached the overhanging rock shelf on the right that was our destination and snack stop. There, we found the undamaged ruins of the second cabin just 100 feet past the overhang, low to the ground and mostly rotted away (GPS 34 29.635N 111 24.750W). We were very pleased to learn that the remains of these two old cabins weren’t consumed in the flames. We figured that firefighters worked to save them and were grateful for their efforts.
After having our snacks, we retraced our steps back to the cars.
The hike put to rest our fears about the managed fire. We picked up a few black smudges on our boots, with no strong odor of burnt wood, and, because we stayed either in the stream bed or on established paths, the physical dangers were minimal. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/31/after-pivot-rock-fire/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/f725a5033912f7ce3ce9acecb5278edffe2e633c970f93fe5af328decaac092d.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:55:11 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | To see that we as a council continue to keep Payson financially solvent. Help promote sound growth and development. Seeking a solution to covering the event center and completion of water delivery from the Cragin Reservoir. Seek and follow the wishes of the majority of Payson voters. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fcouncil-candidate-rick-croys-questionnaire-answers%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/25/Rick_Croy_mug_AB_t640.JPG?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson council candidate Rick Croy's questionnaire answers | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor's note: The Roundup sent each candidate a questionnaire to answer. Their answers are printed unedited.
Education / service / work background
Business classes at U of A / Air National Guard 6 years / Small business owner in Tucson for 15 years , Real estate sales in Tucson 2 years , 2 years in Payson. Ran the Community Action Program CAP in Payson for 18 years prior to retirement. President and founder of Payson Regional Housing Development since 2003. PRHD developed and are General partner owners of Green Valley Apartments and Canal Senior Apartments in Payson. Served as Payson Councilman for past 8 years.
How long have you lived in Payson?
I have lived here since 1991.
Why are you running for office?
To see that we as a council continue to keep Payson financially solvent. Help promote sound growth and development. Seeking a solution to covering the event center and completion of water delivery from the Cragin Reservoir. Seek and follow the wishes of the majority of Payson voters.
What do you like best about living in Payson?
Four season climate, small town, community concern and involvement.
What would you like to see improve?
Business growth, town revenues from tourism, street maintenance, event center, down main street to Green Valley lake improvement.
If you join the council, what can residents expect from you?
Continuation of my resident support I have shown for the past 8 years on the council.
What do you hope to accomplish while on the council? | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/council-candidate-rick-croys-questionnaire-answers/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/73280721a14ae74a4b4011031bbf4d3dd776f4b136fd81f6da3b48c9f0468ccb.json |
[
"Randy Cockrell"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:28 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | The sky was overcast and spits of rain could be felt. We had all checked the forecast that morning, like good little hikers, and the lake area was supposed to be dry | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F24%2Froosevelt-dam-hike%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/23/Roosevelt_hike017_Small_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Roosevelt Dam Hike | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Roosevelt Dam Hike Trailhead: From Payson, drive Highway 87 south to Highway 288 and drive to Roosevelt Lake, past the bridge, past mile marker 243, and turn to the right where the brown sign tells you to turn left for Roosevelt Lake Visitors Center. Turn into the access road to the trailer park. Take the first right and park in the cemetery lot. One hour, 50-mile drive from Payson. Distance: 2.8 miles one-way. Difficulty: Moderate due to the steep, narrow, rocky trail. Hiking sticks recommended. Highlights: Views of the mountains, valley and marina. Wildflowers in the spring. View of the dam and the informational plaques.
The sky was overcast and spits of rain could be felt. We had all checked the forecast that morning, like good little hikers, and the lake area was supposed to be dry. Since it seems that we all check different weather forecasts, we had a long haggle.
Finally deciding to ignore the clouds, we piled into cars at 8:30 a.m. and drove south, then east on Highway 288, heading to the trailhead across the highway from the ranger’s visitor center. No high clearance vehicles today, it was highway all the way to the trailhead.
We saw multiple rainbows on the drive down, including double rainbows with colors all the way to indigo as the dark clouds broke and reformed along the highway.
Reassembled at the trailhead, our first stop was the Pioneer Cemetery, with the graves of workers who died while building Roosevelt Dam. One, a boy, was only 13. The cemetery has rock-lined paths that wind among the graves marked with crosses or just piles of rocks. A few have headstones and name the deceased, one even their profession. I like this cemetery, which has returned to desert — with desert plants and cactus growing on the graves. We saw Engelmann’s prickly pear sporting light yellow blooms and barrel cactus with eye-searing magenta blossoms adorning the workers’ final resting places.
We finally left the cemetery behind, closing the gate behind us. We walked up the hill to the Arizona Trail. Southbound on the Thompson Trail, the AZT heads for Cottonwood Creek. Northbound, the trail heads for the bridge. Don’t be fooled by the sign at the junction. It’s really 2.8 miles to the bridge.
As we moved along the steep and rocky trail, we saw just about every yellow flower that blooms in Arizona. My Wildflowers of Arizona book didn’t cover even half of the ones we saw along the way. Most prevalent were the brittlebushes, which turned whole hillsides yellow along with an abundance of desert marigold. The washes held, among many other flowers, golden crownbeard and hairy desert sunflower. As we circled around the side of the mountain, in shady places in the washes we found bird-bill dayflower.
On the backside of the mountain, we could look over the valley below us, stunning in its dress of yellow. We could see a natural cave in the reddish brown rock to the right and to the left and above it, a mine entrance. Tailings left their mark down the apron of the mountain. Several of our group were tempted to take off over the valley floor and climb up to these curiosities, but decided to save it for another day and a private excursion.
We plodded on, up and up, until we were two-thirds of the way around our mountain. Here, the steep, rocky trail led us down into a wash and up the side of the next mountain. I was glad I had my hiking sticks along. Depending on the micro-climate between these mountains and washes, we found desert globe mallow, mariposa lily, and many others.
We rested at about the halfway point on a high point of land, the lake and the marina on our right, the stunning mountains on the left. By now, the sky had mostly cleared and we were warm from the climb, a 1,700-foot ascent at the highest point. We snacked to enjoy the view and rest. The final mile was mostly a descent to a wash crossing. Half a mile from the road, we spotted a herd of javelina traveling toward the highway. They obviously didn’t like that we were there, turning to run back up the wash before changing their minds and going back toward the highway. We worried the trail would force us to cross their path: We certainly didn’t want to tangle with javelina guarding their young. We needn’t have worried. By the time we reached the crossing, the javelina were long gone. After another uphill stretch, we descended to the gate onto the highway.
Here we turned left and walked along the shoulder of Highway 288 to the east a short distance, then 88 to the dam overview parking lot. We had left a car here to take drivers back to the trailhead. While we waited for the cars, we studied the dam and the many informational signs about the original Salt River, the construction and the history of the area.
Standing amidst the flowers, I was glad we hadn’t let the clouds scare us away. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/24/roosevelt-dam-hike/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/05ab6a0c54be5ae3e1dbb3a7f69246c26a6faf9f0c16363306f5ee9951524acc.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T14:49:48 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | The 110-student Pine-Strawberry School District has a couple of things in common with the 2,400-student Payson Unified School District. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fpine-strawberry-school-district-school-stipends%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/31/pine-strawberry-school-district-school-stipends/ | en | null | Pine-Strawberry School District School Stipends | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | The 110-student Pine-Strawberry School District has a couple of things in common with the 2,400-student Payson Unified School District.
Both rely heavily on donations from the community to provide extra money for teachers who work with students on things like sports, theater and clubs.
And both pay similar stipends.
Pine Superintendent Linda O’Dell recently presented the board with a list of stipends going to teachers who supervise assorted student activities in the tiny K-8 district.
The stipends mostly range from $600 to $1,800 —roughly similar to the stipends in Payson, with about 22 times as many students.
The governing board secretary gets $1,200 extra from the operating budget, plus another $1,800 from the tax credit donations for doubling as athletic director. The volunteer coordinator gets $1,500, from the operating budget. Each grade has a sponsor paid $600 to $1,200 from donations, the yearbook teacher gets $1,200 from donations and the student council adviser gets $1,200 from donations.
The sports program has 12 coaches, each making between $1,000 and $1,500. The total of $15,500 in stipends comes entirely from tax credit donations, according to a table of stipends presented to the board.
In Payson, the head football coach gets a $3,555 stipend, while most other head coaches get between $2,500 and $3,200. The middle school head coaches get about $1,300 and the assistant coaches get $750. The high school fine arts director gets $2,500 and the middle school athletic director gets $2,400.
The state auditor general’s report for 2014 shows that the number of students in the Pine K-8 district has declined steadily in the past 14 years, from about 209 to 110.
The district benefits from a state funding formula for small schools, which gives it far more money per student than districts like Payson.
The auditor general’s report indicated that the district’s total operational and per-student spending has gone from $7,229 per student in 2001 to $22,319 per student in 2014. In that same time, the average teacher salary has actually declined, drifting down from $45,215 to $42,783.
However, the district averages 6.8 students per teacher, compared to a state average of 19 students per teacher.
The district’s administrative cost per student is about $3,715, which compares to $2,835 for similar small districts and the statewide average of $757 per student.
Student scores gave the district a grade of B | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/31/pine-strawberry-school-district-school-stipends/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/cda2e624eb72e4a19b5742250249acabb72922673e784cc8b3c09c0b91b62bb1.json |
[
"Provided Photo"
] | 2016-08-30T14:49:30 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Rep. Paul Gosar this week issued another of his incendiary attacks on environmental groups, who have repeatedly resorted to lawsuits to force the federal government to abide by the Endangered Species Act. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fharsh-talk-wont-solve-problems%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/harsh-talk-wont-solve-problems/ | en | null | Harsh talk won’t solve problems | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Rep. Paul Gosar this week issued another of his incendiary attacks on environmental groups, who have repeatedly resorted to lawsuits to force the federal government to abide by the Endangered Species Act.
Now, he certainly has a point.
The federal government has a miserable record when it comes to defending itself against court challenges brought by groups like the Center for Biological Diversity. Congress adopted the Endangered Species Act to ensure the federal government takes note when species dwindle toward extinction — and does its best to avoid actions on federal land that will hasten that tragic extermination.
Rep. Gosar has introduced several measures that sound pretty sensible at first read. The laws he has proposed — usually without winning passage — would require the federal government to fully disclose how much it’s spending on lawsuits, including the amount it pays to cover the legal costs of the groups that sue successfully.
We would support any measure that increases government transparency.
However, he loses us once he lets loose with inflammatory rhetoric about “radical” environmental groups and suggests the environmentalists don’t care at all about endangered species — they’re just trying to get rich on federal, court-ordered payouts for legal fees.
In truth, the real scandal here lies in the revelation that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — and other federal agencies — routinely violate federal law. Sometimes, it involves bureaucratic politics as political appointees overrule the findings of field biologists. More often, it involves the endless triage that comes from not having enough money to do all the studies required by law.
In the case at hand, the Center for Biological Diversity struck a deal back in 2011 with the USFWS to complete legally required assessments of some 750 species, after accumulating evidence these plants and animals might be threatened or endangered. USFWS did quick studies and listed 147 species. Now, the Center has threatened to file a lawsuit on behalf of some 417 of the species the quick study showed might need protection. The notice of intent will trigger another round of negotiations.
Public opinion polls continue to show overwhelming support for the Endangered Species Act and the underlying goal of saving as many threatened and endangered species as possible.
However, the federal government continues to falter in its responsibility to protect the rising number of species facing extinction. The law requires the USFWS to complete its assessment within two years. But studies show it usually takes more like 12 years — and that’s for the species not cast into bureaucratic limbo. A heartbreaking 42 species have died out while waiting for the assessment.
The number of cases in which judges have awarded environmental groups legal costs after the federal government loses a case certainly does represent a problem. But we think Congress ought to be asking why these agencies aren’t following the law, rather than trying to prevent the critics from gaining access to court.
Certainly, the ability to recover legal fees makes it possible for the environmental groups to try to force the government to protect endangered species. And we’ll also agree that going to court remains a lousy way to protect species. It would make a lot more sense to follow the law in the first place, and negotiate common sense solutions instead of squandering all that money on lawyers.
So we agree with the congressman when it comes to tracking the cost of litigation caused by the failure of federal agencies to abide by the law.
However, Rep. Gosar’s extreme language and strange speculations about the motives of environmental groups don’t contribute at all to the solution.
Sadly, it does illustrate the tragic dysfunction of our current political climate — in which the partisans on both sides seem more interested in inciting anger and placing blame than in actually solving problems. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/harsh-talk-wont-solve-problems/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/a744c37a829813efaa4a200d03e11abcc2c20cfe57b6e54af8a0fb373b082bc3.json |
[
"Evan Wyloge",
"Arizona Center For Investigative Reporting"
] | 2016-08-27T14:48:45 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | With just one week until Arizona’s primary election, political spending to affect legislative races paid for by outside groups that don’t disclose the source of the money amounts to almost half a million dollars. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Fdark-money-groups-spend-500000%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/27/dark-money-groups-spend-500000/ | en | null | Dark money groups spend $500,000 | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | With just one week until Arizona’s primary election, political spending to affect legislative races paid for by outside groups that don’t disclose the source of the money amounts to almost half a million dollars.
None of the campaigns so far affect Legislative District 6, which stretches from the Grand Canyon to just beyond Snowflake and includes Gila County and the White Mountains. Incumbents Sen. Sylvia Allen (R-Snowflake), Rep. Bob Thorpe (R-Flagstaff) and Brenda Barton (R-Payson) face no opposition in the primary. Two years ago, dark money groups spent money in the district in support of all three, including $58,000 to support Allen.
None of the District 6 incumbents face primary opposition, but teacher, grower and former Jerome mayor Nikki Bagely will challenge Allen in the general election in November. Former teacher and school superintendent Alex Martinez will challenge Thorpe and Barton in the general election.
In the primary so far, dark money groups have spent at least $478,000 in the past six weeks, ramping up during the past two, once early ballots were mailed to Arizona voters.
To see the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting story and attached spread sheet detailing the contributions go to (http://azcir.org/).
A Republican-leaning legislative district representing northwestern Arizona, including Kingman and Lake Havasu City, has attracted the most money — about a quarter of the spending so far. Dark money groups have spent almost $65,000 to help Rep. Sonny Borrelli (R-Lake Havasu City) defeat former Sen. Ron Gould (R-Lake Havasu City) in the race for their district’s senate seat. Dark money groups spent $50,000 in the fight over the district’s two House seats.
Another $84,000 has been spent in Legislative District 12, a Republican district in the suburban, southeastern corner of the Phoenix metro area, including parts of Gilbert and Chandler. All of the dark money spent in the district has gone to help one slate. Positive spending has gone to help Rep. Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) move from one of the district’s two House seats to the Senate, and to help re-elect veteran legislator Rep. Eddie Farnsworth (R-Gilbert) and to help newcomer Travis Grantham (R-Gilbert) replace Petersen. Negative spending has gone to defeat fellow Republican candidate for the Senate Jimmy Lindblom (R-Gilbert) and Republican House candidate LaCinda Lewis (R-Gilbert).
American Federation For Children, Inc. spent the most dark money in Arizona so far, with $213,000 going to help specific Republicans in primary fights. The pro-charter school group spent only $205,000 during the entire 2014 election cycle.
Arizona Free Enterprise Club spent roughly $77,000 so far, also entirely to sway Republican primaries. The group ended up spending roughly $248,000 in legislative races during the 2014 cycle, and another $1.2 million in statewide races that year.
Be sure to follow AZCIR’s Dark Money Twitter Bot for “Dark Money” updates. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/27/dark-money-groups-spend-500000/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/0bc0f64a38dc4e4107bcb4f8710ac89cba4109b2d6ca1689d2dc1f8418044ebc.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:49:36 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Although Medicare benefits are supplied to senior citizens by the federal government, Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurers in lieu of Medicare. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fnine-disadvantages-medicare-advantage%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/nine-disadvantages-medicare-advantage/ | en | null | Nine disadvantages of Medicare Advantage | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Although Medicare benefits are supplied to senior citizens by the federal government, Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurers in lieu of Medicare. Medicare pays a monthly fee to insurers for managing the policies and the insurers charge monthly premiums to beneficiaries, depending on the coverage being offered.
Many Medicare Advantage plans advertise that they offer more or better benefits than standard Medicare coverage, but the Medicare Rights Center has identified nine common complaints about Medicare Advantage insurance:
Most Medicare Advantage plans are similar to HMOs or PPOs because they limit seniors in their choice of doctors, hospitals and nursing facilities. If a doctor leaves the plan or is dropped from the plan, the continuity of patient care is broken. Private insurance is less stable than government benefits and seniors may suddenly find themselves temporarily without medical insurance. It is more difficult to receive emergency or urgent care under many Medicare Advantage plans. Finding covered medical care while traveling may be difficult. The additional benefits offered might actually be less than what was originally promised by the Medicare Advantage provider. Seniors with Medicare Advantage plans must follow the rules of the plan in order for medical care to be covered. The patient costs of Medicare Advantage plans may be higher than those of combined Medicare and Medigap coverage. Indigent seniors may have higher costs under Medicare Advantage plans than they would under combined Medicare and Medicaid coverage.
Before choosing a Medicare Advantage plan, you should check the reputation of the company offering the plan with the Medicare Rights Center and your state department of insurance.
In many cases, you may receive better medical coverage at a lower cost with a combination of Medicare and Medigap supplemental insurance than with Medicare Advantage plans. The combination of Medicare and Medigap covers most costs of a major medical crisis, while allowing you to continue seeing the same doctor and often covering access to emergency care and medical care while traveling.
If you have further questions, feel free to call the pre-authorization department at Rim Country Health at 928-474-1120. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/nine-disadvantages-medicare-advantage/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/a1345b8f759fa4287026405098e80564f4f2028882a1ed7f432e81eaee871553.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:49:15 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | A few months ago I mentioned that if you go abroad you should plan on a few small surprises — and maybe a few not-so-small ones. We talked about some of the screwy things that happened to me during my 12 years overseas, but we had to leave out most of them, so here are a couple more. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Fbe-prepared-surprises-when-you-travel-foreign-coun%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/29/be-prepared-surprises-when-you-travel-foreign-coun/ | en | null | Be prepared for surprises when you travel to foreign countries - Part 3 | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | A few months ago I mentioned that if you go abroad you should plan on a few small surprises — and maybe a few not-so-small ones. We talked about some of the screwy things that happened to me during my 12 years overseas, but we had to leave out most of them, so here are a couple more.
I will never forget one experience with English slang — “Spend a Penny.” I knew it meant to use the bathroom, but I didn’t know they meant it literally.
Guess what? No coin, no go! The dumb things are coin-operated! Not knowing that, and having nothing but American dollars one day, I spent a long time in a tiny town looking for the post office, where I exchanged a few dollars and headed for a restaurant — just in time!
Then there was the dark winter night I visited a friend who lived in a three-story apartment building in London. I knew about the button in the downstairs hallway that clicked on the lights for the stairs, so I pushed it. But I hadn’t quite understood my friend’s instructions. I thought you clicked the lights on, climbed up all those stairs, and then clicked them off.
Wrong! You click the lights on and run like hell upstairs before the %$#@! things shut off automatically. Can you picture it, Johnny? Halfway up to the second floor? Feeling my around way in pitch black? No idea where the next button might be? I’ll tell you what! That trip up those stairs felt like it took at least 15 days. That is one lousy way to save electricity!
One day back in my painting days I was on temporary duty in Wiesbaden, Germany. A club owner heard of me somehow and approached me to do a theme painting for his club. The price was right, I was busy teaching all week, but I had spare time on weekends, and I liked the subject, so I took it on. You can’t paint on plaster though, so I needed a 4-by-8-foot sheet of Masonite to cover the section of wall chosen.
I didn’t speak much German because I’d only been in Germany a half-dozen times, but I got lucky because I found a hardware store where a clerk spoke some English. When he asked me if I wanted a full sheet or a cut piece, I naturally said a full sheet, meaning a 4-by-8-foot sheet, which is our “full size.”
Trouble is, those krauts do everything in a BIG way! Here came the clerk a minute later, struggling through a double door from the storeroom with a gargantuan 3-by-3-meter sheet. That’s nearly 10-by-10 feet! Boy was my face red, Johnny! But it wasn’t as red as the clerk’s face when he had to haul it back again! And I don’t blame him!
Oh well!
There came a day once when despite my ignorance everything worked out great. In Aviano, Italy, a picturesque town lying at the foot of the Julian Alps, a magnificent church stands atop a mountain. It is called the Madonna of the Mountain, I knew that beautiful Renaissance paintings hung on its walls, so every time I glanced up at its gleaming golden dome it beckoned to me.
But transportation up the twisting switchback road could not be had, so one hot sunny Saturday I made up my mind to hoof it. And I did, but it took me three hours. I hadn’t thought of taking any water with me, and by the time I entered the church I was so thirsty I was eying the holy water in the fonts. Desperate for a drink I went back outside looking for the rectory.
Left side? Nothing. Right side? Nothing. But as I walked down the right side toward the back I saw ... a restaurant!
That’s right. Built right into the church!
What a great lunch that was! Delicious Parmesan cheese, crusty Italian bread, thirst-quenching beer ...
Odd? Yes. Handy? You bet! | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/29/be-prepared-surprises-when-you-travel-foreign-coun/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/5277b6bf574721512d3f793a6004e1f6ae6be2086814e81e742c959b87ef7592.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:49:34 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The other day, driving by Walgreens I saw a sign indicating flu shots were available. It’s hard to think of getting a flu shot in late August, but the cooler morning temperatures lately remind us all that fall is not that far away. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fnew-flu-information-2016-2017-cdc%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/new-flu-information-2016-2017-cdc/ | en | null | New flu information for 2016-2017 from the CDC | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | The other day, driving by Walgreens I saw a sign indicating flu shots were available. It’s hard to think of getting a flu shot in late August, but the cooler morning temperatures lately remind us all that fall is not that far away. And with the fall come colds and the flu and more.
The Centers for Disease Control have this information online:
Getting an annual flu vaccine is the first and best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. The more people who get vaccinated, the more people will be protected from flu, including older people, very young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications. This page summarizes information for the 2016-2017 flu season.
What’s new this flu season?
A few things are new this season:
• Only injectable flu shots are recommended for use this season.
• Flu vaccines have been updated to better match circulating viruses.
• There will be some new vaccines on the market this season.
What viruses do 2016-2017 flu vaccines protect against?
There are many flu viruses and they are constantly changing. The composition of U.S. flu vaccines is reviewed annually and updated to match circulating flu viruses. Flu vaccines protect against the three or four viruses that research suggests will be most common.
When and how often should I get vaccinated?
Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year by the end of October, if possible. However, getting vaccinated later is OK. Vaccination should continue throughout the flu season, even in January or later. Some children who have received flu vaccine previously and children who have only received one dose in their lifetime, may need two doses of flu vaccine. A health care provider can advise on how many doses a child should get.
When will flu activity begin and when will it peak?
The timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary in different parts of the country and from season to season. Flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/new-flu-information-2016-2017-cdc/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/9048c8e0b9f93d59730516e741efc87e9af73423291a8f6b42e130bd5ab8d8ad.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:49:40 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Allan Ralston believes the patients he works with in physical therapy and myofascial release therapy at Rim Country Health should have a say in their treatment. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Ftherapist-lets-patients-guide-their-treatment%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/29/allan_ralston_RCH_Health_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Therapist lets patients guide their treatment | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Allan Ralston believes the patients he works with in physical therapy and myofascial release therapy at Rim Country Health should have a say in their treatment.
“They’re in control of the process. I work with them, not on them. I am a team player with the patient. Interaction is really important,” he explains.
Ralston, a physical therapy assistant and myofascial release practitioner, has worked in physical therapy since 1988, getting his training and licensing through Loma Linda University in California. He added myofascial release therapy to his toolbox after seeing it practiced by Richard Staudt, a therapist he worked with at another care facility.
“I saw it made a difference, but I was initially skeptical,” Ralston said. Seeing the results patients had with MFR led him to take the first course in the training, which is offered in Sedona at the John F. Barnes’ Myofascial Release Treatment Center. Barnes developed the therapy. He has now taken the program’s full battery of courses and is one of two MFR practitioners at RCH, a third will join the team in September.
Ralston has worked at RCH for four years, but has been in Payson for more than 10 years. He’s a transplant from Southern California and says he actually came into his work as a physical therapist later than most.
“I was in a job and not happy. I took some aptitude tests and physical therapy was one of the things the tests pointed to (as something for which he had an aptitude).”
He researched the field and it seemed like it was something he wanted to get into.
Ralston explained how a patient comes to him for help. They are first evaluated by one of the physical therapists on staff at RCH. A recommendation is then made whether or not the patient would benefit from manual therapy.
He visits with the patient to explain the work they will be doing together. At this time he also asks questions to see if they are open to MFR and explains the treatment and lets them know that it is available to them if they are interested.
Some tell him to just go ahead and treat them and they’re done. Others want to know more about the cause and effect with MRF.
“What works is what matters,” Ralston said.
He said using MFR in his work lets him treat the whole person, which is the foundation of his early training at Loma Linda. It allows him to provide hands-on care and that is huge part of what makes MFR successful.
“Some people need to have someone put their hands on to help them.”
Ralston said the most rewarding aspect of his work is knowing he is making a positive difference in someone’s life and the fact that whether it’s with a patient or a fellow RCH staff member, he gets at least one good laugh a day.
When not working, he and his wife enjoy camping and quad riding, but like quiet time too. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/therapist-lets-patients-guide-their-treatment/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/abd4e3ae72fef2413a5ec3a9bb332446d6d8d152e612d8716b94533d1b22bb21.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:48:40 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Paradise Nails dominated in the sand courts in Rumsey Park this year. The team sponsored by that business went 22-2 in the regular season to earn the top seed for the Payson 4 vs. 4 Co-Ed Sand Volleyball Postseason Tournament. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Fparadise-nails-buries-foes-sand%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/26/Sand_Volleyball_Champs_IMG_3741_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Paradise Nails buries foes in sand | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Paradise Nails dominated in the sand courts in Rumsey Park this year.
The team sponsored by that business went 22-2 in the regular season to earn the top seed for the Payson 4 vs. 4 Co-Ed Sand Volleyball Postseason Tournament.
Then the team just kept on rolling to the tournament title.
After a first-round bye in the five-team double-elimination tournament at Rumsey Park, PN beat No. 4 All-State and reached the championship round with a victory over No. 3 Paradise Nails Too. That team went on to emerge from the losers bracket with a win over All-State to set up a rematch needing to beat the No. 1 team twice to claim the crown.
But PN apparently doesn’t like drama and ended it in one match.
Finishing behind PN in the regular season standings was Ram (13-11) in second place, Paradise Nails Too (12-11) in third, All-State (9-15) in fourth and 4 A Good Time (3-21) in fifth.
For the tournament, All-State finished third, RAM fourth and 4 A Good Time fifth. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/27/paradise-nails-buries-foes-sand/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/5401e6c274cc57410ff6400cc77f301c3c9132aae80b74ca846cde784ead83b2.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:00:27 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | The man carried his Labrador retriever puppy into the grocery store, found a cart and sat the dog in the space designed to hold toddlers and easily damaged food. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fdog-owners-ignoring-laws-about-pooches-markets%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/23/Dogs_in_Stores_2_illustration_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Dog owners ignoring laws about pooches in markets | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | The man carried his Labrador retriever puppy into the grocery store, found a cart and sat the dog in the space designed to hold toddlers and easily damaged food.
He certainly couldn’t leave his precious pet in the hot car while he shopped.
He tried to conceal the animal when he saw a store employee walking in his direction.
Every summer managers at Payson’s three area grocery stores must deal with people bringing dogs into their businesses.
Not the legally allowed assistance dogs mind you, but your run of the mill canines that couldn’t assist a flea.
The problem seems to center mainly around out-of-town folks either on vacation or just away from home for a day or weekend not wanting to leave their pets in a hot car while they shop.
That’s admirable because it’s cruel and inhumane and also illegal in Arizona to leave your dog alone in a hot car when physical injury to or death of the animal is the likely result.
That’s why you shouldn’t take dogs with you to the store on hot days unless you have someone who can stay in the car with them with the air conditioning on.
If not, leave them home.
That’s the problem for many folks who are out of town and can’t or simply don’t want to leave the pet at home.
So, many of them simply take them into the store with them.
But that’s a violation of federal law to bring non-service animals into grocery stores.
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) allows customers to shop with their assistance dogs.
Safeway’s Nancy Keane said her company takes this situation very seriously.
“From time to time we receive complaints from customers regarding service animals and pets in our stores,” she said. “We allow service animals in our stores for our customers who need them.
“But these animals have to be kept away from certain areas in the store (such as food preparation areas) and from riding in shopping carts where they may come into direct contact with food.
“At Albertsons and Safeway sanitation and food safety is a top priority. We cannot allow a situation that will pose a direct threat to the health or safety of our customers.”
Most grocery store chains welcome customers who need to bring service animals into their stores.
“Of course we welcome assistance dogs in our stores,” said Rob Johnson, customer relations manager for Bashas’ in the company’s headquarters in Chandler.
He said Bashas’ employees are instructed how to handle situations involving customers with dogs.
“You can ask them, ‘is that a service dog,’” Johnson said. “If they say it is, you’re permitted to ask what service the dog is there to perform. If they answer both of those questions (adequately) they can stay in the store with their dog.”
He said providing comfort is not a service that’s allowed under the law.
“What are called comfort animals are not permitted,” Johnson said. “People sometimes claim it is a service dog but if it’s a comforting kind of companion animal, like for emotional support, the ADA does not cover those. Those don’t pass muster. They are not recognized on the ADA as a legitimate service dog.”
If one of his employees faces that situation, Johnson said Bashas’ employees have been instructed how to proceed. “They’ll apologize and let them know, ‘we want your patronage, but that pet cannot come into the store,’” he said.
But there’s little a store employee can do if the person lies about the service the dog is performing. “The dog isn’t required to have identification,” Johnson said. “The ADA is very open and lenient about that. It’s up to us to hopefully get truthful answers. There isn’t anything a person with a service dog is required to show, it’s kind of an honor system. It’s not like when a cop pulls you over and asks for your ID and registration.” | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/dog-owners-ignoring-laws-about-pooches-markets/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/0b4f60d9dac82055460402afd353b30fdda3186097ddfb60be309a897ab3a098.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:32 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Editor:
August Rodeo is one of the best weekends for Payson to make a great impression and bring more business to the local community. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fdisappointed-papers-rodeo-weekend-edition%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/disappointed-papers-rodeo-weekend-edition/ | en | null | Disappointed in paper's rodeo weekend edition | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor:
August Rodeo is one of the best weekends for Payson to make a great impression and bring more business to the local community. I picked up the Roundup and could not help but wonder if you are purposely trying to sabotage any possibility of growth to the town? The front page was the most depressing group of articles from Main Street, property taxes and sex offenders to the Our View wanting to dump ASU? What were you thinking?
Karyn Nelsen | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/disappointed-papers-rodeo-weekend-edition/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/e64e62adc67d425c15de9fa007897372100a7d937d9194d304266b8c59d53c41.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:48:14 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | Work is underway to widen State Route 260 for several turn lanes leading into the site for a proposed university. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Froad-work-underway-payson-university-plan%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/25/Campus_260_Constrction_AB_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Road work underway for Payson university plan | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Work is underway to widen State Route 260 for several turn lanes leading into the site for a proposed university.
While no university partner has been named, those working on the project say signing a partner is imminent. They say construction on an academic building and two dorms should start in December for the anticipated arrival of students after May of 2018.
Gary Cordell, Rim Country Educational Foundation president, said crews are right now working on access to the campus site, which sits on 253 acres of land acquired
jointly by the Rim Country Educational Alliance and Foundation from the U.S. Forest Service last year.
On the south side of State Route 260, crews have bulldozed several trees to make way for a deceleration lane for eastbound traffic turning into the site. In the center of the highway, they will add a left turn lane for westbound traffic turning into the campus.
Most of the work is being done in the Arizona Department of Transportation’s right-of-way. Cordell said the highway is being widened to the south to make way for the additional lanes. The Foundation is paying for the work from the $40 million it
received from the sale of the local hospital to Banner. Cordell would not say how much the highway work will cost, but said the bill is sizable. The Foundation is using JNL Contracting, a local company, to complete the highway work.
He said the Foundation hopes to recoup its costs for the work either through the university partner or retailers, since the site calls for commercial development along with education use.
In an update on the campus in May, Cordell said while local project planners initially dreamed the academic facility would open with 1,000 students and grow to 6,000. However, backers have scaled back those numbers.
They now plan to open with 300-350 students and grow the campus an additional 200 to 300 students every year until reaching an enrollment of 2,500 students.
In Phase 1 of the Payson project, the Alliance and Foundation will widen the highway and spend $70 million to construct three buildings comprising the facility — an academic building to hold classes and two dorms, Cordell said in May.
Although Phase 1 of the academic buildings will be built to handle up to 1,000 students, the high construction and infrastructure cost in an unproven housing market have limited initial student housing construction to 300 units.
In future years, they will add other academic buildings and dorms in the same area.
On the east side beyond a large ridge, the Foundation hopes to build a conference center/resort and residential housing. Cordell said they are envisioning condominiums accessed from a future second entrance off Rim Club Parkway.
The west side of the property has room for future commercial development.
To keep the campus beautiful, planners want to keep as many trees as possible, including both ponderosa pines and pinyons.
Cordell said they are very conscious of the trees and have re-routed roads and building locations in the plans to save as much of the vegetation as possible.
Sanja Long, MHA Foundation CEO and Rim Country Education Foundation secretary, said it is disheartening to hear from people that nothing is going on with the university project when they are doing so much.
She said the group has been working with ADOT extensively on the design of the roadway expansion, completed a tree study and picked a contractor for the construction of the academic and dorm buildings.
On Tuesday, Cordell met with that contractor in the Valley in what he called a “kick off meeting.”
The project initially called for building where 2,400 linear feet of power lines currently runs. Initially, the Foundation planned to bury those lines; however, it is cost prohibitive to move those lines so the buildings are being moved to another part of the campus, Cordell said.
At some point, as the campus develops, the group would likely bury those power lines.
Construction work on the buildings is expected to start in December and run through May 2018.
Asked if the Foundation would go forward with construction even if it has not signed a university partner, Cordell said they would announce a partner soon. He refused to discuss the negotiations further.
Work on Highway 260 should be done by October.
The MHA Foundation, through the Rim Country Educational Foundation, has provided the bulk of the money to buy the land and do the preliminary testing, engineering and design work. The bulk of that money, in turn, came from the sale of the Payson Regional Medical Center to Banner Health Systems, which merged with the old Mogollon Health Alliance and donated some $40 million to the MHA Foundation.
Technically, the Rim Country Educational Alliance is responsible for the university project. That board is appointed by the Payson and Star Valley councils and abides by various laws like the open meeting act and the open records laws. However, most of the money for the project has flowed through the Foundation — which is privately held. The Alliance and the Foundation jointly own the land. The Foundation has paid for all the contracts to do the construction work. The Foundation is not subject to the same open meeting and disclosure laws as the Alliance. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/road-work-underway-payson-university-plan/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/2fa2406463ab490f5bb10c4902402fedd3fe986dc8bcdc17afea41ea4980b216.json |
[
"Photo Michele Nelson"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:43 | null | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | The annual Rodeo Parade draws folks back home to watch friends and family on floats or horses, in cars or on foot. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F24%2Fclowns-camels-cowboys-rodeo-parade-has-it-all%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/22/rodeo_parade_by_michele_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Clowns, Camels & Cowboys, Payson Rodeo Parade has it all | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | The annual Rodeo Parade draws folks back home to watch friends and family on floats or horses, in cars or on foot.
This year, the Kiwanis Club of Payson wrangled 57 entries into a parade that warmed the heart with its hometown charm.
English Bulldog Jesse watched the parade with his parents, Lacy and Mike Paheco from Colorado Springs, Colo. The Pahecos came to visit Lacy’s parents. She grew up in Payson and graduated from Payson High School. They dressed Jesse in a dapper blue bandanna. The year-old Jesse cocked his head ever so sweetly as each new entry passed by.
“He goes everywhere we go,” said Lacy, “even elk hunting.”
Jesse gets a lot of attention wherever he goes.
“Jesse was in the Colorado Springs paper last month,” said Lacy.
The parade had entries from the APS clowns to the Fiesta Bowl, FFA and the Payson High School Marching Band, the Hashknife Pony Express and the U.S. Forest Service, nonprofits and politicians and pretty much every teen rodeo queen from the state.
Trey Nahrgang brought his whole family to watch the parade before he competed in steer wrestling in the evening.
Trey, a Montana native, married Payson local Shea (she said people know her as Candace) and they have three children, McKinley (6), McCoy (4) and McRae (1).
Shea said her mom, Ms. Johnson, still teaches up at the Pine-Strawberry Elementary School.
Trey set up everyone in the back of the family pickup truck shaded by a huge umbrella. McRae had the place of honor in the middle comfortably ensconced in his car seat.
The couple met at a rodeo. Trey has been competing since.
When asked if he had injuries, Shea rolled her eyes and said, “His knees are messed up.”
As a side job to fund his rodeo competitions, Trey works at a utility company in the Valley.
They were more than happy to get out of the heat.
At the end of the parade in front of the Oxbow Saloon, Stephanie Landers from KRIM radio announced each entry in a voice full of animation.
The historic Oxbow Saloon remained open after the rodeo with steak dinners by reservation.
After the last entry, the Gila County Sheriff’s Volunteers, rode down Main in a blaze of glory, only a lone flower in a pile of horse droppings remained.
Folks quickly broke up the party saying to one another, “Well, until the next town uh ... Oh well, tak’er easy!” | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/24/clowns-camels-cowboys-rodeo-parade-has-it-all/ | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/b0a2a5ce71fc89a326afda2eded2d5ae34a68a81a8efb08bd5f8fddbe6418f48.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:49:14 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The Tax Foundation recently produced a report showing the “Real Value of $100 in Each State.” It shows $100 is not the same everywhere. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F29%2Fdollar-goes-little-further-arizona%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/26/One_Dollar_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | A dollar goes a little further in Arizona | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | The Tax Foundation recently produced a report showing the “Real Value of $100 in Each State.” It shows $100 is not the same everywhere.
Arizona’s $100 is actually “worth” $103.73. The value here is a little less than in neighboring New Mexico, where $100 is “worth” $105.26. On the other hand, in California $100 is equivalent to $88.97.
The report, written by Alan Cole of the Tax Foundation, states that same goods are often much cheaper in states like Missouri or Ohio than they are in states like New York or California. As a result, the same amount of cash buys comparatively more in a low-price state.
Leading the “low price” states are Mississippi, $115.34; Arkansas, $114.29; and Alabama, $113.90. The District of Columbia tops the list of “high-price” states, there $100 has a value of only $84.67; it is followed by Hawaii, $85.62; and New York, $86.43.
Cole said costs vary widely from state to state: Real purchasing power is 36 percent greater in Mississippi than in the District of Columbia.
Generally states with higher incomes have higher price levels; but not always. Some states, like North Dakota, have high incomes without high prices.
The Tax Foundation based its “values” on 2014 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis adjusted for the passage of time. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/29/dollar-goes-little-further-arizona/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/5da8b666b4a913937950d978bfd07891d931e92ddf6b670763b523bbd189d2fe.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:48:41 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The storm clouds have gathered. The water’s on the rise all around. And the Pine Water board needs to find something that floats. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fpine-water-district-awash-problems%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/pine-water-district-awash-problems/ | en | null | Pine water district awash in problems | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | The storm clouds have gathered. The water’s on the rise all around. And the Pine Water board needs to find something that floats.
The district was rocked in July by the Grand Jury indictment on eight felony counts of former board member and treasurer Mike Greer. Investigators from the Arizona Auditor General’s Office concluded Greer violated laws concerning conflict of interest, theft, fraudulent schemes and forgery. The alleged misdeeds included some shady contracts that resulted in Greer receiving $65,000 from two district vendors. Greer had an undisclosed interest in a company that landed water district contracts. Worse yet, the board agreed to break a single contract into many smaller contracts apparently to avoid the state laws requiring competitive bids for contracts over a certain size.
The investigation revealed that the district’s financial safeguards were completely inadequate. Greer not only had district credit cards he abused, he issued checks and presented misleading financial reports to the board.
Now, most of the members of the board that failed to oversee or prevent Greer’s apparent abuses later resigned in the face of a possible recall — which mostly focused on other issues entirely. The members of the current board bear little responsibility for any of those problems.
But that’s only a good alibi for a little while.
The investigation rang alarm bells. Now the current board has to establish adequate financial safeguards to avoid a repeat performance. The failure to do so will soon give the current board full ownership of the problem.
It hasn’t helped that upheavals in staffing, a lack of consistent professional management and disruptive changes in water rates have caused new waves of problems to come crashing down on the district. The last meeting showcased some of the eye-popping bills that resulted from the district’s understandable efforts to adopt a water rate structure that will discourage high volume water users.
More importantly, the district faces serious financial challenges, thanks to the $6 million it spent buying the district, providing adequate new water sources and making a down payment on essential improvements. The district will have to eventually make a balloon payment on that initial loan. Moreover, the capital plan calls for another $6 million in investments to bring the water system up to standard.
To its credit, the district has lifted the building moratorium, secured far more water than anyone expected and scrambled to cope with a host of problems. But the problems revealed by the investigation into Greer, the concern about rising water rates and the lack of necessary financial reforms threatens to overshadow all that good work. The flood of problems has damaged the district — and washed away some of the perhaps unrealistic expectations the district inherited.
Now the current board needs to needs to pump up the life raft and get to high ground quickly — starting with adequate financial oversight and professional management. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/pine-water-district-awash-problems/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/82446d96f274e4794c8cdd64838c89c6be8975418eca5f3d52e7937d461491b5.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:52:17 | null | 2013-08-20T00:00:00 | I am running for Town Council because I love Payson and I want to represent the people. I feel that every citizen should be given a voice in local government. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fcouncil-candidate-barbara-underwoods-questionnaire%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2013/08/20/09132012BarbaraUnderwood587ATacrop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson council candidate Barbara Underwood's questionnaire answers | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor's note: The Roundup sent each candidate a questionnaire to answer. Their answers are printed unedited.
Education/service/work background:
After graduating in the top 5% of my High School, at the age of 19, I moved to Payson with my husband where we started our own business. Over the years, we expanded our business with the purchase of two shopping centers and land off Tyler Parkway. I am currently serving the community through my volunteer work with the Payson Senior Center, Mogollon Sporting Association, Payson School Board, Arizona School Board Association, and the Planning and Zoning Commission.
How long have you lived in Payson:
I moved to Payson in 1977, 39 years ago, which has given me a perspective on the changes that have taken place over the years. I will take this perspective to guide me in my decision making on the council.
Why are you running for office:
I am running for Town Council because I love Payson and I want to represent the people. I feel that every citizen should be given a voice in local government.
What do you like best about living in Payson:
The thing I like most about Payson is the people. The friends I have made over the years will remain my friends for the rest of my life. In addition, the geographical location of Payson affords us four mild seasons and family friendly outdoor activities.
What would you like to see improve:
Our town is coming out of a recession, and I would like to see higher paying jobs and clean industry to help sustain the town and diversify the tax base.
If you join the council, what can residents expect from you:
Paysonites can expect me to be an advocate. I will be a voice for all of the citizens of Payson as I simply want to strive to make Payson a healthy and vibrant town for our citizens to live in. Nobody comes to a meeting more prepared than I am with information that I have received from staff, input from stakeholders, and research from sources outside of the area.
What do you hope to accomplish while on the council:
I hope to increase the tax base by increasing light industry and promoting tourism.
What are your top 3 priorities:
We have a number of great businesses in our town that we need to continue to support and help grow. Along with those businesses, I feel the town needs to continue to look for and attract clean industry to help with our tax base.
We have secured the CC Cragin water to ensure our residents a reliable water source. Now we need to make sure we have plans in place to finish and finance it. Due to the recession our roads have been neglected. I would like to see us create a plan to maintain and improve our roads.
How are you qualified to serve as a councilor/mayor:
My years of experience with policy, budgets, and personnel through my work on the School Board, Senior Center Board, Mogollon Sporting Association Board, and my businesses has given me knowledge that qualifies me to serve as a councilor. I have also attended several Law conferences, workshops, and classes to prepare me for my role on the town council.
What could the council be doing better: One area of weakness I have noticed is communication. Communication is the key to resolving disputes before they escalate and it keeps the community aware and builds trust. Also, I think all staff needs to be appreciated and acknowledged for their contribution to our town.
What is the best way for voters to learn more about you?
The best way to learn more about me is to talk to me directly or those who know me best. I feel that the best way to get to know someone is through communication. My email is barbaraunderwood@yahoo.com and my cell phone number is 928-517-2272. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/council-candidate-barbara-underwoods-questionnaire/ | en | 2013-08-20T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/60f4bc56e8297e6aa78359c1a8d7034ea1bb5e0d4371c6c05dc20ea9e37b8f6b.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:03:07 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | A Valley man will spend the next two years in prison for resisting arrest and weapons misconduct. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F24%2Fvalley-man-sentenced-weapons-misconduct%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/24/Sentenced_crop_metro_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Valley man sentenced for weapons misconduct | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | A Valley man will spend the next two years in prison for resisting arrest and weapons misconduct.
On Oct. 25, officers with the Payson Police Department stopped a vehicle for speeding. Daniel Arnold Marquez, who was a passenger, gave officers a fictitious name. Officers later identified him and learned that he had a parole violation warrant.
Marquez struggled with officers as they placed him under arrest.
During the subsequent investigation, officers discovered a firearm inside the vehicle and one of the occupants stated that it belonged to Marquez, according to Deputy Gila County Attorney Robert Swinford, who handled the case.
As part of the plea, Marquez admitted to prior felony convictions and received an enhanced sentencing range.
On July 11, Judge Tim Wright sentenced Marquez to two years in the Arizona Department of Corrections and he will be placed on supervised probation for 24 months after his release from prison. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/24/valley-man-sentenced-weapons-misconduct/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/fffeac23ce4edbbbf3dfca71b7de83a384d63555ee04f0703e735a70d02a5664.json |
[
"Photo Alexis Bechman"
] | 2016-08-27T14:48:48 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | They looked like the Clampetts from “The Beverly Hillbillies,” but they weren’t headed to California. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F27%2Frcms-outdoor-adventure-club-really-rolling%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/26/RCMS_Mountain_Bike_Ride_Mick_Wolf4c_new_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | RCMS Outdoor Adventure Club really rolling | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | They looked like the Clampetts from “The Beverly Hillbillies,” but they weren’t headed to California. Instead, the Outdoor Adventure Club at Rim Country Middle School loaded up a school bus for Flagstaff recently for a day of mountain biking.
On Aug. 13, around 25 students in the Outdoor Adventure Club rode with Scott Davidson, teacher and Outdoor Adventure Club coordinator, and Mick Wolf, Certified Bicycle owner.
It was one of the largest turnouts for a ride and posed a little bit of a transportation predicament with so many bikes.
Davidson said they got some quizzical looks from fellow motorists driving a school van with a trailer full of bikes.
“We looked kind of like the Clampetts from ‘Beverly Hillbillies,’” he said.
In Flagstaff, the group rode at Fort Tuthill, including the Soldier’s Trail and at the bike park, which features several loops with jumps. They also rode the urban singletrack biking trail that weaves from the park through town.
“The kids had a good time and no injuries!” Davidson said.
This is the 16th year for the Outdoor Club. Besides biking, the group hikes and skis. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/27/rcms-outdoor-adventure-club-really-rolling/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/8cc2f07feca3195f40bee59eb733cf65f33026a2b3e20a3521a2fcc950cd73a2.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:48:42 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Editor:
I will have to hold my nose and vote for (Senator John) McCain again this year, even though he was a senator during the entire VA debacle, and wants to give citizenship to the illegals. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fhold-your-nose-and-vote%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/hold-your-nose-and-vote/ | en | null | Hold your nose and vote | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor:
I will have to hold my nose and vote for (Senator John) McCain again this year, even though he was a senator during the entire VA debacle, and wants to give citizenship to the illegals. I used to think he was a great man, he has personally helped me (many years ago), but I think his amnesty views are horrific. As far as the VA is concerned, he gives lip service to the problem, but accomplishes very little. Maybe I won’t vote for this office at all.
Bill Keenen | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/hold-your-nose-and-vote/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/61621df4f7d6d75305f95a9eca6af73109f0e340b34742399f3648f392b63420.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:48:39 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | This summer, past and current Payson Unified School District students, Molly and Maddie Beier, Josh Shaw, Sabrina Bonn, Colin Nossek, Trace Wallace and Kara VanZile, took it upon themselves to run a band camp before school started. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fpusd-students-hold-band-camp-anyway%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/26/PUSD_Heroes_of_education_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | PUSD Students hold band camp anyway | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | This summer, past and current Payson Unified School District students, Molly and Maddie Beier, Josh Shaw, Sabrina Bonn, Colin Nossek, Trace Wallace and Kara VanZile, took it upon themselves to run a band camp before school started.
Here’s the kicker — there was no band director hired by the district.
In May, Jose Martinez separated from the district. He had only served the school for one year.
That left the district scrambling for a band director in a very challenging hiring environment — and the students without a teacher to run and organize the critical band camp during the summer.
Enter the seven students.
“While this may have been an easy reason for naysayers to complain, we have several students and former students who took it upon themselves to create a plan for band camp this year,” said Superintendent Greg Wyman at the Aug. 22 board meeting.
Band camp serves as a foundational event for marching bands.
“As with many summer camps, band camp is both challenging and rewarding,” said Wyman. “This is the time when many band students develop their physical stamina while practicing their marching routine, continue refining their playing skills and create a sense of team for the upcoming marching season.”
Wyman and the board recognized the seven students as Heroes of Education.
“Together they worked with administration to provide what many of the participating band students said was one of the ‘best’ band camps over the years,” said Wyman.
The superintendent noted that organizing, supervising and creating the events that make up band camp required leadership skills most students would rather not use.
Wyman took a moment to recognize the Beier family, whose two daughters Molly and Maddie served as the backbone for the camp.
“Finally, enough can’t be said about the Beier family. They have been incredibly supportive over the years and continue to give back,” he said. “A huge thanks to Molly and Madelyn Beier who helped to develop this summer’s band camp.” | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/pusd-students-hold-band-camp-anyway/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/34ac71949b6131f7a43507cc70b5824cf7ce9335041561488bfc97516642f845.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T14:49:42 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | For the 24th year in a row, the Payson Unified School District Business Services Department received two Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting recognitions from the Association of School Business Officials International. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fpayson-schools-finance-cited%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/31/payson-schools-finance-cited/ | en | null | Payson schools finance cited | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | For the 24th year in a row, the Payson Unified School District Business Services Department received two Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting recognitions from the Association of School Business Officials International.
“The department is extremely proud of these two recognitions,” said Business Manager Kathie Manning.
An impartial panel judges governmental financial agencies based on the high standards of the program including demonstrating constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/31/payson-schools-finance-cited/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/ba6d949a4f678ee226d14c3248b6c4a8b7cf404499d9310d4fe60b170dd88732.json |
[
"Photo Keith Morris"
] | 2016-08-30T20:49:37 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | QUEEN CREEK – The estimated 2,500 fans that attended Friday night’s historical game at Casteel High will long remember that their football team beat Payson. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fhorns-improve-fall-historic-game%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/30/Football95I1038_Ryan_Ricke_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Horns improve, but fall in historic game | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | "Putting an offense in four days before a game is not easy and I couldn't be prouder of our boys for the turnaround that we've seen." Jake Swartwood, Payson football coach
QUEEN CREEK – The estimated 2,500 fans that attended Friday night’s historical game at Casteel High will long remember that their football team beat Payson.
They’ll remember their gorgeous new field, spacious bleachers and the fireworks that exploded before the game, after the game and four times during the game following each of the Colts’ touchdowns in a 27-14 win in the first home game in team history.
The excitement surrounding the first season for Casteel’s football team was palpable.
And Friday was a big celebration for the school that opened only a year ago and features just freshmen and sophomores.
When this year’s seventh-graders reach ninth grade in two years, the school will move up to Class 4A for two years, with an eventual ascension all the way up to 6A likely.
But for now, they’re getting their feet week in 3A. And the water’s just fine in their opinion. The Arizona Republic ranks the Colts No. 10 after a 2-0 start.
While it was clear all the things that Casteel had to gush about on Friday, the things that had Payson coach Jake Swartwood feeling positive weren’t quite so obvious.
What the Longhorns took away is subtler.
Like how they competed throughout the game despite changing offenses and starting a new quarterback after stumbling out of the gate in a lopsided loss against No. 9 (now No. 7) Safford a week earlier.
Like how they played Casteel even in the final two quarters after falling behind 20-7 by intermission.
Like how they turned the ball over just once after five giveaways in the opener.
Like how they committed just three penalties for 30 yards with no personal fouls after drawing eight flags for 80 yards, including multiple personal fouls a week earlier.
You had to look closer to see the things that made Swartwood smile after a long night. But they were there.
“Putting an offense in four days before a game is not easy and I couldn’t be prouder of our boys for the turnaround that we’ve seen,” Swartwood said.
“We split in the second half, going 7-7, with a team rated above us again and I think our boys played a hell of a game.”
Senior Ryan Ricke played the entire game at quarterback under center running a wing-T formation as Payson scrapped the shotgun read option attack they and sophomore signal caller Brock Davis struggled in last week.
After attempting 11 passes against Safford, completing just two and being intercepted three times, the Longhorns kept it on the ground most of the night. Ricke attempted just three passes, completing two.
He had one of Payson’s biggest runs of the season, scrambling away from pressure to score on a 9-yard touchdown run with 4:43 remaining for the game’s final score.
Payson had just one turnover, a fumble by Julian Parker.
But the junior made up for it with a big interception and return to the Colts’ 22-yard line to set up his team’s first score. J.T. Dolinich capped that possession with a 1-yard touchdown run that gave the visitors a 7-6 lead with 1:16 to play in the opening quarter.
“This is Julian’s first year playing football since middle school and we had put him on the spot due to injuries and he was a little bit nervous there,” Swartwood said of the fumble.
“He made up for it tenfold with his play on defense. He came in right away and got a pick to set us up for a touchdown. It was a huge thing.”
Swartwood said you can expect the offense to improve as the season goes on.
“I think the ship is going in the right direction right now and we’re excited to see where these guys go from here,” the coach said. “This wing-T offense is similar to what we’ve been running in the past, so I have no doubt that after another week under their belt they’re going to be running it perfect.”
Swartwood said he and his staff just decided they needed to change the offense after losing offensive coordinator Carl Curtis to another job this summer and struggling to move the ball in the opener.
“We tried to do a little too much with not a full summer and losing our coordinator in June was tough on us,” Swartwood said. “We tried to create something that mirrored what we’ve done in years past but it just wasn’t working.”
For the second straight week the Longhorns dealt with poor snaps on special teams. “We need to fix a couple of things on special teams again,” Swartwood said.
“We put two balls inside the 20 with bad snaps.”
Most everything went right for the home team, other than a 50-minute delay because of rain and lightning.
In addition to the delayed start, the game was stopped briefly twice, once waiting for someone flying a drone around the stadium to land it and later to turn off the sprinklers that came on in one end zone just after 10 p.m.
Payson (0-2) visits Fountain Hills (0-1) at 7 p.m. Friday. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/horns-improve-fall-historic-game/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/e430178675cebf27645e298d92f0336faa52e1b25fc1b6f1ac1dac426f6df906.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:34 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | It’s Election Day folks. If you haven’t mailed in your ballot, you need to get to the Gila County Recorder’s Office, a vote center or polling place to drop it off. Ballots are also being collected at the Payson Town Hall until 5 p.m., Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fdont-forget-get-out-and-vote%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/29/Vote_LR600_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Don't forget: Get out and VOTE | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | It’s Election Day folks. If you haven’t mailed in your ballot, you need to get to the Gila County Recorder’s Office, a vote center or polling place to drop it off. Ballots are also being collected at the Payson Town Hall until 5 p.m., Tuesday.
The vote centers and polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the Payson office of the Gila County Recorder is at 201 W. Frontier St., and is open from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; the Payson Town Hall office is also open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Northern Gila County Vote Centers: Payson Voter Center #1, Expedition Church, 302 S. Ash St., Payson; Payson Voter Center #2, Payson First Church of the Nazarene, 200 E. Tyler Parkway, Payson; Star Valley Voter Center, Star Valley Baptist Church, 4180 E. Hwy. 260, Star Valley.
Regardless of the precinct in which you reside, you may cast your ballot at any vote center.
Polling places in Northern Gila County: Gisela, Gisela Community Center, 136 S. Tatum Trail; Pine Strawberry East/Pine Strawberry West, First Baptist Church of Pine, 4039 N. Hwy. 87; Tonto Basin, Tonto Basin Chamber of Commerce, 45675 Hwy. 188; Whispering Pines, East Verde Baptist Church, 11209 N. Houston Mesa Rd., Whispering Pines; Young, Pleasant Valley Community Center, Hwy. 288, Young; Zane Grey, Christopher Creek Bible Fellowship Church, 1036 E. Christopher Creek Loop, Christopher Creek.
To get additional information about voting, call the county recorder at 928-402-8740 or 800-291-4452.
Payson and Star Valley voters will be choosing new council members and in Payson, a new mayor as well.
These are non-partisan elections. In Payson, the mayoral candidates are Michael Hughes and Craig Swartwood. The council candidates are incumbent Richard Croy; and challengers Kim Chittick, Hallie Overman-Jackman, Janell Sterner and Barbara Underwood.
Star Valley’s candidates are incumbents George Binney, Gary Coon and Barbara Hartwell; and challengers Ray Armington and Bobby Davis.
At the county level, not all races are contested.
The incumbent supervisors, District 2’s Mike Pastor and District 3’s John Marcanti are both being challenged.
Pastor has a Democrat challenging him, Fred Barcon of Miami and there is also a single Republican on the ballot for the District 2 supervisor’s seat, Tim Humphrey.
Marcanti, a Democrat, does not have a primary challenge, but two Republicans are vying to face him in November, Woody Cline of Young and Kenny Evans of Payson. The voting today will determine whether Evans or Young take up the challenge.
Other primary contests for county offices include: Republicans Sadie Bingham, incumbent, and challenger Monica Wohlforth seeking the recorder’s office; and Republicans Gail Gorry and Roy Sandoval battling over the office of Gila County School Superintendent.
None of the candidates for state Senate or House in district six face a challenge.
Republican incumbents Rep. Bob Thorpe and Rep. Brenda Barton will face Democrat Alex Martinez in November. He’s a former teacher and superintendent of schools.
Nikki Bagley, a grape grower, former mayor of Jerome and community college professor, will face Sen. Sylvia Allen in the general election.
Rep. Paul Gosar in the Republican primary faces Buckeye town councilor and minister Ray Strauss, who last week picked up the endorsement of the Arizona Republic. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/dont-forget-get-out-and-vote/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/76f910a50d723f7cea17fe6ad144bb2066d55aa9aabbdcc7a87a498c35502f60.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T14:48:59 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Are you as fed up as I am about the rash of robo calls from the politicians? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Flooking-forward-end-primary-season-and-robo-calls%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/28/looking-forward-end-primary-season-and-robo-calls/ | en | null | Looking forward to end of primary season and robo calls | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Are you as fed up as I am about the rash of robo calls from the politicians? It never fails that a call will come in at an inopportune time such as fixing dinner, indisposed in the bathroom or you are outside and you run in to answer it and lo and behold the politician is talking on your voice mail, but in most cases, I see an unfamiliar phone number, I just don’t answer. I will be ecstatic when the election season is over, no more telephone interruptions.
Last week, I thought that Mother Nature was playing games with us, but she let us know she is still making thunderstorms, maybe some of them miss the Village altogether, but we have reached a sizable amount of rain. In fact, the weeds have grown by leaps and bounds.
Loads of sorrow
I am sorry to report that Jerry Lewinson, a longtime Tonto Village II resident has passed away very suddenly on Aug. 10. Jerry was a serious supporter of clean water for our little community and worked very hard to alert the residents of dangers that could present themselves in our water system as well as countries overseas. Jerry will be missed by his family, neighbors and friends. My sympathies and condolences to the Lewinson family.
Birthdays
This next week, Hellsgate Deputy Chief John Wisner will celebrate his birthday on Aug. 28. On Aug. 29, Penny Wells, who now lives in South Carolina after spending many years with the Domino Divas will celebrate her birthday. Penny is one of a kind — with a huge heart for her family and her many friends. Penny, you are missed at the dominoes table. You always had a funny anecdote of years past that made us all laugh.
Linda Digman, a former Tonto Village I resident and a recent retiree of the Christopher/Kohl’s Fire District administrative department, will spend her birthday in complete retirement just kicking back and enjoying her big day.
Jeff Plante will share his birthday with Linda. Jeff is a part-time resident of Bear Flat and Payson and he works at Four Seasons Motor Sports in Rye.
I would be remiss if I did not mention my son-in-law Jonathan Porter. His birthday is on Aug. 29. Jon has been a tremendous help to us with his knowledge of plumbing and helped solve many problems as we were remodeling my kitchen. Thank you, Jon, we appreciate all your help, and have a wonderful birthday!
This quote is by an unknown author: “Birthdays are good for us. The more we have, the longer we live.”
Gardening and recipes
It won’t be long now that the Village will be loaded with ripe apples — except us! Anyway, some of us will enjoy a bumper crop of apples. What to do? How about a recipe from the “Fireflies Can Cook” cookbook? The recipe is called “Slow Cooker Applesauce” submitted by Scherry Duncan of Mead Ranch.
Slow Cooker Applesauce
16 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar (increase or decrease depending on sweetness of apples and to taste)
1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Combine the apples and water in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Continue cooking another 30 minutes.
Note: Freezes well in individual containers.
A bit of trivia
I remember this one from the early days before television. We had a floor radio with the speakers near floor level and my brothers and I would listen every week for the next episode. Can you guess what the answer is?
“Who knows what secrets lie in the hearts of men? The _knows.”
That’s all for this week, I’ll be back next week, rain or shine and even if the creek does rise. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/28/looking-forward-end-primary-season-and-robo-calls/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/1756f6b06b2c1b4dd4a73e698fa255721620d21d709234e2d1b2084a0383a9f6.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T14:49:05 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Just two years ago, Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) officials huddled with Pine Strawberry Arts and Crafts Guild president Olga Sehnert and Community Educational and Cultural Association (CERCA) president Mel Palmer to review ADOT’s controversial decision to ban parking on both sides of Beeline during summer festivals. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F28%2Ffood-bank-needs-help-fill-shelves-fall%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/28/food-bank-needs-help-fill-shelves-fall/ | en | null | Food bank needs help to fill shelves before fall | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Just two years ago, Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) officials huddled with Pine Strawberry Arts and Crafts Guild president Olga Sehnert and Community Educational and Cultural Association (CERCA) president Mel Palmer to review ADOT’s controversial decision to ban parking on both sides of Beeline during summer festivals.
At the time, vendors were furious with the parking ban saying it adversely affected their sales and some threatened not to return to future festivals.
Visitors were also upset claiming off-Beeline parking was tough to find and spots available required long walks to the festival site.
As it turns out, the controversy was much ado about nothing. That’s because Arts and Crafts member Catherine Hura reported this week that during a June 14 meeting with ADOT representatives, the parking restrictions were mostly removed, “Customers can now park on the street with the exception of the front of our white fence in front of the ramada and grounds, which is for handicap parking only.”
Hura explained that last spring Guild representatives met with ADOT to get a permit to hold the Memorial Day festival, “They said we had to get rid of the parking on the street; it was a liability.”
With that mandate in place, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July festival visitors parked in the Payson Concrete and Randall House lots.
“Of course this created huge problems for many of our usual customers and was a concern for many of vendors who (thought) people would just drive by and not stop,” said Hura.
ADOT also wanted the Guild to place traffic cones on Beeline that would remind drivers to use the parking areas or pass through Pine.
“This had never happened in the 30-plus years that we have had shows in Pine,” Hura said.
The Guild responded by asking ADOT to send representatives to the last two festivals to observe traffic flow and pedestrian traffic.
Apparently, ADOT was satisfied with what they saw and, “Lifted the restrictions, parking is now allowed on the side of the street (Beeline),” Hura clarifies.
With the parking issues resolved, Guild members are gearing up for the Labor Day Arts and Crafts Festival to be held Sept. 3 and 4. It will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 3 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. the following day.
Hura expects the festival to be a big hit saying, “There are more than 80 original hand-crafted juried art booths, food booths and entertainment ... it will be fun for everyone.”
She also touts the holistic benefits of visiting the Rim Country, “Pure air, spectacular scenery amid ponderosa pines and friendly people.”
Visitors are also being asked to visit the Arts and Crafts Guild Boutique on site to meet the local artists and review their work.
A favorite of many locals and visitors are the $5 pancake breakfasts that include sausage, orange juice and coffee. The scrumptious breakfasts, served up by the Mountain Village Foundation, will be from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. both fair days.
This year, Guild member Wendy Dravillas has added a new twist to the breakfasts.
A Vermont Farmhouse Dollhouse, fully assembled, painted, wallpapered and furnished will be raffled. The dollhouse is estimated to be worth $400. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5 and the drawing will be held Sept 4.
Hura also expects the very popular husband and wife musical duo Trouble in Paradise to entertain both days.
All profits the sponsoring Pine Strawberry Arts and Crafts Guild earns at the holiday shows directly benefit those in the two communities.
Those interested in joining the Guild should contact Gail atcoolpc680@hotmail.com or 928-978-0469.
Food bank needs help
Donations to the Pine Strawberry Food Bank have lagged over the summer months prompting the organization to make an urgent plea for more donations, whether it’s food products or monetary.
Food bank volunteer Pat Impiccini calls the drive, “An opportunity to help the families we serve” which includes many seniors and their families who rely on the bank to stretch their monthly grocery budgets.
The local bank serves an average of 85 families a month with meat, dairy, produce, bread, canned goods and other staples.
“They are distributed once a month and the cart of groceries the clients receive augments their food purchases for three to four weeks, Impiccini said.
But, he adds, “The food bank’s shelves are getting low while demand is increasing.”
Call Marti Heinert at 480-296-4337 for information about donating or receiving food. Donation boxes can be found at various businesses in Pine and Strawberry including the Ponderosa Market.
Monetary donations can also be sent to: Pine Strawberry Food Bank, P.O. Box 1534, Pine, AZ 85544.
On to Oregon
Tonto National Forest recreation officer Chelsea Muise is leaving Arizona for a new job in Oregon.
But before she goes, her friends — including Mike and Janet Brandt and other members of the Pine Strawberry Fuel Reduction trails committee — are planning to fete her during a barbecue potluck following an 8 a.m. to noon trail work session tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 27. The going-away party will be held at the Brandt home located a 3916 Pine Road.
“We will smoke the meat, please feel free to bring a side (dish) or dessert,” the Brandts said. “We hope to see you all to wish Chelsea the best in her new job.”
The trail improvement work will begin on the Mohawk Drive entrance into the Tonto National Forest in Pine.
For those unsure of the location, a group from Payson is meeting at the Pine Trailhead and going on to the site. All volunteers are welcome to join them.
Work will include building a new section of trail for the upcoming Fire on the Rim race that will bypass the spring area leading into town.
“We can use all the help we can get for this project,” Mike Brandt said. “But if you can’t make trail work, please stop by the barbecue and let Chelsea know how much she will be missed.”
County school superintendent
Last week I crossed paths in Walmart with Gila County Schools Superintendent hopeful Roy Sandoval, also a longtime friend. Like retired teachers tend to do, we spent the better part of a half-hour mulling over public education.
I left that conversation genuinely impressed with Roy’s vision for the future of education in Gila County.
While some political candidates say only what constituents want to hear, Roy speaks openly and honestly about his plans, if elected, to set the direction and tone for county education.
His background as a teacher, coach, curriculum director and principal gives him a unique insight into dealing with school board members, parents, district administrators and communities.
Often in public education, those who leave the classroom for administrative positions lose perspective on what it takes for teachers to guide students into becoming successful in and out of the classroom.
Roy has not lost that — he is a proven instructional leader, an effective communicator and a good listener.
Gila Pioneers host dinner dance
Just 10 years ago, following my retirement from teaching and during my full-time work at the Payson Roundup, I was asked to write stores about 11 men, most former standout athletes at Payson High, who had joined forces to do what the now-defunct Cowbelles once did each year.
That was to honor Rim Country pioneers at a barbecue dinner, dance and auction.
In covering those stores for about seven years, I gained huge respect for the group — Roy Haught, Tony McDaniel, Ronnie McDaniel, Will Davis, Billy Hardt, Albert Hunt, Tim Hughes, Lonnie Cline, Brian Jennings, Duke Wilbanks and Teddy Tomerlin — because without fanfare or much credit they were determined to keep an irreplaceable piece of Rim Country history alive for younger generations to enjoy.
This year’s 10th annual celebration will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 24 in the Tonto Apache Gym.
Raffle items will include a whole beef and a whole pig cut and wrapped.
There will also be gun and pie auctions, quilts and much more, organizers promise.
Ronnie McDaniel told me early on the festivities would be, “To honor the pioneers who 60 years ago were the backbone of the Rim Country.”
The organizing committee has since its inception had a goal of making the events much like the socials held around the Rim Country decades ago.
“Like we used to go to as kids,” Ronnie McDaniel once said. “We all remember those very well — they are some of our best memories.”
For 23 years, the former Tonto Cowbelles hosted the events of honoring old-timers at annual dances and dinners. But, the Cowbelles disbanded in 2000.
For the upcoming social, musicians will play for the dance a mix of country western tunes and waltzes.
Haught, who is widely regarded as one of the finest cowboy cooks in Rim Country, traditionally prepares the barbecue dinner. Sides usually include cowboy beans, coleslaw and rolls.
Tickets are only $10 at the door.
Fire on the Rim ducats
Remember to stop by Ponderosa Market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays to purchase Fire on the Rim Mountain Bike Race raffle tickets, souvenir T-shirts and Italian Feast dinner tickets from Pine Strawberry Fire Reduction volunteer Katie Calderon and her crew.
The race will be held Sept. 16-18.
More madness
The Isabelle Hunt Memorial Library’s Movie Madness events continue at 1 p.m. on Sept. 21, with the showing of Walt Disney’s “The Jungle Book.” It is 106 minutes long.
As usual, children should bring their own pillow so as to be comfortable on the floor and refreshments will be served.
Thought for the week
“The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will and the other from a strong won’t.” | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/28/food-bank-needs-help-fill-shelves-fall/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/1e0cb3083f2506eb784ceec4cca06903f960a3c53d4a19175d717679ba7f5306.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:49:31 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Editor:
In response to the letter of Marilyn Decker — I, too, am wondering how this election campaign and current events are affecting our children. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fvicious-campaign%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/vicious-campaign/ | en | null | Payson Roundup - Payson, AZ | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor:
In response to the letter of Marilyn Decker — I, too, am wondering how this election campaign and current events are affecting our children.
My grandson, who is 9, asked me if I was going to vote for the lady who lied. He said wouldn’t it be nice if there was the first woman president? I told him, no, not if she has lied to Congress and the American people. We can wait for the first honest and trustworthy woman president. It is not OK to lie. I shudder to think that he would hear of all the other scheming things Hillary has done and that a good number of people are OK with this and will vote for her anyway.
In addition, this candidate has said she does not want to the support of police and police unions. This is highly divisive and does not teach children to respect police officers that are there to protect us. That really instills fear to give children the impression they cannot trust the police.
Having teachers in my family I know that most teachers are highly liberal and partisan and that they bring these ideals into the classroom. This isn’t right or fair. Are teachers giving their political opinions in the classroom? I think yes.
I have a suggestion for the teachers that find themselves comforting these worried and crying children that Ms. Decker referred to, tell them to talk it over with their parents. Did the little boy who brought his documents to school with him think the teachers were going to boot him out of the country? Did his parents know he brought these things to school with him? None of these things were mentioned in the letter. Only the drama part.
The present campaign is vicious, yes, but the viciousness isn’t one- sided.
Beverly Furst | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/vicious-campaign/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/ba711d740d02e9d9d92e964b504091cacab5f5ce5c51c9541240c2f955abf2e2.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:56:05 | null | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | Three Payson Town Council candidates responded to a Roundup request to weigh in on Community Facilities Districts | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fpayson-council-candidates-weigh-community-faciliti%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/22/Chittick-Underwood-Sterner_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson Council candidates weigh in on Community Facilities Districts | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Three Payson Town Council candidates responded to a Roundup request to weigh in on Community Facilities Districts. Hallie Overman Jackman and incumbent Rick Croy did not respond. The following responses are printed unedited.
Kim Chittick
I think that a CFD could be a good thing to ensure completion of a designated project in a timely and cost-efficient manner, as well as ensuring due consideration to all concerned parties. The policy as set forth appears to be comprehensive and to cover most eventualities. However, if I were voting on this policy, I would want more information pursuant to how the fees and guidelines compare to those policies of towns of comparable size, population and demographics.
Barbara Underwood
One of my goals as a future council member is to support and promote local businesses. I am in favor of the proposed Community Facilities District Policy. This would allow a group of property owners to come together and form a Community Facilities District. The group could then go out and bond for the improvements and levy the group’s property until the bonds are paid off. This would allow for major projects to be constructed without impacting others in the community. This would be a win-win for the businesses and the town to be able to get these major projects completed.
Janell Sterner
I think a CFD if properly done, with citizen committee input, would benefit Payson that would enhance the infrastructure of new development such as the American Gulch. The only concern I have would be is the town committed to the lasting consequences of its own bonding and standing in the debt marketplace if the project fails? | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/payson-council-candidates-weigh-community-faciliti/ | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/5a60d7514635a35a2f94b7a0c34d122845f2bb0d06e282795855485af2244737.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:48:36 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Editor:
Recently this paper and our community leaders were discussing what Payson needed first, educated workers or quality jobs. The Payson Area Economic Development Strategic Plan indicated we must attract both. I believe that thinking is a little premature. If we want to attract quality jobs and trained workers, we must first get our Payson house in order. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F26%2Fchicken-vs-egg%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/chicken-vs-egg/ | en | null | Payson Roundup - Payson, AZ | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor:
Recently this paper and our community leaders were discussing what Payson needed first, educated workers or quality jobs. The Payson Area Economic Development Strategic Plan indicated we must attract both. I believe that thinking is a little premature. If we want to attract quality jobs and trained workers, we must first get our Payson house in order.
The first step is building a viable transportation system. History shows that communities that grew and prospered had a good transportation network. We must repair/develop our roads and reduce the congestion on our two major highways. Businesses can only succeed when there is good movement of their commodities.
But today, transportation is broader than just roads. We now have business transportation over lines and airways. We must develop redundancy in our phone and electric services to ensure dependability. No business would take a serious look at a location that has only one line coming in for all our communication needs.
Our town fathers must also establish a list of educational requirements needed for future local jobs and then develop a scholarship program with our community college. When we begin to train our young thinkers and have the necessary infrastructure in place we will be in a position to compete for the type of businesses that would be the best fit for our community.
We need to keep these goals in mind as we select our leaders and then support their efforts to bring these challenges to fruition.
Tom Loeffler | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/26/chicken-vs-egg/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/6448ac71a38ee0beca3d35341aa8868df3869356034363c2311e41fad0a47bea.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:54:46 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | I’m a part of this community and want to help make it flourish. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F25%2Fcouncil-candidate-janell-sterners-questionnaire-an%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/25/Janell_Sterner__mug_AB_t640.JPG?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson council candidate Janell Sterner's questionnaire answers | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Editor's note: The Roundup sent each candidate a questionnaire to answer. Their answers are printed unedited.
Education/service/work background:
I have a BA in Elementary Education. I participated in a STEM Leadership program and was a former D.A.R.E. president. I worked at America West Airlines, teacher with 12 years experience and I’m the Director/Teacher for the Preschool Program at Payson Christian School.
How long have you lived in Payson:
Frist came to Payson in 1978.
Why are you running for office:
I’m a part of this community and want to help make it flourish.
What do you like best about living in Payson:
Wonderful friendly people and of course the marvelous climate.
What would you like to see improve:
Simplify the permit process for commercial and residential.
If you join the council, what can residents expect from you:
I’m honest, trustworthy, and hard working. I earn a paycheck just like you.
What do you hope to accomplish while on the council:
Help attract higher paying jobs. Cut Red Tape! Expand youth volunteer programs.
What are your top 3 priorities:
Make Payson more business friendly, attract light industry and Develop Community Center.
How are you qualified to serve as a councilor/mayor:
I’m a citizen, a mom, an educator, a leader and share the same concerns as each of you.
What could the council be doing better:
We can always do a better job of representing all the people and all points of view.
Anything else:
Increase activities for young people.
What is the best way for voters to learn more about you?
Janell4council@yahoo.com
Facebook page: Sterner4Payson | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/25/council-candidate-janell-sterners-questionnaire-an/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/605e4f16968913ab8c11a48f98b4539c2b62c23286671cc469b32a26596310b5.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:59:36 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | Although the process to pass a Community Facilities District would be as lengthy as Main Street is long, the Payson council Thursday night approved a way for a developer to get funding for improvement work. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F24%2Fpayson-crafts-rules-community-districts%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/24/payson-crafts-rules-community-districts/ | en | null | Payson crafts rules for community districts | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Although the process to pass a Community Facilities District would be as lengthy as Main Street is long, the Payson council Thursday night approved a way for a developer to get funding for improvement work.
The council approved a Community Facilities District (CFD) policy laying out how a developer or business owner would go about crafting a CFD and passing a bond to fund improvement work, such as the American Gulch project. That project calls for adding a biking/walking path and park along what is now just an overgrown drainage that runs the length of Main Street. Some feel improving the gulch would attract new businesses and make Main Street a destination and not just a pass through on the way to Green Valley Park.
The plan to fix the gulch could cost millions. A CFD would spread the costs out over all the property owners likely to benefit.
First, a person or entity must apply to create a CFD. The town cannot form its own CFD. So far, no one has turned in the paperwork for a CFD.
Communities in the Valley and Prescott Valley have already created CFDs. One district in Prescott, established in 2006, includes various parking, access and sidewalk improvements to businesses off Highway 69.
Under the new policy, an applicant would have to pay a $10,000 application fee and provide an additional $25,000 deposit for the town to review the application and the formation and administration of the CFD.
The applicant would then have to outline the proposed improvements and complete a feasibility study. This would assure the work would benefit the business or residents in the district at a reasonable cost. It would most likely not make sense, for example, for the town to approve a $20 million bond for the American Gulch with only a few businesses helping to pay it back.
Before filing a petition, the applicant would have to get the approval of 25 percent of the owners within the proposed CFD. Actually establishing the CFD would require the approval of at least 50 percent of the property owners within that district.
If the town council did not think the CFD was right for the town, they could deny it.
One resident worried the CFD would raise his taxes.
Councilor Rick Croy said the council wasn’t approving a CFD, just the approval process. If the town receives an application, the community would have lots of opportunities to weigh in.
Sheila DeSchaaf, with community development, said this policy just sets the expectations and is a starting point.
She said the process to establish a CFD is lengthy. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/24/payson-crafts-rules-community-districts/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/a61cf03e2d1cfe9bd6eb9cf3d13d6975a104abacc279ff73df2e8da69121922e.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:49:39 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Payson high school sports calendar through September 2nd. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F30%2Fpayson-high-school-sports-calendar%2F.json | http://payson.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/08/30/PHS_boys_soccer_crop_t640.jpg?a6ea3ebd4438a44b86d2e9c39ecf7613005fe067 | en | null | Payson High School Sports Calendar | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Fall sports kick off for three Payson High varsity teams today as the boys soccer team hosts Camp Verde, the volleyball team hosts Fountain Hills and the girls soccer team travels to Lakeside Blue Ridge. See this week’s schedule below. | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/30/payson-high-school-sports-calendar/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/41b632c90b3e4773c21a58ce0ddc17f7c85f9aa8adf29e581577bba81f87aef9.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T14:49:45 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Kurt Richardson thought the $3,200 quoted to him would cover the cost of a meter to get water to his retirement home in Pine. Not so. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paysonroundup.com%2Fnews%2F2016%2Faug%2F31%2Fpine-water-snafu-costs-customer%2F.json | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/31/pine-water-snafu-costs-customer/ | en | null | Pine water snafu costs customer | null | null | www.paysonroundup.com | Kurt Richardson thought the $3,200 quoted to him would cover the cost of a meter to get water to his retirement home in Pine.
Not so.
The Pine Strawberry Water Improvement District decided instead of putting the meter on nearby South Street he would have to run a new line from the more distant Old County Road.
That mistake would have added $7,000 to the sticker price and required Richardson to bring a pipe through a thicket of trees and brush. The previous estimate had him digging up a trench through a grass patch. Much easier and less expensive.
“I was told that it costs $3,200 and some dollars for a water meter to be put in,” said Richardson. “Well, so when I went to them I said, ‘Why’nt you come out and show me where I’d like to have the water meter.’ So, they did. They sent a couple of men out. I went back to the office staff before I closed to confirm, then said, ‘Go ahead and put it in.’ I closed and a week or 10 days went by nothing done, so I called them.”
"We're a public district and we cannot arbitrarily waive fees." Mahir Hazine, PSWID Treasurer
When Richardson talked to the office staff, he learned about the changes and the doubling of the price tag.
So, Richardson attended his first PSWID meeting in July to bring this problem to the attention of the board.
“The first meeting I went to (Rus Brock) admitted he misunderstood what was going on,” said Richardson.
Richardson said the district agreed to revert to the original estimate — but he still has to cut through all the trees and brush to put in the line. He wishes he’d known about the extra cost and trouble before he bought the house — when he first sought an estimate, he told the board.
So Richardson attended the Aug. 18 to ask for a break to do the extra work.
“I’m kinda at your mercy,” he said. “I can bring the water on my land, (but) I’m asking you guys to give me $1,000 for the extra work it’s going to take rather than where you told me I could have it in the first place.”
He said he was in business and understands people make mistakes — he just feels an organization that makes a mistake should shoulder the cost.
“When I make one, I paid for it out of my own pocket,” he said.
The board disagreed.
Treasurer Mahir Hazine said PSWID is not a private company that can just change the fees on a whim.
“As a private business, he can make a decision to reduce or whatever,” said Hazine. “We’re a public district and we cannot arbitrarily waive fees.”
Hazine said he did drive out to the property, but could not tell that the change would make a difference in the length of the line.
PSWID co-chairman Trent McNealy said the district had made the most cost-effective decision by putting Richarsdon’s meter on Old County Road.
“Either way he would have to go through the same steps to run the service line to his house,” said McNealy.
He agreed the district couldn’t change its rates, but added, “It was a misunderstanding and I hope all of us learn from it,” said McNealy.
However, board member Richard James admonished the board for not giving Richardson a break.
“How he would use the $1,000 he was just talking about, is not to the point,” said James. “The point was he was told by one board member and office staff what the costs were. Then he went and bought the property. Then he was told of the increased cost. It was a mistake on our part ... we changed the procedure and it cost him. If he went to an attorney would he win? He’s got a complaint.” | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/aug/31/pine-water-snafu-costs-customer/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.paysonroundup.com/627a2afabe53ff8217bdb36126f523555d0eef5da5870628cd60c58c6bafd486.json |
[
"Mike Schulz"
] | 2016-08-26T20:51:05 | null | 2016-08-04T06:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2F135-reader-articles%2Fmovies%2Fmovie-feature-stories%2F44887-oz-struck-john-fricke.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/914/Oz1170.JPG | en | null | Oz-Struck: Historian John Fricke Takes "Wizard of Oz" Fans Over the Rainbow at the Figge and Adler | null | null | www.rcreader.com | When I phone Wizard of Oz historian John Fricke for our scheduled July 21 interview, he doesn’t answer the call with a “Hello?”, or even a more formal “Yes, this is John Fricke.” Instead, the first three words he utters, or rather exclaims, are an exuberant “I love Iowa!”
He asks if I like that intro, and I admit that I do, primarily because it’s no doubt sincere. Fricke, after all, enjoyed eight consecutive years (from 1979 to 1986) as emcee and chief entertainer for Davenport’s Miss Iowa pageants and even, during that period, co-headlined a two-person Col Ballroom concert alongside an 11-piece orchestra and former Miss Iowa Darla Blocker. So “I love Iowa!” makes total sense.
Given the subject of our conversation, however, “I love Kansas!” might’ve been more fitting.
A great number of us, it seems safe to say, grew up loving The Wizard of Oz and Dorothy Gale portrayer Judy Garland, and for some of us those combined loves grew into youthful obsessions. Wisconsin native Fricke isn’t shy about placing himself in that “some of us” category.
John Fricke
“I was acting out the Oz story in the living room from the time I was five years old,” he says, right before referencing one of Garland’s most beloved torch songs. “And I was the only first-grader in Milwaukee who wasn’t singing ‘Old MacDonald.’ I was singing ‘I’m gonna love you like nobody’s loved you come rain or come shine.’ There weren’t many first-graders who could follow me – tearing myself to shreds on that little Johnny Mercer lyric.”
But few such fanatics are able to turn those obsessions into actual careers, which is just what Fricke has done over the past three decades.
In the time since he assisted on a 1985 television special about The Wizard of Oz’s star, Fricke has written or co-written seven books on Garland and/or Oz that have collectively sold more than 250,000 copies. He won two Emmy Awards for his work on Garland documentaries for PBS and A&E. He has discussed the Wizard of Oz legacy on NPR and Turner Classic Movies. He earned a Grammy nomination for his liner notes on the 1995 album Judy Garland: 25th Anniversary Retrospective. He provided a commentary track for Oz’s 2006, 2009, and 2013 home-video releases.
And Fricke’s 2013 book The Wonderful World of Oz: An Illustrated History of the American Classic, boasts more than 300 illustrations drawn from items in the world’s largest assemblage of Oz memorabilia – a great many of them currently found in the Figge Art Museum’s traveling exhibition The Wonderful World of Oz: Selections from the Willard Carroll/Tom Wilhite Collection (on display through September 25).
In conjunction with the exhibit, Fricke will return to Davenport to host a trio of Oz-related events: his film talk “Over the Rainbow!”, taking place at the Figge on August 11, and two Adler Theatre screenings of The Wizard of Oz, shown in a rare 35-millimeter print, that Fricke will introduce on August 13.
“I’ve seen Oz probably a couple of hundred times over the years,” says Fricke, “but there are always new little things to pick up, especially when you see it on a big screen. And especially when I’m watching somebody other than Judy Garland.” He laughs. “I pick up on what the other people are doing.”
French poster for The Wizard of Oz
“You Have to Watch This”
Early in our conversation, Fricke, who resides in New York, mentions that he’s 65. (He also provides some author-ly assistance, adding, “‘Parenthetically,’ Mr. Fricke said, ‘please warn anybody who remembers me that it’s been 30 years since you last saw me.’”) Consequently, Fricke states that this autumn, 1939’s The Wizard of Oz “will have been part of my day-to-day life for 60 years, because November 3, 1956, was the first time the film was on network television.”
He recalls, at age five, being one of those television viewers. “My folks were elementary-school teachers in Milwaukee,” says Fricke, “and it was a teachers-convention weekend, and we took the long weekend and went up north to visit my mom’s family. And I had two cousins who smashed me down in front of the TV set and said, ‘You have to watch this.’”
Five-year-old Fricke did, and says that his adoration for both the L. Frank Baum musical adaptation and its star came about “absolutely immediately. When you’re that age, you get into the story and the characters – and the fright. Kids love to be scared by that movie. No question. I’ve had friends who say, ‘You know, when the witch comes on, or the winged monkeys come on, my kids go screaming from the room, or just sit there screaming in front of the TV. And I turn off the set and they go, ‘No! Turn it back on!’”
With a laugh, Fricke continues, “But I also – and I don’t think I expressed this at the time, certainly not coherently – but I just liked the way Judy Garland sang. Her communicative power leaps off the screen, and every kid watching it gets pulled into this child’s concern. I defy anybody to name anybody, then or since, who could’ve played that part as effectively in terms of song, dance, comedy, and, most of all, communication.”
Happily for Fricke, “I had the most supportive parents, and for my sixth birthday a few weeks after that telecast – because I had talked of nothing else during that time – they bought me the Wizard of Oz vinyl soundtrack album that had come out concurrent with the telecast. Before that, there was no soundtrack recording of The Wizard of Oz available. You could buy a studio recording of Judy singing ‘Over the Rainbow,’ and you could buy chorale versions of ‘Munchkinland’ and ‘If I Only Had a Brain’ by anonymous vocalists. But there wasn’t a full soundtrack until MGM Records did this album that had most of the songs and some of the dialogue.
“I also got, as one of my sixth-birthday presents, Judy Garland’s Capitol album for 1956 [Judy], which I think my parents bought because they were afraid I had a crush on Dorothy Gale of Kansas. They wanted me to know that by then, you know, she was 34 years old.
“And then I got a Wizard of Oz storybook,” he continues, “and found out that it was abridged. And when they explained what ‘abridged’ was, I had to have the full version. And then a year later, by chance, I found Frank Baum’s fifth Oz book The Road to Oz in Gimbel’s children’s book department, and it had a dust jacket that listed 39 Oz books.
“So between the books and finding out that Judy had other albums,” says Fricke, “I was set for Christmases and birthdays for about four or five years.”
the original Wizard of Oz hourglass
As evidenced by his career trajectory, however, Fricke’s adoration of Oz and Garland extended well beyond those years. At age 11, he joined the International Wizard of Oz Club (now at OzClub.org), a group for which Fricke serves as one of the elected directors-at-large for 2016.
“I edited the club magazine,” he says of his early years with the organization. “I was one of its officers. And this was not a kids’ group. I mean, there were kids in it, but it’s also been a lot of first-edition-book collectors and art collectors ... .”
And when Fricke later attended Northwestern University to earn his degree from the Medill School of Journalism, he finally had the chance to see The Wizard of Oz on the big screen – at which point he began to understand how Baum’s magical tale speaks very differently to people of different ages.
“As a kid,” he says, “you worry about Dorothy, and worry about the pet, and then Miss Gulch comes and takes the pet away, and Toto comes home, and Dorothy runs away, and the storm comes up, and Dorothy opens that door to Muchkinland – pow! That’s the first 15 minutes, and everybody is drawn into Baum’s world.
“By the time you’re a teenager,” he continues, “you’re going through that whole thing of ‘Am I brave? Am I smart? Is anybody ever going to love me?’ Maybe you get that subliminally as a kid, but you really get it as a teenager.
“And then, as an adult, you come to realize we all have courage and intelligence and the capacity to love, but it’s up to us to use them. Ray Bolger, the Scarecrow, said this in an interview: ‘If you use those gifts properly – the gifts God gives everybody – they lead you home.’
“Oz sometimes takes a bum rap for that ‘There’s no place like home’ philosophy,” says Fricke. “But ‘home,’ as we grow older, means the people we love and the people who love us. And if you’re at all lucky, you’re going to leave your childhood home to find those people.”
articles from the Figge exhibit The Wonderful World of Oz: Selections from the Willard Carroll/Tom Wilhite Collection
Every Time Judy Sneezed
Despite his journalism degree, it wasn’t Fricke’s Northwesten experience that led to his full-time role as an Oz and Judy Garland historian; it was his membership in the International Wizard of Oz Club.
Following graduation, Fricke worked in advertising at Milwaukee’s now-shuttered Melody Top Theatre, and gradually transitioned to a decade-long performing career, headlining a 1976 one-man show at the Wisconsin venue and touring theatre and nightclub circuits in cities including Boston and Chicago ... and, from 1979 to 1986, Davenport. (“I had such a good time across those eight years,” he says of his pageant-hosting tenure, “because we put on a good show and everyone there was determined to be entertaining. I was lucky they gave me a chance.”)
Yet thanks to his Oz Club associations, “I did my first, quote, ‘professional’ Oz job in 1985, when I was creative consultant on a PBS special about Judy Garland’s concert years. It was a show in their Great Performances series, and they had brought me in on the advice of one of Judy’s ex-husbands, who said, ‘John Fricke knows every time Judy sneezed.’
“It wasn’t exactly the most diplomatic or glowing recommendation,” he admits. “But they found out that I could guide them through what TV shows still survived, where photographs were, where audio recordings were, where interviews were. And so I became part of that team.
“And then a couple of years later,” Fricke continues, “I realized that the 50th anniversary of the movie was coming up in 1989, and knew that there’d be great hue and cry, as there always is for pop-culture anniversaries of any merit.” (In an aside, he adds, “And sometimes of no merit at all. God help us, you know, if 46 years from now, we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sharknado.”)
Consequently, says Fricke, he and a pair of Oz Club friends put together a proposal for a coffee-table book on the making of the film – one that would eventually be released as 1989’s The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History.
“I’d always had one foot in MGM and one foot in Frank Baum,” he says, “and had gotten to know Jack Haley Jr., the man who produced the movie That’s Entertainment! and the son of the Oz Tin Man. Jack took my book proposal to the head of Turner [Broadcasting]. Not the licensing people; Jack took it to the CEO of the whole company. And Jack said, ‘If you want to do an Oz book for the 50th anniversary, you should have John Fricke do it.’
“So, you know, it all hit the fan in the summer of 1989,” says Fricke with a laugh. “That book was a bestseller. I worked simultaneously with MGM on the 50th-anniversary home video, which sold 3.2-million copies, and for which I’d written a little 35-page booklet. I was on the Today Show, on CNN, on Entertainment Tonight ... . And that led to the other books, the CDs, the DVDs, the documentaries, the lectures – all of it.”
On August 11, it will also have led to “Over the Rainbow!”, Fricke’s presentation held in conjunction with the Figge’s Wonderful World of Oz exhibit that opened in mid-June.
“I’m going to do an illustrated talk on the making of the movie,” he says, “showing bizarre costume and makeup concepts that, fortunately, were flushed, and some of the scenes that were cut, and basically taking people, week by week, through the whole Oz creative process.”
He’ll also be sharing some of the film’s suggested “improvements” on Baum that, for better or worse (though probably better), never came to pass.
image from the Figge exhibit The Wonderful World of Oz: Selections from the Willard Carroll/Tom Wilhite Collection
“The early scripts were so different,” says Fricke, “with all these added characters and added situations. They had a princess in Oz who was gonna sing opera, and Judy was going to be the orphan from Kansas who sings jazz, as pop music was known then. And the princess was going to have a boyfriend who sang tenor to her soprano ... . I mean, this went on and on and on, and the script drafts kept piling up and piling up. And finally, the more junk they threw out and the more they got back to Frank Baum, the more expectations they fulfilled.”
And two days after Fricke’s Figge program, he’ll speak briefly – “maybe 10 to 15 minutes max, especially if there are a lot of kids in the audience” – before the Adler’s August 13 Wizard of Oz screenings. The print being shown is a rare 35-millimeter one, and, as explained on the Figge Web site, “one of a very few manufactured in 1998 when Technicolor briefly resumed a photo-chemical printing method that replicated the ‘three-strip’ dye-transfer color process used when the picture was made in 1939.”
“Warner Bros. is making this archival print available,” says Fricke, “and yeah, they don’t let it out but periodically. It has to be a special occasion, and they think the Figge exhibition is one.”
Beyond making audiences aware of The Wizard of Oz’s striking color palette in the 35-millimeter print, Fricke says he’ll also “share stuff for people to watch for in the movie. Little glitches and things of note, and some information on why these things happened.”
Such as, I dunno ... why we see a dead man hanging from a background tree?
“That’s the third version,” says Fricke of the pervasive, discredited urban legend surrounding a strange something in the midst of The Wizard of Oz woods. “First, it was a stagehand who wandered into the shot, and they just left it there. Then it was a stagehand who killed himself. Then it was a stagehand who hung himself and was hanging by a tree. Then it became an actress who didn’t get the part of Dorothy who was hanging there. Then it was an MGM executive who was terrified that the film was costing too much money who was hanging there. Then it became a Munchkin whom Judy Garland refused to date who hung himself.
“As the prints have been restored, though,” he continues, “and have been done in 3D and Blu-ray and all that, and everything gets cleaner, you can see that it’s kind of a gray-ish, silver-ish sheen. So now it’s become a Munchkin who wrapped himself up in aluminum foil, and then hung himself.”
But some viewers’ continued fascination with that myth, says Fricke, is a weird kind of testament to The Wizard of Oz’s continued, cross-generational appeal.
“My gosh,” he says, “entertainment tastes have changed how much in 40, 50, 60, 70 years? But it doesn’t matter. Those songs still get across, the performances get across, the wit gets across ... . I mean, it isn’t until you’re an adult that you pick up on some of the humor in the lyrics, or Dorothy asking Professor Marvel if she can go with him to see the ‘The Crowned Heads of Europe’ – like it says on his wagon – and he says, ‘Do you know any?’
“For the record, I never intended for Oz to be my career,” says Fricke. “I never intended to have this amazing list of opportunities I’ve had. But after 30 years, it’s still a pleasure to talk about this stuff. What can I say? We don’t choose these things. They choose us.”
John Fricke presents his film talk “Over the Rainbow!” at the Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport) at 7 p.m. on August 11, and introduces screenings of The Wizard of Oz at the Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport) at 2 and 7 p.m. on August 13. For more information on these events and the current exhibition The Wonderful World of Oz: Selections from the Willard Carroll/Tom Wilhite Collection, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org. | http://www.rcreader.com/135-reader-articles/movies/movie-feature-stories/44887-oz-struck-john-fricke | en | 2016-08-04T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/287a8ecefaf204138452afb84d9ff18fc0f498f3cce6754db473f2918303505e.json |
[
"Mike Schulz"
] | 2016-08-30T20:54:10 | null | 2016-08-30T06:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2Flifestyle%2F58-noteworthy-events%2F44995-whats-happenin-090116-thru-091416.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/916/savagemaster1170.JPG | en | null | What's Happenin': Thursday, September 1, through Wednesday, September 14 | null | null | www.rcreader.com | MUSIC
Thursday, September 1 – Savage Master. Louisville-based rockers in concert, with an opening set by Angelust. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $10. For information, call (309)793-1999 or visit RIBCO.com.
Friday, September 2 – Trippin’ Billies. Concert with the Dave Matthews Band tribute musicians, with an opening set by Jason Carl. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. For information, call (309)793-1999 or visit RIBCO.com.
Friday, September 3, and Sunday, September 4 – Labor Day Benefit Fest. Fundraiser for Center for Worker’s Justice in Eastern Iowa, with sets by Endorsed, Staghorn, Dowsing, and more than a dozen additional bands. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). $6-12. For information, call (309)200-0978 or visit RozzTox.com.
Saturday, September 3, and Sunday, September 4 – The Travoltas. Annual outdoor Labor Day-weekend concerts with the disco and pop musicians. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. For information, call (309)793-1999 or visit RIBCO.com.
Sunday, September 4 – J.W. Jones. The Mississippi Valley Blues Society presents an outdoor concert with the Canadian blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and band leader. My Place the Pub (4405 State Street, Bettendorf). 6 p.m. $8-10. For information, visit MVBS.org.
Sunday, September 4 – The Lennon Sisters. Concert with “America’s Sweethearts of Song” famed from The Lawrence Welk Show. Riverside Casino Event Center (3184 Highway 22, Riverside). 7 p.m. $20-40. For tickets and information, call (877)677-3456 or visit RiversideCasinoAndResort.com.
Friday, September 9 – Portland Cello Quartet. The touring collective of cello musicians in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $16.75-20. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, September 9 – Have Your Cake. Concert with the Cake tribute musicians. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. For information, call (309)793-1999 or visit RIBCO.com.
Air Supply @ Rhythm City Casino Resort - September 9
Friday, September 9, and Saturday, September 10 – Garp: The Codfish Hollow Festival. Inaugural music weekend featuring performances by more than 30 artists including Guided by Voices; food vendors; arts and crafts; and more. Codfish Hollow Barn (5013 288th Avenue, Maquoketa). 4 p.m. doors, 6 p.m. music. $70 per day, $125-150 two-day pass. For information, visit CodfishHollowBarnstormers.com.
Friday, September 9 – Air Supply. Chart-topping Australian pop musicians in concert. Rhythm City Casino Resort (7077 Elmore Avenue, Davenport). 8 p.m. $30-40. For tickets, call (563)328-6000 or visit RhythmCityCasino.com.
Saturday, September 10 – Make America Rock Again. Touring event with hard-rock bands Drowning Pool, Trapt, Saliva, Saving Abel, Alien Ant Farm, Crazytown, 12 Stones, Tantric, and the Quad Cities’ The Zealots. iWireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7 p.m. $29.50-37.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iWirelessCenter.com.
Saturday, September 10 – Danielle Nicole Band. Concert with the 2014 Blues Music Award-winning musician and her ensemble, featuring an opening set by the Travis Ried Band. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $11.50-14. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Sunday, September 11 – Black Hawk Chamber Music Festival: Bach’s Bassoon. An exploration of 18th Century chamber music for flute, bassoon, and theorbo from the courts of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Frederick the Great, with Anna Marsh on baroque bassoon, Oleg Timofeyev on theorbo, and Jeffrey Cohan on baroque flute. Trinity Cathedral (121 West 12th Street, Davenport). 2 p.m. $15-20. For information and tickets, call (563)323-9989 or visit BHC.edu.
Wednesday, September 14 – Dale Watson. Roots and pop-country singer/songwriter in concert, with an opening set by Christopher Gold. Daytrotter (324 Brady Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $15-20. For tickets and information, visit Daytrotter.com.
Wednesday, September 14 – Andy Frasco & the U.N. Concert with the rock, funk, and soul musician and his ensemble, featuring an opening set by Sister Wife. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $9.50-10. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Million Dollar Baby @ Circa '21 - opens September 1
THEATRE
Thursday, September 1, through Saturday, November 5 – Million Dollar Quartet. Tony-winning musical about a recording session between Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins, directed by Curt Wollan. Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). Friday, Saturday, Wednesday, and September 1: 6 p.m. buffet, 7:15 p.m. pre-show, 7:45 p.m. show. Sunday: 4 p.m. buffet, 5:15 p.m. pre-show, 5:45 p.m. show. Wednesday: 11:45 a.m. plated lunch, 1 p.m. pre-show, 1:30 p.m. show. $42.50-48. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Thursday, September 1, through Sunday, September 4 – Rabbit Hole. David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning family drama, directed by Joe Oliger. Augustana College’s Kim & Donna Brunner Theatre Center (3750 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). Thursday through Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 1:30 p.m. $3-5. For tickets and information, call (309)794-7306 or visit Augustana.edu/arts.
Thursday, September 8, through Saturday, September 10 – Agnes of God. John Pielmeier’s Tony-winning mystery/drama set in a convent, directed by Max Moline. St. Ambrose University Studio Theatre, Galvin Fine Arts Center (2101 North Gaines Street, Davenport). Thursday and Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m. For tickets and information, call (563)333-6251 or visit SAU.edu/theatre.
Thursday, September 8, through Sunday, October 2 – Grease. The Tony-nominated, rock-’n’-roll musical classic. Old Creamery Theatre (39 38th Avenue, Rock Island). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday 2 p.m. $12-30. For tickets and information, call (319)622-6262 or visit OldCreamery.com.
Friday, September 9, through Sunday, September 18 – Deathtrap. Ira Levin’s Tony-nominated comedy thriller, directed by Patti Flaherty. Playcrafters Barn Theatre (4950 35th Avenue, Moline). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m. $13. For tickets and information, call (309)762-0330 or visit Playcrafters.com.
Friday, September 9, through Sunday, September 18 – Always … Patsy Cline. Stage tribute to the legendary country singer. Timber Lake Playhouse (8215 Black Oak Road, Mt. Carroll). Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $17-25. For tickets and information, call (815)244-2035 or visit TimberLakePlayhouse.org.
Friday, September 9, through Sunday, September 25 – Black & Blue. World-premiere drama about possible police brutality, written and directed by Sean Lewis. Riverside Theatre (213 North Gilbert Street, Iowa City). Thursday through Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $18-30. For tickets and information, call (319)338-7672 or visit RiversideTheatre.org.
Hasan Minhaj @ Englert Theatre - September 9
COMEDY
Friday, September 9 – Hasan Minhaj. An evening with the touring humorist and The Daily Show correspondent on his Homecoming King tour. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $26.50. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
VISUAL ARTS
Friday, September 2, through Friday, October 21 – Chris Rayburn and Kevin Schafer. Photography exhibits by Davenport artists. Quad City Arts Center (1715 Second Avenue, Rock Island). Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. For information, call (309)793-1213 or visit QuadCityArts.com.
Wednesday, September 7, through Friday, September 23 – Heidi Hernandez and Nicole Shaver. Area artists Hernandez’s Coney Island and Shaver’s Pending Vestige. St. Ambrose University’s Morrissey Gallery, Galvin Fine Arts Center (2101 North Gaines Street, Davenport). Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. For information, call (563)333-6444 or visit SAU.edu/galvin.
Saturday, September 10, and Sunday, September 11 – Beaux Arts Fair. Annual outdoor celebration of fine art and crafts, featuring vendors, live music, food, children’s activities, and more. Figge Art Museum Plaza (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. For information, visit BeauxArtsFair.com.
Saturday, September 10, through Sunday, January 1 – American Scene on Paper. Exhibition of works portraying rural and urban America during the first half of the 20th Century, with works by Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, Martin Lewis, Edward Hopper, and others. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m. Free with $4-7 museum admission. For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
Saturday, September 10, through Sunday, November 27 – Material Translations. Exhibition of sculpture and two-dimensional works presented by the University of Iowa Museum of Art. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m. Free with $4-7 museum admission. For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit UIMA.UIowa.edu
Wednesday, September 14, through Sunday, September 25 – Matthew Hoffman: From Here. Exhibit of new works by the Chicago-based installation artist and designer. St. Ambrose University’s Catich Gallery, Galvin Fine Arts Center (2101 North Gaines Street, Davenport). Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. For information, call (563)333-6444 or visit SAU.edu/galvin.
Rock Island Grand Prix - September 3 and 4
EVENTS
Saturday, September 3, and Sunday, September 4 – Rock Island Grand Prix. Annual professional and amateur go-kart racing event, with food vendors, family activities, and more. District of Rock Island. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. For information, call (309)788-6311 or visit RockIslandGrandPrix.com.
Friday, September 9 – Hancher Auditorium Ribbon-Cutting and Open House. Celebration of the new University of Iowa facility with guided tours, a preview of the new season, refreshments, and more. Hancher Auditorium (101 East Park Road, Iowa City). 3-7 p.m. Free. For information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Saturday, September 10 – Nick Teddy 5K. Annual fundraiser for the Nick Teddy Foundation created in memory of Port Byron native Nick Strub, who died of complications from Ewing’s sarcoma at age 29, featuring a five-mile run, a 5K run/walk, a Family Fun Run, a Teddy Trot for youth, and more. Main Street and Great River Trail, Port Byron. 9-10 a.m. events. $20-35 registration. For information, call (309)798-3081 or visit NickTeddy5K.com.
Also visit "What's Happenin': Fall, 2016." | http://www.rcreader.com/lifestyle/58-noteworthy-events/44995-whats-happenin-090116-thru-091416 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/1f7c68c7d020e48ba4509264404efdeb2c7e7b9e427177b57ad7add240ed7c2a.json |
[
"Jeff Ignatius"
] | 2016-08-26T20:50:30 | null | 2016-08-18T08:02:17 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2F14-reader-articles%2Fmusic%2Fmusic-feature-stories%2F44973-secret-club-cartouche-herrington.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/915/cartouche-1.jpg | en | null | The Secret Club: With Eight Releases, Cartouche Records Has Crafted a Quirky Identity | null | null | www.rcreader.com | When I asked Bob Herrington how business was at his Ragged Records store, his answer was a shrug. “It’s good enough,” he said. “I sell records. I’m not going to get rich.”
Ragged Records, of course, specializes in new and used vinyl just off the Government Bridge in downtown Davenport, in a shared space with Trash Can Annie. Prominent in the store is a display showcasing eight LPs – all bearing the name of Cartouche Records, which Herrington also runs.
And the words meant for Ragged Records could easily apply to the two-year-old label. “It’s not a money-making venture at this point,” Herrington said of Cartouche. “If I can do it, and put out a few releases a year, and not lose a ton of money, I’m going to continue to do it.”
As understated and matter-of-fact as Herrington is about his businesses, Cartouche has – from an outside perspective, at least – been transformed this year. After putting out two albums in 2014 and one in 2015, Cartouche has released five records in 2016.
The genesis and development of the label have been organic, but the catalog at this point has a shape that looks intentional. Eight releases from eight different artists – three from the Quad Cities, three from farther west in Iowa, and two from Wisconsin. There’s an even split between quirky indie rock and idiosyncratic singer/songwriters. Every album has a distinctive, clear, and committed voice, and – more importantly – there’s not anything remotely resembling a bad or misguided effort in the bunch.
Cartouche launched with the Quad Cities’ Bedroom Shrine two years ago, and that band’s Johnnie Cluney said Herrington’s label is a throwback. “Labels aren’t like they used to be,” he said. “There are a few, but in the ’90s and the ’80s ... these record labels were very cool – like secret clubs. ... You knew what you were going to get, like you could trust the label. You didn’t even have to hear the new release, and you knew it was for you. ...
“In this day and age, it’s so hard to find. There are more bands and more record labels now than ever, and to stand out I really think you just have to be unique and authentic. You’ve got to do your thing, and not let any friends sway your vision.”
Cartouche’s thing appears to be letting artists do their thing – from the quavering folk of Wisconsin’s J.E. Sunde to the wide-ranging rock (and occasional cacophonies) of Marshalltown, Iowa’s Land of Blood & Sunshine.
Cluney described Cartouche as a home for “these shadowy singer/songwriters. ... Finally, there’s a label for people like us. Because there are not many. Cartouche is a unique record label in this day and age, definitely.”
“There is somewhat of a vision for the label.” Herrington said. “I want it be more of a modern-folk, singer/songwriter type of label.”
But as anybody who has listened to the Cartouche albums from Brooks Strause, Devin Frank, Kalispell, or Sunde will understand, within the singer/songwriter genre is an emphasis on unusual texture.
“I don’t think a singer/songwriter record necessarily just has to be a guy sitting there with a guitar,” Herrington said. “It can be way more layered, with much more interesting things going on production-wise. ... I think that comes just from the people that I’m working with. ... They’re more interested in doing more in the studio than just sitting down and playing a song.”
As for people being able to identify a Cartouche album simply by hearing it, Herrington said, “I think that might start happening more, just because of the direction I do want to take it in. [But] I’m not just trying to having a specific sound. ... I think if it’s a great singer/songwriter, and they want to record it a different way, I’m all for it.”
“It Just Kind of Evolved”
Cartouche grew out of Herrington’s collaborations with Jason Parris on two Hello Quad Cities vinyl compilations in 2012 and 2013. Those records bore the name of no label, but they were the seeds for this one.
Three years ago, Herrington said, he heard Sunde’s Shapes That Kiss the Lips of God when Pat Stolley was mixing it. “I really dug the record,” he said. “I knew Jon Sunde from his band that had played here several times called The Daredevil Christopher Wright. ... I was amazed by the record, and he didn’t have a label. I played it for Jason, and we both thought it was amazing. ‘Let’s maybe turn this local-music-comp thing and let’s maybe take it a step further and do an actual label.’” (Herrington said Parris – a business partner for Cartouche’s first two years – left the label last year.)
“And at the same time, Johnnie Cluney’s band Bedroom Shrine ... were mixing their record [No Déjà Vu] at Daytrotter’s studio with Mike Gentry ... . So we thought, ‘Maybe it’s not a bad thing for our first two releases [to be] something we really, really dug and [then something else with] the local connection and the Daytrotter connection with Bedroom Shrine.’”
Those two albums announced the arrival of Cartouche in 2014.
“Then, I really like Brooks Strause, and he’d been working with Pat Stolley” on The Chymical Wedding of Brooks Strause, Herrington said. “And so that was almost immediate after deciding to do those. Land of Blood & Sunshine is one of my favorite bands in Iowa. ... After that, it just kind of evolved. ...
“I’m just winging it. Literally, this is learning experience as we go along. ‘Oh, that was a good idea.’ ‘That was a bad idea.’ ... We’re still pretty young.”
The label’s flood this year, Herrington said, was not an intentional effort to escalate: “It was actually very unconscious. It was just like, ‘This is cool. Let’s put this out.’ ... And then trying to space them slightly.
“But the problem with that is, with doing vinyl, it takes so long to get vinyl pressed. ... We were kind of hoping to spread them out a little more, and – because of the way manufacturing is – they kind of got lumped, a bunch of them together, in the first eight months of this year.”
Next up for Cartouche is a J.E. Sunde follow-up early next year, and Herrington said he has two other projects in the works – although he declined to say what they would be.
“From here on out, I’m going to try and do two to three releases per year,” he said. “At least, that’s my thought. We’ll see how that goes.”
Bob Herrington with some LPs from his Cartouche Records label.
The Role of a Label in the Digital Age
Because nearly everybody can record and release an album – at little or no cost – in this digital age, record labels might seem like a relic. But the Internet glut of musical artists and releases has actually reinforced the role record labels can play; with so much out there, a label can help bands break through the noise.
“I just hope it’s more of an artist-development kind of relationship, ... with us helping you, with our PR people helping to promote them with their record,” Herrington said.
“Anybody can put out a record now,” he continued. “But just putting it out ... doesn’t really mean much. There are literally millions of recording artists now. ... It’s a tough market. The role of a label is just helping to develop them, and getting their name out better ... .”
Cartouche typically pays for the manufacturing (which, with vinyl in the mix, can cost several thousand dollars), has arrangements in place for digital and physical distribution, and does publicity and radio campaigns.
The investment of money and time, Herrington said, is dependent on the artist: “If it’s somebody who I know is going to tour a whole bunch, and this is what they want to do with their life, I’m more willing myself to put more into it. ... You can rack up 10 grand pretty quick in one release.”
The return on that investment, he said, comes mostly through pre-orders and shortly after an album’s release. Vinyl sells best, while CD and digital sales are roughly even behind it.
But few releases will recoup Cartouche’s investment through sales. “Really the only way for labels to make money ... is through licensing deals,” Herrington said. So far, Cartouche has two licensing arrangements for Sunde’s music in France.
“I’m not doing this out of planning on getting rich,” he said. “This is something fun to do. ... And hopefully we can get them to another level. I would love for any of these guys to have another label – a bigger label – go, ‘We want to sign you.’ That would be fantastic.”
Cluney said Bedroom Shrine had interest from another label for No Déjà Vu, but “we decided to go with Bob because we know Bob, and he’s a good guy, and his vision was correct and spot-on with what we wanted to be involved with. ... I know what Bob listens to. I know his musical opinions, and I just trust him. I love all the [Cartouche] releases, and ... there is a feel there. There’s something going on. I think you can see that if you spend time with those records. ...
“Anybody that wants to invest time or money into your band, your project, your ears perk up. ... We would have sold more records if we had toured around a bunch, I’m sure, but ... we’re very happy with how it came out.”
Because Chrash doesn't tour heavily, it used a Kickstarter campaign to pay for the manufacturing of its July release on Cartouche, Things My Friends Say. (See review.) Even so, said the band’s Chris Bernat, the label offered several benefits over self-releasing on CD and the Internet. “We’re not equipped, nor do we have the time, to do what’s necessary to work a record through press, and through radio, and to do all those things,” he said.
“It’s so nebulous to say you’re putting a record out now,” he continued. “What does it mean? For several of our records, it just meant we paid to get them manufactured and sent some out to media outlets. ...
“The biggest piece of satisfaction that I derived from doing this record is that I can hold a piece of vinyl in my hand and play it, and it has songs that we wrote, produced, and put together as a package.”
He added: “It’s beneficial in that we’re grouped with like-minded artists and even similar genres.”
“I didn’t have the stamina or the patience to spend a year trying to knock on every door to find a home” for Shapes That Kiss the Lips of God, Sunde wrote. “My plan was to put it out myself if the few labels that I sent it to weren’t interested. I chose to work with Bob because he was really excited by the record, he understood where I was as a performer, and he had a clear-eyed goal of creating a label that worked to support and put out music that they really believed in. I’ve learned that when an opportunity opens and those involved are generous and sincere in their desire to help support your art, one shouldn’t take that lightly.”
J.E. Sunde. Photo by Joshua Ford (Ford-Photo.com).
“I’ve Had Amazing Support”
The biggest surprise in running a label, Herrington said, is “the amount of time to do it right,” especially publicity and press. “I realize now why PR firms have teams. ... It’s so time-involved. ...
“I want to figure out ways to make it work better – make it a little simpler, maybe get some other people involved – so that I’m doing justice for the artist. ... What’s the point of doing it if you’re not doing it right?”
Already, though, Herrington has built an impressive web of relationships behind the scenes at Cartouche. The label has clearly benefited from friendships with people at Daytrotter, including founder Sean Moeller, illustrator Cluney, and engineer Stolley. It also works with local musical/visual artists Jeff Konrad and Jon Burns, while photographer Joshua Ford – a regular contributor to the River Cities’ Reader – has done videos and stills for Cartouche artists.
“I’ve been really lucky from the standpoint that, starting out with J.E. Sunde, everybody who’s involved loves him, loves that record,” Herrington said. “These are people that want to see him succeed, so they’re on board to help him out.”
“I was totally blown away” by Sunde’s record, Ford wrote. “This record is just off the charts – the instrumentation, Sunde’s voice, the songwriting. It is not necessarily in my normal ‘wheelhouse,’ ... but I ended up listening to that album far more than any other album the year it was released. When talk of a video for a song on that album came up, it wasn’t even a question. I was on board. ...
“I’m honored that Bob and the artists on Cartouche have faith in me to add a visual component to the work they are doing, and it is really rewarding to grow these relationships with Bob and his artists.”
“I’ve had amazing support,” Herrington said.
And he said that “there really haven’t been any disappointments – since I’m not looking at it as ‘Oh, we’re going sell ... thousands of these.’ ... My only vision is that 10, 15 years from now, I can sit back and go, ‘What a cool label. I really liked everything we put out. It’s all really respectable stuff.’”
Sidebar: Cartouche’s Catalog
Bedroom Shrine, No Déjà Vu (2014)
J.E. Sunde, Shapes That Kiss The Lips of God (2014)
Brooks Strause, The Chymical Wedding of Brooks Strause (2015)
Land of Blood & Sunshine, Lady & the Trance (2016)
The Multiple Cat, Intricate Maps (2016)
Kalispell, Printer’s Son (2016)
Devin Frank, The Vanishing Blues (2016)
Chrash, Things My Friends Say (2016) | http://www.rcreader.com/14-reader-articles/music/music-feature-stories/44973-secret-club-cartouche-herrington | en | 2016-08-18T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/0cfceba346af315015f749144f1f845797a1cb0313aa5a332ede97cecf193100.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:50:17 | null | 2016-08-07T08:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2F168-reader-articles%2Ftheatre%2Fauditions%2F14980-theatre-auditions-calls-for-entry.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/909online/masks1170.jpg | en | null | Local Theatre Auditions/Calls for Entry | null | null | www.rcreader.com | Updated: Monday, August 8, 2016
AUDITIONS
Monday, September 5, through Tuesday, September 7: Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical – Starlighters II Theatre. Auditions for the stage adaptation of the holiday classic, directed by Katherine Bergman and Janet Bergman, running December 2 – 11. Be prepared to sing and read from the script. Starlighters II Theatre (200 East Main Street, Anamosa). For information, call 319-462-4793. Monday, September 5 (7 p.m.), Tuesday, September 6 (7 p.m.), Wednesday, September 7 (7 p.m.).
Thursday, September 8, and Saturday, September 10: As You Like It - Prenzie Players. Auditions for the late-autumn production of William Shakespeare's comedy, directed by Kitty Israel. Be prepared to read from the script. QC Theatre Workshop (1730 Wilkes Avenue, Davenport, IA). For information, call (563)484-4210 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Thursday, September 8 (6:30 p.m.), Saturday, September 10 (5 p.m.).
Send information on forthcoming auditions and calls for entry to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . | http://www.rcreader.com/168-reader-articles/theatre/auditions/14980-theatre-auditions-calls-for-entry | en | 2016-08-07T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/39eaed6e15381d51bab9ddf6afd496c4234631dc4ff0f86cb746a7d88d0ab935.json |
[
"Bruce Walters"
] | 2016-08-26T20:53:12 | null | 2016-08-03T09:07:39 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2F73-reader-articles%2Fart%2Fart-feature-stories%2F44904-art-in-plain-sight-metamorphosis.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/914/metamorphosis-1.jpg | en | null | Art in Plain Sight: “Metamorphosis” | null | null | www.rcreader.com | A human-like insect – larger than you – is frozen in a 10-foot-long stride. Its flailing arms are extended. All four of them.
Standing not in a summer blockbuster, and not in your nightmares, but on a lawn in west Davenport.
Metamorphosis, by Jacob McGinn, is a metal sculpture recently installed in a neighborhood at the intersection of Fourth Street and Telegraph Road, easily viewed from the street.
The sculpture’s welded-metal surface is perfect for an insect’s hard exoskeleton. Its repeated rough forms and forward tilt express a sense of motion.
In spite of its alarming form, its suggested movement – countered by a somewhat symmetrical pose – does not feel predatory or threatening. Although it has bulging eyes and a horned head, the face is surprisingly gentle. It is a fascinatingly contradictory work.
'Metamorphosis,' by Jacob McGinn. Photo by Bruce Walters.
In a statement about his work, McGinn wrote: “The piece started as scraps of metal that were welded together. After a while it began to look more insect-like, and I was told to read ‘The Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka. The story influenced me to create a piece with insect body parts and human-like features.”
The story begins – in an English translation by John R. Williams – “One morning Gregor Samsa woke in his bed from uneasy dreams and found he had turned into a large verminous insect.”
Samsa’s transformed body has an armor-like back. Its many legs wave helplessly before his eyes. The author never explains the character’s transformation. No reason is given. There is no indication that the character deserved it.
The sculpture’s inexpressive face and gestures convey the same emotional detachment felt in the story. Its rusted surface and use of discarded materials evoke Kafka’s theme of rejection.
Both the story and the artwork are not simple puzzles to be solved when missing pieces are found. They reach toward the unfathomable. Questions about perception, reality, normalcy, rationality, and judgment are asked – but not answered.
The sculpture’s placement in a quiet neighborhood makes the artwork all the more enigmatic. Like Kafka’s first sentence, there is a jarring juxtaposition of the mundane and inexplicable. Art can make the ordinary strange and the strange ordinary, and that’s true of this sculpture – especially when seen in context with its surroundings.
Metamorphosis was purchased by Tom Chouteau, a Davenport artist best known for his astonishing kaleidoscopes, and installed in July at his home. Chouteau first saw the sculpture in Dubuque, where it was temporally displayed as part of the city’s Art on the River public-art program. “I drove by it probably 20 times that day,” he said. “It was the most incredibly alive sculpture I’ve ever seen – nothing abstract about it! It was alive and organic. The feeling I got from the sculpture is that it’s comfortable in its skin but nervous about where it has to go next.”
Chouteau is planning to install additional sculptures on is property in the near future. “Sculptures,” he said, “play off each other so nicely. If you’re going to have more than one sculpture, I think it’s good to have three.”
Bruce Walters is a professor of art at Western Illinois University.
This is part of an occasional series on the history of public art in the Quad Cities. If there’s a piece of public art that you’d like to learn more about, e-mail the location and a brief description to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . | http://www.rcreader.com/73-reader-articles/art/art-feature-stories/44904-art-in-plain-sight-metamorphosis | en | 2016-08-03T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/a8ea51f16a372ea82e9b68962b0e776da94cd2db3f6dc6e2bab0494ee2baae58.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T20:53:23 | null | 2016-08-16T06:38:26 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2Flifestyle%2F148-crosswords%2F44969-crossword-august-16-2016.json | http://ftp.rcreader.com/ | en | null | Crossword Puzzle: August 16, 2016 | null | null | www.rcreader.com | To download a PDF of the puzzle, click here.
For the answers, check back on Tuesday, August 23, or pick up the September 1 issue of the River Cities’ Reader.
For the answers to last week’s puzzle, click here. | http://www.rcreader.com/lifestyle/148-crosswords/44969-crossword-august-16-2016 | en | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/0de61752781d4d259e60e3f8f44bf2feb282f85b95cf3567f6539f21e7389e37.json |
[
"Max Cannon"
] | 2016-08-26T20:53:35 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2Flifestyle%2F149-red-meat%2F44993-red-meat-august-25-2016.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/915online/meat20160825.jpg | en | null | Red Meat: August 25, 2016 | null | null | www.rcreader.com | null | http://www.rcreader.com/lifestyle/149-red-meat/44993-red-meat-august-25-2016 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/82c77621a0dc2341fa9bc444d652227e6ef283a439bb0b1128cb2d667e7a6f4a.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:53:23 | null | 2016-08-30T08:07:18 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2Flifestyle%2F148-crosswords%2F45018-crossword-august-30-2016.json | http://www.rcreader.com/ | en | null | Crossword Puzzle: August 30, 2016 | null | null | www.rcreader.com | To download a PDF of the puzzle, click here.
For the answers, check back on Tuesday, September 6, or pick up the September 15 issue of the River Cities’ Reader.
For the answers to last week’s puzzle, click here. | http://www.rcreader.com/lifestyle/148-crosswords/45018-crossword-august-30-2016 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/642a2be53a39b3f002d79745b475cac7b2a51def2bf6ff66c2c179d4e22849ed.json |
[
"Mike Schulz"
] | 2016-08-29T16:53:11 | null | 2016-08-29T11:04:40 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2F13-reader-articles%2Fmovies%2Fmovie-reviews%2F45015-blind-leading-dont-breathe.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/916/dont1170.jpg | en | null | The Blind Leading the Blond: “Don't Breathe” and “Mechanic: Resurrection” | null | null | www.rcreader.com | DON’T BREATHE
A few weeks ago, in the creepy and clever horror film Lights Out, our protagonists were at the mercy of a nightmarish figure they couldn’t see. In writer/director Fede Alvarez’s new horror film Don’t Breathe, our protagonists are at the mercy of a nightmarish figure who can’t see them. You’d presume these particular protagonists would have an easier time of things. But Alvarez, to his credit, doesn’t appear interested in making things easy for anybody – not for the “heroes,” not for the “villain,” and not for audiences accustomed to those tags presented without quotation marks. You may find your stomach in knots during much of this brutally effective shocker. You may also find that part of your discomfort stems from sensing that the traumatized characters here are getting just what they deserve.
Not every scare flick, after all, opens with its leads vandalizing and robbing an upscale suburban home, with one of them also choosing to, um, ecstatically relieve himself on the living room rug. Yet that’s how we’re introduced to Don’t Breathe’s Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette), and Money (Daniel Zovatto), Detroit youths hoping to build a big-enough nest egg for a move to California. While the psychotic Money seems in it just for the cash and kicks, and the puppy-dog-ish Alex will clearly do anything Rocky wants, Rocky herself at least has an empathetic motive: getting her and her little sister several time zones away from their abusive parents. So when the three learn of a fortune presumably stashed in the dilapidated dwelling of a blind war veteran (Stephen Lang), one who lives many blocks from any neighbors, they decide to embark on the cinematically familiar One Last Job before retiring to the West Coast. Bad plan, guys.
Stephen Lang in Don't Breathe
For one thing, the home of this unnamed veteran (end-credited as simply “The Blind Man”) is less a house than a lower-middle-class fortress replete with locks and chains on the doors and bars and boards on the windows; all it needs is a moat. For another, the vet owns a growling, fang-baring Rottweiler who suggests the unholy spawn of Cerberus and Cujo. And for yet another, the man proves incredibly functional, and incredibly dangerous, in the dark ... and Rocky, Alex, and Money aren’t even all that swift in the light. (Seriously, people: Sometimes it’s actually imperative that you turn your phones off.) I really don’t want to spoil Don’t Breathe’s particulars, partly because the film’s trailer already does a pretty awesome job of spoiling them. But while the movie is rather beautifully filmed, with one early tracking shot providing a marvelous and necessary geographical layout of the house, Alvarez and co-screenwriter Rudo Sayagues are to be especially commended for so effectively muddying our rooting interests. Even when the kids are imperiled inside the house, they’re still, stupidly, trying to get away with the money. And even when The Blind Man is on a rampage, he’s still (a) a guy whose house was broken into (b) who lost his eyesight in the Gulf War and (c) lost his only daughter to vehicular manslaughter. Who exactly are the heroes and villains here?
It eventually becomes all too apparent, and if 90 percent of the proceedings are enjoyably intense, the other 10 – the percentage that concerns The Blind Man’s hideous secret in the basement – are merely unpleasant. That’s hardly a deal-breaking ratio, however, and beyond the excellent performances of Levy and Lang, there’s plenty here for genre fans to love: the long, deathly quiet of the veteran sightlessly surveying his surroundings; the unconscious youth lying on a slowly cracking skylight; the unexpected return of that charming pooch whom we’d mistakenly thought was napping. Most satisfying of all is the achingly extended, black-and-white sequence after The Blind Man kills the electrical power, with two of our panic-stricken thieves fumbling in the cellar like Clarice Starling at the climax of The Silence of the Lambs. It may be titled Don’t Breathe, but on more than a dozen occasions in this first-rate fright film, it’s more like Can’t Breathe.
Jason Statham in Mechanic: Resurrection
MECHANIC: RESURRECTION
In Mechanic: Resurrection, Tommy Lee Jones is like a human firecracker dressed for a pajama party. Portraying a sheltered and decidedly eccentric arms dealer, he enters the proceedings late (really late) in the movie with red-tinted glasses, a flowing silk robe, linen attire, slippers, two earrings in his right ear, and a soul patch, and his outré look and singularly loopy readings suggest an actor having an enormous amount of fun with the table scraps he’s been thrown. I wish I could tell you the name of Jones’ character, but according to the spellings we’re shown, he’s either “Max Adams” or “Max Adam” (based on the on-screen possessive “Max Adam’s”), and this blend of laziness and ineptitude is pretty emblematic of director Dennis Gansel’s unwarranted sequel. The plotting couldn’t matter less: It’s just Jason Statham, in his first film appearance since his brilliant self-parody in last summer’s Spy, easily outrunning machine-gun ammo and dispatching random stuntpeople, and yes, it ends with the expected mano a mano slugfest and a ticking red clock. But Jones is there, briefly, as are a quite-good Michelle Yeoh and an initially charming Jessica Alba, and one execution in a skyscraper’s outdoor swimming pool delivers some solid Mission: Impossible-esque enjoyment. I didn’t hate Mechanic: Resurrection. But at this point in the graying star’s career, Statham doesn’t need more ultra-violent, adequate-at-best action thrillers clogging his résumé. He needs more Melissa McCarthy.
For reviews of Hell or High Water and Southside with You, visit "Bridges Over Troubled Brothers."
Follow Mike on Twitter at Twitter.com/MikeSchulzNow. | http://www.rcreader.com/13-reader-articles/movies/movie-reviews/45015-blind-leading-dont-breathe | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/5e7b83a0522213d8d3cedaa1228531a6f0779b96f817f6a23465b7f1cdcdc2a8.json |
[
"John W. Whitehead"
] | 2016-08-26T20:52:26 | null | 2016-08-17T09:00:52 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2F69-reader-articles%2Fcommentary%2Fguest-commentaries%2F44972-greatest-threat-to-our-freedoms.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/915/constitution-commentary.jpg | en | null | The Greatest Threat to Our Freedoms: A Government of Scoundrels, Spies, Thieves, Ruffians, Rapists, and Killers | null | null | www.rcreader.com | The U.S. government remains the greatest threat to our freedoms.
The systemic violence being perpetrated by agents of the government has done more collective harm to the American people and our liberties than any single act of terror.
More than terrorism, more than domestic extremism, more than gun violence and organized crime, the U.S. government has become a greater menace to the life, liberty, and property of its citizens than any of the so-called dangers from which the government claims to protect us.
Does the government pose a danger to you and your loved ones? The facts speak for themselves.
We’re being held at gunpoint by a government of soldiers – a standing army. While Americans are being made to jump through an increasing number of hoops to exercise their Second Amendment right to own a gun, the government is arming its own civilian employees to the hilt with guns, ammunition, and military-style equipment; authorizing them to make arrests; and training them in military tactics. There are now reportedly more bureaucratic (non-military) government civilians armed with high-tech, deadly weapons than U.S. Marines. Clearly, the government is preparing for war – and a civil war, at that – but who is the enemy?
We’re being robbed blind by a government of thieves. Americans no longer have any real protection against government agents empowered to seize private property at will. For instance, police agencies under the guise of asset-forfeiture laws are taking property based on little more than a suspicion of criminal activity. Homeowners are losing their homes over nonpayment of taxes (for as little as $400 owed) and municipal bills such as water or sewer fees that amount to a fraction of what they have invested in their homes. And then there’s the Drug Enforcement Agency, which has been searching train and airline passengers and pocketing their cash, without ever charging them with a crime.
We’re being taken advantage of by a government of scoundrels, idiots, and cowards. When you’ve got government representatives who spend a large chunk of their work hours fundraising, being feted by lobbyists, shuffling through a lucrative revolving door between public service and lobbying, and making themselves available to anyone with enough money to secure access to a congressional office, you’re in the clutches of a corrupt oligarchy. Mind you, these same elected officials rarely read the legislation they’re enacting, nor do they seem capable of enacting much legislation that actually helps rather than hinders American citizens.
We’re being locked up by a government of greedy jailers. We have become a carceral state, spending three times more on our prisons than on our schools and imprisoning close to a quarter of the world’s prisoners, despite the fact that crime is at an all-time low and the U.S. makes up only 5 percent of the world’s population. The rise of over-criminalization and profit-driven private prisons provides even greater incentives for locking up American citizens for such nonviolent “crimes” as having an overgrown lawn.
We’re being spied on by a government of Peeping Toms. The government is watching everything you do, reading everything you write, listening to everything you say, and monitoring everything you spend. Omnipresent surveillance is paving the way for government programs that profile citizens, document their behavior, and attempt to predict what they might do in the future, whether it’s what they might buy, what politician they might support, or what kinds of crimes they might commit. The impact of this far-reaching surveillance, according to Psychology Today, is “reduced trust, increased conformity, and even diminished civic participation.”
We’re being ravaged by a government of ruffians, rapists, and killers. It’s not just the police shootings of unarmed citizens that are worrisome. It’s the SWAT-team raids gone wrong that are leaving innocent citizens wounded, children terrorized, and family pets killed. It’s the roadside strip searches – in some cases, cavity searches of men and women alike carried out in full view of the public – in pursuit of drugs that are never found. It’s the potentially lethal – and unwarranted – use of so-called “nonlethal” weapons such as Tasers on children for engaging in childish behavior.
We’re being forced to surrender our freedoms – and those of our children – to a government of extortionists, money-launderers, and professional pirates. The American people have been repeatedly sold a bill of goods about how the government needs more money, more expansive powers, and more secrecy (secret courts, secret budgets, secret military campaigns, secret surveillance) to keep us safe. Under the guise of fighting its wars on terror, drugs, and now domestic extremism, the government has spent billions in taxpayer dollars on endless wars that have not ended terrorism but merely sown the seeds of blowback, surveillance programs that have caught few terrorists while subjecting all Americans to a surveillance society, and militarized police that have done little to decrease crime while turning communities into war zones. Not surprisingly, the primary ones to benefit from these government exercises in legal money-laundering have been the corporations, lobbyists, and politicians who inflict them on a trusting public.
Whatever else it may be – a danger, a menace, a threat – the U.S. government is certainly no friend to freedom.
To our detriment, the criminal class that Mark Twain mockingly referred to as Congress has since expanded to include every government agency that feeds off the carcass of our once-constitutional republic.
So no matter which party wins the White House, controls Congress, or appoints future Supreme Court justices, rest assured that the menace of the shadow government – the permanent, unelected bureaucracy that operates beyond the reach of the Constitution, the courts, and the citizenry – will continue uninterrupted.
How long we will continue to suffer depends on how much we’re willing to give up for the sake of freedom.
America’s founders provided us with a very specific explanation about the purpose of government and a roadmap for what to do when the government abuses its authority, ignores our objections, and establishes itself as a tyrant.
We must choose between peaceful slavery (in other words, maintaining the status quo in servitude to the police state) and dangerous freedom. That will mean carving out a path in which we begin to take ownership of our government (starting at the local level), challenging the status quo, and raising hell whenever a government official steps out of line.
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of the Rutherford Institute (Rutherford.org), where this article originally appeared. His latest book, Battlefield America: The War on the American People, is available at Amazon.com. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . | http://www.rcreader.com/69-reader-articles/commentary/guest-commentaries/44972-greatest-threat-to-our-freedoms | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/3d069c347994fc792cd47e6be59cc26c3e1dcc01cdf5891bba7dc1a613df04a9.json |
[
"Jeff Ashcraft"
] | 2016-08-26T20:51:10 | null | 2016-08-22T06:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2F64-reader-articles%2Ftheatre%2Ftheatre-reviews%2F44979-ancestor-act-inheritors-play.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/916/Inheritors_1170.JPG | en | null | Ancestor Act: "Inheritors," at the QC Theatre Workshop through September 4 | null | null | www.rcreader.com | “The word 'theatre' comes from the Greeks. It means 'the seeing place.' It is the place people come to see the truth about life and the social situation.” – Stella Adler
The QC Theatre Workshop's latest production, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (and Davenport native) Susan Glaspell's Inheritors, is rightly the place to look for one's truth in life, and to understand views on a diverse archive of social situations.
Glaspell's play centers on several generations of the Morton family. At the beginning, we are introduced to Silas Morton, a principled 1880s farmer with a vision to deed a portion of his family farmstead toward the establishment of a place of higher learning – “a college in the cornfields.” Moving forward 40 years, we meet Silas’ granddaughter Madeline, a student at the now well-regarded Morton College. Madeline is a strong-willed young woman who finds herself on a collision course with both her family and family friend Felix Fejevary, the college trustee who is working with state politicians to secure additional funding just as Hindu students are arrested for protesting the United Kingdom’s oppressive control over India.
Jessica Denney and Michael Carron in Inheritors
Director Aaron Randolph III has adapted Glaspell’s 1921 script and created a nearly cinematic juxtaposition between the 1880s and 1920s storylines, shifting our focus forward then back multiple times between decades to reveal the narrative in new, divergent-yet-parallel threads. The cool part of Randolph's adaptation is its Utopian vision that clearly crosses through the generations, and Inheritors' individual segments, by tying Silas to Madeline, and then blending them into one final scene at the show's conclusion.
Madeline is played QCTW veteran Jessica Denney, who may be petite in stature, but whose portrayal of Madeline is fiercely intelligent and righteously confident in her fight for social justice. Denney dominates the stage, and boldly goes will-to-will with each of the notable actors who enter her sphere. Another QCTW veteran (and a Reader employee), Mike Schulz also turns in vigorous performances in the dual roles of Silas and Morton College's Professor Holden. Schulz is masterful at showcasing an idealistic and determined farmer in contrast to a professor whose beliefs ultimately run into a brick wall masked as pragmatism.
This show is a who’s-who of area-theatre participants, with the likes of Abby Van Gerpen, Jeremy Mahr, Jordan McGinnis, and Michael Carron fleshing out the cast. Brant Peitersen brings his customary strength to the stage as Mr. Fejevery, a close friend of Silas, and later plays a middle-aged version of Fejevery’s son. However, it is in playing the senior character that the performer absolutely displays his acting chops by providing this Hungarian immigrant with varying shades of delicate calm and wisdom that offer a fresh view of Peitersen’s theatrical skills. Also of note is Susan Perrin-Sallak, who (like most of the cast) plays dual roles, but it was in the role of Madeline’s Aunt Isabel that she dropped an emotional grenade when learning that she may never see her niece again. Perrin-Sallak shed actual tears in what, for me, was the story’s deepest spiritual valley.
Jessica Denney and Abby Van Gerpen in Inheritors
Adding to the production's film-like quality is Alexander Richardson’s lighting design. At the final dress rehearsal on August 18, I particularly enjoyed the 19th Century scenes, in which Richardson’s lighting created an environment that might recall a memory of a yellowed photo in an old family album. I also admired the very soft blue lights that appeared on each side of the set between scenes, which allowed us to watch the actors change into their costumes, and into their next characters, for the upcoming segments right before our eyes.
In today’s world of political histrionics, I must admit that I am not a fan of plays that insist on pushing a political agenda no matter how worthy the topic. And yet Glaspell’s script is very well written; each word, sentence, and monologue combines into a great symphony with wonderful melodic phrasing followed by strong crescendos of intense interactions. If Stella Adler is correct and theatre is “the seeing place” – an honest reflection of society’s mirror – then Inheritors is as pertinent in 2016 as it must have been when first performed. Glaspell's play may make you uncomfortable, or stronger in your convictions, or proud to be from the same city as its author. But no matter how you'll feel, this is one show you should check out – a 90-minute theatrical experience that is familiar yet distinct, and one that may very well allow you to witness, on-stage, your own truth, or your own unique social situation.
Inheritors runs at the QC Theatre Workshop (1730 Wilkes Avenue, Davenport) through September 4, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)650-2396 or visiting QCTheatreWorkhop.org. | http://www.rcreader.com/64-reader-articles/theatre/theatre-reviews/44979-ancestor-act-inheritors-play | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/cfeb7525b1ba7c8b2cff53e29358b0e71c1d130c221f8aadb7fd1c18dc41fdb4.json |
[
"Ted Rall"
] | 2016-08-26T20:50:49 | null | 2016-08-24T08:50:41 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2Flifestyle%2F159-ted-rall%2F44989-ted-rall-august-24-2016.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/ted_rall/tr_c160824.jpg | en | null | Ted Rall: If You Say So | null | null | www.rcreader.com | null | http://www.rcreader.com/lifestyle/159-ted-rall/44989-ted-rall-august-24-2016 | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/35a8144c5e80658268560b1c4409e7dbcf31e0e7d4f72d83eb3fae6ebcdf62ff.json |
[
"Mike Schulz"
] | 2016-08-26T22:50:46 | null | 2016-08-16T06:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2Flifestyle%2F58-noteworthy-events%2F44957-whats-happenin-081816-thru-083016.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/915/Kurt1170.jpg | en | null | What's Happenin': Thursday, August 18, through Wednesday, August 31 | null | null | www.rcreader.com | Music
Kurt Vile & the Violators
Codfish Hollow Barn
Sunday, August 21, 7 p.m.
Just like superheroes, professional musicians have their own origin stories. And given the strength of his reviews, and the powerful appreciation he engenders in fans, it makes perfect sense that indie-rock and -folk singer/songwriter Kurt Vile’s own musical origin story would start with Superman.
Performing at Maquoketa’s Codfish Hollow Barn on August 21 with his band Kurt Vile & the Violators, the 36-year-old Pennsylvania native Vile first experimented with songwriting after receiving a banjo from his father at age 14. It wasn’t the guitar he had initially hoped for, but he took to the instrument quickly, and in an interview with the Village Voice Vile revealed the inspiration for the “joke song” that was his first composition.
“It was a good instrumental; I knew all these chords. But then I was quoting a cartoon as the lyrics on top of it. I had seen this cartoon about Superman and Lex Luthor; it was like the back history of why Lex Luthor hated Superman. They used to be friends, and then some giant stone of Kryptonite fell and it made Lex Luthor’s hair fall out, and he was like, ‘You made all my hair fall out!’ It was a really stupid cartoon, but that was my song – ‘You Made All My Hair Fall Out.’”
Judging by the accompanying photo, that was likely never a concern for Vile himself. But the teen’s early interests in singing and songwriting never wavered – Vile told AltMusic.about.com’s Anthony Carew that once he got that banjo, “I pretty much knew I was going to do music [with my life] then” – and in 2003 he began collaborating with fellow singer/songwriter Adam Granduciel. Two years later, they had formed the indie-rock band The War on Drugs.
Although that widely popular, critically acclaimed musical outfit is still recording and touring today, Vile himself left the group after the release of its 2008 debut Wagonwheel Blues, and jump-started his solo career with that same year’s Constant Hitmaker. The album was followed by Vile’s collection of home recordings God Is Saying This to You ... in April of 2009, and just six months later the first official Kurt Vile & the Violators album debuted with October’s Childish Prodigy. That release led to touring gigs opposite Dinosaur Jr. and Thurston Moore. Those and other such gigs led to 2011’s Smoke Ring for My Halo and Vile’s first appearance on Billboard’s Top 200 chart.
And that success led to 2013’s Wakin on a Pretty Daze and 2015’s b’lieve I’m goin down ... , frequent national tours, and reviews that make Vile sound like a true superhero of the independent-music scene. Raving about his “signature blend of heartbreak and humor,” ConsequenceOfSound.net called Vile “a natural performer whose low-key charm rarely fails to win the crowd over.” Describing its “melodious tales of introspection and folk-drenched balladry,” SFWeekly.com declared the group’s output “catchy, gorgeous, and profound.” And in praising their “off-the-cuff skill” and “hypnotic power,” The Guardian stated, “Vile and his band the Violators conjure up trance-like grooves that resemble Tuareg desert-rockers Tinariwen if they’d swapped their robes for plaid shirts.” Or, in Vile’s case, maybe tights and a cape.
Kurt Vile & the Violators perform locally with an opening set by Your Friend, and more information on the concert is available by visiting CodfishHollowBarnstormers.com.
Booker T. Jones
Music
River Roots Live
LeClaire Park
Friday, August 26, and Saturday, August 27
On August 26 and 27, Davenport’s LeClaire Park will host the music festival River Roots Live, the Quad Cities’ annual outdoor celebration of rock, blues, soul, roots, and Americana performers. It’s the 12th consecutive year for the festival, and consequently it seems only fitting to serve up a dozen reasons that you won’t want to miss this sure-to-be-exhilarating weekend along the Mississippi River.
(1) Booker T. Jones, the legendary, 71-year-old multi-instrumentalist and songwriter whose myriad accomplishments in R&B, rock, and blues include his 1992 induction in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; his 2007 induction in Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame; the 2013 release of his 10th solo studio album Sound the Alarm; and his four career Grammy Awards – one of them, received in 2007, for Lifetime Achievement.
(2) O.A.R., the chart-topping, multi-platinum-selling alternative-rock quintet currently celebrating its 20th year of performances, whose last three studio albums (All Sides, King, and The Rockville LP) all landed on the top 15 of the Billboard rock charts, and whose 2015 Rockville LP hit number one on Billoard’s independent-album chart.
(3) Guitar Army, which showcases the string prowess of its three central musicians: singer/songwriter and guitarist Lee Roy Parnell, who has charted more than 20 singles on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs charts; vocalist/guitarist Joe Robinson, the 2008 winner of Australia’s Got Talent who has subsequently released five solo albums; and Robben Ford, the blues, jazz, and rock artist who has collaborated with George Harrison, Joni Mitchell, and Kiss, and was named one of Musician magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century.”
(4) The Stone Foxes, the San Francisco-based rockers whose hit “Beneath Mt. Sinai” was prominently featured in episodes of Sons of Anarchy and Shameless, and whose frequent touring engagement have found them opening for Cage the Elephant and Grammy winners The Black Keys.
(5) Alanna Royale, the rock and roots ensemble fronted by lead vocalist Alanna Quinn-Broadus, whose rave reviews for the band’s 2014 album debut Achilles included GratefulMusic.com calling it “living proof that soul music is still alive and well, and still has the ability to bring out the same kind of raw passion and spirit that has played such a monumental role in the development of modern music.”
(6) Luke Bell, the Wyoming-based country singer/songwriter who recorded a 2015 Daytrotter session after releasing his studio albums Luke Bell and Don’t Mind If I Do, and who, according to Rolling Stone, “plays classic honky-tonk with a wink and a yodel that summons the sleeping ghosts of country better than any voodoo spell ever could.”
O.A.R.
(7) Friday’s sets with Tara Terra and The Candymakers – the former a hugely popular quartet on the Champaign-Urbana rock-and-soul scene, the latter our area’s Iowa Blues Challenge winners who celebrate the old-school traditions of R&B and funk.
(8) Saturday’s sets with a host of gifted artists: the Bettendorf-based rock quintet The Zealots; the four-piece psychedelic-pop ensemble Condor & Jaybird; Iowa City’s roots and folk musicians Brooks Strause & the Gory Details, who’ve opened for Dawes and William Elliott Whitmore; the award-winning, holler-folk talents of Maine’s Ghost of Paul Revere; Southern-rock vocalist Natalie Carol and her Los Angeles ensemble Valley Queen; and Chicago’s The Main Squeeze, headliners at both Bonnaroo and the Rolling Stone Super Bowl XLVI Pre-Party.
(9) Performances held in River Roots Live’s “Junior Jam Tent,” with Friday sets by Mea Culpa, the QC Rock Academy, and She, and Saturday music courtesy of Pelham, The Merchants, Juliana & a Soul Purpose, the Quad City Ukulele Club, and the student stars of the QC Rock Academy, the RME Winter Blues All-Stars, and the Glenville Middle School mariachi bands.
(10) LeClaire Park activities and events that include outdoor exhibitions by local artisans, bounce houses, and children’s workshops for fledgling musicians.
(11) The official River Roots Live after-party “RaggedTrotter,” in which Daytrotter and Ragged Records host Chaos Emeralds, Discoveries of the American Scientific, and the Just Let Go DJs for more late-night music and dancing at Davenport’s Daytrotter venue at 324 Brady Street.
(12) One word: Ribfest. One additional word: Aughhlaughhhjllaughh. (That’s a phonetic spelling for that deep gurgle noise Homer Simpson makes when he sees a stack of ribs. Feel free to adjust the spelling based on your own salivary reaction.)
For the scheduled lineups of performers, visit the Reader’s Live Music section on pages 17 and 18, and for more information on the festival itself, visit RiverRootsLive.com.
What Else Is Happenin’ …?
MUSIC
Thursday, August 18 – The DuPont Brothers. Concert with the indie-folk and Americana duo, featuring an opening set by Pine. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $9.50-12. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20 – Ya Maka My Weekend. Twenty-fifth-anniversary celebration of Caribbean music, food, and culture, with live music on two stages, food and craft vendors, and more. District of Rock Island. Friday 5:30 p.m. bands, Saturday 3:30 p.m. bands. $9 per day, $14 for the weekend. For information, call (309)788-6311 or visit YaMakaMyWeekend.com.
Friday, August 19, through Sunday, August 21 – Polyrhythms’ Jazz & Heritage Festival. Third-annual event featuring live-music sets, food and beverages, demonstrations, cultural exhibits, and more. Friday and Saturday: Martin Luther King Park (601 Ninth Street, Rock Island). Sunday: The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). For information, call (309)373-0790 or visit Facebook.com/polyjazzheritagefest.
Saturday, August 20 – Riverfront Pops: The Eagles’ Greatest Hits. A salute to the legendary pop ensemble performed by the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, with “The 1812 Overture” and “Stars & Stripes Forever” set to a climactic fireworks display. LeClaire Park (400 Beiderbecke Drive, Davenport). 5:30 p.m. QCSO Youth Symphony Orchestra performance, 6:30 Eagles tribute. $5-25. For tickets and information, call (563)322-7276 or visit QCSO.org.
Saturday, August 20 – Bill Anderson. Concert with the country-music legend and member of the Grand Ole Opry. Ohnward Fine Arts Center (1215 East Platt Street, Maquoketa). 7 p.m. $30-35. For tickets and information, call (563)652-9815 or visit OhnwardFineArtsCenter.com.
Monday, August 22 – Lake Street Dive. Concert with the indie-pop and -rock musicians. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7 p.m. $33.50. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Wednesday, August 24 – The Nu Gruv Jam. An all-ages showcase of musicians, rappers, and poets from the local DIY scene performing original urban-music, spoken-word, and free-form jams. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. Free. For information, call (309)200-0978 or visit RozzTox.com.
Thursday, August 25 – An Evening with Walter Trout. Concert with the blues guitarist and singer/songwriter. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $19-22. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Saturday, August 27 – Modern Vices. Concert with the Chicago-based indie rockers, featuring an opening set by Truthpick. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $5-10. For information, call (309)200-0978 or visit RozzTox.com.
Saturday, August 27 – The Back Porch Revival. Outdoor concert to benefit the not-for-profit Native Fund, featuring sets by Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Big & Rich, and others. Kinnick Stadium (825 Stadium Drive, Iowa City). 3 p.m. $39-239. For information and tickets, visit TheBackPorchRevival.com.
Saturday, August 27 – RaggedTrotter. The official River Roots Live after-party with sets by Chaos Emeralds, Discoveries of the American Scientific, and Just Let Go DJs, co-hosted by Daytrotter and Ragged Records. Daytrotter (324 Brady Street, Davenport). 11 p.m. $5. For information, visit Daytrotter.com.
Sunday, August 28 – Hector Anchondo Band. Concert with the blues vocalist/guitarist and his ensemble, presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. Kavanaugh’s Hilltop Tap (1228 30th Street, Rock Island). 6 p.m. $8-10. For information, call (563)349-0594 or visit MVBS.org.
THEATRE
Friday, August 19, through Sunday, September 4 – Inheritors. Davenport native Susan Glaspell’s 1921 drama about free speech and family, directed and adapted by Aaron Randolph III. QC Theatre Workshop (1730 Wilkes Avenue, Davenport). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m. “Pay what it’s worth” pricing. For information and tickets, call (563)650-2396 or visit QCTheatreWorkshop.org.
Friday, August 26, through Sunday, September 4 – This Side Up. New Ground Theatre presents the world premiere of Christopher Grassi’s fantasy comedy, directed by Chris Jansen. Village Theatre (2113 East 11th Street, Davenport). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $15-18. For information and tickets, call (563)326-7529 for visit New Ground Theatre's Facebook page.
Tuesday, August 30, and Wednesday, August 31 – Ole Plays Nursemaid: Dial 911! The Creamery’s sixth original “Ole & Lena” comedy about family, love, and aging, starring Mike and Julie Bateson. Old Creamery Theatre (39 38th Avenue, Amana). 2 p.m. $15-25. For information and tickets, call (319)622-6262 or visit OldCreamery.com.
EVENTS
Saturday, August 20 – Floatzilla. River Action’s annual celebration of paddle sports with live music by Chrash and Mountain Swallower, a trophy for the largest paddling group, food and drinks, a trade show, a 2:30 p.m. group photo, and more. Sunset Park (18th Avenue and Sunset Road, Rock Island). $25-30 registration. For information, call (563)322-2969 or visit Floatzilla.org.
Saturday, August 20 – Village of East Davenport Wine Walk. Seventh-annual fundraiser for Gilda’s Club Quad Cities, featuring outdoor live music and more than 25 wine samples at various locations. Village of East Davenport. 3-6 p.m. $20. For information, call (563)326-7504 or visit GildasClubQC.org.
Saturday, August 20 – Pints for Preservation. An adults-only event with beer, wine, and food samples at locations throughout the zoo. Niabi Zoo (13010 Niabi Zoo Road, Coal Valley). 5:30 p.m. $35-40 per person, $180-210 for groups of six. For information and tickets, call (309)799-3482 or NiabiZoo.com.
Sunday, August 21 – Spirit of the Prairie Party. Sixth-annual event featuring artist demonstrations, a silent art auction, food and beverages, live music with the Barley House Band and Nick Vasquez, and more. Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat (2664 145th Avenue, Wheatland). 3 p.m. $50. For information and to reserve, call (563)323-9466 or visit CHMIowa.org.
Wednesday, August 24 – Magic Men Live! Themed acts and choreography with the touring male exotic dancers. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $28-103. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Friday, August 26, and Saturday, August 27 – Bottoms Up Quad City Burlesque: 2016 Student Showcase. All-new show featuring students of the Bottom’s Up School of Burlesque. Circa ’21 Speakeasy (1818 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $18-20. For information and tickets, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit TheCirca21Speakeasy.com.
Saturday, August 27 – Vettes on the River. Annual car show and Corvette celebration with live music by Cosmic and proceeds benefiting Quad Cities veterans’ organizations. LeClaire Levee. 8 a.m. gates, 11:30 a.m. Cosmic performance, 3 p.m. awards presentation. $20 minimum car registration. For information, visit VisitLeclaire.com. | http://www.rcreader.com/lifestyle/58-noteworthy-events/44957-whats-happenin-081816-thru-083016 | en | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/44cdc45eba1656d83d95f51708dca79783e26943d2feb9818719ebe6a0963482.json |
[
"Mike Schulz"
] | 2016-08-26T20:50:23 | null | 2016-08-24T13:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2F136-reader-articles%2Fmovies%2Fnow-playing%2F11251-now-playing-movies-082616.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/916/dontbreathe1170.jpg | en | null | Now Playing: Friday, August 26, through Thursday, September 1 | null | null | www.rcreader.com | 61 Drive-in Theatre, Maquoketa
Blue Grass Drive-in, Blue Grass
FilmScene, Iowa City
Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Iowa City
Putnam Museum, Davenport
Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 IMAX, Davenport
Regal Moline Stadium 14, Moline
(Hyperlinked titles take you to Mike's full reviews; IMDb hyperlinks take you to the films' Internet Movie Database pages.)
All Hell Breaks Loose (not rated, FilmScene) - Wednesday, August 31, 10 p.m. IMDb listing
Bad Moms (R, 61 Drive-in Theatre, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - Silly and inconsequential ... and also pretty great,considering it made me laugh out loud at least three dozen times. IMDb listing
Ben-Hur (PG-13, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - A remake of the biblically-themed epic that's sometimes lugubrious and laughable, sometimes powerful and exhilarating, and usually just blah. IMDb listing
Don't Breathe (R, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - IMDb listing
Don't Think Twice (R, FilmScene) - IMDb listing
Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words (R, FilmScene) - IMDb listing
Flight of the Butterflies (not rated, Putnam Museum) - Saturday, August 27. A bit pokey, but the butterflies' mass exodus is enough to make you believe in God -- or at least in the god of nature docs. IMDb listing
Florence Foster Jenkins (PG-13, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - Low-key and forumulaic, but also a minor marvel, with Meryl Streep a touching riot as the legendarily god-awful singer. IMDb listing
Ghostbusters (PG-13, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - Frequently very funny, but all told, maybe the most simultaneously apologetic and defensive blockbuster I've ever seen. IMDb listing
Gleason (R, FilmScene) - Friday, August 26, 8 p.m. IMDb listing
Greater (PG-13, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - IMDb listing
Hell or High Water (R, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - IMDb listing
Humpback Whales (not rated, Putnam Museum) – This gorgeous edu-doc makes being a humpback look like several tons of fun, at least considering how much time they spend singing. IMDb listing
Indignation (R, FilmScene) - IMDb listing
The Insanity of God (not rated, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - Tuesday, August 30, 7 p.m. IMDb listing
Jason Bourne (PG-13, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - The action scenes in this re-teaming of star Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass are typically kinetic, but for the first time, they aren't at all exciting. IMDb listing
The Jungle Book (PG, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - I had such a great time listening to Idris Elba and the rest of the beautifully cast vocal performers that I couldn't help being disappointed that Jon Favreau's pricey achievement didn't look nearly as good as it sounded. IMDb listing
Kevin Smith's Yoga Hosers Premiere Party (not rated, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - Tuesday, August 30, 7 p.m. FathomEvents.com
The King & I (not rated, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - Sunday, August 28, and Wednesday, August 31, 2 & 7 p.m. IMDb listing
Kubo & the Two Strings (PG, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - An animated adventure rife with happy-nightmare imagery, and one with an incredibly variety of emotional tones and effects. IMDb listing
Lights Out (PG-13, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - It gives you just what you want from a low-rent horror flick and so rarely do: a creepy and clever premise, a snappy pace, a bunch of good scares, and a relative lack of eye-rolling studpidity. IMDb listing
Little Men (PG, FilmScene) - IMDb listing
Major League (R, FilmScene) - Sunday, August 28, 8 p.m. IMDb listing
Mechanic: Resurrection (R, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - IMDb listing
Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs 3D (not rated, Putnam Museum) – This edu-doc tries to do too much in too little a time, but it's never less than interesting, and those mega-screen vistas are truly stunning. IMDb listing
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble (PG-13, FilmScene) - IMDb listing
National Parks Adventure 3D (not rated, Putnam Museum) – An expectedly gorgeous edu-doc that's also unexpectedly, even thrillingly varied in presentation. IMDb listing
Nine Lives (PG, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - A family comedy that deserves to be spayed. IMDb listing
Pete's Dragon (PG, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - For roughly 80 percent of its length, this surprisingly grave and quiet family-film reboot is overflowing with intelligence and true wonder IMDb listing
Pokemon: The Movie (G. FilmScene) - Saturday, August 27, 11 p.m. IMDb listing
Rob Zombie's 31 (not rated, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - Thursday, September 1, 7 p.m. FathomEvents.com
Sausage Party (R, 61 Drive-in Theatre, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - Frequently very funny, but hopefully the end of Seth Rogen's stoner slapsticks, because I don't know how the results can be more Seth Rogen-y than they are here. IMDb listing
The Secret Life of Pets (PG, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - Goofy, disposable family fun, but also something of a blown opportunity, given that this animated comedy keeps hinting at a potential greatness it seems forever uninteresting in pursuing. IMDb listing
The Shallows (PG-13, Blue Grass Drive-in) - Blake Lively, and a shark, and about 90 minutes -- and happily, the star, the fish, and the length are all just what you want and need them to be. IMDb listing
Southside with You (PG-13, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - IMDb listing
Star Trek Beyond (PG-13, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - All of the sci-fi franchise's mostly delightful tenets are in place, but you could still safely skip this uninteresting endeavor and not be at all out of the loop for Star Trek XIV. IMDb listing
Suicide Squad (PG-13, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - Everything you've likely heard about this comic-book movie is true ... unless, for some reason, you've heard it's great. IMDb listing
War Dogs (R, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline Stadium 14) - The failings in this dark comedy about fledgling arms dealers might have been more easily glossed over if leads Miles Teller and Jonah Hill had exuded a modicum of rapport. They don't. IMDb listing
Welcome to Monster High (not rated, Rave Cinemas Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - Saturday, August 27, 10 a.m. IMDb listing | http://www.rcreader.com/136-reader-articles/movies/now-playing/11251-now-playing-movies-082616 | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/82e88d2f3868760b614dcf4389fc1ffac8079d9d7dc6473e3daea1841e4a3640.json |
[
"Mike Schulz"
] | 2016-08-30T14:53:32 | null | 2016-08-30T06:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2Flifestyle%2F58-noteworthy-events%2F44992-whats-happenin-fall-2016.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/916/916_calendar_article_Adler_Theatre.jpg | en | null | What's Happenin': Fall, 2016 | null | null | www.rcreader.com | Events
Adler Theatre
September through November
What ... is the deal ... with fall?! Is it a season? Is it a command? “You’ve been on your feet all summer, people – time to fall!” And why does it get two names – fall and autumn? Is it for when the season is feeling extra-fancy? “‘Fall’ just doesn’t go with these golden leaves of mine. Call me ‘Autumn!’”
Granted, my outstanding Seinfeld impression is a lot more impressive in person than in writing.
But you’ll be able to hone your own this fall – or, if you prefer, this autumn – after the legendary, Emmy-winning comedian comes to Davenport in September 22’s evening with Jerry Seinfeld, the first of numerous exciting events kicking off the Adler Theatre’s 2016-17 season.
As always, the venue will be home to a series of musical treats, three of them courtesy of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. On November 22, the Adler hosts afternoon and evening performances of the annual Holiday Pops in collaborative entertainments subtitled Communities in Concert, with the QCSO playing seasonal favorites alongside the talents of Ballet Quad Cities, RiverBend Bronze, the First Presbyterian Church of Davenport Sanctuary Choir, the QCSO Youth Choir, Quad City Choral Arts, and the Westbrook Singers.
And with the rivers of the world being celebrated in the QCSO’s 2016-17 Masterworks series, the first two of those concerts make their Adler debuts this fall. October 1 brings with it Heroic Mississippi, which boasts a repertoire featuring Strauss’ Don Juan Op. 20, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (Eroica), and Iowa native Michael Daugherty’s tuba concerto Reflections on the Mississipi. November 5’s River Romance, meanwhile, features noted pianist Garrick Ohlsson in an eclectic program showcasing works ranging from Tobias Picker’s Old & Lost Rivers to Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. (These Masterworks events will also be performed at Augustana College’s Centennial Hall on October 2 and November 6.)
There’s more music, plus a whole lot of electrifying Celtic dance, to be found in Davenport on October 7, which marks the arrival of the artists of Rockin’ Road to Dublin. Appearing in their first national tour, these gifted performers deliver a fusion of rock, Irish tunes, and jaw-dropping choreography, and inspired Irish Dance Magazine to rave about the show’s “one-two punch of style and mastery” and its “fabulous mix of charisma and personality.”
A two-time Grammy Award winner takes the Adler stage on November 11 with the Quad Cities return of John Prine, the legendary singer/songwriter whose iconic country/folk compositions have been recorded by such stars as Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, John Denver, and Carly Simon. And October 22 will be a veritable night of white satin for classic-rock fans, as that’s the night The Moody Blues lands in Davenport with a concert suggesting why the band boasts worldwide album sales of more than 70 million, and why they’ve been such an enduring touring hit for the better part of a half-century.
If you’re looking for Blues a little less Moody, it’ll likely be nonstop laughs for fans when Blue Collar comedians Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy hit the Adler for two October 8 shows, each performing all-new standup before joining one another for a shared, Southern-comedy encore. Sports fans, meanwhile, won’t want to miss October 27’s special event with David Feherty, the former professional golfer and current broadcaster with NBC Sports and the Golf Channel who’ll be telling incredible behind-the-scenes tales of his career and participation in the European and PGA tours.
Yet with all of these great happenings this fall, the Adler hasn’t forgotten about the kids, either, as evidenced by the booking of October 20’s Peppa Pig Live! A new stage show starring beloved characters from the eOne television series, the production is described on the Adler’s Web site as “an interactive experience full of singing, dancing, games, and muddy puddles.” So it’s like a party at my place. But with games.
For more on the Adler’s fall(/autumn) season, visit AdlerTheatre.com.
The Dixie Chicks - September 15
Events
iWireless Center
September through November
This fall, a particular venue in downtown Moline will be the home to Mallards, Chicks, a Duck ... . I ask you: Are we talking about the iWireless Center, or the world’s grandest, 12,000-seat aviary?
Obviously the former. But if it’s autumn, it must also be time for the iWireless’ annual hosting of the Quad City Mallards, our area’s own minor-league professional ice-hockey team that will face off against a half-dozen visiting competitors: the Fort Wayne Komets (October 14), the Missouri Mavericks (October 26), the Tulsa Oilers (October 29), the Cincinnati Cyclones (November 6), the Toledo Walleye (November 11), and the Wheeling Nailers (November 19 and 20).
The aforementioned, capitalized Chicks headed to the iWireless are Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, and Emily Robison, best known collectively as the chart-topping Dixie Chicks. The all-time biggest-selling all-female band and country band, these sizzling performers will demonstrate, on September 15, just why their musical output has resulted in a staggering 13 Grammy Awards – five of them for 2007’s Album of the Year Taking the Long Way – and why they can claim album sales of more than 27.5 million in the U.S. alone.
As for the Duck, his friends tend to call him “Donald,” and he’ll be joined by at least two-dozen friends when the iWireless presents two November 4 performances of the touring sensation Disney Live! Mickey & Minnie’s Doorway to Magic. An all-new multimedia stage production boasting favorite Disney characters, the show promises live renditions of some of the most beguiling magical feats in the company’s animated canon, with the Fairy Godmother transforming Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful ball gown, the Toy Story gang popping out of Andy’s toy box, and Rapunzel and Flynn Rider soaring overhead amidst a sea of floating paper lanterns. As that latter segment will no doubt be accompanied by Tangled’s Oscar-nominated song “I See the Light,” I unfortunately can’t bring my niece and nephew to this one. I swore I’d never let them see me cry.
But enough sensitivity – bring on the wrestlers and sledgehammers! On September 23, the iWireless hosts the year’s final touring event with the stars of WWE Live, and among a lineup featuring such crowd favorites as Cesaro, Sasha Banks, and Enzo & Cash, the night boasts three extra-special bouts: the Universal Championship match between Finn Balor and Seth Rollins; the United States Championship match between Roman Reigns and Rusev; and the WWE Tag Team Championship match between The New Day and Gallows & Anderson. October 22, meanwhile, brings with it a special night with comedian and legendary watermelon-smasher Gallagher, appearing with fellow comic Artie Fletcher and local band The Fry Daddies.
Within a week of one another, two exceptional recording artists will make eagerly awaited stops on the iWireless stage. On October 23, the Moline venue will be filled with the inspirational ballads, pop hits, and Celtic standards of Irish legend Daniel O’Donnell, who led 18 of his albums to the top 20 of Billboard’s World Music Albums chart. And on October 27, the iWireless presents a night with the Grammy-winning superstar Keith Urban, whose own Billboard accomplishments have found a whopping 19 of his singles topping the country-music charts.
If it’s thrash metal you’re looking for, look no further than the iWireless on October 7, as the multi-platinum-selling hard rockers of Megadeth bring their tour to the Quad Cities in a head-banging evening featuring additional sets by Armon Amarth, Suicidal Tendencies, and Metal Church. And ending the iWireless Center’s fall schedule at its actual beginning, September 10 boasts even more rockers in a hard-driving, guitar-and-percussion-heavy evening boasting the collective of Drowning Pool, Trapt, Saliva, Saving Abel, Alien Ant Farm, Crazytown, 12 Stones, and Tantric, with an opening set by the Quad Cities’ very own The Zealots. The concert’s official title? Make America Rock Again. Why the hell isn’t that on a hat?!
For more on the iWireless Center’s fall-entertainment roster, visit iWirelessCenter.com.
Rembrandt van Rijn's Abraham's Sacrifice - on display starting September 17
Exhibits
Figge Art Museum
September through November
There are four current exhibitions at Davenport’s Figge Art Museum scheduled to end their runs this fall, and ... .
Wait a minute. What are you doing reading this? Haven’t you heard?! Four Figge exhibits are ending their runs this fall! Get over there pronto!
If, however, you’re too glued to this article to leave it (and Lord knows I’d understand), let me at least tell you what to be on the lookout for after you do enter the Figge doors. On display through September 4, and co-sponsored by Tallgrass QC, Picturing the Prairie celebrates the biodiversity and beauty of the endangered tallgrass prairie, and features photographs, sculptures, watercolors, and more by regional artists Terry Evans, Jin Lee, Mary Merkel Hess, George Olson, Randy Richmond, and Radim Schrieber. David Plowden: An American Master, running through September 11, boasts more than 70 images from the noted photographer’s 60-year career, exploring the rural landscape through images ranging from oceans of grain to intricate bridge spans to motel parking lots.
You still have until September 25 to view the Figge’s expansive memorabilia collection that composes The Wonderful World of Oz: Selections from the Willard Carroll/Tom Wilhite Collection – 110 Oz-related objects including first editions of L. Frank Baum’s books, original sketches, toys, games, and the Wicked Witch’s actual hourglass from the 1939 movie. And on October 30, after nearly a year-long run, the Figge will officially close the curtain on Clay: Traditions in Shards, an exhibition of exquisite craftsmanship and color curated by Dale Fisher of the University of Iowa Museum of Art.
But while the Figge taketh away, the Figge also giveth, with a full seven new exhibitions taking the place of those departing four this autumn. Three of the season’s new arrivals, in fact, will be landing on the same Saturday in September 10’s combined debut of American Scene on Paper, Living Proof Exhibit: Cancer Survivor Art ,and Material Translations. Ranging in subject from nostalgic country life to satiric city scenes, the works in American Scene on Paper (on display through January 1) deliver a vision of the American experience in the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s through the talents of such timeless artists as Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, Martin Lewis, and Edward Hopper. Living Proof (through October 16) showcases some five dozen works by area cancer survivors in an inspiring testament to the creative spirit. Meanwhile, Material Translations (through November 27) is the latest University of Iowa Museum of Art exhibit to find a temporary home at the Figge, and presents sculptures and installations in combination with two-dimensional examples of how artists develop ideas through a variety of materials and media.
Beginning on October 1 and running through February 12, Rose Frantzen’s multi-layered installation Portrait of Maquoketa is a celebratory collection of 180 portraits of citizens ranging in age from a few weeks to well over 90, combined with 34 vertical panels offering panoramic views of the artist’s Iowa hometown. On display from October 8 through January 15, Rembrandt & the Jews: The Berger Print Collection boasts a collection of 22 etchings by the Dutch master that explore the relationship between the legendary artist and the Jewish residents of his Amsterdam neighborhood, and is presented alongside works of other notable Dutch artisans of the period. You'll have from September 3 to November 6 to view the multi-media installation of video and photographic works in the Southwestern-flavored Lily McElroy Controls the Sun & Other Selfless Acts.
Visual art, meanwhile, gets a bit of a musical spin in the Figge’s forthcoming Giving the Devil His Due: The Art of Gary Kelley. A collection of drawings and monotypes on display from September 17 through December 31, this exhibition showcases Kelley’s visualized takes on two musicians – the 19th Century violinist and guitarist Nicole Paganini and the 20th Century blues guitarist Robert Johnson – who, according to legend, achieved perfection by selling their souls to the devil. For the record, I would never do that, as it’s far more satisfying to strive for perfection via endless hours of hard work and sleepless nights. Also, the devil never returns my calls.
For more on the Figge Art Museum’s fall exhibits and events, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
John Waters @ Englert Theatre - October 1
Events
Hancher Auditorium and Englert Theatre
September through November
Dante Alighieri wrote The Divine Comedy. John Waters wrote a bunch of Divine comedies. Which author would you rather hang with for an evening?
Me, too. That’s why it’s so cool that we can spend a couple hours in the company of the writer/director of Pink Flamingos, Lust in the Dust, Polyester, and, let’s not forget, the original Hairspray when John Waters arrives at the Englert Theatre on October 1. Performing in his Filthier & Dirtier Tour, the man whom no less than William Burroughs once called “The Pope of Trash” will share tales of his singular filmmaking career and recent hitchhiking trek across America (detailed in the memoir Carsick), and Waters’ visit is but one of many fantastic autumnal events taking place at the Englert and Iowa City’s neighboring Hancher Auditorium.
In addition to those resulting from Waters’ October visit, laughs will help open the Englert’s fall season in the venue’s night with Hasan Minhaj (September 9), whose Homecoming King Tour allows patrons an up-close-and-personal audience with the noted comedian, author, and Daily Show with Trevor Noah correspondent. More cackles will be had when the creator of Adult Swim’s off-the-wall series The Eric Andre Show – Eric Andre himself – lands at the Englert on October 8, demonstrating why Spin magazine labeled him “an Andy Kaufman for the Four Loko generation.” And no election year would be complete without a visit from the political satirists of Capitol Steps (September 30), whose equal-opportunity offenses in their What to Expect When You’re Electing production will feature Hillary Clinton performing “Deleter of the Facts,” Bernie Sanders crooning “If There Were No Rich Men,” and Donald Trump speak-singing (more likely shout-singing) “Shut Up & Vote for Me.”
But music without accompanying spoofery is also on the Englert’s autumnal docket. The indie-folk artists of The Mountain Goats perform at the venue on September 26, with the Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra hitting the stage the following evening. October brings chamber music with Red Cedar Express (October 2); folk rock with Shovels & Rope (October 3); a silent-film classic scored live in Alloy Orchestra Presents: Man with a Movie Camera (October 6); blues and country with John Hiatt (October 12); pop and rock with Nick Lowe (October 14); Grammy-lauded jazz with Esperanza Spalding (October 25); and an eerie likeness of Steely Dan with The Fez (October 28).
Plus, with Iowa’s own folk singer/songwriter Greg Brown performing on November 19, the Englert’s fall is rounded out with a visit from bestselling Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan on October 7 and special HD screenings of two Shakespeare classics direct from London stages: the Armedia Theatre’s Richard III (September 7) starring Ralph Fiennes and Vanessa Redgrave, and the Branagh Theatre’s Romeo & Juliet (October 12), which reunites Branagh’s 2015 Cinderella stars Richard Madden and Lily James for the title roles.
That’s a bunch of exciting events. And it’s safe to say that, over at Hancher Auditorium, perhaps the most exciting event lined up for the fall is Hancher Auditorium just being there. For the first time since the devastating Iowa City flooding closed the venue in 2008, Hancher is again officially open for business in a brand-new facility that will be celebrated in September 9’s Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony & Open House, which will come complete with tours, refreshments, and a preview of the 2016-17 performing-arts season. If you can’t quite wait for September 9, though, allow me to spill at least a few of Hancher’s figurative beans.
There will be music courtesy of New Orleans greats Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (September 16), the saxophone-led David Sanborn Electric Band (September 29), operatic soprano Renée Fleming (October 8), cellist Maya Beiser (October 27), and folk and Americana ensemble Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands (October 28). Musical comedy hits Hancher in the forms of nine-time Tony winner The Book of Mormon (October 11 through 16) and the shenanigans of Pomp, Brass, & Lunacy! (November 5), vocal and instrumental vaudeville with Tomáš Kubínek, Orchestra Iowa, University of Iowa choirs, and special guest Wycliffe Gordon.
As should be apparent, the Hancher’s fall season is nothing if not varied, and that’s not even mentioning the arrival of the Puppet State Theatre Company of Scotland (October 2 through 6) with its production The Man Who Planted Trees. Or the high-energy dancers of Step Afrika! (October 20) with their new touring presentation The Migration: Reflections of Jacob Lawrence. Or the U of I’s culinary-arts event for foodies – Pullman Bar & Dinner (October 26). Or, Heaven knows, the unbelievably awesome booking of the legendary Steve Martin and Martin Short, who, along with jazz keyboardist Jeff Babko and Martin’s bluegrass band the Steep Canyon Rangers, present an evening of comedy and music titled An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of the Life. I’d tell you the date, but I can’t remember what it is.
Kidding. It’s September 24.
What?! Only Martin and Short are allowed to be funny?!
For more information on the Englert Theatre’s fall season, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org, and for more on Hancher Auditorium’s autumn, call (319)335-1160 or visit Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Paige Hernandez @ Nighswander Theatre - October 1
Performing Arts
Quad City Arts Visiting Artists
September through November
Every year, Quad City Arts assembles a sensational variety of performers and educators for its Visiting Artist residency series, with the recruited professionals collectively famed for their work in all manner of artistic disciplines. The organization’s 2016-17 Visiting Artist season is no exception, because check out whom Quad City Arts has scheduled for classroom presentations and public performances this fall: An actor. A singer. A dancer. An acrobat. A choreographer. A playwright. A poet. A producer. Even a graphic designer. And that’s just Paige Hernandez.
Known and admired primarily for her fusions of theatre, hip-hop, dance, and education, the New York-based Hernandez is exactly whom you’d point to in order to prove that the axiom “Those who can’t do, teach” is a big, fat lie. A performer with theatrical credits ranging from The Wizard of Oz to The Crucible to the recent Chekhov satire Stupid F---ing Bird, Hernandez has appeared at such prestigious venues as Lincoln Center, Michigan’s Wharton Center, and Texas’ Paramount Theatre; she’s a member of the Actors Equity Association and a commissioned playwright for the Kennedy Center; and she recently received two Helen Hayes Award nominations for choreography and performance. But while audiences can get a sense of her protean talents during Hernandez’s October 1 public performance at Davenport’s Nighswander Theatre, area students will no doubt be treated to a first-rate education on the art of performance during her area stay. Not for nothing, I’m guessing, was Hernandez named a “classroom hero” by the Huffington Post.
But Hernandez is just the start of Quad City Arts’ outstanding – and incredibly musical – fall lineup. Performing publicly at Augustana College’s Wallenberg Hall on October 16, Imani Winds is the Grammy-nominated quintet that provides master classes for thousands of students per year, and still somehow finds time for concerts and recitals at venues that include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and Disney Hall. Composed of Valerie Coleman on flute, Mark Dover on clarinet, Monica Ellis on bassoon, Jeff Scott on French horn, and Toyin Spellman-Diaz an oboe, the New York-based ensemble is revered for its renditions of everything from classical and chamber music to jazz and Latin-American compositions, and the Washington Post praised Imani Winds for the group’s “sultry sophistication.”
Less than one week after that ensemble’s public performance, the busy folks at Quad City Arts will host another when the chamber musicians of the Phildelphia-based Dalí Quartet bring their talents to St. Ambrose University’s Galvin Fine Arts Center on October 22. I could tell you how gifted this foursome is in regard to their repertoire of Latin-American, classical, and Romantic pieces, but I actually don’t have to – not when there are so many others able to do it for me. Here’s but a sampling of the reviews the musicians have received for their live performances. The Philadelphia Inquirer: “The Dalí Quartet’s Latin-American program alternately glimmered and blazed.” The Pendulum: “They rose and fell at all the right moments, and every dynamic or emotional charge was effortlessly synchronized.” The Chestnut Hill Local: “The music pulsed with excitement.” Salt Lake Magazine: “The Dalí Quartet is a remarkable ensemble; it’s a true crossover group in the best sense of the word.”
And wrapping up the fall lineup for Quad City Arts, the New York City jazz singer/composer Kavita Shah delivers her public performance at Davenport’s First Presbyterian Church on November 12. A Manhattan native who, as a member of the award-winning Young People’s Chorus of NYC, began performing regularly at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center at the ripe old age of 10, Shah was named Downbeat magazine’s “Best Graduate Jazz Vocalist” in 2012, won the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award the following year, and released her album debut Visions in 2014. According to Downbeat, it’s a “breathtakingly beautiful” release in which “Shah soars with understated majesty while alternately singing in Portuguese, Spanish, and English.” So: Parábens senhorita Shah para su maravilloso talento and accomplishments!” That’s me singing her praises in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. I’d imagine it’s harder to sing that way than it is to use an Internet translator to write that way.
For more on Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artists series, call (309)793-1213 or visit QuadCityArts.com.
The Book of Mormon @ Hancher Auditorium - October 11 through 16
Theatre
Musicals and Dance
September through November
Hello! My name is Michael Schulz. And I would like to share with you the most amazing news!
That perfectly scanned opener is designed specifically for fans of The Book of Mormon. And if you’re not a fan of The Book of Mormon ... . Well, I’m guessing that you probably haven’t yet seen or heard The Book of Mormon. But you can amend that cultural deficiency between October 11 and 16, because that’s when Iowa City’s Hancher Auditorium will present the touring production of Trey Parker’s, Matt Stone’s, and Robert Lopez’s iconic, hysterical Broadway smash – a nine-time Tony winner that’s just one of more than a dozen exhilarating musical and dance productions heading our way over the next three months.
We can always count on the professional talents of Ballet Quad Cities to put some spring in our autumnal steps, and this year finds the mad-gifted dance ensemble collaborating with principal dancer Domingo Rubio in the return of Dracula, a spooky, Halloween-themed treat being performed at Moline’s Scottish Rite Cathedral October 21 and 22. Yet in something of a seasonal rarity, there are even more chances to catch exhilarating choreographed moves on area stages this fall: Davenport’s Adler Theatre hosts the inspiring Celtic hoofers of Rockin’ Road to Dublin (October 7); Hancher presents the world-touring artists of Step Afrika! (October 20) in their new presentation The Migration: Reflections of Jacob Lawrence; and on September 17, St. Ambrose University’s Galvin Fine Arts Center delivers a night with a Minneapolis dance troupe and its trunk of tap shoes and outrageous costumes in the funk spectacular Feet Don’t Fail Me Now! (Sadly, on the dance floor, mine fail me all the time.)
I doubt they’ll tap, or do anything in the way of a kick line, but there will certainly be classic tunes on hand with the stars of the Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse’s Tony-winning Million Dollar Quartet (September 1 through November 5), considering that the stars of director Curt Wollan’s musical portray Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. Another music legend is given a stage tribute when Mt. Carroll’s Timber Lake Playhouse presents beloved country and gospel tunes in Always ... Patsy Cline (September 9 through 18). And if it’s fall, it must be time to do the “Time Warp” again, which the show’s many fans can – and no doubt will – in the Circa ’21 Speakeasy’s new production of The Rocky Horror Show (October 8 through 29) co-directed by those marvelously talented marrieds Bret and Erin Churchill.
Although school is back in session, kids can make the most of their free time with a pair of stage musicals designed specifically for them: the children’s book adaptation Miss Nelson Has a Field Day (September 17 through October 1) at Amana’s Old Creamery Theatre, and the student-performed Pegora the Witch (October 22 through 30), which – “witch”? – has the distinction of being the 300th mainstage show to be produced at Davenport Junior Theatre. The holidays land in our area early via Circa ’21’s and director Ann Nieman’s yuletide revue Holly Jolly Christmas (November 9 through December 29) and the Old Creamery’s dop-wop sequel Winter Wonderettes (November 17 through December 18), the latter of which follows the theatre’s early-autumn staging of the Broadway smash Grease (September 8 through October 2).
Meanwhile, fans of this year’s Tony-dominating Hamilton – and again, if you’re not a fan ... – will surely want to check out the season-opening production at the University of Iowa’s David Thayer Theatre, which finds Chicago’s Q Brothers collective collaborating with students on a world-premiere musical inspired by Shakespeare: Hip-Hop Julius Caesar (September 29 through October 15). Hey, if our Founding Fathers could handle the update, I’m thinking that bastard Brutus can suck it up, too.
For more on the area’s fall-theatre and -dance lineup, visit the Reader’s online events calendar.
Adam Cerny, Jason Platt, Pamela Briggs, Nancy Teerlinck, and Jason Dlouhy in Deathtrap @ Playcrafters – opens September 9
Theatre
Comedies and Dramas
September through November
Well, there’s good news and grim news regarding our area’s schedule of fall stage comedies and dramas. The good news is that it includes two Shakespeares, two world premieres, four Tony Award winners, two Tony nominees, and not one, not two, but three recipients of the Pulitzer Prize. The grim news is that this particular collection of plays addresses murder, infidelity, racism, sexism, post-traumatic stress disorder, police brutality, and cyber-sex; features a pair of protagonists who murder their wives; and boasts not one, not two, but three narratives centered on dead children.
So, you know ... . Happy autumn, everybody!
Let’s deal with that last subset of grimness first, if only because – surprise! – it lets me shamelessly promote a show I myself am acting in. The QC Theatre Workshop’s next presentation is Sam Shepard’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, black-comic, dysfunctional-family saga Buried Child (October 14 through 30), with director James Fairchild leading a cast that finds real-life spouses Pat and Patti Flaherty portraying vocally combative stage spouses. St. Ambrose University will present director Max Moline’s studio-theatre take on Agnes of God (September 8 through 10), author John Pielmeier’s Tony-winning drama about a deceased baby and the infant’s convent-novice birth mother. And another Pulitzer winner arrives in the form of author David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole (September 1 through 4), director Joe Oliger’s studio-theatre exploration of a fatal car accident’s aftermath, and the first production housed in Augustana College’s new Kim & Donna Brunner Theatre Center facility.
While we’re on the subject of St. Ambrose and Augustana, both schools will pay tribute to the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s passing with eagerly anticipated mainstage productions: SAU Professor Corinne Johnson directs Jordan McGinnis’ Prospero and many others through the enchanted land of the Bard’s The Tempest (October 7 through 9), and Augie’s Jeff Coussens – a memorable Iago for the college in 1993 – leads titular portrayer Debo Balogun and fellow students through the tragic drama of Shakespeare’s Othello (October 14 through 23).
While Theatre of the Oppressed may sound like a blanket title for all companies whose participants work long hours for no money, it’s actually the title of the forthcoming, interactive stage experience at Scott Community College (October 14, 26, and 28) in which director Kevin Babbitt and SCC students address issues of racism, sexism, and heterosexism. Davenport’s New Ground Theatre and director Chris Jansen explore the life of a soldier potentially suffering from PTSD in author Quiara Allegria Hudes’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Water by the Spoonful (September 30 through October 9). And with director Dana Moss-Peterson at the helm, a cure for mental deficiencies may be found, and lost again, in the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre’s Flowers for Algernon (October 6 through 16), a poignant drama that, in its 1968 film version Charly, earned Cliff Robertson a Best Actor Oscar.
Excepting The Tempest, this might seem like an awful lot of downbeat offerings this fall, especially after you add in a couple of Iowa City productions: Riverside Theatre’s and writer/director Sean Lewis’ Black & Blue (September 9 through 25), which explores the repercussions of a possible police-brutality incident, and Dreamwell Theatre’s The Nether (September 16 through 24), director Rachel Lindhart’s take on Jennifer Haley’s controversial sci-fi drama about a world in which logged-in customers are allowed to do anything – anything – with virtual children. But let’s remember that challenging stage material presented well can still be thoroughly entertaining and even transporting. Let’s also remember that no theatre season worth its salt would ever be wall-to-wall grimness.
Even though the title of the Playcrafters Barn Theatre’s next theatrical offering is Deathtrap (September 9 through 28), director Patti Flaherty’s take on Ira Levin’s Broadway-smash mystery/comedy is sure to be one of the lightest examinations of death and traps you’ve ever seen, and the Barn concludes its 2016 season with director Jacque Cohoon’s Stocking Stuffers (November 11 through 20), a series of 15 comedic, holiday-themed vignettes. New Ground follows Water by the Spoonful with the romantic comedy of author Jason Odell Williams’ critically acclaimed Handle with Care (November 4 through 13). Augustana presents a socially conscious production for family audiences in director Jackie McCall’s environmentally aware Just a Dream: The Dream Play (October 1 and 2).
And in Iowa City, not only will the University of Iowa’s David Thayer Theatre house Christopher Durang’s fabulously funny comedy of manners Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike (November 10 through 19), but the neighboring Riverside Theatre presents director Angie Toonmsen’s take on Lauren Gunderson’s election-year comedy The Taming (October 28 through November 13). Its plot, according to the theatre’s Web site, can actually be detailed in a question: “What happens when a conservative senatorial aide, a liberal political activist, and a newly crowned Miss Georgia walk into a bar?” I have no earthly idea. But if that happened in real life, no doubt some drunken idiot would walk up to these women and ask, “Hey, why are three pretty ladies like you sitting here all alone?”
For more on the area’s fall-theatre schedule, visit the Reader’s online events calendar. | http://www.rcreader.com/lifestyle/58-noteworthy-events/44992-whats-happenin-fall-2016 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/25fa21849c6f5230cdae5402e766404ef9073404f5a99126869fa416ed4c7515.json |
[
"Mike Schulz"
] | 2016-08-29T22:53:22 | null | 2016-08-29T11:22:23 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcreader.com%2F13-reader-articles%2Fmovies%2Fmovie-reviews%2F45016-bridges-hell-high-water.json | http://www.rcreader.com/images/stories/2016/916/hell1170.jpg | en | null | Bridges Over Troubled Brothers: “Hell or High Water” and “Southside with You” | null | null | www.rcreader.com | HELL OR HIGH WATER
Jeff Bridges has given so many fantastically lived-in, and just plain fantastic, screen performances over nearly a half-century that picking out his best is a true fool’s errand. Yet if pressed for his most entertaining one, I’d be tempted to go with Bridges’ drunken sharpshooter Rooster Cogburn in 2010’s True Grit, which would make his portrayal of Hell or High Water’s Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton – more sober than Rooster but equally funny, marble-mouthed, and moving – a close second.
In director David Mackenzie’s languid crime drama, Bridges’ Hamilton and his half-Mexican, half-Native American partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) are hot on the trail of fledgling bank robbers Toby and Tanner Howard (Chris Pine and Ben Foster), brothers whose seemingly petty thefts – no bills over a $20 denomination – are quite ingeniously tied to their plan to get the family farmstead out of hock. “Hot on the trail,” though, is really overstating matters, because at best the Rangers are lukewarm on the trail. The brothers’ crimes aren’t so heinous that the manhunt can’t be delayed in favor of a few Lone Stars and some teasing conversation, and several scenes here are spent with Hamilton and Parker awaiting the Howards in an Oklahoma dust bowl before realizing that, doggone it – they’re awaiting them in the wrong town.
Ben Foster and Chris Pine in Hell or High Water
All told, I really enjoyed Mackenzie’s and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan’s ultra-low-key take on a traditional chase picture – a work that suggests The Fugitive performed at 16 rpm – and loved the ease with which its West Texas figures conversed, their drawling insouciance disguising, or at least deflecting, the seriousness of their missions. If, however, I find Hell or High Water a good time rather than a great one, it’s because its stakes feel almost too low. Admirable though he is, Pine is forced to carry too much of the drama’s weight through a façade of terse implacability – which, in turn, makes Foster’s expected showiness as The Crazy One look all the more like grandstanding – and the sun-drenched casualness is occasionally indistinguishable from aimlessness; at times, it’s like an action thriller with heatstroke. (The movie also overplays its thematic loathing of big banks, and the economic plight of depressed Southwestern burgs, both verbally and visually. Whenever characters drive on the highway, you can bet they’ll pass at least two billboards advertising whom to call in the case of foreclosure.)
Still, the film is strong and effective, and despite its downbeat subject matter, an awful lot of fun. Bridges earns best-in-fun honors for his seen-it-all Ranger who’s fighting his imminent retirement with a whip and a chair, and he shares comically combative rapport with Birmingham; the two are like longtime marrieds who substitute racist and ageist jokes for sex. Sheridan’s non-sequitur-laden dialogue is as crisp and heated as cinematographer Giles Nuttgens’ regional photography. And while Hell or High Water’s women are relegated to minor roles, they’re almost freakishly well-cast and -performed: Marin Ireland as Toby’s bitter ex-wife, Dale Dickey as a salty bank teller, Katy Mixon as a flirtatious café employee, and, finest of all, Margaret Bowman as a hilariously mean café waitress who doesn’t ask the Rangers what they want for lunch (she’s bringing them medium-rare T-bone steaks, damn it), but asks what they don’t want – a side of baked potato or green beans. Hamilton doesn’t fight the woman about the imposed meal, and sheepishly demurs on the green beans. An actor as great as Jeff Bridges knows when a scene partner has him beat.
Tika Sumpter and Parkers Sawyers in Southside with You
SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU
Have you heard about the hero of Southside with You? He smokes! He smokes like a freakin’ chimney! Not only that, but he drives a beater car with a passenger-side hole in the floor through which you can see the pavement! And he defends Mookie throwing that garbage can through the window of Sal’s Pizzeria in Do the Right Thing! And he drops the F bomb! And he doesn’t like ice cream! What kind of monster is this guy?!
Turns out he’s the kind that eventually becomes President of the United States, and writer/director Richard Tanne’s Southside with You is the somewhat fictionalized account of Barack Obama’s and Michelle Robinson’s very first date in the summer of 1989 – a sort of Before Sunrise with Chicago locales in place of Viennese ones and just a bit more discussion of politics. As your enjoyment of the film will almost inevitably dovetail with your general feelings about the President and First Lady, I may as well state that I ate this thing up with a spoon, even though I don’t feel blind to the movie’s flaws: the too-obvious lionization of its subjects; the dialogue that sounds more like practiced banter than actual talk; the awkward conversational repetition of the names “Barack” and “Michelle,” as though Tanne felt we needed constant reminders about who these characters are (and are going to be). But running an ideal 84 minutes, Southside with You is a total winner as a romantic comedy because it gives you what all satisfying rom-coms should and so rarely do: a pair of extremely talented, engaging leads whose effortless chemistry suggests they’re a match made in Heaven, and whose personalities clash just enough to make you appreciate how rare and wonderful it is when a perfect match is made.
It certainly helps that Tika Sumpter, as Michelle, and Parker Sawyers, as Barack, look and (especially) sound enough like their counterparts for you to buy that they truly are the famed figures they’re portraying. (If you close your eyes during Sawyers’ church speech about plans for a neighborhood community center, you could easily be fooled into thinking he was the genuine article.) Yet even if the movie were purely a work of fiction, you’d have no trouble buying the actors’ alternately playful and wary dynamic, with the leery Michelle repeatedly insisting, because of their business association, that theirs is a “non-date,” and Barack repeatedly proving that he doesn’t care; he’s happy just to finally be spending time with her. (After a lengthy monologue in which Michelle explains that, as a black woman, she’s worked too hard to gain professional respect to fall for the first cute guy who walks in the office, Barack’s immediate response is “You think I’m cute?”) Michelle keeps half-fighting the romantic ardor of this unmistakably smooth operator, and as she does the film smuggles in a Linklater-movie’s worth of confession and reflection and beautiful character detail wherever they go: an Afro-centric art exhibit showcasing the joyous works of painter Ernie Barnes; a city park where Barack shares his unresolved feelings about his father; a downtown bar prior to a screening of Spike Lee’s controversial summertime smash. Michelle and Barack, and Sumpter and Sawyers, prove to be exquisite company, and even though you know how well this date will ultimately go long before its participants do, Tanne and his stars make you nearly ache for its Happily Ever After, which all three deliver to thunderously moving effect in, of all places, the parking lot of a Baskin-Robbins. For all of its carefully prescribed badinage and Wikipedia-like biographical info, I’m not ashamed to admit that Southside with You made me swoon. “Four more years!” may not happen, but that’s roughly how long I wish this movie had lasted.
For reviews of Don’t Breathe and Mechanic: Resurrection, visit “The Blind Leading the Blond.”
Follow Mike on Twitter at Twitter.com/MikeSchulzNow. | http://www.rcreader.com/13-reader-articles/movies/movie-reviews/45016-bridges-hell-high-water | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.rcreader.com/10d9306d01db8dd9b251361c24ba36681b0e0511ad9759e5afe41cb8677026f4.json |
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