It was Robert Frost that said, “Good fences make good neighbors.” In today's fast-paced, noisy world, we all need our privacy. Without it, we become moody – perhaps, even grumpy – neighbors. Sometimes it is enough just to define a line of demarcation along the boundary, so it's always clear where your land ends and your neighbor's begins. If that's the objective, some plants effectively discourage trespassers. Fast Growing Shrubs for Privacy Most gardeners who landscape to achieve … [Read more...] about Creating Landscaping Property Lines
Columnists
Two Dozen Graduate from ‘First Jobs’ Program
Finding your first job when you are young, inexperienced and uncertain about where to start, how to dress and how to act can be overwhelming. Goodwill Industries of Northern Arizona and Coconino Community College have partnered to help lessen the stress for teens ages 14-19 years with an initiative called “First Jobs.” First Jobs helps take the uncertainty out of a teen’s first job search with classroom-based job training paired with assistance in securing their first paying position. … [Read more...] about Two Dozen Graduate from ‘First Jobs’ Program
Patriotism Blooms at Healing Fields
The Stars and Stripes will wave from more than 3,000 flagpoles for the fifth consecutive year at the Prescott Valley Civic Center grounds during the week of Sept. 10 -16. Known as the Healing Fields and Honor Flag display, the array commemorates the terrorist attacks on American soil on Sept 11, 2001. “We must never forget the horrific events of 15 years ago,” said Darlene Packard, a Prescott Valley resident now in her second year as event chair and organizer. “What we do during our … [Read more...] about Patriotism Blooms at Healing Fields
Simple Solutions for Maintaining a Healthy Home
Today’s world offers us a host of reasons to view our homes as sanctuaries and protection from toxic and polluted environments. We clean, we sanitize. We buy bottled water, take our vitamins and try to go to bed by 10 p.m. Good enough, right? Well, simply put, no. Our homes are full of offensive toxins from formaldehyde in our newly purchased clothing (present through up to 20 washings!), to the off gas our latex mattress can leave for years after we buy it. There are some simple and … [Read more...] about Simple Solutions for Maintaining a Healthy Home
The Soil Report
Welcome to “At Home With Heidi & Sandy.” We are here to give you the inside scoop on real estate and the construction industry: what’s up, what’s down, what’s hot and what’s not. We’ll share real estate stats, home prices, building permit numbers, lending information, construction pointers and give you hints on renovations that will give you a return on your investment. There is plenty going on in the real estate industry and the construction industry and we want to share some fantastic, … [Read more...] about The Soil Report
Evaluating New Options for Skin Rejuvenation
There are a plethora of new skin treatments – some work and some are less effective. When you are considering anti-aging treatments, you need to evaluate a number of factors in addition to effectiveness including your own personal goals, issues with your skin, cost, long-term commitment required, toxicity and invasiveness. I would like to address of few of the most frequently asked questions and comments posed by our clients regarding the treatments offered at The Prescott DermaLift Clinic, … [Read more...] about Evaluating New Options for Skin Rejuvenation
Plan a Great Staycation this Summer
Summer is upon us, a time when many like to get away and enjoy a vacation away from home. As appealing as leaving your busy life behind and sipping fruity drinks with your feet in the sand may sound, it isn’t always the most realistic option. For a family, organizing a summer vacation may be a challenge because of conflicting schedules, not to mention the price of airfare and lodging. Young adults and professionals may feel uncomfortable being completely disconnected from their lives, leaving … [Read more...] about Plan a Great Staycation this Summer
Maximizing Social Security Benefits
With so many baby boomers on the verge of retiring, Social Security has become a hot topic, especially when it comes to finding out how to maximize one’s benefit. One of the reasons Social Security is such a trending topic right now is due to the fact that, after years of paying into Social Security, the largest generation ever is on the brink of reaping (or has already begun to reap) their benefits. President John F. Kennedy said, “A Nation’s strength lies in the well-being of its people.” … [Read more...] about Maximizing Social Security Benefits
Preparing Your Business for Sale
WCI Brokers is the largest full-service business brokerage firm in Northern Arizona. As business intermediaries, we have facilitated more than 500 business acquisitions in Northern Arizona over the past 15 years. This article is part of a series of articles written by our professionals at WCI Brokers on topics important to business owners interested in selling their businesses. A couple of statistics are noteworthy. Did you know that only 8,000 small and mid-sized companies are sold every … [Read more...] about Preparing Your Business for Sale
Yes, the State’s PSPRS Debt Can Be Solved
It is no secret. The Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) is in desperate circumstances, just as are so many pension systems across the nation. Overall, Arizona governmental units owe $6.3 billion to the pension fund. The debt continues to grow because of several factors, primarily, poor investment decisions, a much less than expected rate of return on fund investments over many years and a recent court decision (Fields case). A second pending court decision (Hall case) … [Read more...] about Yes, the State’s PSPRS Debt Can Be Solved