I stepped through the metal detector and was slipping my brown leather belt back through belt loops when I heard a lilting voice behind me. “Are you Ray Newton? I turned. A blonde-haired woman extended her hand. “I’m Marvy McNeese. Welcome to my school.” She is the principal of Yavapai County Detention School, an extension of the first Education Service Agency in Arizona to become fully accredited through AdvancED. McNeese led me through a series of electronically controlled doors … [Read more...] about ‘Every Kid Deserves to be Loved’
spotlight
Honoring a Champion for Children, Homeless
Diane Iverson is known as someone who has made a difference in the lives of hundreds. More than 130 people joined in a recent celebration, which included three standing ovations, to honor her nearly two decades of service with the Coalition for Compassion and Justice. Iverson was a founding member of the CCJ and later became a full-time staff member, retiring as the director of special projects. Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce President Marnie Uhl emceed the “Diane Iverson Legacy … [Read more...] about Honoring a Champion for Children, Homeless
Helping Prescott Airport Reach Higher Levels
Robin Sobotta has been chosen to serve as director of Prescott Municipal Airport. On loan from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, she will serve until the fall of 2019, when she is expected to return from this sabbatical to the school. “Prescott is such a lovely community and lovely airport,” Sobotta said. During this time, she hopes to help complete an airport master plan, oversee economic development, determine how to increase air service and take part in the day-to-day operation of … [Read more...] about Helping Prescott Airport Reach Higher Levels
Prescott Valley’s Longest Serving Mayor Looking Toward Retirement
When 13-year-old Ashlyn asked her grandfather what a mayor does, Harvey Skoog gave his answer serious thought. At the time, Skoog was midway through his third term as mayor of the Town of Prescott Valley. “Even though I had been mayor for several years, I decided I needed to be able to explain clearly to an inexperienced teenager what a mayor does. In doing that, it made me clarify for myself what the role involved,” Skoog explained. Skoog, now 79-years-old, said, “The primary concern is … [Read more...] about Prescott Valley’s Longest Serving Mayor Looking Toward Retirement
Leslie Horton has her Finger on the Pulse County Health
“I hope the communities we serve are safer and healthier because of what we do.” That’s the credo that Leslie Horton, director of Yavapai County Community Health Services, makes public whenever she has the chance. “I see my obligation as assuring that public health services are effectively and efficiently delivered throughout Yavapai County,” said Horton, who earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Northern Arizona University in public health administration. The 38-year-old … [Read more...] about Leslie Horton has her Finger on the Pulse County Health
‘Thanks for All You Do’
Thrusting his hand out in warm handshake, he smiles broadly. “Hi, I’m Harold Viehweg. Thanks for all you do for the community.” That is a pretty typical greeting most people get when they meet Viehweg in his tightly-organized, uncluttered ground-floor office in the Prescott Chamber of Commerce building on Goodwin Street. Not everyone who enters the Prescott C of C sees Viehweg, for his office is at the rear of the tall skinny two-story building. However, Viehweg has been a chamber official … [Read more...] about ‘Thanks for All You Do’
More Than A Broker
When Kyle Karstens’s name comes up, typical responses sound something like this: “She’s got the biggest grin, happiest smile and the best sense of humor. She makes even the toughest real estate decisions understandable.” Kyle Karstens is one half of the Karstens and Associates Realty team in Prescott. She and her husband of 35 years, Steve, have been handling real estate in Prescott for 22 of those years. Those involved in the real estate business may say it is often a frustrating, … [Read more...] about More Than A Broker
Teller Continues Looking Up
As a youngster, Arlando Teller stood in the yard of his Chinle home on the Navajo Reservation and looked up at an azure sky pebbled with popcorn clouds and jet contrails. He wondered where those white streaks crisscrossing the wild blue yonder were headed. When he graduated from Chinle High School in 1991, his continuing curiosity prompted him to find out. He wanted to become a part of that high-flying adventure. He enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – home of the Eagles – in … [Read more...] about Teller Continues Looking Up
Veterinarian Helping Practices Manage Records
When Cindy Barnes bought the Prescott Area Pet Emergency Hospital (PAPEH) in April 2015, she had no idea that within weeks, she would convert it to a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week facility that would soon serve all of Northern Arizona. Barnes, who earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Colorado State University in 2012, understands that pet owners want the same kind of care for their non-human companions as most people want for their direct family and friends. But when the … [Read more...] about Veterinarian Helping Practices Manage Records
Billie Orr – Servant Leader
A longtime resident of the Quad Cities area observed, “Billie Orr is a really neat person. And she always looks so sharp in red – smart and sassy, just like she is.” That seems a solid observation. Prescott City Council member and community activist Billie Orr dedicates her time and many abilities to serving the greater community and speaking out boldly about causes in which she believes. Though a native of Jackson, Mississippi, Billie, as she is known by most, has been in Arizona off and … [Read more...] about Billie Orr – Servant Leader