Contemporary Prescott...

Contemporary Prescott... 1980 1985

What we want is moderate, orderly, guided growth that lets us retain the quality of life that has brought us here or beld us bere. William A. Young, Mayor of Prescott It's a real balancing act," said the mayor. "We need some growth to ensure a sound economy and create opportunities. But too much growth, too fast, can threaten the very things that make Prescott an appealing place."

Bill Young is in his first term as mayor, but he is not a novice in municipal government. In the 1970s he served as a city councilman in the administrations of Vic Lytle and Jerri Wagner. A nineteen-year resident of Prescott, he loves his town and seems to enjoy being its chief executive, despite the inevitable crossfire the position sometimes invites.

Guiding growth sensibly concerns a lot of people in Prescott-in city government, at the chamber of commerce, thoughtful citizens. No one can keep people from moving to town, of course, but there are ways to influence what kinds of businesses are attracted; what kinds of uses of lands are permitted and where; what the general environment will be. The city has long had a comprehensive plan, and has recently added to its planning and zoning structure a separate commission for planned growth and development.

The city's zoning function is often controversial. A good many householders, while endorsing the comprehensive plan, seem to think its value has been diluted by the granting of too many variances to developers.

Yet, despite the problems, I found-as a returning son of this small mountain city-an affection for and loyalty to the community that seems every bit as strong as when I lived here as a boy. Moreover, the townspeople have been drawn together in opposition to two proposals concerning government land: a request by the Phelps Dodge Corporation to trade some of its property for federal acreage west of town (opponents fear a new copper mine), and a suggested exchange of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management preserves that threatens the continued existence of the beloved Prescott National Forest.

"I see a growing militancy, in defense of what's best about Prescott," said Budge Ruffner. "We have some very effective groups at work. There are always the socalled hard-nosed businessmen who oppose anything they consider 'frills' - like required landscaping if it costs money. But many of the business people, too, realize that the beauty and character of the town are their greatest assets."

The spirit of its people has always been one of Prescott's strengths, insists Mary Baker, manager of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce. One measure of this is the high level of volunteerism. "This is the most fantastic community for volunteers I have ever seen," she told me. "And it's especially apparent in the response to emergencies-like the '67 snow, or the heavy rains and flooding in September, 1983. Everyone pitches in. There's really a possessive attitude: 'This is my town.'"

It is that pride of community that won over Shannon Rosenblatt, who came to Prescott as a young wife and mother from Washington, D.C., in 1971. She and her husband, attorney Paul G. Rosenblattnow a federal judgewere moving to his hometown. "He was very happy, but I had some real misgivings," she said. "My first worry was the schools. But one conversation with Mr. (Jean) Loving, the principal at Washington, and I knew everything was going to be all right there. And it has been. Children get an excellent basic education in the Prescott schools."

Shannon plunged into Prescott community life and has hardly paused since. She has been a moving force in innumerable civic organizations. I asked which of her many activities and causes had given her the most satisfaction.

"That's difficult, but I'll name three," she said. "Saving Washington School. Being co-founder of the Prescott Symphony Guild to support the Yavapai Symphony Association-that's meant having our own Phoenix Symphony and San Francisco Opera seasons, and sponsoring the county young musicians' competitions. There's such a growing support for all the arts here.

"And, third, seeing the town start some long-range planning. I spent five years on the planning and zoning commission and then worked on the planned growth and development committee. I think that's very important. Prescott came late to the recognition of the need for advance thinking and future planning it's always seemed that a crisis was necessary to precipitate action.

"You know, Prescott people are really interesting. They are strong-minded individuals. It makes it very difficult to build a consensus. But when you do, you know you have solid support.

"It's a pocket of honest-to-God working democracy."

And that, I suppose, is one of the best things anyone could say about a town. That Prescott is made up of people who care, who are willing to work, who will stick their necks out. From their agreements and disagreements, their voting and debating and volunteering emerges a vibrant little city that is still a comfortable place to live and an appealing place to visit.

That's why I keep coming back."

Selected Reading

Echoes of the Past: Tales of Old Yavapai, Volumes 1 and 2. Edited by L. C. Morgan and R. C. Stevens. Yavapai Cowbelles Inc., Prescott, 1955, 1964.

Arizona, by Marshall Trimble, Doubleday & Co., Inc., Garden City, 1977.

Joseph Reddeford Walker and the Arizona Adventure, by D. Conner. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1956.

Vanished Arizona, by Martha Summerbayes. The Rio Grande Press, Inc., Glorietta, 1908, 1970.

A Passion for Freedom: The Life of Sharlot Hall, by Margaret Maxwell. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1982.

A Soldier-Scientist in the American Southwest, by M. J. Brodhead. Arizona Historical Society, Tucson, 1973.

Founding a Wilderness Capital, by Pauline Henson. Northland Press, Flagstaff, 1965.

They Call Me Hunter, by Hunter Wells. Ralph Tanner Associates, Inc., Prescott, 1984.

-Compiled by Lori Frearson After a distinguished career editing for Sunset and National Geographic books, Merrill Windsor now free-lances from Phoenix.

Free-lance photojournalist and photography instructor at Yavapai and Prescott colleges, Christine Keith has lived in Prescott for eight years.

As an outrageous satirist for Phoenix's New Times, Bob Boze Bell weekly lampoons life in Arizona. His book Low Blows is a collection of his best (or worst) work.

YOURS SINCERELY

Helicopter Controversy I recently read your February, '85, issue. The best of love/hate comes to mind. "Clinging" was a super article-I was really drawn into it. "Skyhook" was great, a real history lesson, but it touched a soft spot when it mentioned Grand Canyon flights. In September when I hiked the nine miles from Hermit Rapid to the South Rim, I counted close to fifty noisy helicopter passes over the area, and have had similar experiences on other hikes in the Canyon. It seems unfair to me that the natural experience of the Grand Canyon is spoiled by the severe overuse of scenic chopper flights. I believe in unlimited use of choppers for essential services such as search and rescue etc., but scenic flights and their noise pollution must end or be heavily restricted. Hike the Canyon this year and I'm sure you'll agree. I'm sure Major John Wesley Powell or even Igor Sikorsky would not approve of such abuses of one of the natural wonders of the world.

Taking a Positive View If you were ninety-five years old, how many years would you pay for?

The above question was posed in response to our multi-year discounts: two years for twenty-five dollars; three years for thirty-five dollars. We still believe these are attractive offers for Arizona High-ways subscribers of ninety-four years or younger.

Itching to Know If Jack Dykinga and Herb McReynolds walked through the "sumac" they photographed (page 30) in the May issue, they may still be scratching! It's poison ivy.

In the May issue there was a picture of fall foliage. It's named sumac. To this Northern eye it looks more like poison ivy or poison oak. Correct me if I'm wrong, please. Still thoroughly enjoy every issue.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, the photograph of the brilliant red sumac in the May issue is best known as poison ivy. Botanically, the plant pictured is in the Sumac or Rhus genus. There are three poison ivies in that genus-poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak-and the three-leaved grouping is common to all three. When I was a licensed outdoor trainer for the Girl Scouts I taught this doggerel to adults and children - "Three leaves - stay clear. Five leaves-don't fear."

Oops On page 10 of the May issue there is a reference to "emerald blue reservoirs...." Now that I gotta see! The blue gemstone you probably had in mind is the sapphire.

How come the snowcapped bus drivers on page 17 of the May issue are snow-capped only most of the year? My snow-cap lasts 365 days every year!

But I do love the magazine despite its dangling participles.

The Magazine That Lasts

I have taken Arizona Highways over forty years under three different names-Farnsworth, Campbell, and Hill-and I still love it. Keep up the good work. You've outlasted three husbands.

BOOKSHELF BY BUDGE RUFFNER A VIEW FROM BLACK MESA: THE CHANGING FACE OF ARCHAEOLOGY. By George J. Gumerman. University of Arizona Press, 1615 East Speedway, Tucson, AZ 85719. 1984. 184 pages. $18.95, hardcover.

Perhaps no science nor discipline is misunderstood more than that of archeology. A common concept of this demanding endeavor is that of an orderly treasure hunt; pith-helmeted visionaries seeking pieces of the past. While the shards, arrowpoints, and ancient tools are critical, they are only the evidence of the true treasure the archeologist seeks. His ultimate goal is information concerning past human behavior.

Much of the blame for misconception can be placed on the profession itself. The members of this elite and often lonely group have done too little to inform the public of the nature and value of their work. Now, in the latter part of the twentieth century, this once-secondary science has come into its own. While the trowel and brush still play a vital part, the new tools of the trade, helicopters, computers, and sophisticated dating methods have prepared it to enter a new age. The federal historic preservation laws have brought a belated but welcome relationship between the commercial and the scientific world which provides the necessary funding. Thus is born contract archeology.

Gumerman's A View From Black Mesa, is a well-written account of the massive Black Mesa Archeological Project now in its seventeenth year. Interdisciplinary in nature, the project utilizes the support systems of botany, biology, and allied sciences to broaden the picture and findings. Gumerman gives to the reader an understanding of the Anasazi culture, once dominant in Northeastern Arizona and elsewhere. We not only learn about Anasazi behavior, but patterns cast up on our own future. George J. Gumerman is a Southern Illinois University anthropology professor with extensive experience in the Southwest. He has the gift of making A View From Black Mesa a clear view. His book is a bridge, offering comprehension of a much misunderstood science and its entry into a new era.

A SOUTHWESTERN VOCABULARY - THE WORDS THEY USED. By Cornelius C. Smith Jr. Illustrated by the author. The Arthur H. Clark Company, P.O. Box 230, Glendale, CA 91209. 1984. 168 pages. $19.50, hardcover.

The author of this impressive publication is a well respected military and borderlands historian with extensive roots in the fields he writes about. Both he and his father spent many years in military service in the Southwest, and the two generations collected a treasuretrove of information about the area and its people. It is a scholarly work, well flavored with humor, enabling Southwesterners to better understand who and where they are. The book is divided into sections on the Spanish, Anglo, military, and Indian regional lexicon, for easy reference. The origins and evolution of the terms are diligently traced, revealing a continuity of cultural change spanning twelve centuries. An impressive bibliography reinforces an extensive index. For the scholar and researcher, A Southwestern Vocabulary is an indispensable tool. For the casual reader, it is an education.

VANISHING BREED: PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE COWBOY AND THE WEST. By William Albert Allard. New York Graphic Society/Little Brown & Company, 200 West Street, Waltham, MA 02154. 1982. 140 pages. $34.95, hardcover, VANISHING BREED

$19.95, softcover, plus $1.00 postage and handling.

Hundreds of books have been published trying to capture the American cowboy in print and picture. Most of their loops lay slack. Allard's color photographs are honest and beautiful, interspersed with anecdotal prose that rings of reality. Both text and photographs have the deep, rich color of this lonely life which values space, freedom, and an illusive liberty more than a living wage. Will the breed ever vanish? The answer to this was given by one of Allard's subjects when he asked: "Brian, the way everything is going, with more trucks, more fences, more machines being brought in to do the job of a man with a rope and a horse - do you think you'll ever be replaced by a machine?" He looked up at me and with his marvelous soft drawl, he said, "Bill, they just ain't come up with nothin' yet that'll take as much abuse as a cowboy." Vanishing Breed is the best of the bunch.

ROADRUNNER! By Virginia Douglas. Naturegraph Publishers Inc. P.O. Box 1075, Happy Camp, CA 96039. 1984. 48 pages. $3.95, softcover. $8.95, hardcover.

Virginia Douglas, a devoted roadrunner watcher, has written a fine booklet on this charismatic Southwest character. This beautiful, aggressive bird, with his antenna tail, gaudy eye shadow, and Groucho Marx gait is the state bird of New Mexico and a symbol of the Southwest. Covering the bird's voracious appetite and terrific speed; propensity for killing snakes and robbing other birds' nests; and its own irregular and unusual nesting habits, Douglas's work sets this bird, both beloved and maligned, as straight as he will ever be. Both the fact and folklore make this well worth reading.

(BACK COVER) The "Buckey O'Neill statue," as Prescottonians call the Rough Riders Memorial in Courthouse Plaza embodies the spirit of the man who served his community as sheriff, mayor, and soldier. He helped organize the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment blooded at San Juan Hill..