How to Live Among Our Wild Neighbors Cougars, also known as mountain lions, pumas, panthers, or ghost cats are known by over 40 different names in English alone. They are the most wide-ranging cat species in the world and live right here in Munds Park! Nature lovers celebrate sharing space with woodland animals. After all, the forest and wildlife are part of the Park’s romance. Lately, local Facebook groups have been buzzing with mountain lion sightings. Most are in awe, while some are concerned. It seems everyone has Ring installed or external security cameras catching our nocturnal animals as they pass through. Today’s need to record everything gives the illusion visits from mountain lions are a new phenomenon, but wildlife roamed the Park long before we got here. If you talk to seasoned Mundsies, they will tell you there was a lot more wildlife in Munds Park than what you see today. Gail Van Deurzen, long-time resident, remembers when she and her husband Rick enjoyed watching Elk from their front porch. She said a momma Elk and her two babies lived in a ravine nearby, and she would come out at dusk grazing for food. Gail remembers a time when the momma Elk went to the neighbor’s hummingbird feeder and tipped the nectar into her mouth gulping it down like a refreshing Coca-Cola. She says those were lovely memories and misses when the Park was quiet and wildlife freely roamed. Today, if it wasn’t for cameras, we would hardly know animals are visiting. Loud parties, overly lit cabins, roaring side-by-sides and ATVs have made wildlife unwelcome. That’s a depressing statement considering woodland animals are one of the gifts of living in Munds Park. The question is, how do we live in harmony with our wild neighbors? Let’s start with a few facts about our stealthy friends. About Mountain Lions Mountain Lions are strong, sleek and agile. Adult males average 2 to 2.7 feet tall and about 8 feet long from the nose-to-tail. They generally weigh between 115 to 160 pounds. Females are slightly smaller. Mountain Lions can sprint up to 50 mph, jump as high as 18 feet off the ground, and can leap 45 feet horizontally. Mountain Lions don’t roar. Instead, they growl, shriek, chirp, hiss, and even purr. Their night vision is excellent, and they are most active at dusk and dawn. They navigate their home range in a zigzag course, avoiding open areas and taking advantage of available cover. The cat’s keen senses are focused on picking up the slightest movement, odor, or sound. They are stealthy predators, often lying in wait for prey or silently stalking it before pouncing from behind and delivering a lethal bite to the spinal cord. Typically they prey on deer but will eat any animal, including pets. Like all cats, mountain lions are carnivores. Due to mountain lions’ prey being mostly herbivores, the seeds in the stomach of their victims will be spread through the cougar’s scat. This results in cougars unintentionally planting over 90,000 plants per year. Like most cat species, mountain lions are solitary, interacting only to mate and raise their young. Female mountain lions give birth to 2-3 kittens at a time. On average, only one out of six cubs survives to maturity. Mountain lion cubs are covered in black spots from birth until about 6 months old when they fade. These spots act as camouflage to help the cubs blend into their surroundings while young. Other than humans, no species prey upon fully-grown mountain lions in the wild. Mountain Lions Don’t Like People The risk of mountain lions attacking humans is infinitely small, and frankly, the number of attacks would be greater if they had a natural urge to hunt people. Instead, they avoid humans and won’t attack unless they feel threatened. While attacks are very rare, living in cat country does require Mundsies to be knowledgeable and take steps not to artificially attract mountain lions into the Park. Living with Mountain Lions Safety tips for walking and hiking: Be alert and walk with a companion between dusk and dawn. Make noise and carry an air horn. Keep children close and always keep pets on a leash. Cabin safety tips: Closely supervise children whenever they play outdoors, especially between dusk and dawn. Talk with your children about mountain lions and teach them what to do if they encounter one. Keep dogs, cats, and other domestic animals indoors or in a secure enclosure. If pets are kept outdoors overnight, ensure the enclosure has a sturdy roof. Do not let your pets run free. Trim landscaping around your cabin. Remove dense, low-lying vegetation that can provide good hiding places for mountain lions and coyotes, especially around children’s play areas. Keeping landscaping away from your home not only removes hiding spots for wildlife but also keeps your cabin firewise. It is important to keep wildlife wild. Do not feed wild animals and do not feed your pets outdoors. By feeding deer, javelina, or other wildlife in your yard, you may inadvertently attract mountain lions and other wild predators, which prey upon them. Properly close trash cans so trash and food do not spill into our streets and attract animals. If You Encounter a Mountain Lion Never approach or corner a mountain lion (or any wild animal). If you encounter a mountain lion, STOP. DO NOT RUN. You can’t outrun them, so don’t even try. Pick up small children – picking them up will both protect them and keep them from panicking. If you can, remain facing the Mountain Lion and maintain eye contact as you pick up your children. Slowly back away and allow the cat room and time to move on. Stand tall. Look bigger by opening your coat or raising your arms. Slowly wave your arms and speak firmly and loudly. Mountain lions are opportunistic hunters and most likely don’t want to fight. In the rare event of an attack, fight back. Try to remain standing and face the animal and fight back with anything you can, such as sticks, rocks, hiking pole, or your fists. Following these tips will help keep you safe the next time you are outdoors in mountain lion habitat. What happened to the mother and her cubs roaming Munds Park? Game and Fish were notified of a mother and her cubs in Munds Park. The cubs were even spotted in a Mundsies backyard. Now that’s cool and scary! I spoke with Tom Cadden, Public Information Officer for Game and Fish, and he was aware of the mother and her cubs. He said they believe she was the same mountain lion they had been tracking for a couple of years. He further explained that she is not showing any signs of aggression toward humans or behaving unusually, and they have no plans to relocate her. Their only objective at this time is to educate the public. Mountain lion removal is usually a last resort. They are territorial and often return to the area of capture post-relocation. Further, because of their territoriality, conflict may occur with another mountain lion in the release area and often ends in the severe injury or death of one or both mountain lions. The future of Mountain Lions Mountain lions used to be found throughout the United States but are now only found in 15 western states, including Arizona. Mountain lions live a short 13 years in the wild—If they reach old age. Today, few lions live a natural lifespan. It’s a difficult life, full of lethal challenges: even when the lion avoids humans. They are shot for recreation, for sport, and for trophies. They are shot when a rancher’s livestock is lost and when pets disappear. They are shot when people are afraid. So far, Arizona is blessed with sustainable populations of mountain lions. Let’s keep it that way and act accordingly. To report a mountain lion sighting call Game and Fish at 623-236-7201.

When I say “comfort food,” what comes to your mind? I think we all have different opinions on what comfort food is for us. For some, it could be pizza; for others, steak and potatoes. But for me, when I hear comfort food, the first thing that comes to mind is Amish chicken and noodles. This is the ultimate comfort food for me!! Steve and I lived in Indiana, where we served in a church in the South Bend area. We were very close to a large Amish community. And let me tell you what, the Amish know how to cook!!! Every year, we would make multiple trips to an Amish town called Shepshewana. They had so many wonderfully fun stores to shop in, including a monthly auction and flea market. But the best thing about Shepshewana was the Blue Gate Café. As you walked into the café, you had 2 choices of where to eat. To the right was the family-style part of the restaurant. There you paid one price, and the food was brought to your table family style. Bowls of the best mashed potatoes you ever ate, vegetables, broasted chicken (yes, broasted. Somewhere between broiled and roasted and the best I have ever eaten), homemade rolls and much more. If you turned to the left, you ate in their ala carte restaurant, where you were given a menu and could order what you wanted. This is where we most often ate. However, the first choice for either side was to stop at the dessert counter. You see, the Amish make the most amazing pies!!! And you had to pick your piece as you went in because if you waited, it might not be there when you got done with your meal! Oh my word, the pies!!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. If you know me very well, you know I am not much of a dessert person. I love savory and salty. So the thing I always looked forward to at the Blue Gate was the Chicken and Noodles that was served over and a generous amount of mashed potatoes! The first time I heard of it, I thought wow, that is a lot of carbs! What happened to the balanced plate of a protein, a starch and a vegetable? Well, one bite of this bowl and you will never miss the vegetables!! Of course, the noodles were always thick and homemade and each bite just warmed your stomach like a warm blanket in the winter. It was and still is my go-to comfort food. As fall is approaching and cool weather is starting to show up, the other comfort food I love is soup. Give me a big bowl of hearty soup and some homemade sourdough and I am a happy girl. I have soups on rotation in my home, and I have many of them ready as a dump-and-serve meal. What I love about soup is that you don’t necessarily have to follow the recipe. You can add or omit as you feel led by what you have in your fridge or pantry. The base of the soup can stay the same. But if you don’t have potatoes and you do have sweet potatoes? Then swap them. Have some extra kale that needs to be used? Add it to the soup. Want to make it a bit heartier? Add some rice or pasta! Soups are versatile and always a welcome place at the table during the winter months! I hope you enjoy the recipes I’ve included and that they warm your stomachs this winter and bring you comfort! Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Ingredients 2 1/4 lbs Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise 1 1/4 lbs grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes 4 1/2 Tbsp olive oil Salt and black pepper 8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole 2 small yellow onions, sliced just under 1/2-inch thick 2 cups (lightly packed fresh basil, divided 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 3 Tbsp olive oil then season with salt and pepper (place Roma halves cut side upright). Place onion slices and garlic on a rimmed half sheet and brush with remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil on all sides, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place baking sheet with tomatoes and half sheet with onions in oven (on oven racks set near center) and roast garlic 15 minutes (or until just golden) and remove, roast onions 30 – 35 minutes (until edges are golden brown) and remove, and roast tomatoes 40 – 45 minutes until slightly browned. Pour roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic into a large pot. Add vegetable broth and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Blend soup with an immersion blender or in small batches in a blender (only fill blender half full and remove center insert and cover with a kitchen towel). Serve warm topped with grilled cheese or grilled cheese croutons if desired. Amish Chicken & Noodles Ingredients One 4 lb. whole chicken Salt and Pepper 4-6 Tablespoons chicken base (the amount you use will depend on the brand and your taste feel free to use more or less according to your taste) 12 ounces Amish style thin egg noodles 4 Tablespoons butter (optional) Directions Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a slow cooker and cover it with water. Set the crock pot to high and cook for 5 hours on high or 8-10 on low. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and allow to cool slightly, then debone and shred the chicken. Carefully pour the broth from the slow cooker through a strainer into a large pot. You need enough liquid in the pot to boil all of the noodles, so if needed, add a cup or two of water. Add the chicken to the pot, then bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Stir in four tablespoons of the chicken base, dissolve completely, then taste. If the broth doesn’t have a strong enough flavor, add an extra Tablespoon or two to taste. Add the noodles and boil for 8-10 minutes or until noodles are soft. Stir in the butter, if desired, and allow it to melt. The noodles will be soupy, but they’ll keep slurping up the broth the longer they sit. Plus, the broth makes a great “gravy” for your mashed potatoes. Feel free to strain extra broth off before serving if you wish. Serve noodles over mashed potatoes.

Folks, let me share a cautionary tale with you. We’re living in an age where technology has made it easier than ever to manipulate reality and take advantage of unsuspecting people. Thanks to user-friendly graphic design software, anyone can create fake documents and websites that look absolutely legitimate, fooling even the most discerning eye. To make matters worse, the advent of AI-powered tools that simulate voices and create deep fake videos has thrown our sense of reality into the Twilight Zone. It’s a new world where we can no longer trust our own eyes or ears. Evil con artists will stop at nothing to gain your trust and ultimately steal your hard-earned money or even worse, threaten the lives of those you love. The community of Mundsberry, though tucked away from the hustle of the big city and known for its laid-back lifestyle and friendly people, is not immune to fraudsters seeking to steal your money. Deanna and Ren Bascelli, esteemed owners of Kota’s Coffee House, as well as my wife Genna Caviness, have recently been swindled out of nearly $30,000. Understandably, they were hesitant to share their experience, as being duped is embarrassing. However, let me dispel a common misconception: it’s not just the elderly or the naive who are vulnerable to such crimes. In fact, anyone can be ensnared by these elaborate schemes, regardless of their age or level of sophistication. In this day and age, where scammers have access to advanced and highly effective tools, it’s crucial to shed light on these accounts and acknowledge that deception can strike anyone. I am going to Kill Your Grandson! I recently received a frantic phone call from Genna, and her distress was palpable. She was nearly incoherent, but amidst her tears and trembling voice, she managed to utter the shocking words: “I was forced to empty our bank accounts!” My initial reaction was one of disbelief. What could she possibly mean? As Genna tried to explain further, I realized she was claiming that the Mexican Cartel had coerced her into draining our personal and business accounts. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I wish I could say that I responded with kindness and understanding, but I did not. Normally, I don’t place much importance on material wealth. In fact, I might have told her, “Honey, it’s only money. Come home, and let’s talk.” However, losing that much money could have had significant repercussions for us, and I found myself angry at Genna for being so naive. When Genna got home, I saw the fear in her face, and my heart broke. It turned out that the scammers had psychologically tortured her for over five hours, and it all started with a Verizon Gizmo Watch that our daughter had purchased for our 10-year-old grandson. The watch is designed for kids too young for a smartphone but too old not to have the ability to call select family members and friends. It allows parents to select up to 10 people their kids can contact and be contacted by. Further, it tracks the child’s location so that all 10 people can see where the child is at any given moment. Personally, I’m not a fan of apps that track locations, and I felt it was too intrusive, but because it was for our grandson, we downloaded the app onto our phones. Genna went to work, and while showing the app to her boss, the phone rang. Thinking it was our grandson, she picked up the call, and that is when the horror began. On the other end of the phone was a young boy screaming, saying there had been an accident. Genna tries to find out what’s happening through our grandson’s incoherent and terrifying pleas for help when a man with a heavy Mexican accent gets on the line and says he’s with the Mexican Cartel and they had our grandson. As Genna further tries to get a grip on what’s going on, the man gets angry and indignant, telling her to do exactly as he says or he will kill our grandson. Genna is now in panic mode and not thinking—exactly how the scammer wants her to be. Irrational and terrified out of her mind. The scammer tells her he has control of her phone and knows everything she is doing and not to try to contact anyone, or her grandson will die. Genna very compliantly agreed and said, “I will do anything—anything! Just please keep my grandson safe!” Genna is now their puppet. They knew she was in Munds Park and knew how to navigate her to Flagstaff and through the city. For over five hours, they guided her from bank to bank, from one wire transfer to another. Pulling money, sending money, dumping receipts, and terrorizing and manipulating her the entire time. When she would ask to talk to her grandson, they would yell and scream profanities, “Do you want me to (expletive) chop his fingers off one at a time? Do you (expletive) want to hear that? Do you (expletive) think the Cartel (expletive) cares if we kill this kid? They don’t! They want their (expletive) money, so shut the (expletive) up and do as we say!” They threatened our grandson and manipulated her the entire time they had her on the phone. As she withdrew money from the bank, she would be aggressively told, “Put the money in your right pocket. Put the receipt in the left pocket. We are watching you!” Another man with a Mexican accent would get on the phone and nicely told Genna she was doing a good job. He even worried about her getting hungry and needing water. The scammers went back and forth from friendly to evil throughout the call. This is another one of their manipulative strategies. The thought of being constantly monitored and tracked by the scammers kept Genna paralyzed with fear. The app she had just downloaded with tracking capabilities only heightened her terror. The idea that they could track her every move, intercept her calls and messages, and prevent her from seeking help was not an implausible scenario. Further, we live in a state where our borders are more open than at any time in history. The notion of the Mexican Cartel having our grandson? Why not? The situation was entirely plausible for Genna; thus, she emptied out our accounts. The question of whether the scammers had access to Genna’s phone through the Verizon Gizmo Watch remains a mystery. It’s difficult to say definitively whether it was just an unfortunate coincidence or something more sinister. However, the timing of the call, coming just a few hours after the app was downloaded and opened when the call came through, certainly raises eyebrows. Were the scammers monitoring Genna’s every move? It’s impossible to know for sure, but the possibility is certainly real and very unsettling. We are happy to report our grand-love is just fine and was in class the entire time. The scam pulled on Genna is called an “emergency scam,” sometimes called “grandparent scams.” It all starts with the scammers trolling social media sites, looking for public profiles that provide ample information. They will use this information to create a convincing scenario that incorporates real-life details, such as travel plans and nicknames, to lure their targets into believing that their loved one is in grave danger. Now with artificial intelligence combined with social media intel, scammers have the ultimate tools to convince anyone their loved one is in danger. Arizona’s Family News Channel 3 recently reported on a voice cloning scam that was used to trick a mother in Arizona into believing that her daughter had been kidnapped. Jennifer DeStefano received a call from an unknown number. Initially, she thought it was her daughter, who was away skiing, but then a man’s voice came on the line and threatened to drug the teenager and take her to Mexico if DeStefano contacted the police. In reality, the daughter was safe, but the call was a “virtual kidnapping,” which uses AI-generated voice clones to convince people that their loved ones are in danger. Voice cloning technology is becoming more sophisticated, and criminals can now create a convincing clone with just a few seconds of a person’s voice. In today’s world, the line between reality and illusion has become increasingly blurred and requires us to be hyper-vigilant. Subtle Changes to Legitimate Business Names Trick Unsuspecting Customers Like many businesses in the Park, Kota’s Coffee House was hit hard by recent snowstorms. The owners, Deanna and Ren Bascelli, found themselves unable to open their doors because they couldn’t get their parking lot plowed. To be more self-reliant, Ren wanted to purchase a tractor to help clear the snow for their business and offer the church and elderly locals assistance with snow plowing. Ren scoured Craigslist, hoping to find a gently used tractor at a reasonable price, and he saw the perfect one. The price wasn’t too low to set off any alarms—The price was just right. A good deal, he thought. At first glance, everything seemed on the up and up. This wasn’t some shady individual Ren was buying from. It was a legitimate business based in Idaho that sold tractors. Their website was polished and professional, complete with pricing, photos, and even videos of other tractors for sale. When it came time to finalize the sale, all the documentation looked authentic. The contract, title, and business license all seemed to check out. They sent other documents to prove their legitimacy, which appeared over the top and gave Deanna a nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Unfortunately, they were under immense stress from the snowstorms and other calamities and ignored this red flag. They wired the money to the supposed seller’s Wells Fargo account and expected delivery of their new tractor on a Friday. But the delivery never came. Ren reached out to the driver and was met with apologies and excuses about a broken water pump delaying the delivery until Monday. Monday came and Deanna’s gut was telling her they had been scammed—even though the “driver” was still saying the tractor was on the way. She shared her thoughts with Ren, and he began investigating. Ren contacted a similar tractor sales company in Idaho and learned that the woman who had conned them was Tatianna, a con artist under FBI investigation. She had been using their company to appear legitimate, only slightly changing the company name in the website URL. It was a devastating revelation, but at least Ren finally had answers. That day, Ren and Deanna filed a report with the FBI, Idaho Police Department, and the State Attorney General. Their report now sits among the thousands of reports coming in each and every year. They also turned to their bank to try and stop the wire transfer, with absolutely no help. Scammers are a serious problem, with 1 in 10 people falling victim. Law enforcement struggles to keep up, and the banks... do not expect any assistance regarding wire transfers. The chances of getting your money back are slim to none. I am happy to report Ren did get his tractor. He researched the tractor he wanted and purchased directly from a dealer in Oklahoma—taking additional steps to verify who they were. He even called businesses around the dealer to verify they had a brick-and-mortar business and had been around for a while. It’s with gratitude that I thank Deanna, Ren, and my Genna for being strong and allowing me to share their stories. People must be vigilant and cautious in today’s digital landscape, where sophisticated and cunning scammers lurk around every corner. Let their stories serve as a cautionary tale for us all, reminding us to do our due diligence before making any significant purchases or engaging with unknown individuals. So, when you happen to run into Deanna, Ren, or Genna in the Park, there’s no need to offer any advice on the subject. Just give them a warm hello and let their experience inspire you to stay alert and stay safe. In the May 5th issue for the Pinewood News we will provide tips on how to protect yourself from scammers.

In the face of an emergency, time is of the essence. This was abundantly clear with last year’s Tunnel Fire in Flagstaff, which had 75-mile-an-hour winds at the source and was moving at an astonishing 30 miles per hour. As evacuation teams hustled to notify residents through the Ready, Set, Go System, it became clear that the manual mapping process was taking up valuable time. In fact, some residents only had 12 seconds between the “Set” and “Go” directives at one point. To ensure the effectiveness of the emergency alert system, evacuation areas need clear geographic boundaries before issuing communication. That’s why Coconino County Emergency Management has created a way to simplify the process through automation. By pre-designating evacuation zones throughout most of the heavily populated areas in the County, emergency teams can now simply call in a zone name and number to implement the Ready, Set, Go System, rather than stopping to draw each notification area by hand while an emergency is underway. This new system eliminates the need for emergency management teams in the field to manually draw evacuation areas, freeing them up to focus on more critical tasks. And while some may worry that pre-designated zones may be less precise than made-in-the-moment evacuation areas, the use of geo-fencing technology ensures that people in the relevant region are the only ones who receive an alert. Of course, it’s important to remember that a resident’s success during an evacuation ultimately depends on their personal preparedness and how fast they respond to the system’s alerts. If you have livestock or multiple family members and pets to manage, don’t wait for the “Set” directive to get ready to roll. It’s worth noting that the map is only designed to apply to unincorporated areas, so those living off-grid or outside the zones will need to take an active role in figuring out what zone they live next to and pay attention to that area. If a nearby zone is evacuated, there’s a good chance that they should consider evacuation as well. For those living in Munds Park, the designated zones are 17, 18, and 19. The map is available for public viewing online at www.coconino.az.gov/evacmap, and we encourage all community members to check it out. With this new system in place, we can all feel a little more secure in the face of emergencies. Not registered for emergency alerts? It’s past time. It is essential to you and your family’s safety, especially during fire season. Do it today at www.smart911.com.

This winter’s “SNOWMEGEDDON” coupled with chronic rain created a record amount of snowmelt and water runoff for the Pinewood Sanitary District. The 600,000-gallon capacity sewer plant experienced multiple days of flows almost four times greater than the plant’s capacity. Fortunately, the dedicated staff and technicians at the plant worked through many nights in order to treat the overflowing water so that the downstream tributaries would not suffer unacceptable contamination. However, these continuous events have brought about violations from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, (ADEQ,) called “Administrative Consent Orders” and “Notice of Violation.” ADEQ is a state agency with the task of overseeing multiple state organizations dealing with sanitary and water control. The Pinewood Sanitary District is allowed to operate under the guidance and requirements of ADEQ. A combination of an aging plant and collection system, growing community, increased inflationary costs and failing lateral collection lines are causing an emergency situation for the district. ADEQ is requiring the district to initiate immediate repair plans for the entire collection system. The plant is also aging and needs to implement a strategic repair and replacement program. The collection system is comprised of the sewer lines between each home/business and the main sewer connection from the street to the main line hook-up. Additionally, the manholes throughout the community are in desperate need of repair and replacement. There are more than 600 manholes in Munds Park and hundreds of them need to be repaired. To date, twenty-six of the worst leaking manholes have been repaired. Since this is a private district which handles only the residents and visitors of Munds Park, the cost of those repairs become the responsibility of the community at large. There is no tax basis to pay for the repairs; they are paid for via assessments to the district’s members. There are loans available to sanitary districts where the government will loan monies ,under prescribed circumstances in order to address the very circumstances that PSD is facing. The Board of Directors is in the process of requesting those funds and assistance from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA), in order to move forward with the necessary repairs. It is a long process which begins with a vote this November in order to procure the funds via approval of the electorate in the community. All full-time homeowners in Munds Park will vote on this measure. Failure in this arena would result in the State taking over the district and convening a mandatory state tax and assuming operational control over PSD, which presumably would see the costs soar even more than they would otherwise. The last time this kind of event occurred was in the early nineties when Munds Park was prohibited from adding any bathrooms, building any additional homes, obtaining any building permits, etc. Naturally, the community’s real estate valuation would be negatively affected, not to mention the quality of life. We have to have a fully operational sanitary district in order to enjoy the benefits of living in Munds Park. The Board of Directors is committed to being transparent to this necessary endeavor as we embark on years-worth of collection system repairs. We are all in this together, literally, and we feel that communication is an incremental requirement of the process. We plan to communicate the combined efforts of the Board and our engineering and construction partners as we move from phase to phase in the repair process. During the March Board meeting, the Board voted unanimously to request a proposal for services from Ardurra Engineering out of Flagstaff to draft the initial proposals for the work needing to be done. The Board also voted to move forward with the WIFA loan process including a $50,000 loan request for environmental studies and planning for the process. This entire process will address the deficiencies currently affecting the plant’s collection procedure and also ensure long term operational maintenance so that sanitary services can continue to be provided to our current and future population of Munds Park resident’s and visitor’s. Besides our communication via the Pinewood News, our District website and postings in the Arizona Daily Sun, the District is implementing a bulletin board in the conference room which will detail PSD’s plans as they develop and share information with those residents that desire to be kept abreast of the progress being made during this process. In addition, those interested in hearing first hand about the process can attend the monthly meetings, open to the public, on the second Thursday of each month at 3:00 pm at the PSD office. Inflation Causes Operating Increase for Pinewood Sanitary District Monthly Maintenance Fees The Pinewood Sanitary District Board voted unanimously during the March meeting to increase the monthly “Operation and Maintenance” fee 8.5% from $50.57 per household to $54.90. The increase is due to soaring operational costs spearheaded by energy costs that have mushroomed over the last two years. The Pinewood Sanitary District also assessed increases to the applicable businesses utilizing the private sewer district for sanitary relief. All increases become effective July 1, 2023 with the new fiscal budget. “Nobody likes to see prices go up,” said Bill Spain, District Chairman, “yet we have to be able to fill the trucks with gas and diesel fuel, pay the electric bill and maintain operations and with the inflation incurred over the last eighteen plus months, something has to give. We have looked at every possible avenue to reduce overhead before we made the decision to raise the rates,” added Spain. “We are in the process of revising our monthly mailings to minimize expense, cutting our payroll system fees, copy and cloud storage costs and reducing employee expenses where we can but the pace of the inflationary trend requires we increase our fees at this point,” he added. In combination with the increase in expenses, the District has seen a huge spike in the volume of processing the plant has had to absorb. The extreme weather events that have been plaguing the plant during the last several months are making it difficult for plant personnel to operate the plant efficiently. The increase in usage by Airbnb and VRBO’s are a big problem on weekends and holidays, especially in the summer months. “The diapers and wipes in the system are a real problem for our plant operation,” stated Lee Krosnicki, Sanitary District Manager. “The equipment can’t handle the influx of these “flushed” commodities. This behavior is causing breakdowns at the plant, replacement of pumps, filters and additional manpower hours to deal with the clogs and equipment breakdowns. It has to stop,” exclaimed Krosnicki. “This is a call to all those in our community to help us keep the plant working by being critical of anything you put into the sewer system.” said Spain, “We all need to help our aging plant work efficiently by being considerate of each other and ensuring we do not pollute the system by flushing any kind of wipes, diapers or toweling into the sewer. It is another reason for the increase in costs,” stated Spain. In case you missed it, read Pinewood Sanitary District Confronted with Soaring Costs from our March 2023 issue.

Wow! What a way to bring in the New Year! January winter storms blanketed our Park with rolling hills of snow and trees so white Munds Park looked like a land only read about in fairy tales. So far, Flagstaff has had a total of 69.5+ inches of snow this January, and although Munds Park does not have official readings, we estimate the Park received more than our neighbors up the hill. What we love about the Park is also the most challenging. We are surrounded by wilderness and enjoy four seasons, and with that comes Mother Nature. She will dump heavy-wet snow, create strong winds, make our roads dangerous, pull down power lines and take our lights and heat. Seasoned Mundsies understand and prepare for weather events. They heed the warnings from officials and have the necessary provisions on hand, local services organized in their contacts, and they are in touch with their neighbors. All these things are part of being self-sufficient and an essential quality of living in the mountains. However, we have a lot of new Mundsies in the Park and many experienced a significant winter storm for the first time, catching them off guard. Even some of our experienced community members got into trouble. However, we are fortunate. We live in a community that takes care of our own. Everyone pitched in, from short-term rental owners opening their cabins for people without power to owners of 4-wheel drive trucks and snow plowers pulling the stranded off the icy streets. The Red Cross, County Emergency Management, and the Munds Park Community Church opened a Warming Shelter. Community volunteers and our firefighters helped transport cold guests to a friendly place to get warm. It’s a beautiful thing to see people come together—Munds Park is rich with good people. With all the newcomers, Munds Park is also rich with people who have no idea how to live in mountain country. Your realtor told you about the beautiful forest, the woodland animals, our cool summers, fresh air and endless blue skies. Munds Park is a romantic community—An easy sell to Phoenicians looking to escape the summer heat and hustle of the city. What realtor’s don’t tell you is how to live in the mountains and navigate the nuances of the Park. Genna and I understand. We’ve only been in the Park for a little over three years and were flatlander’s, completely ignorant of mountain living. We’ve made mistakes and we are still learning. The Pinewood News hopes to help with the learning curve. We are in our 30th year of publication, and it’s time to gather our resources and publish a Munds Park Living Guide. Going forward, the Pinewood News will publish a monthly feature, Munds Park Living, that will include tips and resources to help navigate the nuances of mountain living. This guide will be available online for easy reference. For this month’s feature, we will start with lessons learned from January’s incredible snowfall. Power Outages We live in the forest, our land is heavily treed, and our weather can get turbulent. During inclement weather, our tree-filled land gives APS added challenges. The trees can bend and break, tearing down power lines and causing outages. Add strong winds, snow, and ice to the equation; someone somewhere in the Park will be without power. APS provides reliable service 99% of the time across their territory, with Munds Park at 98%. The other 2% is managed by Mother Nature, and it’s our responsibility to prepare for when we are without power. The storm that ended January 19 dumped 36.9” of snow on Flagstaff, and we believe a few more inches here in the Park. With this, it ranked as the 12th greatest snowstorm in Flagstaff history and caused outages throughout Northern Arizona. APS worked day and night restoring power, with January 17th challenging them the most. A large transmission line was impacted, along with intermittent power outages throughout Munds Park for over 23 hours. Some residents were without power for over 10 hours. Unfortunately, some residents did not have a secondary heat source. Some ran out of firewood, or the snow blocked their supply. Some ran out of propane, or their provider failed to auto-fill tanks before the storm and the heavy snowfall blocked trucks from safely entering their property. To provide relief for these residents, Coconino County Emergency Management, the American Red Cross and Munds Park Community Church, in partnership with APS opened a warming shelter for those without power. Ten residents were welcomed into the Church, and all were able to return home by 1 a.m. To stay safe and warm, consider these tips. Tip No. 1. Power outages happen, and you must always be prepared, especially in snow country. You can view and print a checklist for preparing for storms right here. The list is extensive and an essential tool for living in the mountains. Tip No. 2. Always have essential numbers ready in your contacts and bookmark important websites. We have suggested sites and contacts available here. Tip No. 3. Have a second heat source. If you are like Genna and me, we only have a propane heater, so our backup plan is a generator. Look for sales, and purchase a generator if needed. Make sure APS information is on your phone to learn of power outages or report an outage: APS outage hot-line 855-688-2437 Sign up for text alerts online at www.aps.com. You can also view their outage map online. Download the APS mobile app at the Apple Store and Google Play. Communication When Coconino Emergency Management and other local services determined a warming shelter was needed, news traveled through the Park via word of mouth and social media. Mundsies, concerned for their neighbors, knew that word of mouth and social media would not reach everyone and worried some would be left in the cold. It was suggested to create a contact list to reach at-risk residents notifying them directly that a warming shelter was available. Fortunately, we have systems in place, and it’s called being a good neighbor and Smart911. Get to know your neighbors. Crack open your door, say hello, and make a friend. Exchange phone numbers and stay in touch—even with neighbors you may not like or enjoy. Why? Because when Mother Nature is in a nasty mood or a wildfire threatens our community, you will need one another. Knowing your neighbor is the best and most reliable system. Your neighbors are invested and can be depended on better than any government agency. Case in point. We already have an emergency notification system in place that could have notified Mundsies of the warming shelter, and it’s called Smart911. Mundsies mainly associate Smart911 with Ready Set Go and fire season, but Smart911 is for all natural disasters. The system would have notified all of Munds Park that a warming shelter was available. Unfortunately, the Emergency Management Department and other leaders missed the opportunity to use it. Chances are they won’t miss it again, but it makes my point. Systems can fail, but the chance of a community member forgetting about their 85-year-old neighbor during a snowstorm is unlikely. Follow these tips to stay safe: Tip No. 1. Get to know your neighbors and exchange contact information. Don’t let personalities or differences get in the way—we’re all in this together. Tip No. 2. If your parents are elderly and live in Munds Park, get to know their neighbors and exchange contact information. Don’t rely on Facebook to check on your elderly parents! Our Facebook Groups in the Park are, for the most part, safe—but they are strangers. Don’t advertise to strangers that your parents are elderly and on their own. It’s not wise or safe. Tip No. 3. If you are snowed in, power is out, and you are freezing—Call 911. That is why we have emergency services... to help when situations are bad! Tip No. 4: If you or your parents only have a landline, getting a cell phone for emergencies is imperative. Today’s landlines run through the internet and can fail during storms. Cell phones can too, but they are more reliable—That is if you don’t live in a cell-tower blackout area. Again, knowing your neighbors will be critical if all communication methods are knocked out. Smart911 If you have lived in Munds Park for any length of time, you have heard of ‘Ready Set Go’ and the importance of signing up for fire notifications via Smart911. But did you know Smart911 will notify you of any natural disaster in the area and provides vital information to 911 Operators? 911 Can’t Find You Over 80% of calls made to 911 come from mobile phones. When you dial 911 from a mobile phone, the dispatchers have little information to help you—only your phone number and a very general sense of your location. This is a serious problem in an emergency when seconds count, particularly if you or your loved ones have medical conditions or are unable to speak safely. Smart911 Saves Time and Lives Smart911 can provide dispatchers and first responders with critical information during an emergency. When you call 911, your Smart911 Safety Profile displays on the dispatcher’s screen and they can view your addresses, medical information, home information, description of pets and vehicles, and emergency contacts. You can provide as much or as little information as you like. Smart911 is a national service. Your profile travels with you and is visible nationwide to any participating 911 center. Safety profile can include: People living in your home, phone numbers, and emergency contacts Pets, service animals, and livestock Medical conditions, allergies, medications and medical equipment Property details, layout, and utility information Vehicle descriptions When you register and a natural disaster occurs, Smart911 will call you AND text you AND email you. Tip No. 1: Not registered with Smart911? It’s past time. It is essential to you and your family’s safety, especially during fire season. Do it today! Tip No. 2: Update your Smart911 profile every six months. It’s incredible how much can change in only a few months. Register today at www.smart911.com Download the Smart911 App at the Apple App Store or Google Play. Need help signing up? Call the Pinewood Fire Department for assistance at 928-286-9885. Propane Some Mundsies ran out of propane during the snowstorm because they failed to check levels before the storm, relied on companies to auto-fill tanks and didn’t verify delivery, or didn’t clear a path for propane providers to get their trucks safely on the property. To avoid running out of propane during a snowstorm: Tip No. 1: Watch the weather forecast and plan accordingly. Even if you are on auto-fill, don’t leave it to chance. No matter who your provider is, you need to check your propane levels and ensure your tanks are full. Also, don’t call at the last minute! Companies have schedules and prior commitments, and you may miss out when the storm comes through. Plan ahead! Tip No. 2: Heavy trucks have difficulty safely driving through snow and ice. If you expect a propane delivery during snowy weather, you or someone you hire must clear a path (a path that exceeds the width of a large delivery vehicle - about 10 feet) through your driveway. Don’t expect companies to risk their employee’s safety to deliver propane. Tip No. 3: Keep propane equipment clear of snow and ice and mark the location of underground propane tanks. Tip No. 4: If you order propane on demand, order when your tank is at 40%. Also, as a reminder, always verify your auto-fill orders! Tip No. 5: Unless you own your propane tank, you cannot order service from another company. It is illegal for propane companies to fill tanks that are not theirs. You must buy your tank if you wish to shop around and order from different companies. We always suggest buying local. For pricing information, we’ve called the two local favorites, Yavapai and Graves propane. They both offer the following services: Yavapai Bottle Gas Contact: 928-776-9007 • www.yavapaigas.com Yavapai offers both “keep full” and “will call” services for $3.29* $80 annual tank rental $45 set fee for new customers They will fill (2-3) 5-gallon tanks John Graves Propane Contact: 928-714-1111 • www.johngravespropane.com Graves Propane touts the best price for gas in Munds Park. They have two price options: $3.44* for “Keep Full” and $3.50* for Will Call. $72 annual tank rental $0 set fee for new customers They DO NOT fill up 5-gallon tanks Graves provides complimentary safety and pressure test if you own your tank before filling it. If you want to change propane providers, they suggest new customers change in the spring so trucks can easily access tanks. Yavapai and Graves are booking up for the spring, so call to get scheduled. *Gas prices are subject to change. These prices are as of January 24, 2023. Firewood Some got into trouble because they couldn’t access firewood once the snow level got too high. It’s important to store firewood properly, especially for snowstorms that can block your access to your wood. To keep firewood accessible and dry, follow these tips: Tip No. 1: Store firewood 30 feet away from your cabin but with easy access. You need a minimum of 30 feet from your house to your firewood for wildfire safety. Tip No. 2: Be vigilant. Shovel a path to your firewood regularly during snowstorms. If you are elderly, you may need to hire someone or ask a neighbor for help. Plan ahead, and get services lined up before the storm. Tip No. 3: Don’t wait; bring extra wood into the cabin before the storm Snow Berms Plowing and shoveling your driveway is hard, and when county snowplowers leave massive snow berms at the foot of newly cleared driveways, you want to poke your eyes out. No one likes snow berms! But the facts are this: Time is limited, manpower is limited, and county snowplowers must clear the roads quickly and safely. There is no time to ensure each driveway doesn’t get blocked. Their number one job is to clear the streets and make them safe. It’s our job, the property owner, to remove the berms from our driveway. We should not expect the government to do everything; we have a part in this too. You will still cry with each new berm, but hopefully, these tips will help! Tip No. 1: No matter how big they are, berms are the property owner’s responsibility to remove. You must be proactive and remove berms with each snowfall before they become a colossal iceberg. We can’t stress this enough... don’t let your berms sit and wait for a day you feel motivated to remove them. The longer you wait, the harder it is to break through. Removing snow right away is the same for your decks and paths. If you wait, the sun will rise and melt your snow just enough to freeze overnight and create ice that is difficult to get through. Further, if you hire someone to clear paths, you may get hit with a larger bill if you procrastinate and now they are dealing with thick ice. Snowplowing Independent contractors provide snow removal services in the Park, and each has a specialty. Some have large plows that can easily burst through hardened berms no matter how high and easily move tons of snow off long or short drives. Some snowplowers have mid-sized plows that can tackle reasonable berms and can plow long or short drives. Some services only include plowing, some include plowing and shoveling, and others only shovel paths and decks. As you can see, it’s important to understand your needs and ask appropriate questions when booking snow removal services. Tip No. 1: Understand snowplowers are independent contractors. It’s generally one or two people teams working the snow gig, and they typically don’t have help answering phones or texts. When storms come rolling in, these guys are slammed. They work in inclement weather, navigate dangerous roads, and work extremely hard and obviously can’t return calls when they are on the job. So be patient and kind. Tip No. 2: Know your snow. Is your berm five feet tall and hard as cement? Does your drive have fluffy white snow, or did you wait to call after driving up and down your driveway creating rivets and stacks of ice? Do you need only your driveway plowed or, in addition, a path to your door and decks shoveled? Know your needs so you can clearly communicate them—This will help manage expectations. Tip No. 3: After a snowstorm is not the best time to book plowing services. Full-timers and owners of STRs compete for these services, and they book up fast. If you know a storm is coming and you must have a path out, don’t wait. Book ahead of time. Tip No. 4: The Pinewood News always has reputable snowplowers listed on page two of the paper and pinned to our wall on Facebook for easy reference. Trash & Snow The Park is abundant with Short-Term Rentals and Weekenders who don’t pay for services to dig their cans out from the snow, ensure cans are not tipped over and that guests do not overfill them. It’s a hot topic in the Park, and nothing gets a Mundsie more peeved than when they see their streets covered in trash. Neighbors have no choice but to clean up the mess. Genna and I recently saw Facebook posts of STRs with overflowing trash and tipped cans. So one Sunday morning we gathered tools and gloved up for a cleaning expedition. I have to say, it was disgusting. One STR had amorous guests who were, let’s say, very active. We had the misfortune of scraping up several frozen condoms off the road. We thought about leaving them, but kids were out playing. You don’t have to be an STR owner or Weekender to have trash issues. There are specific ways everyone needs to handle trash, and it’s your responsibility to understand them and keep our neighborhoods litter free. Please keep the Park litter free with these tips: Tip No. 1. Ravens are strong and intelligent birds. They can easily lift the tops of garbage cans to sift through trash looking for food and nesting materials. Do not overstuff your garbage can, and keep a brick or large rock on the lid to prevent ravens from foraging. Using bricks or large stones is not seasonal... all year long, you need to protect your garbage from ravens. Tip No. 2. When it’s snowing and trash day, you should put your trash out after the snowplow has cleared your street. Otherwise, the chances of the plow burying or knocking over your cans are great. If your can stays on the street, you must dig your can out from newly made berms, and on trash day, ensure waste services can access your can or risk being skipped. It is not the job of waste services to ensure your cans can be easily accessed. Tip No. 3: If you own an STR or are a weekender and are not around to properly care for your trash, it is your responsibility to hire someone who can. Don’t ‘hope for the best’ or leave it up to your guests to keep our neighborhoods trash free. If you cannot afford these services, you may consider whether you are in the right business or can appropriately manage a second home—This is mountain living, and no one ever said living in the Park was easy or cheap. Tip No. 4: If your cans are frequently overflowing... Skyline would be happy to deliver more cans. Skyline is a local business with excellent service, a Munds Park Business Alliance member, and a generous supporter of community fundraisers and your local paper. Tip No. 5: Mundsies are proud of Munds Park and their community. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that we have lazy or uncaring residents, but we do. Take care not to be discouraged, and when you have to, grab a trash bag and pick up the litter of others. It keeps our Park clean and leaves you feeling good and with great karma too. There is much more to discuss regarding safety and being prepared, but we will stop here and continue our conversation in March. For now, we thank our thoughtful community, those who volunteer, help out and those who make it their life work to keep us comfortable and safe. If you have feedback or suggestions about living in the Park, we are interested in what you have to say. You can email Hello@ThePinewoodNews.com or call 928-286-9827. Stay warm, Mundsies!

Munds Park, a scenic slice of Arizona known for its natural beauty, offers Mundsies a lifestyle steeped in the great outdoors. However, such beauty comes at a price - the threat of wildfires looms large over the region, even with heavy snowfall, leaving cabin owners vulnerable to the whims of nature and man-made disasters. As if that wasn’t enough, the challenge of finding affordable homeowners’ insurance policies has left many cabin owners in the wind. Joe Dfeiff, a local Mundsie, recently received a jolt when Farmer’s Insurance informed him that his homeowners’ policy would not be renewed due to the high fire risk. Joe felt it was important to spread the word and contacted the Pinewood News to follow up. Subsequently, we reached out to several other community members in Park, including Bill Spain, Dick Drinen, and Fire Chief Josh Tope, all of whom confirmed that the issue was widespread in the region. Our quest for answers led us to Lee Music, a Farmers Insurance agent in Flagstaff, who shed some light on the matter. According to Lee, insurance companies nationwide are grappling with the soaring costs of claims arising from an abundance of natural and man-made disasters over the last few years. The payments from a single policyholder spread over a lifetime doesn’t come close to covering the cost of rebuilding their home that has been razed to the ground by a wildfire. Further, the financial burden on insurance companies is compounded when entire regions are affected, such as the recent wildfires in California and Flagstaff. As a result, insurance companies have become more cautious when it comes to offering coverage in high-risk areas like Munds Park. Some insurance providers may decline coverage for new policies, limit coverage, or charge higher premiums to account for the increased risk. This has made it challenging for cabin owners in the area to find affordable homeowners’ insurance policies. But all is not lost, as cabin owners can take proactive steps to mitigate risk and increase their chances of securing coverage. Installing fire-resistant materials, creating defensible space around the home, and implementing a fire safety plan can demonstrate to insurers that the homeowner is taking precautions to reduce the risk of fire damage. Additionally, shopping around and contacting multiple insurance companies to compare coverage and rates is recommended. Independent insurance agents can help find policies that cater to high-risk areas. Before purchasing any insurance policy, it’s essential to research the specific requirements and limitations. Lee Music advises homeowners in high-risk fire areas to stick with their current insurer if their coverage is good. Switching to another company that may not renew the policy due to fire risk can result in difficulty getting picked back up by the old insurance company or result in a higher bill. In conclusion, living in high-risk areas like Munds Park presents unique challenges in finding affordable homeowners insurance. However, by taking steps to mitigate risk and shopping around, cabin owners can increase their chances of finding affordable coverage. Taking proactive measures to mitigate risk is crucial. One such measure is maintaining our community’s Firewise status, which requires the participation of all property owners. To keep our Firewise status, property owners should participate in the Bear Jaw clean-up efforts, which are happening now. It’s important to clean up all green waste, and trim trees to create a defensible space around your home helping to reduce the risk of fire damage to your property. Also, by logging the hours spent cleaning your yard with the Pinewood Fire Department, whether you did it yourself or hired someone to do it, you are helping maintain the community’s Firewise status. If you’re looking for information on the Bear Jaw clean-up efforts, look no further than ThePinewoodNews.com. We’ve got everything you need to know about participating in this important community initiative right at your fingertips. Simply navigate to the Bear Jaw tab on our website, and you’ll find all the necessary information to get started. We’ve even compiled a list of excellent landscapers and tree trimmers that can assist if desired. And to make things even more convenient, we’ve included a link to the Pinewood Fire District at the bottom of the page, where you can easily log your clean-up hours. By working together and taking proactive measures, cabin owners in Munds Park can help reduce the risk of fire damage and maintain the community’s Firewise status. While finding affordable homeowners’ insurance policies may be a challenge, taking these steps can help increase the chances of securing coverage and ensure the safety of our community and our homes.

Inflation has stuck its ugly head into nearly every aspect of our lives! Energy costs are up nearly 40%. Business costs have risen to the highest levels in more than four decades. Everything costs more and that is problematic for utilities when costs rise that much and that quickly. It ultimately has to be passed on to the public. The Pinewood Sanitary District Board of Directors has studied this issue over the last year. It has convened a Budget Study Group to address the problem this spring. With that in mind, it is an excellent time to review the Sanitary District’s history and recap the District’s issues. Board member Dick Drinen took the time to summarize the history of the District over his past twenty years of oversight and shared it with the board last year. His historical rendition was provided by Fred Heisley who had been a former board member and Dick’s next-door neighbor for many years. Dick supplemented the remainder of the information from his first-hand knowledge. The original sewer plant was constructed by “The Pinewood Development Company, (PDC) “ in 1968 and was located on the shore of Lake ODell. The plant was formed as a necessity to support the new “Pinewood Subdivision” which was also formed in 1968, absorbing the prior “Northernaire/Oakwood subdivision,” which had failed. The “PDC” was formed by James Welch, Edward Robson, Jay Greene and Emanual Goldstein. The original plant was relocated and developed at the current location adjacent to the I-17 highway in 1972. The plant grew and was purchased from the “PDC” in 1988 by Richard Williamson. At that time, the growth within Munds Park/Pinewood was fast and furious. The cost of growth for the facility was under-planned, and the lack of capability resulted in numerous violations from the Health Department. Consent orders were issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), requiring the plant to make improvements immediately. In 1987, ADEQ modified the plant’s usage to allow for effluent to be used to irrigate the Pinewood Country Club golf course. Unfortunately, the group did not make enough progress on the administrative consent orders. ADEQ issued a “Cease and Desist Order” to Richard Williamson, Pinewood Country Club and Pinewood Sewer Company for serious violations of Federal and State environmental laws and regulations. Everything Stopped in August 1993. No further building was allowed, and no additional toilet hook-ups. Munds Park was at a standstill. ADEQ required immediate action to prevent future violations. At the same time, Coconino County became involved and the “Pinewood Sanitary District,” (PSD), was formed on May 18, 1992, by the Coconino County Board of Supervisors. The initial board consisted of three members until a general election was held in the fall of 1992, when an additional four members were added to comprise a board of seven members. Kay Blackman served as the chairman, and the facility was ultimately named after him. The purchase agreement was drafted between Pinewood Sewer Company as the seller and the Pinewood Sanitary District as the buyer. The plant was sold to Pinewood Sanitary District for $1,250,000 with the Pinewood Sanitary District, a political subdivision of the state of Arizona as the buyer. The board commenced operations on January 26, 1994. The original bond payment was $12.22, plus the Operations and Maintenance fee of $12.22, for a total bill of $24.44. It became incumbent upon the board of directors to oversee the operations, with the plant manager taking control to build a solid operating team. Kay Blackman became the district manager. The District had an office in the Coldwell Banker building at 20 W Pinewood Blvd for the first few years of operation. Kay Blackman (Blackie) retired in 1997 and was replaced by Jim Wilson, who served as the district manager for the next twenty-four years. In 1994, plant improvement requirements issued by an ADEQ Consent Decree for $4,000,000 in general obligation bonds were issued. An additional $16.22 was added to the sewer bill to make these required improvements. In addition, over the years, increases to the operations and maintenance fee were enacted to keep up with the operations costs, raising the “O & M” fee to $50.57 per household. The $16.22 bond payment was paid in full in July 2011. In 1995, the plant was brought into compliance with an operating capacity of 600,000 gallons per day. Effluent regulations were achieved in the fall of 1997. During that time, Munds Park continued to have unbridled growth. The Park grew to service 2904 properties on the East side of the Park. (Only 106 vacant lots remain on the East side of Munds Park.) Commercial growth added all but three East side businesses to the sewer district. (The Post Office, CenturyLink and the former Hair Salon are still on septic.) The Westside businesses all asked to be annexed into the District between 2005 and 2013, and that expansion has occurred over the last ten years. All current open and operating West side businesses will be brought onto the sewer district this spring except for those lots with no construction or phases of the RV Park that are still on their original septic systems. The Inspire RV Park have paid phase three and phase four construction and capacity costs. Shuster has paid their construction and operating costs except for phase 5 of undeveloped land. Billing for unpaid vacant properties has been issued, and a plan of action relative to that collection is in process. In the past several years, many changes have occurred at the District. After almost a quarter century at the helm, Jim Wilson retired in 2020. Long-term operational-oriented employee Lee Krosnicki was promoted. Years of growth coupled with the plant aging process have produced serious issues for the plant. PSD has incurred several violations that resulted in two Administrative Consent Orders from ADEQ. A combination of several 100 to 500 year floods, aging equipment, and peak population swings during the summer monsoon months resulted in serious violations. At one time, partially treated effluent (liquid waste or sewage) had to be released into the Munds Canyon Creek, which ultimately flows in the Oak Creek and Verde River tributaries. In the last three months, further violations have occurred when the snow melt and rain have exceeded our capacity to handle the water flow through the sewer resulting in discharges of over 1,900,000 gallon flows. ADEQ is now filing violation after violation against PSD. The engineering firm retained by PSD three years ago delivered a less-than-acceptable report to ADEQ nearly two years late, causing consternation between the District and ADEQ. Ultimately, ADEQ will force the District to install a 1.3 million gallon holding tank to handle the substantial intermittent flows that have plagued us over the last few years. This will cost a lot of money. In addition, operating costs are way up which will necessitate a rate increase. The board seeks to lower the impending rate increase by reducing operational costs through automation and improving workflow. In next month’s update in the Pinewood News, look for a detailed description of the board’s process to determine how to best move forward with addressing the Administrative Consent Orders and Violations issued by ADEQ. In addition, we will describe the necessary plant upgrades to bring the Pinewood Sanitary District in line with ADEQ and working at acceptable levels.

Munds Park has a long history of cattle ranchers. Pioneer, William Munds forged his way West when the land was considered free, and settlers only needed to stake their claim. Pioneers could homestead up to 160 acres, build a home and let their cattle roam freely. Ranching today comes with established borders and substantial operating costs, but like the settlers, it requires a lot of hard work and grit. Most people only dream of living a ranching lifestyle, but Jamie and Flint Wright are current-day cattle ranchers living the life of open fields, fresh air, and hard work that keeps you deeply in touch with nature, body, and mind. This husband and wife team own the Seven H L Wright Cattle Co. along with Flint’s father, Jay, and mother, Marjorie. Each couple owns 50% of this family-owned ranch, and their cattle can be seen roaming the forest around Munds Park. The Wright family has been ranching for 150 years. Ranching began with Flint’s grandpa. Fint’s father Jay, who is 88 years young today, is still working. They started cattle ranching in Nevada and branched out into Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Utah. They bought the Arizona ranch in 2011 from the Morrison brothers. The brothers owned the ranch for almost 75 years. Born into the cattle industry, Flint loves working on the ranch and wouldn’t want to do anything else. Jamie, born in Califonia and new to the industry compared to her husband Flint, is in deep love with her husband, his family, and her life as a rancher. This husband and wife duo explains each grazing location is different, gifting them with new scenic views, and each day brings new challenges keeping them interested in their work. One day they move cows from one pasture to another. The next day they track cows separated from the herd, mend fences, drop salt for the cattle, or assess weather conditions. That’s just a few of the things on their to-do list. Apparently, cows like their grass salted, so I had to ask why. I was a flatlander just three years ago, so I have a lot to learn. Flint explained that it’s a mineral supplement for the cattle. Environmental conditions rarely exist where grass carries all the minerals needed for the cattle. So they combine salt and a mineral pack to supplement the cows’ diet. The cows enjoy roaming free in the forest, and some curious cows will wander off from the herd. Flint explains finding cows who explore beyond the herd are relatively easy to find. The ranchers look for fresh cow tracks and manure droppings generally found around a close water source. The ranchers follow tracks and manure until they get all the cows. The cows are rarely away from the herd for more than a week. Flint said that a smart cow can elude ranchers from tracking them and sometimes not found until the following season. He explained that cows can handle enormous temperature changes, heat, and cold. So they get along fine. Flint moves the cows as often as every 30 days, sometimes faster, depending on the weather conditions. Monitoring weather is an essential skill for ranchers, a skill they use to establish a pasture rotation plan with the Forest Service. They start the process in March or April each year, developing their rotation plans based on predicted weather conditions. They also assess areas cows have already roamed when developing plans to prevent overgrazing. Flint and his team do the assessment process again for the fall rotation beginning in November, but the plans are always subject to change. Flint says ranching is not a perfect science, but they adapt and change every season to give their cattle the best fields to graze and allow forest lands to recover. They will let the land rest for an entire year before bringing the cattle back. Mundsies have asked, “Where are the cows?” all season. Now we know! The cows were rotated out of the areas we generally see them in, allowing our forest to recover. Arizona has been in a drought since 2000, and climate change is a hot topic worldwide. The Wrights have been ranching for 150 years. Who better to ask about water availability and climate change, so I asked Flint for his thoughts on the subject. “It’s not that I don’t believe in global climate change, because I do—It’s real. I also believe that human activities have exasperated climate change considerably. But it’s not hotter than it was 50 years ago. It really isn’t. The West has always had drought cycles followed by high wet cycles. What we see right now is difficult, but not beyond the norms.” I asked Flint if they had difficulty accessing water for the cattle, and he explained there were no issues at this time. Seven H L Wright Cattle Co. cows are almost entirely Angus-Hereford Cross. They run their Angus cattle to the North and the Hereford cattle to the South. They cross-breed the Hereford and Angus to create a hybrid vigor. Cross-breeding allows the cows to adapt and live in the West environment better than other breeds. The cows live freely in the forest until it is time for auction. Because their cows are grass-fed and roam freely, they are sold to high-end grass fat and natural beef suppliers including at times, Whole Foods. If you are familiar with Whole Foods, they have a 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating™. Their meats are rated by how well the animals are fed and ensure they are raised in a pasture or range for at least two-thirds of the animal’s life. Flint’s cows rank at the highest level, number five. I am a meat eater, but I have to say, it breaks my heart that the cows we see in the forest have to leave this happy place and be transported to Texas or California for processing. Flint assured me the animals were transported humanely. Trying to save my conscious and enjoy meat, I asked Flint if we could buy a cow directly from them. Thinking Genna and I could have a nice peaceful send-off for the cow before enjoying the meat. Unfortunately, the waiting period is three years out! Back to Whole Foods we go! It is nice knowing where the cows came from and that people like Flint and Jamie are good stewards of our land and animals. Lastly, Flint mentioned the gates and fences around Munds Park. He asked that if you see a gate open, please leave it open. If you see a gate closed, please leave it closed. These are the tools they use to guide the cows through the forest. If we intervene, we can hinder their efforts and, worse than that, cause serious harm to the cows or drivers. If gates are left open, or worse, the fences are cut to allow off-road vehicles through, cows will get out and can end up on the I-17. One more note, please slow down when driving your Side by Side or ATV by the cattle. Enjoy them and be as quiet as possible when passing the animals. The cows will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Arizona Republican Candidate for Governor Talks with the Pinewood News A note to our readers: Politics matter. Elections matter. Politics affect our everyday lives, even when it isn’t an election year. The quality of our lives and our safety is directly impacted by political decisions made at the state and federal levels. Because getting unfiltered political news is critical to voting in the best candidate, the Pinewood News is diving into politics for the first time in twenty-nine years. Yes, our teeny-tiny-hyper-local newspaper of Munds Park is jumping into politics to bring our community unfiltered interviews with candidates and politicians that affect our everyday lives. We are starting with the Arizona race for governor. We will go directly to the candidate, interview them in person whenever possible, and print their words without a filter so our readers can decide for themselves. Grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and take the time to read what our candidates have to say. Kari Lake, former Fox 10 News anchor for over 20 years, left a successful career to run for governor. Recently endorsed by President Trump, Kari Lake is Arizona’s leading Republican gubernatorial candidate. She is outspoken, unafraid, and willing to fight for Arizona and common-sense conservative principles. Genna and I sat down with Kari for a face-to-face interview and spent almost an hour talking about issues facing our state. Read what she has to say, and see what you think. On Education Q. We have one of the worst school systems in the United States, ranking a dismal 48. Currently, Arizona spends $10,000 per student, about $5,700 less than the national average. The unions and politicians all scream from the rooftops that we need to spend more on education—That money is the answer. However, private and charter schools are educating their students for less, and they are doing an exceptional job. If money isn’t the primary factor for an excellent education, what do you think is? A. We spend 13 billion dollars on education. That’s 55% of our budget. So when people say we are not spending enough on education, that’s just not true. That’s not the problem. We can’t expect to throw money at a problem and get results. When you look at a teacher’s salary over time, their salaries are pretty much flat once you factor in inflation. But if you look at the administration’s salaries, their wages have shot way up. Too many administrators are on staff, and I don’t think any administrator should be making more than teachers, other than the principal. We have too many administrators, we’re paying them too much, and not enough money goes into the classroom. My father is a teacher, and my nieces are teachers. We need to talk to the teachers, especially those working in public schools. We need the teachers to tell us which requirements and mandatory testing are actually working. The teachers are the ones that know. They are the ones in the classroom. Finally, we need to look at the curriculum. The curriculum has become a political agenda. It’s CRT and anti-American history rather than teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic in our schools. As a result, we are churning out kids ill-equipped for the world, with a skewed vision and opinion of our country that is not accurate or fair for our kids. So, I don’t believe in throwing more money at the problem—I am all about funding the student. If parents find out their school is teaching CRT or not doing a good job, they can pull their kids out and move them to another school, and the funding follows that student. Competition between schools for Federal funding is the best way to get schools to shape up. We need to have educational freedom. Q.What about the teacher’s unions? They will fight you on this. A. I am going to take them on. I think the public wants to take the unions on too. The teacher’s unions don’t give a damn about the teachers, and they don’t give a damn about our students, and they hate the parents. They are working against us and poisoning our future. Our children are our future. Even if you don’t have kids, education is important because we will be hiring them, and one day, they will be taking care of us. Also, regarding Arizona’s ranking of 48, I don’t believe that is true. These are numbers pumped out by the Teachers Unions to panic parents and make the argument for more money. If you dig into the stats, you will find other states with the same ranking*. You can’t compare apples to oranges. It’s not easy to compare private and charter schools with public schools. We are also a border state, and we have kids who are not proficient in English. So you bring those kids into the class when we’re trying to catch them up, and you will naturally see lower test scores. It’s hard to learn math and science when you are not proficient in English. It’s a tough stat to come up with and challenging to rank our schools properly. *I took Kari’s advice and dug further into the school rankings. I found that Louisiana, Idaho, and Alaska also rank 48. Each report looked at different factors, but each ranked their schools at 48. Q. How can the State support and increase the number of trade schools to meet the ever-increasing need for skilled labor? A. Our educational system is not serving our country or our economy well. We have math, science, and literature requirements but no requirements for preparing our kids for life outside of school. We’re preparing everyone for college; we need to prepare kids for work. We have students coming out of college with a ton of debt, and they end up with low-paying jobs. Kids can actually come out of high school making $80-$90 thousand a year if we prepare them properly in the trades. We need to rethink education, and I think there is an appetite for it now because of what we’ve been through these last two years. We can work with the legislator and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to make some big moves and reimagine how we are educating our kids so they can hit the ground running when they turn 18. On Health Care Q. Most small business owners cannot afford health care for their employees. The available plans are extremely expensive for inadequate coverage. More Arizonans would have health benefits if small businesses had access to affordable plans. Is this a federal issue, or can you solve this problem as governor? A. This is primarily federal. Obama Care is a complete disaster. What we need is an open market and introduce competition. We don’t have that right now. We need to repeal Obama Care and start from scratch. President Trump wanted to do that, and the Democrats would not work with him. Our own Senator John McCain gave a thumbs down on it. I believe President Trump would have given us better healthcare options, but John McCain torpedoed that. I have no idea when healthcare will be brought back up again. There are a lot of fires to put out, but I am willing to work with the legislature on any issues that will help Arizonans. Q. Most of our homeless are mentally ill or addicted to drugs and alcohol. Generally speaking, they are not people who are temporarily displaced. They need care. They also need off the streets. I know this is a complex issue, but how do you begin to solve this problem? A. I am glad you mentioned that. I believe I am the only candidate with a policy on homelessness—It’s coming out in a couple of days. We are releasing our policies every two weeks. Our first one was on the border because that’s our most critical issue right now. How can you address drugs on the streets when drugs are pouring in at record numbers? Joe Biden has turned control of our borders over to the narco-terrorist. And so, my first policy was on how to protect our borders. Regarding the homeless issue, I am proposing a comprehensive approach that involves providing real treatment and support to people willing to accept it. They will have beds, treatment, support, and hope. Those who refuse will find something else entirely: a state that simply isn’t willing to tolerate their abuses any more. So we’re going to solve the issue and provide more beds for the homeless. As long as there are beds, we can’t have homeless on the street. Q. What about the homeless that want to live on the streets? They don’t want a curfew or any rules, so they prefer the streets. A. As long as you have a bed, you can outlaw city camping. You can’t outlaw homelessness—if you don’t have a home, then you don’t have a home. But you can move the homeless from the streets to a bed, and if they refuse, then there can be an arrest. We’re going to have to take a tougher approach. We can’t allow what is happening in LA, San Fransico, Portland, and Seattle to happen here in Arizona. They are dead cities now. Shops are shutting down, and no one wants to go there. I am not going to allow Arizona to turn into a bunch of dead cities because of terrible city leadership. We won’t look the other way while people are shooting up drugs, we also will not legalize drug use on the streets. We’re going to take a tougher approach. It’s actually the compassionate thing to do. Is it kind to enable drug addiction and prolong their misery? Or is the compassionate thing to do is say, look, sit down. We’re going to get you help. You can no longer go down this path. You’ve got to get help, and here is the help. We’re no longer going to cater to junkies that want to live on the streets. They get help, or they are subject to arrest. On Reproductive Rights Q. You are unabashedly Pro-Life. Do you support overturning Roe v. Wade? If so, do you believe there are exceptions for an abortion? A. I am pro-life, and I support overturning Roe Vs. Wade. Personally for me, I do not believe in exceptions for an abortion. I believe all life matters. However, if a mother’s life is at risk, then, of course, there should be an exception. On Growth in Arizona Q. Arizona is growing fast, especially with the mass exodus from states like New York and California. You mention that some states, including ours, grow too fast without considering our limited water supply and housing. How will you balance growth while protecting our resources? A. That’s a good question because I believe we will grow even more, especially as states around us begin to crumble under radical leftist policies. We talk about water issues all the time. But you cannot regulate your way out of a drought. What we see happening from these regulations is that our agricultural communities are getting the short end of the stick, and the fields go fallow. We need to start looking at bringing in new sources of water. That’s why I have been pushing D-Cell Water. We need to bring in new water sources and ensure the regulations are not hurting our farmers. We will soon end up in a food crisis, and I am not talking years down the road. Q. Do you have any ideas on how to make housing more affordable? A. With California’s lack of governorship and lower quality of life, Californians are flooding our state. They sell their average looking home in California from $800,000 up to a million dollars, and they can plop down cash for the above asking price here in Arizona. They are simply outpricing us. So we have a housing crisis, and I think we should treat it as such. Q. So what does that mean—a housing crisis? A. That means we can pull out all the stops to help our developers build homes. The cities put so much red tape in permitting that it slows building down. If we can cut red tape, we can build more quickly. That doesn’t mean we cut safety inspections — we don’t want shotty housing. We simply want to streamline the process. I’ve talked to homebuilders, and they said 25% of the cost of a new home comes from the excessive amount of permitting and regulations. We need to build houses, and we need to do it fast. As a State Government, we need to help our builders do that for the people. We need housing for the workforce. The other part of the issue is that we love to draw business to Arizona. Growth is good. However, when you bring a large company in from California, scrape the desert to make room, and offer tax incentives to bring them to the Valley, then we should expect them to hire some Arizonans and not just transplants from California. When looking at deals like this, we need to consider the side effects for Arizona. I want to attract businesses to Arizona, especially for our smaller communities. Bringing 100-150 jobs to a facility in Williams, Arizona, will be equivalent to 5,000 jobs coming into Phoenix. Q. Will you protect our deserts and forests from urban sprawl? For example, can we entice developers to rebuild parts of our cities that are in decay rather than encroach on our untouched land? A. We don’t own much of that land; most of our land is owned by the Federal Government. If you look at a map of our state, you will see there is not a lot of private land available. You can’t go into Sedona or Munds Park and scrape a little piece of land out to develop. Most of the land is already accounted for by the Feds. I’d actually like to claw back some of the land from the Feds, to be honest. The cities could use more land for growth and development. We are starting to see a lot of infill where they are taking a blighted property and working to improve it, but we need more space. I loved President Trump’s economic policy, and I want to bring that to Arizona—His America First policy. He had Opportunity Zones that the media never covered, but they really were a bright spot. You could take your capital gains earnings and pump them into struggling neighborhoods that are not attracting interest. Opportunity Zone’s allowed for tax savings and lifted up struggling neighborhoods. We want to create the same program in Arizona. It’s similar to Trump’s Opportunity Zones, but it won’t be limited to just struggling neighborhoods, we want to encourage that, but we want to bring back manufacturing from China. China has taken our economy, and we’re going to take it back. We will encourage manufacturing to come back and set up shop in Arizona. I am talking about the essentials. When COVID hit, it was shocking to see bare shelves. We shouldn’t be relying on the evil scourge on the earth, communist China, for our PPE and medicines. I frankly don’t trust them to produce our medicines. Here’s the deal. I don’t have all the answers. No politician does. I love this state. I have lived here for 27 years. I drove here in 1994 from Idaho and felt like I had arrived. Arizona is the most amazing place in the world. I still think it is. However, I feel like we are declining a bit, and I want to ensure our state stays a great place to live. On The Younger Generation Q. Kari, many adults, have lost faith in our government but remain hopeful. I think our hope comes from experience. We’ve lived through good times, and we’ve witnessed nobel leaders outside of the history books. We still have pride in America. What do you say to young adults who have lost faith in not only our government but our country? A. They have been taught that way. They have been indoctrinated K-12 and through college. What’s not taken care of through the schools, the media will take care of through propaganda. Personally, I am so encouraged. I actually got goosebumps. We have a movement with our campaign—it’s mainly young people. In the last two years, our young adults have realized just how bad our government is. They didn’t get to go to prom, go on a date, or walk the line during graduation. Everything was taken from them during what should have been some of their best years by tyrannical policies that hurt them. Our young adults are awake, and they like that we are taking our government back. The government belongs to the people, and the government we have been experiencing is heavy-handed. We are the ones who are in charge. They know what good leadership is. They can recognize it. It’s showing strength, having courage, knowing right from wrong, and doing what is right with no fear. Even with Kyrsten Sinema, someone asked me what I thought of her the other day. First of all, I have known her for many years. I think she is a nice person; I just disagree with her on probably 99% of her policies. But she is strong, and that is what people want. They want to know that you are a strong leader. That’s what Donald Trump did. He inspired people to be strong, take the hits and do what is right for the people. I feel a real movement here in Arizona. I really believe we’re going to set things right. I will be the first governor in a long time that is genuinely working on behalf of the people of Arizona. I don’t have a donor class and my special interest group is Arizona. Young adults are seeing this, and I think this is why we have so many young interns on our campaign. And that’s it, folks! I had more questions on border security, keeping Arizona safe, election integrity, the economy, and bringing the left and right together. Kari gave us a generous 50 minutes of her time, but we got caught up talking with her, and we ran out of time. For now, for the question I missed on the border, I’ve pulled her plans for border security from Kari’s website. The topic is too important to leave out. Secure the Border - Finish the Wall As Americans, we welcome all legal immigrants into our country, but what we have now is a security and humanitarian crisis. International criminal cartels are fully in control of Northern Mexico and have turned the flood of people wanting to get into the United States into just another lucrative revenue source to be exploited – they are raping, ransoming, and extorting some of the most vulnerable people in the world, and they won’t stop until we stop them. That’s why I am committed to finishing the wall. I will not let this suffering continue. As governor, I will direct the Arizona National Guard to deploy along the border and assist Border Patrol for as long as it takes to get control of this disaster. Additionally, while our Department of Public Safety doesn’t have a direct role in immigration enforcement, they are a frontline resource in combating sex and human trafficking and drug smuggling. I will expand and redeploy elite elements of DPS to our border to coordinate a massive increase in our efforts to stop these evils. Further, trespassing is a crime, and another area where DPS can take a leading role in addressing illegal immigration as many crossers traversing private land. But we can go further, I will empower Arizona sheriffs to deputize Arizonans, including retired law enforcement, military, and others with critical training, to assist DPS in enforcing the law and securing our border. Additionally, I will allocate state resources to assist in funding these programs as well as provide hiring and retention bonuses to our law enforcement agencies to help address their staffing shortages. While the Biden administration may turn a blind eye to all the crime and suffering illegal immigration is bringing with it, we will not. We will enforce our laws every time, without fail. And we will keep the pressure on Washington. For more about Kari’s vision for Arizona, please visit www.KariLake.com.

In the late 1870s, few men had settled in the wilderness high country of Northern Arizona. The Atlantic and Pacific railroad would not be built across Northern Arizona, and the Babbitt family, who would go on to great fame as Coconino County entrepreneurs, would not step down from the steps of a passenger car in the booming metropolis of Flag Staff for another few years. Most of Northern Arizona’s sparse population was attracted to the rich gold fields of the Bradshaw Mountains or the lush grasses and rich earth of the Verde Valley. Cold winter snow kept men moving west along the Beale Wagon Road toward California or southwest down the Overland Trail around the head of Sycamore Canyon into the new town of Prescott. Jim O’Neil was one of the earliest men to settle in the vicinity. Originally from Kentucky, he entered the sheep business at Date Creek west of Prescott before moving to the San Francisco Mountain region because of the dry conditions in the low lands. His sheep got water from what came to be O’Neil Spring in the area now known as Kachina Village. Jim O’Neil, along with John Clark, William Ashurst, Ira Gosney and Charles Odell would become Northern Arizona’s biggest sheep ranchers. As Flagstaff was established and grew, O’Neil was selected as the first voting inspector in the original Flag Staff voting precinct. By 1886 as he prospered, he also ran a store on San Francisco Street in Flagstaff. In the early days, one of the leading industries besides raising sheep and cattle was the very large Ayer Saw Mill (later sold to the Riordan Brothers.) This mill sat in the middle of the largest continuous stand of virgin ponderosa pine timber on the face of the earth, and the railroad had been given alternating sections for miles on either side of the track. In this, the glory days of the industrial revolution, steam power was the ultimate technology. Steam-powered locomotives brought logs in from the woods, steam-powered cranes lifted logs off rail cars, steam-driven sawmills cut lumber from logs, and steam-powered loaders put that lumber back on cars for shipment. When electricity first came to Flagstaff, it too was powered by steam generators located at the Riordan Mill. Steam comes from boiling water. Heat came from burning sawdust and scrap left over from the milling process, so fuel was no problem. Water on the other hand was in short supply. Flagstaff had Antelope Spring (now called Old Town Spring,) on the hill above the mill. During wet years this spring did OK but during a dry spell it would not produce enough water for the town folks and stock, much less run a sawmill. The next nearest spring of any consequence was O’Neil Spring about eight miles south of town. The Riordans bought the water rights from Jim O’Neal and built a large stone pumphouse in the field below the spring to bring water into town. O’Neil Spring served the mill and town until 1903 when again the demand for water had grown so large that both Old Town and O’Neal Springs were not enough. That was the year Tim Riordan built a dam across Clark Valley and named the new reservoir Lake Mary for his daughter, Mary Riordan. So next time you’re buzzing along Interstate 17 headed into Flagstaff look for a little slice of History. The old stone pump house building can still be seen in the lowlands of Pumphouse Wash immediately west of Interstate 17 in the field just north of the Kachina Village Exit. O’Neil Spring itself is in the aspen grove at the west end of the clearing. Pumphouse Wash runs from there into Oak Creek and is quite pretty as it becomes much deeper near Oak Creek Canyon. If you get out into our spectacular Northern Arizona backwoods, please do not litter and try to leave the area cleaner than you found it. Enjoy Northern Arizona. Bill Cowan’s Arcadia book on the History of the Verde Valley is available at Candy’s Creekside Cottage in McGuireville, Arizona and also from Amazon, Ebay and at various other retailers including the Verde Canyon Railroad.

Arizona Republican Candidate for Governor Talks with the Pinewood News Munds Park, meet Matt Salmon, Republican candidate for governor. Matt, raised in Tempe, is a lifetime member of the NRA with an A rating for supporting and defending the Second Amendment. He co-founded the conservative House Freedom Caucus, and has worked to cut spending and get government out of the way so more Americans can thrive. Matt’s political career: • U.S. Representative from Arizona’s 5th Congressional District (2013-2017) • Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party (2004-2007) • U.S. House of Representatives (1995-2001) • Assistant majority leader (1993-1995) • Arizona State Senate (1991-1995) Below is our interview with Matt discussing issues important to Arizonans. Read what he has to say, and see what you think. Top 3 iIssues Q. Matt, in your opinion, what are the top three issues facing Arizona? A. The top three issues are border security, economy, and our educational system. Q. You were our senator for two terms and a congressman for five. During your time serving Arizona, what legislative actions did you take that benefited Arizonans the most? A. I was one of the original sponsors of charter schools. We started charter schools back in the early 90s. I was one of the sponsors, and I’m really proud of that. Arizona really led the way for the whole country on charter schools, and I think that’s been a great thing. On The Border Q. Matt, do you think our border is secure? A. I don’t feel it’s secure at all. Q. As Arizona’s governor, what would you do to solve this problem? A. I believe that in the Constitution, we are guaranteed to be protected from invasion by the federal government, and having been down to the the border and seeing all the Fentanyl that’s coming across the border, the human rights violations… The cartels are managing everything. They’re smuggling people, they’re smuggling drugs, they’re smuggling guns, and it’s horrible. Number one, we should declare the cartels a terrorist organization. That would give us a lot more tools to deal with them. Number two, we need to start arresting people who are coming across illegally for violating state laws and incarcerating them, sending a clear message that if you come to Arizona, you’re going to be incarcerated. You want to go to another state, knock yourself out, but we’re going to protect Arizona’s borders. And three, I think that if the federal government is not going to finish the wall, then we need to figure out a way to do it. We had 1.7 million interactions with our CBP (Customs Border Patrol) last year with people coming across illegally in Yuma from over 100 different countries. It’s not just South and Central America and Mexico. You’ve got people coming from the Middle East, from Asia, and it’s a bad problem. They’re paying the cartel members to smuggle them across. Q. What about immigration reform? A. I don’t think that the American public will buy into it until we secure the border. We’ve got to first secure the border, then we can talk about some immigration reform ideas, but we have to secure the border first. I was talking to the chief—he’s the head of the border union—I was talking to him the other night, and I said, “What do you need? Do you need more equipment?” He said we don’t need more equipment; we need better policy. We need better policy, and we need an administration that actually unties our hands, so we can do our jobs. Q. And when he says “policy,” is there anything specific? A. Yes, he said the Remain in Mexico policy was very, very helpful because it had cut down the illegal crossing. On Education Q. Arizona spends $10,000 per student, about $5,700 less than the national average. The unions and some politicians argue that we need to spend more on education—That money is the answer. However, private and charter schools are educating their students for less, and they are doing an exceptional job. If money isn’t the primary factor for an excellent education, what do you think is? A. I’m a big believer that dollars should follow the child. Look, if money was the predictor or the decider of education, then the best educated kids in the country would be coming out of Washington D.C., and that’s not the case. I’ve been there. I’ve lived there. They’re horrible schools. So money alone isn’t the problem. Yes, we need to put money in the right places—you know, paying teachers good salaries—but I think that one of the best things we can do is give parents the ability to take their kids and put them in whatever school they want to put them in—charter, private, parochial—and have the dollar follow the child. Q. How can the State support and increase the number of trade schools to meet the ever-increasing need for skilled labor? A. I’m big on trade schools. I think that in our educational system, we’ve got to get back to the basics: reading, writing, math, science, civics and vocab. We teach kids as if they’re all going to college, and they’re not, and a lot of those kids end up dropping out, and we lose them. Are you familiar with the term CTED? It’s Career Technical Education. Just about every county has one. My wife works for the one here at East Valley Institute of Technology, EVIT, and they have 42 different certificate programs. The kids graduate from high school, and they get a welding certificate and go into a $65,000, $70,000 a year job right out of high school. My granddaughter is a junior. She’s going to get her certificate in cosmetology. If she would’ve waited until after she graduated from high school, it would’ve been about $25,000 to pay for that, but she’ll graduate being a cosmetologist, so she’ll walk right into a good-paying job. X-ray technicians, welders, electricians, plumbers. I’m big on that. Our current governor signed an initiative called Achieve 60, and what that means is that by 2035, 60% of our graduates from high school will either be in college in a 4-year degree program, community college or a trade school. We’re not even close to meeting that objective. When I’m governor, we’re going to focus on that like a laser beam. Let’s quit training everybody “one size fits all.” We also need to stop teaching kids what to think and teach them how to think. Q. Arizona is growing fast, especially with the mass exodus from states like California. How will you balance growth while protecting our resources? A. The biggest issue we have right now as a resource is water, and if we don’t handle this right, it’s going to hurt our ability for economic prosperity for a long time to come. We’ve got to get it right, and that means that we’re going to have to do a whole bunch of things. We have to find new water sources and it’s gonna take resources and dollars. The governor announced at a State of the State that he was looking at the possibility of building a d-cell plant on the Sea of Cortez and then not pumping the water to Arizona, because that’d be really expensive, but letting Mexico keep the water. Then we would get that portion of our water from their Colorado River rights, which would be about 200,000 acre-feet of water. These are good ideas, but we also are going to have to look at some conservation things and look at the way we grow, and do it in a way that’s positive in managing our resources. I’m very concerned, but most of the growth in Arizona right now is in Maricopa County. Maricopa is the fastest-growing county in the country. I think we need to spread the wealth around. What I’m saying on the growth and the economic development is, we need to not have it be so ZIP code-specific and do it all throughout Arizona. I’m really frustrated about the tribal lands. We’re not doing any economic stuff. They’re like a third-world country where half of them don’t even have any electricity or water. I can’t remember the full number… it’s over a million acres of state trust land, and some of that land can be used. The other thing that really concerns me, and you’re probably onto this, too, is something that’s a big deal. It’s the price of homes. It’s through the roof and young people who are just starting out, heaven help them. We need to find out a way to use our state trust land responsibly to find more opportunities for land, because right now, it’s a supply and demand thing. There’s not nearly enough houses for the demand that’s there, and we’ve got to find more opportunities for finding less expensive land. On The Homeless Q. Most of our homeless are mentally ill or addicted to drugs and alcohol. Generally speaking, they are not people who are temporarily displaced. They need care. They also need off the streets. A. We don’t do a good job in the state when it comes to dealing with either mental health or drug or alcohol dependency. This is up close and personal to me. Two of my really close friends from high school, really close friends, lost their kids to opioid overdose. My oldest brother was an alcoholic his whole life. He died just a few years ago, sober, but he went through detox three times. Do you know that the likelihood that you’re going to be able to get cured from alcoholism is like 10%? It’s really low, but there are some things happening. I just talked to some guys the other day. It’s called Recovery Café… This is really exciting. I just spoke with this guy yesterday. They’re coming to Arizona. It’s a nonprofit and they have a 90% success rate. The other places have a 10 or 15% success rate. What we find is when people with addictions go through rehab, and they’re back on the streets, they go back to their old friends and they’re back in the same problem within just a while. This is a place where they can interact with different people who have similar issues. They help each other, and it’s really successful. We need to look at more innovative programs for helping people overcome addictions. My youngest son is a psychiatrist in Washington, D.C., and mental health, especially after COVID, mental health and addiction issues have gone through the roof. We’ve got to address that because homelessness is becoming worse, not better, and it’s because of that, so that’s something I want to focus on big time as governor. The attorney general won a big settlement from the opioid makers, and it’s close to half a billion dollars. We can use that money to help people beat their addictions, but the answer isn’t like Joe Biden’s, giving crack pipes to people. On Election Laws Q. How can we ensure our elections are secure and accurate? A. I put out a 10-point plan called the Voter Bill of Rights, and first and foremost, if you don’t have ID, you can’t vote. You’ve got to prove that you’re a citizen and that you’re in good standing, and then you can vote. Look, if you want a beer, you have to give an ID. If you go through the airport, try getting through without an ID. Voting should be the same. This should be a bipartisan thing. Also, we need to put better teeth in our laws to punish those that ballot harvest because that’s nothing more than cheating the system. Then I think we need to get back to precinct voting, and I want to also pass a law that says that within the last 65 days, you cannot change the terms of the election. Last time, in the name of COVID, the judge came in and they changed all the terms of the election. They extended the deadline for registering to vote. They forced the poll workers to work so many feet apart, and they couldn’t see the ballots. What good is a poll watcher that can’t watch the ballots? So, those are some of my thoughts. On Reproductive Rights Q. You are pro-Life. Would you support overturning Roe v. Wade? A. Yes, I would. The Supreme Court is deliberating on that right now as we speak. And again, the rhetoric on all this gets pretty heated. At the end of the day, I was raised to believe that life is sacred and that those lives, while they’re still in the womb of the mother, they’re still a life. I believe that our Constitution says that we’re supposed to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Life is the first one, so that’s really important to me. Now, I don’t call people names or anything that believe differently than I do, but that’s my belief. I also think we need to do a lot better job in this state helping women who are pregnant with unwanted pregnancies; help them find ways other than abortion to be able to deal with their situation. We need to be compassionate about it and be able to help them. Q. Do you believe there are any exceptions to that rule? A. I believe if it’s to save the life of the mother, obviously. On Gun Rights Q. Do you believe in the right to keep and bear arms? A. Oh, I’m the biggest 2nd Amendment guy you’ll ever meet. When I was a state senator, I sponsored the bill to allow people to carry concealed weapons, so that’s another one I’m really proud of. I’m a very, very strong 2nd Amendment guy. All my years in office, I’ve been A-rated by the NRA. I totally believe that if you don’t stand for the Bill of Rights, you don’t stand for anything, and the Second Amendment is number 2 on the Bill of Rights. It’s not there for duck hunting; it’s there to protect us from a tyrannical government. I’m a strong believer that one of the reasons we’re free is because we have a 2nd Amendment. We need to keep it; fight for it. On the Economy Q. On the economy, we are experiencing a 40-year high in inflation, and gas and food prices continue to rise. As governor, what can you do to help Arizonans keep more money in their pocketbook? A. Actually, and this is on my website, too, but I want to get rid of our income tax. I want to get rid of it. Just like Florida, Texas and Nevada have no income tax, and if we do that, really great businesses will be coming here. Just like they are in Florida and Texas, and we will get some of the best paying jobs and that will mean more revenue because they pay sales tax and property tax, and the revenues, I think, will go through the roof. Q. So, how fast could you get that done? A. I want to get that done in the first year. Final Question Q. Why should Arizonans vote for you? A. I believe Arizona should vote for somebody that actually has a record of accomplishment. You shouldn’t have to roll the dice and hope. How many times have we been lied to by candidates that say they’re going to do something and then they do something completely different when they get elected? I’ve been in office. I was one of the very few who believed so strongly in term limits, that I term-limited myself, and I left when I said I would. Unlike a lot of people, I keep my word. It’s really important to elect somebody who has a record of keeping their word and a record of doing what they said they’re going to do. I’m the only candidate running for governor that’s got that kind of record. Nobody else has even served. I’ve worked in the private sector most of my life, but I’ve served in public office for about 14 years. I think that is really important that you have somebody that understands the private sector and how important it is to keep government off of businesses’ backs, and also understands from the government perspective how to get things done because I think it’s important that we have a governor that can hit the ground running and doesn’t have to have on-the-job training. I’m the only candidate that’s got the skills, that’s running this time, anyway. Q. I’m not comparing you; I’m just using it as an example… Joe Biden. That was one of Joe’s big selling points, “I’ve been in politics for 40 years...Nobody is more experienced than me.” Voters are getting hip to politicians that have been around for years, and they’re still talking about issues they were going to solve years ago. Same politician. Same problems. A. I’m against career politicians—it’s about service. You go in and do some service, and then get out and let somebody else go in. I’ve not been a go-along, get-along guy. I’ve been a guy that goes in, and I fight my own party when I think they’re wrong. John Boehner was the Speaker of the House when I went back, and I went into his office with two other guys, Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows, and we stared him down. He was the most powerful Republican in the whole country, and we said, “We’ve got the votes to take you out as Speaker. You need to step down,” and he left three days later. So, I’m not afraid to take on my own party when I have to. I fight for the Constitution, and I fight for the people. That’s what I care about. I’m not fighting for the Republican Party. I’m fighting for this, the Constitution. I’m fighting for the things that I care about; the things that are important. I’ve got four kids and nine grandkids. I’m fighting for them. For more about Matt's vision for Arizona, please visit here.