Arizona Coach Talker - ARIZONA GUIDES ASSOCIATION



Arizona Coach Talker

Newsletter of the Arizona Guides Association

Volume 24, Issue 2 November, 2010

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The HEARD MUSEUM of Nature Cultures and Art was founded in 1929 by Dwight B. and Marie Heard to house their personal collection of American Indian artifacts and art. The original Heard Museum was one-eighth the size of the current facility. Today, the non-profit museum has earned a national and international reputation for its thorough and sensitive representation of Native cultures and heritage, especially those in the Southwest.

The AGA is honored to be welcomed to the Heard Museum and given the opportunity to view and experience their many collections and exhibits.

AGA Meeting ~ November 1, 2010

When:     Monday, November 1, 2010

Where:   Heard Museum ~ 2301 N. Central Avenue

~ Monte Vista Room ~

Time: 2:00 – 3:30 pm Museum Tours

3:30 pm General Meeting

            

Please RSVP to Joan Moran: 480.538.7999 or joancmoran@

AGA President’s Notes……

Autumn in Arizona….. The temperature is finally dropping and we are getting occasional rain showers. The aspens are turning golden yellow and the desert floor is getting cooler. The moon is brilliantly lighting the night sky (I witnessed it at 3:30 am departures) and all around us are reminders of why we love our wonderful Arizona.

I encourage you to take the time to get to know more about our state. We are going to have two opportunities next month to do just that. November 1st, will be our AGA meeting at the Heard Museum. There will be docent led guided tours, and then a short AGA meeting. Don’t miss this great day! And then on November 10th, we will be heading to the East Valley for our AGA Fall Education Tour. Spend the day with us as we visit Usery Mountain Park, have lunch on the Desert Belle, and then wind our way to Fountain Hills to the River of Time Museum.

I hope to see each and every one of you at these events; you are an important part of our association.

Jeannie Parrish, AGA President 2010-2011

Page 2 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

In case you missed it…..from the Arizona Republic

Arizona to convert old newspapers ….. The state of Arizona has won a nearly $315,000 federal grant to preserve and convert more than 60 years of the state's newspapers into a digital format. The money will be used to make digital copies of newspapers from 1860 to 1922. State officials say the grant will give Arizonans access to accounts of Arizona's territorial days and the 10 years that came after Arizona became a state in 1912. The grant by the National Endowment for the Humanities was awarded to the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. The state had won an earlier grant for converting newspapers into a digital format.

St. Francis Catholic Cemetery ….. The corner of 48th and Oak streets is quiet. As a final resting place, it's a spot with acres of grass, mature trees, shrines and views of Camelback Mountain. St. Francis Catholic Cemetery is one of the oldest in the city (1897). Founded before statehood, its inhabitants represent pioneer families, community and business leaders, miners, those who succumbed to tuberculosis, and others who helped write the history of Phoenix and Arizona. "It's never been singled out as just Spanish or just White families," said Gary Brown, Catholic Cemeteries executive director. "It's served the entire community." Recently, cemetery staff cleaned graves and altars, removing faded and spent flowers.

Mary Geare of Dublin, Ireland, is believed to be the first to be buried in the cemetery. Mary came to Phoenix with her husband, Hubert, but died soon after. She was buried on Oct. 12, 1897, the day that marks the cemetery's anniversary. The Geares' son, Joseph, who suffered from asthma, stayed in Phoenix and founded the Central Avenue Dairy on land that is now Park Central Mall.

Gary Brown said Franciscan Brother Fredric Zeller rode his bike daily to St. Francis to take care of the graceful cemetery founded by the Rev. Novatus Benzing. The Franciscan order has administered St. Mary's Basilica in Phoenix since 1895. The order helped found St. Francis Cemetery, St. Joseph's Hospital and St. Mary's High School.

Trinidad Escalante Swilling Shumaker, the second wife of Jack Swilling, has been called the mother of Phoenix. Jack Swilling, who is often credited with naming Phoenix, is buried in an unmarked grave in Yuma.

Trinidad, who died in 1925, was also in an unmarked grave next to her son until 1997, when cemetery officials donated the marker and observed the cemetery's 100th anniversary.

Approximately 45 of the cemetery's 52 acres are developed. Each year, about 850 individuals are buried at the cemetery, Brown says. The 50,000th burial took place at St. Francis in December 2007. Phoenix had only one Catholic cemetery until 2000, when Holy Redeemer Cemetery opened in north Phoenix.

Rosson House to host visitors ….. The historic Rosson House at Sixth and Monroe streets in downtown Phoenix's Heritage Square has been a museum for several years, and city officials have found yet another purpose for it. The Victorian house was recently designated a "protocol house" by the City Council. This special designation means that city officials can bring officials who are visiting Phoenix to small meetings or receptions at the house. This is the city's first protocol house. City leaders chose the house because it is secure, comfortable, a symbol of Phoenix history, and close to City Hall and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Councilman Tom Simplot, who represents District 4, supports historic preservation and had been a key proponent of the protocol house idea. "It's a great way to leverage public and private resources," Simplot said. Officials have said no extra city funding is needed to use the house for this purpose.

This timeline is based on Rosson House Museum information.

• The house is designed by A.P. Petit for Dr. Roland Lee Rosson, who became mayor in 1895, the year he and his wife, Flora, moved in. Construction costs $7,525.

• The Rossons move after selling the home to local merchant and legislator Aaron Goldberg.

• After the house has changed hands several times, the city buys it for $74,425. The house is designated Arizona's Bicentennial Meeting House by the state Bicentennial Commission.

• The Junior League of Phoenix reaches an agreement with the city, Rosson House Restoration Boaand M.M. Sundt Construction Co. to restore the home's interior. .

• The house is opened to the public.

• The house turns 100.

• The house is designated as a protocol house for officials visiting from out of town.

Page 3 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

Scottsdale's Soleri Bridge ….. The Soleri Bridge and Plaza, designed by internationally known visionary and artist Paolo Soleri, is in the final stages of construction in downtown Scottsdale after existing as a dream for 20 years. One of the major milestones was the recent installation of ten 8-foot-high concrete panels. The panels serve as artwork as Soleri hand-carved the works using his "earth-casting" method developed as Cosanti, his Paradise Valley home and studio. Donna Isaac, Scottsdale Public Art project manager, held her breath Monday as a giant crane lowered a panel onto the site. "This makes me so nervous," she said. "These are one of a kind."

This is the first and only one of Soleri's more than 60 bridge designs to be built. The 130-foot-long pedestrian bridge spans the southern side of the Arizona Canal southwest of Camelback and Scottsdale roads. Its design will demonstrate solar movement by marking seasonal events, such as the equinox and solstice. Framing the bridge is a 22,000-square-foot plaza featuring a bell tower. Isaac said Soleri, 91, is often at the construction site, "sitting in his chair, directing with his cane."

The $3.5 million bridge is a Scottsdale Public Art project and paid for with city funds and private donations.

Accidental Yard set to land in Old Town ….. Local entrepreneurs plan to convert a property in Old Town Scottsdale into an urban garden with attached coffeehouse, bakery and restaurant. The property between the Cavalliere Blacksmith Shop and the Mission Restaurant and Lounge on Brown Avenue has been vacant for years and is among the seven lots George Cavalliere owns near Brown and Second Street. Over the next few months, the building and junk-filled yard out back will be renovated and will open in January as the Accidental Yard. It will be a multi-business destination with sprawling garden and patio, said co-owner and founder Joe Garcia. Garcia is a long-time restaurateur and a vendor at the Old Town Farmers Market. His wife, Kelly Garcia, owns Butter & Me Cupcakery and also is a co-owner in the new venture along with other investors.

Getting the business off the ground will cost about $1.5 million, Joe Garcia said.

The small house on the property along Second Street first caught the eye of Kelly Garcia. "We looked at it and we talked to (George Cavalliere), and we felt like it wasn't big enough space for what we wanted to do - we were looking for a patio space," Joe Garcia said. "So I sent him a proposal and he accepted it, and it was for the entire property. And then it turned into a letter of intent and here we are."

The Accidental Yard will encompass about 10,000 square feet on the L-shaped property that includes the two buildings and a yard that stretches to an area behind the blacksmith shop. The Garcias chose the name because they found the property strictly by accident, and they wanted it to be something "wacky and fun. The idea behind the garden is to make it an educational place where cooking and gardening classes are offered and "children come with their school and learn gardening or maybe learn how to make a pizza or a quesadilla with a well-known chef using local ingredients," he said. The project includes gutting the structures and clearing the property, then rebuilding the indoor space and patio and preparing the garden plot. Garcia says they have some excavation to do, because some of that land back there hasn't been touched in over 100 years. The exterior along Brown will be transformed and will feature a patio and a window where orders can be picked up for bicycle delivery.

Butter & Me now is a custom-order bakery but will have a storefront at the Accidental Yard. "Kelly has a clientele who she serves, but there are a lot of people who are waiting for her to do a storefront," Garcia said. The coffee bar will include an area for casual and to-go coffee service and an area for patrons to enjoy specialty coffees on site and learn about making great coffee. There will be a restaurant space, most likely for casual dining, and the venue will include an outdoor kitchen and will be available for wedding receptions, parties and other private events, he said.

Cavalliere is looking forward to seeing the project take root. "I just kind of seemed like a good thing to do," he said. "It's just something to keep (the property) going and to keep the whole area going."

Evaporative coolers are disappearing ….. The dew point used to be an important weather indicator to metro Phoenix residents who watched for a reading lower than 55, which meant they could run their evaporative coolers. The units providing low-cost cooling were common in neighborhoods across the region starting in the 1940s, but have been in sharp decline since the late '80s. Now the metal boxes atop homes are rare, done in by a combination of cheap and increasingly energy-efficient air-conditioning and the time and expense of maintaining the coolers. Arizonans steadily have moved away from using the sometimes noisy, always drippy evaporative coolers, even though they may reduce energy bills. Arizona Public Service Co. estimates that less than 10 percent of its customers use an evaporative cooler and that less than 3 percent rely on a cooler

Page 4 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

without air-conditioning. In 1984, nearly half its customers had coolers and a quarter of them used them without an air-conditioner.

Salt River Project estimates that about 14 percent of its customers have evaporative coolers. Most residents who still use them are either extremely cost-conscious, handy at fixing the units, or both. Auto shops, gyms, warehouses and other industrial buildings with large areas to keep cool still commonly rely on cost-efficient evaporative coolers. Homeowners are a different story. "What we see most of is people that want to have the swamp coolers disconnected," said Vince Hunter, co-owner of Pro Energy Consultants in Phoenix, which conducts $99 home-energy assessments and weatherization work for APS customers.

"There are two kinds of people, those who understand how swamp coolers work, know that when the humidity is up and they can't use it, know to keep a window open to use it, and those people who think it's a nuisance. Certainly, there are people in the Valley that are pros at it, but a lot of people are getting away from it because they don't know how it works."

Evaporative coolers use water and a fan to cool outside air and bring it into a building, requiring less electricity than air-conditioners. In 1916, the Adams Hotel in downtown Phoenix tested an evaporative cooler, and they developed along with air-conditioners through the '20s and '30s. By 1940, nearly every Phoenix home had a cooler, about a decade before air-conditioners were standard.

Evaporative coolers struggle to cool homes in the extreme heat and humidity of July, August and September in the greater Phoenix area, so it was common for people to use air-conditioning then and rely on the coolers in milder months. "You would turn on your air-conditioning at your Fourth of July party," said Gerry Niskern, whose parents opened a cooler business in Phoenix in 1950. "Believe it or not, it used to be cool here by Halloween and you didn't need cooling." Niskern's parents would close up their shop and facility where they hand-made cooler pads in September, and reopen months later when people began to need new cooler pads.

Experts list many reasons swamp coolers - a term Niskern finds derogatory - have faded. New air-conditioners are much more efficient, which means people save less on their power bill by switching from air-conditioners to evaporative coolers. New housing developments are limiting coolers' use on roofs. And people are just happy to use an air-conditioner that rarely needs repairs vs. a cooler that needs rooftop service at least twice annually. "I think we have all gotten softer and are spoiled with air-conditioning," said Mike Donley, president of Donley Service Center in Phoenix and Gilbert. The nights aren't as cool as they used to be, and evaporative coolers don't provide the same amount of comfort as they once did, he said. But most people just tire of climbing on the roof in the spring to clean and activate their cooler, and getting up there again in the fall to clean it and seal it off. Still, his company sold about a dozen evaporative coolers this year, mostly to people familiar with them from their childhood, not to people new to the technology.

Air-conditioners are more enticing to buyers, especially when energy-efficient models can qualify for a 30 percent federal tax credit for as much as $1,500 and rebates from APS that range from $175 to $525. Utilities don't offer any rebates for coolers. Evaporative coolers cost about $2,500 to $3,000, while new efficient air-conditioners run $6,000 to $10,000. Coolers require new pads, they use water, and some people rely on service technicians to clean them out annually, all adding to the cost. The higher the outside humidity, the less cooling the units offer, which is why they often struggle to provide comfort during the summer monsoon.

Some homeowners don't mind the maintenance, and many evaporative-cooler owners enjoy the energy-bill savings that come with a little elbow grease. However, for auto shops that are open to the outdoors and other businesses with big spaces to cool, the savings from evaporative coolers add up to significantly more. Coolers also work well in places that benefit from bringing in fresh air, such as gyms, as opposed to air-conditioners that recycle the same air. Arizona still houses manufacturers that design coolers specifically for these applications, which haven't seen the same decline as the household market. The Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA in Phoenix benefits from a large evaporative-cooling system on its building that supplements the air-conditioning system, bringing fresh air into the old brick building and helping the facility save money. Their energy bill peaks out at $30,000 a month in the summer season, and their Executive Director, Jeff Myers, says the Y wants to be a good steward of resources.

Phoenix's Dodge Theatre ….. in downtown Phoenix has been renamed Comerica Theatre. Comerica has signed a five-year naming rights deal for the entertainment venue located at 400 W. Washington St. financial items of the deal were not disclosed. The theater, which opened in 2002, is operated by Live Nation.

Comerica Inc., a publicly-traded financial institution based in Dallas, has sought to expand its presence in the Phoenix market in recent years with new bank branch openings. The bank currently operates 10 banks in Phoenix, according to its website.

Page 5 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

Scottsdale condos defying real-estate market ….. The owner of Optima Camelview Village condominiums in Scottsdale said sales and property values have been surprisingly resilient for the architectural-award-winning project. While the new-condo market has long been declared dead by most real-estate analysts, Chicago-based Optima Realty Inc. owner David Hovey said buyer interest in the innovative complex, with its tiered, greenery-topped roofs and terraces, has remained steady. H said the company has begun work on Camelview Village's third and final phase. Of the 750 units originally planned when the project opened in September 2006, only 86 units remain. The ultimate total of individual residences would end up being closer to 675, because some buyers purchased two, or even three, adjacent units and combined them into a single residence.

While there has been some fluctuation in the price of new units at Camelview Village, Hovey said the project's sales history hardly resembled the free fall in price and demand that has occurred at other Valley condo communities. Sales data provided by Optima show that the average sales price for a new Camelview Village unit in late 2006 was about $639,000. The average new-unit price increased in 2007 to $709,000 and dropped slightly to $696,000 in 2008. The largest drop in new-unit value occurred from 2008 to 2009, when the average sale price was $612,000. As of Aug. 30, the average new-home price at Camelview Village has recovered this year to $630,000 - less than 2 percent below the original price in 2006. He said that most other Phoenix-area upscale condominium projects are either selling their units at a fraction of the original asking price or have converted them into luxury apartments.

Phoenix downtown to welcome second Westin ….. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. announced Monday the 2011 opening of its second Westin hotel in Phoenix. The 242-room hotel is slated to open in February and will take up nine of 26 floors at the Freeport-McMoRan Center in downtown Phoenix. The remaining floors are occupied by the building's namesake. The nine floors the Westin Phoenix Downtown will occupy have been vacant since the building opened in November at Central Avenue and Van Buren Street, said Debra Barton, general manager for the Westin. Central Park East Associates LLC, a subsidiary of the current owners, has not revealed how much was spent to build the hotel rooms, a hotel entrance and a pool deck. However, a 2009 study conducted by the National Electrical Benefit Fund, the building's majority owner, indicated it planned to spend $30 million to $40 million.

The announcement comes at a time when Arizona's tourism industry is attempting to recover from the economic slump. Arizona has been hit especially hard by travel boycotts brought on by the passage of SB 1070, said Debbie Johnson, president and CEO of the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association. According to data provided by Smith Travel Research, Arizona's revenue per available room, a key industry measure that takes into account room rates and occupancy, was down 4 percent in August from the year before. The rest of the U.S. fared much better, up 8.1 percent from a year earlier. Despite that, Mark Vinciguerra, area managing director for Starwood Arizona, said he's confident the Westin will attract business and leisure travelers because of its proximity to the Phoenix Convention Center and downtown sports venues. The Westin will be the second hotel Starwood opens in downtown Phoenix within the past three years. The company also manages the state's largest hotel, the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, which has 1,000 rooms and is owned by the city.

The Westin will have 9,000 square feet of meeting space, compared to the Sheraton's 80,000 square feet. A study by the National Electrical Benefit Fund in 2009 estimates the Westin hotel will have a $32 million economic impact in the Valley. The Westin has begun to hire managers for its staff of about 150 people, Barton said. Hiring for regular staffers will take place in January.

Phoenix, Scottsdale scoop up 3,139 acres of state trust land ….. The size of land preserves in Phoenix and Scottsdale jumped considerably recently, when the cities successfully bid on a total of 3,139 acres of state trust land for conservation. The back-to-back auctions generated more than $69 million for the Arizona State Land Department, which will use the funding for public schools. The cities are also looking to acquire additional state trust land for their preserves next fall, but their plans hinge largely on land values and a Nov. 2 ballot measure that seeks to sweep conservation funds. Proposition 301 asks for voter approval to take the remaining balance from the state's Land Conservation Fund and transfer it into the general fund. The measure is touted as a way to balance the state's budget, which has been running a deficit. Scottsdale and Phoenix tapped tens of millions of dollars in the Arizona Growing Smarter conservation funds to cover half the purchase price of their respective bids Friday. The cities hope to draw on more funding next year, depending on the outcome of Prop. 301.

Page 6 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

Phoenix was the lone bidder on 1,139 acres a mile south of the Carefree Highway and 4 miles east of Interstate 17. A multi-use path will be built on the land, which runs between Seventh and 24th streets and Dove Valley and Lone Mountain roads. A Growing Smarter grant will cover half the purchase price of $25.8 million. The remainder will come from sales-tax proceeds from the Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative.

The measure, approved by voters in 1999 and again in 2008, raises funds to preserve thousands of acres of state trust land and build and improve parks. Forty percent of the money goes toward the preserve. The city has acquired 6,688 acres so far and identified a total of 20,000 acres to acquire with no definite timetable.

In its next move, Phoenix has targeted two land swaths south of Carefree Highway and west of Cave Creek Road that could be auctioned off in fall 2011. The amount of land depends on cost and funding, including Prop. 301 results.

Scottsdale's says if Prop. 301 passes, Scottsdale could miss out on millions of dollars to purchase a minimum of 1,940 acres in 2011, a city representative said. At the auction, Scottsdale acquired 2,000 acres in the Granite Mountain area of northern Scottsdale, expanding its McDowell Sonoran Preserve by more than 12 percent. The city has 30 days from the auction to pay the purchase price of $44.1 million. A grant from Growing Smarter will cover half the cost. The remainder will come from money generated by two city sales taxes approved by voters in 1995 and 2004. Scottsdale says, that the primary purpose is to preserve the land, land forms, habitat and wildlife, and provide opportunities for education, cultural awareness and passive recreation. It plans to accomplish all of these goals without disturbing the sanctuary.

Airport News…….

Section of Airport's new bridge completed ….. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is becoming the crossroads for planes, trains and automobiles. At ground level, cars are zipping along Sky Harbor Boulevard, which circles the airport, as 747s taxi into Terminal 4 across a bridge overhead. Above that taxiway is another bridge, which in 2013 will connect riders of the new PHX Sky Train to the terminal. Passengers will have a bird's-eye view of the planes on the taxiway and cars on the boulevard.

Tim Muller, the regional manager for Austin Bridge & Road, which is a contractor on the project, said the bridge over the taxiway is the second of its kind in the world. "There's one in Heathrow (in London), too," Muller said. However, Sky Harbor Deputy Aviation Director Deborah said a Sky Train design team has found that Sky Harbor has the world's first mass transit bridge over a taxiway. Drivers at the airport can be seen peering through their windshields at the giant columns that hold up the train bridge. The columns are 10 feet in diameter and tower beside the roadway. Phoenix is building the driverless train system to reduce traffic around the airport - and in anticipation of future demand and population growth. Aviation Department officials believe the train will take up to 20,000 cars off the road - about 20 percent of the daily traffic around Sky Harbor. They estimate that 10 million passengers will ride the Sky Train in its first year.

The "Taxiway R" that crosses over Sky Harbor Boulevard near Terminal 4 had been closed since April, when construction workers began building the Sky Train bridge to the terminal, which is one portion of the $1.5 billion project. The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees safety issues at airports, had given Sky Harbor six months to complete the portion of the Terminal 4 Sky Train bridge that arches over Taxiway R. Airport officials have just reopened the taxiway, allowing two planes to roll underneath the Sky Train bridge. The first plane to taxi through was a 36-foot-tall Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, which can hold about 128 passengers. It was followed by a 38-foot-tall A319 Airbus owned by US Airways that can carry about 124 people. Although the planes are large, they appear small in view of the Sky Train bridge, which looms about 90 feet above the taxiway and 125 feet above the boulevard. The bridge itself is an estimated 350 feet wide.

"The rest of the bridge's construction will happen over the next three months," said Jay DeWitt, Sky Harbor special-projects administrator. DeWitt recently told the Phoenix Aviation Advisory Board Business and Development Subcommittee that the project is on schedule and has remained within the budget. The first part of the train system connecting passengers from 44th Street to Terminal 4 will open by March 2013. Then, workers will finish the second stage that will link travelers from the rental-car center to the light-rail stop at 44th and Washington streets. That remaining section will open in 2020, completing the 4.8-mile system.

Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport food deal delayed ….. Phoenix City Council members are questioning how the Aviation Department is handling its contract for food and beverages in Terminal 4 after department officials failed to sign a council-approved agreement with the concessionaire. Five months ago, the City Council

Page 7 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

approved a two-year agreement with HMS Host that included a $4 million increase in rental revenues.

Aviation Department officials said they didn't tell the City Council about their failure to sign the $30 million deal because of an oversight. The contract could not take effect without the aviation director's signature, triggering a default, month-to-month agreement.

Councilman Michael Johnson, who represents downtown, including the airport, and south Phoenix, is irritated with the Aviation Department. "The only thing holding up the agreement is the aviation director has not signed the agreement," said Johnson, adding that the council should support the original contract. "We are five months into that contract from when the council originally approved it. This is a serious problem, not so much with (HMS) Host as with the city staff." Aviation Director Danny Murphy told the City Council the time frame within the contract "did not allow adequate time for the proposers to respond to the RFP (request for proposal), nor for staff to evaluate and recommend contract awards, and apologized to the City Council.

The default to a month-to-month contract meant none of the terms of the new agreement went into effect, including the increase in rental revenues. HMS Host has provided the city with $13 million in rental revenues per year. The company, based in Bethesda, Md., and owned by an international company, Autogrill Group, has been the concessionaire for Terminal 4 since it opened in 1990. Terminal 4's food and beverage contract is a lucrative deal. Last year, it generated $83 million in gross sales. City officials and businesses have been critical of the airport for how it has handled the contract, asking for it to be opened quickly so that other companies have a fair shot at the deal. HMS Host's original contract expired in 2008. The City Council then gave the airport the OK to prepare a new request for proposal.

Sky Harbor studies have revealed how travelers are affected. Items such as burgers and coffee cost more in Terminal 4 than in any other Sky Harbor terminal. City officials are promising "street prices" so that travelers pay the same price for items in the airport that they would pay outside it. The extension with HMS Host that the City Council approved in June included a timeline which airport officials had said would give them adequate time to issue a request for proposals on two new, Terminal 4 concessions contracts this fall, choose the winning bid for the first contract in May and the second in October, and begin construction for new restaurants and vendors by June 2012.

City staff asked the council to stay on a month-to-month agreement with HMS Host, dropping the rental-revenue increase. They also asked that the council approve a new "expedited" timeline to "deliver new food and beverage venues to the passengers sooner," according to their agenda request. They said the airport would complete construction 17 months sooner with this schedule than with the original plan.

Councilwoman Peggy Neely, who represents areas of Paradise Valley and northeast Phoenix, said she would accept the staff's new time frame for the new concessions contracts but disagreed with the staff's suggestion to remain on a month-to-month agreement with HMS Host. She proposed that the council back a 19-month agreement with $3.6 million in additional rental revenues. The council approved her proposal on a 7-2 vote last week.

The new deal satisfied the company. "Certainly, 19 months is not much different that 24 months," said HMS Host spokeswoman Susan Goyette. "We're here to be the airport's partner and work with them on their time frame." The city is slated to open the first concessions contract to bidders on Oct. 27. Each contract would be in effect for 10 years, generate $45 million in annual sales and include 36,000 square feet of space.

Southwest to Acquire AirTran …… Southwest Airlines has agreed to acquire AirTran Holdings, the parent company of AirTran Airways, in a cash-and-stock deal worth $1.4 billion. Including AirTran’s debt and capitalized aircraft operating leases, the transaction value is approximately $3.4 billion, said Southwest. The AirTran brand will be phased out should stockholders approve the acquisition. “The acquisition of AirTran represents a unique opportunity to grow Southwest Airlines' presence in key markets we don't yet serve and takes a significant step towards positioning us for future growth,” said Southwest CEO Gary Kelly.

Completion of the transaction, which will require both regulatory and shareholder approvals, is expected to close by the first half of 2011. Until closing, Southwest and AirTran will continue to operate as independent companies. Commercial and operating integration is slated to culminate in 2012. Should the deal close, AirTran CEO Bob Fornaro would be involved in the integration of the two companies, including working toward a single operating certificate, putting the Southwest livery on AirTran planes and consolidating corporate functions into Southwest’s Dallas headquarters.

Page 8 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

News from the Arizona Office of Tourism (AZOT)……

Fort Verde State Historic Park ….. Volunteers are needed to assist with basic operations of the park, including greeting visitors, taking entry fees, discussing the history of the Fort, and selling gift shop items.  Volunteers can also assist with maintenance projects, grounds keeping, and historical reenactment. 

Fort Verde State Historic Park was a base for General Crook's U.S. Army scouts and soldiers in the 1870s and 1880s. From 1865 - 1891 Camp Lincoln, Camp Verde and Fort Verde were home to officers, doctors, families, enlisted men, and scouts. The park is the best-preserved example of an Indian Wars period fort in Arizona. Several of the original buildings still stand and living history programs are scheduled periodically, giving visitors a glimpse into Arizona's history. For more information, please call the State Park at (928) 567-3275 or stop by at 125 E. Hollamon Street. For information about Arizona State Parks call (602) 542-4174 (outside of the Phoenix metro area call toll-free (800) 285-3703) or visit the website at .

Jerome State Historic Park Grand Re-Opening …… The Jerome State Historic Park Grand Re-opening was scheduled for October 14 at noon with celebrations on the grounds of the stunning Douglas Mansion overlooking the vast Verde Valley.  The park will be open five days a week with a fee of $5 per adult and $2 for children. Volunteer spirit and enthusiasm are needed at Jerome State Historic Park and the park will be looking for individuals or groups who care about the preservation and interpretation of historical places.   If you are a history buff and just love to talk with people, you can assist by interpreting the history of the Douglas family, miners/mining, and the geology of the region, please sign up as a volunteer on the Arizona State Parks website. For detailed information about becoming a volunteer call (602) 542-4174 (outside of the Phoenix metro area call toll-free (800) 285-3703), visit the website at .

The Havasupai Tribe has closed Havasu Canyon ….. until at least Nov. 1. According to information from the Havasupai Tourism Office, the closure is due to flooding the canyon has been experiencing. Flooding caused damage to trails as well as the campground. She added that the tourism office is in the process of calling people who have made reservations to let them know of the closure. The tourism office will not be taking reservations until Nov. 1, and people who have existing reservations are asked to contact the tourism office at (928) 448-2180 or (928) 448-2141, or e-mail httourism0@havasupai- for updates. Visit havasupai- for more information. (Arizona Daily Sun, October 8)

News from the Grand Canyon………

The Western Discovery Museum Celebrates ….. On Monday, September 13, the Western Discovery Museum at the Grand Canyon, celebrated its official public grand opening. The Western Discovery Museum (WDM) is located in Arizona’s newest incorporated Town of Tusayan located near the south entrance at Grand Canyon National Park.  It is managed by the non-profit organization, Scottsdale Museum of the West.

The Western Discovery Museum’s inaugural exhibitions invite visitors to explore the twinned threads of observation and imagination, romance and reality that have long been integrated into the fabric of western history and culture.  Guests are introduced to some of the fascinating imagery and icons that have given rise to a vision of the west that have captivated the imagination of thousands of people for more than a century.

As guests enter the museum they are introduced to a brilliant presentation that includes renowned photographers’ dramatic modern imagery of the environment, wildlife, and communities of the region.  The museum journey continues with an introduction to the 30-year era of the “Wild West” shows, featuring three dimensional displays, historic photographs, and memorabilia from Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley and other personalities of the era.

The Western Discovery Museum’s “historic” saloon is named for the Tusayan Bar, in tribute to one of the area’s earliest businesses, and a popular “watering hole” for Santa Fe Railroad employees and local ranch hands. Guests can belly up to the bar or pull up a chair at a table and view some of the great movie westerns of the past and present.  For further information, please contact John Dillon, WDM Director, at (928) 638-0333, or john.dillon@ or visit .      

Page 9 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

Grand Canyon National Park Quarter ….. The brilliant colors and panoramic landscapes of the Grand Canyon will serve as backdrops as the United States Mint and National Park Service introduce the fourth coin in the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program.  The new quarter-dollar coin, featuring Grand Canyon National Park, was officially presented at a ceremony on September 21 on the park’s South Rim, between Hopi House and Verkamp’s Visitor Center.

The America the Beautiful Quarters Program is authorized by Public Law 110-456.  The program is a 12-year initiative to honor 56 national parks and other national sites.  Starting this year, the public began seeing five different quarter-dollar coin designs, each featuring a new national site depicted on the coin’s reverse (tails side).  The United States Mint is issuing the quarters in the order in which the honored site was first established as a national site.

The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage.  Its primary mission is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce.  The United States Mint also produces proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and platinum bullion coins. A digital image of the Grand Canyon National Park quarter is available at:

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Additional information about the America the Beautiful Quarters Program can be found at: .

Information about Grand Canyon National Park can be found at:

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Education ………

Fall Education Trip ….. Have you signed up for the AGA Fall education trip – November 10, 2010? The trip will include: Usery Mt Regional park and nature center tour (free), lunch on the Desert Belle on Saguaro Lake, and River of time Museum in Ft. Hills . There will be a box lunch and driver’s gratuity covered in the $20 fee. Contact Leslie Ullstrup at 602.418.0779 or lullstrup@.

Do you want ….. to take the AGA Certified Guide test? Contact the Certification chair, Betsy Todd for more information: betsy_todd@ or call her at 602.943.2900.

Sample Certification Test Question: What is the elevation of Phoenix?

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• Camelback Cemetery was dedicated as a community burial ground in 1916 by pioneers Hans and Mary Weaver, who homesteaded in the area. The two are buried there along with hundreds of others, from laborers to philanthropists.

• Phoenix was incorporated in 1881. The city covers more than 517 square miles and has a population of over 1.6 million, ranking it the fifth-largest city in the country and the largest U.S. capital city in terms of population.

• Arizona's first governor, Gov. George W.P. Hunt, is buried in the pyramid overlooking the Phoenix Zoo in Papago Park. The tomb was completed in 1932 as the burial place for Hunt's wife, Helen. The governor died in 1934 and was placed there as well. Other members of the family are also buried there.

Page 10 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

Items of interest…….

Tempe Town Lake ….. On July 20, 2010, the dam ruptured at Tempe Town Lake. Four new bladders have been installed, and the lake is being refilled now with an estimated 1 billion gallons of water that was lost when a rubber bladder ruptured. They’re working to complete the installation before the Ironman Triathlon on Nov 1. The Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a 26.2 run, in that order, with no break. AGA member, Camelback Adventures (and AGA Member), Lynne McGinley, is training for this event. We are excited for her and wish her the very best of luck!

Buried Treasures ….. Ike Clanton, the rustler involved in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, is buried in the Grand Canyon State. So is country crooner Waylon Jennings (he often played at JD’s in the ‘River Bottom’ at the edge of Scottsdale and Tempe in the 1960’s). And, 1930’s Broadway tap-dancer Mitzi Mayfair. And, let’s not forget baseball hall-of-famer Ted Williams, though technically he’s not buried but “cryontized” at minus 320 degrees. Lots of other famous people are buried here, too, more than 100 of them, according to .

Frank Lloyd Wright ….. designed six houses in the Valley that remain: Carlson House, 1950; Adelman House, 1951; David Wright House, 1952; Boomer House, 1953; Price House, 1954; Lykes House, 1959. A seventh home, the Pieper House built in 1952, is now a wing of a much larger home. Buyers can expect to pay 15 percent to 40 percent more for a home designed by the famed architect, compared to a home of a similar age and size.

Saguaro Lake Ranch ….. began in 1927 as a camp for workers on the Stewart Mountain Dam on the Salt River. Photos from those days hang in the resort’s office, originally the camp’s mess hall. The property still looks much as it did in the 1930”s. The setting is an idyllic blend of rocks and river. The Bulldog Cliffs dominate the skyline to the south. It’s ragged rock face, part of the Goldfield Mountains, draws the eye when it catches the early morning light or is bathed in moonlight. Saguaro Lake is a narrow 10 mile long reservoir just upriver of the resort. There’s a saguaro forest just across the river to the east, with a thousand saguaros.

Tempe Beach ‘Pool’ …..Even before it became a playground to scullers and trout fishermen, Tempe Beach Park was a recreational hotspot. It officially opened in 1931, but as early as the 1920’s residents escaped to cool off in the nearby Salt River at the base of the State Bridge. Red Harkins built a theatre and showed five-cent summer movies to patrons on wooden bleachers. A pool, bandstand and baseball field followed, and by

1934, construction began on Tempe Beach Stadium.

The park’s biggest overhaul to date was completed in 11999 with the construction of Tempe Town Lake. The 25 acre park now connects five miles of jogging, bicycling and in-line skating paths that cirle Town Lake. With the subsequent stocking of the lake and the addition of a splash playground and Town Lake Marina, Tempe Beach Park is indeed the city’s premier recreational and event venue.

Sedona News ……. From Laura Vandergrift

Canyon Breeze parking lot ….. is only available if your guests are going to eat at the Canyon Breeze.  They own the parking lot and are monitoring it. So if you are bringing a group just for shopping, you need to unload on Main Street as usual and park the bus elsewhere.  Canyon Breeze can handle groups if you call ahead of time. They will be seated in the back with the view in a semi-secluded area.  Call Bobbie Surber, General Manager at 928-282-2112. Her email is BobbieS@canyon-.

In 2012 there will be a copper museum in Clarkdale …..  It is being opened by the gentleman who owns the copper shop across from the old Jerome High School.  He has a collection of copper objects dating back to the Roman era. It should be interesting when it is done. Will keep you updated.

Old Town Cottonwood ….. has two wine bars and a wonderful Olive Oil Company.  Olive Oils from all over the world. Stop in for some tastes as you make your way to Jerome.

Page 11 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

AGA Member ….. Leslie Ullstrup, recently met a mother and her daughter at a yoga class. The mother’s name was Lisa, and her daughter’s name was Sedona! Yes, the mother was the great grand daughter of Sedona Schnebly, and her daughter was Sedona’s namesake! Leslie said they were amazed that she knew about Sedona and that she was originally from Gorin, Missouri. They didn’t realize Leslie was a Certified AGA Tour Guide!!

Guess Who ??

Here’s a new segment for our newsletter…… it’s meant to have some fun getting to know more about our members, and entice members to attend more meetings, since the answers will only be revealed to those in attendance! So, here are the first ‘Guess Who’s”.

• Who has been robbed at gunpoint at least 4 times?

• Which AGA member was a driver guide in Glacier National Park?  

• Who ran the Boston Marathon twice?

• Which AGA member administered barium enemas in a previous occupation?  

• Who won an Arizoni Award as Best Director in the Valley for a new play by Terry Earp?

• Who raced Dragon Boats in Taiwan?

• Who (inadvertently) spent the night in a bordello in San Salvador?

So, if you have any interesting adventures from your past to be considered for future newsletters, please send them to me, C.S. McFadden, at azguide@.

GET OUTSIDE !! Fall is here….no more excuses !!

McDowell Sonoran Preserve ….. Celebrate and explore the preserve, which stretches across 14,000 scenic acres of Scottsdale. Discover for yourself why the McDowell Sonoran Preserve is like no other place in the Valley. It is unique geologically. It is home to stunning geography, lush cacti forests and diverse wildlife. It features award-winning trails and facilities. There are now nine trailheads and two dozen trails in the preserve totaling 60 miles.

This Friday, October 28 is the "Family Friday Sunset Series," an interactive program hosted by the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, a non-profit group that works with the on the completion and sustainability of the preserve. The programs take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Preserve Gateway Amphitheater, 18333 N. Thompson Peak Parkway. At 8 a.m. this Saturday and Sunday, October 29-30, the Conservancy will host guided hikes into the preserve. For more information visit .

Ride a Mile and Smile the While

So went the refrain of Phoenix’s original streetcar system, which the city took electric in 1893. After the turn of the century, Tucson followed suit, converting its own livestock-drawn lines to electric in 1906 under the Tucson Rapid transit Co. Over the next two and a half decades, trolleys plied the streets of both metropolises, ‘til Tucson brought its streetcar age to a preemptory halt in favor of buses at the onset of the Depression. In contrast, Phoenix trams pressed on, boosted through the war effort and post-war boom into the mid-forties. And at least one line may well have borne out the transition to motorbuses, had it not been for a suspicious fire that took out the greater part of the fleet, literally clearing the way for the automotive age. Now, following a 61-year hiatus, rails finally rebound in Arizona through the Metro Light Rail, operational since 2008 in Phoenix, while Tucson completes the final planning on its own modern streetcar.

The Arizona Coach Talker

AGA Newsletter

P.O. Box 45302

Phoenix, AZ 85064-5302

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Page 12 – AGA Newsletter ~ November 2010

Websites to visit ….

Check out the Phoenix Trolley Museum and yours ….. .

A complete history of FLW architectural works …..



A history of Sedona …..

Certification Test ~ Sample Question Answer : 1,058 feet above sea level.

FIND TIME TO LEARN ABOUT ARIZONA!

~ SEE YOU AT THE HEARD MUSEUM ~

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