Living your life in a really small town might seem limiting, unless your town borders the seemingly endless Grand Canyon and your dark skies show off the mind-boggling expanses of the universe. Clarinda Vail was born and raised in Tusayan, the smallest town in Arizona by its population of 560 residents, located about seven miles from the Grand Canyon’s south entrance. The town houses several motels and hotels, restaurants, an IMAX Theater, a general store and several eateries. Vail is the … [Read more...] about Tusayan’s Clarinda Vale Enjoys Her Small Town Beside the Grand Canyon
Women In Business
Businesses are All Aboard with Specialized Marketing Products
It is a good thing to have a business you absolutely love, but it is even better when you have people who work for you who love your business as much as you do and clients who are thrilled with your products and services. So is the case for All Aboard Marketing owner Deborah Taylor, who specializes in custom embroidery, screen-printing and corporate messaging promotional products, also known as “swag.” Taylor, who has a degree in manufacturing engineering, says starting her business was a … [Read more...] about Businesses are All Aboard with Specialized Marketing Products
Baking for Health
Cookies, cupcakes, donuts and brownies are not typically considered healthy foods, but Health Coach Karen Russell has found a way to bake for one’s sweet tooth without the processed sugar and gluten. Owner of Sedona-based Karen’s Gluten Free Living, Russell says her introduction to baking started as a child with an Easy Bake Oven. She recalls making Rice Krispies treats, cookies and brownies. “I was the oldest of seven siblings and I was always hungry, so I made snacks.” Russell’s … [Read more...] about Baking for Health
Huppy Bars Send River Runner on an Entrepreneurial Adventure
Marathon hours of river running and hiking in the Grand Canyon can stir up more than just endorphins. For field biologist and outdoorswoman Lyndsay Hupp, sweltering heat and canyon sweat inspired her to create a nutrition bar that is making a lot of people happy. The epiphany for nutritional fuel came when “I was out boating on the Colorado River and my trail mix melted into a clump. So, I started adjusting the recipe and friends liked it so much they named them ‘Huppy Bars,’” she … [Read more...] about Huppy Bars Send River Runner on an Entrepreneurial Adventure
The Golden Girls of Real Estate Know, Love, Grow Flagstaff
Freddi Paulsrud and Rosemary “Rosie” Lamberson are not naïve like Rose Nylund, intimidating like Dorothy Zbornak, or self-absorbed like Blanche Devereaux, but they are every bit as charismatic as “The Golden Girls” of 1980s television, with a real-life friendship, respect and love for one another. Rosie and Freddi are realtors with Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty. Freddi also is an associate broker. The two of them have a combined 80 years of real estate experience in the Flagstaff … [Read more...] about The Golden Girls of Real Estate Know, Love, Grow Flagstaff
Capturing the Big Moments
The images captured by professional photographer Tracy Fultz reflect the heart and soul of the artist behind the lens as much as the people in front of it. “Photography is a vessel to share happiness,” said Fultz, owner of Blushing Cactus Photography in Prescott. “It’s about building relationships and being a part of meaningful moments in the lives of others. I love capturing human emotion and telling stories through my photos.” Fearing for her life in an abusive relationship in Tennessee … [Read more...] about Capturing the Big Moments
Restaurateur in the Making
Nelda Achee served for 21 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, retiring as a Chief Petty Officer. She was in charge of overhauling ship diesel engines worth millions of dollars to make sure they could do 26 knots (about 30 miles per hour). She would oversee dry-docking of ships in order to make them seaworthy again. She would manage projects where crews had to cut holes in ships to replace turbines. But when Nelda Achee, mother of three children, grandmother of seven, returned home to the Navajo … [Read more...] about Restaurateur in the Making
Empowering Tribes with Clean Energy
Arizona is blessed with an abundance of sun and the resulting solar power it can generate if properly harnessed. Perhaps nowhere is this more true than on the open landscapes of the Hopi Reservation and the Navajo Nation. Suzanne Singer, a member of the Navajo tribe who grew up in Flagstaff, has a background in mechanical engineering and energy analysis and is uniquely qualified to lead an effort to develop energy independence in tribal communities in Northern Arizona and across the … [Read more...] about Empowering Tribes with Clean Energy
Village of Oak Creek Attorney is Praised for Volunteer Efforts
Village of Oak Creek attorney Elizabeth McFarland is devoted to her community. Her volunteer efforts include serving on the Northern Arizona Healthcare Board of Directors and the Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona Board of Advisors. During the 19th Annual Spirit of Sedona awards luncheon on Sept. 5 at the Enchantment Resort, McFarland was recognized as the Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona Volunteer of the Year. “Why I volunteer is because it is a win-win-win life strategy,” … [Read more...] about Village of Oak Creek Attorney is Praised for Volunteer Efforts
Tusayan Hotelier Carrying on Family Tradition
Cleaning hotel rooms, working at the front desk and serving as a hostess and cashier is not typical for most nine-year old girls, but for Ann Serna, it was a way of life and perhaps the boost that landed her in the role she has today as owner and general manager of the Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel. “My father, Franz Rutter, worked for Fred Harvey in Chicago and was responsible for turning six restaurants around so they were profitable,” said Serna. “They were impressed with his work and in 1968, … [Read more...] about Tusayan Hotelier Carrying on Family Tradition
