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A few weeks ago, my dog, Maggie, and I returned from an early morning walk when Maggie spied a rather large grey cat lounging in front of our house. Maggie did not take kindly to the cat’s presence. She tugged at her leash, trying to get the cat. The cat was unimpressed and backed off a little, but didn’t run. I let Maggie get closer to the cat (but not TOO close). The cat puffed up and hissed at Maggie. Much to her embarrassment, Maggie yelped and scurried backwards in tactical retreat. I took … [Read more...] about Keep Calm and Lead On

When you serve any community as a public servant, I believe it’s important to do so honestly and with the best intentions of the citizens in mind. This helps build trust with the public and instills in citizens that their local government and elected officials are working to provide the best possible services. Trust is crucial and it’s something I’ve strived to build throughout my 28 years in public service. Before the County Board of Supervisors appointed me as Coconino County manager … [Read more...] about Building Communities from the Inside

An aortic aneurysm is a weakened and bulging area in the aorta, the major blood vessel that feeds blood to the body. The aorta, about the thickness of a garden hose, runs from your heart through the center of the chest and abdomen. Because the aorta is the body's main supplier of blood, a ruptured aortic aneurysm can cause life-threatening bleeding. Most small and slow-growing aortic aneurysms do not rupture, but large, fast-growing aortic aneurysms may. Depending on the size and rate at … [Read more...] about The Silent Killer

Did you get it in writing? Business attorneys probably ask clients some form of this question more often than any other. Conducting business over a handshake is an idealistic and romanticized concept that many people aspire to as a demonstration of their honesty and integrity. In reality, the question of whether informally conducting business will eventually lead to a dispute is a matter of “when,” not “if.” The question of whether this fact signals the moral decay of our society is a topic best … [Read more...] about Get it in Writing

As America gets set for the opening of the health insurance marketplaces on Oct. 1, we have had many calls and questions from local businesses and customers who purchase their own health insurance. Probably the biggest question has revolved around cost. Will health insurance cost more or less as a result of health care reform? Well, that depends on your definition of “cost.” The true cost of delivering health care has not been reduced. The costs of services we purchase health insurance to … [Read more...] about Health Care Reform and Insurance

It is important that we all do our part to help protect the environment. Most of us are aware of ways to reduce, reuse and recycle items so that we can be more earth-friendly. But, did you know that what we do in our home gardens and landscapes greatly impacts the environment as well? Sustainable practices in the garden are important to our ecosystem and with the following seven garden tips for sustainable living, you can start gardening for the greener good, right away.   Sustainable … [Read more...] about Gardening for the Greener Good

  Massage has been around for thousands of years and has many therapeutic benefits, but sometimes the advice or cautions that we hear can be a little misleading. Today, we are setting the record straight and sharing five common myths surrounding massage. Myth #1: A sign of a good massage is next-day soreness. Truth: Soreness is no indication of how good a massage is. Soreness may occur after your very first massage or if you have been inactive for a period of time. However, if you’re a … [Read more...] about Massage Myths

  In my first 36 years in Flagstaff, cinders were the norm. They were messy and a nuisance to clean up, but they worked. Back then we even criticized the states that used salt. “Never buy a used car from Michigan, its underside will be rotted from salt.” But things changed six years ago. At that time, the City Council (before my tenure) was told that a sodium solution was superior to cinders and that many western cold-weather cities were changing to salt. Conventional wisdom was that salt … [Read more...] about City Considers Salt or Cinders

  What’s your “elevator pitch” for Flagstaff? Let’s suppose you have 30 seconds to tell an out of town business associate all about Flagstaff – what would you say? Maybe you start with the great quality of life, then expand on it being a growing university town, having lots of outdoor amenities, more than 60,000 residents, and being the gateway to the Grand Canyon. Or, perhaps you speak to the business climate and opportunities for growth (or lack thereof). With this in mind, city economic … [Read more...] about Flagstaff Elevator Pitch