economics professor to explore impact of minimum wage ... · increases in the minimum wage to...

On Jan. 1, a voter-mandated 20 percent increase in the minimum wage went into effect in Arizona, with further increases required in the years to come.

So what is the effect of this significant hike in labor costs – a large portion of a company’s operating budget - on small businesseses, in particular those in rural parts of the state such as Yuma County? And how are they coping?

That’s the topic of a study to be conducted over the next several months by Michelle Sims, professor of economics at Arizona Western College, for her doctoral thesis.

“Little research exists that focuses on how a minimum wage increase impacts small businesses,” she said. Yet, she noted, small businesses are the “backbone” of communities, employing over 50 percent of the U.S. workforce, accounting for most entry-level jobs for unskilled workers and creating 70 percent of all new jobs each year. They also tend to have fewer resources, are significantly impacted by changes in product and resource markets, operate in highly competitive markets and suffer more than large businesses with increased regulation.

The mandated minimum wage hikes are the result of the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act

– Proposition 206 - approved by voters in November 2016 by 58.33 percent to 41.67 percent and upheld by a unanimous decision in March by the Arizona Supreme Court.

The measure raised the minimum wage in Arizona from $8.05 to $10 an hour, effective just six weeks after it was passed. It will be followed by annual incremental increases in the minimum wage to $10.50 in 2018, to $11 in 2019 and to $12 in 2020, then increases each year after that driven by the cost of living.

Supporters touted the need for a “liveable” minimum wage as a vehicle to decrease poverty and increase the purchasing power of the state’s lowest-wage earners.

Opponents, meanwhile, warned that the minimum wage increase would likely result in job cutbacks, loss of entry-level positions, reduction in employee hours and benefits, increase in product and service prices or even closure of companies that found they no longer could compete in the marketplace.

There’s a lot of research to support raising the minimum wage as a possible tool to alleviate poverty, Sims said. And there’s research on the

impact of such measures on larger urban-area businesses.

“But I found almost nothing on how it impacts small business, especially in rural communities,” she said. “I felt there was a gap there in the research.”

That’s a gap she wants to explore in her study. “My goal is to deeply explore the actions small businesses undertook in Yuma County as a result of Proposition 206.”

Sims anticipates the data she compiles will be of interest to her

Economics professor to explore impact of minimum wage increase on Yuma-area businesses

November 2017 Volume 3 – Issue 11

See Economics continued on page 11

congratulations!New Members pg4

Ribbon Cuttings pg6

Yuma Visitor’s Bureau Nov. Calendar pg15

Member of the Month, Accurate Automotive Attention

pg3

BY JOYCE LOBECK

pg9

Loaned PhotoMichelle Sims, Arizona Western College professor makes a point while teaching an economics class. As part of her doctorate, she will be interviewing local small businesses about how they've been impacted by the voter-mandated 20 percent minimum wage increase that went into effect Jan. 1 and how they've coped.

BY JOHN COURTIS, Executive Director, Yuma County Chamber of Commerce

Your Yuma County Chamber of Commerce had had several events in the last 30 days that were not only successful, but energetic, engaging, important, and financially reward-ing. Of course, I must first say how appreciative I am of Sheryl Hehe, your Chamber Member Services Coordina-tor, who does a terrific job of keeping us focused on the job at hand. A 1,000 ‘Thank You’s’ go out to our hard work-ing group of volunteer Ambassadors that continue to amaze and impress. We appreciate you more than words can express. And, a HUGE round of THANK YOU’s go out to all of our sponsors that financially make all of these events happen.

MGM Design was the sponsor of the Mega - Mixer on Friday, Septem-ber 29, which also featured a rare double Caballeros de Yuma welcome to BOTH our base commanders: Col. David Suggs of MCAS Yuma, and Col. Ross Poppenberger of YPG. Thanks, to both of them for taking time out of

their super busy schedule, and “Thank You,” to the Caballeros de Yuma for helping to make the welcome event classy and most proper.

Then, the next day, Saturday, Sep-tember 30 was our annual Business Showcase with a sold out Civic Center of member booths and a host of wonderful sponsors. Our Event Spon-sors were: YRMC, RV World, Quick Refrigeration, 1st Bank Yuma, and APS. Our Mega-Sponsors were Hyun-dai of Yuma and the City of Yuma’s Civic Center. The Civic Center team delivered fabulous customer service, and the food on Friday was terrific. Plus, we certainly could not have had the tremendous success without our media partners, El Dorado Broadcast-ers, Monster Media, Sign Pro, Black-hawk Broadcasting, The White Sheet, Entravision, and the Yuma Sun. Thank you ALL!

On Wednesday, the 11th of Oc-tober, our Lunch & Learn Series featured a spirited Yuma City Coun-cil Candidate Town Hall at the Yuma Civic Center, sponsored by Centpatico, YRMC, RL Jones, 1st Bank Yuma, Achieve Enterprise Services, and Pacesetter Homes. Thanks, to ALL of you, and thank you to all 6 Council Candidates that appeared on the dais to take questions from the audience. Good luck to each of you.

Our busy week continued on Thursday, the 12th, at our Good Morning, Yuma! It was spon-sored by United Way of Yuma and featured a very informative update from Kevin Imes, Super-intendent of our JTED, Southwest Technical Education District of Yuma (STEDY). All of your teams are greatly appreciated for a well executed breakfast networking event at the packed Pivot Point Conference Center. Once again, the Ambassadors were there in full force making the event run

smoothly and on time.We finished the week with a Leg-

islative Affairs Lunch at the Yuma International Airport 2nd Floor Conference Room. We had 25 policy makers from Chamber Board Mem-bers, City and County leaders and elected officials, with 3 of our State Legislators in attendance, as well. Lunch was sponsored by APS, and a brief was delivered by Eric Emmert from the Dorn Policy Group. We are proud of the headway we are making with this committee as we are com-municating so much better with City, County, State and Federal representa-tives with issues all being discussed in one sitting with a group of engaged individuals. Thanks Eric, and thanks to Senator Otondo, and Representa-tives Fernandez and Mitchell.

Again, I thank each individual and sponsor that help to make your Yuma County Chamber of Commerce so very successful. It is a privilege to serve you.

Buying? selling?investing? Promoting?

tHinKYumaFirst!

successful Events require an Engaged team of ambassadors and sponsors

John Courtis, Executive Director

mission statement:“ To Represent Our Membership

By Advocating A Healthy Economic Climate Through The

Effective Use Of Our Unique Regional Resources To Enhance

The Quality Of Life In The Greater Yuma Area.”

Sheryl Hehe, Member Services Coordinator

If you have questions about yourmembership, or any of our events,please call me at 928-782-2567

NOVEMBER 2017 Volume 3 – Issue 11

Published and direct mailed monthly by the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce.

For information or to ask about submitting articles, call the chamber office at 928-782-2567 or send us an e-mail at [email protected]

928-782-2567180 W. 1st St., Ste A

Yuma, AZ 85364

2 YUMABiZ November 2017

Russell McCloud has managed the day-to-day operations at Accurate Automotive Attention for the last twenty years. They currently have 3 locations in the Yuma area. They service all of Yuma County and have two AAA Approved Repair locations.

It all began on October 29th, 1969 when his father, Dennis McCloud, rented a small metal building on the corner of 15th St. and 3rd Ave. With the help of one mechanic’s helper Dennis was able to expand and in 1970 he purchased the building along with three lots behind it. In 1984 they expanded to the Foothills area of Yuma. They purchased the Express Auto/RV Care Center in the Foothills location in 1998. Accurate Automotive Attention is committed to carrying on Dennis McCloud’s legacy into the third generation and beyond. Russell has two sons and they both work at the family business.

McCloud moved to the Yuma area with his parents when he was only a year old, graduating from Kofa High School. He is on the board for GYEDC, is the Board President for Amberly’s Place, and is a County Supervisor for District 2. Russell McCloud says his employees at Accurate Automotive Attention follow a simple rule in servicing customers’ vehicles - “Treat it like it was your own. Make recommendations (to customers for repairs or servicing) like you were making them for your own family members.” That is likely the reason that Accurate Automotive Attention is consistently named Best Overall Customer Service in Yuma’s Best polls done by the Yuma Sun. We are honored that Russell McCloud and his staff at Accurate Automotive Attention are active members of the chamber.

congratulations to our november

member of the month: accurate automotive

attention

Nov. Calendar of Events

FOR info, CALL THE CHAMBER AT (928) 782-2567

7 - City of Yuma Election Day for 3 Council Seats

9 - Good Morning, Yuma! 6:30 am

Pivot Point Conference Center - Hilton Garden Inn Sponsored by The Church of the City Program: Ways we Love Our City! Cost: $15.00

15 - Ambassadors, TBA 11:30 am

15 - Monthly Mixer - Y.R.M.C. 5:30 pm

Avenue A and 24th St. Cost: $5.00

21 - Board Of Directors, Conference Room 3:00 pm

29 - Military Affairs - American Legion 19 8:00 am

30 - Transportation Committee, Conference Room Old City Hall - Please RSVP for lunch 11:00 am

1495 S. 3rd Avenue, Yuma, AZ 85364928-783-7307

www.yumacarcare.comYuma County Chamber of Commerce YUMABIZ 3

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ng

ra

tula

tio

ns!

WElcomE to our nEWEst mEmBErsco

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ra

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ns!

1730 S 14th Ave Yuma , AZ 853641610348 | 0122344

TEL: 928-502-2782

[email protected]

Lorene RichardsProgram Coordinator

928-287-3335183 E. 24th St. Ste 3Yuma, AZ 85364

Susan James, Agent1195 W. 5th AvenueYuma, AZ 85364(928) 261-6505http://www.susanjames.fbfs.com/

2144 W 24th St #2 Yuma, Arizona 85364

www.amararejuve.comPhone: (928) 783-4612

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry928.317.1900

7949 E. 24th St. Yuma, AZ 85365

KC Hoffman928 261 8366PO Box 4907, Yuma, AZ 85366

[email protected]


This past October, the City of Yuma helped raise awareness of the behind-the-scenes job done by community planners during National Community Planning Month. This year’s theme was “innovation in planning,” and on display were ways the City’s Depart-ment of Community Development is helping to move Yuma forward.

Among the areas where Yuma has made improvements on behalf of their customers are in easing the process by which developers interact with the City, increasing the capabilities of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping, and staying on top of concepts that are taking off and producing good results in other com-munities.

In the area of helping customers, the City has streamlined its process for predevelopment meetings, where all City departments are present to discuss a proposed development and work its unique challenges through safety and zoning requirements.

The goals of the predevelopment meetings are for the staff to partner with our customers and the develop-ment community to discuss the full scope of projects, identify potential issues such as high groundwater, proper zoning and lot sizes, location and availability of utilities before any money is spent on land acquisition, drawings for construction or contrac-tor services. The staff is available to assist customers through land use ap-provals, plan design and review, build-ing permits, inspections and ultimately certifi-cate of occupancy.

GIS mapping is a highly valuable plan-ning tool: With the click of a mouse, staff mem-bers have instant access for details of any parcel of land in the city limits. That’s every streetlight, utility line, location of

the nearest schools and parks, the name of the subdivision in which it resides, or even if the land in question is within city boundaries are outside of them. Not only does the City’s GIS system catalog these items, it also lists the condition they are in, so the City can plan ahead for infrastructure repair or replacement.

If you have internet access, you can see an example of the type of maps we maintain by visiting https://maps.ci.yuma.az.us/cityofyuma/.

City planners also are charged with keeping track of trends, concepts and results in other communities. On that front, two concepts the City has been paying special attention to of late include an emphasis on the addition and care of street trees and mixed-use neighborhoods, the latter of which means commercial activity in residen-tial areas, such as the old-style neigh-borhood store.

In the upcoming months, staff with the City of Yuma will begin pursu-ing the opportunity to permit certain commercial development to occur within residential neighborhoods. This may include defining develop-ment standards, identifying permitted uses, and even establishing distance requirements between stores. As staff begins to form regulations for these neighborhood stores, they will also begin reaching out to the community for feedback and input on what would be a desired outcome for this strategy.

Trees in the urban environment offer a host of benefits for the environment, the economy, and the health and safety of the community. Trees and shade increase the walkability and quality of life in our commu-nity, which is especially important in the heat of Yuma’s summers, and makes walking more

pleasant in the cooler months as well. Tree-lined streets have been shown to calm traffic speeds, increase property values, and lower energy consumption in adjacent buildings.

In the coming months, the City will begin outreach efforts in preparation for a Street Tree and Shade Master Plan. The goal of this plan is to create a healthier, more livable and prosper-ous Yuma by investing in the care and

maintenance of the urban forest and shade structures. The plan will exam-ine the role trees play in our com-munity, define a vision for the future of Yuma’s urban forest, and review current municipal policies regarding trees. A critical goal of the plan will be to establish partnerships and outreach programs to raise awareness about the benefits of the urban forest and to help shape the vision for the future.

innovation in local community planning emphasized during national community Planning month

2035 S. Arizona Avenue • Yuma, AZ 85365Phone: (928) 246-2327 • Fax: (928) 726-1105

Email: [email protected] • Website: www.freedomlibrary.org

For Tickets Contact: Rita Megui (928) 750-2535

(or any StateFarm Agent in addition to your ServiceMASTER office)

50/50 Raffle Silent Auction Door Prizes Lots of Fun

Pre-Sale Tickets: $15 each or 2 for $25Door prize ticket included with the purchase.

Pre-sale Deadline: Oct. 20, 2017Tickets at the door: $20 each

Keynote Speaker “What the World Needs More Of”

Lawrence W. ReedPresident of the Foundation for Economic Education

ServiceMASTER Restore2875 S. Kyla Avenue

Yuma, AZ 85365

Invites you to

A Night for LibertySaturday,

Nov. 4, 2017 5:30 - 8:00 PM

All proceeds benefit The Freedom Library Education and Scholarship Program

Take a photo

with the

Statue of

Liberty

Yuma County Chamber of Commerce YUMABIZ 5

Congratulations to Jeff and Courtney Gapp on opening an additional location at the Yuma International Airport. They

will deliver to 9E but will also validate parking when you visit them; their hours are 11am-10pm Monday-Saturday and 11am-9pm Sunday. 2191 E. 32nd St. 928.341.7989

ribbon cuttings

It was a beautiful night when the Sanguinetti House Museum &

Gardens had their ribbon cutting for their new exhibit, RIVER LORE.

The Sanguinetti House Museum & Gardens is now open for the season.

Congratulations to First Things First and OC Johnson for opening the first community school in Yuma County. Many other agencies partnered with First Things First to make this possible; some of them are: United Way, Sunset Community

Health, Girl Scouts, Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, Cenpatico Integrated Care, and Church for the City.

For more information about First Things First, please contact Rudy Ortiz at (928) 343-3020. OC Johnson Elementary

School is located at 1201 12th St., phone (928) 502-7900.


(928) 317-2518

yumaregional.org/cancercare

Together We Fight CancerMeet Sarah – Daughter, wife, mother and cancer survivor. Choosing where to receive her cancer treatment

wasn’t an easy decision. However, once she met the caring oncologists and nurses who would lead her care

team at Yuma Regional Medical Center Cancer Center, Sarah realized that the best care was found right here

at home. She could immediately feel that the entire team truly cared for her as a valued individual, offering

comprehensive and holistic treatment that included support and comfort for both Sarah and her precious family.

ribbon cuttings


Skillful interviewing is critical to choosing the right person for the job, but it doesn’t happen without careful planning. Follow these quick tips for preparing and conducting an effective interview:

Before the intervieWAt this stage, your main goal is to

further clarify what you’re looking for and begin to seriously assess the candidate’s qualifications in light of your requirements.• Review the job description for the

position. For additional insight, talk to people familiar with the position to learn what they think is most relevant.

• Develop interview questions that target the requirements you’ve identi-fied. Avoid questions unrelated to these requirements.

• Review the candidate’s resume and any other application documents. Note any issues or questions you want to follow up on.

• Secure a comfortable, quiet space for the interview, and schedule sufficient time to conduct it effectively and al-low for unexpected questions.

At the intervieWDuring the interview, your main goal

is to further assess how well the can-didate meets the requirements you’ve identified by carefully monitoring their responses.• Start with a bit of small talk before

beginning. This sets the tone for the rest of interview and puts the candi-date at ease.

• Follow the interview questions you’ve prepared, but expand beyond as needed to further assess the appli-cant.

• Let the candidate do most of the talk-ing. This is the best way to assess the applicant’s qualifications.

• Watch for body language (like sudden lack of eye contact) that may indicate that the candidate is uncomfortable with a particular situation.

• Always leave time for candidate ques-tions. These can help you further assess a candidate’s level of interest and preparation.

PoSt-intervieW revieWThe candidate may have performed

flawlessly in the interview and have im-peccable credentials, and still not be the right person for the job. So do a careful review.• Revisit the notes you made, and

record any additional thoughts that come to mind. Pay particular atten-tion how well you think the candidate will adapt to your environment.

• If anyone else interviewed the can-didate, get their feedback. What was their gut impression? Do they have any concerns that warrant further investigation?

• Review results of any tests or other as-sessments the candidate completed. If the results suggest training might be needed, consider whether the invest-ment is warranted.

• Complete reference and other re-quired checks (degrees earned, credit history, etc.). The candidate will generally supply positive references, go beyond them if necessary.

• Before you make your final decision, make sure that all steps you have taken along the way are nondiscrimi-natory and legally defensible.

• You’ve done your homework, make the offer.Our AriZonA@WorK profes-

sional Business Services Team is here to serve your business needs. Call us today at 928-329-0990.

Information obtained from http://www.careeronestop.org/businesscenter/

Patrick Goetz

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27th Annual Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 17 - 19

Sponsored by Chretin’s Restaurant. The Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival is one of Yuma’s Premier Events. Mass ascensions are at sunrise from The West Wetlands Park on Saturday and Sunday, Nov, 18 and 19 and at Gila Vista Junior High on Friday, Nov. 17. Admission to the morning launch is a canned food donation for the Salvation Army. The highlight of the festival is the Balloon Glow at Desert Sun Stadium on Saturday evening, Nov. 18. The admission to the glow is $2.00 per person and a canned food donation for Salvation Army. Tethered rides available for $15 per person.

The 2017 El Toro Bowl Game Saturday, December 2

Gates open at 10:30am. Kickoff is at 1pm. Two of the best NJCAA football teams in the nation collide for pride in the El Toro Bowl. The afternoon game takes place at Veterans Memorial stadium on the campus of Gila Ridge High School. The bowl is co-sponsored by the Caballeros de Yuma, Matador Athletic Association and Arizona Western College.

Ken & Betty Borland Holiday Light Pageant & Tower Lighting

Saturday, November 25

Festivities begin at 6:30pm. It’s a tradition! Each year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving,

we usher in the holiday season with a pageant at Desert Sun Stadium that culminates with the

lighting of the Yuma Friendship Tower. Music and dancing accompany choirs for the free event

starting at dusk. Admission is canned food for the Yuma Community Food Bank.

For more information, please go to: www.caballeros.org

MARK YouR CALENDARS

For These 3 Family Focused

Community Events

the chamber says “tHanKs” to these

members who renewed their memberships in october:

•AmericanSatellites

•BoneandJoint center of Yuma

•CatalinaVillageapartments

•CoronadoMotorHotel

•DogHaus

•DPEConstruction

•Ediblearrangements

•EdwardJonesinvestments

•ElEncantoapartments

•Fretworks!

•FultonDistributing

•Goodwill

•HomewoodSuites

•Hoppstetters OfficeProducts

•LaserGals

•LillianJauregi, state Farm

•MelodyCleaners

•NativeGrill&Wings

•OlsenProperties

•OneHour air conditioning

•PapaMurphy’sPizza

•PatrickHarvey, CPA,PC

•PrimeLending

•SARecycling

•SportClips

•TheHealingJourney

•TheWellArmedWoman

•UnionPacific

•ValentinGuzmaninsurance agency

•Wellnessintegrative Plc

•YumaElementarySchoolDistrictone

•YumaEnvironmental services


A r i z o n a W e s t e r n C o l l e g e

2020 S Ave 8 E, Yuma, AZ 85365 | 928-317-6000 | azwestern.edu

Meet OurHighly QualifiedFaculty

Brad PeaseProfessor of Computer Graphics and Fine Arts(Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Master of Fine Arts in Visual Studies)

In the 2000 United States presi-dential election, people across the nation learned that the Votomatic-style punch card ballots where incom-pletely punched resulting in partially punched chads, or “hanging chads.” Since that election, local and state offi-cials have worked tirelessly to develop more modern, secure and sophisti-cated ways to improve the election voting/reporting process.

In November, the City of Somerton will conduct a special election and Yuma County has been contracted to handle all voting and results. This is normal, as with most cities and counties in the State of Arizona, but THIS election will be handled a little differently. For the first time in Yuma County a “Vote by Mail” (VBM) election will take place. The reason is two-fold when it comes to running an election using the VBM method.

County records show that in 2016, 70% of voters in Somerton cast their ballot using the Early Ballot voting method. Billing for both the 2016 Primary and General Elections was over $36,000 (Primary = $32,847.84 and Gen-eral = $3,381.33). Following the traditional method of voting which includes early ballot requests and notices, distribution, verifi-cation, Vote Center set-up and staffing, tabulation and com-pilation of election results, the estimated total to the City of Somerton would be over $26,000.

For the upcoming VBM Election,

all active registered voters will receive an early ballot in the mail (5,317 voters) and two “Ballot Replacement Centers” located at the Yuma County

Recorder’s Office and the City of Somerton Clerk’s Office will allow any voter to obtain a replacement ballot. For VBM distribu-tion, verification, tabulation, compi-lation of election results, the esti-mated cost is about $16,000, saving the City of Somerton over $10,000.

Based on his-torical data, current voter turnout in other VBM counties reveals that a VBM election results in a 35% to 45%

turnout of voters. For these coun-ties, this equated to an increase of voter turnout of 5 to 10%. However, if Yuma County is able to raise turnout to these same levels using the VBM method, the increase in Somerton (based of previous elections) could be a 50% increase in voting.

Yuma County and contracting jurisdictions have not decided to use the VBM for all elections, however in smaller elections, the projected increase in voter turnout and cost savings to cities, towns, and districts make for a win-win combination that can’t be overlooked.

For more information about Yuma County Election/Recorder services you can contact the Yuma County Elections Office at 928-373-1014 and the Yuma County Recorder at 928-373-6034.

YumaCountytouseVotebyMailforupcomingSomertonElectionall mail general election will save money and could boost turnout


students and local businesses alike.“It’s not just for my doctorate. I

have the opportunity to try to connect economic theory to the real world. I wanted my research to be something that’s relevant to the community and my students. My findings will be incorporated into the curriculum. At least 500 students take economics classes each year at AWC. These are our future leaders.”

She also intends to share her findings with the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce, which she has been involved in since she moved to Yuma in the late 1990s.

Sims hopes to recruit between 10 and 15 business owners for her study. She’s looking for those who are or have been the owner of a small business between October 2015 and June 2017, have 50 or fewer employees, employ minimum wage workers and operate at least some business in Yuma County. Participants will be asked to describe what actions they took from Jan. 1 to June 30

in order to address the 20 percent increase in the state’s minimum wage and how those actions affected the business.

Recruitment and interviews will take place between late November and February.

“I look forward to hearing from business owners,” Sims said. “I expect to find they did some creative things … innovative things. There have been some interesting adjustments. I want to hear about them.”

She sees the study as a first phase for continued discussions in what is part of a larger national debate.

Classic economic theory states that an increase in the price of labor will lead to more expectations of workers, fewer jobs for unskilled workers, hiring of more experienced workers and an increase in the average total cost of production. Therefore, firms will:

- Increase their prices, causing inflation for everyone.

- Hire fewer workers.- Automate to reduce need for

workers.

- Cut other types of spending such as for training and marketing.

- Not increase others’ pay, resulting in wage compression so seasoned workers won’t be making much more than the minimum wage earner.

- Reduce profit level. This can be taken only so far, Sims noted.

- Close their doors.Sims has found that other

communities are reassessing their minimum wage increases and making adjustments. In March, the Flagstaff City Council voted to slow a more aggressive local voter approved measure that calls for the minimum wage there to go higher than the state rate. Other communities around the

nation are vetoing or opting out of minimum wage increases.

“I think there are some better tools to address poverty,” Sims said. “Raising the minimum wage is seen as an easy solution.”

However, she added, that’s a subject for another day. Her focus with her study is on trying to document in a thorough way how the 20 percent increase is impacting small businesses in a rural community such as Yuma County.

It’s exciting, she said, to undertake a project that is so relevant to what she teaches and to the community she calls home.

Economics continued from page 1

The rio Colorado republican Women's Club is sponsoring Wreaths Across America at

Desert Lawn Memorial Park. All are invited to attend the memorial service which is

planned for Saturday, December 16th at 10 am when they will place wreaths on the veterans

graves. for more information please call Apryl Brand at 928-341-0994. Wreaths are

$15 each; to purchase or make a donation by november 25 mail to Mariah Lemme at 1905

S Parkway Drive, Yuma, AZ 85364.

2035 S. Arizona Avenue • Yuma, AZ 85365Phone: (928) 246-2327 • Fax: (928) 726-1105

Email: [email protected] • Website: www.freedomlibrary.org

Contact The Freedom Library for more information at [email protected] or 928-246-2327

Door Prizes, Books for Sale,and a 50/50 Raffle available

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE FREEDOM LIBRARY SCHOLARSHIP FUND TO HELP YUMA AREA INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTAND THE “FREEDOM PHILOSOPHY” AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

21st Annual Constitution Forum

featuring

The Freedom Library, Inc. is a 501 © (3) non-profit corporation under Internal Revenue Service guidelines

Come have a great time socializing with friends and making new ones to celebrate liberty and learn from an award winning film of a gripping true

story why the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights exists

The Freedom Library will award scholarships

The Purpose of the U.S. Constitution

and the Bill of Rights

Tuesday,Dec. 5, 2017

6 - 9 PMThe Freedom Library

2035 S. Arizona AvenueYuma, Arizona


Welcome to Consumer Direct Care Network of Arizona. Joining Lorene Richards on Friday for her ribbon cutting were James and Katie from the Tucson and Prescott offices of Consumer Direct Care Network. They provide in-home, health maintenance support to qualifying individuals. They can also assist with

processing timesheets, billing Medicaid, and caregiver payroll. They provide resources for caregiver training and assist in maintaining program compliance.

Private pay services can be customized to meet your home care needs.183 East 24th Street, Suite 3 Yuma, AZ 85364 | 928-287-3335

ribbon cuttings

BOARDOFDIRECTORSNext meeting: Tuesday, November 21 at 3 pm in the 180 W. First St. confer-ence room

• The board met October 17, 2017. The following members were approved: Farm Bureau Financial, Susan James; Legal Shield, David Perez; Isagenix, Robert & Joy Arthur; Cellular Sales/Verizon, Oscar Corado; Amara Rejuve, Blake Stallworth; Residential Bancorp, Edward Arvizo; Consumer Direct Care Network, Lorene Richards.

• This month’s Good Morning Yuma!

breakfast will be at the Pivot Point Conference Center on November 9. Our sponsor is Church For The City and the program is We Love Our City.

• The Mixer is on Wednesday, Novem-ber 15 and is sponsored by YRMC.

• The events the chamber held were reviewed and all agreed they went well. These included The Mega-Mixer on Friday, 9/29/17 followed by the Business Showcase Saturday, and the Lunch & Learn/Candidate Town Hall on October 11.

transPortation committEE

Next meeting: Thursday, November 30, 2017 11:00 am in the Chamber of Commerce conference room – please RSVP.

• Committee is meeting October 26 but notes were not available for publish-ing. The September meeting was held on September 28 where representatives from YRBC, the airport, Yuma County, and City of Yuma gave their reports.

AMBASSADORCOMMITTEENext meeting: Wednesday, at 11:30 (location TBA)

• This committee will meet at Brewers at the Airport on Wednesday, October 25; notes were not available for that meeting at the time of this publication printing. The meeting in September was held in the conference board room at 180 W. First Street and the cham-ber supplied lunch from DaBoyz and delivered by new member Jose Patino with AutoPilot. At this meeting:

committee updates

11345 S. Fortuna Rd. (928) 342-1036Cellular Sales, a Verizon Authorized Retailer – provides

personalized customer service. Shop smartphones, tablets, plans, and connected devices at the Fortuna Foothills location

at 11345 S Fortuna Rd. Get technical advice, a free plan analysis, or just pay your bill. Congratulations to the new Yuma team, Oskar Corado and Patrick Laguna! Welcome to the chamber.


ribbon cuttings

• Ambassador punch cards were dis-cussed. This must be done no later than October 1. The cards will be punched whether you are working or not. Gina Kutas and Sheila Wood will be in charge of managing the Ambas-sador punch cards.

• The upcoming Mega-Mixer/Business Showcase was discussed and a sign-up sheet was passed around.

militarY aFFairs committEENext meeting: Wednesday, Novem-ber 29, 2017 at 8 am at the American Legion.

• The committee did meet October 25 but notes were not available for pub-lishing. The September meeting was held on September 27. At that meeting:

• The Kofa JROTC was a guest speaker at the beginning of the meeting. Reported on their enrollment and activities.• Alan Pruitt, Gabby Herwig, and Del Hamilton were introduced as the new chairs for YMAD which is to be held

Saturday, March 10, 2018.• YPG’s 75th anniversary will be cel-ebrated with an open house on Satur-day, February 3, 2018. More informa-tion to come.

• Art Nottingham reported they are looking for a new vendor to engrave the plaques for the Armed Forces Park.

• John DeWitt’s memorial service is October 7 at 10 am at Community Christian Church.

• The new director for the Yuma Vet-erans Center was introduced, Joseph Laskey.

LEGISLATIVEAFFAIRSCOMMITTEENext Meeting: Friday, December 1, 2017 at 11:30 at the Yuma International Airport conference room. Invite and RSVP required. This committee did meet on Friday, October 13, 2017.

• Eric Emmert from Dorn Policy Group, Inc. in Phoenix did a special presentation. Some of his key points included a synopsis of the FY 2018 budget. He also shared several bills that were priorities for the business com-munity including the following: HB 2191 – Angel Investment Tax Credit (SIGNED). HB 2244 – Initiatives; Stan-dard of Review; Handbook (SIGNED). HB 2404 – Initiatives; Circulators; Sig-nature Collection; Contests (SIGNED). HCR 2011 – Motor Vehicle Fuel Taxes (DEAD). SB 1147 – County Elections; Motor Fuel Taxes (DEAD). SB 1270 – County Transportation Excise Tax; Reauthorization (DEAD). SB 1332 – Workers’ Compensation; Settlement; Travel Expenses (SIGNED). SB 1406 – Public Accommodation; Exemptions; Enforcement; Sanctions (SIGNED). SB 1416 – Quality Jobs Incentives; Tax Credits (SIGNED)

• In addition he discussed at length the impact of the public accommodation legislation and how it will help not only the business community but also the disability community.

• Finally he discussed the upcoming is-sue of digital goods. He recommended the Yuma County Chamber of Com-merce watch the issue closely since it could impact most if its membership.

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AMBASSADORCOMMITTEENext meeting: Wednesday, at 11:30 (location TBA)

• This committee will meet at Brewers at the Airport on Wednesday, October 25; notes were not available for that meeting at the time of this publication printing. The meeting in September was held in the conference board room at 180 W. First Street and the cham-ber supplied lunch from DaBoyz and delivered by new member Jose Patino with AutoPilot. At this meeting:

committee updatesKAIZEN

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BY ANNA CHAULK, APS Community Affairs Manager

Some of you may have seen a recent ad in the Yuma Sun asking for your vote in the Nov. 7 franchise elec-

tion in Somerton. I’ve received several questions about this, so my column is dedicated to clarifying a few things.What is a franchise election?

A franchise is simply a contract defining APS’s use of public rights-of-way and outlining coordination be-tween APS and the City of Somerton, which regulates the rights-of-way. The agreement is required by the Arizona Constitution. It gives APS a non-exclusive right to use public streets, alleys and other public rights-of-way to construct, maintain and operate our energy facilities. Somerton voters are being asked to weigh in because the agreement must be approved by a majority of the city’s electorate. What does voting YeS mean for customers?

Voting YES means you approve the franchise’s terms, which set the rules and procedures for APS to operate and maintain our energy facilities in Somerton. An example of how

the agreement works is who pays to relocate APS power poles if the City of Somerton plans to widen a street? The answer is APS. And we know that because it’s outlined in the franchise agreement.

voting YeS in the franchise elec-tion does not decide your energy provider, change rates or increase APS revenues. It simply ensures that we and Somerton have clearly out-lined our shared use of public rights-of-way. That enables our company to continue delivering safe, reliable energy to the city’s homes and busi-nesses. It also assures that Somerton can continue to plan and grow ef-ficiently and economically to benefit the city’s residents.Why do we need a franchise election?

A franchise provides stability and helps Somerton prepare for the future in cooperation with APS. Across Ari-zona, APS has franchise agreements with 53 municipalities and 11 counties

that we serve. According to state law, no franchise agreement can exceed 25 years. That means, if approved, you won’t see this issue come to ballot again in Somerton until at least 2042. Yuma and San Luis also have franchis-es with APS, but those aren’t included in this election because each commu-nity has a separate agreement with our company. The agreements with Yuma and San Luis aren’t set to expire yet. But when they do, citizens in those communities will be asked to vote in their own franchise elections.

This election is unique because it is Yuma County’s first mail-in only elec-tion. That means in order to vote on Nov. 7, you must mail in your ballot. Be sure to refer to the Yuma County’s website for more information about the process. For questions about the franchise agreement, call us at (877) 490-6872 or visit azenergyfuture.com/somerton.

SomertontoVoteonAPSPartnership

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November means a lot of things to a lot of people here in Yuma. For some, it’s reopening for business. For others, it’s a return to the field for the vegetable growing season. And, for many, it’s prep time ahead of the influx of winter visitors. With all the hustling and bustling, time off for Yumans sometimes becomes harder to come by this time of year.

Yet, where opportunities for a getaway may be scarce, the chance to be a tourist in your own city are through the roof! Alongside Yuma’s many cultural celebrations, it’s unique attractions, and unbounded outdoor adventure, Visit Yuma is proud to offer an assortment of specialty tours which give visitors and residents an

exciting perspective on local heritage.Starting Nov. 6, tickets for

military, culinary, and agriculinary tours go on sale at VisitYuma.com! Go beyond-the-gate of Yuma’s two military installations. Harvest your own ingredients at Field to Feast. Dine at the beautiful St. Paul’s Cultural Center. Feast under the stars at a Date Night Dinner. And, let us show you what’s good with a progressive dinner experience. No matter your interests, we have you covered for a hometown vacay! Get tickets at Visit Yuma.

Also, for visitors and locals alike: Visit Yuma’s recently released 2017-2018 Visitors Guide. Find it at local businesses and at the Visitor Information Center (201 N. 4th Ave.).

For a lengthier list with event details, go to VisitYuma.com.

november 2017 events:1 – harvest Moon

Canoe trip (Gateway Park)

2 – Thursday at the Theatre (Historic Yuma Theatre)

4 – Yuma’s Largest-ever Yard Sale (Desert Sun Stadium)

4 – Somerton Corn fest (Main Street in Somerton, AZ)

4 – Children’s festival of the Arts (The Yuma Art Center)

9, 10 & 11 – ASCS Spring Car racing (Cocopah Speedway)

11 – turkey trot fun run & Walk (Gateway Park)

17 thru 19 – Colorado river Crossing Balloon festival (West Wetlands Park)

17 – north end Art Walk (Historic Downtown Yuma)

18 – Colorado river Crossing Balloon Glow (Desert Sun Stadium)

18 – Community Bazaar (Yuma Civic Center)

24 & 25 – turkey Classic racing (Cocopah Speedway)

25 – holiday Pageant & tower Lighting (Desert Sun Stadium)

Be a tourist in Your own city!


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