Editorials

As is the case with any conflict, there is probably a middle ground that eases the concerns about Mingus Union High School’s student identification badges short of doing away with the badges altogether.

It’s hard to imagine an elected body coming into office with more problems to solve than those confronting the Mingus Union School Board.

Here in the Verde Valley, an abundance of Forest Service land and somewhat lax regulation created an opportunistic solution to folks challenged by the supply-and-demand realities of the local housing market.

When the Feb. 20, 1993, Verde River flood left Cottonwood’s lone bridge crossing terribly compromised, it became obvious we needed a second bridge crossing over the river.

Change is good and it’s been years since we’ve seen the kind of sweeping change now taking place in the Verde Valley.

During this season of giving, we need to remember those who take care of our daily/weekly needs and are often taken for granted.

Across the mountain in Prescott, city officials are in a quandary over the efficiency with which they deliver municipal services.

A favorite whipping boy for many Verde Valley residents is Yavapai College.

If there is anything to be learned about the consolidation of various fire departments in the Verde Valley as it applies to school district consolidation, it’s obviously a lot easier to accomplish when you have willing partners.

We don’t get to vote on school district consolidation Tuesday, but that has not diminished the debate about the merits of merging the Cottonwood-Oak Creek and Mingus Union districts into one.

For the city, Cottonwood is at a philosophical crossroads as it moves forward in the search for a city manager to succeed Doug Bartosh.

The league champion Mingus Marauders open their state title quest on the road against a team they’ve previously defeated and that finished third place in their league.

“Appeal” is the rallying cry among Verde Valley educators in the aftermath of the letter grades assigned their schools by the Arizona Department of Education. Throughout the Verde Valley, local schools on average received “C” grades from the Department of Education this year.

We’ve been hearing for years about the economy of scales benefits, or lack of, in merging our local school districts into a single unified operation.

It may be hard to believe, but there was a time when the Verde Valley campus of Yavapai College was a busy, bustling campus. Two of my children attended; one while attending Mingus Union High School and the other after graduation from Mingus.

It’s only healthy that there is back-and-forth sentiment and debate on the merits of Clarkdale’s Proposition 445, the $6 million general obligation bond designed to fund a much-needed street repair and maintenance program for the town.

Indeed, many schools throughout the state successfully petitioned ADE for a re-assessment of their grade last year. Case in point: Mingus Union High School successfully petitioned last year to have its “C” grade improved to a “B.”

Upper Verde school district consolidation is much like a 24-hour television marathon of The Twilight Zone.

Perhaps as early as this week, the members of the Cottonwood-Oak Creek School Board will be asked to play nice with Mingus Union over development of a “reasoned, purposeful plan” for a merger of the two school districts.

Jerome has wrestled with the idea of having staggered terms for its town council members for years, and last week it became official that this is now the law of the land for the mountainside community.

Some problems just never go away.

The old saying about “guns don’t kill people, people do” has a lot in common with the use of social media today.

The political process has never been known as a showcase for humanity’s best qualities.

While both sides of the school district consolidation debate found a way to spin Friday’s ruling as a victory in their favor, the real winner in this legal duel was Presiding Yavapai County Superior Court Judge David Mackey.

Especially here in the Verde Valley over the past year, it’s been tough – very tough – to be a school board member.