A Sweet Story in Old Town Cottonwood: Candy Corral

Bill and Colleen Hattan and the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the opening of the Candy Corral with a ribbon-cutting in Old Town Cottonwood. This store is unbelievable. You will have to see it for yourself!

Proprietors Colleen and Bill Hattan welcome Cottonwood Chamber President and CEO Lana Tolleson to the ribbon cutting for Candy Corral.

Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens with Colleen and Bill. Follow Historic 89A into Old Town Cottonwood.

The Candy Corral is a kid's dream! There were lots of children and babies at the store.

There are many flavor selections of ice cream and homemade waffle cones. Ummm, those cones make the store smell so yummy! They make more than 30 different varieties of gourmet popcorn.

Feel like going back into your childhood? There are many goodies here that adults enjoyed as children. These are "retro" or "nostalgic" candies. You just have to check it out!

There are even stuffed toys. This store is eye candy too! Rick James of Camp Soaring Eagle examines the Beanie Babies.

These were special samples just for the ribbon cutting. The Candy Corral makes more than 30 different varieties of gourmet popcorn, homemade fudge, and cup cakes. They feature hard-to-find nostalgic candy, ice cream cones, sundaes, and old fashioned malts.

Confused about what to get your sweetheart or children for Valentine's Day? The answer is right here! (Or Christmas or St. Patrick's Day or Halloween...any holiday will do!)

So much to choose from, so hard to choose! A mom helps her son, while Margie Beach visits in the background.

The choices are unbelievable!

There are all kinds of flavors of taffy.

Homemade fudge!

A place for the wee-ones.

Photo by Susie Beach, Beaches on Location

Colleen and Bill cut the ribbon with community members showing their support. Many thanks to the Chamber Ambassadors for welcoming new businesses to town!

The Candy Corral is located at 1028 North Main Street in Old Town Cottonwood, Ariz. Their phone number is (928) 202-3435. Follow Historic 89A into Old Town Cottonwood.  The store is located under the bright orange canopy! Look for Mr. Jelly Belly outside.  Store hours (as of the writing of this blog) are 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They’re open Sunday 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

It's the sweetest spot in Cottonwood.

Cottonwood Adopts Sharrows as Part of Being a Bike Friendly Community

Photo by Randy Victory

When I became mayor of Cottonwood back in 2007, Verde Valley Cyclists Coaltion member Randy Victory and I started pushing for a Cottonwood Bicycle Plan. After we sadly lost City Manager Brian Mickelsen, acting city manager Marianne Jimenez and I worked to get an item on a council agenda, and the council wholeheartedly endorsed creating a plan. From there, city manager Doug Bartosh took over, and it's taken awhile--as these things do--but we've made substantial progress. We have our plan http://www.cottonwoodaz.gov/planning/bicycleplan.pdf  and last year we were named honorable mention as a bicycle friendly community. Thanks to Cottonwood's new planner, Nikki Arbeiter, we're working on bronze or silver now. Community Development Director George Gehlert and Community Development Manager Dan Lueder have also pushed for the plan, as well as members of the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition. Recently we added "sharrows" on 12th Street to try them out. Randy Victory wrote in an email on December 16, 2011: "Bike shop owner Aaron Ruda was the first cyclist to use the sharrows painted on 12th Street in Cottonwood on Friday. The Public Works crew that had just painted the new roadway markings and can be seen driving away.  Shared-use lane markings, or “sharrows”, are used on roadways which are too narrow for bike lanes. They help remind motorists to share the road with bicycles, and indicate to cyclists the lawful direction of travel. Sharrows were adopted into the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) December 16th, 2009 – two years ago. The new shared-use lane markings in Cottonwood are the first to be installed in the Verde Valley."

COME TO COTTONWOOD! You can ride your bike, hike, canoe, kayak, run, walk, fish, 4-wheel, moutain climb, hang glide, ride horses, and top it all off with a glass of relaxing wine in Old Town Cottonwood. Enjoy the Verde River. We're one of the few towns in Arizona that has a "River Runs through It." Access the river at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. You can ride your bike on some awesome trails there, too.

http://www.oldtown.org/    Old Town Cottonwood
http://www.cottonwoodchamberaz.org/    Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce
http://www.vvwinetrail.com/   Verde Valley Wine Trail
http://azstateparks.com/Parks/DEHO/index.html   Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Cleaning Up Public Lands

Since 1994 millions of Americans have been inspired by the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to serve their neighbors and communities on the MLK holiday, bringing citizens together and strengthening our communities and nation.

In recognition of the city of Cottonwood proclamation for Martin Luther King Day, fellow Stewards of Public Lands member Debbie LaFrance and I drove south of Cottonwood and picked up an illegal dump site on the Prescott National Forest. Stewards have been doing this the past seven years. Yeah, it has actually gotten better--people seem to be dumping less--but we can still find trash out there. Take note of the curving tire tracks for an "after" photo.

Debbie and I were very happy that these gentlemen happened to pass by and were willing to load this old recliner into the truck. Thank you, whoever you are!

We cleaned up the area and it's looking much better!

We are totally happy that we made a difference today! Note the circular tire marks in the first photo and compare them with this photo.

All in a day's work! Thanks Debbie! (P.S. We drove over here to pick up the abandoned tires.)

As part of  providing service to community on Martin Luther King Day, Cottonwood Community Garden Coordinator Bobbie Gooslin, left, and I met at the garden to talk about this spring's garden projects. Michele Bradley, right, of the Cottonwood Journal Extra, was documenting activities in Camp Verde and Cottonwood for the MLK day of service.

It is a GREAT honor to live in Cottonwood, Arizona. We love our community!

Dead Horse Ranch State Park on a Warm and Beautiful Arizona Winter Afternoon

Cottonwood, Arizona. Come and Play!



Arizona is the most awesome place in the world on beautiful warm winter afternoons. Tessa, the Standard Poodle, and Daisy Mae Duke, the Bichon, and I took a walk around the third lagoon at Dead Horse Ranch State Park today.

People were boating and fishing and enjoying the quiet of the lagoon.

The ducks were happy.

The Red Winged Black Birds during a stop-over at the park and Verde River.

It was amazingly peaceful and beautiful today.

Equestrians enjoying Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

It's all in a day's enjoyment right here in Cottonwood, Arizona. Come and Play!

Martin Luther King Proclamation Read at Cottonwood City Council Meeting

Jessica Stone from Yavapai Americorps submitted this proclamation which was read at the Jan. 3, 2012 Cottonwood City Council meeting. Jessica received the proclamation and a certificate for leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

                                                                                        Photo by Kyla Allen

 

  P R O C L A M A T I O N  

Whereas, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. devoted his life to advancing equality, social justice and opportunity for all, and challenged all Americans to participate in the never-ending work of building a more perfect union; and

Whereas, Dr. King's teaching can continue to guide and inspire us in addressing challenges in our communities; and

Whereas, since 1994 millions of Americans have been inspired by the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to serve their neighbors and communities on the King Holiday; and

Whereas, serving on the King Holiday is an appropriate way to honor Dr. King, meet local and nation needs, bring our citizens together, and strengthen our communities and nation; and

Whereas, the King Day of Service is the only federal holiday commemorated as a natural day of service, and offers an opportunity for Americans to give back to their communities on the holiday and make an ongoing commitment to service throughout the year; and

Whereas, King Day of Service projects are being organized by a committee of non-profits, community organizations and entities including Serve Yavapai, Beaver Creek Adult Center, Beaver Creek Kiwanis, Beaver Creek School, Community Counts, Friends of the Well, Prescott College; and

Whereas, citizens of Cottonwood have an opportunity to participate in events throughout our county on the King Day of Service, January 16, 2012, as well as support ongoing volunteer needs and commit to meaningful service throughout the year;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mayor Diane Joens of Cottonwood proclaim the Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday as a Day of Service in Cottonwood, and call upon the people of Cottonwood to pay tribute to the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., through participation in community service projects on Martin Luther King Day and throughout the year.

IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Seal of the City of Cottonwood, Arizona, this 3rd day of January 2012.  Diane Joens, Mayor