The continued existence of the Prescott Lakes community golf course may soon come to a vote.

Representatives of golf club members and the course developer are working on another proposal for members to vote on, with the course’s future hanging in the balance.

It comes down to residents either voting for an offer to keep the course active or voting it down and possibly watching it turn into open space.

Bill Brownlee, managing member of M3 Companies, announced the temporary closure of the golf club effective next week.

Brownlee said the closure begins March 1 and he anticipates it will last for 60 days or until property owners vote on the proposal for the Prescott Lakes Community Association and Arnold Palmer Golf Management to control and operate both clubs jointly on or before the end of April.

“If the vote fails, it will be closed permanently,” he said. “The golf course does not make economic sense to continue to operate.”

Brownlee said residents got a letter Wednesday explaining the outcome of a meeting this past week with the community’s golf advisory committee.

Jeff Davis, who announced in late January that he is parting ways with M3 while still keeping an equal interest in the golf club, declined to comment.

Prescott Lakes Community Association board member Dave Hackathorn said Arnold Palmer Golf Management and the community association eventually will borrow about $2.6 million to go toward additional amenities and contract with the golf management company to manage it if voters support it.

“We’ve already talked to banks and stuff and we know that we are likely to be able to get the money that we need,” he said. “I think what we’re trying to work through is just that we have all the details and then be able to come back and present that to the homeowners.”

According to Hackathorn, it will take weeks to put all the pieces together, present it to residents and get ballots out and count them.

In the meantime, developers are asking golf members to continue to make their monthly payments and that money would go to maintaining the course, according to Hackathorn, who said golf members will end up paying greater monthly fees, which would vary on the type of membership package they have.

Hackathorn said it also gets M3 out of the community.

“To me, that’s the biggest value of the whole thing: If we can do this, then (M3 is) out of it both from the homeowners’ association perspective and from the golf club,” he said. “If we don’t pass it, then they’re going to continue to own the athletic club and they will continue to control the homeowners association.”

Although the athletic club will continue to operate normally, Brownlee said the golf industry is really taking it on the chin right now.

“(The) Prescott Lakes golf club is really not unique with its situation; it’s not a stand-alone problem - it’s a problem that a lot of people in the industry have,” he said. “We view it as a great opportunity for the athletic and golf clubs and the community at large.”

The letter states that if people vote against the proposal, the club will cease operations and explore “repurposing” parts of the property, including residential and commercial development options.

“We are looking at various options right now, but the focus needs to be on Arnold Palmer and Prescott Lakes Community Association plan,” Brownlee said. “We just don’t want to do anything that would take away from their ability to be successful with that plan because that’s what we see as being best for the community is for them to be successful.”

Hackathorn made a similar comment.

“What we’re looking for really is to find something that everybody can get behind and agree is the best solution.”

Source: The Daily Courier

Source: The Daily Courier

According to Prescott High School government teacher Mark Gologoski, it is the responsibility of citizens to “pay attention to what the government is doing.”

For most people, paying attention means watching network news. However, C-SPAN offers an alternative.

On Feb. 19, the C-SPAN bus stopped at Prescott High School on its national tour to talk about civic education. The bus is fully equipped as a news station. At one time, C-SPAN newscasters used it for interviewing and reporting. Today, the company uses it mostly for educational programs.

Senior Aubree Schuenman, a member of Gologoski’s Accelerated Program civics class, has watched C-SPAN but did not know all the channel’s facets.

“I didn’t realize it was non-biased and nonprofit,” she said.

During a presentation to the students, marketing representative Jennifer Curran explained that C-SPAN chairman and CEO Brian Lamb created the cable channel for televising sessions of the U.S. Congress and other public affairs events and policy discussions.

Lamb presented his idea for the new cable network to corporations, but only cable industry pioneer Bob Rosencrans provided $25,000 in seed money to get it going.

According the Curran, C-SPAN has remained true to Lamb’s initial vision. It receives no money from any government source, has no contract with the government and does not sell sponsorships or advertising. It strives for neutrality and a lack of bias in its public affairs programming.

C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) went on the air March 19, 1979, broadcasting a speech by then-congressman Al Gore. Today, C-SPAN2 covers all live sessions of the U.S. Senate.

PHS senior and AP civics student Jordan Vickstein was impressed with C-SPAN’s video library.

“I appreciate how they archive all their footage. That is not cheap,” Vickstein said. “They have this information for people to use.”

Curran said part of the reason of the national tour is “outreach to students, to tell them about our online resources, such as the video library.”

The C-SPAN video library is not copyrighted and is free for educational purposes.

“It is cool that they came to Prescott and that they are trying to get high school students involved in government. Students should be involved in what is going on,” Schuenman said.

C-SPAN marketing representative Steve Devoney said students really seem to be excited about the video library.

“There is a point when talking to students that you can almost see a light bulb go off in the mind. They understand that C-SPAN is a straightforward, primary source for news, with no commentary.” Devoney said. “We have taken the flashy stuff out and removed distractions.”

C-SPAN does not point fingers at other networks, but “we ask people to look at what is being covered and why,” he said.

Unfortunately for students such as Vickstein, C-SPAN broadcasts only on a “federal level. There is nothing statewide. Watching C-SPAN now might not make a difference, but when we get older it will. We will have created a habit.”

Students are excited when the C-SPAN bus pulls in.

“They are impressed. We hope it is because of our resources, but in reality, it’s the bus,” Curran said.

Freddie Mac CEO: Housing Is Near Bottom
The inventory of foreclosed houses still hampers the recovery of the housing sector, but overall, the U.S. housing market appears to be at or near bottom, Freddie Mac CEO Charles Haldeman told the Detroit Economic Club on Tuesday.

He predicted that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate would remain between 5 percent and 6 percent through 2010.

“The big downside risk to all this is a large wave of homes now in foreclosure potentially hitting the market at prices that are destructive,” Haldeman said.

Source: Reuters News, Soyoung Kim (01/26/2010)

The 10 Most Undervalued Housing Markets
Nationwide, only 87 markets are in the overvalued category, according to a newly released 2010 report compiled by IHS Global Insight and PNC Financial Services.

That means 242 of the 299 largest U.S. housing markets are selling for prices that even bankers think are less than fair market value. The judgment is based on a comparison of median home prices, local interest rates, population densities and income, plus historic premiums or discounts.

Here are the 10 most undervalued areas, according to the study:
Las Vegas, -41.4 percent
Vero Beach, Fla., -39.8 percent
Merced, Calif., -37.7 percent
Cape Coral, Fla., -36.8 percent
Houma, La., -34.6 percent
Port St. Lucie, Fla., -33.3 percent
Warren, Mich., -32.3 percent
Vallejo, Calif., -31.9 percent
Modesto, Calif. -31.8 percent
Stockton, Calif., -31.8 percent

Source: CNNMoney, Les Christie (01/27/2010)

New home sales plunged to a 9-month low in December, according to a government report issued Wednesday.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of new home sales dropped 7.6% to 342,000 last month, compared with a revised rate of 370,000 in November, the Census Bureau said.

Analysts surveyed by Briefing.com had expected December sales of new homes to hit an annual rate of 366,000.

“This is not a very encouraging number,” said Mike Larson, a real estate analyst with Weiss Research. “You’ve got aggressive competition from banks and lenders trying to unload foreclosures, and many people are going to the existing home market because that’s where the bargains are.”

Full Story Money.com

Prescott (Yavapai: Wiikwasa Kasikita) is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. Local inhabitants prefer to pronounce the name PRES-kit in a way that rhymes with “biscuit.”

According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 41,528.[2] The city is the county seat of Yavapai County.[3] In 1864 Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona Territory, replacing the temporary capital at Fort Whipple.[4] The Territorial Capital was moved to Tucson in 1867. Prescott again became the Territorial Capital in 1877, until Phoenix became the capital in 1889.

The towns of Prescott Valley (7 miles east) and Chino Valley (16 miles north), and Prescott, together comprise what is locally known as the “Tri-City” area. This also sometimes refers to in general central Yavapai County, which would include the towns of: Dewey-Humboldt, Mayer, Paulden, Wilhoit, and WIlliamson. Combined with these smaller communities the Tri-City area as of 2007 has a population of 103,260. Prescott is the center of the Prescott Metropolitan Area, defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as all of Yavapai County. In 2007, Yavapai County was estimated to have 212,635 residents by the U.S. Census Bureau, making Prescott the third-largest metropolitan area in Arizona, after Phoenix (4.2 million) and Tucson (1 million).

Metro Prescott’s four-season climate is generally mild, owing to the altitude of 5,354 ft (1,632 m), being significantly cooler than the lower southern areas of the state and yet without the harsher winters found at higher altitudes.

The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe reservation is located next to, and partially within, the borders of Prescott.

Source: Prescott Arizona on Wikipedia

The following info for Prescott Arizona was obtained from Trulia.com.

Prescott Zip Codes: 86301, 86302, 86303, 86304, 86305, 86306, 86313, 86330

Average Listing Price: $431,704

Median Sales Price: $243,750

Avg. Price sq/ft: $134

PRESCOTT VALLEY - This past week’s storm triggered the spill of 1.25 million gallons of untreated sewage from the town’s sewer plant Thursday and Friday into the nearby Agua Fria River, Utilities Director Neil Wadsworth said.

A power spike tripped the outside generators at the sewer plant and shut the plant down, Wadsworth said.

The power failure lasted from 7 p.m. Thursday until 7 a.m. Friday, and recurred from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday.

Full Story - The Daily Courier

Source Yahoo

Did you know that the number one day for house fires is in December? The 2nd highest number of fires is on New Years Eve and the third is Christmas Eve. Everyone should pay extra attention to safety measures during the holidays to prevent serious and not-so-serious accidents. This article provides safety tips for you and your family. Have a safe and happy holiday season.

Trees

- Artificial trees should be labeled “Fire Resistant.”

- Real Christmas trees should be checked for freshness, with green, needles that do not easily break when bent.

- Place tree far from heat sources, out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.

- Cut a few inches off the trunk of your tree to allow for better water absorption and will help to keep your tree fresh longer.

- Keep your tree-stand filled with water to prevent your tree from drying out.

Lights

- Holiday lights only last about three months and should be changed out every three years.

- Check all lights to make sure none are broken, as broken lights can be a fire-hazard.

- Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.

- Make sure outdoor lights have been certified for outdoor use.

- Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.

- Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

Candles

- Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.

- Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens.

- If a candle is lit, a grown-up should be in the room at all times.

- Blow out candles if going to sleep or leaving the room.

- Use stable candle-holders, and hurricane glass to protect the flame.

- Stow lighters and matches away from where children may find them.

- Consider battery operated candles that smell and flicker like real candles, without the safety hazard.

Decorations

- Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree.

- Avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable if small children are in the home.

- Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to prevent them from swallowing.

- Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a young child to eat them.

- Remove all wrapping papers, bags, paper, ribbons and bows from tree and fireplace areas after gifts are opened. These items can pose suffocation and choking hazards to a small child or can cause a fire if near flame.

Holiday Toy Safety

- Read labels. Check age and safety recommendations as a guide.

- Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child.

- Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly-secured eyes, noses and other potential small parts.

- For all children under 8, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.

- Magnets – For children under age six, avoid building sets with small magnets. If swallowed, serious injuries and/or death can occur.

- Small Parts – For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.

- Ride-on Toys – Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates go fast and falls could be deadly. Helmets and safety gear should be sized to fit.

- Projectile Toys – Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts and sling shots are for older children. Improper use of these toys can result in serious eye injuries.

- Chargers and Adapters – Charging batteries should be supervised by adults. Chargers and adapters can pose thermal burn hazards to children.

Resources

- Holiday Safety Guidelines

- Candle Safety Guide

- Holiday Toy Safety

Article compiled by The Marketing Shop.com