8 minute read

Supporting Future Artists

The artwork of the late Ash Fork artist Paul Ebling is on display and for sale at ‘Tis Art Center and Gallery in downtown Prescott, with proceeds supporting local children’s arts programs. Manager Gay Simeral, shown here with Ebling’s artwork in the gallery, says he was a painter and sculptor who worked in mixed media. He was largely known overseas; however, this project by the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Chino Valley Lioness Club offers art enthusiasts an opportunity to view his art in the Quad Cities. QCBN

“Growing up in the herbal apothecary, I learned the way herbs could protect and heal our skin,” said the Flagstaff High School graduate. “After school, I ran Winter Sun. Customers would ask me for all-natural skincare products, but there were not many available at that time. So after hours, I started developing my own line.”

After graduating from Northern Arizona University, Tracy studied at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine to learn more. Today, her experiences with her mother’s herbal apothecary, botanical medicine schooling and a love for the outdoors have come together to innovate skincare products that give people results without harmful chemicals.

“Unfortunately, the outdoors that we love so much wreaks havoc on our skin,” the herbalist said in a video on the Peak Scents website. “I drew on my background in herbal medicine and started making herbal-based, toxin-free skincare products for outdoor enthusiasts who need it the most.”

Tracy designed the plant-based skincare products to protect skin from harmful UV rays while keeping it moisturized and hydrated. The woman-owned business handcrafts creams, mists and facial serums with pure herbs, vitamins and minerals.

“We source from a wide variety of suppliers and try to source as local as possible,” she said. As a result, many of the all-natural, toxic-free ingredients are native to the area.

“A woman on the Hualapai Nation harvests the pinyon pitch [an ingredient in the Pinyon Pine Balm]. The distiller for our sage essential oil is out of Utah. Kate Waters of Wild Heart Farms in Rimrock is growing roses for us next season. I used to do foraging, but I just don’t have time to do it anymore.”

It’s no wonder. Tracy runs a business concurrently with handmaking the plant-based skincare goods and developing formulas for new collections.

Peak Scents offers five collections, including:

N Power Repair is her first skincare line, created to help fellow river runners, which has a foaming cleanser, toner, serum, sunscreen and face mist.

N Organic Rose Phyto³ is formulated with rare selections of restorative proprietary ingredients like plant stem cells, peptides and powerful superfruit extracts.

N Body Nürish offers facial masks, body scrubs and formulas that are created to keep dry, mature, sensitive skin radiant and glowing.

N The Super Salve Co., a sister company founded by Tracy’s sister, Denise, in 1990, offers natural herbal skincare for the whole body.

N Wandering The West Apothecary is created with plants that grow in the American Southwest. Formulas feature the highest quality herbal extracts, oils and butters that soothe and calm dry, chapped skin.

“Wandering the West was born out of a gift line for visitors; now it’s in natural product stores across the nation,” Tracy said. That happened in 2016 when an airport gift shop group reached out to Tracy to design a collection of skincare products that would fit the needs of visitors to Arizona.

Wandering the West collection is available at Fite and Son’s Mercantile and Ice Cream in Prescott, airport gift shops at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Rainbow’s End and Winter Sun Trading Company in downtown Flagstaff, Indian Gardens Cafe & Market in Oak Creek, L’Auberge de Sedona and

Xanterra giftshops in Williams and the Grand Canyon. The popular collection is also available online and in the Flagstaff shop.

The five-person team at Peak Scents includes Tracy and her husband, Eric Brown, who is involved in production.

Peak Scents has partnered with American Rivers to help protect wild rivers and conserve clean water for people and nature. The company also partners with Greenspark and Eden Projects to offset their carbon footprint. In addition, Peak Scents donates to Eden Projects to plant a tree with every online purchase.

Last August, as part of Peak Scents’ commitment to reducing waste, the business brought in a line of refillable products, including hand and body soap, lotion, massage oil, dish soap and laundry products. Shoppers can bring their own containers or buy refillable containers at the shop. “It feels good to reuse containers,” Tracy said.

What’s next for Peak Scents? “When I slow down, I want to be a beekeeper,” said Tracy with a smile. “Then we can use the beeswax in our collections.” QCBN

Products can be ordered online at peakscents.com. Peak Scents Plant Based Skincare Collections

1000 E. Butler Avenue, Suite 101, Flagstaff M-Th 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 928-556-9499 peakscents.com

Phone 602-909-3910 Fax 928-226-0303

The Courtyard Building | 115 E. Goodwin Street - Suite D, Prescott, AZ 86303 troy@quadcitiesbusinessnews.com Web quadcitiesbusinessnews.com

Founder: Troy Bix

Publisher Amy Bix | 602-909-3910 Amy@quadcitiesbusinessnews.com

Director of Business Development Rich Bussen | 928-310-9662 Rich@quadcitiesbusinessnews.com

Advertising Manager Ann Herrington | 928-420-4407 Ann@quadcitiesbusinessnews.com

Editor Bonnie Stevens | 928-380-4349 bonnie.stevens@gmail.com

Copy Editor Carolyn Wendell | cwendell@gmail.com

Design & Production Rob Ghosh Design | rob@robghosh.com

Web Content Editor news@quadcitiesbusinessnews.com

Contributing Writers

Bonnie Stevens

Stan Bindell

Ray Newton

V. Ronnie Tierney

Betsey Bruner

Contributing Photographers

Kay Lyons, Bonnie Stevens, Ray Newton, Sue Marceau, Stacey Wittig, Veronica Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography

The Quad Cities Business News is a publication of Quad Cities Business News, LLC and distributed free each month to residents of Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt. Reproduction of any portion of the publication is strictly prohibited without expressed permission. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisements submitted to the newspaper and is not responsible for the claims of its advertisers.

GALAPAGOS continued from page 6

CAREGIVERS continued from page 3 and the cities of Sedona and Cottonwood,” said Development and Communications Manager Linda Clark.

The VVCC staff includes 13 and 180 volunteers. “We cater to individuals with disabilities as well as the elderly,” said Ellsworth.

“I just love working here,” said VVCC Call Specialist Veloy Habinck, who has worked at VVCC since 2017. “I’m a team leader and my responsibilities are making sure we’re all on the same page here by keeping systems updated and distributed properly.”

Verde Valley Caregivers was founded in 1992 by a coalition of Sedona churches, City of Sedona, Kachina Point (assisted living facility), and Verde Valley Medical Center. QCBN

To contact VVCC, call 928-204-1238 or go to vvcaregivers.org.

BARBERSHOP continued from page 16 officials, local farmers and community members, building on relationships that Animal Balance has cultivated for decades. This includes working closely with the ABG. The agency – part of the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment – is charged with the biosafety of the islands and reducing the risk of any invasive species that endanger the biodiversity of the islands, the local economy and human health.

If successful, the project will bring greater ecological balance to the Galapagos, benefiting both that biodiversity and the residents of the islands, and also inform better balance solutions for islands worldwide.

Rattus rattus was accidentally introduced into the Galapagos by pirates and whalers in the 17th and 18th centuries. The consequences were devastating; over time the rodent population has resulted in the near extinction of certain endemic species.

Among the creatures threatened by the rat overpopulation are the rare pink land iguana and the giant tortoises of the islands. Rats will dig into the nests of these animals and eat the eggs and hatchlings.

Meanwhile, the rats also feast on local farm goods, which are essential to the residents of the islands. While there is a monthly container ship from mainland Ecuador that provides some foodstuffs, the pandemic showed that relying on these ships is not sustainable. Residents need the produce produced by local farms to survive, and rats are destroying these crops.

The reception of the WISDOM and Animal Balance teams on this project went very well, according to Jessica Gonzalez, who is the program director for Animal Balance in the Galapagos.

“This project brings together science and the community with the support of local authorities in perfect synchrony to implement an effective and sustainable solution for the control of non-endemic rodent populations, which Galapagos deserves,” she said. “I am convinced that we are marking an important milestone in the conservation of the Enchanted Islands.”

The team from WISDOM plans to return to the archipelago later this year. QCBN no. “Many people think Salvador is my son because he looks like he’s 12 years old, but he’s actually 21. He’s a talented barber and customers love him.”

Retired Army Officer and Northern Arizona University (NAU) Civil Engineering Student Doug Harman is a regular customer at Ray’s Barber Shop. “Salvador is probably one of the best barbers I’ve ever had. Everyone here is super friendly and they always greet you with a big smile.” Harman’s dog, Liberty, is also welcomed and waits patiently while Harman gets his hair cut.

Historically, barber shops were places of social interaction, and Ray’s Barber Shop fits that description. The ambiance is warm, neighborly and razor sharp clean. Models of old cars, tonic bottles, antique razors, old pictures and other memorabilia are displayed throughout the shop. “We even have a flag from my grandfather’s shop,” said Diaz.

A magazine rack showcases issues of Gentleman’s Quarterly, Classic Cars and fishing and hunting magazines, catering to customers’ interests.

“We have a great mix of customers, “said Barbaro. “People come from all over. There’s an attorney from Winslow, a few from the Grand Canyon and one guy travels all the way from Scottsdale.”

“It seems like we have the old-timers in the morning and college kids in the afternoon, and young professionals throughout the day,” said Barbaro.

Though there are a few female clients, Barbaro likes to call it his “man cave.”

Retired schoolteacher and longtime Flagstaff resident Diana Gabaldon, cousin to the Outlander series author who shares the same name, remembers Ray’s Barber Shop from almost 20 years ago. “I was looking for a place to get my grandson’s haircut. He is autistic and also had long thick ringlets. He didn’t like anyone touching his hair. I explained our situation to the barber, Felix, and he did an amazing job. My grandson sat still, which is a miracle in itself.”

According to Barberhead.com, Ray’s Barber Shop is considered one of the best and most popular barber shops in Flagstaff and was rated 4.5 out of 5 by 122 unique and verified visitors. Along with haircuts, offerings include beard trims, and Barbero offers a chest and back shave.

Recalling his troubled youth, Diaz is working with a non-profit to provide free haircuts to troubled kids. “If they look good, they’ll feel good about themselves,” said Diaz.

With four children, two boys and two girls between the ages of 12 and 17, Diaz and his wife, Brenda, who is assistant manager of Facilities at Northern Arizona University (NAU), spend as much time together as possible. “My wife and kids are all amazing,” said Diaz.

He also spends time with his grandmother, Sferina Diaz, former Flagstaff school teacher at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Diaz’s brother, Arty, is finishing his barber training and will be joining the team sometime in the future.

Ray’s Barbershop is located near Visible Difference Art and Drafting Supply and next to Floral Arts of Flagstaff at 122 South Beaver. Hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. To reach the shop, call 928-

225-1067.

BEST ADVICE FOR NEW BUSINESS OWNERS

Be confident, relaxed and self-motivated.

FAVORITE MEAL

Tomahawk steaks from Sam’s Club. I often eat them for breakfast and sometimes I grill out in the back of the shop.

CURRENT HOBBY

My family and I are working on a project restoring my grandfather’s car. He’s been driving since he opened the shop. It’s a 1956 Oldsmobile that gets 9 miles to the gallon going downhill. I still drive it to this day, but not in the wintertime.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT Rocky Point, Mexico.

CHARACTER TRAITS THAT BEST DESCRIBE ME

Very outgoing and sharp. It’s hard to put one over on me. QCBN

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