INSIDE THE OCTOBER 2021 ISSUE: Mechanic Urges Attention to Car Care p. 3 Workforce Shortage Not a Short-Term Problem p. 6 Sedona Producer Enjoys High Altitude Variety p. 8
Northern Arizona Hiker Creates Product Sold at REI p. 10 Community Profile: Robyn Allen is Prescott-Area ATHENA p. 12 Water Continues to be a Concern for Growing County p. 13
‘Homegrown’ Wind, Solar Energy Project Approved on Babbitt Ranches A legacy of land stewardship and conservation included in agreements By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN
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raising Babbitt Ranches for the way the family business manages its operations and citing the Babbitt family’s long-running reputation for land stewardship and conservation practices, the Coconino County Planning and Zoning
Commission unanimously approved a wind and solar project on Babbitt Ranches about 30 miles north of Flagstaff. The action allows NextEra Energy Resources to move forward with the Babbitt Ranch Renewable Energy Center (BREC, pronounced B-REC) across 669 acres of a nearly 50,000-
acre site, located seven-and-a-half miles southeast of Valle on the CO Bar Ranch, which includes the Babbitts’ private land and State Trust Land.
A DEFINING MOMENT
During the Aug. 25 meeting with the commission, Babbitt Ranches President and General Manager Billy Cordasco shared a story about the turning point in the company’s 135-
year history. “In 1990, Babbitts was going through a lot of successional changes. One of the things that was happening for Babbitt Ranches was the pressure to sell. We had offers from neighboring entities and there ended up being this big push for 40acre development. Because Babbitts was going through a lot of successional changes, we actually said, ‘We have to say either yes or no to our Continued on page 43
Food Park to be Developed in Downtown Prescott By Ray Newton, QCBN
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Gringo’s Taco Shop owners Shawn and Holly Reddy pose with regular customers, Prescott residents Morteze Deputy and Ross Alexander. Photo by Ray Newton October 2021 | Issue 10 Volume 9
owntown Prescott is just a few weeks from having an outdoor food court providing a variety of options for hungry customers. The concept originated with Shawn and Holly Reddy, owners of the bright red Gringo’s Taco Shop mobile diner that is often seen around the Quad Cities. The food truck park will be at the northwest corner of Willis and Montezuma Streets, one of the busiest intersections in the downtown area. “We bought the property in March 2018. We have been making plans for developing it since,” Shawn said. “After having designers and engineers vet our plans, we submitted them to City of Prescott authorities. Our approvals have
been granted; so now, we’ll soon begin the build for the court.” Plans show installation of full infrastructure – water, sewer, electricity – enough to accommodate the Reddy’s Gringo Taco unit as well as six other food trucks. Seating will be arranged in a semi-circle. In addition, the site will have restrooms. “The way we planned it,” said Holly, “a family can come down into the circle – kind of like the old ‘circle the wagons’ image famous in Westerns. Then people can wander about, and everyone can order their own thing. The only restrictions will be their appetite, imagination and billfold.” The Reddys have years of professional experience in food service preparation and delivery. Shawn started his
career as a teenager in pizza kitchens. He enrolled for a degree from the Art Institute of Los Angeles-Santa Monica and worked in the kitchen for the Splashes in the Surf and Sand Hotel in Laguna Beach. When he completed his degree, he and his wife, Holly, visited family members in the Prescott area. They liked the community so much that for a while, Shawn commuted back and forth from California so that he could be executive chef at the Rose Hotel on Cortez. Holly remained an executive office manager and administrative assistant in California with their daughter. “I wearied of that commute after 13 months, so I returned to Southern California and got a job with the Cheesecake Factory. I then worked for ESPN Continued on page 41
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