INSIDE THE DECEMBER 2021 ISSUE: Celtic P.U.B. Ready to Serve p. 4 Arizona Loses a Legend p. 6 Sedona Realtor Follows in Family’s Footsteps p.8
Helping Minority Businesses Hit Hard by COVID p. 9 Community Profile: Terri Farneti Retires from County Health p. 12 Shelter Dogs Tested for Stress p. 28
Supply Chain Challenges Creating Unique Holiday Shopping Environment By Theresa Bierer, QCBN
W
ith the holiday season upon us, many merchants and customers alike are watching the supply chain backlog at the Southern California ports. Up and down the coastline, the view includes large numbers of container ships facing delays in unloading. The Western Hemisphere’s two largest shipping container ports are
Los Angeles and Long Beach, each about a seven-hour drive from the Quad Cities. The supply chain problems are not a new issue, according to Edmund Bushman, chair of the Yavapai Community College School of Business and Computer Science. “It started with COVID over 18 months ago; consumer goods were just not being produced, and supply was lacking,” he explained.
With each passing month since then and the pandemic-induced demand spike, officials at the ports have watched delays for unloading containers increase. In earlier times, containers would be unloaded from ships and sit at the docks for just a few days before being transported to other destinations. Now, there is a backlog of containers waiting on rail transfer or truck drivers, as well as a growing pileup of empty containers
waiting for a return to Asia. A spokesman with the Port of Long Beach reports that they expect to set a record this year by moving more than nine million TEUs (a measurement of twenty-foot-long containers). Despite expanding operations to a 24-hour schedule, the port lacks capacity for storing additional empty containers and facilitating offloading of the many waiting cargo ships. Continued on page 38
Rejoicing in the Gift of Participation Arizona Snowbowl, Nackard Pepsi making the slopes more accessible
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Arizona Snowbowl Adaptive Program Ski Instructor Truman Shoaff positions himself behind Jessica Fieldsted for her first ski lesson last March. Courtesy photo December 2021 | Issue 12 Volume 9
Bonnie Stevens, QCBN
essica’s joy says it all: “I am a skier! Now I can ski with my family!” Jessica, 27, was born with a rare genetic condition known as COACH, which stands for cerebellar vermis aplasia, oligophrenia, congenital ataxia, coloboma and hepatic fibrosis. Only a few thousand people in the country are believed to have this syndrome in which part of the brain does not fully form. Most individuals with COACH have a cognitive disability, organ problems and difficulty with movement. For Jessica, life has revolved around medications, treatments and surgeries. She had a kidney
transplant when she was 13 and currently is struggling with “major” liver problems, say her parents, Joy and John Dillon of Flagstaff. She had another “really big liver surgery” last month but will eventually need a liver transplant, too. “Our daughter has a lot of special features,” said John. “She has some motor skills challenges. It’s difficult for her to use her feet and hands. She can’t open a bottle of water. And she has no equilibrium, which makes walking pretty dangerous. She has very poor eyesight and can fall frequently. As she puts it, she trips on air. She’s extremely fragile, and during this pandemic we’ve kept her mostly sequestered from the rest of the
world for her own health and safety. That’s been extra hard for her.” Despite her difficulties, “she tries so hard to be happy,” said her mom, “even though she doesn’t always feel good.” Now, Jessica has a new reason to smile – outdoor fun on the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks. “I love skiing!” she said. “Last year was my first time and I just loved it and now I can ski with my family!” And that’s a big deal. “The last few years she’d see the excitement as we’d plan and go skiing with grandpa, uncles, aunts and cousins,” said John. “But Jessica would have to stay home with grandma.” Joy and John first heard about the Adaptive Program while riding a chairlift at Continued on page 39
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