TRAVEL: Scottsdale, Ariz.: Oasis in the Sonoran Desert

Here is an article written about our city tour, and I was the guide!

www.AcrossArizonaTours.com

By RUTH ROVNER
Special to the Times

Located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, Scottsdale hardly looks desert-like. Instead, it has a landscape of lush greenery, flowering plants and mountains in the distance.

What began as a sleepy Arizona town is now a major resort, especially in winter, when the temperature is sunny, mild and dry. In all, the area gets more than 330 days of sunshine. No wonder the entire Scottsdale-Phoenix area is deservedly known as the Valley of the Sun.

On my recent visit, Scottsdale was a good base to explore the scenic beauty of the area, visit a few selected sites in nearby Phoenix and enjoy the varied varied attractions and amenities of Scottsdale itself...

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/12/24/life/doc4ef68297dc081981305944.txt?viewmode=fullstory

 

McCain changes tune on support for Grand Canyon air tours

Read more about important issues concerning the Crown Jewel of our National Parks - The Grand Canyon. www.AcrossArizonaTours.com

Photo by Micheal Quinn, NPS

Tour operator a major campaign supporter

By Rita Beamish

6:00 am, December 26, 2011 Updated: 6:21 am, December 26, 2011 

A quarter century has elapsed since Sen. John McCain championed a new law to restore “natural quiet” in the majestic Grand Canyon where the clatter of choppers and small planes reverberated as they ferried sightseers over the national park...

In the current public comment period, the Park Service is taking heat for its proposals not only from the air tour industry but at the other end of the spectrum from environmental advocates who want fewer flights permitted. Both sides cite laws and policy arguments to back their cases, so whatever the administration’s final decision, the battle may not end there...

http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/12/26/7698/mccain-changes-tune-support-grand-canyon-air-tours

Courthouse News Service

Truthfully, the history between the US Government and the First Americans has been a sad one.

www.AcrossArizonaTours.com

Navajo Say U.S. Sacked Canyon for Bones & Art

By TIM HUL

PRESCOTT, Ariz. (CN) - The Navajo Nation claims the National Park Service sacked more than 300 sets of human remains and cultural artifacts from Canyon de Chelly National Monument, in violation of an 1868 treaty and the U.S. Constitution.
     

The Navajo, who refer to themselves as Diné, meaning "people," sued the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, the two agencies' top officials and Canyon de Chelly National Monument Park Superintendent Tom Clark, in Federal Court.
     

Canyon de Chelly National Monument is on the Arizona portion of the vast Navajo Reservation. Famous for its dramatic rock formations and ruins of ancient cliff dwellings, the monument is one the of reservation's top tourist attractions, and has been featured in countless cowboy movies...

 http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/12/21/42433.htm

Casinos muscle in on ‘Five Cs’ behind Arizona economy

www.AcrossArizonaTours.com

The west valley might soon have a casino near the University of Phoenix football stadium,  Group that are hoping for such a Casino come not only from the  Tohono O'odham Nation  but from Teachers at Glendale Elementary who are very concerned with recent lack of funding negatively hurting the future of their students, said Langer, who has taught 18 years in Glendale. Schools no longer can afford art supplies and physical-education equipment, she said. To make matters worse, she said, the city has cut library hours, recreation programs and now charges a fee for an after-school program...She urged the council to let the Tohono O'odham Nation build its casino and resort and bring in the estimated 6,000 construction jobs and more than 3,000 permanent jobs. Having a casino would mean extra revenue for community programs, she said. Arizona's gaming compact requires tribes to share a portion of gaming revenue with the state for areas such as education. Langer said the board of the Glendale Elementary teachers union informally voted to support the casino.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2011/06/17/20110617glendale-elementary-education-association-union-supports-casino.html#ixzz1h6hdyACQ

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2011/06/17/20110617glendale-elementary-education-association-union-supports-casino.html#ixzz1h6hDc6Dj

By Joshua Armstrong / Cronkite News
WASHINGTON - The "Five C's" that traditionally made the bulk of Arizona's economy – copper, climate, cattle, cotton, citrus – may need to make room for a sixth: casinos.
Revenue from Arizona's 22 casinos far surpassed cattle, cotton and citrus in the most recent figures available for each. Casinos took in nearly $1.7 billion during fiscal 2011, which ended June 30, according to the Arizona Department of Gaming's annual report...

 http://www.kold.com/story/16346307/casinos-muscle-in-on-traditional-five-cs-behind-arizona-economy