Introduction:

First day of school is today! (Well…for public schools in Holbrook). In this week’s newsletter we have:

1. An updated list of upcoming events.

2. A very brief summary of the election results.

3. A quick Q&A with the new city manager.

4. Some business shout outs and highlights.

Upcoming Events in Holbrook, AZ:

Don’t see your event listed? If it’s non-profit and for the whole community, we’ll probably list it for free*. Email us at [email protected]. *_{We do reserve the right to not list any event if we feel it does not belong in this section.}

Summary of City Council Election Results:

It’s official, Kathleen Smith will be Holbrook’s mayor for another term. Three city council seats were up for election and all three ran uncontested. Mike Nilsson and Teri Tafoya will be returning for another term and Tamera Church will be filling the vacated seat (vacated by Tim Dixon as he ran for Holbrook Mayor). Results are on Navajo County’s website here. Congrats to all elected officials, may you all build up Holbrook’s economy to a point where we can have an Olive Garden so that this author can have easier access to endless breadsticks. Better local economy = better breadsticks.

A Very Fast Q&A with Sharon Jakubowksi Wolz

For a little over a month now, Holbrook’s new City Manager has been BUSY. Hey Holbrook snagged a little bit of her time just to ask her three questions about her approach to Holbrook. The Q&A is below:

Hey Holbrook (HH): It’s always great to see new leadership at the city and to see the fresh approach they have to our town. What have been some top priorities for you as you’ve been getting started?

Sharon Jakubowski Wolz: I currently see myself on a fact-finding mission. I’ve been meeting with city employees, county officials, members of the city council, all in an effort trying to establish what was the city’s relationship in the past with those individuals or organizations and how do we move forward as partners.

I have a goal to get a feel for the lay of the land first and then figure out how to move forward. I want to determine our skill sets and see how we can efficiently move forward, together. Already I’ve been trying to tackle some goals for the city council and Holbrook residents have given me; weed abatement, economic development, abandoned buildings. It’s been a process of learning about these issues first and then starting to plan how to approach them correctly.

HH: When you first introduced yourself to the city council, you mentioned that you see a lot of potential in Holbrook. Do you want to expound on that?

Jakubowski Wolz: I see a lot of opportunity as we’re at a crossroads with major interstates and highways. Another one is having a new vision for some underdeveloped properties here in Holbrook. Questions I’ve been asking is how do we best utilize the golf course area? How do we best use grant opportunities, like an EPA grant and build a workforce center? Do we need to consider things like amphitheaters or cultural centers? Let’s look into absentee landlords and see how we can transform underdeveloped properties. Let’s see what we can do in bringing more commercial industry to Holbrook.

HH: Anything you want to communicate or emphasize to residents who might read this?

Jakubowski Wolz: What first comes to mind is I have an open door policy. If anybody has any suggestions or concerns, Email me, call the office, I want to hear what residents have to say. I want to be open. I want to listen. And if you have any questions, just ask. 

I also want them to know that I consider this a group effort. I just bought a house here and I consider this our city. I want to see what we can do for us as residents now and what we can do for the generations after.

Missing the Pet Shelter Pet of the Week? No worries, it will be back next issue. I promise!

[END]

Thank you for reading! Have any feedback for us? We listen! Just reply to this email or you can always reach us at [email protected].