Author: Jan Schroder

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Bathtub, coffee pot, closet – What can you live without?

We’ve noticed some items disappearing from our hotel rooms. (Don’t even get me started on the disappearing shower cap. No one but me seems to care.) So we asked, which could you live without?

• Bathtub. Only showers for me. 53%

• Coffee pot. I don’t drink coffee or I’d never use one in a hotel room. 27%

• Closet. I never hang up my clothes and a few hooks would work for me if I do. 9%

• All of them: 9%

• None of them: 2%

Visit our homepage to take our next poll: How do you rent a car when you travel?

– Jan Schroder, The Travel 100

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Can you take hotel amenities?

Toiletries

Is it okay to take toiletries from your hotel room? Here’s what some readers said.

• Yes. They are there to use or take home, whichever I prefer: 80.33%

• I only take them if I’ve partially used them as I figure they will throw them out anyway. 14.75%

• No. You shouldn’t take anything from a hotel room. 4.92%.

You can continue tucking those cute little conditioners in your bag with your conscience clear.

Take our next poll: We’ve been in rooms without a coffee pot, closet or a bathtub. Which of the three would you give up first?

– The Travel 100 staff

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Mountain View High School College Career & Life Skills Center welcoming students

Mountain View High School

Mountain View High School College Career & Life Skills Center, an 8,400-square-foot building to accommodate the school’s special needs program, is open.

Designed to support students with profound disabilities, it features a co-teaching classroom; teacher work area; drop-in resource center for parents and students preparing for college or to enter the work force; and offices for one-on-one meetings, Individual Education Program reviews, testing, counseling and other critical functions. A portion of the building was developed to mimic a studio apartment with a kitchen, laundry and other living spaces to assist in teaching life skills.

– Barry Chasse, Chasse Building Team

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Arizona cities top list for job seekers

best cities for jobs

Does the new year signal a new opportunity for you? Lucky for you, several Arizona cities are considered among the best for job seekers.

A recent survey by WalletHub finds Phoenix, Peoria, Gilbert, Tempe, Chandler and Mesa in the top 100, with Tucson coming in at 105. WalletHub compared 182 cities looking at 30 key indicators including job opportunities, employment growth and monthly average starting salary.

Glendale ranks fifth for highest employment growth. Gilbert, Scottsdale and Chandler tie for first for highest median annual income. And congratulations to the City of Scottsdale, which tops the overall list at number one.

–  The Arizona 100 staff

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Tax credit contributions good for all

There are approximately 900 nonprofit organizations throughout Arizona that are eligible this year for tax credit contributions. These organizations provide social services programs throughout the state and rely on the generosity of individual donors each and every year.

The Arizona Department of Revenue provides a dollar-for-dollar credit on your state return for anyone who makes contributions to qualifying charitable organizations.

If you’ve donated to the same organization several times throughout the year, your total contribution may be eligible. Donations over the maximums can be taken as a deduction on both state and federal returns. Consult your tax advisor.

– Gail Baer, Jewish Family & Children’s Service

Posted on by — Leave a comment

What homebuyers need to know about rising rates

Arizona home

If you are thinking about buying a home, you’re probably aware that interest rates have been rising.

While the increases seem small – the 30-year fixed rate has averaged 4.46 percent, up from 3.99 percent in 2017 – those little increases add up. If mortgages increase by 1 percent, for example, it will cost typical homebuyers an additional $147 monthly – nearly $53,000 – over 30 years.

Rates are expected to continue going up, potentially rising to between 5.5 and 6 percent by 2020. Buying now may seem nerve-wracking, but it may ultimately yield massive savings over time.

– Paris Davis, Washington Federal

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Food waste costs corporations, consumers

food waste

Up to 40 percent of food grown, processed and transported in the United States is never eaten, yet 1 in 8 Americans – or 40 million people – suffers food insecurity. The average four-person family wastes $1,500 a year on food.

Food waste in manufacturing and packaging costs corporations $2 billion each year – plus $15 billion for farmers – while dumping 52 million tons of waste in landfills.

National food and beverage industry leaders – including Tyson Foods, Walmart and Conagra Brands – are seeking to eradicate food waste by changing policies and rethinking how to use previously discarded foodstuff. Learn more here.

– Brandi Hinkle, Arkansas Economic Development Commission

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Why should you hire a public relations agency?

Hire public relations agencies

If any of these apply to your brand or organization, consider investing in a public relations agency or effort:

You want to increase your presence – be it among the media, influencers, online, in social space, among target audiences or otherwise.

You are doing something impactful in your industry.

You are doing something impactful in your community.

You want to be considered an expert and thought leader in your industry.

You want to build relationships.

You want to build trust.

You want to generate investor interest.

You want help solving problems.

You have a budget in place and clear communications goals.

– Alison Bailin, HMA Public Relations

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Arizona to add one million residents by 2026

Arizona add one million residents

The state Office of Economic Opportunity reports that Arizona will add more than 543,000 net new jobs by 2026, while adding another million residents in the process.

Currently, Arizona’s population is 7.1 million, with 4.8 million in Greater Phoenix. Maricopa County will likely account for 75 percent of all Arizona gains, with the rest of the state accounting for the remaining percentage. Health care and education are expected to create the highest number of jobs.

The report also noted that Yavapai County is projected to grow employment by 2.1 percent annually, matching the fastest pace statewide.

– Office of Economic Opportunity reports

Posted on by — Leave a comment

SkyWest Airlines selected for Essential Air Service at Prescott Municipal Airport

SkyWest Airlines

United Express, operated by SkyWest Airlines, will provide commercial air service from Prescott Municipal Airport for a period of two years, starting now. This service will enhance the air travel experience for the Prescott area, and most of north central Arizona.

United Express will operate 50-seat CRJ 200 jets from Prescott, with roundtrip flights daily to Denver, and six days a week to Los Angeles (daily except Saturday). Passengers will be able to connect through Denver or Los Angeles to hundreds of destinations throughout the world. Travelers are able to book tickets using the United Airlines website, United.com.

– John Heiney, City of Prescott