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Palo Verde Valley Times
&
talk to astronauts center nears
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Valley Times
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50 CENTS serving blythe,californiA Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Council puts hold on recreational marijuana

By Cathyleen Rice adopt the moratorium,
Times Reporter in which case Vice May-
or Tim Wade decided
The Blythe City Coun-
it would be best to wait
cil has approved a tem- after an outside consul-
porary moratorium on tants meeting scheduled nent financial danger.
businesses in Blythe for Feb. 23 at 1 p.m., to
potentially selling recre- know how to best move
ational marijuana. forward.
At their monthly meet- The public is welcome
ing Jan. 10, City Manager to this meeting, which
Peter Cosentini recom- will be held inside the
mended that the board Chamber.
Giving the report about in to help place Transient
the citys debt, in his third Occupancy Tax (TOT) on
review Cosentini said, at next years ballot.
this time, the city is not Cosentini said, Our
currently in any immi- Interim Finance Direc-
tor has done some pre-
Although, the citys liminary work on future
current debt in the Golf estimates and her pre-
Course Fund, Lighting liminary view indicates
District, Sanitation Fund we are moving in a more
and the General Fund is positive direction. How-
about $2.7 million and a ever, it is too early to give
consultant was brought specifics.
Impacting travelers
who stop to occupy the
hotels in Blythe, Cosen-
tini and the consultants
proposal is to raise the
TOT tax to 5 percent, in
which case, Cosentini
commented saying hes
seen it in other areas of
California as high as 22
percent.
Approaching council,
Ann Nock, the expert
consultant of AMN Key
Solutions said it would be
in the citys best interest
to use this time to con-
duct surveys and receive
public opinion to see if
the TOT ballot would be
passed in 2018.
The proposal that I
have discussed with the
city manager, in terms of
being customized will in-
See council/A2

Blythe Royalty
Peyton Cox named Mr. Blythe 2017
By Cathyleen Rice entertaining event introducing,
Times Reporter Corbin Alicandro, Zach Bush, David

O
n Jan. 14, eight contestants Clark, Peyton Cox, Jose and Rudy
competed for the 2017 Mr. Esquibel, Jeremy Johnson and Trace
Blythe sash and crown at Mefford.
The Palo Verde College Choreographed by former Miss
Theater. Blythe Sara Williams, the guys took
Beginning at 6:07 p.m., the audience the stage shimmying and sliding to
was hushed and welcomed to a wildly See crowned/A2

PHOTO BY CATHYLEEN RICE/PALO VERDE VALLEY TIMES

Photo Courtesy of Diana Mallett
ABOVE: At its third annual Mr. Blythe competition, Peyton Cox was hailed the king of the
city. Pictured with him are Tayler Elms, Miss Blythes Outstaning Teen (left) and 2017 Miss Blythe,
Jasmine Gima. LEFT: Peyton Cox was crowned by two timed Mr. Blythe Marco Morales along
with Miss Blythes Outstanding Teen Tayler Elms (left) and Miss Blythe Jasmine Gima. For more
photos of the Mr. Blythe event see Faces & Places on page B1.

New medical facility Blyhte Police Dept. and city

to open in Ehrenberg fire respond to Rice St. blaze
White Mountain Dermatology to Fire may have been started by local transients
add services for rural Blythe By Uriel Avendano about 3:52 p.m. regard- tion gathered at the scene
Times Editor ing a structure fire at leads investigators to
By Uriel Avendano 50078 Ehrenberg Road,
Times Editor A week after having 120 W. Rice St. stated a believe that the fire may
Suite 102 in Ehrenberg, BPD press release, Jan. have been started by local
Arizona. responded to a fire in
White Mountain Der- the vacant commercial 16. The structure was a transients staying in the
matology, led by Dr. Ge- On (Jan.)18th, we are vacant duplex style apart- vacant building and try-
going to make final set- Dr. Red Espiritu structure complex at 868
rardo Brual and Dr. Red E. Hobsonway, City of ment. ing to keep warm with an
Espiritu, will be opening ups in the office, said tology will be acception According to BPD, the open flame of some kind.
Blythe firefighters and
as a new medical facil- Gyclef Ronnie Padama, include Medicare, United Blythe Police Department interior of the duplex was BPD urges anyone
ity in an effort to make a medical assistant with Health Care, Blue Cross officers responded to a fully engulfed in flames with information regard-
more medical services White Mountain Derma- Blue Shield, Aetna, Hu- second blaze at an empty and smoke upon arrival. ing this case to contact
available to rural Blythe, tology who has over 12 mana, Cigna, Triwest, facility this past Thurs- The fire was extin- the police department at
Palo Verde Valley, Ehren- years of experience. On Tricare, VA insurance, day afternoon. guished and the duplex (760) 922-6111, by calling
berg, Arizona, and area the 20th well start taking Cenpatico, Health Choice On Thursday, Janu- was searched for evi- Crime Stop anonymously
communities. The White appointments. AZ, Health Choice Gen- ary 12th, the Blythe Po- dence, stated BPD. At at 921-CARE (2273), or via
Mountain Dermatology The types of insurance eration, University Fam- lice Department received this time the cause of the email at blythepd@cityof-
office will be located at White Mountain Derma- See medical/A2 numerous 911 calls at fire is unknown. Informa- blythe.ca.gov.