By Karen Harris, special to the Yuma Sun
"How did I get this lucky to get sent to Yuma in July?” Bryce James asked after a recent whirlwind tour of Yuma.
His friends thought they were sending him to a prison in the desert as punishment. Little did they know, the Yuma Territorial Prison has not had inmates since 1909.
If there’s one thing anyone knows about Yuma, it’s about the infamous prison, and everyone darned well knows Yuma is hot in the summer.
A bunch of friends in eastern Washington state have a fantasy football league with the loser getting a round-trip, one-day vacation to a place chosen by those who didn’t lose.
James, the “loser,” arrived at the Spokane, Wash., airport at the appointed time last week, and his friends texted him his boarding pass: He was being shipped down to Yuma. Arizona. In the Sonoran Desert. In July.
BY MARA KNAUB @YSMARAKNAUB
The Latino community in Yuma is invited to enjoy and connect with the great outdoors during the sixth annual Latino Conservation Week, which began Saturday and runs through July 21.
In partnership with the Hispanic Access Foundation, the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area is hosting two events, a Spanish presentation on the conservation efforts in Yuma at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Colorado River State Historic Park, 201 N. 4th Ave., and a Spanish tour of the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, 220 Prison Hill Road, at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
The Spanish presentations are part of an effort by the YCNHA, which oversees both state parks, to reach more Hispanics. The YCNHA earlier this year formed an Hispanic Advisory Committee, comprised of community members, to finds ways to connect more with Hispanics, which make up more than 60 percent of the local population.
By John Marinelli, @anactualjohn
Yuma’s newest sign commissioned by the city’s Clean and Beautiful Commission and constructed by Yuma High School students was unveiled Thursday.
Welding students from the school had been working on the “mini-beautification project” for several months, and finally got to see their handiwork on display at the sign’s new location at the corner of 1st Street and 4th Avenue during a ceremony that brought out Yuma Union High School District administration, city staff, Yuma High School Principal Bob Chouinard, Mayor Doug Nicholls and others.
The design of the sign displays the City of Yuma’s bright orange, teal and purple logo and reads “Welcome to Yuma” next to brown metal cattails nearby. The body of the sign is designed to reflect Yuma Territorial Prison and is built out of metal rods and filled with rocks, with a cell door swung open.