Howdy, Holbrook. Happy Sunday.
The Roxy's lights are back on, and tomorrow night the big Route 66 movie finally rolls into town.
The river that made history last week has done this before, and Clue No. 2 in the hunt for the hidden $100 points at a building every one of you knows, just not by the name it started with.
⛈️ This Week's Weather
It's a week of two faces out there. We'll see some genuine sunshine, but storms are also in the mix, so don't put the umbrella away just yet. Highs will reach up to 67 degrees, with lows dropping down to 48.
That overnight chill is real, so a jacket is never a bad idea heading out the door. Keep an eye on the sky, take the sunshine when it comes, and enjoy the October air while it lasts.
Around Town This Week
The Navajo County Library District is partnering with AZ StRUT to help the community recycle used and non-working electronics. Drop off laptops, desktop computers, cell phones, tablets, audio and video equipment, cable boxes, cables and wires, cameras, copiers, printers, calculators, DVD players, and more.
Colleen leads this all levels welcome line dancing class out at the Holbrook Elks Lodge, and whether you were born to boot scoot or you have two left feet, you will fit right in. Beginner friendly steps, a fun crowd, and a genuinely good time are all on the menu. $10 a class, come as you are.
John Paget's feature documentary "Route 66: The Main Street of America" rolls into Holbrook as part of its Arizona Roadshow, a rolling premiere marking the Route 66 centennial. It is a portrait of the enduring towns and everyday heroes along the Mother Road.
The Holbrook Public Library is opening its doors for a free Strength Training class, a steady, welcoming way to build strength and stay active. You set your own pace, and every ability level is right at home in the group setting.
At the Holbrook Public Library, Chair Yoga is a free and gentle class you can follow right from a seat. At an easy pace, you will stretch, breathe, and loosen up, and every ability level is welcome to join in.
The Busy People Book Club meets in the evening at the Holbrook Public Library for folks who want to talk books without a big time commitment. Come share what you have been reading.
The City of Holbrook is putting on a Scarecrow Contest this fall. Build a scarecrow, sign up at City Hall for $10 per entry, and set it up October 16 through 18. Your scarecrow goes on display at Hunt Park, and the public votes October 26 through 30. Prizes go to first, second, and third place.
A 3 man blind draw scramble at Hidden Cove Golf Course to support the Roxy Theater. Grab two buddies or let the blind draw build your team. Sign up starts at 8 AM and tee off is at 9 AM. There is cash for closest to pin and longest drive, a $10 mulligan, and tee box sponsorships open at $100.
For the Kids
The Holbrook Public Library puts on a free program for little ones that brings together books, songs, and fun, and this week's book is Hairy and Scary, with a not scary spider as the craft. Fangs optional. A fine way to spend the morning and get the kids reading.
Don't miss the free family movie at the Roxy this week, details below.
At The Bijou
One for the grown-ups at the Bijou this week. Space is limited, so call ahead to hold your spot.
Now Showing at the Roxy
Now Playing: Runner
Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson team up as a former soldier and his unlikely partner, racing to finish a critical medical delivery and save a little girl's life while a ruthless cartel hunts them down. Catch it Sunday at 3pm or Thursday at 7pm. There's no regular show Monday, since the Roxy is hosting the Route 66 roadshow that night.
Starting October 16: Street Fighter
The new Street Fighter takes over the Roxy's screen that weekend.
Mark Your Calendar
One to get on the calendar early.
The Petrified Mud Run is coming to Holbrook on Saturday, October 24. It's about two miles of hills, tires, water and mud with 20 obstacles, a soapy bubble slide into the wash, and one giant slide at the finish line. Run it solo for $25 or bring a team of up to 10 for $150. Details
The Navajo County Historical Society brings back its haunted house for a second year, and this time it has a name: the George Smiley Haunting. Step into the historic Navajo County Historic Courthouse on Halloween night for real history, real spirits, and real scares. Details
The Petrified Mud Run
Holbrook Lore
The river has tried this before
Last week the Little Colorado climbed higher than anything on its gauge's record list. It was a big week for the river, but it wasn't the first time Holbrook has watched the water come up and wondered how far it would go.
Back in 1904, after two days of what townspeople called "unprecedented high waters," they petitioned the county supervisors because the riverbank was caving in at an alarming rate south and west of the James Scott house. They were worried about their homes, and about the Navajo County bridge and the Holbrook school building too.
The big one came on September 17 and 18, 1923. The north bank crumbled and water rushed through the homes of J. C. Manley and Judge J. E. Crosby. The bakery flooded, two cottages were carried away, and the Apache Railway Company's bridge pilings were ripped out, while the county bridge somehow held up against everything the water threw at it.
John R. Hulet chaired the committee that went looking for help afterward, and they asked everybody they could think of: the federal government, the state, the county and the railroad.
Then in 1937 a report turned up something that'll make you look at the river a little differently. The riverbed had built up higher than Holbrook's own streets, and that same year the town put up a 2,700-foot dike to hold it back.
So the next time you cross the bridge and the Little Colorado is sitting low and lazy, remember it's been keeping this town on its toes for well over a hundred years. From the Navajo County Historical Society's "Highlight of Early Holbrook" (1973).
The Hidden Hundred
Each week we run a Holbrook photo clue, a landmark, a statue, or a piece of local history, with a few letters shaded in the answer. Figure out the answer, write down the shaded letters, and keep collecting.
When the last clue runs, the bill goes into hiding, and your collected letters unscramble to spell exactly where it is. First to find it keeps it, and subscribers always get the clues first.
Solve the spot, then keep the shaded letters to yourself. 2 more sets are coming over the next few weeks, then the hunt goes live.
What did the buffalo say when his kid left for school?
Bison.
A joke that'll make us groan, a slice of Holbrook history, an event folks should know about, or a great photo you snapped?
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