Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.
Amid all the attention being paid to the future of the Alewine property on Riverside Drive, we received this comment Thursday:
“I’m really happy for the very nice addition to Parker. I personally feel it will bring more people to town and therefore shop, eat and have fun.
But hey, how about a shout out to us small mom and pop businesses that have been contributing to the town for years. For example, Crossroads Cafe, been here since 2003, have never been given as much attention as I’ve heard recently about this Alewine property. Actually, no attention. We employ over 40 permanent full time people and bring in $5,000 to $6,000 per month in sales tax revenue just to the town of Parker, not including state and federal taxes.
It would be nice to hear mention of where the approximately $67,000 per year the Town of Parker is receiving from Crossroads has been spent. Been providing these 40+ permanent jobs for 11 years now without recognition from the Town. So, it’s nice to see you feel you deserve a shout out or pat on the back for your recent accomplishments, but HELLO! We are all still in business and working our butts off to contribute the success of Parker.”
-Lawny
She’s right. It’s undoubtedly true that the big projects get all the attention, isn’t it? In the Alewine case, the prominent location and size of the property, the fact that the town’s elected council members voted to buy it and sell it, the fact that a strange state law exists that ended up sending it to a vote… all of this contributed to its newsworthiness.
And yet, all the while, tireless, hardworking businesspeople like Lawny have been opening up early, closing up late, providing jobs, feeding hungry travellers, paying taxes and busting their ass. (And she and her husband do it at TWO restaurants!)
With regards to the question of how tax money is spent, CLICK HERE for Gootie’s recent article in the Pioneer on the Town of Parker’s new $18 million budget. (A similar piece on La Paz County’s tentative budget can be found HERE.)
There’s no doubt that the real engine of the Parker area economy is small business. Without them – without YOU, small business owners of all sorts – the whole dang thing would come crumbling down. So, Lawny is right. Parker Live hereby recognizes and celebrates true all-American entrepreneurship in Parker, Arizona. Not only is it immensely valuable and contributing to the enjoyment of daily life along the river, it’s utterly essential, and the reason we can live here in the first place.
Thanks Lawny!
JW
Do you like and appreciate a Parker area small business? Let us know in the comment section below or on Facebook. I’ll kick it off.
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I appreciate all the small businesses and organizations listed as sponsors on this page! Please visit them online or in person. 🙂
bring back cyber d’s!
There are a lot of really great, hardworking businesses in the Parker area that contribute a lot not only in taxes but also in charitable donations and general support of organizations like PAACE and Players 9th Street Youth Center where I work. We appreciate you.
Love Roadrunner and Fox’s!!!!!
Entreprenuers are the backbone of America – all of them in this area are great
Parker was my home for 30 years .when I go back I always stop there to eat. They are great people.
What small business do we appreciate in Parker AZ??? I’ll tell ya!! Spanky’s!!!! We’ve been coming to the Parker area since 1995 – we are members over at Emerald Cove. It’s our Home Away From Home. We’re there a least a week or so once a month. And our trips would not be complete it we didn’t stop off at Spanky’s! Our rig is always in need of something! And Spanky’s always has everything we need… Everything for our Trailer, Boat, you name it! And everyone that works there is so friendly!!! The Ace Hardware right down the street from is great too.
While we like the fact that we finally got a Walmart in Parker. We try to still give Ace and Spanky’s our business too…. Big stores can drive our little home town businesses OUT of business …. don’t let that happen!!!
Love Crossroads and Bobby D’s. Great food!!
I grew up in Parker in the 50’s and 60’s and although I have not been able to return as much as I would have liked to, it is forever my Hometown. The small businesses are the heart of Parker and always have been back in the day and now. Parker would not survive without them. I Salute each and every one of them!
What a refreshing letter. In her first comment, “I’m really happy for the very nice addition to Parker. I personally feel it will bring more people to town and therefore shop, eat and have fun.” Lawny’s positive attitude shines through. Comments like that are a testament to what it takes to be a competitive and serous business owner. I kept reading waiting for the preverbal “when these big guys come in our Mom and Pops businesses don’t stand a chance…” kind of stuff, but it never came! To address her very valid point: I think that as a small community looking passionately for growth it is understandable if not justified that that we forget to admire the folks that just keep us keeping on. The list of wonderful, successful businesses in this small town is truly amazing considering our nations economic climate. As a long time citizen of this area and an avid “Shop Local” proponent, I tip my hat to you all. Forgive us our indiscretions. We are proud of your success and grateful for the tax revenue that Parker’s tried and true business owners bring to our town. When ever a new baby comes in they get all of the fuss. Now lets all go get pie at Cross Roads
Great letter John, and thank you Lawny, Bobby D, and all of the local Mom and Pop business owners and Entrepreneurs in town! You are the backbone of La Paz County and dare I say this country.
Walmart….is where it’s at yo!
I’d take more businesses like Crossroad’s any day! Service rocks and the food is excellent! Keep up the good work!
Here is our shout out to the small business’s in Parker. Whether it be a gas station, restaurant, convenineice stores,bars,rv sales, paint or hardware store, fast food, liquor store, grocery store, jewlery, clothing, dental, medical, hostpital, radio, local artisits, tow yards, auto repair & car sales, beauty/nail/massage salons, florists, animal selters, pest control, insurance, water activitys, railroad, real estate, contractors, handymen, advertising, banks, our local churches, police and all law enforcement, employess with town of Parker and La Paz County,, Crit, and our Jails; our hats off to all of us; all of us who pay property taxes, sales tax & employee taxes. Being business owners ourselves, we know it isnt all made out to be as easy as some may think it is owning your own business. lots of hard work gos into making a succesfull business in this small town. keep up the good work to making Parker a better place to visit. And we are looking forward to seeing the new sidewalks and new enhanced entrance into the city of Parker and the new Hampton Inn. Its gonna be exciting seeing it come to our town. Thanks John and Parker Live. Lawny & Bobby D, Crossroads Cafe and Bobby D’s Diner.
Hey John. About time we advertise on this page. How come nobody has approached us. Need some pricing. Get your sales rep over here. Lawny & Bobby D.
Lawny is right. We do our best to support businesses in Parker especially the ones that support the non – profits. they are the backbone of the community.
I love this post. I’m proud of Lawny for “tooting” her own horn and the rest of the “band” for “chiming” in.
I have always been in awe of all the talented business owners here in the Parker Area. I am a former business owner in Parker as well, so I know it can be challenging. Not only is it a small town but it is a tourism-driven economy which can make for a “quirky” environment at best.
The very best thing we can do for our own community is continue to utilize and refer to our local businesses such as those that Lawny talked about in the above post.
Here at the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce, we are always trying to come up with creative ways to remind the community and our visitors to “Shop Local” and make an investment in our own economy. The first thing we do is practice what we preach.
Thanks Lawny, for starting this post.