Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s Official State Historian
Honored with a “Spirit of the Old West Alive” Award
by  Karen Michelle Sarver  Photos by Barb Prichard
Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s Official State Historian, was honored with a “Spirit of the Old West Alive” award Nov. 5 at the Bison Western Museum in Scottsdale.

LeeAnn Sharpe, director of the program, presented the award following her videotaped interview of Marshall. The video is the first in the lecture series, “People Who Keep the Spirit of the Old West Alive,” created to promote the history of the West both online and in museums nationwide.

The interview, accompanied by a slide show, focused on Marshall’s life as a teacher, historian, and musician. While Marshall is certainly all of those—and more--the presentation proved he is also a man with a lot of friends.

 The late Senator Barry Goldwater was one of them.   Marshall met Barry Goldwater in 1972 when the senator spoke at Scottsdale’s Coronado High School where Marshall was teaching Southwest history. Marshall said he and the senator became friends that day, “and we were friends until the day he died.” Following his introduction of Goldwater at the high school, Marshall said he went on to introduce the senator “on the Barry Goldwater Lecture Series for more than twenty-odd years.”  “We never talked politics,” Marshall said. “Barry had this whole other side; he liked to talk about Arizona history…we always talked history. That suited him and it suited me too.”

 Another of Marshall’s friends was Henry Cordes, grandson of German immigrant John Henry Cordes who established the town that bears his name in 1883, and became its first postmaster.   Marshall’s family met Henry when their 1936 Ford broke down in Cordes. “Not Cordes Junction, Henry Cordes’ town,” Marshall clarified. “We lived there for two, three, four days. We were the guests of Henry Cordes.”   He added, “I think the population of Cordes was one.”

 Besides a politician and a town founder, Marshall’s list of friends included an Academy Award winner: Ben Johnson. Marshall called Johnson, who acted in “The Wild Bunch,” “Shane,” “ Junior Bonner” and other westerns “one of the best storytellers.” The two men camped together in Monument Valley for a week for an “Arizona Highways” piece that Marshall was writing about the actor.   “Other than his loud snoring, we had a very wonderful time,” Marshall said. “You met him and it felt like you knew him all your life.” Marshall said that when he heard the news of Johnson’s death in 1996 he had to pull his car off to the side of the road to gather his thoughts. “He was just that kind of guy. I’ll never forget him.”

But one of the Official State Historians dearest friends is Arizona Official State Balladeer Dolan Ellis. Marshall and Dolan have performed together since about 1978. “He’s a great guy, like Ben Johnson,” Marshall said, “to know him is to love him.” Marshall recalled that when he “went down with a heart issue” and couldn’t make his performances, Dolan called him, asking if Marshall had any shows he needed covered. “I said, ‘Yeah, all of ‘em.” Marshall said Dolan drove “all over the place to cover my shows. And when the checks came in and I tried to give ‘em to him he wouldn’t take ‘em. We’re that kind of friends.” 

Marshall concluded the interview with a reflection on his book signing for “Ash Fork,” his book about the history of his childhood hometown. “The day… that the book came out and we went up there for the book signing, there was a blizzard,” Marshall said. “I started signing books at…noon and it snowed up at Flag. and Prescott—everywhere. And people came from as far away as Kingman and Flagstaff, through the storm to come to the book signing. And, those,” he said, “are friends.”

• To learn more about Marshall Trimble, visit his website at www.marshalltrimble.com  See more about Spirit of the Old West Alive at www.spiritoftheoldwestalive.com

• A DVD of the lecture will be available soon.

• The Spirit of the Old West Alive lecture series continues with
  Bob Boze Bell on Nov 19th
  Wyatt Earp Jan 7th
  Alan Korwin Feb 4th
  Dakota & Sunny Livesay on Mar 4th.

16th Annual Carefree Fine Arts & Wine Festival

SISTER THROWS A 'LATE NITE' CHRISTMAS PARTY AT THEATER 4301

 Sister's Christmas Catechism:
The Mystery of the Magi's Gold

November 28-December 21, 2008

Presented at Theater 4301, Galleria Corporate Centre, Scottsdale

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) - Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present Sister's Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi's Gold from Nov. 28-Dec. 21 at Theater 4301 in downtown Scottsdale.

 Single tickets are available for $38 through the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Web site at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).

 Described as "Forensic Files goes to Bethlehem," Sister's Christmas Catechism stars Patti Hannon as the cranky but lovable nun 'Sister,' who has now taken on the mystery that has intrigued historians throughout the ages: whatever happened to the Magi's gold? "We know that Mary used the frankincense and myrrh as a sort of potpourri - they were in a barn after all," she explains.

Assisted by a local choir and a gaggle of audience members, Sister directs an unforgettable living nativity and employs her own CSI-inspired tools to find the culprit. With gifts galore and bundles of laughs, Sister's Christmas Catechism is a sinfully funny alternative to traditional holiday fare.

Sister's Christmas Catechism was written by Maripat Donovan, the creator of the popular Late Nite Catechism comedies, with Jane Morris and Marc Silvia. 99.9 KEZ is the show's media sponsor.

PERFORMANCE TIMES

• November 28-December 21, 2008

• Thursdays @ 7:30 p.m.

• Fridays @ 8 p.m.

• Saturdays @ 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
  Sundays @ 2 p.m.

FAMILY RUN CAFFE BOA IN TEMPE SIGNS BINKLEY’S SOMMELIER/MANAGER DANIEL PARROTT
Daniel Parrott, one of the best sommeliers in the Valley who recently ended his tenure with Binkley’s restaurant adds to Caffe Boa’s program 
TEMPE, AZ – Caffe Boa ( www.cafeboa.com  ), one of only a few remaining family run restaurants on Mill Avenue in Tempe, has seen many changes in Tempe in the past 15 years since its opening.  After being awarded the Wine Spectator’s prestigious “Award of Excellence” in 2008 for the second straight year, Caffe Boa upped the billing by adding top sommelier Daniel Parrott.  Story Continues

CAPITOL STEPS TO DISH OUT POST-ELECTION LAUGHS

 Capitol Steps

November 18-23, 2008
Tuesday-Thursday @ 7:30 p.m.

Friday @ 8 p.m.
Saturday @ 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday @ 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Presented at Theater 4301, Galleria Corporate Centre, Scottsdale

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) - Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present the wildly funny political comedy troupe Capitol Steps on Nov. 18-23. The performances are part of the Satirical Edge Series sponsored in laughing memory of Steve Simon by his family.

Single tickets are available for $47 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Web site at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).  Story Continues

Mesa Convention Center offers Holiday Party Venue   Story Continues