CLUB NEWS
From year one, the make-shift Pinecone and Drop was a big hit with revelers. A few years later, she decided her rudimentary object needed an upgrade.
THE WELDER Green took her idea to Mayorga Welding, a local metalworker.
“Sam showed up in my shop years ago with a sketch on a piece of paper,” shared Frank Mayorga in an October 2024 interview. “She gave me a size range and a maximum weight because the existing hoist on top of the Weatherford could only handle so much.”
“After Sam left, I sat down with the sketch and decided on materials we needed: three sheets of aluminum and some steel tubing for the inside frame,” explained Mayorga. “I ordered the materials and shared the information with Jon Martinez, one of my young welders just out of high school. Then I left on a hunting trip,” Mayorga chuckled. “I came back a few days later from my trip and he had already completed the aluminum Pinecone. Jon, who is my wife’s nephew, cut each pinecone petal out of the aluminum sheets…probably more than a couple hundred petals,” explained Mayorga. “And he then welded them to the frame and even left room inside for lights.” The second-edition Pinecone was transformative. The glowing object created by Martinez has dazzled thousands of revelers over the years. A ROCKWELL PAINTING According to Jeremy Wright, manager of the Over Easy restaurant at the Woodlands Village in Flagstaff, “It is like stepping into a Norman Rockwell painting. The families, the kids, the adults. All standing shoulder-to-shoulder and everyone having a great time.”
The Great Pinecone Drop continues to draw more attendees each year. Initially, the Pinecone was dropped just at midnight. A few years ago, the Hotel added a 10:00 p.m. drop to accommodate families who preferred not to wait the extra hours. More recently, the Weatherford team has added a very popular descent at Noon. It Includes kid’s activities, such as cookie and pinecone decorating, sponsored by the Downtown Business Alliance. This has enabled very young children to experience the drop with their parents.
A CELEBRATION TIMES THREE So, if you are looking for a unique way to ring in the New Year in Flagstaff, you now have three chances to help celebrate the brilliant idea and creation of Sam Green, Jon Martinez and others.
You can learn more about the annual Pinecone Drop from the Weatherford Hotel website, www.weatherfordhotel.com or contact them for reservations at (928) 779-1919.
VOICE IN THE PINES • DECEMBER 2024
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