Mayor's Welcome
Summary:
As we work through these challenging times, Yuma's charm and appeal is still well known, not only among those who call Yuma "home," but those who search for a great quality of life and find it in our community.
Last Updated:
11/22/2010Welcome To Yuma
When I moved to Yuma in 1983, Yuma was on the move and that still holds true today. Yuma is as independent as the West always has been. We take care of our own. We understand the need to work cooperatively, not just to survive, but to prosper and grow.
As we work through these challenging times, Yuma's charm and appeal is still well known, not only among those who call Yuma “home”, but those who search for a great quality of life and find it in our community. This continues to be evident by the ever-increasing number of people who are coming to Yuma to live, work and play year-round. Yuma provides opportunities for everyone at every level, good jobs, great weather and a can-do spirit that says Welcome to Yuma.
Our community is rich with an abundance of historic accomplishments vital to the history of our nation: the first European Crossing to the West (Juan Bautista de Anza), the first railroad and plane entering Arizona, and with the Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge, the final link in the U.S. coast-to-coast highway system... just to name a few.
Yuma's importance continues to this day. Nearly all the primary ground weapons systems deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, underwent extensive testing at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground. Four times a year, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma's MAWTS-1 squadron holds the Weapons and Tactics Instructors Course, the largest aviation training exercise in the Marine Corps. Units from all branches of the U.S. military and some foreign military, visit the station to participate. We also collaborate with the Marine Corps to allow training in our urban environment. Operation Desert Talon exercises simulate condition on the ground in both war theaters. The training support of this community is saving lives and continuing to strengthen the bond with the Marine Corps.
The future of National Defense often begins its testing here at Yuma Proving Ground, conduct training at MCAS. It is augmented by the unwavering support of our community. Yuma's agricultural sector continues to feed and lead the world in safe and healthy produce.
Most folks wouldn't know it, but Yuma was first known as a river community, with steamboats moving people and provisions up the Colorado River from the Gulf of California. Our unique location continues to provide countless opportunities for outdoor fun in bird-watching, hunting, canoeing, boating, camping, fishing, and hiking. Or you can enjoy the Imperial Sand Dunes, just 10 short minutes west of Downtown Yuma, the location used by over 150,000 revelers on holiday weekends, it was also used for such films as Return of the Jedi, Rambo II, SpaceBalls, Flight of the Phoenix and more. Outdoor enthusiasts are joined by sun worshippers from across the country and around the globe. Even the Guinness Book of World Records recognizes Yuma, as the sunniest place on earth – where the sun shines over 91 percent of the time.
We invite you to explore Yuma's numerous opportunities with a broad array of locally owned specialty shops and restaurants, as well as nationally known providers. Our proximity to Mexico and California, offers additional opportunities for shopping and recreation, that won't be found in any other Arizona community.
Yuma is a community for everyone. Come and make Yuma your home too, whether for just a few months, or permanently.
The face of Yuma continues to change as more visitors discover the unchanging warmth of the sunshine in the brightest spot in the world - Yuma, AZ.
~ Mayor Al Krieger
