10 minute read
Know the Facts About Wills
Biz Economy, Finance & Business
by Patricia Glover, CLDP, CP/ACP, CNSA Certified Legal Document Preparer, Glover Court Solutions & EstatePlanning
In Arizona, a Last Will & Testament, by itself, is not enough to avoid probate. In fact, it accomplishes the exact opposite if it is not accompanied by probateavoidance tools.
Examples of probate-avoidance tools include, but are not limited to, a Living Trust, a beneficiary deed recorded prior to the decedent’s death, and beneficiary designations on accounts.
When a person dies, his or her Will must be filed in Probate Court (unless probate-avoidance tools are used) and Letters of Appointment must be issued before the personal representative has any power to act on behalf of the estate of the decedent.
If a person dies with only a Last Will & Testament, and his or her estate is not set up to transfer to beneficiaries through probate-avoidance means, the Will must be probated.
Working with a professional who specializes in estate planning can help to alleviate the unnecessary and expensive burden of probate.
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Biz Economy, Finance & Business
CASA of Pinal CountyCelebrates 34 Years of Advocacy
by Donna McBride, Pinal County Juvenile Court Program Administrator II
CASA of Pinal County is affiliated with CASA of Arizona and the National CASA Association, which is a network of almost 1,000 programs that are recruiting, training and supporting volunteers to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom and other settings.
CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes.
Volunteers stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence in their lives.
In January 1989, CASA of Pinal County began its journey to help our county’s most vulnerable children who have been removed from their homes due to neglect and abuse. As part of Pinal County Juvenile Court Services, we are still going strong in our journey to advocate on their behalf.
Statically, we have much to be proud of:
• 445 volunteer advocates have volunteered with our program.
• Advocates have served 2,413 children in Pinal County.
• They have volunteered over 103,150 hours.
• They have traveled approximately 960,545 miles to court, visits, mentoring, etc.
Our advocates and staff alike can remember the outcomes of most every case. These cases are not numbers on file folder. They are faces of children, human beings. These faces are embedded in our minds and hearts. Some had happy outcomes of reunification or adoption while others remained in foster care until they aged out of the system. And yes, some haunt us today by their loss of life.
In those 34 years, the magnitude of those we served has been eye opening. Juvenile Court Director Denise Smith was a young probation officer when CASA began. “Starting in 1989 we had one coordinator, a part-time secretary and five energetic volunteers. We now have a unit with a supervisor, four coordinators and two administrative assistants.” Smith phrased our volunteers: “We realize the work of our CASA advocates is greatly needed and we will continue to move forward to find solutions that will result in safety for children and safe communities.”
Volunteers are everyday citizens who our Presiding Judge appoints to advocate for the safety and well-being of children who are victims of parental abuse and neglect. They stand up for these children and change their lives.
All volunteers must complete a 30-hour, pre-service training. The time commitment to a case varies depending upon the stage of the case. Volunteers sometimes say there is a greater amount of work in the beginning of the case when they are conducting their initial research. On average, you can expect to spend approximately 15 hours a month on a case.
Celebrate with us as we continue our journey to change lives and help “our kids” in Pinal County. Volunteers are always needed. Find out how you can help change the lives of “our children” in Pinal County by contacting us at 520.866.7076 or www.azcourts.gov/casaofpinalcounty.
CASA OF PINAL COUNTY STAFF
Pam Burke, Coordinator Lisa Madrid-Schleicher, Coordinator Michelle Tarango, Coordinator Amanda Lairmore, Coordinator Tane’ Inurriaga, Administrative Assistant Lead Jodi Wheeler, Administrative Assistant
11 Pinal Teachers Win Fiesta Bowl Grants
Fiesta Bowl Charities awarded grants fulfilling Arizona teachers’ wishes in November, in an annual event leading up to the top-tier college football bowl game on Dec. 31.
This year, 400 educators each received $2,500 to fulfill a wish they had for their classrooms from the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by SRP.
Since 2016, public and charter school K-12 teachers from across the state have been invited to apply for the grants each fall. The recipients are verified and selected by a random drawing during the Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day.
Randal Norton, Fiesta Bowl Board chair, said at the ceremony, “Teachers are truly selfless individuals who help shape the futures of our students here in Arizona and we are proud to play a part in supporting our teachers to do more in the classroom for the leaders of tomorrow.”
Fiesta Bowl Charities and SRP donated a cumulative $1 million this year for Draft Day, bringing the cumulative total to $5.7 million. This year’s Pinal County winners include: • Nicole Gaetani, a third-grade teacher at Ironwood Elementary School in
Casa Grande; will purchase handson materials to improve reading and
math skills for students. • Rocio Lie Wijaya, a third-grade teacher at Cholla Elementary School in Casa Grande; will purchase new games and puzzles to engage students. • Tony Potter, an English teacher at
Mission Heights Preparatory High
School in Casa Grande; will purchase
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Road Tax Continued from page 13
That seems extremely fair, considering it was our residents that paid the tax,” Smith said. Another proposal to return the money to the businesses while giving them the option to donate it for road projects also is under consideration.
Proposition 469, which was favored by more than 60% of Maricopa voters, was projected to raise $48.9 million for widening the 9 miles of state Route 347 between the city of Maricopa and the Maricopa County line to reduce traffic and safety concerns for those commuting to work in the Phoenix area.
Smith said City officials would continue to be active within the RTA and explore more potential funding options, along with other improvements to the current four-lane roadway.
Two weeks after the November 2022 election, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) released a request for design and engineering qualifications for the entire 13-mile length of the Route 347 widening project between Interstate 10 and Maricopa.
Maricopa County officials also are working with the Legislature to get permission to put a funding measure that would fund this and other projects in front of their voters, after outgoing Gov. Doug Ducey vetoed a 2022 bill that would have allowed the ballot measure to proceed.
Many of the proposed Proposition 469 projects were clustered around Casa Grande, and Mayor Craig McFarland said the most important one for that city is the $19 million improvement and widening of Thornton Road between Highway 84 and Interstate 8, followed by the 1-mile Peters Road expansion between Burris and Chuichu roads ($5.4 million), the East-West Corridor along Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway and Val Vista Road ($114 million) and the Kortsen Road/I-10 interchange ($25.5 million).
“Actually, ranking these four projects is difficult as all four are extremely important to our city and Pinal County,” he said, adding the City will be working with regional leaders to find more funding.
As for Coolidge farther east, City Manager Rick Miller said officials had been anticipating funding for the North-South Parkway along the east edge of the city near the Nikola Corp. factory and proposed Procter and Gamble plant. It would have also funded the widening of Kleck Road and contributed to Coolidge’s public transit services.
Procter & Gamble’s Coolidge Plant to Create 500 Jobs
Pinal County’s industrial development continued its boom this fall as international consumer products corporation Procter & Gamble announced its plans to build a laundry products factory on a 427-acre property within Inland Port AZ at the southern end of Coolidge.
Construction is expected to begin in 2023, and after completion in 2025 the facility will employ about 500 people, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority.
P&G intends to invest $500 million into the Coolidge factory to meet growing demand for its fabric care line, specifically citing its Tide PODs, Downy Unstopables scent boosters and Bounce Dryer Sheets products.
“Pinal County is a prime location for serving our consumers and customers across the region,” said Martin Hettich, P&G senior vice president for Fabric Care, North America. “The Coolidge facility will be key to supporting P&G’s Fabric Care business, and we look forward to our partnership with the community for years to come.”
Coolidge City Manager Rick Miller said he and other residents of the area are thankful to have such a major employer coming to the area, adding, “I am confident that P&G will be an excellent community partner as they have already reached out to our local Chamber of Commerce and are asking great questions about how they can be involved as a company in Coolidge.”
Procter & Gamble’s property, immediately north of the Nikola truck factory in IPAZ, is zoned for general industrial use, Miller said, and the company is planning to submit a master site plan for the City’s Planning and Zoning commission early this year. Its approval will be followed by drainage and improvement plans, plans submitted for building permits and other required documentation.
It’s likely that the plant will require permitting from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and “we are confident that P&G will be good stewards of the environment and will install the best available control technologies to address any potential environmental concern related to air, water, etc.,” Miller said.
Construction of the plant reportedly will create about 1,000 temporary jobs. Extensive infrastructure also will be needed to link the site on Shedd Road east of Highway 87 to utilities including Global Water Resources, APS, Southwest Gas and Alluvion.
Up to 4 miles of new roads, upgraded railroad crossings and expanded intersections along the highway could also be needed, Miller said, but a traffic analysis will be done to solidify the plans. Rail spurs connecting to the Union Pacific line on the property’s western border are planned.
According to an analysis by noted Phoenix economist Elliot D. Pollack’s firm, the City of Coolidge stands to gain $5.8 million in construction tax as the facility is built, while development and other fees should bring in another $6.5 million. The projected 10-year economic impact of construction and operation of the plant is $38.4 million.
The site is near the Eloy city limits, and P&G-generated revenue will benefit the entire county, which could receive another $17.8 million from construction, operation and employee impact.
“Pinal County enthusiastically welcomes P&G to our region, which is home to a number of other Fortune 500 companies and international business leaders,” said District 3 County Supervisor Steve Miller. “We appreciate the company’s trust in our business environment and look forward to supporting their long-term success."
Miller said P&G expects to fill 86 jobs this year and anticipates adding another 138 over the next three years to reach its target employment of 500 in 2026.
Coolidge Mayor Jon Thompson said, “We are pleased to welcome a world class leader in consumer products to the Inland Port of Arizona in Coolidge. Procter & Gamble will help grow our local economy and provide excellent opportunities to our expanding workforce.”
