Golden Corridor Living Magazine

“THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY”

WINTER 2016

Home & Garden SPECIAL SECTION

2016 Mayoral Candidate

Craig McFarland’s

Casa Grande Community Survey Results

Inside! 2016 Winter Visitors Guide

SNOWBIRD SURVIVAL HANDBOOK

The Interview: Dennis Dugan

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“THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY”

WINTER 2016

Home & Garden

Contents Features:

THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

SPECIAL SECTION

2016 Mayoral Candidate

Craig McFarland’s

Casa Grande Community Survey Results

Inside! 2016 Winter Visitors Guide

SNOWBIRD SURVIVAL HANDBOOK

Winter 2016

The Interview: Dennis Dugan

22

Home & Garden Special Section

50

Make It Better: Casa Grande Community Survey Results

72

The Interview: Dennis Dugan

ARIZONA CIT Y • C A S A GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • MARICOPA

Economy & Local Business

Health, Wealth & Education

What’s Up Downtown . . . . . . . . 16

Mmmm...Chocolate!. . . . . . . . . 40

A History of Planned Improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Pinal County Adoption Day 2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Travel, Dining & Entertainment God, What Is Poor? part 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Explore the Sonoran Desert. . 88

Florence Home Tour . . . . . . . . . 68 The Home, Health, Garden & Office Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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GOLDEN GOLDENCORRID CORRID OR ORLILI VV ING INGWWIN IN T ER T ER202016 16

New Lending Program Helps Homebuyer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Peru: Land of Clouds, Colors & Time Travel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

Letter from the Editor

Happy 2016!

T Bea Lueck

he holidays are over and it’s time to get back to the regular routines of life. Home maintenance is one of those regular routines. And to help get you on schedule, this edition is our Home & Garden edition. Check out the helpful tips on landscaping, remodeling and more!

This year we have also included our first annual Winter Visitor Guide and what we have affectionately nicknamed the Snowbird Survival Handbook. Go ahead, pull it out (did you know the printer calls it a snot-glued insert?) and keep it as a convenient reference for places to go and things to do.

January and February is technically ‘winter’ but here in the central Ari-

zona desert, winter that can best be described as that two week period of less than 40 degree weather! Which is exactly why ‘Snowbirds’ flock to spend the winter here - to enjoy our mild weather! This year, our weather is predicted to be El Nino - a wetter than normal cycle. Fingers crossed that we get the much needed rains to fill our reservoirs and not any major flooding.

Winter visitors are a love/hate relationship for year round residents.

Social media abounds with people complaining about the increased traffic and longer lines at stores and restaurants. Rather than complain about a few discomforts, let’s look at the positives.

Money spent in our community winter visitors spend a lot of cash.

Restaurants, retail stores and service industries all experience a dramatic increase in business, thanks to our winter visitors. This seasonal influx of cash supports our local businesses during the slower summer months.

Volunteers - winter visitors donate a LOT of time volunteering with community non-profits and service organizations. Thousands of hours are donated in a variety of organizations including schools, animal shelters, hospital, library and more.

So rather than complain, give yourself a few extra minutes to drive from one side of town to another, make reservations and plan ahead! Welcome Winter Visitors!

–Bea

SNOW BIRD -noun; A northerner that vacations or moves to a warmer southern state for winter HOW TO TELL WINTER VISITORS FROM YEAR ROUND RESIDENTS: WINTER VISITORS

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

YEAR-ROUND RESIDENT

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VOICES PUBLISHER Elaine Earle, CPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bea Lueck CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susan Conn-Hood Harold Kitching Donna McBride Jim Rhodes ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Melissa Wolf CREATIVE DIRECTOR/GRAPHIC DESIGN Tim Clarke GRAPHIC DESIGN Jake Pagano

Bob Jackson

Born in Whitefish, Montana, Mayor Robert Jackson has lived in Casa Grande since 1991. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, holding a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He retired from the City of Casa Grande as Public Works Director in 2002 and is now serving his fourth term as mayor ending in 2015.

Helen Neuharth

Helen was hired as the President/CEO of the Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce in August 1991 and is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management from Boulder, Colorado.

Helen is an active member of the Arizona Chamber Executives

CHIEF OF OPERATIONS & FINANCE Elaine Earle, CPA ADVERTISING INQUIRIES info@raxxdirect.com COMMENTS & IDEAS editor@raxxdirect.com CALENDAR INQUIRES calendar@raxxdirect.com

Donna McBride

Donna McBride is the Program Administrator/Public Information Officer and Supervisor for the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Unit for Pinal County Juvenile Court . McBride is actively involved as a Board Member for Casa Grande Alliance, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, BlackBox Foundation, Mayor’s Reading Program, Pinal County Town Hall Vice-Chair, Parks and Block Watch Captain for the Casa Grande Police Department. A freelance writer and photographer, Donna and husband Mike enjoy white water rafting, kayaking and spending time with their 2 sons and 3 grandchildren who live in the valley.

(520) 426-2074 442 W. Kortsen Rd, Ste 101 Casa Grande, AZ 85122

Harold Kitching

Harold has worked for newspapers across the country. He was city government reporter for the Casa Grande Dispatch for 11 years until he resigned after the newspaper began downplaying local news.

Golden Corridor LIVING is published by RAXX Media. Editorial content is provided by affiliates of RAXX Media, community members and local organizations.

The publishers of Golden Corridor LIVING assume no responsibility for errors or omissions of any advertisement beyond the actual cost of the advertisement. In no event shall the publishers be liable for any consequential damages in excess of the cost of the advertisement. Golden Corridor LIVING shall not be liable for inaccuracies, errors, omissions, or damages from the use of information contained herein. Submitted articles do not reflect the opinions of the owners or management of Golden Corridor LIVING Information contained within submitted articles had not been verified for accuracy and readers are responsible for forming their own opinions. Real CORRID OR ING Wand IN Tis ERsubject 20 16 to current availability and pricing.

8 GOLDEN estate information is asLI ofV12-23-15

THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

of the

Community

Jim Dinkle

Jim is currently the director of the Access Arizona, the area’s regional economic development foundation.

He came to Arizona as a 24 year veteran of economic development from Indiana.

Breanna Boland

Breanna is the Executive Director of the Casa Grande Alliance. She started working for the organization in 2012 as a Prevention Specialist. Breanna studied Public Health at Northern Arizona University and is a Arizona Certified Prevention Specialist.

Jim Rhodes

Jim Rhodes is the retired Director of the Small Business Development Center at Central Arizona College. He remains an advocate for small business and an advocate for Central Arizona College.

Jim currently works with the economic development organization, Access Arizona, helping businesses in Central Arizona to grow and prosper.

Susan Conn-Hood

Susan has been a Fitness Instructor and Wellness Presenter for over 20 years and has conducted various speaking engagements on fitness, whole food education and proper hydration. Susan is an active member of the Casa Grande Toastmasters group and the Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce.

THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

BUSINESS INDEX 100 27 39 29 57 57 71 59 10 61 55 60 31 47 65 17 47 32 54 79 18 97 83 49 99 5 21 85 33 69 57 33 19 91 66 35 66 2 35 35 65 53 46 4 93 94 95 63 3 93 48 20 43 40 67 66 60

Academy Mortgage Corporation Access Arizona Agave Dentistry Ak-Chin Indian Community American Family Ins-Hobbs Annie-Mac Home Mortgage Arizona Department of Housing Arizona Luxury Lawns & Greens Avocado Nursery AZ New Horizons Realty Brutinel Capital R Construction Casa Grande Alliance Casa Grande Elementary School District Casa Grande Family Dentistry Casa Grande Main St Casa Grande Union High School District Central Arizona College Chacon’s Landscaping Coldwell Banker ROX Realty Coldwell Banker ROX Realty Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Campbell/Kerby Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Cathy Taylor Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Cathy Taylor Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Connie Rush Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - David Schlagel Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Georgia Schaeffer Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Joyce South Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Property Management Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Sue Pittullo Cottonwood Medical Center Desert Sky Dental Dick & Mitchell DDS DM Family Dentistry Farmers Insurance - Bryant Fitzgibbons Law Offices Foothills Bank Heritage Motors Jenkins Chiropractic Lucky Chinese Restaurant Mankel Mechanical Phoenix Patio Systems Planet Fitness - Casa Grande Premier Ortho Princess Cruises ROX Expeditions ROX Expeditions ROX Insurance CG ROX Travel CG ROX Travel Seeds of Hope Sircle Pain Clinic Star Towing Sun Life Family Health Center TeePee Sand And Gravel Title Security Agency Yang and Horsley Dentistry W IN T ER 20 16 GOLDEN CORRID OR LI V ING

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• Cactus • Agave & Yucca • Sonoran Desert Plants • Honey & Seasonal Produce • Community Garden Specialist Jan 9th • Creative Farmer’s Market • 10:00 am–2:00 pm Jan 15th–18th • Arrive Bareroot Fruit, Shade, & Nut Trees Jan 30th • Bareroot Workshop • 10:00 am–11:00 am Feb 13th • Creative Farmer’s Market • 10:00 am–2:00 pm Feb 27th • Cactus Garden Workshop (check our facebook page for schedule!)

Thanks for considering us for all your gardening needs!

520-723-4480

6855 N. Overfield Road, Casa Grande 10

GOLDEN CORRID OR LI V ING W IN T ER 20 16

THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

January-February 2016 JANUARY

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15-18

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9

16-17

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Pickleball Open Gym - 9:00 AM 11:00 AM - Len colla Rec Center - 1105 East Fourth Street Food Bank - Florence Baptist Church, 30 N. Willow St. - 3-4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday

5

Tuesday Marketplace - 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM - Southwest corner of 4th Street and Florence Street

7 8

Canadian Invasion/Skydive Arizona - Skydive Arizona

8 9

Satin Slippers Ballroom Dance Club - 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM -

The Backyard Market Casa Grande - 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Herbalicious-423 N. Florence St.

Creative Farmer’s Market, Distinctive Earthscapes, Inc. & The Avocado - 10:00 am–2:00 pm, 6855 N. Overfield Rd., 520-723-4480

Memorable & Collectibles Auction - Western Trading Post - 10:00 AM - Western Trading Post-403 N. Florence St. 2016 Home, Health & Garden Show - 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM - AZ Home Furnishing Outlets-2300 N. Tanger Dr

10

Larry King & The Legends of Country Music - 3:00 PM Paramount Theatre-420 N. Florence St

11

Bingo - 4:30 - St. Anthony of Padua Community Center, 150 N. Drylake St.

12

The Valley Humane Society’s Shelter Shoppe thrift store - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - 15699 W. Aniceto Rd.

13

ROX Travel Cruise Seminar Meet with a representative from Princess Cruises. 5pm. 515 W Casa Grande Lakes Blvd in the Clubhouse. RSVP 520-836-8517

Arrive Bareroot Fruit, Shade, & Nut Trees, Distinctive Earthscapes, Inc. & The Avocado, 6855 N. Overfield Rd., 520-723-4480

Historic Downtown Street Fair-Car & Motorcycle Show - 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM - Florence St. in Historic Downtown

17

Line Dancing at LCRC - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Len colla Rec Center - 1105 East Fourth Street

17

Volleyball Open Gym at LCRC 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM - Len colla Rec Center - 1105 East Fourth Street

18 18

Unity March - 12:30 p.m Villago Middle School

Ice Cream Social - 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 - Dorothy Powell Senior Center, 405 E. 6th Street

Day Out Downtown & Historic Walking Tour 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM - Main Street Patio-Alley behind Cook E Jar

31st Annual Agri-Country Bluegrass Festival - Pinal Fairgrounds-512 S. Eleven Mile Corner Rd

23

13th Annual Genealogy Workshop - 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM - Church of Jesus Christ-1555 N. Colorado

23

Market on the Move - 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM - AZ Home Furnishing-2300 E. Tanger Dr

28

Life Care Planning Presentation - 6 p.m. - CAC - Maricopa Campus A101 -Community Room

30

Bareroot Workshop, Distinctive Earthscapes, Inc. & The Avocado - 10:00 am–11:00 am, 6855 N. Overfield Rd., 520-723-4480

FEBRUARY

4

Great AZ Puppet Theater: Canyon Condor - 10 – 11am - Signal Peak Campus Events

7

2nd Annual Mardi Gras Celebration - Pinal County Veterans - 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM - Gold Canyon Resort-6100 S. Kings Ranch Rd, Gold Canyon

7 11

AZ Classic Jackpot & Farm Show Pinal County Fairgrounds

FFA Dean Merrell Field Day - 8am – 3pm - Signal Peak Campus Events

12

13th Annual Wuertz Gourd Festival - 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM - Pinal Fairgrounds-512 S. Eleven Mile Corner Rd

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Creative Farmer’s Market, Distinctive Earthscapes, Inc. & The Avocado - 10:00 am–2:00 pm, 6855 N. Overfield Rd., 520-723-4480 31st Annual Florence Home Tours - 10:00 AM to 4:00PM - Florence, AZ

13

Casa Grande Cowboy Days and O’Odham Tash - CG Rodeo Grounds- 2525 N. Pinal Ave.

17

Dukes of Dixieland - 7 – 8:45pm - Signal Peak Campus, Pence Center

NOW REGISTERING VENDORS THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

Day Out Downtown & Historic Walking Tour - 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM - Main Street Patio-Alley behind Cook E Jar ACCESSArizona Annual Lunch 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM - Holiday Inn - 777 N. Pinal Ave., Casa Grande

19

Marty Haggard-A Tribute to Merle Haggard - Paramount Theatre-420 N. Florence St., Casa Grande

20

ARIZONA CITY DAZE GOLF TOURNAMENT - 07:30am Arizona City Golf Course

20

AZ State Rabbit & Cavy Breeders Annual Convention Pinal County Fairgrounds

ROX Travel Guided Tours Seminar - Meet with a representative from Collette Tours.

5pm. 515 W Casa Grande Lakes Blvd in the Clubhouse. RSVP 520-836-8517

Senior Follies Evening Performance - 3 pm Signal Peak Campus, Pence Center

27

Cactus Garden Workshop, Distinctive Earthscapes, Inc. & The Avocado, 6855 N. Overfield Rd., 520-723-4480

27

Arizona City Western Daze 09:30am - 05:00pm - Sunland Gin Rd to Alsdorf Rd.

2016 GRANDE BRIDAL & FORMAL EXPO & 2016 MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EXPO

To Be Held Spring 2016 Limited vendor booths available - reserve your space now!

For more information: info@grande.events 520.426.2074 W IN T ER 20 16 GOLDEN CORRID OR LI V ING

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The Casa Grande H Page Article

• A RIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • M A RICOPA • A RIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOL

Emergency Radios

CG News

F

by Harold Kitching

cgnews-info.webs.com or www.haroldkitching.com

Carr McNatt Park Update

T

he complete renovation of Carr McNatt Park will cost a bit over $6 million, an amount Casa Grande does not have at the moment.

A gradual approach will be taken, beginning with enhanced lighting and some demolition work, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board was told during the Dec. 2 meeting.

“But over time, with the development plan that we’re trying to implement we can certainly make a lot of headway and make some improvements in the areas that we feel are most beneficial to the community at large,” Community Services Director Bill Schwind said.

12

“What we’re proposing to move forward with is an emphasis on enhancing the lighting and the amount of operational field space that we have over there for youth soccer and youth football and youth baseball to use.”

The park’s lights are aging, Schwind said, adding that “foot candles typically need to be, from a safety perspective, at 30- to 50-foot-candle level; we’re in the teens.

“A lot of our facilities that are sports related, be it the Paul Mason facility, the Little League facility and Carr McNatt, which are our most heavily used sports complexes that we have, are all facing the same kind of dilemma. To really bring those things forward we have to really work on the lighting situations there.”

Last year, Schwind continued, the city spent about $350,000 at the Little League complex, taking care of turf conditions, the irrigation system and new fencing, “but we did not touch the lights, so we would like to go back in

GOLDEN GOLDENCORRID CORRID OR ORLILI VV ING INGWWIN IN T ER T ER202016 16

the future and try to get that enhanced to make it a little bit more of a quality playing facility.”

The same outlook holds for Carr McNatt, Schwind continued.

“Our number one priority that we’re going to be looking forward to and moving forward with is a bid package relative to enhancing the central portion of that park with lighting and then we’re going to be looking at some demolition of some older facilities there that are just no longer being used, really have no function. A lot of demolition needs to take place as far as that goes.

“We can, I think, very easily afford the lighting project to get that enhanced, a little bit of demolition getting some of the rundown fencing removed, some of the old bleachers removed that really no one uses any more, not up to ADA code, and we really don’t have a need for bleachers at that facility. So a

continued on page 80...

inal action by the City Council during its Dec. 7 meeting sets the stage for a massive upgrade of Casa Grande’s emergency communications, replacing an almost 20-year-old system and finally tying the police and fire systems together for cross communication.

It’s a process that could take up to 24 months to transition, given the installation of new equipment and training for all users.

The cost for the joint police-fire computer aided dispatch and records management system will be $1,385,880, plus charges for maintenance after the first year.

Tying the police and fire systems together has long been a goal. In past years, the city had bought separate systems for both departments, meaning a cumbersome process of getting information back and forth.

According to the staff report, New World System was selected as the supplier “as their product most clearly met or exceeded most of our stated project goals, including an integrated enterprise solution for both police and fire, an integrated mapping solution, appropriate data outputs to assist intelligence-led policing, a technical base which utilizes Microsoft technology, allows for virtualization, allows for the re-engineering of our business processes, eliminates stand-alone systems and databases, avoids duplication of data entry and provides first responders with the information that they need prior to arriving on scene.”

According to City Manager Jim Thompson, “The one key thing that I thought was very positive here is that we migrate from all the different platforms we have back to a more centralized platform for both police and fire in this case. A lot of discussion that we’ve had internally is THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

Herald

Local News from Golden Corridor Living Magazine

ALL THE NEWS WE THINK IS FIT TO PRINT!

LIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • M A RICOPA • A RIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • M A RICOPA •

Community Center Update

C

ompiling of input from residents about what should be in a community recreation center is almost complete and should be presented during January meetings of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the City Council, the parks group was told during its Dec. 2 meeting.

The city held three public meetings, had booths at local events and in the two libraries and had an online survey.

Tiana Jenkins, a high school student, also did surveys at school about what young people would like to see in a center.

“All this data is currently being compiled by Joe Salvatore and the Architekton Group working with us on our ultimately putting together the survey and results of these outreach meetings,” Community Services Director Bill Schwindt told the board, noting that attendance at the community meetings was “relatively light, and so we go with what we got at this point in time.”

Schwind said that Salvatore is still comparing the latest results to the data from a 2012 survey “as well as trying to go back as far as 2006 and the bond election to see what’s changed over the course of a decade relative to needs, wants and desires of the community.

“He’s going to incorporate that all into his final report that will be presented to

the advisory board at the January meeting and we are looking to then have that information then disseminated to the City Council. We’re looking at the second council meeting in January for that.”

Board member Donna McBride asked how the surveys taken by Jenkins at schools would be handled.

“What she put together was very different than what we were looking for on the online survey, because there was a whole different avenue she took versus that,” McBride asked. “How is Joe going to be able to incorporate that, that we make sure that her information is included in that? How can we make sure that that’s captured?”

Schwind replied that the Jenkins surveys are being incorporated into Salvatore’s report.

“What you’ve got, at least in the initial draft that I was able to see today, an Excel spreadsheet where he’s got all of the combined data, from inside recreation to outdoor recreation that was gathered through all of the surveys that were taken,” he said.

“He’s got basically a picture window of that. And then he’s got it separated out for indoor use and he’s got it separated out for outdoor use. He’s got all of the cards that we received at both libraries and the other drop box locations that we had into an individual report. He’s got the Jenkins re-

Emergency Radios (continued) trying to have those two bases work together, versus having all these different platforms, none of which can communicate together.”

During a council study session, both Interim Police Services Director Chris Vasquez and Fire Chief Scott Miller outlined some of what is expected.

“It will ensure hazard alerts are on both our screens,” Miller said. “It eliminates the dispatcher from coming back telling Fire we’ve got this on the THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

PD screen, here’s what you need to be worrying about.”

Vasquez added, “One of the things I like about it, Fire has the capability of having a map of floor plans of various buildings or businesses throughout the city. The police have access to that, as well. And we could use that in past incidents where we had a barricaded suspect or doing a search warrant or whatever the case may be. Be really nice to call up floor plan and take a

port, all of that data collected into a picture window, as well. And so it’s all spelled out.

“What they’re doing now is looking at the programming aspect of what all that data means and how you fit that into a magical box of a recreation center. They’re trying to determine how, based on square footage needs, to put the programming package together to ultimately present that to council.

“All of the activities, programming and those types of things will all be incorporated into the process of what our consultants believe we need as far as being able to pull this off within a recreation facility.”

Many of the results from the Jenkins surveys are about activity program needs, Schwind said.

continued on page 81...

Police Chief Finalists Update

A

fter some delays in getting off the ground, Casa Grande began evaluating applications for city police chief to replace Johnny Cervantes, who resigned under fire amine turmoil in the department.

The city said it wanted to have the final selection by the end of December, too late for this edition of the magazine to cover.

Out of 51 applications, the selection review groups whittled it down to four finalists, who spoke to the public during a forum on Dec. 8.

On Dec. 11, the city announced that the list had been whittled down to two finalists: They were:

look at it before we go in, not having to go in blind.”

It will also consolidate inspection reports, Miller said.

“When they’re out doing inspections, all that data can be entered in,” he continued. “If there are any violations, all of that can be entered in, so instead of being in various systems, it can be in one system. And quickly they have access from the field besides in their office.”

Mayor Bob Jackson said, “Kind of my ‘ah-ha’ moment with this was the

fact that the system we’re on now is 20 years old. You think about all of us and what we were using 20 years ago and what we use today.

“I don’t think any of us want to go out and spend a million and a half dollars, but by the same token it’s just the way the world is today. I understand the difficulty and the transition.”

continued on page 80...

(The presentation to City Council on what the system does and the benefits it brings is posted under NEWS at www.haroldkitching.com)

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Starting the New Year’s Spring Cleaning!

by Robert “Bob” Jackson, Mayor, Casa Grande

I Next time you see one of our Public Works or Parks employees working, stop and give them an encouraging word.

14

n Arizona the New Year means it is time to start thinking about spring cleaning and home projects.

The City of Casa Grande is no different. It is a time for us to start working on trimming trees, cleaning up our parks and road rights of way.

Have you ever thought about the work required to clean up and repair hundreds of miles of road ways and hundreds of acres of City Parks?

I know we can all find areas where more work is needed but, by and large, our Public Works and Parks Maintenance staffs do a tremendous job of keeping our city picked up, cleaned up and well maintained.

Think about your personal yard work. In my case I don’t have grass to mow but I do have an irrigation system and numerous plants and trees that take time to care for.

Then I think about our crews and am always amazed at how such a small group can do so much.

For instance, in the spring it is time to start working on restoration of all of the parks Bermuda grass on fields that are used continuously during the cooler weather.

Some areas require more attention than others. Paul Mason Sports Complex needs to be in condition to handle all of the summer softball use, where Gilbert Park may be used periodically for less intense use. All need to be cared for at the same level. Think of all the sprinkler system repairs that we all do on our own home systems.

Then compare that to the miles of lines and hundreds of sprinkler heads the City crews deal with regularly in

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areas of high use.

The Parks crews also make sure the restrooms work and are cleaned regularly. They also pick up the parks after special events and weekend use. They all do their work with a smile on their face and seem to enjoy the work.

As you drive down the street notice the Public Works employees that are clearing the weeds, sweeping the streets and just picking up all of the miscellaneous things that fall from cars. Remember that just like in your own yard, someone needs to pick up the trash that accumulates there.

I know in my case the spring weeds will overtake my yard quickly unless I stay on top of keeping them pulled. After every wind storm there is always something to pick up, either branches from my own trees or things blown into the yard from elsewhere.

People always ask why we sweep the streets so often. Think about how they would look if we didn’t keep them up. Our community image is really established by the way our local public spaces appear.

Next time you see one of our Public Works or Parks employees working, stop and give them an encouraging word. They are in many cases the unsung heroes of our City and take great pride in making sure they do the job the best they can, with the limited resources available.

Let’s all go out and work to make our community a better place.

I hope you all have a Happy and Prosperous 2016.

CITY

SPEAK

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

Page Article

Economy • Local Business

Loyalty – what’s that all about?

by Helen Neuharth, President/CEO, Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce

I

am sure all of us, if asked, could give a brief definition of the word ‘loyalty’.

But do we ‘walk the talk’? Loyalty is the quality of being loyal to someone or something; a strong feeling of support or allegiance.

Recently several individuals have asked, “What can be done to get the message to consumers to support our community by shopping and buying locally?” The most positive and effective way ‘to get the message out’ is to understand how the retail tax affects the quality of life in Casa Grande. I hope the explanation below will be used by each of us as we continue to ‘get the message out’ Most people in our community don’t realize what a huge impact buying locally has on our entire community. Some of the retail tax dollars collected from items sold within the city limits continue to stay in our community to support and improve our streets,

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

public safety and more. When we pay the 8.7% sales tax on every dollar spent, only a small percentage of the much needed funds are ear-marked for our city services! The remainder of the retail tax goes to the county and state.

Basically, local loyalty equals loyalty to our community! In other words, you are investing in your quality of life when you buy locally.

According to Bain & Company, “each year the average company loses 10-15% of its customer base”. If that fact stands true to our retail stores in Casa Grande….we are going to be in a ‘world of hurt’! Let’s all be more aware of our spending habits and try to shop locally more often.

Now, I am sure some of you reading this article are all about cyber-shopping. Shopping on the Internet is fast and easy BUT there are no sales tax dollars that come back to our community. You are not supporting

the community in which you live. Don’t get me wrong, some shopping on the Internet may be out of necessity for a certain product or for a number of reasons. However, let’s not lose the human element of interacting with those in our very own community.

You can see what local loyalty is all about at the FREE Home, Health & Garden Show, Saturday, January 9, 2016; from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Arizona Home Furnishing Outlets, Jimmie Kerr Blvd. and I-10 (formerly CityGate). Meet our local business representatives, face-to-face, to learn about their services and products. We are all in the business of helping Casa Grande remain a great place to live, work, play and raise a family.

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Page Article Casa Grande Main Street

Meet the Main Street Mob

By Rina Rien, Director, Casa Grande Main Street

T

hey can park 150 classic cars in perfect harmony, fend off bee attacks at the food court and empty APS trash boxes with a single bound. If Historic Downtown is the heart of Casa Grande, then our volunteers set the rhythm that keeps it beating. From merchant ambassadors that help coordinate events, to volunteer docents dressed as historical characters, the multitude of experiences awaiting you downtown would not go on without them.

The benefits to our organization are obvious. But what does a volunteer get out of the deal?

“I love the social aspect and opportunity to meet new people with the same interests” says Mary Hynek, aka “Pearl Heart” during the historical tours, “it’s rewarding to work with an organization like Main Street, whose mission in the Historic Downtown is one I truly believe in.”

In the coming weeks, our volunteers will be working overtime as we gear up for our 16th Annual Street Fair and Car Show on January 16th and 17th, 2016. Our monthly events, First Friday Street Scene and Day Out Downtown are dark in January and will resume in February. Be sure to check our website or contact our office for the latest update on available exhibition spaces, car show applications and volunteer opportunities. We invite you to join the Main Street Mob and share your talents and time with this great group of people.

From left, volunteers extraordinaire Marge Jantz, Mary Hynek and Marlyn Gallagher at December Street Scene

Casa Grande Main Street is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization working on downtown revitalization and historic preservation. The Main Street program is designed to improve all aspects of the downtown experience.

Strengthening public participation and

making downtown a fun place to visit are as critical to Main Street’s future as drawing new business, rehabilitating structures and expanding parking options. Visit our website at www.cgmainstreet.org for more information on our mission, memberships and upcoming events. Click on our Facebook link to stay connected and “like” our page for impromptu announcements.

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THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

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The LIVING Interview

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THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

The LIVING Interview

Dennis Dugan

Raising Cows - The Journey from Wisconsin to Arizona Interview by Brett Eisele GC LIVING: Dennis, you grew up in Wisconsin?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. GC LIVING: How many generations of dairymen are in your family?

DENNIS DUGAN: My grandfather started the dairy operation in probably the 1880’s, 1890’s and then my dad took over in the 1940’s.

GC LIVING: Was it the same home place, all the way through?

DENNIS DUGAN: No, my parents moved from a town called Maple Grove to Clarks Mills, Wisconsin and interestingly, they didn’t move the cows by trailer they just walked them to the new place. In those days you could do that.

GC LIVING: And were those the days where you would get up in the morning, do the milking and put the cans out by the road?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. In the early days when they were milking, the milk would be put in the cans, they would put the milk cans out on the road and that milk would be picked up and delivered to a cheese plant.

Because it was raw milk, not pasteurized, it was Grade B milk. Grade B milk would only go for cheese and powder, it could not be classified as class A, because class A has to be pasteurized and the milk has to be kept cool at thirty-eight degrees. They eventually built a cement area inside the milk barn and then filled it with water. The water was then refrigerated and they put the cans in the cold water. That kept the milk cold and then the trucks would come pick up the cans and haul them off. With that change, the milk could then be used as drinking milk because it was considered Grade A. Today, 99% of all milk is Grade A. It comes out of the cow at 101 degrees, cow temperature, and then goes into a pipeline through a cooling system and into a milk tank.

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

“We actually had three separate farms in Wisconsin for the total of 500 acres; he sold two and kept one farm in case he decided to come back.”

Within 45 seconds, it goes from 101 degrees to 38 degrees. Before it hits that tank it’s cooled down to 38 degrees.

GC LIVING: Is that the pasteurization process?

DENNIS DUGAN: No, no. In Arizona, pasteurization takes place by three primary handlers; Shamrock, Safeway, and Fry’s.

There’s an independent guy out in Yuma called Hein Hettinga Farms that also does it. He operates under a brand known as Sara Farms which you see in Wal-Mart.

GC LIVING: So, the tankers pick up the milk from youDENNIS DUGAN: At 38 degrees, yes. Our milk is delivered to a co-op called United Dairymen of Arizona. There are 71 dairymen in Arizona and all but 3 belong to the co-op.

Those three are Shamrock, HeinHettinga, and a guy by the name of LaSalvia. Shamrock bottles their own milk, Hettinga milks his own cows and LaSalvia ships his milk to California.

GC LIVING: When did you enter the picture? At the farm back in Wisconsin?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. When we grew up

in Wisconsin, our dad had us on a tractor when we were 6 years old. He would put us out in the field, by ourselves, with a small 65 horsepower tractor, on a disk with a hand clutch, because we weren’t big enough to touch the brakes, so we’d pull by hand clutch. All he would say was stay away from the fences and he’d leave us for two, three hours.

GC LIVING: How big was the farm?

DENNIS DUGAN: Mom and dad farmed 500 acres and we milked about 68 cows in Wisconsin. That was in late 50’s early 60’s. My dad started getting sick with double-pneumonia or pleurisy they called it at that time.

His hands and legs would swell up and he’d be in the hospital for a month and then he’d be in the house for two months. Finally the doctors told him, “you’ve gotta get out of here”, because we lived right next to Lake Michigan in a cold and damp climate. The doctors said we won’t be able to save you the next time you get sick. So they made several trips to Arizona and every time he felt like a million bucks! We actually had three separate farms in Wisconsin for the total of 500 acres; he sold two and kept one farm in case he decided to come back. We moved to Chandler, Arizona in August of 1962. We went from a seven bedroom house to a two bedroom house. All six of us boys were in one room and my parents were in the other room. So we set up three sets of bunk beds. It was 110 degrees when we arrived and there was only a small swamp cooler.

GC LIVING: Did you ever go back to Wisconsin?

DENNIS DUGAN: One of the boys went back.

My brother, Tom, went back and got married, but later returned to Arizona.

GC LIVING: Did you lease the Wisconsin farm to another producer?

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DENNIS DUGAN: Yes and then it was sold after a couple of years because my mom and dad knew they weren’t going to go back. When we moved here in 1962 Dad went to work for another dairyman and then a year later, he started building his own dairy, in Chandler, with 44 milk cows. Our family has built that original operation from 44 milk cows in 1962 to where we milk over 20,000 milk cows today.

GC LIVING: How many of your brothers are still in the business?

DENNIS DUGAN: All my brothers are still in the business except the one brother Richard Dugan. Richard was on a ski trip years ago when he hit some black ice on the road and wrecked. He hit his head and was in a coma for 10 days; he came out of it, but only recovered about 95% of his memory.

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He stayed involved and kept dairying for 10 years after that but then he sold out.

GC LIVING: How many dairies are now at the Overfield Road facility in Casa Grande?

DENNIS DUGAN: There are three dairies there and another one just a half a mile down the road, so there are four actual facilities.

GC LIVING: There’s also a Dugan dairy on the West side of the County as well?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes, that’s my brother Tom; he’s the largest of us all. So there are five of us here and then I have a brother Mike who is dairying in Idaho.

GC LIVING: So you’re all in Chandler and the phenomenal growth has arrived at the dairies front door. Is that when you sold out and moved to Pinal County?

DENNIS DUGAN: No. Basically, what happened was, my mom and dad helped each of us get started dairying. There were six of us boys Tom, Richard, Mike, Pat, Dan and me. What dad and mom would do was build a dairy, lease one of us the dairy and start it with so many cows. Once it got going, they’d sell us the dairy and then they would build another one right next door. They built three dairies in Chandler, then one down here. Actually, on the first dairy,they just co-signed a note for my brother Tom which was in Higley. My parents sold the original place and some other land on the corner of Dobson and Germann and moved to Casa Grande.

Over time, each of us individually sold our dairy units in the southeast valley and moved to Pinal County.

GC LIVING: Did you go to college?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes, I went to UofA and graduated there 1972. Then, I went to Milwaukee, Oregon which is suburb of Portland. There was an ag teacher at the U of A that was from that area who told me about

it and I wanted to get away and try something different. So I decided to go to Oregon.

I went up there; I did that for a year and almost starved to death. I signed a $7,200.00 contract for twelve months in 1973.

GC LIVING: What were you teaching? What grade?

DENNIS DUGAN: Freshmen through seniors in high school and I taught vocational agriculture.

GC LIVING: After the year did you realize the error of your ways and came home?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. I quit and came home.

GC LIVING: We have spoken earlier about different stories and there was one story that stuck in my mind and I’m not going to mention this story because you said that I can’t publish it, but I have to get an answer to a question involving that story, and you know what I’m talking about.

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. GC LIVING: When your parents came home and saw the paint job, what did they do to you?

DENNIS DUGAN: Uh- a belt. There was a belt.

GC LIVING: So, you got whupped.

DENNIS DUGAN: We got whupped that time.

My mom would use a belt, my mom was the only one that took a belt to us, and probably in my lifetime, I got the belt maybe three times.

GC LIVING: Did you have older brothers?

DENNIS DUGAN: The older brothers always pulled me into these things. One brother was kind of a fire bug, and we had a fire when my dad was off traveling. My dad’s at the county fair with two brothers who were showing animals. My mother is in the hospital having our last brother Danny. My grandmother was home and there was only me and one brother there and that was the one that always pulled me into all this stuff,

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

The LIVING Interview (continued) he was a firebug and so he calls me out in the garage. There were flames shooting up into the ceiling, so my grandmother called the fire department. I was only, I think, six or seven at the time.

GC LIVING: Being that far out it must have been a volunteer fire department?

DENNIS DUGAN: Volunteer fire department, which was about three, four miles away. So, before the fire department came a hired man came in and he saw the fire, so he started hauling water in and by the time the fire department got there, he got it knocked down pretty good. In the meantime, the volunteer fire department arrived. So did neighbors. There were thirty cars in the driveway to our farm. Everybody- all the neighbors were helping the fire department, and then my dad drives in the driveway. I tell you...

GC LIVING: [laughter] you got out of that one though, right?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. Yes, that was my brother. I had nothing to do with that and another time he took a waste basket and started it on fire and pulled it down into the basement and I was with him too at that time. I got a whipping on that one because he pulled me into it. Started a wastebasket on fire under the sink and then we- it was smoking, and then we pulled it down into the basement.

My mom comes home from the grocery store and there’s smoke pouring out of the basement. We paid for that one.

GC LIVING: All right, so back to the story. You have returned to Chandler after the Oregon experience and you all had your own dairies. Did all the brothers decide to sell at the same time?

DENNIS DUGAN: No, no. It was all at different times. I came back after five years. After I was a teacher I came back, but I still stayed off the farm because Mom and Dad were setting all the other brothers up. I worked as a salesman for a milk equipment company that sold supplies to the dairymen. I got to know all the dairymen in the state pretty well. Then I worked for Farm Bureau insurance for two years. Then I came back to the dairy. I didn’t come back until 1979.

GC LIVING: When you say you came back to the dairyDENNIS DUGAN: I stopped working at other businesses. I came back to my mom and dad’s dairy and worked for my dad for six

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

months. There was a dairy for lease about a mile down the road. I leased that dairy for two years. Because it only had a two year lease, I had to go get another dairy. In the early 1980s Chandler /Gilbert had a ton of dairies and the cities were booming with home construction. So, I wondered where could mom and dad go and build a dairy for me? The only place you could build a dairy was out in Queen Creek. Out there that land was 10,000 dollars an acre at that time. I learned there was one dairyman by the name of Mike Homenhousen that built a dairy at Eleven Mile Corner. Anyway, I came down to talk to Mike because you could buy land down here for a thousand bucks an acre. When I first came here, the

real estate people all showed me land on the West side of town. And I said no because we learned something in Chandler. You build in a growth pattern. At that time, in 1980, Florence Blvd. was only a two lane highway out to I-10. I think the town stopped at Colorado Street. There was no shopping center or anything here in 1980 and I said, “I want to build between there, I want land between Florence Blvd. (HWY 287) and the college.”

We bought all that land for a thousand to two thousand dollars an acre.

GC LIVING: Had your dad retired by this time?

DENNIS DUGAN: No. My dad didn’t retire until he was 69.

GC LIVING: Did he come down here? Or did he

continued on page 36...

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Access Arizona LOCAL BUSINESS

The New Year Stands Before Us

by Jim Dinkle, Executive Director, Access Arizona

According to a Gallup poll taken in May, 86 percent of Americans say that the economy will be “extremely or very important to their vote.

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uch awaits us in 2016 (MMXVI). For starters, know that it is a leap year.

The Iowa Caucuses to kick off the presidential election process will be held on Monday, February 1, followed a week later on Tuesday, February 8, by the New Hampshire Primary. Arizona’s Presidential Primary will be held March 22, the same day as Utah. The Republicans will nominate their standard bearer at their party convention July 18-21 in Cleveland.

The Democrats will meet July 25-28 in Philadelphia to nominate their candidate. Election Day on November 8 will be the climax of what has been an interesting race leading up to this point.

It is worth noting that Presidential elections affect the economy ranging from the stock market to interest rates to gasoline prices to business expansions. Despite riding the wave of a strong economy and nearly eight years of economic expansion, then Vice President Al Gore was unable to win the presidency in 2000. What will 2016 bring?

According to a July 2015 article written by Neil Irwin in the New York Times, forecasters predict interest rates will remain at near-record lows on November 8. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and a New York Times survey predict that US unemployment on November 8 will be 4.8 percent, the GDP will have grown 2.8 percent, average hourly earnings will have increased by 2.8 percent, inflation will be at 2.0 percent and the federal government’s target interest rate will be 1.37 percent.

In Neil Irwin’s July 18 New York Times article, Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, said, “Odds are good that by Election Day the economy will be at full employment, growing strongly.The economic winds will be at the back of incumbents.”

On the Democratic side, much attention is given to the issue of the

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economy on the campaign websites of Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley. Their campaigns put the economy front and center of their agendas including trade policy, financial and Wall Street reforms, narrowing income and wealth inequality, providing tax relief for families, boosting public investment in infrastructure, raising the minimum wage and reforming the tax code.

Because there are more Republican candidates vying for their party’s nomination, their positions on the economy are more wide ranging.

The campaign websites of Donald Trump, Dr. Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina discuss US-China trade reform, middle class tax reform, cutting taxes on multinational businesses, stop new online sales taxes, ensuring that internet access remains tax-free, abolishing the IRS and a balanced budget amendment.

Much to my surprise this election cycle, none of the business/private sector candidates for president have seemingly never mentioned running

the federal government like a business. They have touted their business successes, but they have not discussed how they would transfer that acumen to running the whole country. This is just an observation, not a criticism.

According to a Gallup poll taken in May, 86 percent of Americans say that the economy will be “extremely or very important to their vote.” Terrorism ranked high with 74 percent and foreign affairs at 61 percent. A July poll of Hispanic voters by Univision found similar results to Gallup’s with 90 percent saying that jobs and the economy are “most important.”

The year 2016 will be long on choosing our next President, but don’t forget that “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” hits movie screens March 25th, the Summer Olympics will be August 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, the Cardinal’s 2016 Season will kick off on September 11 and Christmas will be on a Sunday As author Melody Beattie once said, “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book waiting to be written.” What will you write?

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

Helping you build your business in PINAL COUNTY, ARIZONA

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Ak-Chin Indian Community

A History of Planned Improvement Ak-Chin has a long history of being proactive with its improvements.

For more information, visit leaseakchin. com or call 520-568-3246.

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P

reparing for economic growth in any community takes vision, planning, and a commitment to continual improvement. Improvements can take many forms whether it is in the strategic planning, infrastructure, or even its marketing.

Ever since the Ak-Chin Industrial Park Board was formally established by the Ak-Chin Indian Community Tribal Council, the Board has been forward-thinking in its plan to improve and market the Community’s industrial properties, which include the industrial park, Santa Cruz Commerce Center; the executive office complex, Adobe Office Suites; and the Ak-Chin Regional Airport.

One of the first improvements the Board made to the industrial park was planning the layout for streets, utilities, and streetscape. Once established, these infrastructure improvements to the 130acre site were implemented between 2005 to 2008.

Also in 2008, the Board supervised a drainage and composting improvement project with the industrial park’s largest tenant, Hickman’s Family Farms. In addition, the Board hired a marketing firm that developed the Santa Cruz Commerce Center brand for the park and began an active marketing program.

In 2009, a building that had been used as the headquarters for Mobile Mini on the Ak-Chin-owned property adjacent to the Commerce Center was renovated to become an executive office complex and was eventually branded as the Adobe Office Suites. Continual improvements to the building have resulted in it being fully leased today.

The Board assumed the first phase of renovations to the former Phoenix Regional Airport in 2010 and oversaw

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the Airport’s application for a National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) designation and the development of an initial Master Plan. During 2011, the Airport was rebranded Ak-Chin Regional Airport and renovations to the 4,750 ft. runway, taxiway and apron were planned. In 2012, the million dollar Phase I improvements were completed. The terminal building was upgraded and the resurfacing work was finished which included crack repairs, re-sealing, repainting thresholds, runway numbering, and taxiway striping. During this time, the NPIAS designation was also approved, which made it eligible to receive Federal grants under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), and in 2013, the Board assisted the Community in hiring a new Airport Manager.

At the Santa Cruz Commerce Center during 2010-2011, the Board also planned and built a five-suite, multitenant office/warehouse building, which later became known as the Mesquite Building. Although some tenants have come and gone, through the Board’s marketing efforts, this complex was initially fully leased within the first year after its completion.

From 2011 through 2014, the Board also planned and completed a number of studies with the assistance of AkChin’s Planning Department, Ak-Chin Water Operations, and outside consultants. The studies for the Commerce Center included a utility study; diversified soils and environmental study; as well as a drainage and water/wastewa-

ter study. During 2015, the Board has worked to increase the water/wastewater capacity at the Commerce Center with the installation of new Booster Pumps and in 2016, there are plans to expand storage and also expand the wastewater plant capacity.

All of this infrastructure preparation and improvements led the Commerce Center to be recognized as an Arizona Gold Certified shovel-ready site by the Arizona Commerce Authority in 2014.

However, the Board has not stopped working to improve the Community’s industrial assets. Currently, the Board and Ak-Chin Indian Community Planning Department are working with Pinal County on the drainage improvement project on the Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway at Murphy Road. Thirty box culverts are being installed to carry storm water under the roadway to prevent flooding from the Santa Cruz Wash.

Concurrently, the Community funded a new left turn lane and intersection at Antone Road to provide better access and improve safety for vehicles entering the Commerce Center. In addition, the Board is planning to bring T-1 fiber optics to the Commerce Center in 2016.

According to Phil Entz, who has worked with the Ak-Chin Indian Community and the Board since 2003 as the Commerce Center’s Development Manager, Ak-Chin has a long history of being proactive with its improvements.

“They don’t wait for issues to surface,” Entz said. “They are looking ahead and planning for the future.”

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Is Your Prescription Potential for Problems?

by Tammy McCarville, Project Coordinator, Casa Grande Alliance

O

ur country has seen an increase in the number of people dying from prescription drug overdose. According to the Center of Disease Control: • 46 people die every day from an overdose of prescription painkillers.

• 259 million prescriptions for painkillers were written in 2012.

• Among people 25 to 64 years old, drug overdose caused more deaths than motor vehicle traffic crashes.4 Poison Control Centers report that: • Every minute of every day, a poison control center is answering questions about a young child getting into medicine.

• In 2012, every 8 minutes, a child was treated in the ED because of a prescription drug poisoning.

• 3 out of 4 of these cases involved medicine that belonged to a parent or grandparent.

In Pinal County alone, 27,661 prescriptions were written for controlled substances and 1,936,841 pills were prescribed; over 1.3 million of those pills were pain relievers.1 These pain relievers, such as Vicodin, Oxycontin, Percocet, Opana and methadone are opiate-based prescriptions.

This means these prescription drugs are chemically similar to the street drug heroin; which is also opiate based. The user of an opiate can develop an addiction, suffer from withdrawal and develop

30

a tolerance to these drugs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse stated, “People often assume prescription pain relievers are safer than illicit drugs because they are medically prescribed; however, when these drugs are taken for reasons or in ways or amounts not intended by a doctor, or taken by someone other than the person for whom they are prescribed, they can result in severe adverse health effects including addiction, overdose, and death, especially when combined with other drugs or alcohol. Research now suggests that abuse of these medications may actually open the door to heroin use.”

Nearly 80 percent of people who recently started using heroin had previously used prescription pain relievers illegally, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported. From 2003-2013, there was a 286% increase in heroin-related overdose deaths.3 If you have children, friends or service workers (i.e. plumber, cable repair person, construction worker, etc.) in your home, it is important to keep your medicines locked up, secure and out of the hands of others. In Pinal County, 1 out of 5 youth report getting prescription drugs right out of their home medicine cabinet; 58% of youth report getting prescription drugs from friends; 1 out of 7 youth report getting prescription drugs from a parent or family member; and 7.8% of Pinal County teens report misusing medicines in the past 30 days, with prescription pain relievers being the most frequently misused.2

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers things you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from prescription painkiller abuse and overdose death.

• Talk with your doctor about: • The risks of prescription painkillers and other ways to manage your pain.

• Making a plan on when and how to stop, if a choice is made to use prescription painkillers.

• Use prescription painkillers only as instructed by your doctor.

• Store prescription painkillers in a safe place and out of reach of others.

• Help prevent misuse and abuse by not selling or sharing prescription painkillers. Never use another person’s prescription painkillers; selling or sharing prescriptions is illegal In October 2012, the Pinal County Prescription Drug Reduction Initiative was put into place.

The initiative took a multi-systemic approach for targeting prescription drug misuse and abuse, incorporating five strategies.

These strategies were piloted for a year in Pinal, Graham, and Yavapai counties. The pilot project outcomes include: • A 28% reduction in opioid-relat-

ed deaths in the pilot counties implementing the five strategies of the Arizona Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse Initiative, relative to a 4% increase in opioid-related deaths in non-pilot counties. (AZ Criminal Justice Commission).

• Pinal County currently has 18 sites where citizens can safely dispose of expired or unused medicines into medication drop boxes. They are located at most police stations in Pinal County, including the two Casa Grande Police Departments and Pinal County Sherriff’s Office substation.

• 7,758 pounds of medicines have been collected in Pinal County from October 2012 to October 2015.

Due to the success of the pilot project in Pinal, Graham, and Yavapai Counties, the Arizona Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse Initiative has gone state wide. The Casa Grande Alliance continues to implement the five strategies in Casa Grande, as well as partner with other local and state agencies working to reduce prescription drug misuse. For more information on how to prevent prescription drug misuse and abuse, visit the Casa Grande Alliance website at www.casagrandealliance.org or call 520-836-5022.

1. Arizona Board of Pharmacy. (2013).

2. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. (2014) Arizona Youth Survey: Pinal County.

Retrieved from http://www.azcjc.gov/acjc.web/sac/ays.aspx 3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/fatal.html 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Injury Prevention & Control THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

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Central Arizona College EDUCATION

Central Arizona College Named to Victory Media’s 2016 Military Friendly® Schools List

by Angela Askey, Director of Marketing

C

entral Arizona College has been designated a 2016 Military Friendly® School by Victory Media, the leader in successfully connecting the military and civilian worlds, and publisher of G.I. Jobs®, STEM JobsSM and Military Spouse.

Now in its seventh year, the original, premier Military Friendly® Schools designation provides service members and their families with transparent, data-driven ratings about post-military education and career opportunities.

Institutions competed for the elite Military Friendly® School title by completing a survey of over 100 questions covering ten categories, including veterans’ educational benefit support services on campus, student-faculty ratio, cost of attendance and affordability, class size, and student outcomes.

Survey responses were scored against benchmarks across these key indicators of success. In addition, data was independently tested by EY (Ernst & Young) based upon the

weightings and methodology established by Victory Media with guidance from an independent Advisory Board of higher education and recruiting professionals. A full list of board members can be found at MilitaryFriendly.com/ advisory-board.

The Military Friendly® Schools designation is awarded to the top colleges, universities, community colleges and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure their success both in the classroom and after graduation. The methodology used for making the Military Friendly® Schools list has changed the student veteran landscape to one much more transparent, and has played a significant role over the past seven years in capturing and advancing best practices to support military students across the country.

“Central Arizona College is proud and honored to serve veterans, their survivors and dependents,” stated Robin Morris, CAC Vet-

eran Services Specialist who, a veteran herself took full advantage of her military education benefits to enhance her professional skills and development. “We encourage veterans to explore educational options available to them through CAC that can be the “kick-start” to a bright future in a variety of highly sought-after certificates or degrees for those that have so bravely served our country.”

“Post-secondary institutions earning the 2016 Military Friendly® School award have exceptionally strong programs for transitioning service members and spouses,” said Daniel Nichols, Chief Product Officer of Victory Media and Navy Reserve veteran. “Our Military Friendly® Schools are truly aligning their military programs and services with employers to help students translate military experience, skills and training into successful careers after graduation.”

For more information about CAC’s commitment to attracting and supporting military students, visit www.centralaz.edu/va.

Your Future Begins Today at CAC.

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Fitzgibbons Law LAW

Beneficiary Deeds Free Real Property from Probate For owners of real property in Arizona, a Beneficiary Deed is a popular and simple way to transfer property at death without subjecting the transfer to probate.

by Ann F. Schrooten, Attorney

Benefits

There are many benefits of a Beneficiary Deed:

M

ore than a decade ago, Arizona adopted a law that created a type of deed that allows for probate-free transfers of homes and other real estate at the owner’s death. This deed is known as a Beneficiary Deed. By signing and recording a Beneficiary Deed in the county where the real property is located, an owner of an interest in real property (or owners, if the property is jointly owned) may cause his or her interest in the real property to be conveyed to persons or entities at the owner’s death.

In the case of joint ownership, for example, by a husband and wife, the conveyance occurs upon the death of both spouses.

The interest in the real property conveyed by a Beneficiary Deed does not take effect until the owner’s death, at which time the interest transfers automatically by law to the designated grantee(s) by recording the death certificate of the owner with the County Recorder’s office for the county in which the real property is located.

34

• It avoids the cost and delay of probate, because the real property is not part of the probate estate.

• It is a less expensive and simpler way of avoiding probate than creating and administering a trust.

• If the owner has created a trust as part of his or her estate plan, a Beneficiary Deed can name the trust as beneficiary of the property.

• A recorded Beneficiary Deed does not restrict the owner’s ability to sell, encumber or otherwise deal with his or her property.

• There is no gift tax liability because it is not a present transfer of the property.

• It can be revoked or changed at any time during the property owner’s lifetime.

Drawbacks

At the same time, a Beneficiary Deed is not without its drawbacks: • For estate tax purposes, the full value of the property remains in the deceased owner’s estate.

• A Beneficiary Deed is not able to adequately deal with the possibility of a minor or disabled beneficiary.

• If multiple beneficiaries are named as grantees, they will each own an undivided interest in the property, which can make managing and selling the property more difficult.

• If the property is owned

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as joint tenants or community property with right of survivorship, the last survivor can revoke or modify the Beneficiary Deed, which may frustrate the intent of the owner who is deceased.

• If the property is subject to a mortgage lien, the property is still subject to the mortgage lien after the owner dies. If they want to keep the property, the beneficiary or beneficiaries must either assume the payments (with the lender’s permission) or qualify for a new loan.

Not all states have transfer on death laws for real property, but for owners of real property in Arizona, a Beneficiary Deed is a popular and simple way to transfer property at death without subjecting the transfer to probate.

For more than 20 years, Fitzgibbons Law Offices attorney Ann Schrooten has served clients throughout Arizona in the areas of estate planning, probate and real estate law. She can be reached at 520-426-3824 or ann@fitzgibbonslaw.com.

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The LIVING Interview (continued) continued from page 25... stay in Chandler?

DENNIS DUGAN: No, he stayed in Chandler.

But I have to say when I went to college I met some guys who were from here. The Benedicts, and the Meyers and all of them lived here, so I was drawn to Casa Grande.

GC LIVING: Are all of the twenty thousand cows we spoke of earlier here in Pinal County?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. Also, I think this is noteworthy - - in 1980, Pinal County was ranked 232nd in the United States for number of milk cows in the county and today Pinal County is now ranked 18th in the United States. We have ninety-thousand milk cows within thirty miles of Casa Grande.

We came that far in the dairy industry because of all the dairies built in Pinal County.

Pinal County is in the top 20 dairy counties in the United States. Most people don’t realize that. The only reason the big dairy processing plants built by Ehrmann Yogurt plant, Franklin Cream Cheese, and Daisy happened was because there are ninety

36

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thousand milk cows within thirty miles of Casa Grande.

GC LIVING: Does all of the milk from your operations go to these plants?

DENNIS DUGAN: Right now all of the milk out of my particular barn is going to Daisy. But, on any given day, United Dairymen of Arizona routes that milk. They determine what goes where. There are days that my milk might go to Daisy. Daisy actually comes out and inspects my dairy. Some of my brothers’ milk is going to Franklin Cream Cheese or Ehrmann Yogurt.

GC LIVING: Referring back to the original conversation, when the milk leaves your dairy, its 38 degrees?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. You can put a load of milk into tanker at 38 degrees, in Phoenix, Arizona in the middle of the summer and haul it all the way to New York, without refrigeration, and it might lose one or two degrees! Our tankers are like a thermos jug.

GC LIVING: Is it safe to say, during the week, all of the milk that’s produced in this area stays in this area?

DENNIS DUGAN: No. I would say probably, 75% has to go up to the co-op in Tempe.

There’s that much milk here, that most of the milk still has to go up there.

There has always been an excess of milk here. In the co-op, there are two cheese plants, there’s a powder plant and then there’s a butter plant. All the excess milk goes into those plants because only about 30% of the milk goes into the bottle in Arizona. From all the milk that we produce, only a third of our milk goes into bottles for drinking.

GC LIVING: And the rest of it is just...

DENNIS DUGAN: It goes into these three processing plants. Another big thing that most people don’t know is the Ross/Abbott plant here in Casa Grande takes a lot of condensed milk because all of the Ensure products and baby food is processed with condensed milk. They take tons of condensed milk every day. We ship it up the co-op and condense the milk down, and then ship it back to Ross/Abbott.

GC LIVING: So the odds are, if you go shop at Fry’s or Safeway and you buy some house brand sliced cheese, there’s a good possibility that cheese originated at your dairy or one of your brother’s dairies?

DENNIS DUGAN: No, our milk goes to the

UDA. Now, the UDA ships some of the cheese to Green Bay. Sliced cheese is made in Green Bay, Wisconsin and then sold to Burger King, McDonald’s and others GC LIVING: Let me jump back, to Wisconsin.

You were talking about how you would operate a 65 horsepower tractor when tilling the soil. How did your dad and your grandfather work the fields prior to those tractors?

DENNIS DUGAN: Tractors didn’t really come into effect, probably until the 30’s early 40’s. Most of the farmers did everything with draft horses as did my dad and he still worked horses in the fifties a little bit.

GC LIVING: But it went further than that concerning your dad and draft horses, right?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. In the Midwest, especially in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, there are horse pulling contests just like there is tractor pulling contests. My dad in 1949 won the national championship for horse pulling. His team pulled twenty-four and a half ton, thirty-three feet. He sold those horses in 1949 and he got eleven thousand dollars for them. In 1949 that was huge, that’d be over a hundred grand today, I would think. That’s where he got his money to keep expanding in the dairy business.

In 1952 he got rid of the draft horses and put all his efforts into the dairy. Then when he retired a couple of my brothers went out and bought him draft horses to play with and he worked the draft horses here. Then he shipped them to Wisconsin for the horse pulling contest.

GC LIVING: What a happy guy.

DENNIS DUGAN: Yeah, he was just tickled to death with them.

GC LIVING: When you first got started in Casa

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

The LIVING Interview (continued) Grande was it rough at first?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes, but It was interesting... the people down here weren’t used to dairies. A dairy operation runs twenty-four hours a day and you have to have service twenty-four hours a day. The barns run twenty-four hours a day... So when I went to local businesses at that time when we were building the place, we got bids from the local people that handle the mechanical, coolers, whatever... and everything was higher here.

All the bids came in higher, so most of all my construction guys had to come out of the Valley because of the lower bids. When I had to drill a well I told the well driller here, “if that well goes down on Christmas Eve you’re going to have to come out and pull that well... we can’t wait till the next morning for you to pull it out because we can’t be without water”. He said no, we don’t do that. So I had to go back up to the Valley and have a driller come down here because they offered twenty-four hour seven day a week service. It took a while, but eventually as the dairies came in, the business caught on. But I took a little heat when I first came down here because I wasn’t spending money locally, but today I’m doing a lot of business with local folks. I think I’ve changed and so have they.

GC LIVING: Initially, did you bring employees down from the other dairies?

DENNIS DUGAN: No. We hired locally. Interestingly, most dairy workers in Arizona are Hispanic. Actually, 99.9% of our workers are Hispanic.

GC LIVING: Well it is a noble business.

DENNIS DUGAN: Its hard work but we pay competitive wages and we reward those who do well. Our managers are making pretty good money. Four or five of our operators are making six figure salaries.

GC LIVING: And you have housing for them on site.

DENNIS DUGAN: Some of the dairies used to have housing for everybody, but we got away from that. The reason why was the families worked together all day and then lived right next to each other and spent all their time together. Everything got too close. There were fights – so we got away from it.

GC LIVING: Do the dairies have their own veterinarians?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes we have a vet.

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

GC LIVING: With twenty thousand head of cattle you must need a vet on call.

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes my brother Tom is the largest, he has ten thousand head and he has in-house vets. You still have outside vets that come in and the reason for that is because the outside vets go around to all the dairies and get to see what’s going on.

If a disease comes in, they know how to handle it. The in-house vets are often from overseas, many from Africa and they work strictly in-house and therefore don’t know what’s going on at the other dairies and so forth.

GC LIVING: One last question before I move on to another subject is in the early late 80’s or early 90’s there was this big to do with aflatoxin. What was that all about and did that affect the dairy industry.

DENNIS DUGAN: I think it occurred in the eighties I don’t remember exactly. Every dairyman was starting to feed cotton seed to the cows. Its real high in fat and protein, but the cottonseed had aflatoxin in it which is a mold that grows because of the heat and some seed has it, some seed doesn’t. So all of the sudden the feds came in and tested our milk and it had aflatoxin in it.

Well it was a disaster; it was front page news for three or four days. All the milk had to be dumped because of the aflatoxin and then we had to put safe guards in place.

We started testing for aflatoxin. Every load of milk is tested for aflatoxin today. It was a huge problem and not a dairyman in the state had probably ever heard of it until then.

GC LIVING: Are those big, long white storage bags on your dairy needed because of aflatoxin?

DENNIS DUGAN: The long white bags, yeah there’s ammonia in there that kills the aflatoxin and you can also store regular clean seed in the bags, but we also put everything else in it, we put alfalfa in it, hayage, stuff like that, It’s also used as a storage.

There was another government action that affected Pinal County dairies. I think it was early ‘85 or ‘86 there was a Dairy Herd Buyout program the government started where they would buy your cattle but you agreed your dairy would sit idle for three years. The Rugg dairy on Peart Road fit that program and he went and sold his dairy cows. In about 1989 a dairyman by the name

of Gingg bought the Rugg Dairy. He wanted to open the dairy back up, but some of the neighbors started raising heck. The county tried to shut it down by passing zoning regulations.

I went to talk to the county because their zoning regulations didn’t consider dairy operations agriculture, which was insane.

What the county officials also didn’t understand was dairies are exempt from state regulation.

A suit was filed against the county. The county ended up writing a check for $250some thousand to that dairyman and that’s the way it still is today. All dairies are exempt from all regulation except for two things, septic tanks and electric, that’s the only thing that has to be inspected. If the county won that suit, there wouldn’t be many dairies in Pinal County at all.

GC LIVING: Now you’ve become pretty successful. You’ve been at it since the ‘80s and you’re doing it pretty well. Now we are seeing your philanthropic side. Every town has non-profit organizations and your name is affiliated with many of them, so you’re starting to get involved in the community.

DENNIS DUGAN: Basically our family’s Irish and when I was young, we would always take the day off and hold a big St. Patrick’s Day Party on St. Patrick’s Day. So when I got

continued on page 78...

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Banner Casa Grande

HEALTH

The Serenity Garden

by Tammy Gabel, Public Relations Specialist, Banner Casa Grande Medical Center Fresh air is always good for people, and this part of Arizona is a special place because we have fresh air a lot of the time.

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W

hile other parts of the country are frozen over this time of year, it’s the best time to be outdoors in Casa Grande. For hospital patients, however, fresh air and sunshine can be difficult to access.

At Banner Casa Grande Medical Center, a healing garden is positioned between the original hospital building and the North Tower addition to allow our patients who are well enough, as well as their loved ones, a place to take a break.

The Serenity Garden is supported by the Casa Grande Community Hospital Foundation and was originally installed in 2004 to provide a break from the medical environment.

“It’s there to give our patients and families a chance to relax and have some downtime in a peaceful and tranquil environment,” said Banner Casa Grande CEO Rona Curphy. “It gives people a chance for a pause.”

The focal point of the Serenity Garden is a large, soothing fountain. Gentle landscaping allows guests to take pleasure in the garden by wandering through the Pathway to the Future – a brick walkway that winds through the garden, where loved ones have been honored or memorialized through personal brick donations.

The healing garden features two gazebos, which provide shaded space for patients and their family members to sit together. There are also benches, flowers and trees throughout. Planters are changed out several times during

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the year so the garden is always colorful and in-season.

A large, soothing fountain helps create a relaxing environment with the sound of flowing water.

“The water and the plants offer a sense of calm,” Curphy said. “Fresh air is always good for people, and this part of Arizona is a special place because we have fresh air a lot of the time.”

In fact, walking outside and getting some sunshine are known to help reduce stress.

The healing garden is also a nice place for staff to take a break

and relax or visit with one another outside of the work environment.

“Working in health care can be stressful. Having a loved one in the hospital can be stressful,” Curphy said. “This is an environment where, at times, difficult decisions need to be made. The healing garden offers a place for anyone to take some time and reflect, think, relax.”

For more information about the Serenity Garden, or to make a donation, contact the Casa Grande Community Hospital Foundation at (520) 381-6541.

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these enzymes in the process. milk chocolate. Many chocolate Some concerns have been products have high amounts of brought up about the amount fats and sugars, so moderate of caffeine in cocoa. But accordintake of these foods is recommended. Many chocolate proding to studies, the caffeine you would get in a small serving of ucts are also highly processed, chocolate is nothing to be coneliminating many beneficial vitamins and minerals so that its cerned about, compared to a taste far outweighs the benefits large steaming cup of coffee. of the cocoa.

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PageRhodes Jim Article LOCAL BUSINESS

The Home, Health, Garden

by Jim Rhodes, Small Business Consultant, Author and Mentor The show is a great social event and also hits each of us where we live. It showcases our homes, our health and our abilities to keep the plants from dying.

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S

o you’re thinking hard about starting a business. You have twisted a piece of coat hanger into an interesting little widget that helps tighten the laces on your skates. Your chocolate chip cookies have been voted the best at the PTA school open house. You have developed an automatic back scratcher that senses when and where to scratch without human intervention (and never asks why you don’t bring flowers or candy anymore). The result is that your family and friends all think you should start a business to give the rest of society the benefit of your ingenuity and baking prowess.

Coming up in the very near future is one of the more popular annual events in Pinal County-The Greater Casa Grande Chamber Of Commerce Home, Health And Garden Show. The show is a great social event and also hits each of us where we live. It showcases our homes, our health and our abilities to keep the plants from dying. The show will talk about a lot of the nifty things we do at our homes, for our health and in the garden. Our interesting National economy- for which no one seems to want to take responsibility, has resulted in at least one key trend. The shedding of many corporate jobs has resulted in an uptick in the number of home-based businesses. Somewhere in the future may be the Home, Health, Garden and Home Business Show.

The fact that some corporate jobs have been removed from the payroll does not mean the work is no longer being done. It simply means that the work is being done without the costs showing up as a scheduled payroll responsibility accompanied by all of the mandatory or nearly mandatory fringe benefits. One way to research potential new small business opportunities is to identify which categories of work are no longer being done

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at the corporate level. The fact that the corporate maintenance department is being downsized does not necessarily mean that it is no longer necessary to empty wastebaskets or to clean toilets. This same concept holds true at nearly every level of corporate activity, from routine clerical jobs up to highly skilled corporate executive and IT jobs.

It has been the developments in computers and telecommunications that have allowed small businesses to adopt a model that favors homebased businesses. Interestingly, these developments have come along at the same time that large-scale layoffs have resulted in displaced workers scrambling to create their own firms.

The move to home-based businesses has been accelerated by the number of senior citizens having to return to the workforce to supplement the diminishing value of Social Security and other investment income.

It is important to understand that the same technology that supports the increased number of entrepreneurs in home businesses also supports worldwide competition for their markets. An e-commerce capability is important to compete with multinational firms that sell directly into domestic markets.

Since 1981 I have worked from home.

In 1983 I moved from small business owner to Motorola Sales Manager and began enjoying the latest in wireless communications technology. I have never looked back except to groan when a corporate client executive had trouble processing the advantages of an untethered workforce. If working from home is so great, can there be anything wrong with it? Thank you, yes. You need to be honest when you realize you are giving up the commute; the unlikable boss; flaky coworkers; and, meaningless meetings in return for the privilege of becoming

accounting; IT; marketing; receptionist and, janitor. When you are scheduling 70 hours a week to be sure customers are satisfied, you may want to revisit the concept of “working when you want to”.

The most important factor in the success of a small business start-up is timing. So how do we know the perfect “when”? If out of work and finding a job has been tough keep in mind the longer it takes, the more obstacles to face. Job security is a distant concept in today’s workforce. The present world economy is volatile. It may not be surprising if you wake up one day and find that you are out of work. If you have special skills a home-based business can be ideal when the economy is not your friend. By one estimate when working for yourself it’s possible to operate on about 70% of the revenue needed for a corporate job with all of its deductions. This may not be the same for all jobs but it is something to think about.

When the work-at-home logistics have been considered and resolved it is time to articulate the dream and turn it into a target for business success. Ideally a home business for a first time entrepreneur will be one that does not require a lot of capital. At this stage it is important to remember that there is generally a range of starting points for each business. As an example, prior to opening a restaurant there is potentially a position as a caterer and maybe before that a “cook for rent”. Let’s look at some other possibilities: Virtual Assistant- these professionals typically work with small and startup businesses to give business owners more time to focus on basic tasks. They may have worked in professional fields such as computer services, marketing and graphic design.

Computer Services- these folks may be in the repair business or into

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

Page Article Jim Rhodes

and OFFICE Show perhaps software development. The new wave of home computer users can use help setting up a new machine or perhaps an e-mail account, etc.

Business Consultant or Financial Services Professional- this might include financial planners, business planners and others with a track record of successful business services.

Tutoring- the US is closing in on nearly 80 million school-age children.

Various private and public schemes to increase scores on standardized tests have resulted in a need for additional private teachers. In addition some corporations are sponsoring ancillary education for students with plans on working for the firms.

How to we make it work? Does our home have what it takes to be a business place? We manage a home business just like any other successful business. This involves guiding or managing people, time and money.

We will need utilities and communications including Internet connectivity. Our management style will need to project a business image in order to build credibility with potential customers. For starters business cards and brochures with a professional logo and graphics will be required. The business will require a business-only phone, fax and e-mail.

Regular hours of work and prompt responses to mail, phone and e-mail

messages will be helpful.

Even though we’re working from home we will still need to be active in professional organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce. Participating in local social activities is important. Giving back to the community through volunteering will help keep the business name in front of the public. Stay active and become better known among business peers through membership in professional organizations. Running a business from home is not rocket science. It does require business knowledge and tremendous discipline to create and follow a well-conceived business plan.

If you accept the challenge good luck.

Even though we’re working from home we will still need to be active in professional organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce.

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Pinal County Adoption Day 2015

by Donna McBride, Pinal County Juvenile Court Services, Program Administrator II / Public Information Officer, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Unit Supervisor

“Celebrating a Family for Every Child”

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here’s no way to sugar coat the truth. Pinal County is home to over 1,200 children who are in foster care. Over 200 of those children are babies under the age of one. How did we get to that point? How did families stop being families? What could the children do so bad that they weren’t wanted by their parents?

The truth is, it has been a growing problem across the country for decades. People just didn’t talk about it. Or family members stepped in to hide the abuse and neglect that was taking place. Unfortunately, Pinal County has seen a major increase in the past five years.

There are not enough foster families or shelters for these children.

There are many myths that go with the topic of foster care.

On the flip side, we have much to be thankful for. We have families coming forward to foster children. We have CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) who become the voice of the child in court. And we have families who open their hearts and homes to be forever families.

This past November was National Adoption Month across America.Since 2000, National Adoption Day has grown from nine events in its first year to more than 375 events in 2010 with 4,800 adoptions finalized in 50 states, District of Columbia,

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Guam and Puerto Rico. Pinal County started its tradition by creating its annual Adoption Day the first Saturday in November.

What does that mean? It means 35 adoptions were finalized on Saturday, November 7th at the Pinal County Superior Courthouse in Florence. Four judges, along with over 85 staff and volunteers came together for the formal court hearing, family celebration of games, crafts, and family photographs. Families left with nearly $200 in their gift bag from local organizations and businesses. But the day didn’t happen without months of hearings, paperwork, home visits and preparation.

Adoption is a big step that comes with much responsibility.

And so is foster care. Sometimes people think about being foster families but because of the myths around foster care adoption, they shy away from it.

They say knowledge is power.

Debunking the myths with facts might help families come forward to consider opening their homes to our children who so badly need a forever home.

MYTH: There are not enough loving families available who want to adopt children from foster care.

FACT: A national survey commissioned by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and

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conducted by Harris Interactive in 2007 reveals that 48 million Americans have considered adoption from foster care –more so than any other form of adoption, including private adoption of an infant or international adoption.

MYTH: There’s too much red tape and bureaucracy involved in adopting a child from foster care.

FACT: Congress has streamlined the foster care adoption process through enactment of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. This law stipulates that children in foster care, who cannot be reunited with their birth parents, are freed for adoption and placed with permanent families as quickly as possible.

MYTH: Adopting a child from fos-

ter care is expensive.

FACT: Actually, adopting children from foster care can be virtually free. Many agencies do not charge for the services they provide to families who are adopting a child from foster care. In addition, a growing number of companies and government agencies offer adoption assistance as part of their employee benefit packages, including time off for maternity/ paternity leave, financial incentives, and other benefits.

Congress has also made federal tax credits available for foster care adoptions to help offset required fees, court costs, legal and travel expenses.

MYTH: Adoptive parents must be a modern version of Ozzie and Harriet.

FACT: Prospective adoptive parTHE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

Health • Wealth • Education

Celebrates 35 children ents do not have to be rich, married, own a home, or be of a certain race or age to become an adoptive parent (Nearly onethird of adoptions from foster care are by single parents). In fact, families are as diverse as the children who are available for adoption. Patience, a good sense of humor, a love of children and the commitment to be a good parent are the most important characteristics.

MYTH: All children in foster care have some kind of physical, mental or emotional handicap; that’s why they are classified as “special needs.”

FACT: The term “special needs” is somewhat misleading, because it can mean that the child is older, a minority or requires placement with his/her siblings.

While some children are dealing with physical or emotional concerns, they need the nurturing support only a permanent family can provide. Many children in foster care are in the “system” because their birth parents weren’t protective and nurturing caretakers—not because the children did anything wrong or because there is something wrong with them.

MYTH: State agencies may withhold information about a child’s past in order to get that child placed with a family.

FACT: State agencies are legally required to provide full, factual information about a child to any potential adoptive parents. Agencies have a vested interest in ensuring that parents have a posiTHE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

tive experience with foster care adoption so they will continue to adopt and recommend others do the same. For children who have physical, emotional or behavioral problems, agencies seek to provide the most comprehensive post-adoptive services available to help the children transition into their new homes.

MYTH: Families don’t receive support after the adoption is finalized.

FACT: Financial assistance does not end with the child’s placement or adoption. The vast majority of children adopted from foster care are eligible for federal or state subsidies that help offset both short-and long-term costs associated with post-adoption adjustments. Such benefits, which vary by state, commonly include monthly cash subsidies, medical assistance and social services.

More information about federal and state subsidy programs is available from the National AdoptionAssistance Training, Re-

source, and Information Network helpline at 1-800-470-6665.

MYTH: Children in foster care have too much “baggage.”

FACT: This is perhaps the biggest myth of all. Children in foster care—just like all children—have enormous potential to thrive given love, patience and a stable environment. Just ask former U.S. Senator Ben “Nighthorse” Campbell or Minnesota Viking Dante Culpepper. They were both foster children who were adopted by caring adults.

Our communities have many families who have adopted. Some are single parents, same sex cou-

ples, family members or couples that cannot have children of their own. What do they all have in common? We like to say they are

Celebrating a family for every child.

Interested in …

• Being a CASA? • Volunteering at Adoption Day (Nov. 5, 2016) • Finding out about foster care licensing agencies in Pinal County?

Call CASA of Pinal County at 520-866-7076.

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Planet Fitness

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our best choice for a fitness facility and place to get in shape during your winter visit is Planet Fitness. If you haven’t had the chance to check out their gym you really need to.

The whole concept starts with The Judgement Free Zone. This is a comfortable, non-intimidating environment where everyone can feel accepted and respected.

They do not allow any dropping of weights or excessive grunting in order to maintain a friendlier environment. Many of their members are first time gym users or members focused on general fitness.

They don’t have any salespeople, and don’t bother with all the extras like juice bars and childcare that drive up costs.

Instead, they’ve boiled their business down to the things that you really want in a health club – clean, stylish, hassle-free facilities that are filled with

tons of brand-name cardio and strength equipment, and a lot of happy people.

Planet Fitness provides memberships starting at only $10 per month. That membership will get you everything you need to begin or continue your fitness journey; a free t-shirt, access to the fitness trainer and their classes, appointment to meet with the trainer and design a program for you as well as explain proper use of our equipment, full service locker rooms with day use lockers, individual showers and private changing rooms, and of course a key tag to check into their facility which is open and staffed 24/7.

Looking for more from a membership? You will love theBlack Card Membership at only $19.99 per month. Their most popular membership gets you access to the Black Card Spa, guest privileges, nationwide access to over

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The amenities in the Black Card Spaare where the real fun is at. They have relaxing Hydrotherapy Massage Beds and Massage Chairs, as well as high-endstand up Tanning Units. Their unique Total Body Enhancement machines use Red Lights and a vibration platform to help rejuvenate skin and relax muscles. With theBlack Card Membership you get use of all of that as well as the ability to bring a guest to workout with you once per day!

Overall Planet Fitness is your one stop shop for fitness success this season. Working with their Free Fitness Trainer you will have all the tools necessary to improve your heart and lung capacity, improve your balance, increase strength and flexibility, and improve bone density.

The Casa Grande location also accepts Silver Sneakers, so be sure to bring your card with you when you visit and inquire about this great program for seniors.

If you like a great deal and you’re looking for a comfortable, friendly place to exercise, then you’ll love Planet Fitness. To sign up online visit www.planetfitness.com or just stop in for a tour. They are located at 1325 E Florence Blvd #13, Casa Grande, AZ 85122. Any questions feel free to call (520) 788-6200.

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

Page Article Casa Grande Union High School District st

A 21 Century Education with 21st Century Choices!

CAMPUSES

Two comprehensive campuses, one STEM Academy and a Learning Center Program.

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COURSE OFFERINGS Over 200 course offerings

LIBRARY AND RESOURCES More than 10,000 volumes at two campuses

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Emphasis on effective instructional practices

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• Casa Grande Elementary has more A+ Schools and A+ Programs than any other school district in Pinal County • The District has a proven, rigorous instructional program built upon “Success for Every One”

PowerSchool, Schoolway App, direct email to staff, weekly news

Visit Your Child’s School Today!

COLLABORATION ALTERNATIVES

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES

Choir and Drama, FFA, FBLA, FPS, Robotics, Marching Band, National FCCLA, DECA—state, national and international awards

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Seeds of Hope

Heroes in Disguise

Advocates Among Us

by Terri Durham, Office Coordinator

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hat do Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker and Diana Prince all have in common? We know them as heroes because they accomplish extraordinary things in the name of justice and fairness without any public recognition. Unrecog-

nizable, they go about their day keenly aware of their surroundings. And when conflict calls, they answer. Heroes are not just in comic books. Seeds of Hope makes a difference in the lives of so many because of heroes all around us, ordinary people who do extraordinary things.

Volunteers who give of their time and talents to invest in the lives of the individuals in our programs are like that. These community helpers embody the true character of a hero. Whether in our hot lunch program, after school program, Stanfield medical clinic, or Jobs for Life program,

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g s i D n i s e o . s Her U g n o m A s e t a c o v d A Seeds of HoDpine ner Annual 7, 2016

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they selflessly give of themselves to help others. In 2015, we recorded 4,037 hours of volunteer time!

Donors are another kind of hero. The Bible reminds us that “each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (II Cor. 9:7 ESV). Our donors -large and small, one time givers and regular givers - undergird the financial needs of our programs.

As costs to do ministry have increased, our donors continue to rise to the occasion to meet the needs. Last year we had 26,000 visits to our programs. Having the resources to buy supplies for each program is made possible by our donors.

A lesser known kind of hero is an advocate. Someone who believes in our mission and acts as a spokesperson for us in the community is invaluable. Individuals who help us spread the word that we provide spiritual, educational, and social support to Casa Grande grows the number of people who know who we are and what we do, enabling them to become involved.

On February 27, 2016 we will celebrate Heroes in Disguise at our annual dinner. This festive night full of entertainment, silent auction, and great food will not disappoint. Tickets are on sale now by calling 520-836-6335.

Every one of us can be a hero.

We hope you will be ours.

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

2380 N. Horseshoe Circle, Casa Grande, AZ Rodeo Ranches

Have a large family or just want the room, then don’t miss seeing this basement home with over 4900 sq. ft. Main level has den or bedroom with hardwood floors, full hall bath with double sinks and two other bedrooms. Large master bedroom is split and has large walk-in closet, extra large master bath with tub & shower, separate potty room and long counter with double sinks. Eat-in kitchen has space for a large table and has a nice island with breakfast bar. All stainless kitchen appliances. Refrigerator and washer/dryer convey with the sale. Downstairs has 2 BRs, a den or work out room, two large living areas, a wet bar, 2 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths. Owners are offering a carpet/painting allowance to buyers but all else will be move-in ready.

Cathy Taylor

520-560-2083 cathyt@coldwellbanker.com Š2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

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SPECIAL HOME How Professional Chefs Set up Their Own Kitchens

by Stacey Freed

How do chefs organize their home kitchens?

Smartly, thank you — and not as lavishly as you might think.

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or homeowners who love to cook, the kitchen is a sacred space. It needs an inviting ambiance and a practical workflow more than shiny new appliances or endless counter space. In fact, many professional chefs say they don’t need a massive kitchen to do their thing at home. “I want to turn around … not walk around,” says Austin Johnson, executive chef of The Krebs in Skaneateles, N.Y., and the former sous chef at The

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NoMad (located in Manhattan’s NoMad Hotel).

Here are expert tips from two chefs on how to build a kitchen for serious cooks:

Plan for More Than One Cook The recent popularity of open floor plans is a boon for people who love to cook and entertain.

“You want a great social area,” Johnson says.

“In my house, I want people to congregate in the kitchen, eat hors d’oeuvres, and drink some wine.” He suggests an island with a high top on one side “to promote conversation.” But don’t give up your serious workspace for the high top — create a nearby gathering area if you don’t have the space to expand an island.

Consider social cooking when planning your kitchen as well. Make sure the aisle between the sink and the island are wide enough for someone to pass through without bumping into the cook.

Alysa Plummer, a chef and certified educator who trained at Boston’s L’Espalier and worked in restaurants across the U.S., rec-

ommends placing knives and cutting boards away from the sink so it isn’t tied up when someone is chopping veggies. If you can add a second sink for prep, even better.

Get in the (Work) Zone There’s a reason the “kitchen work triangle” — with a strategically placed refrigerator, prep area, and cooking zone — is a common layout. “You want everything near to hand so you’re not hopping around all over the place,” Johnson says.

Plummer likes a “tight work space,” and has one work zone for each stage of the cooking process. She recommends putting all your most used utensils — spatulas, wooden spoons, potato masher, etc. — into a container on the counter area on which you’ll be cooking the most.

Plummer’s pet peeve is a trash can in the middle of high traffic areas. “Two trash bins are great,” she says. “One by the prep area and another where people might be walking by — but not get in your way as you’re cooking.” You don’t want someone leaning underneath you at the sink — a common spot

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& GARDEN SECTION 1,200 degree heat without cracking.” At The Krebs, he says, they roll pasta all over the soapstone counter every day. “I love to watch the counter as it ages and grows in character.”

Plummer, too, says to invest in something durable. Instead of granite, which scratches easily and requires lots of upkeep, she has a compressed, recycled quartz countertop. “It sustains high heat,” she says, “and there are so many choices you can get the look you want.”

When You’re Organized, Your Dream Kitchen Doesn’t Have to be Big

for trash — while you’re in go mode.

Buy the Right Stuff Both chefs warn not to compromise on the quality of your equipment, but that doesn’t mean spending money on commercial cookware. In fact, avoid it altogether. Plummer goes for higher-end residential appliances.

“They throw off less heat,” she says. “They’re

safer, generally.”

Splurge on a gas or induction stove, though, says Johnson. “You’ll have the most control. I like to cook with a lot of feeling, and I don’t have feeling with metal coils [on an electric stove].”

Plummer’s splurge is quality, abundant refrigeration. She recommends keeping a second fridge or freezer somewhere in the house to store ingredients and homemade workhorses like soup stocks.

As for knives, you don’t need that fancy set of 15 different varieties. “I used to be a knife geek,” Johnson says, “but I realized I only ever pulled one knife from my bag. I’ve had one knife — a 9.6-inch Japanese slicing knife — for the past four years that I sharpen once a week.”

Consider Your Counters For counters, Johnson is all about durable materials like soapstone. “It’s really soft, but only if you start digging a knife into it,” he says. “It can be scratchy, but it can withstand

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

There’s no right way to set up a home kitchen — all that matters is that it works for the way you prefer to cook and bake. Johnson worked for three years on a fishing boat in Alaska where he cooked for five people in a 12-foot-by-6-foot kitchen. “[It] was layed out perfectly — my refrigerator on my left, the sink next to the open window so I could look out to the ocean, to the right was a stove and burners and to the right of that my plating station,” he says. “A dream kitchen doesn’t have to be a big kitchen. My dream kitchen is on a sailboat.”

Stacey Freed writes about homes, design, remodeling, and construction for online and print national trade and consumer publications, including “Better Homes & Gardens.” Previously, she was a senior editor at “Remodeling” magazine. Follow Stacey on Twitter.

Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Read more: http://www.houselogic. com/home-advice/kitchens/how-professionalchefs-set-their-own-kitchens/#ixzz3qXJ77xWD Follow us: @HouseLogic on Twitter | HouseLogic on Facebook

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Special Home & Garden Section

P

hoenix Patio Systems has been serving the Casa Grande and surrounding area since 1989, designing and installing energy efficient and durable patio covers/carports, window awnings and a variety of other shade products to help block the damaging rays of the sun from your home or office.

Aluminum lattice and solid aluminum patio covers/carports are the most popular products offered. They look like wood, but are aluminum, so you don’t have the maintenance of wood, which makes your life easier.

There is no painting, there’s no warping or cracking and resists insects and termites.

Aluminum Privacy screens are another product offered by Phoenix Patio Systems.

Aluminum Privacy screens give extra shade and added privacy where you need it most.

Especially in areas where there are no fences allowed. Privacy screens help block an unsightly view, such as hiding a utility area, pool equipment or garbage cans.

They allow airflow while providing privacy and shelter from the sun.

Aluminum Window Awnings not only help keep your home cooler in the summer, but saves on energy and adds value to your home. Keeping out the direct rays of the sun also slows fading of drapes, carpet and home furnishings.

Phoenix Patio Systems takes pride in the fact that they are family-owned and operated, founded in 1989, by Todd Williams, President and wife Michelle, Sec/Trea.

Simply call during normal business hours to schedule a Free appointment.” Phoenix Patio Systems can design a plan to meet your specific needs and lifestyle and enhance the beauty and value of your home.

Every project is guaranteed from start to finish and best of all, most of the products come with a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty.

Aluminum Lattice Ramadas: Provide filtered sun and shade Lattice is a beautiful option for your backyard, side yard or front entryway. It provides shade to your outdoor living space while allowing partial sun to shine through.

A lattice patio cover can be freestanding in your yard, creating a private retreat, entertainment area, or landscaping focal 52

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point, or can be connected to your home, extending your existing cover or providing shade to your exposed windows and arcadia doors. Your patio cover will be a beautiful and affordable addition to your home, enhancing its exterior, expanding your outdoor living space, and adding value to your property.

Your lattice patio cover can be built in almost any size, shape, or style. Phoenix Patio Systems will work with you to develop a design that beautifully complements the architecture of your home.

Features and Benefits of Lattice Patio Covers: • Pergolas, Porticos, Ramadas, Trellises or Lattice Patio Covers in beautiful maintenance free aluminum.

• Attached or freestanding designs add affordable outdoor living space for relaxation and entertaining • Adds lasting beauty and enhances the value of your home • Lattice provides shade to your outdoor living space while allowing partial sun to shine through • Aluminum is virtually maintenance-free and won’t rust, warp, crack, or rot • Manufacturer’s Limited Lifetime Warranty

Aluminum Privacy Screens: Solitude, Space or Protection – Create What You Need With Privacy Screens Phoenix Patio Systems can help you create an outdoor living space, “open” enclosure, or simply block an unsightly view with aluminum screens. These quality screens are available in a number of beautiful colors, are durable and low-maintenance, and will allow a breeze to freshen and cool the enclosed space.

Features and Benefits: • Long lasting and low maintenance • Blocks harmful rays of the sun • Can help reduce electric bill by reflecting heat away from your home • Won’t rust, warp, crack or rot • Termite/insect resistant

• Manufacturer’s Limited Lifetime Warranty

Awnings: Help Block Direct Sunlight and Reduce Energy Bills Keep your home cool, save energy, and add value to your home with window awnings. These durable blinds block the sun and help protect drapes, carpet and furniture from fading.

Features and Benefits • Long lasting and low maintenance • Blocks harmful sun rays • Saves energy and can help reduce electric bill • Won’t rust, warp, crack or rot • Termite and insect resistant • Enhances the appearance of your home • Manufacturer’s Limited Lifetime Warranty

Aluminum Covers/Carports: Protection for Your Auto, Boat or RV Your car, RV or boat is a costly investment. Safeguard your valuable property from harsh weather with the strength and durability of an aluminum carport.

Features and Benefits • Strong, long-lasting, and low maintenance • Blocks harmful rays of the sun • Energy Savings, can help reduce your electric bill • Will not rust, warp, crack or rot • Termite/insect resistant • Customized to your home • Enhances the value of your home • Manufacturer’s Limited Lifetime Warranty Licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, License #’s CR3-124073 and bonded and insured for your protection and peace of mind. Phoenix Patio Systems is also A+ rated thru the Phoenix Better Business Bureau.

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We Do Shade!

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Special Home & Garden Section

Experience and knowledge to fulfill your landscaping dreams

L

andscape renovation is an important part of home improvement, adding to the curb appeal of your home. Most first impressions of your home, and its level of maintenance and value are made from the street. Landscape renovations or landscape improvements can take a great amount of time and effort. We, at Chacon’s Landscaping, will do all the hard work for you. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of the service of a professional landscaper. By hiring a pro to do the more skilled labor you’ll save yourself time and possibly a headache. One of the most obvious reasons to hire a pro is skill level and expertise. At Chacon’s Landscaping & Irrigation, Inc. we can draw upon years of work and experience in situations and show you before and after shots of previous projects. We can

AFTER

quickly assess worst-case scenarios that may help you make better decisions. As for the projects that require special tools or equipment we have access to them as well as the employees who are trained to use them. Hiring a pro who can make decisions that add value to your home may be reason enough to connect with the right professional. Call us today for a free quote 520-421-3489.

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THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

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Special Home & Garden Section

How to Insulate a Garage Door

by Lisa Kaplan Gordon

Garage insulation cuts energy bills and street noise. Here’s how to insulate your garage door.

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arage door insulation can make your life warmer, cooler, and quieter. It lowers energy bills, acts as a barrier between you and street noise, and brightens an otherwise dreary space.

Garage door insulation is an easy DIY project; it’ll cost you about $200 to insulate two 9-foot-wide doors.

Types of Insulation Any insulation type will increase the energy efficiency of your garage door. Here are the most popular types to apply to the back of garage doors: • Batt insulation. This flexible insulation, often found stuffed into exterior walls, is commonly made of fiberglass. It’s usually backed by paper or foil, which act as vapor and air barriers. Insulating values are R-3 to R-4 per inch of thickness. Cost is about 30 cents per square foot.

• Foam board insulation. These rigid panels, typically made from polystyrene, provide a high insulating value for relatively little thickness. Panels most often range from 1/2 inch thick (R-3.3) to 1 inch (R-6.5). Foam board often is faced with aluminum or vinyl. ($20 for a 4-foot-by-8-foot sheet that’s 1 inch thick.)

• Reflective insulation. Rigid boards and rolls of reflective insulation have highly reflective aluminum foil applied to one or both sides of insulation materials, such as cardboard and polyethylene bubbles. This type of insulation reflects radiant heat, making it a good insulation choice for garages that heat up in summer or hot climates. Its

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approximate R-value is 3.5 to 6, depending on the way you apply it. (A 4-foot-by-25foot roll is $42).

Matching Insulation to Your Garage Door The goal is to match your garage door to an insulation that’s easy to install and appropriate for your climate.

• Steel garage doors. These doors can accommodate any type of insulation. Stuff the flexible insulation in the frames around the panels, with the fiberglass side touching the door. Or squeeze cut-to-fit foam board insulation into the frames.

• Wood frame-and-panel doors. Cut and fit rigid insulation into the recesses between the door frames. For extra climate control, install two layers of foam board.

• Wood frame-and-panel doors. Cut and fit rigid insulation into the recesses between the door frames. For extra climate control, install two layers of foam board.

Insulation Kits Even though buying and cutting insulation isn’t hard, garage door insulation kits make it even easier. They contain: • Insulation — rolls or boards — cut closer to the size of garage panels than if you bought these yourself, though you’ll still have to trim.

• Fasteners or tape to hold insulation in place.

• Higher-end kits throw in gloves and/or a utility knife.

• Kits to insulate a 9-foot-wide garage door cost $50 to $70.

Heads Up! Adding insulation to a garage door adds weight. Extra weight isn’t usually a problem with 9-foot-wide doors, but can strain the opening mechanism of larger doors. Your garage door’s spring tension might have to be adjusted — a job best left to a garage door professional.

Lisa Kaplan Gordon is an avid gardener, a member of the Fairfax County Master Gardeners Association, and a builder of luxury homes in McLean, Va. She’s been a Homes editor for Gannett News Service and has reviewed home improvement products for AOL. Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Read more: http://www.houselogic. com/home-advice/insulation/how-to-insulatea-garage-door/#ixzz3uDre6rqG Follow us: @ HouseLogic on Twitter | HouseLogic on Facebook

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Special Home & Garden Section

Artificial Turf When choosing a quality product it is definitely better to shop turf companies who sell and install American made products.

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W

ith winter in full swing and most lawns lacking their beauty. Artificial turf has become a great option. Instead of taking a lot of time and energy to over seed your lawn, not to mention the thatching, mowing and increasing water bills, artificial turf can create a worry free solution.

There are many choices in today’s market when choosing which artificial turf to go with. The first difference and one of the most important is the origin of the product. As the business of artificial turf has exploded, many companies are not doing the consumer or environment any justice. Many types of turf being sold here in the USA are being manufactured in China and are not put through the thorough testing or held to the EPA requirements that the American turf manufacturers are made to follow. Some tests of Chinese turf have shown lead as well as other potentially harmful metals. When choosing a quality product it is definitely better to shop turf companies who sell and install American made products.

Over the years, there have been many cosmetic enhancements and other changes in the options of turf available. There are now many products that are pet friendly and will not stain or fade as they are used by pets. There are also products such as Zeofill, a pet deodorizer, which can help with the prevention of odor that

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can occur after months and years of build up in the base material used under the synthetic grass. Another great innovation in the design of turf is the creation of a heat reflective property that the turf products Arizona Luxury Lawns & Greens uses has added to its lineup. The other turfs on the market today can hold the summer heat and reach temperatures of over 30 degrees higher than the ambient air temperature. The newest products sold and installed

by Arizona Luxury Lawns & Greens now stay within 5 degrees of the ambient air temperature, which make them much more enjoyable during the summer heat.

Another item to keep in mind while shopping around is the warranty that will accompany your new artificial lawn. When making your buying decision it is very important to look at the length of the manufacturers warranty as well as the warranty on installation.

Most companies are very similar in their warranty from the manufacturer, however the installation warranty is usually not as lengthy. It is always more beneficial to find a company who backs their work with the same confidence that the manufacturer has in the product being installed. Also make sure to do your homework on the company you choose. There are many sources online, such as the BBB and Angie’s List that can help you make the right choice.

One of the most popular uses of artificial turf is to create a custom putting green. It is very important to choose a sand infill putting green instead of a nylon putting green. The sand infill putting green is much more true to a golf course green and will last years beyond the life span of a nylon putting green. The putting green itself can be created with breaks and speed to truly create a one of kind putting green.

Once you have chosen the turf and company to install your new lawn it is important to know how to care for it.

When maintaining your artificial grass lawn only a little work is required.

Simply use a blower to blow off debris on the lawn, never use a vacuum or shop vac, as this will take out the infill added and hurt the appearance of the lawn. It is also a good idea to water the lawn when dusty as this will help keep the appearance up. A push broom can also be used to push up the blades of turf if there is any matting of an area due to high traffic.

Making the switch from real grass to artificial grass, or just starting off with artificial grass is an investment. The typical return on this investment is between 3-4 years. Many other savings such as the saving of time and work are not calculated in this figure but will be appreciated as you can enjoy your new lawn without the increased monthly water bill, as you can sit back and enjoy your new yard.

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Special Home & Garden Section

Create a Home Inventory for Insurance

by Gwen Moran

Create a home inventory before disaster strikes to make filing an insurance claim a smoother process.

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xperiencing a theft, flood, fire, or other casualty loss is devastating enough.

Now imagine trying to list from memory for your insurance claim every single item that was damaged or destroyed. The task becomes less daunting if you create a home inventory in advance and keep it in a safe place.

Creating a home inventory can be done with pencil and paper alone, but a digital camera and camcorder make the job easier.

Set aside enough time to review your insurance policies, dig up receipts, document your possessions, and figure out where you’ll store your records. One day should be sufficient.

proof of the items you owned, it makes filing your claim much more difficult.”

Your job doesn’t end once you’ve compiled a home inventory, a detailed list of everything in your household. Be sure to compare estimated values to your policy’s coverage to ensure that you’ll be able to replace your belongings in case of damage or theft, says Goldwich, who is the author of “Uncovered: What Really Happens After the Storm, Flood, Earthquake or Fire.” In some cases, he says, you can purchase additional coverage if the value of your possessions exceeds the limits on your home owners, flood, or other disaster policy.

A home inventory is essential

Take photos and video of possessions

From appliances, plates, and glasses to collectibles, rugs, and furniture, the average home is packed with an array of items collected over the years. And while you may be able to list many of them in a pinch, chances are you’d miss some important possessions if you ever needed to reconstruct your home’s contents from memory, says Mark Goldwich, founder of GoldStar Adjusters, a Jacksonville, Fla., claims adjusting firm.

“Home inventories are a must no matter what the value of the home’s items are,” says Goldwich. “If you’re going to insure your property and pay for that insurance, you really should be able to document the ownership and the value of the items that you’re insuring. If you don’t have

Jack Hungelmann, author of “Insurance for Dummies,” says a picture can be worth more than just a thousand words—it can add up to thousands in cash if you ever need to file an insurance claim. Hungelmann recommends using a digital camcorder or camera to take pictures of each room to document your belongings. “I recommend that people open up their cupboards and drawers. Be sure you have a record of all the things you own,” he says.

Goldwich says that creating such a home inventory might seem daunting, but digital video—you can pick up a decent camcorder for about $150—can make the task much easier.

Home owners can literally walk from room to room and record narrative descriptions of items.

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You should note whether something is an antique, for example, or if it has other qualities that make it especially valuable such as the size of a television screen or the type of stones in a piece of jewelry. Get close-up shots of serial numbers on electronics, power tools, and the like.

Filling in a printed checklist with serial numbers, brands, quantities, and estimated values will prove indispensible if an insurance claim ever needs to be filed. The adjuster will likely ask for such a list, and you can use the video or photos as proof of ownership. Download our free home inventory checklist to create your own.

Keep your home inventory safe Of course, such documentation is useless if it’s destroyed in a natural disaster, consumed by fire, or stolen along with your personal computer. Hungelmann says that using digital media allows you to store the files on online backup services like Carbonite.com or iBackup.com in case your home is destroyed.

If you’d like to save the $10 or

more per month these services typically cost, you could also save the files on a USB drive that’s kept in a safe-deposit box, at a relative’s home, or in your emergency bag. The bag should include essentials your family needs in case you’re forced to flee on short notice.

It’s also a good idea to keep a file with receipts and any appraisals of valuable items you own.

Store these documents off-site as well. Goldwich says that the more documentation you have to prove what you owned and what it was worth, the easier the claims process will be.

Gwen Moran has written about finance and real estate for over a decade. Her work has been in Entrepreneur, Newsweek, and The Residential Specialist. A Jersey Shore resident, she’s weathered hurricanes, Nor’easters, and one earthquake. Visit Houselogic. com for more articles like this.

Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Read more: http://www.houselogic. com/home-advice/homeinventories/home-inventory-forinsurance/#ixzz3kYO9uHZD

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Offer limited to the first 25 respondents (must present coupon or recite offer number on the phone to qualify) Offer open to Arizona residents only and subject to rules and regulations of the Arizona Department of Insurance. Offer valid for households that have not received a new quote from ROX Insurance in the past 9 months. Limit one gift card per household. Offer expires 3-15-16

Special Home & Garden Garden Section Section

The Tower Garden

by Susan Conn-Hood, Certified Yoga/Fitness Instructor & Whole Food Educator The Tower Garden can save you money on healthy foods that smell fresh, are highly nutritious and are better tasting than store bought produce.

64

T

he Tower Garden is a state of the art vertical aeroponic growing system. It’s easy to assemble and maintain and is perfect for rooftops, patios, balconies, terraces, and just about any relatively sunny place outside. Tower Garden can also be used indoors very successfully with grow lights. There is no soil, no weeds, and no ground pests to worry about.

The Tower Garden gives myself and my family more control of our health by making it easy to grow nutritious great tasting vegetables and fruits at home. The great news is that you don’t need any gardening experience to use the Tower Garden. Grow almost anything that you like including tomatoes, lettuce, basil, peppers, spinach, beans, cucumbers, melons, herbs, and edible flowers. What we - and thousands of families have found - is that you will increase your children’s interest in eating fresh fruits and vegetables by involving them in gardening.

Because of its unique technology and vertical design, the Tower Garden uses less than 10% of the water and land required by traditional soil based

GOLDEN GOLDENCORRID CORRID OR ORLILI VV ING INGWWIN IN T ER T ER202016 16

agriculture. More oxygen to the root system helps prevent disease and improves plant growth. Tower Garden holds 20 plants and they grow faster than they would in soil and have to be harvested on a regular basis.

The Tower Garden is made of

food grade plastic which won’t leach.

It is opaque, keeps sunlight out, and prohibits algae growth. The Tower Garden is designed to last a lifetime and most people tell us that it pays for itself in less than two years. Our garden is not only a better long term value than store bought produce, it can also cost less than investing in all of the tools and products needed to cultivate a traditional garden at home.

What Dave and I have found is that the Tower Garden can save you money on healthy foods that smell fresh, are highly nutritious and are better tasting than store bought produce.

We are extremely proud to share that the Tower Gardens have been purchased by many restaurants in order to share fresh organic produce with their patrons. Tower Gardens have also been purchased by schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts so that they can teach the kids about gardening. Local Farmers, Herbalists, and florists have enjoyed fast growing and fresh produce with the Tower Gardens too.

For more info please visit www. sueconnhood.towergarden.com

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

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65

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ANSWERS FOR PAGE 82

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1433 N. Pinal Avenue, Casa Grande, AZ 85122 1433 N. Pinal Avenue, Casa Grande, AZ 85122

Karen Pines Street dham, MA 02026

8.264.3264

66

Client:

Foothills Bank

Live Area: N/A

Publication:

ROX! Magazine

Trim: 3.85” (w) x 10.375” (h) Art Director:

Insertion Date: May/2014 Client: Foothills Bank

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THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

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Special Home & Garden Garden Section Section

31st Annual Florence Historic Home Tour

History Remembered; The Future Embraced; Celebrating 150 Years presented by the Town of Florence Parks and Recreation Department

T

he history, culture and essence of a community are revealed in many ways. Books, journals and other documents provide immediate, written information about a town. However, a deeper and stronger appreciation of a community’s history is revealed in its homes and buildings.

Archaeologists examine past societies and cultures through a variety of methods including architectural studies.

These professionals know that older homes and buildings speak volumes about the lives of its earlier inhabitants.

68

Florence is the sixth oldest community in Arizona and was founded in 1866. Early Florence was fueled by the discovery of silver and supported by a strong agricultural base. The economic opportunities and sense of western adventure attracted a diversity of population which is reflected today in the town’s distinct architectural styles.

Visitors to the 31st Annual Historic Florence Home Tour on Saturday, February 13, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. will view diverse architectural styles in over 20 homes and buildings.

Visitors may walk the tour route,

GOLDEN GOLDENCORRID CORRID OR ORLILI VV ING INGWWIN IN T ER T ER202016 16

which begins in downtown Florence. Transportation is provided to outlying historical structures on the tour.

The theme for the 31st annual Home Tour, “History Remembered; The Future Embraced; Celebrating 150 Years,” reflects Florence’s 150th anniversary. All visitors are welcome on February 13th to celebrate Florence’s rich territorial history.

One of the tour homes is the William Clarke House, built in 1884 of adobe construction. The Silver King Hotel was originally built in 1876 and served as “modern” accommodations for

overnight guests with fine dining.

Tickets are only $15 for adults the day of the event or $10 in advance. Advance tickets are available beginning Monday, December 7, 2015 at the Pinal County Historical Society and Museum, Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, Florence Visitor’s Center and the new Florence Library and Community Center.

For questions or more information, please contact John Nixon at the Florence Parks and Recreation Department at (520) 868-7699 or at www.florenceaz. gov/events.

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

Killdeer Place

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Sue Pittullo Sue@cowgirlhomes.com 520.560.0957 Š2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

Special Home & Garden Section

Home Plus: The Low Down on No Down

T

here are a lot of people across Arizona with steady jobs and good credit, but can’t afford the down payment on a new home. However, Golden Corridor residents should know that they do have a key to home ownership through a loan program called Home Plus.

Operated by Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA), the program has opened doors to many looking for a place of their own across Arizona, including residents of Pinal County.

“With the escalating increase in rents, many creditworthy renters are finding it more difficult to save for a down payment,” said AzHFA Homeownership Programs Administrator Dirk Swift. “With the Home Plus program this obstacle has been removed.

Home Plus gives qualified renters a pathway to homeownership with a non-repayable down payment assistance grant.”

Home Plus is a homebuyer assistance program providing down payment and closing cost assistance combined with a 30year fixed rate mortgage for creditworthy homebuyers. The program, which has been in existence for more than a decade in 14 of Arizona’s 15 rural Counties, is getting more traction since it recently expanded into Maricopa County. The loan program is currently not available in Pima County.

Dawn Svoboda, a mortgage loan officer and branch manager with Academy Mortgage Corp. in Casa Grande, is enthusiastic about the terms of the Home Plus program that offers buyers more flexibility than previous down payment programs that she has worked with.

“If an applicant needs a boost in the amount of cash for the down payment, the three main qualifications are having a pretty good credit score, being under the income level and buying a home that’s around or under the $350,000 mark,” said Svoboda.

Details of the Home Plus home loan program include an attractive 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a down payment assistance (DPA) grant to qualifying homebuyers purchasing a primary residence which they intend to occupy throughout the State of Arizona. The DPA is provided as a non-re-

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GOLDEN GOLDENCORRID CORRID OR ORLILI VV ING INGWWIN IN T ER T ER202016 16

payable grant that can be used for the down payment and closing costs. The amount of the grant is equal to a percentage of the principal balance of the new mortgage loan, ranging from 2% - 5% depending upon the underlying mortgage type.

“Qualified U.S. Military Personnel may receive an additional 1% of DPA on ANY mortgage type,” said Swift. “The DPA is only available in conjunction with a Home Plus loan and is funded by AzHFA at the mortgage loan closing. Home Plus users do not need to be first-time buyers.”

The Home Plus program is available to homebuyers with an annual household income of less than $89,088, purchasing homes under $356,352.

“First-time and boomerang homebuyers should find the program especially helpful,” states Svoboda. “Currently, I’m helping a young couple with two kids in Casa Grande that was denied by the husband’s bank, but we’ve been able to help buyers of all ages throughout the Golden Corridor.”

The AzHFA is acting on behalf of the Arizona Department of Housing and raises funds for its initiatives in the national capital markets and forms partnerships with banking and lending institutions to facilitate the Home Plus program throughout the State of Arizona.

“We self-fund the program, functioning similar to a private sector mortgage company, generating income through the program’s operation. No taxpayer funds are used for the Home Plus program”, said Swift. “In the third quarter alone for 2015, the AzHFA assisted more than 600 homebuyers across Arizona by providing more than $4 million in down payment assistance grants”.

Homebuyers must obtain a mortgage loan through one of the program’s 70+ approved participating lenders and take a homebuyers course that prepares them for their homeownership. Currently the program approves Fannie Mae HFA Preferred, Freddie Mac HFA Advantage, FHA-insured, VA-guaranteed, USDA mortgages.

Derrell and Leigh Anne Brown, of Maricopa, are among the many home buyers who recently took advantage of the Home Plus program. Like a lot of Arizonans who took a hit during the housing crash with either a short sale or foreclosure, they had trouble fixing their credit and saving enough money to buy a home.

“It’s better to pay my mortgage than someone else’s, but I didn’t think I could do it,” Derrell Brown said.

Another couple in Scottsdale was able to “save what savings they did have to do the things to the house they (sic) wanted to.”

For Michael Piercy of Chandler, “Home Plus gave us a way so we could make our own dream home.”

To learn more about AzHFA Home Plus Home Loan Program and see a list of participating lenders, please visit www.azhousing.gov or call 602-771-1000.

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

MakeItBetter-CG.org TEM 6 ENT N STA believe in a y, 201 SIOuar MISJan a group of local stakeholders who is G) B-C (MI DE AN GR SA CA MAKE IT BETTER bright future for Casa Grande. cts in five ways:

the improv nt:community’s prospe k tonde Reseide -CG a Gra MIBDe Cassee arwill

of progress; than in PROMOTE: Promote the ideals e values in Casa Grande are lower Have you ever wondered why hom to better the community; ly pro ent ley?pose initiatives Val Tan PROP Sansist · Ma or Con paE: ricoOS itive and “pro” progress by local political climate remains pos well as staff - on · MONITOR: Ensure that the s of city government - elected as do we ring. the debate and decision proces So monito “progress” initiatives; . ally and/or in se pla thoens y doallincitiz theand ly asany vidu badage indices as eng e to her to live nt ing wawill ’tdy, don just s able folk and ybe Ma rea nd Sta · EDUCATE: growth policies munities of obstructionist and nogroups on the consequences to com Great question! ary that we don’t? whe at do they havepub Wh y? wh r never necess nde wo cy, us oca kes adv ma lic ich Wh sive, vocal and res agg y ver a in inta Ma TE: CA g or otherwise · ADVO initiatives that have been, are bein thy wor ion mp cha le; ilab ava ans via any me exis d special (anting ious ant varort theimp by re tate e)mo e pag ositty/S (City/C oppoun uethe any g on rtinven ial in sta of den survey riskthe ld be maatkes wouich Wh ce. interes ting) than you might think at first glan rests; inte gible, attractive, visual and achieve one very iconic (tan pt Ado 15) (20 E TIV JEC OB E IMMEDIAT Mayor of Casa Grande pro res:ident and declared candidate for term al ject betlan ry)Far a loc d, ent ona visiig and Cra Mc

·

vey asking what our surter d aCen ateal cretion herea w, so knonity d to mu wante n, cas ctioow ele“sh 2016 Rec in the Com e” survey and its → Build a quite interesting; see the complete residents want. The responses are support such candidates for andine. te gaz moMa , pro ntify Ide 6) 201 ING 15LIV r (20 E rido TIV Cor JEC den OB Gol NEAR ses in this issue of ponRM res-TE ror MIB-CG’s “Progress Platform” ) whose ideals mir

elected office (City council, Mayor

ourl efforts to “Make it Better”. ind nci behcou esand mis yor ma thevepre up ssi ks gre a pro k it ctbac thin Ele We →

CONTACT MAKE IT BETTER –

CASA GRANDE:

info@mib-cg.org

makeitbetter-casagrande.org

CG Community Survey Results

The Casa Grande

Community Survey Letter to the Editor:

T

he question I get asked the most is “Why”, why would I subject myself to the challenge that is . . . Running for Mayor of Casa Grande. Especially considering that I just retired after 36 years in business.

It’s a good question and one I have asked myself. Simply said, I love this community and our many friends/family that Nancy and I have. We have invested time and effort in our charity and volunteer work. We are invested in Casa Grande. I believe with all my heart that we (me, my family and my friends) can make Casa Grande better.

I started my campaign with a letter and survey mailed to the voters of CG. The mailing went to approximately 7,800 frequent voting CG residents (those that vote in most city elections). I received 385 returned surveys or about a 4.9%. I am told that’s pretty good considering the average is around 1 – 3% return rate.

That being said, I wanted to hear your opinions, understand your concerns, and actually get your feedback in writing. The

following is the results of the survey and your feedback. In the coming months I will use these results to address your concerns and build on opportunities to Make Casa Grande Better!

Please read on and give any additional feedback on my website: www.craig4mayor.com.

Do you support building a Community Recreation Center?

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

Thank you,

YES 73%

Craig H. McFarland P.O. Box 12927 Casa Grande, AZ 85130 Craigmcfarland4mayor@gmail.com http://www.craig4mayor.com

16.6

NO 27%

W IN T ER 16 CORRID OROR LI V ING 73 WIN W IN T ER T20 ER2016 20GOLDEN 16GOLDEN GOLDEN CORRID CORRID OR LI LI VVING ING

73

CG Community Survey Results

YES 40%

NO 60%

48.95

oN

61.04

seY

If available, would you or your family members use public transportation?

86.93

Do you or members of your family use city parks?

YES 60% 30.25

YES 48%

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GOLDEN GOLDENCORRID CORRID OR ORLILI VV ING INGWWIN IN T ER T ER202016 16

NO 52%

oN

79.74

NO 40%

seY

Do you or members of your family use other city facilities?

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

CG Community Survey Results 20.22

NO 22% YES 78%

Overall, do you believe the rate of growth in Casa Grande has been...

Do you support or oppose the Phoenix Mart Development?

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

oN

89.77

seY

Do you believe the city is responsive to reports of cracked sidewalks, roads and other city property in need of repair?

Too slow Too fast Just about right

25.0% 19.5% 55.5%

Strongly Support 29.1% Support 33.9% Total Support 63.0% Oppose 9.4% Strongly Oppose 10.2% Total Oppose 19.7% No Opinion 17.3% W IN T ER 16 CORRID OROR LI V ING 75 WIN W IN T ER T20 ER2016 20GOLDEN 16GOLDEN GOLDEN CORRID CORRID OR LI LI VVING ING

75

CG Community Survey Results

Which two (2) of the following are the most important issues or problems that you personally would like to see your Mayor make a top priority?

Jobs and the economy Schools and education Crime and public safety Roads and city infrastructure Land use and development Taxes Public transportation City facilities Environmental quality Other

#1 22 34 28 9 10 7 6 1 2 1

#2 31 10 15 25 13 7 4 3 3 5

#3 Total Percent 4 63 16.4% 7 60 15.6% 5 59 15.3% 1 49 12.7% 1 39 10.1% 3 28 7.3% 1 27 7.0% 1 22 5.7% 1 20 5.2% 2 18 4.7%

Which of the following Casa Grande events do you or your family participate in? (check all that apply) Electric Light Parade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Casa Grande Main Street Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4th of July Fireworks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

AZ State Chili Championship Cook-Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cowboy Indian Days Rodeo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Copper State Fly-in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Viva Grande (Salsa Challenge). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Casa Grande Chamber Afterhours Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ride for the Warrior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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GOLDEN GOLDENCORRID CORRID OR ORLILI VV ING INGWWIN IN T ER T ER202016 16

74.3% 68.1% 47.8% 46.9% 34.5% 22.1% 20.4% 18.9% 14.1%

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

CG Community Survey Results

ADDITIONAL SURVEY COMMENTS Would like to see continued push for highlighting and revitalization of Downtown! It could be a very charming area!!!

I am sure things can always be better. We would leave that to you. Hopefully you are honest and have the best interest of the community in your heart. If not we are in trouble! For now I will give you the benefit of the doubt. Thank you for caring enough to run, it’s a big job.

I was very impressed by your survey request! That is what politicians need to do! I have had many jobs living in HI & CA. One of my jobs was doing surveys in Honolulu. I love the business employees in CG. I consider them “friends” & get excellent service so again I appreciate this idea.

The only company I had a problem with is Southwestern Eye Center. Get some competition!

I use a walker and handicap parking is limited (2 spaces at Vista Library). Doors are difficult to open and hold to get the walker by myself in.

Let’s clean up the abandoned homes. Owners should be given 1 year to fix, or tear them down.

My neighborhood (317 E. 3rd St.) and east/south Florence Blvd. looks like Detroit.

Get people who own properties to keep down the weeds and pick up the trash, clean up N. Pinal Ave, both sides, this is what everyone sees when they come into town. Thank you, Organizations in CG need low cost meeting space for HOA meetings, AA meetings, organized sports meetings, etc.. It would be great to have some rooms available to rent at $40 $50 per event.

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

The city needs to be cleaned up. This is like a little LA CA, beggars on every corner. It’s sad that this is the impression we put across as a city. My biggest concern are the beggars, street people, and panhandlers. Only 1 in 10 of these beggars are homeless. They are making money and this is a scam.

Mainly Phoenix Mart, we want to grow as a city and Phoenix Mart will bring in jobs and money for growth. Besides getting Phoenix Mart moving, providing good teachers for education. Go back to basics not this new math, etc.

Our libraries don’t have enough books, more $$ to our schools.

Trashy back and front yards.

Old T.V.s and sofas, beer cans, water bottles, dried up trees and lots of junk. Also in Alleys.

Glad you are running. It’s time for a change.

My main concern is Public Transportation. CG has grown so much I have been here 11 years and I have seen tremendous growth. A lot has to do with senior citizens. Please provide some public, ie., buses to go from and around CG to Phoenix and Tempe, Chandler, etc Taxes on my food! I’ve lived here 38 1/2 years, still haven’t a clue where all that money has gone. Should be an age limit on paying for food that is taxed at the grocery store only. I feel we have the very best EMTs, fire and police any where. Thank you!

Community Center is good for youth and overall community relations. Phoenix Mart is a fraud, CG bought it hook, line and sink-

er. My concern is lack of fiscal responsibility on the part of City Manager Thompson and current Council falling for the Jack Beanstalk of the UFL and EB-5 fraud AKA Phoenix Mart. I will take it further and say Thompson is not that ignorant. Follow the money!

Good luck. I appreciate your efforts to find out what the citizens think and want. I hope you get a good response.

Looking into our own camera system for red light runners. It is getting excessive & dangerous.

Road repairs, more traffic signals (I can’t make left turn on to Florence without going to a signal.

I hope he/she supports conservative values. I’d like to see the monthly city usage fee stabilize. In ten years it has doubled from $25 for $50. Thanks for reading.

Ease up on the sign ordinance.

Make the city more business friendly.

The “Other” I indicated is my concern with the workforce we have in CG. I would like to see curriculum focused on how to prepare them for the workforce of the future. I love this town and want to see it become a “most desired” place to live and work. Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinions.

Continuing to run the city like a business is very important to the growth and stability of Casa Grande. I am not convinced we need the multi-generational center but I am more in favor of it than not and most concerned that it makes sense financially and can support itself without continued City infusion of funds for ongoing operations.

We need a leader who is smart enough to not be hoodwinked by these big corporations who act like they are doing us a favor by coming here even though we give them so may incentives and basically bend over backwards to get them here.

1.) Draw good businesses that will help us grow and provide good jobs. 2.) Better education at the schools targeting computer, electronics, and engineering, Where jobs exist.

Enforce code violations for signage, junk cars, debris on lots & alleys, better street sweeping jobs.

I voluntarily tore up my drivers license 2 years ago due to peripheral neuropathy. My husband is 79 yrs old and should be thinking about the same in 2-3 years. As of now he is a safe and competent driver. Get that public transportation going NOW. We live at Casa Verde Estates and many of our friends are in the same situation. Other Concerns: Deportation of illegal persons.

They are an economic drag and a crime & safety hazzard. Let the Fdds & local law keep them get legal. Set standards.

Old Town needs more accessible parking. As and old disabled person, I really have to think about “can I attend/access this event”. Never had an understandable description of what Phoenix Mart is!

We hope that the Multigenerational Center has an aquatics feature, to provide adults a place to swim for exercise.

Coaches who organize T-Ball & Soccer in the park do not force continued on page 92...

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The LIVING Interview (continued)

continued from page 37... down here and I married my wife Kelly, we settled down and didn’t do that for years because there was a business to run and a family to raise. After a while my brother Tom and I started the celebration again probably about 17 years ago. Initially, we had our friends and family for lunch and we would celebrate the day. Well after 4 years, things started getting bigger and bigger, I turned it into a dairy event. We had all the dairymen get together to socialize. Later we got “sponsors”, the people who we did business with, and who sold supplies to each of our dairies. That was a lot of business and as a result, they would sponsor the party for awhile. It was just the dairymen and we had 180, 200 people and we raised enough money from our sponsors to cover the cost of the party. It was another way for the dairymen to socialize, it was a social event.

Well after a while, we had money left over from the party and we built up a reserve fund. I built up too much of a reserve fund and so, oh, four years ago, five years ago, over a two-year period, we gave $15,000 to the Boys and Girls Club because we didn’t need the excess money. Then I asked myself, what should be the next step? It’s a

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good cause, you’ve got all these people coming and our sponsors were growing, so we formed the Dugan’s St. Patrick’s Foundation. I hoped that every year we could raise $25,000 - $30,000 for the Boys and Girls Club. That was two years ago. The first year we netted $81,000 and it just blew me away. We gave $20,000 to the Boys and Girls Club, $20,000 for ag scholarships and then to kids in need in our community.

We kept enough money to help with the next year’s party. But again I asked myself, “What should be our next step?” I knew up in the valley, you have like five or six organizations like the Compadres, Thunderbirds and the Scottsdale Charros.

Between them they raise about $30 million a year. And most of the money goes to students, hospitals, the Boys and Girls Clubs and to different charities in the area.

So I said “Why don’t we start one down here?” I thought we need it more than anybody else because we have 350,000 people in this county and the need here is great.

So I got started and in May of 2014, we met at Golden Eagle Distributors. At that first meeting, we had about 25, 30 guys show up.

I had the president of the Compadres make a presentation. And we talked to these 25 guys and we, you know, set things up. It

took us three months to figure out a name and we settled on Pinal 40. At the present time, we are up to 38 members. Basically we already had an event with the St. Patrick’s Day party which I knew would raise money.

But then what we did was we turned it into a three-day event! Our idea was to bring all these dairy farmers in from all over the country. Then the corporate guys will follow. Rock is one of the members. You were too, Brett. The first year the event netted $184,000! We gave $135,000 of that away. $40,000 to Boys and Girls Club, $40,000 to ag scholarships, $10,000 FFA, $10,000 to the County Fair, $15,000 to various charities, and $20,000 to an endowment fund. So our goal is to eventually get 40 members. Each member has to raise $5000. Personally, my goal is to have Pinal 40 raise a half a million dollars a year. There are a lot of great organizations in this town that need help. Our next step is to go out into corporate America to the big corporations who are involved in the dairy industry.

GC LIVING: And to date they have never really been approached?

DENNIS DUGAN: They’ve never really been approached. We also recognize we need to give all of our sponsors, especially the corporations, a platform to interact with agri-producers. So we have an agricultural event and we decided to call it the “Arizona Ag Experience”. It covers all of Arizona. You have to think big!

GC LIVING: Don’t you offer tours, baseball games and well known speakers from the industry?

DENNIS DUGAN: We do tours at Stanfield and Casa Grande. This year our primary event’s being held in Chandler at the San Marcos Hotel. Our speaker is Ken Thomas, who survived the Black Hawk Down incident.

He will be inspirational and discuss the importance of planning. That’s true for dairy farmers too... planning. The reason why we have to have that in Chandler is because there’s not a facility down here big enough to hold it. We’ve booked 180 rooms. We still have our St. Patrick’s Day party down here.

We’re hoping to raise $300,000 this year.

GC LIVING: How many people were at the last St. Patrick’s Day party?

DENNIS DUGAN: 525 people.

GC LIVING: And how many had you expected?

continued on page 90...

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

Is It Time?

The best time to get a good deal in real estate is anytime.

The right time to buy a home is whenever you find the home that’s right for you. When the time is right let the seasoned real estate professionals at Coldwell Banker ROX Realty help you find the home of your dreams at the best price. Our agents know the market, the neighborhoods and can help match your wants and needs with current inventory. Make 2016 your time to own a home.

520-423-8250

1919 N. TREKELL RD. CASA GRANDE Š2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

CG News

CONTINUED…

PARK UPDATE...cont. from page 12 little bit of demo, cleanup and then the restoration of that tracks. That’s going to be, we think, leading up to the summer.

This spring probably see some enhancements going on.”

The remnants of Cougar Stadium will also be taken into consideration.

“Cougar Stadium rings a bell to a lot of people that have been in Casa Grande for awhile, (it) used to be the old high school football field,” Schwind said.

“The historical committee has made contact with us wanting to know what we were going to do with the scoreboard, if there’s any use for that scoreboard, so we’re working with them to see if they have a new home for it.”

Schwind said officials at Casa Grande Union High School indicated no interest in taking the scoreboard.

“We’re to try to work with an artist that maybe wants to come in and

CHIEF FINALISTS ...cont. from page 13 • Chris Vasquez, interim director of police services since December 2014, replacing Cervantes. Vasquez, served in the department for 20 years before retiring as a lieutenant, also spent seven years with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office where he served as chief deputy, bureau commander, and as elected sheriff. He has a bachelor’s degree in management and a master’s degree in organizational management

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enhance the back panel of the thing,” he continued. “It has been vandalized several times, so there’s a lot of brown, tannish paint on it. If we can get that restored — and we’re kind of looking at doing that — we thought perhaps that the high school might want it for the inside of their gymnasium, maybe mount it on a wall, this was the old Union board. But the athletic director and folks there, they really didn’t express any interest in it at all. With the age of the thing, to try to find any kind of electronic equipment to make that thing work is not feasible.”

A suggestion was made that the local history museum might be interested.

“I think that could be a landing spot for it,” Schwind replied, “but as it sits right now we’re not going to do any demolition to it. We’ll look at maybe getting it repainted and restored and then as the time comes maybe we’ll take that back panel off and have it mounted somewhere and preserve it.

The historic committee does do some restoration, collects old vintage Casa Grande signs.”

Schwind said that during the next board meeting he will have a slide show of current park conditions.

“We’re also looking at, in time, the race track, or the running track that goes around Old Cougar Stadium,” he said. It is in disrepair, severe disrepair, at this point in time, but is still very heavily used.”

The master plan calls for realignment of playing fields and a new running/walking track.

“But, again, that’s a function of money and time,” Schwind said, “so

we’re looking at the potential to do a little restoration on that track just so over the years that can remain a useable recreation option.

“I’m not sure we’re going to put a rubberized surface back on it. We just may go with stabilized granite, but it still would provide that walking opportunity that people seem to really take advantage of and use that park.”

Overall, Schwind continued, “We’re going to move forward, I think, with the first phase with the money that we have currently associated with that.

We can, I think, very easily afford the lighting project to get that enhanced, a little bit of demolition getting some of the rundown fencing removed, some of the old bleachers removed that really no one uses any more, not up to ADA code, and we really don’t have a need for bleachers at that facility.

“This spring you’ll probably see some enhancements going on.”

Schwind said his department hopes to be before the City Council on Jan. 18 for the acquisition of the new lights.

“We can do that via state contract, and then we’ll go out to bid on the actual work,” he continued.

“The lights are more of a specialty function; no one locally really sells those. Using the state contract we can get a pretty good price on those and then we can go out to bid and then have local contractors bid on the actual installation.

“We’re have a new series of lights that will get away from the gas and the halogen type lights, we’re going to go LED. From a cost management perspective they do give us the foot-candle lighting that we do need and for a longer period of time, they’re more cost effective.”

from the University of Phoenix.

• Mark McCrory, deputy chief for the Tulsa, Okla., Police Department since 2005.

McCrory joined the Tulsa department as an officer in 1982, where he worked his way through the ranks to fill multiple leadership roles. He has a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

The other two finalists were: • Joe Angel Leos Jr., captain for the Casa Grande Police Department since March

2015. Prior to joining CGPD, Leos spent 26 years with the Arizona Department of Public Safety where he held several command positions and completed multiple assignments as interim chief. He has a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in science of human relations from Northern Arizona University.

• Roy Bermudez, assistant police chief for the Nogales, Ariz., Police Department since 2007. Bermudez also served as a patrol/investigations lieutenant and police

captain since joining the Nogales Police Department in 1997. He has a bachelor’s degree in public safety with a specialization in emergency management from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minn.

The city said the initial review process consisted of a writing exercise and telephone interview with a selection committee. The police chief manages a $15.7 million operational budget and supervises 121 employees, both officers and civilian workers.

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CG News

CONTINUED…

COMMUNITY CENTER...cont. from page 13 “And really, I call it the magical box,” he continued. “It’s nothing that we have to plan and prepare for on an ongoing, 365 days a year, but we can provide those activities on various weekends, there’s activities, tournaments. Give us the opportunity to have the box and we can make it work.”

When the report from Salvatore is received it will be given to the recreation board and the City Council, Schwind said, giving both a chance to review it before the next board meeting and a council work/study session.

The work/study session will not be final action by the council, Schwind pointed out.

“It’s basically the findings of all the community (input) and I think they will also provide information based on what they feel is needed as floor plan, square footage and that type of thing,” he said.

“They’ll do a program to accommodate what they feel the high priority needs are.”

McBride asked if a short work/study meeting with the council before the main presentation would be appropriate.

“I know that they’ve done that on other things, other topics,” she said. “I would really be interested to be there. I don’t necessarily want Joe to feel like he has to come in and make a special presentation to us, but if they do some kind of work/ study for those results and that, I’m certainly happy to be there for that.”

Schwind said the council work/study session will be open to anyone in the community.

The board unanimously passed a motion to be part of the session.

Find Information with the MyCasaGrande Mobile App

I

t’s not too well known yet, but Casa Grande has a smartphone app that allows instant reporting of problems.

The city says it is “one of a handful of communities around the country to leverage smartphone technology to encourage citizens to report service needs or issues of concern.

“The mobile app allows residents to

A

THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

personnel to the scene.

“The city believes that the information provided by citizens through the new mobile app will help to improve the efficiency of its operations and reduce costs.”

The app, called mycasagrande, is available to use on Android and Apple devices.

The download links are at http:// casagrandeaz.gov/dept/citymanager/ pio/mobileapps/.

Adopt-A-Trail Program at Casa Grande Mountain

C

asa Grande’s Community Services Department has developed an Adopt-A-Trail Program so volunteers can adopt trail sections to assist with maintaining, enhancing and monitoring the trails and trailhead at Casa Grande Mountain.

The city announcement says, “Anyone with an interest in trails and the outdoors

Food and Beverage at the Library new food and beverage service may be coming next month to the main Casa Grande library.

In June 2014, an agreement was announced that would have the Cook E Jar Bakery and Cafe operating a small outlet at the library, but that didn’t last because of not enough customers to make it profitable.

“They tried it for about six months and the sales just weren’t there for them, doing what they were doing, so they did opt out of their contract,” Community Services Director

report graffiti, code violations, illegal dumping, street repairs/maintenance, sewer issues and parks maintenance.

Residents can simply click a picture of an issue and send it to the city.

“The technology uses the GPS in smartphones to identify the specific location of the problem, allowing the city to more efficiently dispatch work crews, codes enforcement officers, or other

Bill Schwind told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board during the Dec. 2 meeting.

“But the legal team currently is working on a revised contract,” Schwind continued. “We kind of opened it up for nonprofit groups to do.

“And the one that kind of came forward first that we’re kind of playing with currently are actually the Friends of the Library.

“That group is looking to expand, not so much into the food and beverage thing.

They’ll do coffee and they’ll do drinks and

is welcome to participate. Individuals, families, businesses, community and service organizations, churches, schools and scout troops are all examples of volunteers. Adopting a trail section provides an opportunity for you to be actively involved in conservation and preservation.

“The effort brings trail and nature enthusiasts closer to the environment and

their community. Volunteers will enjoy the time they spend outdoors and the personal satisfaction gained through volunteerism.”

The information packet and application form are posted at http://casagrandeaz. gov/rec/files/2015/12/Adopt-A-Trail-Application-and-Summary.pdf.

For further information, you can call 421-8600, ext. 4690.

package food, not so much making fresh sandwiches, per se.

“They’re also going to incorporate various types of book sales and other things into that as somewhat of a fundraiser for them, but also providing that lunch service or that snack service, as well.”

An opening in early to mid January is being looked at, Schwind said.

“They plan on doing that with all volunteer labor and folks working there,” he continued. “ They’ve got a fairly active group that are working well together, so we’ll see how that goes, but we hope that works out.”

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Traveling • Dining • Entertainment

PUZZLES & GAMES SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

CROSSWORD

Answers on Page 66

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THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

148 S. Los Cielos Lane - Casa Grande, AZ Mission Royale

This plan #107 offers perfect quiet living in the adult community of Mission Royale. Extras galore and all add to the living experience for convenience and enjoyment. Front paver patio, back covered paver patio the entire width of the home and an outdoor grill area with counter space and electricity. A beautiful Basalt pillar fountain highlights the backyard from the great room and is surrounded by boulders and green plants. Spacious cozy backyard and patio are great for entertaining or just enjoying with family. Solar tubes add light into the rooms without utility cost. Sunscreens on windows and ceiling fans save energy costs.

Remotely operated front shade to shield the front from afternoon sun. Electric company is ED-2. Don’t miss this one.

Cathy Taylor

520-560-2083 cathyt@coldwellbanker.com Š2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

Game Day Recipes!

Chips & Guacamole 5 - Avocados - peeled, pitted and diced 1/2� cubes 1 - jalepenos, seeded and fine diced 1 cup - cilantro, diced 1/2 cup - onion, diced 1 - lime juiced Salt &Pepper to taste Mix all ingredients until desired consistency.

Serve with Chips. Refrigerate

Salsa 2 - 16oz cans of diced tomatoes 1 bunch - cilantro, diced 1 bunch - green onions, diced 2-3 jalepenos, seeded and fine diced (for hotter salsa use habeneros) 1 - lime juiced Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2 - 3 pkg cocktail smokies (Beef, cheddar or mixed) 1 - bottle chili sauce 1 cup - grape jelly Brown smokies in skillet. You can use a little butter if needed.

When browned, place in crockpot. Add chili sauce and jelly to skillet until jelly is melted. Pour over smokies in crockpot.

Keep warm until ready to serve.

Spicy Wings

7-Layer Dip

3LB bag of wing drummettes 1 - bottle Italian salad dressing 1 - bottle Frank’s Hot Sauce 1 - stick butter

Refried beans Sour Cream Black Olives Diced Green Chilies Diced Tomatoes Diced Green Onions Browned Ground Beef or Shredded Chicken

Melt butter in skillet. Saute wings in butter until browned.

Add hot sauce and salad dressing. Simmer until cooked.

Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

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Cocktail Smokies

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Layer all ingredients in serving bowl or 9x13 glass dish.

Refrigerate and serve cold with chips

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

Page Article

60 Acre Ranch

16016 E. Cactus Forest Rd., Florence

$1,041,250 This 60 acre – ranch land and home, is the former headquarters for the England Cattle Company. This modular 2 bedroom, 2 bath home plus office features a great room concept with dining and wet bar. Kitchen has a nice breakfast bar and tiled floor. Outdoors you will find a large enclosed screened patio – great for entertaining or feeding your cowboys.

Speaking of cowboys, this ranch has its own butcher shop, tack room, corrals, squeeze chute, scales and lots more.

Joyce South Joyce@joycesouth.com 520.705.1272 ©2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

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Esther Turner Cotton Nadine Turner Hackler is my dearest friend, a woman of strength, character, and compassion who has made a very real difference in my life. Born in Prescott, Arkansas, her family moved to Casa Grande in 1938. Each time I have wanted to confirm facts about Casa Grande’s history for articles I have written, Nadine, without fail, has been my source of details and information. Her memory is as sharp as her wit.

Nadine called me a few weeks ago, disturbed when she read an interview that stated that in the early days Casa Grande was crime-ridden. “That is not true. This was a good place to live. There are so few of us left who remember the way it was. ‘Hack’ (Melvin Hackler, Nadine’s husband of 69 years) is 91 and I will turn 89 in a month. We don’t know how much more time we have, and I think it is important for the memories not be lost.”

Nadine’s parents, A.L. ‘Buck’ and Effie (Machen) Turner married in 1923 in Camden, Arkansas. Buck was a dirt farmer, logger, grave digger, cabinet maker and carpenter. They raised four children: J.T. (John Thomas, known to his friends as ‘Buck’), Nadine, Esther, and Opal Lavone (Bonni). Effie’s father was a Confederate Veteran of the Civil War. J.T. retired a Colonel in the U.S. Army, serving in WW II and the Korean Conflict. Esther became an LPN and x-ray technician, and has lived in Bisbee since 1951. Bonni worked as the office nurse for Dr. J.B. Tucker for many years, and lived in Casa Grande until her death in 2000. Growing up, music was always part of their lives; Buck was “an old fashioned hoe-down type fiddler”, J.T. played the guitar, and Nadine played the organ and piano by ear. To this day, they remain a close-knit family.

In the early 1970’s, Nadine’s sister, Esther, began writing for her children a memoir of her life in Arkansas and Arizona. In keeping with Nadine’s wish, Esther is sharing the following excerpt from that work.

– Georgia F. Schaeffer

“God, what is poor?”

by Esther Turner Cotton In fond remembrances of Mother and Daddy Dedicated to Nadine, my sister

Chapter 2

O

ne of the men that made the trip with us was a life-long friend of our family, J.P. Tunnel, who gave Daddy a pistol for payment of his fare. The other gentleman, Dan Meadar, gave daddy a canvas tarpaulin. Both items were useful on the trip. The tarp covered our truck and since we stopped and slept out of doors every night, Daddy felt safe with the gun – after all, we were traveling into foreign country!

We traveled about one hundred and forty miles the first day and stopped the first night in Mt. Vernon, Texas, just east of Dallas. Now there were about 1,100 more miles to go!! Mostly we ate cold food that

w as pre-cooked but I think Mother did some of our meals out on an open fire – especially the evening meal. We probably had fried potatoes and hoe-cake bread made in a skillet. The events of the trip through Texas and New Mexico are vague, but I do remember how different the great plains were in contrast to the wooded country we left behind. I do recall as we drove through El Paso, Texas that we kids felt very apprehensive at being so close to “Old Mexico”. We had never

Georgia is a Casa Grande native and Associate Broker at Coldwell Banker ROX Realty.

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THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

Esther Turner Cotton

Bottom Left: Front Row: Ann Huffman Darmon.

Back row: J.T., Esther & Nadine Turner, Bonnie Huffman, CG Mountain 1938; Left: Esther, Bonni, Buck, Nadine, J.T. & Effie Turner, Casa Grande Mountain, 1938. Below: Buck in a cotton field.

seen a Mexican and of course the language was totally foreign to us.

The fourth night into our journey we stopped in Douglas, Arizona which is the second largest border town in the state. We slept in The Deluxe Tourist Court which is what the motel was called. The rooms were small individual cabins with a bed, dresser and inside toilets with a small shower.

These were things we had heard of but never seen. This little court was still standing until late 1982 when it was razed to make space for new businesses. I was living in Bisbee – only twenty-five miles away, and watched its demise with mixed feelings of nostalgia and inevitable progress.

We left Douglas early the next morning (which was Friday), and headed for Casa Grande, about two hundred miles northwest. About twenty-five miles west of Douglas we passed through the most fascinating old town I had ever seen. It was the old mining town of Bisbee with the appearance of a European alpine village with the highway winding through the bottom of the canyon and the houses built on the sides of the mountain. The houses appeared to be sitting on top of each other. Downtown the stores were very close to the edge of the highway and were built to conform with the twists and curves of the canyon.

We drove up the steep grade of the

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mountains around the sharp S and U curves and soon the engine of the old Ford became very hot and started to boil. Soon most of the water was gone from the radiator. We were lucky, for down below us on the side of the mountain was a house and daddy climbed down with a bucket and borrowed water for the radiator. Later when I moved to Bisbee, which has been my home for more than thirty years, I became acquainted with the Carbajal family who still lives in the little house on the mountain. Now there is a tunnel for the highway to go through the mountains so with that and the newer car engines they don’t have “water borrowers” anymore.

However I’m sure that in the past they came to the rescue of many travelers who had trouble when chugging up the big hill.

As we drove farther north we passed through the old historic town of Tombstone – “The Town Too Tough To Die“, and home of the famous Earps. Our next goal was to get to Tucson down in the valley.

Between Benson and Tucson we were faced with a vast desert floor covered with greasewood or creosote bushes, mesquite trees and myriads of jumping cactus and prickly pear. The valley was surrounded by purple mountain ranges. To our delight we learned later that the Catalina range just a few miles north of Tucson was a whole different world

of pine trees, oaks, streams of running water and a beautiful place of respite from the searing heat of the valley summers.

Daddy said, “We’re almost there”, and our excitement rose to a real high. When I think back I wonder what our parents’ feelings were. Daddy must have been relieved that we had made the trip without an accident or illness, but on the other hand there must have been some doubts about the wisdom of making a move, of our future, and if it was to be a better life than we had left behind.

How does a nine year old child know if she is poor, God? It was Friday afternoon about 2-2:30 when we arrived in Casa Grande, Arizona. Thus – a new phase, a new beginning for the family of A.L. Buck Turner from Prescott, Arkansas. …to be continued.

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Page Article

EXPLORE

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THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

the

Explore the Desert

Sonoran Desert

by Albert J. Copley, Professor Emeritus, Truman State University

T

he Sonoran Desert National Monument is located south of Goodyear and Buckeye and east of Gila Bend.

It was established by a Presidential proclamation on January 17, 2001. The 496,400 acres monument is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Bureau of Land Management had already managed the land. Under monument status however, the level of protection and preservation of resources is enhanced. The Sonoran Desert National Monument is only a small portion of the Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert covers more than 120,000 square miles and extends well into California and the country of Mexico.

Because of the monsoon rains in Arizona, it is not uncommon for the Sonoran Desert to have a second spring! Five to eight weeks after the monsoon rains a profusion of wild flowers may be seen in the Sonoran Desert.

There is something about desert flowers which seem to be a little extraordinary. Perhaps it is the need for flowers in the desert to be pollinated quickly in order to be able to go to seed which makes them especially bright and colorful.

The Sonoran Desert National Monument is unique among monuments in that the Presidential Proclamation specifically mentioned the impacts of livestock grazing on the monument Specifically mandated was the closure of all grazing allotments south of Interstate 8 at the expiration of their permits. The Bureau of Land Management was also charged with determining compatibility of livestock grazing and resource protec-

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

tion for the grazing allotments north of the Interstate.

In his Proclamation, President Clinton described the Monument thusly: “The Sonoran Desert National Monument is a magnificent example of untrammeled Sonoran desert landscape. The area encompasses a functioning desert ecosystem with an extraordinary array of biological, scientific, and historic resources. The monument’s biological resources include a spectacular diversity of plant and animal species. The monument also contains many significant archaeological and historic sites, including rock art sites, lithic quarries, and scattered artifacts. The most biologically diverse of the North American deserts ...”

In addition to the variety of plants and animals which may be seen within the desert there are numerous ruins left by the Native Americans which once inhabited this area.

Actually there is even a park which has been set up to protect the writings of “Rock Art” which the Native Americans created. This, of course, is the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site which is not far west and north of Gila Bend.

Get out and enjoy the desert. This is where you live. The Phoenix Zoo has a special section for Sonoran Desert animal life. Check on the internet; look for Sonoran Desert, you will be amazed at the museums, botanical gardens, zoos, parks and monuments to be seen. There are almost endless opportunities for hiking, touring, exploring, photography, bird watching, and more.

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The LIVING Interview (continued)

continued from page 78...

DENNIS DUGAN: I was figuring maybe 300. I didn’t expect that many.

GC LIVING: I know you have a vision for a fiveyear plan, ten-year plan for this organization. The first year was way beyond your expectations.

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes it was. But Pinal County needs a lot of help too. You’ve got cities like Coolidge and Eloy and Maricopa, they don’t have a Boys and Girls Club. The need here is great. So hopefully we can open up future Boys and Girls Clubs, we can give to needy kids in all those area where there is no help now. This last year, we gave $2,500 to homeless teenagers. Nobody knows this but there are over a hundred homeless teenagers in the city of Maricopa. You know there’s got to be homeless teenagers in Casa Grande, Coolidge, Eloy and Florence.

We want to raise all this money so we can give it back, the money stays in the community where the need is great. A lot of the money is coming out of the Phoenix area though.

GC LIVING: But you’ll take it wherever you can get it?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. That’s true.

GC LIVING: With every successful philanthropic venture in this country, usually the

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person that puts together and organizes and that is the keyword of this, ‘organize’, because you’re bringing in key people that can get the job done to fulfill your vision.

I’m glad we talked about it because guys like you never want credit for anything and sometimes you need to receive the credit.

GC LIVING: There was a period in your career a few years ago where you decided you needed to get into politics. Tell us about that.

DENNIS DUGAN: For about 10 or 12 years, I was involved with the St. Anthony’s School Board; then I got involved with the FFA and with a lot of help we took the FFA Steak Fry to a different level, which is great because it continues today. I was always involved in the community, community events, and so I thought, well, it’s time that I get involved in another way and I wanted to get involved with the county.

I told myself “it’s part of giving back”. It certainly wasn’t for the salary, I think at that time it was $53,000. I was frustrated with what was going on at the county.

And then when I started digging more and more into the county, and I discovered a tremendous amount of waste over there.

I reviewed the budget for the last three years and grew irritated.

I said there’s ... We need somebody in there that can make a difference and I fig-

ured that I could make a difference. And that’s primarily the reason I ran. I lost by, I think, 220 votes or so… It kind of hurts when you lose, but after six or eight months you move on. It turned out for the best.

GC LIVING: (Laughs.) While I still have you, where did you meet your wife Kelly?

DENNIS DUGAN: When I came down here in ‘81, I was very fortunate to meet my wife.

I first met her at Cotton Hill. We started dating. Her name was Kelly Hackler. I was blessed to have met a great gal like Kelly and we got married in 1985. Kelly has been my go-to person when I am faced with challenges, say the wrong thing, or anything else, but, uh...

GC LIVING: Which is quite often!

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes, quite often… because I put my foot in my mouth a lot of times.

But she is great. She’s a great person to bounce things off of. She has been my strength to get through all the things I’ve been through in my lifetime in the last 31 years. Her mother Nadine and dad Hack have been living with us for six years and she’s been the caregiver and it takes a special person to do that. She’s just a, just a great woman and I’m very, very lucky to have her as my partner.

GC LIVING: She’s the one who covers what we affectionately refer to as “Duganisms”.

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. (Laughs) . . . the “Duganisms”. Ever since I was born I have had a speech impediment. To compensate, I make up words, so what we do is we call them “Duganisms”.

GC LIVING: Are you the only brother involved in civic affairs?

DENNIS DUGAN: My brother Pat has been involved in the community greatly. He’s been on the Pinal County planning and zoning board for six, seven years. He’s been a chairman of the United Way, you know, he’s been extremely involved in the community and all my brothers, if they’re not involved in the community, they do give back to the community through donations and so forth. My brother Richard was the mayor of Chandler. My brother Richard was a mayor and so really our family has been involved with politics for a while.

GC LIVING: Are your days of wanting to be a politician over?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. My wife told me it’s over with. I trust her on that. Yes, it’s over.

THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

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CG Community Survey Results

ADDITIONAL SURVEY COMMENTS continued from page 75... the parents & children to pick up after themselves. Spend money to repair our park infrastructures.

Too much government sitting in the office, not enough time spent in the field. Remember the last five letters of Bureaucracy is CRACY. The police spend more time east of I-10. Do not enforce the codes and ordinances. Vehicles are parked on right of ways and in dusty fields. Commercial and private vehicles are parking on and blocking the sidewalks for handicap persons.

Support the Community Center if it includes a pool. The main thing my family leaves town to do is visit an Aquatic Center. We need a facility that encourages residents to stay in town & family oriented (much like Maricopa).

I think the city has done a great job in maintaining streets, sidewalks, buildings, parks and all that they are required to maintain but as the city grows so will the problems.

I would like to see the city be more financially responsible starting with the departments in the city. If you look at the claims the departments put in for its crazy there needs to be a purchasing department for the city so you are not buying things from all over the city when you could just get it from one place. Address the high turnover in the police department and do better exit interviews to find out why all our employees are leaving. Get rid of the 30 mile residency restriction for employees. Find out why the employees do not trust the city manager and HR. This city has the potential to be great it just needs more things than fast food

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restaurants and the PhoenixMart (scam).

More family, steak house and big chain restaurants and a inside mall.

You will have big shoes to fill.

Following Bob’s examples of diplomacy, networking, and always looking for the positive message to send out to the public are keys to moving us forward. I believe whole heartedly that there will be more businesses and industries moving to Casa Grande and you will be a fantastic ambassador for recruiting!

If the Phoenix Mart goes in, Florence Blvd needs to be widened to handle the additional truck traffic; hopefully it will be widened before the opening.

Please read the book “piece of Portland”, looks like a book about quilts but is actually a book about a city transformed itself primarily due to the vision of the mayor.

I’d like to see CG transform itself into a residential and tourist mecca in desert. We’re already doing a lot of good things but let’s speed up the changes.

Mayor needs to reign in the council. They are only supposed to set policy not be involved in day-to-day administrative decisions. This is a problem. I recently retired from the city and I saw it all the time. Let the City Manager and directors do their jobs.

So much focus has been on building a community center lately. This would be a redundant. There are private gyms and other public facilities (libraries, teen center, senior centers), what benefit would this truly provide?

My suggestion is allocate money to construct something that isn’t prevalent in the city and cannot

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be done by private developers: construct any of the regional trails that bisect the city as identified in the CG Parks and Regional Trails Master Plan. We need city trails that encourage people to leave their home and walk, bike to other areas if we want to attract people who look for that amenity that are offered in many other cities.

Current funding for schools is criminal. We need to raise property taxes and get more funding to our schools.

We need a grocery store by the mall. It would make it so convenient! Thanks for listening.

My main concern is Agenda 21 and it’s tentacles into the environment, land use and development. Please let me know where you stand with Agenda 21.

Illegal immigration - drug use and sales to our young people we need more police Bringing business to CG is important but supporting existing citizens and their needs is equally important.

The main concern is our youth and the lack of events for students from ages 14 to 17 without being harassed by the police.

I don’t suppose you could do anything about the wind and the haboobs?

We are very concerned with small businesses being able to come to the City and Downtown, in particular. Although the City is very supportive of our own business at a high leadership level, there are ambiguities and conflicts with policies and procedures being unequally

applied and a few strong political alliances that work severely against small business owners.

If it weren’t for the support of our community leaders and merchants, we would have been destroyed a long time ago. By the grace of God and good people supporting us, we are going to make it but it’s not a good example for encouraging others to revitalize the area.

Pass some kind of law to get rid of the beggers on every corner! Stop pouring tax payers money into projects to help those that don’t want to help themselves. Limiting section 8 housing, food banks, halfway housing builds stronger communities with less crime. They can all move to Phoenix. I am pro hard working American and believe wasting tax payers money on the lazy is the downfall of society!

Casa Grande really needs to look past the need for cars to safely travel across town to the factory jobs. In this day of global warming, we need look twenty years into the future and find safe alternatives to commute.

We are not building Casa Grande for the future, rather we are building it to fail. We need to get past the “small town” mentality. we need to get away from our “dependence” on the larger cities and become our own strong, independent, vivacious city where many will want to live, raise a family, participate in and take pride.

I think more attention needs to be given to generating business in the downtown areas.

I am concerned with the increased illegal drug usage, drug and human trafficking, and grafcontinued on page 96...

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Page Article

Peru: Land of Clouds, Colors &..

Time Travel?

by Jerry Chinn

ROX Expeditions: www.roxex.com 1.800.690.7660 Jerry Chinn, Program Director jerry@roxexpeditions.com

A Discovery Photo Workshop Exclusive

“Andean Landscapes & Portraits” Highlands of Peru: May 19-27, 2016

An exclusive photo workshop-tour, exploring and photographing Peru’s dramatic landscapes and colorful culture. Highlights of the tour are sunset and sunrise visits to the World Heritage site, Machu Picchu, along with the rare opportunity to observe and photograph the Corpus Christi festival. Held each year, this festival celebrates Peru’s cultural and religious heritage with processions, markets, traditional foods, arts and handcrafts. Accompanied by a local professional guide, you’ll also learn about the legacy of the Inka Empire, colonization, and Peru’s contemporary blended culture.

8 days: Lima, Cuzco and Sacred Valley 10 person maximum, cost: $3,300*

A $500 deposit will reserve your space Get up to $500 off the cost of a future ROX Expedition** .

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94

GOLDEN GOLDENCORRID CORRID OR ORLILI VV ING INGWWIN IN T ER T ER202016 16

A “New Age” skeptic goes to Peru Peru has been a place of mystery and fascination for me since early childhood. It began at age nine or ten, when I saw a photo of Machu Picchu on a calendar at my grandmother’s house. I promised myself then, “one day I’ll be there.”

Years quickly passed into adulthood, and my promise remained just a promise. In the meantime, I had become friends with several “New Agers.” For them, Peru was a special draw… a place said to be a convergence of the earth’s energy fields, with deep roots in mystical beliefs and practices. They would return from pilgrimages and Shaman-led workshops, saying what a powerful experience Peru is.

Although something of a skeptic, I was still drawn to Peru as a place to see indigenous cultures thriving and continuing their colorful traditions. It also stirred my imagination and curiosity. I wondered, how did a pre-Columbian culture without the wheel or metal tools accomplish so much, build such unbeliev-

able structures, move and precisely fit together stones weighing many tons, create such a vast network of roads and bridges, and amass such a horde of gold?

Finally, the time came to fulfil my Peruvian promise. Being a professional photographer, I was looking forward to an opportunity to photograph the dramatic landscapes, Native people and a culture unique to Peru. I definitely didn’t anticipate the mysterious events I would experience along the way.

Andes Mountain High – DO drink the tea My plane landed in the capitol city of Lima, and after a short layover, I boarded the regional flight to Cuzco. Cuzco, was the political and religious center of the Inka empire. It’s also situated at an elevation over 11,000 feet. I didn’t think the altitude would be much of an issue for me, coming from northern Arizona at 6,000 feet. However, I knew for some people living at or near sea level, the altitude can have uncomfortTHE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

ROX Page Expeditions Article ROX Expeditions: www.roxex.com 1.800.690.7660 Jerry Chinn, Program Director jerry@roxexpeditions.com

A Discovery Experience Exclusive

able effects. Just to be on the safe side, I immediately boarded a bus to the Sacred Valley. Aside from its lower elevation (7,000-8,000 feet), the Sacred Valley also boasts several prominent Inka sites and bustling markets, offering beautiful and colorful handmade goods.

I arrived at my Sacred Valley hotel, and was greeted with warm smiles and hot tea… greenish coca tea. Having researched my destination, as I always do before traveling, I knew coca tea to be the local remedy for curing and preventing the shortness of breath, light-headedness and headaches associated with altitude sickness. I also learned, although made from coca leaves, coca tea is NOT cocaine in a cup. In fact, it’s perfectly legal to bring back or import coca tea to the United States.

It also tastes deliciously grassy and refreshing. Something else I learned through experience, coca tea can have a diuretic effect… if you drink a lot of it.

Onward & Downward?

To Machu Picchu The pictures and perception of Machu Picchu are of a magnificently preserved Inka ruin perched high on a cloudy mountain top which is true. However, at 9,000 feet it’s lower in elevation than Cuzco. So, those taking the train from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, as many do, are actually going downhill instead of uphill. Since an image of Machu Picchu was what first attracted me to Peru, I had to include a visit in my agenda. However, I had some misgivings, knowing that it’s one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations and my general penchant to avoid crowds and commercialized sites.

Once there, I saw how thoughtfully the site is managed and controlled, rightly so. Even then I made a special effort to break away from the crowds and the beaten path in order to explore the vast ruins independently.

THE THEHOME HOME && GARDEN GARDEN EDITION EDITION

As I climbed higher up the side of the mountain, going toward what’s called the Sun Gate, the vistas became increasingly amazing. I could see far off in the distance and down into the valley where the Urubamba River rushed past the small town of Agaus Caliente. It made putting down my camera difficult. However, I felt a strong urging to quiet the distracting mind-chatter and simply tune into the sights, sounds, smells and feelings surrounding me. For a few moments, I closed my eyes and just let my mind to drift aloft on the warm moist breeze. It was magical and mysterious.

When I opened my eyes, my attention was immediately drawn to a spot I hadn’t noticed before. It was a small dark angular doorway or shallow tunnel, clearly manmade. On the ground, in front of the opening, was a long slender granite stone, shaped like a pointer or arrow. I walked the few yards to the approximate eight-foot tall opening. Although midday, little light made its way into the triangular shaped opening. However, I could see that the cavern was only seven or eight feet deep, with the roof slanting down to just four feet at the far end. Curious about the narrow six foot long rock leading directly to the entrance, I took a directional reading, using the compass function of my travel watch. It pointed due east.

“The Costa Rica Less Traveled”

Immersion into the land, people and culture Explore Costa Rica as few outsiders see it. Glide along calm backwaters to discover rare, colorful birds and wildlife. Next, find yourself immersed in the culture and daily life of a small fishing village or picturesque rural community. Here, you have a unique opportunity to see working artisans, enjoy the savory flavors of “tipico” Costa Rican food, and stay overnight with a local family.

Highlight of the tour is a visit to Santa Rita, where you have exclusive privileges to photograph the festivities of the town’s annual 5-day cultural/religious celebration.

Included is: airport transfers, local transportation, some meals and all lodging, plus a photography mentor and services of an English-speaking local guide/naturalist.

7 days: March 3-9, 2016

8 person max. (6 spots available), cost: $1,950*

A $400 deposit will reserve your space Get up to $500 off the cost of a future ROX Expedition** .

** Refer friends and family to ROX Expeditions and receive $100 credit for each confirmed expedition participant. Credits expire after 12 months. Up to $500 per person may be used toward cost of one expedition. *Prices per person, double occupancy

ROX Expeditions: www.roxex.com 1.800.690.7660 Jerry Chinn, Program Director jerry@roxexpeditions.com

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“From the Lion’s Mouth”

BOTSWANA (southern Africa) 8 or 10 days A first-hand exploration of the real story behind the illegal and legal hunting in Africa. • Learn about the historical and current challenges of wildlife conservation and habitat preservation. • Hear from community leaders, researchers and conservationists, about the political and economic implications of hunting, and the impact of tourism/eco-tourism.

• Visit locations where it all happens.

Entering The “Doorway” To An Extraordinary Experience

9 days + opt. 2 days at Victoria Falls (add $600*) 12 persons max. Starts July 21, 2016, cost: $3,650*

To be continued…

Jerry Chinn an insatiable globe-trotter and award-winning photographer. As Program Director for ROX Expeditions, he develops and coordinates small-group (6-12 persons) tours and photo workshops. Currently scheduled workshop/tours for 2016 include: Costa Rica, Peru and Botswana (southern Africa). For more information, contact: jerry@roxex.com

A $500 deposit will reserve your space Get up to $500 off the cost of a future ROX Expedition** .

** Refer friends and family to ROX Expeditions and receive $100 credit for each confirmed expedition participant. Credits expire after 12 months. Up to $500 per person may be used toward cost of one expedition. *Prices per person, double occupancy

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CG Community Survey Results

ADDITIONAL SURVEY COMMENTS continued from page 92... fiti affecting Casa Grande and surrounding areas.

You sound like a very reasonable man. Good luck to you.

It is a shame that a city of this size has no public transportation!!

Please stop trying to urbanize Casa Grande. Keep it rural. We don’t need the rampant crime that comes with urban sprawl.

It’s time to bulldoze all the undeveloped subdivisions and turn them into parks and other usable greenspace. The city desperately needs a second, and possibly a third pool, one of which should be opened year-round (the current swimming season makes absolutely no sense). Trekell Rd. needs to be finished between McCartney and Ghost Ranch Rd, and Ghost Ranch Rd needs to be extended to Trekell. These improvements are LONG OVERDUE! If they had been done years ago the ridiculous new light on McCartney between Trekell and Pinal would never have been necessary.

We would like to see more advanced classes/programs for elementary education, and more natural/healthy restaurants and stores (Sprouts, Whole Foods, Pita Jungle). We would like to see a greater emphasis on the value of private health care.

The city council needs to consider not issuing all the building permits for new developments - there are several developments fenced in that have never gone anywhere. And Florence Blvd. from I-10 to that Phoenix Mart abomination will be like a parking lot, even if only half of the people they project will

96

be streaming into town to shop here in deed do shop here. I can’t actually see that happening but in case it does - parking lot, particularly during snow bird season. They already put everything on Florence Blvd., like there are no other streets in town that can harbor a business. Well one street - Pinal. I don’t think anyone from the city council ever tries to drive down Florence, heading East especially, in the afternoon. It’s ridiculous.

I’ve seen traffic backed up from Arizola Rd. to the stoplight by Lowe’s & Fry’s. We have enough people living here.

I believe that CGPD should have officers ticket vehicles not parked legally(opposite way, on sidewalk, etc.). Might clean up streets and more $$ into city.

Not have to increase cost of sewer/trash. We are retired on a fixed income. these increases hurt our carefully constructed budget.

It is a shame that a city of this size has no public transportation!

When hiring road maintainer people make sure they use proper material and workmanship. some of our streets were as rough after work was done as before.

Growth should be slow to allow for infrastructure to keep up.

We aren’t maintaining the roads we have. Recent resurfacing made the roads rougher. Must have been let out to lowest bid or a campaign contributor; just like the insane traffic circle on Arizola that allowed. I guess the developer was able to build more houses by not putting Arizola straight through from Cottonwood to Kortsen...as it should have been.

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I believe that the concerns of year round citizens should be taken into consideration a little more than those who are winter visitors and do not have children living in this town. The permanent residents are more invested in the community because we do not pick up and leave it for half the year.

I would like to see other forms of transportation be accepted.

Presently, it’s not safe to be a pedestrian or bicyclist in Casa Grande.

Best of Luck...we are encouraged by your enthusiasm.

The city has focused on big business which is good but I feel they have done this at the expense of local small business.

The city put a lot of money into old town with virtually no pay back. The city is taking my property through imment domain and is going to force my wife and I to move our business which has been at the same location since 1978 and from what we have seen so far from the city is not very encouraging We need job growth with good paying jobs and a compelling reason for younger people to not only work her but live here as well. This city needs to be more vibrant Better control of Casa Grande budget and jobs...don’t grow it, unless there is sufficient businesses to support, Bigger Casa Grande Government.

need a stronger voice to bring in more Business for development and to grow the Casa Grande Airport and industrial business.

I think having the Phoenix Mart will be good for the city. It will bring thousands of jobs to Casa Grande, increase tax revenue, raise the value of homes in the city, and bring more businesses to the city (outside of Phoenix Mart). Hopefully all of that will result in positive changes within the community, like better schools and a stronger economy. It would be really nice if the large increase in jobs and tax revenue would result in lowering the tax rates in Casa Grande as well.

City Admin building on Florence Blvd. Landscaping needs to be decorative rock and desert shrubs. A) less water would be used B) less city manpower for up keep. C) Garbage pick up once a week. No increase in fees for 5 years minimum. D) Most city parks should have 1/2 desert landscape (rocks and shrubs) 1/2 grass. Less water. Less manpower for up keep. Thank you and good luck!

Don’t play dirty politics - I will not vote for any candidate who runs a negative campaign. Good luck.

Continued growth leading to a better economy and more jobs.

Instead of a multigenerational community center the city should “invite” the YMCA to C.G. and offer incentives for them to come here More Promote for Education awareness and more Commercial and Industrial job growth. We

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Coyote Ranch

Everything You Have Ever Wanted!

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3 bedrooms plus office 2.5 baths 2,446 square feet Insulated 3 car garage with separate AC, plentiful overhead and cabinet storage Very open floor plan with 9 foot flat ceilings Abundant tile flooring Kitchen features 42” cabinets, numerous pull-outs, double wall oven, granite counters, breakfast bar and upgraded stainless appliances The spacious master suite boasts a door to the patio, a huge walk-in closet and a bath with separate vanities, soaker tub, spacious shower and private water closet.

There are many extras here, including a central vac, water softener, reverse osmosis, very extended patio, RV parking and hookups, pool with water feature, and carefree landscaping on a .41 acre lot

Kay Kerby 520.560.0769 Sarah Campbell 520.424.6577 Kay_sarah@cox.net ©2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

Page Article Library Creative Writing Contest

Fairy

by Samantha Reeves

O

ne day a boy named Luke went out for a walk.

I wonder what I’ll find today,” he thought.

Last week when Luke went exploring he found a big spider named Tom. Luke told his mom the spider’s name and she said, “You have quite an imagination son.”

But today was different, there was a glow in the distance. “What in the ...” Luke whispered. Luke followed the glow closer and closer until he discovered that it was a fairy.

“Hello,” Luke whispered, but the fairy just giggled and flew away. Luke followed the fairy until he found that he was in the middle of the desert. “Wow!” said Luke, “Awesome.” There was a sign nearby that read Fairyville. Luke followed the sign and then lived in Fairyville happily ever after.

Have your child stop by the Vista Grande Library in Casa Grande to enter the Golden Corridor LIVING essay contest!

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THE THE HOME HOME && GARDEN GARDENEDITION EDITION

Coyote Ranch 138 E. Pebble Ct., Casa Grande

$279,999 Excellent location! This semi-custom, single level 2320 square foot home is located in the desired Coyote Ranch subdivision on a quiet cul-de-sac street. As you walk in the entry way, the spacious, formal living area is to the right, complete with a gas fireplace for those relaxing, cozy nights.

To the left of the entryway is the open great room featuring family room, a bayed dining area and the chef’s delight kitchen, all overlooking the backyard. The kitchen features professional grade stainless steel appliances including a Dacor gas range and Miele dishwasher, a large walk-in pantry, huge island with breakfast bar, 42 in upper cabinets and pull out shelves on lower cabinets, a built-in desk area and granite counter tops. This home has 4 bedrooms, one with built in book shelves and all with great closet space. The master bedroom has private access to the backyard and a large walk-in closet. The master bath features his and hers vanities, a soaking tub and separate shower. Home has an excellent traffic flow for entertaining or family gatherings with the large great room opening to the extended covered patio area. A very private back yard features an expansive grass area, mature fruit trees, rose garden plus a fenced area for the pool – complete with gas heater and electric pool cover. An over-sized 3 car garage plus a work area, built in shelves, and easy attic access with pull down stairs completes this property. This is truly a home for you and your family to enjoy and all on a large, approximate 11,000 sq. ft lot.

Connie Rush 520-560-0433 connie.rush@coldwellbanker.com ©2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

Da w n S v o bo da Branch Manager | NMLS #177235 (520) 421-1171 â–˛ Cell: (480) 221-9826 442 W Kortsen Road, Ste 104, Casa Grande, AZ 85122 dawn.svoboda@AcademyMortgage.com www.AcademyMortgage.com/dawnsvoboda AZ 0913936 Co r p NMLS #3113 | Corp State Lic AZ #BK-0904081