Opinion
www.SanTanSun.com
December 7 – 20, 2013
Community Commentary
Letters to the editor
Chandler has enjoyed a strong 2013 BY JAY TIBSHRAENY
It’s been a great year for the Chandler business community, and for our city as a whole. Watching Chandler emerge as the Innovation and Technology Hub of the Southwest has Mayor Jay Tibshraeny been a gratifying Submitted photo experience. This brand has not come about by chance. It is part of a decades-long plan to ensure Chandler develops a technology base that will serve us well long into the future. And, we truly understand that when jobs come to Chandler, the region and the state benefit as well. From the Price Road Corridor, to our Airpark and Innovations incubator, we are seeing—and doing—some exciting things in Chandler. This spring’s announcement by General Motors to place an Innovation Center on Price Road helps validate our success. GM’s Chief Information Officer Randy Mott called Chandler “the perfect addition to our overall Innovation Center market strategy, locating in great communities that are on the leading edge of innovation and technology.” Adding research jobs through GM,
Intel and other companies diversifies our employment base, and opens new avenues for suppliers and other cottage industries to grow and thrive throughout the Valley. We continue to cultivate many start-ups at Innovations, a model incubator for tech development. There is a reason that the American Express Open Forum placed Chandler among the four best places in the country for tech start-ups. It is because we understand the importance of not only cultivating great new companies and ideas, but keeping them here and helping them develop over time. Our finances are strong, too. Chandler is one of two Arizona cities—and among just 31 across the country—with AAA bond ratings from the three national rating agencies. We have been named one of the Top 12 best-managed cities in the country by a Wall Street insider website the past two years. And our long-term vision has allowed Chandler to remain a global player—and we will be for generations to come. Companies will continue to look at Chandler for its great business environment. Companies like OnTrac and Nationstar who moved into Continuum on the Price Corridor this past year with more than 2,000 jobs combined. Companies like Wells Fargo, who recently announced plans to expand its campus in Chandler with 400,000 square feet of new space and likely thousands of new jobs. And companies like GM who appreciate all
we have worked toward to make this city— and region—attractive to commerce. As the holidays close in on us, remember to “Invest Wisely—Shop Chandler.” It’s a slogan we have used for a number of years and I suspect most local business people already understand and appreciate the true impact of shopping in one’s hometown. In the “season of giving” companies can help each other by purchasing locally. From day-to-day items to client and employee gifts, keeping the dollars in Chandler has a positive effect on the entire community. Sales taxes from the money you spend in Chandler help support city services such as public safety, road improvements, neighborhoods—and our economic development efforts. These taxes also support a quality of life enhanced by parks, sports fields, trails, pools and recreation programs. This creates a community that is desirable to companies looking to locate and expand. Happy holidays to the Chandler community, and here’s to another prosperous new year! Mayor Jay Tibshraeny has been named the country’s Municipal Leader of the Year for 2013 by American City and County Magazine for his work to promote job growth in Chandler and the region. (See the front page of this issue.) You can follow Mayor Tibshraeny on Twitter (@ jaytibshraeny).
Remember to ‘Shop Chandler’ this holiday season BY TERRI KIMBLE, PRESIDENT AND CEO CHANDLER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Chandler has so many options when it comes to buying, shopping and eating locally— especially during the holidays. Terri Kimble When I do my Submitted photo holiday shopping, or any shopping for that matter, I try to always choose local companies and products here in Chandler. There’s a sense of community when you buy local. When I walk into my favorite local boutique or restaurant, it’s not just the gifts or the food that I’m there for. It’s to catch up with the owner or the staff. You get to know the locals and
you start to build relationships, all while shopping Chandler and giving back to the community. Where we decide to indulge and shop allows our community to thrive and also enhances our economic impact on the city. When we shop locally, more of the money we spend stays within the community, helping to support our police and fire, our neighborhoods, parks and recreational programs—all the great things that make up Chandler. Chandler has such a unique plethora of locally owned restaurants, quaint boutiques and shops; you won’t need to go anywhere else but Chandler when doing your holiday shopping. If you are wondering where to find local businesses, the Chandler Chamber makes it easy to support businesses and restaurants here. We offer a section in our weekly and monthly newsletter, as well as our website,
where businesses can share their specials, to help promote our companies here in the Valley. Chandler also has a “Shop Chandler” program where local businesses can get involved by offering special promotions and residents can receive updates relating to local news and offers in Chandler. With more than 1,200 member businesses within the Chandler Chamber, we feel honored to be able to have such a diverse spread of options when it comes to buying local for the holidays. There’s really something for everyone in this city! To find out more about shopping local for the holidays, visit the Chandler Chamber website for a complete listing of member businesses and holiday specials at www.chandlerchamber.com or call 480963-4571. To learn more about the “Shop Chandler” program, visit www.chandleraz. gov/shop.
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FOR THE DEC. 21, 2013 ISSUE
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Thankful reflections of a teacher Dear editor, I have been lucky enough to spend 45 years in the field of education, 14 as director of curriculum and reading at New Vistas Center for Education here in Chandler. Can you imagine being entrusted with the most precious possessions of more than 1,000 families? Not one Wall Street tycoon can boast of such an honor or know the level of responsibility I feel toward our families who share their children with us each day. These children come to us from every corner of the globe, weaving a tapestry of cultures and rich experiences and sharing a common goal of high regard for the opportunities of education. When their time at New Vistas comes to an end, while sad to let them go, I am overwhelmed with the joy of knowing that these children will move out into the world with not only their academic accomplishments, but also the deep-seated values of integrity, character and self-responsibility. The world needs such individuals, don’t you think? When they return and make contact with us, it reminds me of the line from “Mr. Holland’s Opus” when the students return to say, “We are your symphony.” I am grateful too, for our teachers, fine professionals, who, over time become our family. And just like family, we have the honor of sharing all of the occasions of life: marriages, births, graduations and the inevitable sad and trying times, too. I am grateful, indeed. I am grateful for everything. From the tender hug of a 3-year-old, to an invitation to a Harvard graduation, I am grateful for each precious moment. I hope you, too, are lucky enough to feel as I do that what you do matters, for now and forever. I wouldn’t trade this job for the world! Linda McFadyen New Vistas Center for Education Chandler
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December 7 – 20, 2013
Opinion LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FROM PAGE 51
Driving the smart choice this holiday season Dear editor, The cost of airfares has taken off and the price of gas is steadily declining, making travel by car the way to go this holiday season. According to the a recent Wall Street Journal story, airfares on tickets sold for Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks have risen 9.4 and 7.3%, respectively, compared with last year. On the other hand, CNN Money reports that gas prices are falling with nearly 20% of gas stations nationwide charging less than $3 per gallon.
www.SanTanSun.com Going by car to your holiday destination offers a number of practical advantages. You can come and go as you please, pack as much as you want, avoid long ticket counter and security lines, and better enjoy the ride. Because a family of four can travel 1,000 miles roundtrip by car for about the cost of one airline ticket, driving is the sensible economic option. The Car Care Council recommends a pre-trip vehicle inspection to avoid the unexpected cost and inconvenience of breaking down miles away from home. For more information, visit www.carcare. org and check out the free digital Car Care Guide. Sincerely, Rich White Executive Director Car Care Council
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