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Growth doesn’t end quality of life, EV Partnership told

BY KEN SAIN

Tribune Staff Writer

There was one over-arching message coming from the annual PHX East Valley Partnership meeting in Chandler on Dec. 8: You can have rapid growth and still maintain a high quality of living.

The group of business and other leaders in the region met at the Chandler Center for the Arts to hear how East Valley cities and towns are managing that balance. They also honored an individual and a business with the group’s legacy awards.

Trevor Barger, founder and CEO of Espiritu Loci and a principal with Arizona Strategies, was the keynote speaker at the event, and spoke of growing up in Gilbert when it had only a few thousand residents and was mostly farms.

He said that as the city continued to grow, his personal quality of life kept improving.

“We must continue our long tradition of a high quality of life while embracing growth,” Barger said.

He argued that with more development, came more parks, outdoor recreation, more restaurants, and more entertainment options. Barger said Arizona cities and towns have done an excellent job managing the growth, which continues to come.

He said even now the state adds about the population of Flagstaff (77,000) each year.

Joining him in making the case were four officials from cities and town that are in different stages of the growth cycle.

Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke and Gilbert Councilmember Scott Anderson represented communities that have already had their first phase of rapid growth and are now approaching buildout.

Representing the areas going through that first phase of rapid growth were Julia Wheatley, the mayor-elect of Queen Creek, and Bryant Powell, city manager of Apache Junction.

Powell said Apache Junction recently approved the development of 4 square miles of land near the border of nearby cities.

“And so just a year ago, we annexed about 8 miles that meets up with Queen Creek, and about seven years ago in coordination with Queen Creek and Mesa, we established, without any fight, without any type of discomfort, or any type of disorganization, our boundaries,” Powell said.

He said they worked on their general plans together, coordinating where they want their jobs corridors to go. Powell said that helped convince the state that Apache Junction is ready to expand.

Wheatley said maintaining a high quality of life helps if people remember how they started and why people initially moved to a community.

“Keep that small-town culture whether you either just moved to Queen Creek, or you’ve been there some time,” she said. “Just keeping it true to what we are out there in Queen Creek.”

For the cities approaching buildout, officials said it’s important to keep promises.

“We work hard at developing neighborhood parks,” Hartke said. “We continue to put money into those, and we make sure that the celebrations that make a community a community happen.”

Anderson said Gilbert still has room to grow and likely won’t reach buildout for another decade.

“We’re continuing to grow in the downtown, we have a new master plan for the district, the Heritage District,” he said. “And it just so happens that the growth in the district is going to occur on the two ends.”

The PHX East Valley Partnership honored Kevin Olson, a senior partner at Lewis Roca with its individual award, crediting him with being a major player in improving transportation throughout the East Valley.

For the business award, the Partnership honored The Boeing Company for its history of contributing to the community ever since it started operating in Mesa. 

CUSD educator helps fine arts students thrive

BY MURRAY SIEGEL

Guest Writer

In recent years school districts across the country have struggled to improve test scores in reading and math.

To devote more class time to these subjects meant reducing student experience in other areas, such as fine arts.

Chandler Unified School District officials believed that they could do more to support fine arts students and teachers and created a position fine arts academic coach to lead this effort.

Three years ago, to initiate this program, Angela Storey was hired to the position and she was ready to accept the challenge.

The primary focus of the position is to support curriculum, instruction and professional development in the various disciplines, which include band, orchestra, general music, choir, the visual arts, dance and theatre. The fine arts program is part of all grades in all 47 CUSD schools.

The coach also develops community partnerships, such as working with the Chandler Center for the Arts to provide opportunities for students to meet with performing and visual artists.

She manages various district events including the art show in April, where student work is judged, honor band performance for elementary students in March and honor orchestra performance for elementary and junior high

ANGELA STOREY

students in April. She also supports a two-day elementary choral festival in February.

Storey has 21 years of experience in Arizona schools, starting in the Teach for America program after graduating from the University of Washington, Seattle. She has received two graduate degrees from Arizona State University.

She taught second and third grade for six years, which was followed by various support and administrative positions, such as assistant principal. Her interest in the fine arts was initiated in fourth grade when she began playing the violin in her school’s orchestra.

Her love for the instrument grew and, today, she is a violinist with the Chandler Symphony Orchestra.

Last year, 80 CUSD students earned this seal and currently there are more than 180 students who intend to pursue the seal this spring. . 