Golden Corridor Living Magazine

ARIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • MARICOPA

“THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY”

WINTER 2016

Home &GardenSPECIAL SECTION

2016 Winter Visitors GuideSNOWBIRD SURVIVAL HANDBOOK

Inside!

Dennis Dugan

The Interview:

2016 Mayoral Candidate

Craig McFarland’s

Casa GrandeCommunity Survey Results

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6 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION6 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION6 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

Features:

Contents Winter 2016

THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

Home & Garden Special Section 50

The Interview: Dennis Dugan 22

Make It Better: Casa Grande Community Survey Results 72

ARIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • MARICOPA

“THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY”

WINTER 2016

Home &GardenSPECIAL SECTION

2016 Winter Visitors GuideSNOWBIRD SURVIVAL HANDBOOK

Inside!

Dennis Dugan

The Interview:

2016 Mayoral Candidate

Craig McFarland’s

Casa GrandeCommunity Survey Results

Economy & Local Business

Health, Wealth& Education

Travel, Dining& Entertainment

What’s Up Downtown . . . . . . . 16

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

The Home, Health, Garden & Office Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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

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

Florence Home Tour . . . . . . . . .68

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

God, What Is Poor? part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Explore the Sonoran Desert . .88

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

7WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVINGTHE HOME & GARDEN EDITION WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING 7THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

The 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 help-ful 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 pre-dicted 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 your-self a few extra minutes to drive from one side of town to another, make reservations and plan ahead! Welcome Winter Visitors!

Bea Lueck

Happy 2016!

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:

Letter from the Editor

–Bea

WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING

WINTER VISITORS

YEAR-ROUNDRESIDENT

8 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

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 estate information is as of 12-23-15 and is subject to current availability and pricing .

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

CHIEF OF OPERATIONS & FINANCE Elaine Earle, CPA

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES [email protected]

COMMENTS & IDEAS [email protected]

CALENDAR INQUIRES [email protected]

(520) 426-2074

442 W. Kortsen Rd, Ste 101

Casa Grande, AZ 85122

VOICES of the CommunityBob JacksonBorn 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 NeuharthHelen 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

Donna McBrideDonna 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.

Harold KitchingHarold 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.

9WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVINGTHE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

of the CommunityJim DinkleJim 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 BolandBreanna 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-HoodSusan 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.

B U S I N E S S I N D E X100 Academy Mortgage Corporation27 Access Arizona39 Agave Dentistry29 Ak-Chin Indian Community57 American Family Ins-Hobbs57 Annie-Mac Home Mortgage71 Arizona Department of Housing59 Arizona Luxury Lawns & Greens10 Avocado Nursery61 AZ New Horizons Realty55 Brutinel60 Capital R Construction31 Casa Grande Alliance47 Casa Grande Elementary School District65 Casa Grande Family Dentistry17 Casa Grande Main St47 Casa Grande Union High School District32 Central Arizona College54 Chacon’s Landscaping79 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty18 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty97 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Campbell/Kerby83 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Cathy Taylor49 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Cathy Taylor99 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Connie Rush5 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - David Schlagel21 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Georgia Schaeffer85 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Joyce South33 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Property Management69 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty - Sue Pittullo57 Cottonwood Medical Center33 Desert Sky Dental19 Dick & Mitchell DDS91 DM Family Dentistry66 Farmers Insurance - Bryant35 Fitzgibbons Law Offices66 Foothills Bank2 Heritage Motors35 Jenkins Chiropractic35 Lucky Chinese Restaurant65 Mankel Mechanical53 Phoenix Patio Systems46 Planet Fitness - Casa Grande4 Premier Ortho93 Princess Cruises94 ROX Expeditions95 ROX Expeditions 63 ROX Insurance CG3 ROX Travel CG93 ROX Travel 48 Seeds of Hope 20 Sircle Pain Clinic43 Star Towing40 Sun Life Family Health Center67 TeePee Sand And Gravel66 Title Security Agency60 Yang and Horsley Dentistry


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Jan 15th–18th • Arrive Bareroot Fruit, Shade, & Nut Trees

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11WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVINGTHE HOME & GARDEN EDITION 11

January-February 2016

JANUARY

1 Pickleball Open Gym - 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Len colla Rec Center

- 1105 East Fourth Street

4 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 Canadian Invasion/Skydive Arizona - Skydive Arizona

8 The Backyard Market Casa Grande - 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM -

Herbalicious-423 N. Florence St.

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

9 Creative Farmer’s Market, Distinctive Earthscapes, Inc.

& The Avocado - 10:00 am–2:00 pm, 6855 N. Overfield Rd., 520-723-4480

9 Memorable & Collectibles Auction - Western Trading Post - 10:00

AM - Western Trading Post-403 N. Florence St.

9 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

15-18 Arrive Bareroot Fruit, Shade, & Nut

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

16-17 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 Unity March - 12:30 p.m - Villago Middle School

18 Ice Cream Social - 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 - Dorothy Powell Senior

Center, 405 E. 6th Street

19 Day Out Downtown & Historic Walking Tour -

9:30 AM to 2:00 PM - Main Street Patio-Alley behind Cook E Jar

22 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

FEBRUARYJANUARY

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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 AZ Classic Jackpot & Farm Show - Pinal County Fairgrounds

11 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

13 Creative Farmer’s Market, Distinctive Earthscapes, Inc.

& The Avocado - 10:00 am–2:00 pm, 6855 N. Overfield Rd., 520-723-4480

13 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

16 Day Out Downtown & Historic Walking Tour - 9:30 AM to

2:00 PM - Main Street Patio-Alley behind Cook E Jar

18 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

24 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

25 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.


Page Article

12 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITIONGOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016

Final action by the City Council during its Dec. 7 meeting sets the stage for a massive upgrade

of Casa Grande’s emergency com-munications, 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 re-cords management system will be $1,385,880, plus charges for mainte-nance 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, mean-ing 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 po-licing, a technical base which utiliz-es Microsoft technology, allows for virtualization, allows for the re-en-gineering 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 differ-ent platforms we have back to a more centralized platform for both police and fire in this case. A lot of dis-cussion that we’ve had internally is

The 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 devel-opment plan that we’re trying to im-plement we can certainly make a lot of headway and make some improve-ments in the areas that we feel are most beneficial to the community at large,” Community Services Director Bill Schwind said.

“What we’re proposing to move for-ward with is an emphasis on enhancing the lighting and the amount of oper-ational field space that we have over there for youth soccer and youth foot-ball 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

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 Mc-Natt, Schwind continued.

“Our number one priority that we’re going to be looking forward to and moving forward with is a bid pack-age 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, real-ly 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 en-hanced, 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

The Casa Grande HeraldCG News

by Harold Kitching

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


• ARIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • M ARICOPA • ARIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • M ARICOPA • ARIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • M ARICOPA •

Emergency Radios

Carr McNatt Park Update

continued on page 80...

13WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVINGTHE HOME & GARDEN EDITION WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING 13 13WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVINGTHE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

Compiling of input from residents about what should be in a com-munity recreation center is almost

complete and should be presented during January meetings of the Parks and Recre-ation 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 com-piled 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 com-munity 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 de-sires 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 meet-ing 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 differ-ent 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 sur-veys are being incorporated into Salva-tore’s report.

“What you’ve got, at least in the initial draft that I was able to see today, an Ex-cel 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 tak-en,” 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 oth-er drop box locations that we had into an individual report. He’s got the Jenkins re-

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 incorpo-rated into the process of what our consul-tants 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.

The Casa Grande HeraldLocal News from Golden Corridor Living Magazine


• ARIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • M ARICOPA • ARIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • M ARICOPA • ARIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • M ARICOPA •

ALL THE NEWS WE THINK IS FIT TO PRINT!

Community Center Update

trying to have those two bases work together, versus having all these dif-ferent 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 elim-inates the dispatcher from coming back telling Fire we’ve got this on the

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 real-ly nice to call up floor plan and take a

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 inspec-tions, all that data can be entered in,” he continued. “If there are any viola-tions, 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 be-sides 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 dol-lars, but by the same token it’s just the way the world is today. I understand the difficulty and the transition.”

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

Emergency Radios (continued)

After some delays in getting off the ground, Casa Grande began eval-uating 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 re-view groups whittled it down to four final-ists, 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:

Police Chief Finalists Update



14 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION14 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION

In 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 hun-dreds 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 han-dle 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

areas of high use.The Parks crews also make sure the restrooms work

and are cleaned regularly. They also pick up the parks af-ter 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. Af-ter 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.

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

CITYSPEAK

Starting the New Year’s Spring Cleaning! by Robert “Bob” Jackson, Mayor, Casa Grande

15WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVINGTHE HOME & GARDEN EDITION WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING 15

Page Article


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 mes-sage 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 mes-sage out’

Most people in our community don’t re-alize 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 com-munity to support and improve our streets,

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 re-mainder of the retail tax goes to the county and state.

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

According to Bain & Company, “each year the average company loses 10-15% of its cus-tomer 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. Shop-ping 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 Out-lets, Jimmie Kerr Blvd. and I-10 (formerly CityGate). Meet our local business repre-sentatives, face-to-face, to learn about their services and products. We are all in the busi-ness of helping Casa Grande remain a great place to live, work, play and raise a family.

Loyalty – what’s that all about?by Helen Neuharth, President/CEO, Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce

Economy • Local Business


Page Article


They 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 coordi-nate 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 inter-ests” 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 opportuni-ties. We invite you to join the Main Street Mob and share your talents and time with this great group of people.

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 infor-mation on our mission, memberships and upcoming events. Click on our Facebook link to stay connected and “like” our page for impromptu announcements.

Meet the Main Street MobBy Rina Rien, Director, Casa Grande Main Street

Casa Grande Main Street

Historic Downtown…

Experience the Difference

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

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The LIVING Interview



The LIVING Interview

GC LIVING: Dennis, you grew up in Wisconsin?DENNIS DUGAN: Yes.GC LIVING: How many generations of dairy-

men 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 eventu-ally 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 tempera-ture, and then goes into a pipeline through a cooling system and into a milk tank.

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, pas-

teurization 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 you-

DENNIS DUGAN: At 38 degrees, yes. Our milk is delivered to a co-op called United Dairy-men 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. Sham-rock 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 Wis-consin. That was in late 50’s early 60’s. My dad started getting sick with double-pneu-monia 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 ar-rived 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 mar-ried, but later returned to Arizona.

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

Dennis DuganRaising Cows - The Journey from Wisconsin to ArizonaInterview by Brett Eisele

“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.”


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 Chan-dler, 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 Rich-ard 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.

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 hap-pened 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 Mil-waukee, Oregon which is suburb of Port-land. 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 some-thing different. So I decided to go to Oregon. I went up there; I did that for a year and al-most 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 ag-riculture.

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 dif-

ferent stories and there was one story that stuck in my mind and I’m not going to men-tion 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 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 depart-ment, and then my dad drives in the drive-way. I tell you...

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

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. Yes, that was my broth-er. I had nothing to do with that and anoth-er 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 dair-ies. 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 compa-ny that sold supplies to the dairymen. I got to know all the dairymen in the state pretty well. Then I worked for Farm Bureau insur-ance 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 dairy-

DENNIS DUGAN: I stopped working at oth-er businesses. I came back to my mom and dad’s dairy and worked for my dad for six

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 Col-orado 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 un-

til he was 69.GC LIVING: Did he come down here? Or did he



Access Arizona


Much 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, Feb-ruary 8, by the New Hampshire Pri-mary. 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 candi-date. Election Day on November 8 will be the climax of what has been an in-teresting race leading up to this point.

It is worth noting that Presidential elections affect the economy rang-ing 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 La-bor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and a New York Times survey predict that US unemployment on No-vember 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 at-tention is given to the issue of the

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 poli-cy, financial and Wall Street reforms, narrowing income and wealth in-equality, providing tax relief for fam-ilies, boosting public investment in infrastructure, raising the minimum wage and reforming the tax code.

Because there are more Republi-can candidates vying for their par-ty’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, mid-dle class tax reform, cutting taxes on multinational businesses, stop new online sales taxes, ensuring that in-ternet access remains tax-free, abol-ishing 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 busi-ness. 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.” Terror-ism 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 choos-ing our next President, but don’t for-get 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 Car-dinal’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 writ-ten.” What will you write?

The New Year Stands Before Usby Jim Dinkle, Executive Director, Access Arizona

LOCAL BUSINESS

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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Ak-Chin Indian Community


Preparing for economic growth in any community takes vision, planning, and a commitment to continual improvement. Improve-

ments 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 Coun-cil, 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 130-acre 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 ad-dition, the Board hired a marketing firm that developed the Santa Cruz Com-merce 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 im-provements 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

the Airport’s application for a Nation-al Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) designation and the develop-ment of an initial Master Plan. During 2011, the Airport was rebranded Ak-Chin Regional Airport and renova-tions 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 Communi-ty in hiring a new Airport Manager.

At the Santa Cruz Commerce Center during 2010-2011, the Board also planned and built a five-suite, multi-tenant 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 Ak-Chin’s Planning Department, Ak-Chin Water Operations, and outside consul-tants. The studies for the Commerce Center included a utility study; diversi-fied soils and environmental study; as well as a drainage and water/wastewa-

ter study. During 2015, the Board has worked to increase the water/wastewa-ter 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 in-dustrial assets. Currently, the Board and Ak-Chin Indian Community Planning De-partment 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 op-tics to the Commerce Center in 2016.

According to Phil Entz, who has worked with the Ak-Chin Indian Com-munity 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.”

A History of Planned ImprovementAk-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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Our country has seen an increase in the number of people dying from prescription drug over-

dose. 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 vehi-cle 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 in-volved 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 reliev-ers, 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 opi-ate can develop an addiction, suf-fer from withdrawal and develop

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-re-lated 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 prescrip-tion drugs from friends; 1 out of 7 youth report getting prescrip-tion drugs from a parent or family member; and 7.8% of Pinal Coun-ty teens report misusing medi-cines in the past 30 days, with prescription pain relievers being the most frequently misused.2

The Centers for Disease Con-trol 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 pre-scription painkillers; selling or sharing prescriptions is illegal

In October 2012, the Pinal County Prescription Drug Reduc-tion Initiative was put into place. The initiative took a multi-sys-temic approach for targeting pre-scription 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 Initia-tive, 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 locat-ed 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 Pre-scription 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.

by Tammy McCarville, Project Coordinator, Casa Grande Alliance

Is Your Prescription Potential for Problems?

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



Central Arizona College


www.centralaz.edu

Signal Peak Campus Superstition Mountain Campus Aravaipa Campus 8470 N. Overeld Rd. 805 S. Idaho Rd. 80440 E. Aravaipa Rd. Coolidge, AZ 85128 Apache Junction, AZ 85119 Winkelman, AZ 85192 520-494-5444 480-677-7700 520-357-2800

Maricopa Campus San Tan Campus17945 N. Regent Dr. 3736 E. Bella Vista Rd.Maricopa, AZ 85138 San Tan Valley, AZ 85143520-494-6400 480-677-7825

Your Future Begins Today at CAC.

Central Arizona College Named to Victory Media’s 2016 Military Friendly® Schools Listby Angela Askey, Director of Marketing

Central Arizona College has been designated a 2016 Military Friendly® School by Victory Media, the leader in successfully connecting the mili-

tary 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 trans-parent, 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 catego-ries, 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 inde-pendent 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, com-munity colleges and trade schools in the coun-try 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 exception-ally 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 com-mitment to attracting and supporting military students, visit www.centralaz.edu/va.

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More 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 Benefi-ciary Deed in the county where the real property is located, an owner of an interest in real prop-erty (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 automat-ically 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 proper-ty is located.

Benefits There are many benefits of a Beneficiary Deed:

• 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 sim-pler way of avoiding probate than creating and administer-ing 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 proper-ty owner’s lifetime.

DrawbacksAt 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 own-er’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 inter-est in the property, which can make managing and selling the property more difficult.

• If the property is owned

as joint tenants or commu-nity 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 mort-gage lien after the owner dies. If they want to keep the property, the beneficiary or beneficiaries must either as-sume 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, Fitzgib-bons 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 [email protected].

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


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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 Coun-ty?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. Also, I think this is noteworthy - - in 1980, Pinal County was ranked 232nd in the United States for num-ber of milk cows in the county and today Pi-nal County is now ranked 18th in the Unit-ed States. We have ninety-thousand milk cows within thirty miles of Casa Grande. We came that far in the dairy industry be-cause of all the dairies built in Pinal County. Pinal County is in the top 20 dairy coun-ties 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

thousand milk cows within thirty miles of Casa Grande.

GC LIVING: Does all of the milk from your op-erations 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 Ari-zona 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 broth-ers’ milk is going to Franklin Cream Cheese or Ehrmann Yogurt.

GC LIVING: Referring back to the original con-versation, 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 Ar-izona. 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 con-densed milk because all of the Ensure prod-ucts and baby food is processed with con-densed 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 possi-bility 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 op-erate a 65 horsepower tractor when tilling the soil. How did your dad and your grand-father work the fields prior to those trac-tors?

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 con-cerning your dad and draft horses, right?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes. In the Midwest, espe-cially in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Mich-igan, 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 twen-ty-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 mon-ey 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

continued from page 25...



Grande was it rough at first?DENNIS DUGAN: Yes, but It was interesting...

the people down here weren’t used to dair-ies. 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 morn-ing 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 lo-cally, 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. Inter-estingly, 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 oper-ators 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 vet-erinarians?

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes we have a vet.

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 afla-toxin. 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 af-latoxin?

DENNIS DUGAN: The long white bags, yeah there’s ammonia in there that kills the af-latoxin 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 coun-ty 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 un-derstand was dairies are exempt from state regulation.

A suit was filed against the county. The county ended up writing a check for $250-some thousand to that dairyman and that’s the way it still is today. All dairies are ex-empt 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 suc-cessful. You’ve been at it since the ‘80s and you’re doing it pretty well. Now we are see-ing 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



Banner Casa Grande


While 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 al-low 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 Hospi-tal Foundation and was originally in-stalled 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 Gar-den is a large, soothing fountain. Gen-tle 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

the year so the garden is always color-ful 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 re-duce 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 Foun-dation at (520) 381-6541.

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.

HEALTH

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Chocolate - what’s not to love? Whether you have chocolate candies that didn’t get passed

out on Halloween, or have plenty of hot chocolate at home with your name on it left over from the holidays, it’s probably been on your plate lately. And that may actually be a health benefit.

Chocolate is made from tropi-cal Theobroma cacao tree seeds, and its use by the Aztec peoples pre-dates European coloniza-tion. Ever since then, chocolate has circled the globe. And with good reason.

Studies have shown choco-late, or rather the cocoa from the cacao tree, to be a virtual “super food.”

It’s high in fiber, and is a qual-ity source of many vitamins and minerals, including iron, mag-nesium, copper, manganese and a good source of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.

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• Lowers cholesterol (LDL) levels, and increases healthy HDL cholesterol levels

• Improves blood flow to the brain, preventing memory decline (or pos-sibly dementia, or Alz-heimer’s disease) as we age, and lowers risk of stroke

• Reduces the risk of heart disease and lowers blood pressure

• Increases cell ability to accept and use insulin

• Can raise your energy level

Cocoa actually helps build capillaries and provide more energy at a cellular level in your muscles, including the most important one - the heart. A re-cent study in The British Medi-cal Journal claimed that eating chocolate regularly could reduce the risk of heart disease by one-third, and 22 percent less likely to suffer a stroke.

One of the reasons that cocoa has so many amazing physical benefits is because of its ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Ca-pacity) rating. ORAC is a mea-sure of the antioxidant activity of foods. These antioxidants include polyphenols, flavanols, catechins, among other amazing chemicals found in foods. Anti-oxidants are chemicals that pro-vide protection against aging of cells in the body and premature death from exposure to “free radical” oxygen atoms. Accord-ing to scientists, raw cocoa has one of the highest amounts of antioxidants of any food source measured in the world.

These antioxidants have been researched and found to low-er blood pressure and improve blood flow to the brain and heart. The flavonols can even have protective properties against sun-induced damage. They do so by improving blood flow to the skin. That increases the skin’s density and hydration, and therefore puts up a wall against potential UV ray damage.

But not all chocolates are created equal. Benefits are not found in white chocolate or

Mmmmmmm…

CHOCOLATE!by Lindsey Gemme, Community Relations Coordinator, Sun Life Family Heath Center, INC.

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CENTER FOR CHILDREN CENTER FOR WOMENOB/GYN PRACTITIONERS:Joseph E. Edwards, MD, FACOG

Eddie Estrada, MD, FACOG, MHA, CPEVinniola “Vinnie” McBride, WHNP

Daniel Rowland, MDVirginia Savala, DO

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milk chocolate. Many chocolate products have high amounts of fats and sugars, so moderate intake of these foods is recom-mended. Many chocolate prod-ucts are also highly processed, eliminating many beneficial vi-tamins and minerals so that its taste far outweighs the benefits of the cocoa.

One tip when buying chocolate is to look for the dark chocolate products, especially those that contain a higher percentage of cocoa (70 percent or more). The more raw cocoa in the product and less processed, the better.

Or you can even purchase raw cacao, which is unaltered and cold-pressed from the cacao bean, which retains many living enzymes in the product. Cocoa is roasted, and destroys many of

these enzymes in the process.Some concerns have been

brought up about the amount of caffeine in cocoa. But accord-ing to studies, the caffeine you would get in a small serving of chocolate is nothing to be con-cerned about, compared to a large steaming cup of coffee.

If you want more chocolate in your life, join Sun Life Family Health Center for its inaugural Sun Life Fun Run, For the Love of Chocolate! The community run / walk event is planned for Saturday, March 5, 2016 at Copper Sky Recreation Complex (M.L.K. Jr. Blvd, Maricopa, AZ 85138). For more information, visit our event page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Sun-LifeFunRun/, or to register, sign up at www.sunliferun.com.

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Page Article


So 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 devel-oped an automatic back scratcher that senses when and where to scratch without human intervention (and never asks why you don’t bring flow-ers 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 in-genuity 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 show-cases our homes, our health and our abilities to keep the plants from dy-ing. 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 up-tick 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 oppor-tunities is to identify which catego-ries of work are no longer being done

at the corporate level. The fact that the corporate maintenance depart-ment 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 cor-porate activity, from routine clerical jobs up to highly skilled corporate ex-ecutive and IT jobs.

It has been the developments in computers and telecommunications that have allowed small businesses to adopt a model that favors home-based 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 di-minishing value of Social Security and other investment income.

It is important to understand that the same technology that supports the increased number of entrepre-neurs in home businesses also sup-ports worldwide competition for their markets. An e-commerce capability is important to compete with multi-national 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 com-mute; the unlikable boss; flaky co-workers; and, meaningless meetings in return for the privilege of becoming

accounting; IT; marketing; reception-ist and, janitor. When you are sched-uling 70 hours a week to be sure cus-tomers 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 per-fect “when”? If out of work and find-ing a job has been tough keep in mind the longer it takes, the more obstacles to face. Job security is a distant con-cept 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 econo-my is not your friend. By one estimate when working for yourself it’s possi-ble to operate on about 70% of the rev-enue needed for a corporate job with all of its deductions. This may not be the same for all jobs but it is some-thing 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 suc-cess. 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 remem-ber that there is generally a range of starting points for each business. As an example, prior to opening a restau-rant 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 profes-sionals typically work with small and startup businesses to give business owners more time to focus on basic tasks. They may have worked in pro-fessional fields such as computer ser-vices, marketing and graphic design.

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

The Home, Health, Garden and OFFICE Showby Jim Rhodes, Small Business Consultant, Author and Mentor

LOCAL BUSINESS

Jim Rhodes

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.


Page Article

43THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING

The Home, Health, Garden and OFFICE Showby Jim Rhodes, Small Business Consultant, Author and Mentor

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 re-cord 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 addition-al 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 success-ful business. This involves guiding or managing people, time and money. We will need utilities and communi-cations including Internet connec-tivity. Our management style will need to project a business image in order to build credibility with poten-tial customers. For starters business cards and brochures with a profes-sional logo and graphics will be re-quired. 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. Par-ticipating in local social activities is important. Giving back to the com-munity 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 profession-al 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.

Jim Rhodes

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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44 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION44 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITIONGOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016

There’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 fam-ilies 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 fam-ilies 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,

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 hear-ings, paperwork, home visits and preparation.

Adoption is a big step that comes with much responsibility. And so is foster care. Some-times 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 lov-ing families available who want to adopt children from foster care.

FACT: A national survey commis-sioned by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and

conducted by Harris Interac-tive in 2007 reveals that 48 million Americans have consid-ered adoption from foster care –more so than any other form of adoption, including private adoption of an infant or inter-national 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 pro-cess through enactment of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. This law stipulates that children in foster care, who can-not 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 chil-

dren 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 fos-ter care. In addition, a growing number of companies and gov-ernment agencies offer adop-tion assistance as part of their employee benefit packages, in-cluding time off for maternity/paternity leave, financial incen-tives, and other benefits.

Congress has also made fed-eral tax credits available for fos-ter care adoptions to help off-set required fees, court costs, legal and travel expenses.

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

FACT: Prospective adoptive par-

“Celebrating a Family for Every Child”

Pinal County Adoption Day 2015 Celebrates 35 children by Donna McBride, Pinal County Juvenile Court Services, Program Administrator II / Public Information Officer, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Unit Supervisor


Health • Wealth • Education

WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING 45 45THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING

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 one-third 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 chil-dren 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, be-cause 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 con-cerns, they need the nurturing support only a permanent fami-ly can provide. Many children in foster care are in the “system” because their birth parents weren’t protective and nurtur-ing caretakers—not because the children did anything wrong or because there is something wrong with them.

MYTH: State agencies may with-hold 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. Agen-cies have a vested interest in en-suring that parents have a posi-

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 pro-vide the most comprehensive post-adoptive services available to help the children transition into their new homes.

MYTH: Families don’t receive sup-port 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 as-sociated with post-adoption ad-justments. Such benefits, which vary by state, commonly include monthly cash subsidies, medical assistance and social services.More information about feder-al 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 sta-ble environment. Just ask for-mer U.S. Senator Ben “Night-horse” 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.

Pinal County Adoption Day 2015 Celebrates 35 children by Donna McBride, Pinal County Juvenile Court Services, Program Administrator II / Public Information Officer, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Unit Supervisor


Page Article


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Your best choice for a fitness facility and place to get in shape during your winter visit is Plan-

et 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 envi-ronment. Many of their members are first time gym users or mem-bers focused on general fitness.

They don’t have any sales-people, 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 mem-berships 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 pro-gram 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 mem-bership? 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 privi-leges, nationwide access to over

Planet Fitness The Judgement Free Zone


Page Article


CAMPUSES Two comprehensive campuses,

one STEM Academy and a Learning Center Program.

STAFF Led by 148 qualified teachers

COURSE OFFERINGS Over 200 course offerings

LIBRARY AND RESOURCES More than 10,000 volumes at two

campuses

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Emphasis on effective instructional practices

TUTORING Available four days a week on all

campuses

STEM AT CASA VERDE Science, Technology, Engineering,

and Mathematics

COMMUNICATIONS PowerSchool, Schoolway App, direct

email to staff, weekly news

ACTIVITIES Choir and Drama, FFA, FBLA, FPS,

Robotics, Marching Band, National FCCLA, DECA—state, national and

international awards

COLLABORATION ALTERNATIVES

CAVIT, CAC, private corporations, City of Casa Grande

FACILITIES Professional Culinary Arts Kitchen, FFA greenhouse, Art, Auto Shop,

Computer Labs, Theater Arts Auditorium

ATHLETICS Baseball, Softball, Basketball, Football, Track, Cross Country,

Soccer, Golf, Spiritline, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling

Casa Grande Union High School District

A 21st Century Education with 21st Century Choices!

• 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”

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1000 clubs, half price on most cooler drinks, as well as other cool discounts such as 20% off Reebok online and outlet store and 10% off products and service at Regis Salons and Master Cuts.

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 plat-form to help rejuvenate skin and relax mus-cles. 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 on-line visit www.planetfitness.com or just stop in for a tour. They are located at 1325 E Flor-ence Blvd #13, Casa Grande, AZ 85122. Any questions feel free to call (520) 788-6200.


Seeds of Hope


What 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 surround-ings. 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,

they selflessly give of themselves to help others. In 2015, we record-ed 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 reluc-tantly 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 in-creased, 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. Indi-viduals 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.

Seeds of Hope

Annual Dinner

SATURDAY, FEB 27, 2016

5 PM Silent Auction & Live Entertainment

6 PM Dinner

Tickets are $50/ea • Table of 8/$350

Available at 850-836-6335

WWW.SEEDSOFHOPEAZ.COMScan me with your smart phone QR Scanner!

Save the Date!Heroes in Disguise.

Advocates Among Us.

Heroes in Disguise Advocates Among Usby Terri Durham, Office Coordinator

Cathy Taylor [email protected]

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.


2380 N. Horseshoe Circle, Casa Grande, AZRodeo Ranches


For homeowners who love to cook, the kitchen is a sacred space. It needs an inviting ambiance and a practical work-flow more than shiny new appliances or

endless counter space. In fact, many profes-sional 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 Ska-neateles, N.Y., and the former sous chef at The

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 edu-cator 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 hop-ping 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 walk-ing 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

How Professional Chefs Set up Their Own Kitchensby Stacey Freed

How do chefs organize their home kitchens? Smartly, thank you — and not as lavishly as you might think.

SPECIAL HOME & GARDEN SECTION


SPECIAL HOME & GARDEN SECTION

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 cook-ware. 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

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

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. John-son 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 refrigera-tor on my left, the sink next to the open win-dow 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” maga-zine. 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-professional-chefs-set-their-own-kitchens/#ixzz3qXJ77xWD Follow us: @HouseLogic on Twitter | HouseLogic on Facebook


Special Home & Garden Section

Phoenix Patio Systems has been serving the Casa Grande and sur-rounding 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 mainte-nance 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 sum-mer, 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 oper-ated, 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 en-hance the beauty and value of your home.

Every project is guaranteed from start to finish and best of all, most of the prod-ucts come with a limited lifetime manufac-turer’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

point, or can be connected to your home, extending your existing cover or provid-ing 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 devel-op 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

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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 unsight-ly view with aluminum screens. These quality screens are available in a number of beautiful colors, are durable and low-main-tenance, and will allow a breeze to freshen and cool the enclosed space.

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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.

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Garage 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 proj-

ect; 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 reflec-tive aluminum foil applied to one or both sides of insulation materials, such as card-board 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

approximate R-value is 3.5 to 6, depending on the way you apply it. (A 4-foot-by-25-foot 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-insulate-a-garage-door/#ixzz3uDre6rqG Follow us: @HouseLogic on Twitter | HouseLogic on Facebook

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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With 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 consum-er 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 require-ments that the American turf manu-facturers 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

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 reflec-tive 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 tempera-tures 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 deci-sion 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 manufactur-er, 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 mat-ting 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 be-tween 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.

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

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Experiencing 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 cre-ate 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 posses-sions, and figure out where you’ll store your records. One day should be sufficient.

A home inventory is essential

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 con-tents 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 Gold-wich. “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

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 inven-tory, 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 pur-chase additional coverage if the value of your possessions exceeds the limits on your home owners, flood, or other disaster policy.

Take photos and video of possessions

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 cam-era 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.

You should note whether some-thing 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 documenta-tion 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 apprais-als 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/home-inventories/home-inventory-for-insurance/#ixzz3kYO9uHZD

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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The Tower Garden is a state of the art vertical aeroponic growing system. It’s easy to assemble and maintain and is

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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, spin-ach, 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 vege-tables 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

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

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What Dave and I have found is that the Tower Garden can save you mon-ey 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.

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The Tower Gardenby 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 nu-tritious and are better tasting than store bought produce.


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Call 520.836.9002 today forAuto, Home, Life and Business.



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Celebrating over 25 years in Casa Grande!



31st Annual Florence Historic Home Tour History Remembered; The Future Embraced; Celebrating 150 Years presented by the Town of Florence Parks and Recreation Department

The 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.

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 econom-ic 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,

which begins in downtown Flor-ence. Transportation is provided to outlying historical structures on the tour.

The theme for the 31st annual Home Tour, “History Remem-bered; 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 original-ly 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 Mon-day, December 7, 2015 at the Pinal County Historical Society and Museum, Greater Flor-ence Chamber of Commerce, Florence Visitor’s Center and the new Florence Library and Community Center.

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


Killdeer Place

Sue [email protected]

8673 N. Killdeer Pl.3BR, 2BA, 2,591SF

$345,000

Custom ranch home located on 4.9 acres with scenic mountain views. Home features vaulted ceilings, fireplace, breakfast bar and dining nook that overlooks the pool in the backyard. There is a family room off kitchen. Large bedrooms, game room, 4 stall garage plus RV parking. Small tack room & two horse corrals with turn out. Backyard fenced but whole acreage is not.




Home Plus: The Low Down on No Down

There are a lot of people across Arizona with steady jobs and good credit, but can’t afford the down payment on a new home. Howev-

er, 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 Ad-ministrator 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 30-year 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 Mar-icopa 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 pro-gram 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-

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 mort-gage 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 op-eration. 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 home-ownership. Currently the program approves Fannie Mae HFA Preferred, Freddie Mac HFA Advantage, FHA-insured, VA-guaran-teed, USDA mortgages.

Derrell and Leigh Anne Brown, of Marico-pa, 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.

Home Plus Living Mag 12-27 flat.indd 1 12/27/15 5:09 PM

makeitbetter-casagrande.org

So, what began as one man’s vision is now Make it Better, a group of local stakeholders who see clear opportunities to

make it better . Make what better? Our collective quality of life here in Casa Grande.

Quality of Life We call it “stuff”. You know, like recreation centers, hiking/biking trails, historic downtowns, performing

arts centers, museums, and diverse retail and dining. We have some stuff here, but we all want more. And when we

look around at the stuff that isn’t here , it is hard to know why we don’t have it; “lesser” neighboring communities do. The

“lacks” list could be as long as you want just ask any of the frequent commenters on local chat media.

Why don’t we have the stuff everyone else has? Our system of government requires a majority vote to move

forward. We simply must not have enough leaders in the right places; or, we have leaders who mean well but whose

vested interests cloud their judgement about what is best for the community . Regardless, it’s pretty obvious that if

current leadership means no stuff, to get the stuff residents and taxpayers want we must change our leadership.

Thanks to Bob Jackson, Casa Grande’s incumbent mayor, and Jim Thompson and city staff for their for good work

leading us through the Great Recession unscathed financially and well prepared for the next round of progress.

You can expect to hear more from us in the future on all kinds of issues that affect our community’s future; check out our

mission statement on the page opposite or go to mib-cg.org. As always, we’d love to hear from you.

The Make It Better Seal of Approval In the upcoming local elections, we will

be vetting the candidates; those who can demonstrate a desire to make it

better will be endorsed with our seal of approval.

Just Build It I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you build it, will they

come? Maybe, maybe not. But if you don’t, they won’t. The more stuff we have,

the more companies will choose to locate their operations AND their

management personnel here.

Multigenerational Recreation Center That’s why we are endorsing the

proposed Multi-generational Recreation Center. We don’t really care what

features it opens with – the rest will surely come over time - just build it.

- Rock

Leadership → Progress → Make it Better As

you recall, for the last year or so I have been

ranting about leadership. “Leadership” is

apparently a complicated concept, and we didn’t

get much response, so we thought we’d call it

“progress”. But “progress” is a little vague, so we

decided to just say what we mean, and settled on

“Make it Better”.

442 W Kortsen Rd #101, Casa Grande, AZ 85122

www.roxco.com

[email protected]

From the desk of Rock Earle

REAL ESTATE

MEDIATRAVEL

INSURANCE

OTHER ____________community

MISSION STATEMENTMAKE IT BETTER - CASA GRANDE (MIB-CG) is a group of local stakeholders who believe in a

bright future for Casa Grande.

MIB-CG will seek to improve the community’s prospects in five ways:

· PROMOTE: Promote the ideals of progress;

· PROPOSE: Consistently propose initiatives to better the community;

· MONITOR: Ensure that the local political climate remains positive and “pro” progress by

monitoring the debate and decision process of city government - elected as well as staff - on

“progress” initiatives;

· EDUCATE: Stand ready, willing and able to engage any and all citizens individually and/or in

groups on the consequences to communities of obstructionist and no-growth policies

· ADVOCATE: Maintain a very aggressive, vocal and public advocacy, whenever necessary

via any means available; champion worthy initiatives that have been, are being or otherwise

would be at risk of denial in any venue (City/County/State) by the various existing special

interests;

IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE (2015) Adopt and achieve one very iconic (tangible, attractive, visual

and visionary) betterment project:

→ Build a “showcase” Community Recreational Center

NEAR-TERM OBJECTIVE (2015-2016) Identify, promote and support such candidates for

elected office (City council, Mayor) whose ideals mirror MIB-CG’s “Progress Platform”

→ Elect a progressive mayor and council

CONTACT MAKE IT BETTER – CASA GRANDE:

[email protected]

MakeItBetter-CG.org

January, 2016

Dear Casa Grande Resident:

Have you ever wondered why home values in Casa Grande are lower than in

Maricopa or San Tan Valley?

So do we.

Maybe folks just don’t want to live here as badly as they do in those places.

Which makes us wonder why? What do they have that we don’t? Great question!

Which makes the survey starting on the opposite page more important (and

interesting) than you might think at first glance.

Craig McFarland, a local resident and declared candidate for Mayor of Casa Grande

in the 2016 election, wanted to know, so he created a survey asking what our

residents want. The responses are quite interesting; see the complete survey and its

responses in this issue of Golden Corridor LIVING Magazine.

We think it backs up the premises behind our efforts to “Make it Better”.

Letter to the Editor:

The 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 sur-veys 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.

Thank you,

Craig H. McFarlandP.O. Box 12927Casa Grande, AZ [email protected]://www.craig4mayor.com


CG Community Survey Results

The Casa Grande

Community Survey

YesNo73.3926.61

So, what began as one man’s vision is now Make it Better, a group of local stakeholders who see clear opportunities to

make it better . Make what better? Our collective quality of life here in Casa Grande.

Quality of Life We call it “stuff”. You know, like recreation centers, hiking/biking trails, historic downtowns, performing

arts centers, museums, and diverse retail and dining. We have some stuff here, but we all want more. And when we

look around at the stuff that isn’t here , it is hard to know why we don’t have it; “lesser” neighboring communities do. The

“lacks” list could be as long as you want just ask any of the frequent commenters on local chat media.

Why don’t we have the stuff everyone else has? Our system of government requires a majority vote to move

forward. We simply must not have enough leaders in the right places; or, we have leaders who mean well but whose

vested interests cloud their judgement about what is best for the community . Regardless, it’s pretty obvious that if

current leadership means no stuff, to get the stuff residents and taxpayers want we must change our leadership.

Thanks to Bob Jackson, Casa Grande’s incumbent mayor, and Jim Thompson and city staff for their for good work

leading us through the Great Recession unscathed financially and well prepared for the next round of progress.

You can expect to hear more from us in the future on all kinds of issues that affect our community’s future; check out our

mission statement on the page opposite or go to mib-cg.org. As always, we’d love to hear from you.

The Make It Better Seal of Approval In the upcoming local elections, we will

be vetting the candidates; those who can demonstrate a desire to make it

better will be endorsed with our seal of approval.

Just Build It I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you build it, will they

come? Maybe, maybe not. But if you don’t, they won’t. The more stuff we have,

the more companies will choose to locate their operations AND their

management personnel here.

Multigenerational Recreation Center That’s why we are endorsing the

proposed Multi-generational Recreation Center. We don’t really care what

features it opens with – the rest will surely come over time - just build it.

- Rock

Leadership → Progress → Make it Better As

you recall, for the last year or so I have been

ranting about leadership. “Leadership” is

apparently a complicated concept, and we didn’t

get much response, so we thought we’d call it

“progress”. But “progress” is a little vague, so we

decided to just say what we mean, and settled on

“Make it Better”.

442 W Kortsen Rd #101, Casa Grande, AZ 85122

www.roxco.com

[email protected]

From the desk of Rock Earle

REAL ESTATE

MEDIATRAVEL

INSURANCE

OTHER ____________community

MISSION STATEMENTMAKE IT BETTER - CASA GRANDE (MIB-CG) is a group of local stakeholders who believe in a

bright future for Casa Grande.

MIB-CG will seek to improve the community’s prospects in five ways:

· PROMOTE: Promote the ideals of progress;

· PROPOSE: Consistently propose initiatives to better the community;

· MONITOR: Ensure that the local political climate remains positive and “pro” progress by

monitoring the debate and decision process of city government - elected as well as staff - on

“progress” initiatives;

· EDUCATE: Stand ready, willing and able to engage any and all citizens individually and/or in

groups on the consequences to communities of obstructionist and no-growth policies

· ADVOCATE: Maintain a very aggressive, vocal and public advocacy, whenever necessary

via any means available; champion worthy initiatives that have been, are being or otherwise

would be at risk of denial in any venue (City/County/State) by the various existing special

interests;

IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE (2015) Adopt and achieve one very iconic (tangible, attractive, visual

and visionary) betterment project:

→ Build a “showcase” Community Recreational Center

NEAR-TERM OBJECTIVE (2015-2016) Identify, promote and support such candidates for

elected office (City council, Mayor) whose ideals mirror MIB-CG’s “Progress Platform”

→ Elect a progressive mayor and council

CONTACT MAKE IT BETTER – CASA GRANDE:

[email protected]

MakeItBetter-CG.org

Do you support building a Community Recreation Center?

YES73%

NO27%



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

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

Do you or members of your family use city parks?

YesNo40.1659.84

YES40% NO

60%YesNo

60.3239.68

YES60%

NO40%

YesNo47.9752.03

YES48%

NO52%



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

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

Do you support or oppose the Phoenix Mart Development?

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%

Too slow 25.0%Too fast 19.5%Just about right 55.5%

YesNo77.9822.02

YES78%

NO22%



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?

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

#1 #2 #3 Total PercentJobs and the economy 22 31 4 63 16.4%Schools and education 34 10 7 60 15.6%Crimeandpublicsafety 28 15 5 59 15.3%Roads and city infrastructure 9 25 1 49 12.7%Land use and development 10 13 1 39 10.1%Taxes 7 7 3 28 7.3%Publictransportation 6 4 1 27 7.0%Cityfacilities 1 3 1 22 5.7%Environmental quality 2 3 1 20 5.2%Other 1 5 2 18 4.7%

ElectricLightParade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.3%CasaGrandeMainStreetEvents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68.1%4thofJulyFireworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47.8%AZStateChiliChampionshipCook-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46.9% CowboyIndianDaysRodeo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.5%CopperStateFly-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.1%VivaGrande(SalsaChallenge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.4%CasaGrandeChamberAfterhoursEvents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.9%Ride for the Warrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.1%

77WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVINGTHE HOME & GARDEN EDITION WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING 7 7 77WINTER 2016 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVINGTHE HOME & GARDEN EDITION


Would like to see continued push for highlighting and revital-ization 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 em-ployees in CG. I consider them “friends” & get excellent service so again I appreciate this idea. The only company I had a prob-lem 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 proper-ties 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, orga-nized sports meetings, etc.. It would be great to have some rooms available to rent at $40 - $50 per event.

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 home-less. 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 Phoe-nix 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 Bean-stalk 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 citi-zens 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 dou-bled 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 oppor-tunity 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 comput-er, 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 pe-ripheral 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 acces-sible parking. As and old disabled person, I really have to think about “can I attend/access this event”. Never had an under-standable description of what Phoenix Mart is!

We hope that the Multigen-erational 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

ADDITIONAL SURVEY COMMENTS




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 broth-er 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 busi-ness 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 mon-ey from our sponsors to cover the cost of the party. It was another way for the dairy-men 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 my-self, what should be the next step? It’s a

good cause, you’ve got all these people coming and our sponsors were growing, so we formed the Dugan’s St. Patrick’s Foun-dation. 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 or-ganizations like the Compadres, Thunder-birds and the Scottsdale Charros.

Between them they raise about $30 mil-lion 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 any-body 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 net-ted $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 orga-nizations 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 im-portance 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?




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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 enhance-ments 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 score-board, if there’s any use for that score-board, 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 art-ist that maybe wants to come in and

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, may-be mount it on a wall, this was the old Union board. But the athletic director and folks there, they really didn’t ex-press 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 realign-ment of playing fields and a new run-ning/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 oppor-tunity 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 real-ly 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 actu-al work,” he continued.

“The lights are more of a special-ty 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 per-spective they do give us the foot-can-dle lighting that we do need and for a longer period of time, they’re more cost effective.”

CG NewsCONTINUED…

PARK UPDATE...cont. from page 12

80

• Chris Vasquez, interim director of police services since December 2014, re-placing 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 command-er, and as elected sheriff. He has a bache-lor’s degree in management and a master’s degree in organizational management

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 leader-ship roles. He has a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from Shippens-burg 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 com-mand positions and completed multiple assignments as interim chief. He has a bachelor’s degree in education and a mas-ter’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 pa-trol/investigations lieutenant and police

captain since joining the Nogales Police Department in 1997. He has a bachelor’s degree in public safety with a specializa-tion in emergency management from Ca-pella University in Minneapolis, Minn.

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

CHIEF FINALISTS ...cont. from page 13


CG NewsCONTINUED…

“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 activ-ities on various weekends, there’s activi-ties, tournaments. Give us the opportunity to have the box and we can make it work.”

When the report from Salvatore is re-ceived 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 cer-tainly 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 mo-tion to be part of the session.

81

Anew food and beverage service may be coming next month to the main Casa Grande library.

In June 2014, an agreement was an-nounced 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

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

“But the legal team currently is work-ing on a revised contract,” Schwind contin-ued. “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 current-ly 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

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

“They’re also going to incorporate vari-ous 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 be-ing looked at, Schwind said.

“They plan on doing that with all volun-teer labor and folks working there,” he con-tinued. “ 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.”

Food and Beverage at the Library

It’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 en-courage citizens to report service needs or issues of concern.

“The mobile app allows residents to

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 lo-cation of the problem, allowing the city to more efficiently dispatch work crews, codes enforcement officers, or other

personnel to the scene. “The city believes that the informa-

tion provided by citizens through the new mobile app will help to improve the effi-ciency of its operations and reduce costs.”

The app, called mycasagrande, is avail-able to use on Android and Apple devices.

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

Find Information with the MyCasaGrande Mobile App

COMMUNITY CENTER...cont. from page 13

Casa Grande’s Community Services Department has developed an Adopt-A-Trail Program so volun-

teers can adopt trail sections to assist with maintaining, enhancing and mon-itoring the trails and trailhead at Casa Grande Mountain.

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

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

“The effort brings trail and nature en-thusiasts 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-Appli-cation-and-Summary.pdf.

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

Adopt-A-Trail Program at Casa Grande Mountain


Traveling • Dining • Entertainment


SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

WORD SEARCH

PUZZLES & GAMES

Answers on Page 66

Cathy Taylor [email protected]

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.


148 S. Los Cielos Lane - Casa Grande, AZMission Royale

84 GOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITION84 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITIONGOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016

Game Day Recipes!

Cocktail Smokies2 - 3 pkg cocktail smokies (Beef, cheddar or mixed)1 - bottle chili sauce1 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.

Salsa2 - 16oz cans of diced tomatoes1 bunch - cilantro, diced1 bunch - green onions, diced2-3 jalepenos, seeded and fine diced (for hotter salsa use habeneros)1 - lime juiced

Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chips & Guacamole5 - Avocados - peeled, pitted and diced 1/2” cubes1 - jalepenos, seeded and fine diced1 cup - cilantro, diced1/2 cup - onion, diced1 - lime juicedSalt &Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients until desired consistency. Serve with Chips. Refrigerate

7-Layer DipRefried beansSour CreamBlack OlivesDiced Green ChiliesDiced TomatoesDiced Green OnionsBrowned Ground Beef or Shredded Chicken

Layer all ingredients in serving bowl or 9x13 glass dish. Refrigerate and serve cold with chips

Spicy Wings3LB bag of wing drummettes1 - bottle Italian salad dressing1 - bottle Frank’s Hot Sauce1 - stick butter

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.


Page Article


Joyce [email protected]

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.


60 Acre Ranch


Nadine Turner Hackler is my dearest friend, a woman of strength, charac-ter, 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 writ-ten, 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 Cam-den, 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 Confeder-ate 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

Georgia is a Casa Grande native and Associ-ate Broker at Coldwell Banker ROX Realty.

Chapter 2

One 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

was pre-cooked but I think Moth-er did some of our meals out on an open fire – espe-cially 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 be-ing so close to “Old Mexico”. We had never

“God, what is poor?”by Esther Turner Cotton

In fond remembrances of Mother and Daddy Dedicated to Nadine, my sister

Esther Turner Cotton


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, dress-er and inside toilets with a small shower. These were things we had heard of but nev-er 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 north-west. About twenty-five miles west of Douglas we passed through the most fas-cinating old town I had ever seen. It was the old mining town of Bisbee with the ap-pearance 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. Down-town 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

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 ra-diator. 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 be-came acquainted with the Carbajal fami-ly 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 Tomb-stone – “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 grease-wood 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 wa-ter 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 re-lieved 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, Arizo-na. Thus – a new phase, a new beginning for the family of A.L. Buck Turner from Prescott, Arkansas.

…to be continued.

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.

Esther Turner Cotton


Page Article


EXPLORE the Sonoran Desert


Explore the Desert


The Sonoran Desert National Monu-ment is located south of Goodyear and Buckeye and east of Gila Bend. It was established by a Presiden-

tial 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. Per-haps 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 Monu-ment 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 per-mits. The Bureau of Land Management was also charged with determining compatibility of livestock grazing and resource protec-

tion for the grazing allotments north of the Interstate.

In his Proclamation, President Clinton described the Monument thusly:

“The Sonoran Desert National Monu-ment is a magnificent example of untram-meled Sonoran desert landscape. The area encompasses a functioning desert ecosys-tem with an extraordinary array of biolog-ical, 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 monu-ments to be seen. There are almost endless opportunities for hiking, touring, exploring, photography, bird watching, and more.

the Sonoran Desertby Albert J. Copley, Professor Emeritus, Truman State University



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

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

DENNIS DUGAN: Yes it was. But Pinal Coun-ty 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 com-munity 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 philan-

thropic venture in this country, usually the

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 need-ed 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, com-munity 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 frustrat-ed 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 any-thing 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 spe-cial 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 “Du-ganisms”. 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 in-volved in the community greatly. He’s been on the Pinal County planning and zon-ing board for six, seven years. He’s been a chairman of the United Way, you know, he’s been extremely involved in the com-munity 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.


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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 Cen-ter 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 & fami-ly 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 main-tain but as the city grows so will the problems.

I would like to see the city be more financially responsible start-ing 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

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 di-plomacy, 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 indus-tries moving to Casa Grande and you will be a fantastic ambassa-dor 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 deci-sions. This is a problem. I recently retired from the city and I saw it all the time. Let the City Manag-er and directors do their jobs.

So much focus has been on building a community center lately. This would be a redun-dant. 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

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 prop-erty taxes and get more funding to our schools.

We need a grocery store by the mall. It would make it so con-venient! Thanks for listening.

My main concern is Agenda 21 and it’s tentacles into the envi-ronment, land use and develop-ment. 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 Down-town, in particular. Although the City is very supportive of our own business at a high leader-ship 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 peo-ple 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 commu-nities with less crime. They can all move to Phoenix. I am pro hard working American and be-lieve 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 graf-

ADDITIONAL SURVEY COMMENTScontinued from page 75...



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A “New Age” skeptic goes to Peru

Peru has been a place of mys-tery 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 adult-hood, 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 Sha-man-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 tradi-tions. It also stirred my imagination and curiosity. I wondered, how did a pre-Columbian culture without the wheel or metal tools accom-plish 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 profes-sional photographer, I was looking forward to an opportunity to pho-tograph 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 uncomfort-

Land of Clouds, Colors &... Time Travel?

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Page Article


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 im-port 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 magnifi-cently 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. How-ever, I had some misgivings, know-ing 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 thought-fully 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.

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 dis-tracting 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 man-made. 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 trian-gular 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.

Entering The “Doorway” To An Extraordinary ExperienceTo be continued…

Jerry Chinn an insatiable globe-trotter and award-winning photographer. As Program Director for ROX Expedi-tions, he develops and coordinates small-group (6-12 persons) tours and photo workshops. Current-ly scheduled workshop/tours for 2016 include: Costa Rica, Peru and Botswana (southern Africa). For more information, contact: [email protected]

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fiti affecting Casa Grande and surrounding areas.

You sound like a very reason-able man. Good luck to you.

It is a shame that a city of this size has no public transporta-tion!!

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 un-developed 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 OVER-DUE! 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 con-sider not issuing all the building permits for new developments - there are several develop-ments 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

be streaming into town to shop here in deed do shop here. I can’t actually see that happen-ing 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 busi-ness. 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 maintain-er people make sure they use proper material and workman-ship. some of our streets were as rough after work was done as before.

Growth should be slow to al-low 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 Cotton-wood to Kortsen...as it should have been.

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 perma-nent 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 encour-aged 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 prop-erty 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 busi-nesses to support, Bigger Casa Grande Government.

Instead of a multigeneration-al 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

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 rev-enue, 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 Flor-ence 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 des-ert 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.

ADDITIONAL SURVEY COMMENTScontinued from page 92...

Coyote Ranch

Kay Kerby 520.560.0769Sarah Campbell [email protected]

194 W Crimson Sky Court $370,000 • 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


Everything You Have Ever Wanted!


Page Article

98 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITIONGOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 201698 THE HOME & GARDEN EDITIONGOLDEN CORRIDOR LIVING WINTER 2016

Fairy by Samantha Reeves

Library Creative Writing Contest

One 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 whis-pered. 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 mid-dle of the desert. “Wow!” said Luke, “Awe-some.” 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!

Coyote Ranch

Connie [email protected]

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.


DawnDawn Sv obodaSv obodaBranch Manager | NMLS #177235NMLS #177235

(520) 421-1171 Cell: (480) 221-9826442 W Kortsen Road, Ste 104, Casa Grande, AZ 85122

[email protected]

www.AcademyMortgage.com/dawnsvoboda

AZ 0913936

Corp Corp NMLS #3113NMLS #3113 | Corp State Lic AZ #BK-0904081

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