THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON
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This Week
NEWS ............... 5 Delay ball! Cactus League, mayors ask to delay start
NEWS ..............7
New Goodyear fire station ready to roll
SPORTS ........ 17 Desert Edge basketball shooting for big season
OPINION ................. 9 BUSINESS.............. 12 SPORTS ..................16 FEATURES ..............18 YOUTH ..................21 OBITUARIES ...........22 CLASSIFIEDS ..........24 SOUTH
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January 27, 2021
The Voice of the West Valley for 35 years
Flite Goodyear takes off BY TOM SCANLON
West Valley View Managing Editor
COVID-19 surge impacts schools BY TOM SCANLON
Flite Goodyear, which cranked out fighter jets and tranquil blimps in the early days of the West Valley, is taking off again. Daryl Burton, owner of Reliance Management of Phoenix and of Flite Goodyear, said the campus is growing fast from 60 tenants. “At the end of this year, we’ll probably have 80.” Ultimately, he expects 120 to 150 companies here. Though some of the tenants employ large work forces, “Most of them are smaller. The vast majority of our business is entrepreneurs,” Burton noted — adding he does not expect the expansion at Flite to cause traffic problems. Goodyear is celebrating its 75th birthday in 2021; Flite was around to see the city get off the ground. “That plant was there before the city of Goodyear,” said A pre-WWII water tank anchors Goodyear Flite, which is Burton. “The city of Goodyear transforming from its early days producing blimps and fighter to a business park home to cutting-edge technology. started in 1946. That plant was pilots (Water tank photo by Tom Scanlon, blimp photo courtesy FLITE Goodyear) there in 1942.” In a transition from plant to describes the ways Flite stays rooted in its campus, the Flite business park is a blend history while attracting companies that are of rugged, World War II-era buildings and producing next-generation products. cutting-edge technology. “Repurposing” is a word that trips off Burton’s tongue as he FLITE...continued on page 2
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West Valley View Managing Editor
Public school districts are monitoring West Valley surges in COVID-19 spread — while hoping to get as many teachers as possible vaccinated. One West Valley district pushed reopening classrooms until March 15, to give teachers and staff time to get vaccinations. While educators are in the 1B group that is eligible for coronavirus vaccinations, many are finding difficulty in landing appointments. This is part of a countywide trend of demand exceeding the vaccine supply. Agua Fria Unified High School District is partnering with Abrazo West Campus to host an educator point of distribution (POD). “The first vaccine event will be held Jan. 29 and 30,” said Tamee Gressett, a district administrator. “The second vaccine event will be held Feb. 19-20.” Gressett stressed this will be an invitation-only event not open to the public: “Those receiving an invitation will be all school district employees of public, private, charter, diocese schools and licensed/ unlicensed child care. The invitations are restricted to those groups within our district boundaries,” she said. Vaccines for West Valley educators come at a time when another virus surge has districts wrestling with reopening dates. All West Valley public schools returned from winter break with classes online only.
Schools...continued on page 3 available
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