Golden Corridor LIVING Late Summer 2022

LATE SUMMER 2022

SEAN MEINER

Photo Contest WINNER

ARIZONA CITY · CASA GRANDE · COOLIDGE · ELOY · FLORENCE · MARICOPA

Are you or your spouse turning 65 or retiring soon?

If you’re turning 65, or soon to be retiring, we can help you prepare for and understand all the moving parts of Medicare.

We provide comprehensive reviews and comparisons of your Medicare options and Social Security benefits, at a free no obligation phone or in-person meeting.

Have your questions answered, and understand your health plan options.

Call Us Today!

520.340.6767 TTY: 711

www.Sharp4Medicare.com Calling the number above, will direct you to a licensed local insurance agent.

Do you have questions regarding Medicare?

Do you need help understanding the Medicare process?

Medicare can be difficult to understand, especially if you are just beginning the process. You might be receiving large amounts of mailers and letters regarding your options, and it can be complicated to navigate through.

But that’s what we do- we help you quickly understand, and make the right choices. There is never a cost for our advice, and there is no obligation to enroll. Our job is to help you understand, and earn your trust so when you do need a plan, you feel confident working with us!

When it comes to Medicare plans, one size does not fit all. Let us help you make a confident decision.

We are licensed Medicare plan specialists, locally focused in Pinal County since 2007. We help educate our clients by answering their questions and providing clarity. We can be as in depth or as concise as you’d like to be, and we are happy to meet in person or by phone. We know ALL the plans in Arizona, and can help you select the right one this year, as well as help you year after year.

LATE SUMMER 2022

SUSAN WORTMAN

Photo Contest WINNER

ARIZONA CITY · CASA GRANDE · COOLIDGE · ELOY · FLORENCE · MARICOPA

Maricopa’s ONLY

HOSPITAL & 24/7 ER Exceptional Community Hospital - Maricopa honors all in-network benefits for emergency services provided to our patients.

We bill in-network copayments, deductibles, and coinsurance.

We do not balance bill patients for any amounts in excess of in-network benefit patient costs, thus network status with Health Plans should not hinder access to emergency care for any insured community member.

OUR SERVICES

No matter your injury or ailment, Exceptional Community Hospital in Maricopa is ready and equipped to quickly treat you and your loved ones with our “Concierge Care” service standard.

Our facility features minimal wait times, a caring staff, highly individualized care and state-of-the-art technology, ensuring your healthcare and service needs are met in every way.

520-534-0100 

19060 N. John Wayne Parkway

 ECHMaricopa.com

At Exceptional Community Hospital (ECH-M), we accept ALL Commercial Insurance Plans and any Medicare, Medicaid (AHCCCS), TRICARE plans and IHS/ Tribal and VA plans. Note that ECH-M is State licensed but is pending Medicare Certification. Once Medicare certified, we will bill for services after the Medicare participation date, Medicare, Medicaid and TriCare services will not be billed to insurance or the patient prior to Medicare certification.

LATE SUMMER 2022

KEVIN WEAD

Photo Contest WINNER

ARIZONA CITY · CASA GRANDE · COOLIDGE · ELOY · FLORENCE · MARICOPA

Advertiser Index

Absolute Homes / CG Autoplex ....................................... 86 ACP Painting LLC.................................................................... 95 AnnieMac Home Mortgage................................................. 12 AZ Quality Plumbing LLC..................................................... 93 Capital R Construction........................................................ 93 Casa Grande Alliance.......................................................... 41 Casa Grande Family Dentistry......................................... 65 Central Arizona College...................................................... 25 CGI Communications........................................................... 51 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty................................ 15, 34, 87 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty Property Management........................................................ 53 Cypress Point Retirement Community.......................... 92 Deadlift Coffee Shop............................................................ 43

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Elaine M. Earle, CPA

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Laurie Fisher

SALES & MARKETING Laurie Fisher, Director of Sales & Marketing Julie Turetzky, Director of Public Relations Jenna Leatherman, Executive Sales & Marketing Assistant Keith Dobie, Social Media Coordinator

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Michele Rodriguez, Creative Director Shannon Price, Art Director Lindsey Fojtik, Graphic Designer

EDITORIAL Christia Gibbons, Senior Editor Blake Herzog, Staff Writer John Stapleton, Contributing Editor

OPERATIONS

Desert Sky Dental...................................................................27

Bea Lueck, General Manager

Dreamstyle Remodeling..................................................... 89

COMMENTS & IDEAS

Exceptional Community Hospital - Maricopa.............. 4 Felix Appliance Heating & Air - Maricopa.................... 112 Glover Court Solutions......................................................... 52 Grande Innovation Academy........................................... 29 Honeycutt Coffee................................................................... 111 Horsepower Carpet Cleaning........................................... 92 Just Water Heaters................................................................ 91

editor@roxco.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS info@roxco.com goldencorridorliving.com/copies

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES info@roxco.com goldencorridorliving.com/advertise

CORPORATE OFFICE 1919 N. Trekell Rd., Suite C Casa Grande, AZ 85122 520.426.2074

Lifted High Garage Door Repair....................................... 92 Machado’s Hardscapes...................................................... 85 Maricopa Water And Ice..................................................... 43 McDill Insurance PLC............................................................ 49 Norris RV...................................................................................... 11 Raymond Law......................................................................... 49 Rent A Can..............................................................................103 ROX Commercial.................................................................... 61 Rush Air Conditioning & Refrigeration LLC.................... 91 Seeds of Hope......................................................................... 23 SHARP - Senior Health and Retirement Professionals........2 Sun Life Health........................................................................ 67 The Roost.................................................................................. 65 Title Security Agency............................................................ 51 Two Brother’s Plumbing...................................................... 95 6

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

CEO

Elaine M. Earle, CPA

GENERAL MANAGER Bea Lueck

Golden Corridor LIVING is published by ROX Media, LLC. Editorial content is provided by affiliates of ROX Media, LLC, community members and local organizations. © 2022. All rights reserved. No part of this publication, including but not limited to editorial content, illustrations, graphics and photographic images, may be republished, reproduced or reprinted without the prior express written consent of the publisher. 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 7-1-22 and is subject to current availability and pricing.

LATE SUMMER 2022

TONEE MEINER

Photo Contest WINNER

ARIZONA CITY · CASA GRANDE · COOLIDGE · ELOY · FLORENCE · MARICOPA

Features The Annual

Best of Pinal County Issue

Best of Pinal: 2022............................. 62 Services................................................ 63 People................................................... 68 Lifestyle.............................................…69 Shopping…............................................74 Food and Drink....................................75 Pets......................................................... 81

Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Photo Blushing Cactus Photography

2022 Photo Contest People’s Choice Winners................... 56

Special Feature Education.................................... 30 About the Covers Cover 1: Sean Meiner

Photo Blake Herzog

Sunset near 96 Ranch, South of Florence

Cover 2: Susan Wortman

Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior

Cover 3: Kevin Wead

Goldfield Ghost Town, Apache Junction

Cover 4: Tonee Meiner

Sunset at Donnelly Wash, East of Florence

8

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

18

The Interview with Eddie Mankel and Paula Leslie, Owners, Mankel Mechanical & Two Brother’s Plumbing

Find us here!

Casa Grande ACADEMY MORTGAGE: 442 W. Kortsen Rd., Suite No. 104 Anaya’s Fresh Mexican Restaurant: 2876 N. Pinal Ave. Arizona Village Mobile Home and RV Park: 426 W. Cottonwood Lane Big 5 Sporting Goods: 1320 Florence Blvd.

BRAKEMASTERS: 1649 E. Florence Blvd.

BRUTINEL PLUMBING : 600 E. 1st St., Casa Grande Cal Ranch: 1116 E. Florence Blvd.

GREATER CASA GRANDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 575 N. Marshall St., No. 5246 COLDWELL BANKER ROX REALTY: 1919 N. Trekell Rd. CYPRESS POINT RETIREMENT COMMUNITY: 1771 E. McMurray Blvd.

Deadlift Coffee Shop: 305 N. Florence St. Ed Whitehead’s Tire Pros: 313 N. Maricopa St. EL PIMA MERCADO Y CARNICERIA : 116 N. Casa Grande Ave. Elite Real Estate Pros: 502 E. Cottonwood Lane, No. 11 Eva’s Casa Grande: 665 N. Pinal Ave. Fiesta Grande RV Park : 1511 E. Florence Blvd., Casa Grande Liquor Factory & Deli: 930 E. Florence Blvd.

LGrande Cafe: 2820 N. Pinal Ave., No. 4 Lucky Sushi & Chinese: 1350 E. Florence Blvd.

Mi Amigo Ricardo: 821 E. Florence Blvd.

NORRIS RV: 973 W. Gila Bend Hwy. Outlaw Ink: 210 E. Florence Blvd.

Sparkle Auto Spa: 1635 E. Florence Blvd.

Sunwest Resort Village: 450 W. Sunwest Dr., No. 101 TITLE SECURITY AGENCY: 442 W. Kortsen Rd., No. 101

Maricopa ACE HARDWARE: 21542 N. John Wayne Pkwy., Maricopa Brake Masters #234: 20400 N. John Wayne Pkwy.

Copper Sky Family Center: 44345 MLK Jr. Blvd.

Dunkin’: 20595 S. John Wayne Pkwy.

Empower Physical Therapy: 21300 N. John Wayne Pkwy., No. 107 EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNITY HOSPITAL - MARICOPA: 19060 N. John Wayne Pkwy.

Headquarters Cafe: 19640 N. Maricopa Rd. HONEYCUTT COFFEE & WINE: 44400 Honeycutt Rd., No. 109 Joe’s Barber Shop: 44480 Honeycutt Rd., No. 101 LAW OFFICE OF ANGEL A. RAYMOND: 4440 W Honeycutt Rd., Suite 110 Medical Group PofCC: 21300 N. John Wayne Pkwy., Suite No. 123 Plaza Bonita Family Mexican Restaurant: 21141 N. John Wayne Pkwy.

Say Sushi: 21101 N. John Wayne Pkwy, Suite No. 103 Senior Center: 41614 W. Smith Enke Rd., Suite No. 100 Sports & Cuts Prime Barbershop: 41600 W. Smith Enke Rd. Sunrise Cafe: 20917 N. John Wayne Pkwy., No. A104 Tacos & More: 21596 N. John Wayne Pkwy., No. 104 MARICOPA REAL ESTATE COMPANY: 21300 N. John Wayne Pkwy., No. 101 THE ROOST SPORTS BAR AND CAFE: 20800 N. John Wayne Pkwy.

WATER & ICE: 20928 N. John Wayne Pkwy., Suite No. C7

Coolidge Barbers Finest Worldwide: 787 N. Arizona Blvd.

Barnett’s Better Buys LLC: 909 N. Arizona Blvd.

Casa Palomino Restaurant: 1076 N. Arizona Blvd.

Coolidge Chamber of Commerce: 351 N. Arizona Blvd., No. 5 Coolidge Post Office: 229 W. Central Ave. Garrett Motors: 197 N. Arizona Blvd.

Tag’s Cafe: 156 N. Arizona Blvd.

Florence Florence Cafe: 495 N. Pinal Pkwy. Ave., No. 102 Lidia’s Cocina at Old Pueblo: 505 S. Main St.

Eloy Eloy Chamber of Commerce: 515 N. Main St. Robson Ranch Arizona: 5687 W. Robson Blvd.

Call 520.426.2074 if you’d like to be added to this pick up list!

2022

Photo Contest

From the Editor: Photos, especially cover photos, are an ongoing challenge for any magazine. There are two key points to making the final selection. The first is to ask, “Is the image compelling enough for someone to pick up the magazine?” And then the important question for production, “Is the image the resolution quality needed for print and will it work with the portrait aspect of the magazine layout?”

We received many amazing photos, making the final selection extremely difficult! Not all images worked for our production needs. You can find all of the photos in our 2022 Photography Contest – Golden Corridor LIVING Magazine Facebook album and many, including our People’s Choice winners, can be found in this issue. We hope you enjoy them! www.facebook.com/goldencorridorliving

Table of Contents

BIZ

48

YOU

50 52 58 70 78 82

FUN

96 98 100 106 Q&A

10

110

CG Resident Earns Volunteer of Year Award New to Arizona? Community Property Laws May Affect your Estate Plan Should I Add Children to My House Title?

Out & About Let your Hair Frame Bold Cosmetic Choices Patience Required when Adding a Pet to the Pack You Can Survive a Home Renovation

Return to Wanderlust Prehistoric ‘Casa Grande’ Laid Coolidge’s Foundation Dive into the Desert for Summer Setting the Stage for Maricopa

Eric Snider, Sales Executive, Title Security Agency

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

HOW CAN WE HELP? Our dealership offers used RVs for sale, RV parts and accessories, RV repair and service, Propane and RV storage.

Family owned and operated business Since 1993

973 W. Gila Bend Hwy Casa Grande

520-836-7921 | www.norrisrv.com

Monday - Friday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday and Sunday: Closed

VA LOANS

GETTING VETERANS INTO HOMES...

Take advantage of your right to apply for a VA loan and get into your new home or refinance your current loan!

Are you active-duty, a veteran, a reservist, or a surviving spouse of a veteran?

You can apply for a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs loan with us, a qualified VA lender.

• Available to veterans, reservists, active-duty personnel and surviving spouses of veterans, based on military entitlement • No down payment* • No cash reserves • No application fee • No monthly mortgage insurance premiums

• VA funding fee may be financed • Seller is required to pay certain closing costs, thus decreasing the closing costs for the borrower • May pay off some consumer debt with the refinance loan program** • 1–4 unit primary residences with restrictions

Rudy Benitez

Licensed Mortgage Originator NMLS# 279367 Ph: 520.836.7776 Mob: 602.481.3967 rbenitez@annie-mac.com www.RudyLoans.com

AnnieMac Home Mortgage, 211 N. Florence Street • Suites 102 & 103 • Casa Grande, AZ 85122. American Neighborhood Mortgage Acceptance Company LLC (dba AnnieMac Home Mortgage, LoFiDirect) Arizona Mortgage Banker License (AZ BK #0926586), AZ Banker # 0948914 (LoFiDirect) NMLS 338923.

From the Publisher

BASKING IN

Golden Corridor’s Shine It’s the summer of 2022, and Pinal County is the hottest place to be.

It is one of the toastiest places in the country every summer, but lately it’s had another kind of heat building up. Census figures, business investment, school openings and everything else points to our land being some of the most enticing you’ll find anywhere.

Even as we swelter and shelter through waves of heat, the rest of the world is recognizing the huge potential of our people and our property to contribute to the world of tomorrow.

We give our residents an amazing quality of life that’s more accessible now that more people work from home. Our area is finally getting the attention it deserves from the state of Arizona as it commits $400 million to the greatly needed widening of Interstate 10 between Casa Grande and Phoenix.

Pinal at its best is so good, and we’re celebrating that in this issue with our Photo Contest winners and our annual Best of Pinal survey as we spotlight the top services, stores, restaurants, attractions and personalities we have to offer, selected by our growing base of readers.

Our treasured local schools are heading back into session so we’re including information, tips and a profile of Maricopa’s brand-new high school as our educational options continue to grow and blossom.

Eddie Mankel and Paula Leslie, the team behind Casa Grande plumbing firm Mankel Mechanical, reveal in this issue’s in-depth interview how their family business has endured and thrived for more than two decades through challenges in the economy and in their partnership.

To be of even better service to our readers, Golden Corridor LIVING is rolling out several new features in these pages, including sections devoted to Beauty and Style, Outdoor Adventure and Arts and Culture, along with articles featuring historical topics from each of our communities.

We are growing along with Pinal County, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it!

Laurie Fisher Laurie Fisher

Associate Publisher, Golden Corridor Living Magazine

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 13

Voices of the Community At Golden Corridor LIVING Magazine, our slogan is “The Voice of the Community” because we believe the stories in our local region are best told by the people, companies, nonprofits and governments that comprise our community. Here are the “voices” who helped make this issue possible!

Angela Askey

Donna McBride

Micah Powell

Bob Shogren

Executive Director, Public Relations and Marketing, Central Arizona College

Councilwoman, City of Casa Grande

Mayor, City of Eloy

Director, Casa Grande Alliance

Mila Besich

Craig McFarland

Christian Price

Jon Thompson

Mayor, Town of Superior

Mayor, City of Casa Grande

Mayor, City of Maricopa

Mayor, City of Coolidge

Tiffanie Grady-Gillespie

Gigi McWhirter

Andrew Rodriguez

Tori Ward

Certified Physical Trainer, Certified Corporate Wellness Coach, WickedFiTT

Resident Animal Whisperer

Council Member, Eloy City Council

Travel Agent, ROX Travel

See more Voices and full bios at www.goldencorridorliving.com/voices 14

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

Coldwell Banker ROX Realty 10 Years of Excellence

On 7-26-2012, three brokerages (ROX Real Estate, Coldwell Banker EXCEL and C21-All Stars) signed a merger agreement, and on 8-22-2012 the new brokerage was approved by the AZ Department of Real Estate and officially began operations as Coldwell Banker ROX Realty.

Connie Rush was the first Designated Broker. Bea Lueck is the current Designated Broker.

Agents celebrating 10 years of continual service with Coldwell Banker ROX Realty: Coldwell Banker Excel: Kay Kerby, Connie Rush, Annalisa Tapia ROX Real Estate: Robin Armenta, Bea Lueck, Joyce South Forever in Our Hearts: Sarah Campbell

Kay Kerby

Connie Rush

Annalisa Tapia

Robin Armenta

Bea Lueck

Joyce South

1919. N. Trekell Rd. Suite A Casa Grande, AZ 85122 520.423.8250 | roxsells.com (C)2022 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated.

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 15

Stories by Blake Herzog

THE LATEST LOCAL NEWS

The Pinal County Press ARIZONA CITY | CASA GRANDE | COOLIDGE | ELOY | FLORENCE | MARICOPA

LATE SUMMER 2022

Price Resigns as Maricopa Mayor, Takes MEDA Job Christian Price has stepped down as mayor of the booming City of Maricopa after more than a decade but will continue serving the community as president and CEO of the Maricopa Economic Development Alliance (MEDA) by working to lure more highpaying jobs there.

Maricopa has nearly doubled in size since he took office to its current population of approximately 65,000 and added numerous retail and recreational amenities. However, it has yet to become an employment center, with around 80% of its residents commuting to the Phoenix area.

“And I know lots of people in this city that would take a pay cut from where they’re working now if they didn’t have to commute, if they could just stay here,” Price said.

Maricopa’s longest-serving mayor, Price is bringing his years of onthe-ground experience attracting corporations to the area and recently acquired credentials from the Arizona Association of Economic Development to the table.

He’s taking the helm for a group of local business leaders and officials who have been promoting the area since 2009, moving over time toward a focus on attracting larger employers, especially those bringing high-tech jobs.

All of this for a city still trying to climb out of the housing bust when he climbed up from the Maricopa Meadows HOA into elected office.

“In 2011 when I decided to run, I knew that my talent was one of vision.

16

Photo by Blake Herzog

Christian Price, Mayor of City of Maricopa

One of hope, of believing when others don’t believe. And I could see that the future of this place was going to be magnificent. It’s just, who wanted to believe in the middle of a recession.

“And I remember talking to people, and everyone I talked to said, ‘I want to leave. I want to get out of here. There’s nothing to do. There’s no retail.’ It was

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

just a very difficult time,” he said.

This year, Maricopa has been named one of the nation’s fastest growing cities and it’s the largest in Pinal County, eclipsing its one time status as the poster child for the foreclosure crisis. Price credits the “hyperfocus” of leaders on creating the quality of life that attracts homeowners and the amenities that follow them.

He said Maricopa and Casa Grande, now its friendly rival in the growth game, have developed a synergy, with that city’s growing industrial base providing jobs for his community and Maricopa attracting their residents with leisure options including the Ak-Chin Indian Community’s casino, resort and Southern Dunes Golf Club.

It’s also built up an “adventure corridor” along state Route 238 with Apex Raceway, Arizona Soaring, Skydive Phoenix and the planned PHX Surf Park with wave pools and accompanying retail and hotel.

Copper Sky’s regional park and multigenerational center draws heavily from the Phoenix area.

“So people come from all over to play there and, those are some of the things that have set us apart,” Price said.

“So while the industry will come, we wanted a great quality of life first and that’s what we’ve put in place. And so

Stories by Blake Herzog

The Pinal County Press

now we’ll continue with the business side and the economic development side,” he said.

MEDA is modeled on the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), and Price became a member of that group’s board after he was first elected.

He reports to a board of directors with more than 20 members who pay dues to help finance the group’s efforts. He’s supervising a staff of three, including himself.

“There’s a lot of things to do from marketing to staying up with social media, to setting up the travel plans and making sure we’re all in all the right places, because it’s not about just being here in Maricopa, it’s about being outside of it. It’s about being where these folks are to learn why I should come to a place I’ve never heard of before,” Price said.

But he says his job could be easier than he expects, based on what

happened one day shortly before he officially stepped down as mayor: “We had five businesses walk through our door. That word is getting out there. There were five businesses in one day, three of them were in the semiconductor industry, and the other two were in manufacturing, like industrial.

“They walked through our front door and said, ‘I’m looking at possibly bringing you business here.’

They walked into the city hall all on a Wednesday, right in the middle of the week. And they said, ‘Who can help me?’ You know, that’s like, that’s like the golden nugget.”

Price’s resignation took effect June 30. Vice Mayor Vincent Manfredi is serving as interim mayor, and the City Council is expected to decide how to fill the council vacancy after the city’s primary election Aug. 6.

Lucid Expanding Presence in Pinal, Globally

Photo by Blake Herzog

Lucid Motors is accelerating its growth after announcing its first-quarter results for 2022, with $577 million in revenue and 360 Air Dream Edition electric vehicles made at its AMP-1 plant in Casa Grande delivered to customers, plus more than 30,000 more reservations for other models in hand.

The company said it’s on track to meet its production goal of 12,000 to 14,000 luxury sedans this year, despite inflation and supply chain issues that led to a price increase for cars ordered after June 1.

A new building mirroring its initial structure at Thornton and Peters roads has taken shape next door as the publicly traded company pushes forward on its 2.85-million-square-foot second phase, tripling the current footprint on its 590acre site to add the capacity to meet its goal of producing up to 90,000 vehicles annually by the end of next year.

Lucid has also reached a lease/purchase agreement \with Pinal County, approved

Continued on page 46

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 17

The

Interview

Paula Leslie and Eddie Mankel

Plumbing the Depths of

A GREAT BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP

by Blake Herzog

Born on a neighbor’s couch in Texas, Paula Leslie is the daughter of two Air Force veterans. Her family moved to Casa Grande, her mother’s hometown, when she started high school, and after graduating from Casa Grande Union High School (CGUHS) she briefly went to college in California on a scholarship before deciding to come back home and attend Central Arizona College.

After earning a degree in journalism and marketing management from Arizona State University, she returned to Casa Grande and met Eddie Mankel.

Golden Corridor LIVING: Eddie, let’s start with you. Tell us about yourself.

Eddie Mankel: Pretty simple. Born and raised here. My mother was a homemaker. My father was a mechanic for ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation).

Golden Corridor LIVING: What generation first came to Casa Grande?

Eddie was born at Casa Grande’s Hoemako Hospital, which once stood on the southeast corner of Florence Boulevard and Trekell Road. He grew up on the west side next to Hancock Plumbing, and his father volunteered him to work there when he was 12, which began his lifelong career in the industry.

He went to St. Anthony’s School, Casa Grande Junior High and graduated from CGUHS before starting his own landscaping firm and plumbing for others’ firms.

Eddie Mankel: My father came here in the mid ‘50s from Harding, New Mexico. First he went to Nogales, and then he moved up here because he got a job with ADOT until he retired. I went to Casa Grande Union High School.

Paula Leslie: We missed going to school together by one year. I moved here in 1980, which was his senior year. So he had already graduated, and I didn’t start going to school until that fall.

They met and married while both were employed at Brutinel Plumbing and eventually launched Mankel Mechanical in 1999 to fulfill a shared dream of being their own bosses. Their marriage eventually ended but their business partnership continues to thrive after 23 years via three entities: (Mankel Mechanical, LLC, Two Brothers Plumbing and LRAD Properties.

Their two sons work for them, and their four grandchildren and five rescued pets frequent the office as they continue to serve customers locally and throughout Arizona. Mankel is also licensed to work in Texas.

Golden Corridor LIVING: How did you meet, eventually get married, have a family? Who gets to tell that story? You’re on.

Paula Leslie: I had these high aspirations after high school. I ended up graduating from ASU, but I had a baby, my son Shea. And so I didn’t want to go into journalism because I figured that would take me too much away from my child.

And so I started looking for a job,

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 19

The

Interview

a lot of work for the mines and just wasn’t clicking there with the manager. And so he quit one day, and I was like, “Ed, what do you want to do?” We had just bought a house. We were still OK financially.

He’d had his landscaping business in the ‘80s, but he had been plumbing since he was 12. And so he was like, “You know what? I’m going to go plumbing.” So he went and got his license.

Eddie Mankel: I left the job, and she wanted to go into business. I wasn’t ready because I didn’t feel I had the experience. I went to work for a company in Phoenix called Beck Plumbing; started out as a plumber, promoted to foreman, became a supervisor. Then after I left there, that’s when I said I was ready. With my background, what I learned up in the Valley, I felt confident I was ready to get my license. And then we went into business in 1999.

Eddie Mankel in the field working a tamper to compact soil

and a lady was leaving Brutinel Plumbing. So she said, “Why don’t you take over my job?” And so I became the office manager. Then they hired this plumber again.

It was your second or third time working there, right? He started working at Brutinel in 1989. I was still living with my parents, but I was raising my son by myself, he was 3.

It was funny because everybody told me, “Stay away from that guy.” He had a bet with another guy there, Tom Hancock, and so he invited me out to lunch at Mi Amigo Ricardo’s and I said “Yes.” And that was history. We married in March of 1990.

20

Golden Corridor LIVING: So it was a whirlwind romance, a lot happened in this time frame of ‘89 to ‘90. Ricardo’s, Paula has a little boy, you two have another baby boy, and you’re married. What’s the progression from Brutinel to having your own Mankel Mechanical?

Paula Leslie: I left Brutinel, and Eddie, he must have had a million jobs when we were married. He always had a job, he’d just get bored. But he gained a lot of good plumbing experience. I was working for Dr. Eugene Yang, the dentist, at the time. Eddie was working for a rubber lining company doing

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

Golden Corridor LIVING: Did it start out as Mankel Mechanical then? From day one?

Paula Leslie: We argued about that name, but he won. I thought it should be something with plumbing.

Mechanical gives the impression that you’re HVAC. After 23 years we still get asked, “Hey, can you fix my air conditioning unit?” No. We do mechanical piping. You have to explain that to people.

Eddie Mankel: A lot of big companies in Phoenix that use “mechanical,” they do AC and plumbing. Our goal was to do AC, but I never found the right partner. I didn’t want to use plumbing because at the time, I didn’t want people calling us for service calls because I did commercial jobs, not household calls about dripping faucets.

Golden Corridor LIVING: What is it like working together every day? We need to back up a little bit. You’re now divorced.

Paula Leslie: We’re now divorced, since 2012.

Golden Corridor LIVING: You get along better than any divorced people that I’ve ever met.

You would never guess. You really are great role models for that. Sharing children and grandchildren, I have to really commend you on that. But you decided not to be marriage partners, but you get along great and you run the business together and you raise your kids and grandkids together still.

you can make it work. Because you leave out your personal differences, and you work toward one goal.

And he’s probably thinking I’m full of it right now, but that’s the one thing that I think kept us going, besides the fact that then when our boys got an interest in the company, it was really, “OK. Wait a minute now. This is generational.

Now we have something to pass on to our children. And then when our granddaughter Lex turns 14, she’s coming to work.”

Checking out a very public toilet in Israel

Golden Corridor LIVING: It’s healthier for everybody all around, in the business and the family. It’s really commendable.

Eddie Mankel: It works well. We see our grandkids every week.

Our boys are with us. We see each other every day. We all get along.

Everything’s fine. But when the weekend comes around, we don’t see each other because we’re around each other all week long.

So our weekend is our time.

Q

Continued on page 54

Eddie Mankel: Our oldest granddaughter started coming in our office since she was a baby. We raised her for the first three years, so she was in our office every day.

Then of course, the boys came into the business young, helping us during the summers. Then our oldest, Shea, started working for us full time when he was 23, after he’d done some drywalling. And he’s 35 now. Our son Vaughn came when he was 18, almost 19. It’s a kind of full-fledged family business.

Golden Corridor LIVING: So you obviously didn’t skip a beat when you decided to stay in business together.

Paula Leslie: There were a couple beats. There was a few months there that Eddie was like, “Screw this. I’m moving to Texas and starting another company.” So I was kind of scrambling because he is the license holder, but we — I think what people don’t realize is this was our dream. I always wanted to own my own business. He always wanted to be his own boss. And so when you have that same passion, LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 21

EDUCATED WORKFORCE LEADS TO ECONOMIC GAINS

by Craig H. McFarland, Mayor, City of Casa Grande We are home to 75 restaurants, 19 parks, 18 miles of trails, the Dorothy Powell Senior Center, the Casa Grande Community Recreation Center, Aquatic Center, two public libraries, a Neon Sign Park and many sports fields and open spaces.

This action plan describes the Arizona Regional Talent (ART) Networks, a proposed effort to develop regionally specific initiatives to increase postsecondary enrollment and attainment — and meet workforce needs.

The City of Casa Grande requires an educated workforce to drive its vibrant and increasingly competitive economy.

To meet the goal of achieving 60% postsecondary attainment statewide by 2030, a coordinated state and regional approach to education and workforce development is required.

The statewide Achieve60AZ goal and our local Achieve Pinal, which has garnered broad cross-sector and community support, is accompanied by four pillars and 10 strategies for increasing postsecondary attainment rates:

• Strengthening the pipeline • Increasing access, success • Aligning workforce needs • Using metrics, data As proposed, ART Networks is a coordinated response commissioned by the Arizona Mayors Education Roundtable, of which I am vice chair, to help regions develop and execute a plan that brings together K-12, postsecondary, workforce, community leaders and community partners to develop the opportunities Arizona residents need to gain the credentials, skills and competencies required for good jobs.

STRENGTHS Beyond the strong example set

by Achieve60AZ and Achieve Pinal, Arizona and Pinal County

boasts other successful initiatives that provide a solid foundation for additional efforts to increase attainment rates.

The Arizona Education Progress Meter — adopted by Casa Grande and 49 other cities and towns statewide — provides county, municipal, district and school level data for a comprehensive picture of educational achievement in Arizona.

A statewide coalition helps students complete the free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and qualify for financial aid. Central Arizona College (CAC) has the “Promise for the Future” that pays for two years of college at CAC. The Arizona Promise Program helps first-time, full-time, degreeseeking students at Arizona’s three universities to cover the full cost of college tuition and fees.

RESPONSE AND GOALS Arizona needs a state and regional plan based on proven strategies that contribute to a college-going or at a minimum post high school certificate culture in communities throughout the state. These strategies must define concrete ways to help more residents prepare for, enroll in, and complete postsecondary programs that award credentials and enable residents to get good jobs.

Casa Grande is well positioned because of the collaborative efforts of our K-12 leaders, CAVIT, Central AZ College, AZ@Work, Achieve Pinal, local leaders and local industry.

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G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

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WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, COOLIDGE HAS IT ALL

by Jon Thompson, Mayor, City of Coolidge

With education a key focus in this edition, I’d like to talk about the great partnerships with our local educational institutions.

The City maintains great partnerships with our local educational institutions.

I believe the key to our future is tied to excellent learning opportunities.

Our schools, technical programs and Central Arizona College pave the way to ensure our youth have those connections. One of the first things many visitors and residents alike have noticed is our many learning options.

Coolidge Unified School District has seven schools. A key value is maintaining partnerships with the community. The district has been an excellent partner with the City as shown with many projects we’ve collaborated on over the years.

One of the largest projects Coolidge has partnered on is the Coolidge Aquatics Center.

Though maintained by the City, the district has several events involving their swim teams using a brand new championship pool.

prizes; that helps motivate children to keep their mind on continual learning. I have personally donated books to our schools because I feel reading is such an important part of our children’s education.

Imagine Schools also offers a great choice in schools. Their campus houses a K-5 program while their Prep Academy offers 6-12 learning.

Coolidge has partnered with Imagine Schools on speaking opportunities and events. I’ve had the privilege to speak with some of these fine students there and can tell you I’m inspired with the questions they ask. The City has added a new sidewalk outside their campus, making student safety a priority.

Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology (CAVIT) also is an

Cavit

excellent decision when it comes to vocational training. The program prepares youth for job opportunities right after graduation.

Programs include: firefighting, nursing, heavy equipment operations, dental, pharmacy, physical therapy and more.

Central Arizona College offers a wide array of degree programs right here in Coolidge. There are nine areas of focus in certificate and degree programs that prepare students for the current employment market.

It also helps prepare students for a bachelor’s degree at University of Arizona, ASU and NAU. I invite you to come to Coolidge to look at all our levels of education and see for yourself why this is a great place to live, work and play!

Imagine Coolidge Prep

Coolidge also helps our local education with reading programs throughout the year.

The most popular one takes place in June, providing a chance for our youth to read books and earn Central Arizona College

Coolidge High

Photos courtesy of City of Coolidge

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PATHS

TO

GREAT CAREERS

FREE Tuition for Summer 2022 REDUCED IN-STATE TUITION for fall 2022: $50/credit

ELOY CHAMBER WORKS TO

HELP GROW THE CITY

by Andrew Rodriguez, Executive Director, Eloy Chamber of Commerce

On behalf of the Eloy Chamber of Commerce, I would like to rewelcome you to our growing city.

annual banquet, and our community celebrations for the holiday seasons.

Eloy is an outstanding place to live, work and grow a business.

Whether you’re visiting for the day, looking for a new place to call home, or you’re already a resident of our thriving community, Eloy is a quaint little city with a big heart and plenty of opportunities.

We collaborate with local government and other organizations to pursue improvements in the overall quality of life for the city, particularly in the areas of transportation, education, health care, tourism and workforce development. Our success in achieving our mission and purpose is due to a collaborative effort among the Chamber Board of Directors, Chamber volunteers, City of Eloy, APS, and area professionals.

Our rich history dates to 1902, and the Chamber was established in 1949 to advocate for, and support the prosperity of, Eloy and area businesses.

We are always creating new networking and promotional opportunities to help our member businesses succeed and grow, including space to advertise on the Chamber website, business referrals, monthly networking opportunities and continuing education.

Other great events that allow our member businesses to gain visibility and networking opportunities include the Veterans and Memorial Day events, annual golf outing,

26

Our online business directory is another service the Chamber provides to the local community.

We continue to work with our “Shop Eloy” campaign to encourage our community to think local, shop local! By supporting the businesses in our directory, you are making a direct reinvestment in the success of our community every day.

To our current Chamber members, thank you for your continued support.

For those of you considering relocating your business or

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

opening a new business in Eloy, we know that becoming a Chamber member will assist in your businesses’ future success.

Eloy has had several new employers and homebuilders invest in our community, with more on the way.

Please consider getting in on our growth as we continue to move the City forward.

Eloy Mayor Micah Powell gave his editorial space to the Eloy Chamber of Commerce this edition to highlight the services the Chamber offers to old and new small businesses.

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EDUCATION IS KEY TO

STRONG COMMUNITIES

by Mila Besich, Mayor, Town of Superior

When we embarked on developing a five-year strategic plan for our community, our Town Council was passionately committed to and downright adamant about making sure that education for residents of all ages would be a perennial top priority.

While some may argue that school business and municipal business are separate issues, the fact is they are inextricably linked.

Our Council knew that a keen focus on education access and opportunity would help Superior become an even stronger, more innovative and resilient community and economy.

We fully embraced the mindset that all Superiorites — those here today and those who will come in the future — should have pathways to increasing educational attainment. Lifelong learning begins at birth and continues throughout each stage of one’s life.

We look forward to implementing a wide variety of classes for continuing education and working alongside our local community colleges and universities to offer programs for residents of Superior and the greater Copper Corridor region.

A one-stop shop for personal fitness, learning and business development will be housed in this one-of-akind campus. Not to mention the sense of place and reverence that this historic complex exudes.

Strong communities start with healthy residents and access to quality, lifelong education and learning programs. We are excited to embark on the remodeling of the campus and just as importantly, to begin programming and implementing advanced education and skilled training opportunities.

Our steadfast commitment to education is a cornerstone of our multigenerational center, which will be housed at the original Superior High School.

Our new facility will feature a makerspace and skilled job training facility. It will host programs for entrepreneurial development while also creating space for physical fitness classes such as yoga and dance.

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It is our goal that our library is a place that everyone can come and access materials to help them expand their knowledge, to read for pleasure and perhaps even escape to other worlds!

Educational attainment is achieved both inside and outside of a classroom. So much is learned working alongside our peers and colleagues, learning from one another and sharing our unique perspectives and views of the world.

The Superior multigenerational center will be the hub for these collaborations and connections, and we are committed to offering programs and services that inspire everyone to pursue their learning aspirations in our community!

Our K - 8th grade, tuition-free charter school offers innovative classroom technology so our scholars may build the future they want.

The Grande Innovation Academy is committed to our scholars’ potential and achieving their academic ambitions. Our one-of-a-kind interactive learning environment offers a FabLab, SMALLab, electives, and a differentiated learning program for gifted scholars.

For scholars needing flexibility, our Path to Potential on-line school offers 4th-8th grade scholars a fast-paced curriculum with the opportunity to still participate in school sports, clubs, and on-campus activities.

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Photo courtesy of Blake Herzog

Sun Rises on

NEW MARICOPA HIGH SCHOOL

by Blake Herzog

Desert Sunrise High School has been reaching for the sky on the eastern edge of the City of Maricopa and officially joins the community July 21.

The new $41 million campus at 16200 N. Murphy Road will offer students access to career academies with subjects ranging from engineering to education along with top-tier instruction in more traditional curriculum. The more than 600 freshmen and sophomores being welcomed to the campus will have numerous specialties to choose from as they explore career fields.

All will create opportunities for dual enrollment and industry credentials.

Principal Marlene Armstrong calls the instructional model “daring and diverse.” A full slate of electives also will be available, including art, drama, band, choir, physical education and Spanish.

center, college and career counseling area and a performance stage. A third phase bringing more educational and athletic facilities is planned and will be scheduled as funding becomes available.

Desert Sunrise will cover 165,000 square feet on 80 acres at full buildout and have a capacity of 1,300 students.

Its attendance area includes most of the area north of Casa Grande-Maricopa Highway and east of State Route 347, with Desert Wind Middle School and Saddleback, Pima Butte, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz elementary schools as feeder campuses.

Career academies available at Desert Sunrise High School include:

She says the classroom building is set up to create smaller learning communities within the student body to personalize the experience and foster collaboration between students as they continue through the grade levels.

Over the 2023 and 2024 school years, 11th and 12th grades will be added. It is Maricopa Unified School District’s second high school.

Desert Sunrise’s Golden Hawks will land on a campus with a two-story classroom building plus a cafeteria, gymnasium and music building, administration center, a football field and a track complex. The May 24 ribboncutting on the first phase was highlighted by a surprise groundbreaking for Phase 2, projected by general contractor CHASSE Building Group architecture firm Orcutt|Winslow for completion in July 2023.

This will include additional sports facilities and a Student Commons Building with media

STEM Academy • Engineering • Software and app design • Air transportation • Sports medicine STEM Academy electives • eSports • Forensics • Robotics Leadership Academy • Business management • Student government • Digital communications • Ed professions • Agriscience • Sports broadcasting/journalism Leadership Academy electives • Academic Decathlon • Model UN • Speech, debate — Law, public safety

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 31

Education Directory PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS

UNIVERSITIES/COLLEGES

Apache Junction Unified School District 1575 W. Southern Ave., Apache Jct 480.982.1110 www.ajusd.org

Central Arizona College 8470 N. Overfield Rd., Coolidge 800.237.9814 www.centralaz.edu

Casa Grande Elementary District 220 W. Kortsen Rd., Casa Grande 520.836.2111 www.cgesd.org

NAU at Central Arizona 8470 N. Overfield Rd., Bldg. M, Coolidge 520.421.1394 www.nau.edu/statewide-campuses/nau-centralarizona-college

Casa Grande Union High School District 1362 N. Casa Grande Ave., Casa Grande 520.316.3360 www.cguhsd.org Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology (CAVIT) 1789 W. Coolidge Ave., Coolidge 520.423.1944 www.cavitschools.com

FREE Tuition for Summer 2022 REDUCED IN-STATE TUITION for Fall 2022: $50/credit

www.centralaz.edu

TECHNICAL & TRADE SCHOOLS Turning Point Beauty College 1355 E. Florence Blvd., Suite No. 143, Casa Grande 602.882.0928 www.facebook.com/TurningPointBeautyCollege

PRESCHOOLS

Coolidge Unified School District 450 N. Arizona Blvd., Coolidge 520.723.2040 www.coolidgeschools.org

Casa Grande Head Start 468 W. McMurray Blvd., Casa Grande 520.421.2660 www.facebook.com/CGHeadStart

Eloy Elementary District 1011 N. Sunshine Blvd., Eloy 520.466.2100 www.eloyesd.org

Early Childhood Learning Center 390 E. Lakeside Pkwy., Casa Grande 520.876.0045 www.cgesd.org/Domain/13

Santa Cruz Valley Union High School District 900 N. Main St., Eloy 520.466.2220 www.scvuhs.org

Coolidge Head Start 227 W. Pinkley Ave., Coolidge 520.723.4951 www.facebook.com/CoolidgeHeadStart

Toltec Elementary District 3315 N. Toltec Rd., Eloy 520.466.2360 www.toltecsd.org

Eloy Head Start 114 E. 3rd St., Eloy 520.466.7189 www.facebook.com/EloyHeadStart

Florence Unified School District 1000 S. Main St., Florence 520.866.3500 www.fusdaz.com

Toltc Head Start 3720 N. Marsh St., Eloy 520.466.4036 www.facebook.com/ToltecHeadStart

Maricopa Unified School District 44150 W. Mar/CG Hwy., Maricopa 520.568.5100 www.musd20.org

Florence Head Start 40 E. Celaya St., Florence 520.868.8640 www.facebook.com/FlorenceHeadStart

Oracle Elementary School Dostrict 2618 W. El Pasao, Oracle 520.896.3070 www.osd2.org

Maicopa Head Start 44931 W. Edwards Cir., Maricopa 520.568.2577 www.facebook.com/CityofMaricopaHeadStart

Superior Unified School District 1500 Panther Dr., Superior 520.689.3000 www.superiorusd.org

San Tan Valley Head Start 310 E. Combs Rd., San Tan Valley 480.987.1845 www.facebook.com/STVHeadStart

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Superior Head Start 150 N. Lobb Ave., Superior 520.689.2812 www.facebook.com/SuperiorHeadStart

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Cholla Elementary School 1180 E. Kortsen Rd., Casa Grande 520.836.4719 www.cgesd.org/Domain/10 Cottonwood Elementary School 1667 N. Kadota Ave., Casa Grande 520.836.5601 www.cgesd.org/Domain/11 Desert Willow Elementary School 2172 N. Arizola Rd., Casa Grande 520.876.5397 www.cgesd.org/Domain/12 Evergreen Elementary School 1000 N. Amarillo St., Casa Grande 520.836.6694 www.cgesd.org/Domain/14 Ironwood Elementary School 1500 N. Colorado St., Casa Grande 520.836.5086 www.cgesd.org/Domain/15 McCartney Ranch Elementary School 2631 N. Brown Ave., Casa Grande 520.876.4235 www.cgesd.org/Domain/16 Mesquite Elementary School 129 N. Arizola Rd., Casa Grande 520.836.7787 www.cgesd.org/Domain/17 Palo Verde Elementary School 40 N. Roosevelt Ave., Casa Grande 520.421.1650 www.cgesd.org/Domain/18 Saguaro Elementary School 1501 N. Center Ave., Casa Grande 520.836.7661 www.cgesd.org/Domain/19 Heartland Ranch Elementary 1667 W. Caroline St., Coolidge 520.424.2100 www.coolidgeschools.org/Domain/11 West Elementary School 460 S. 7th St., Coolidge 520.723.2702 www.coolidgeschools.org/Domain/12

Arizona City Elementary School 12115 Benito Dr., Eloy 520.466.2450 www.toltecsd.org/arizonacityelementaryschool_ home.aspx Cruiel Primary School 1000 N. Cruiel St., Eloy 520.466.2120 www.eloyesd.org/Curiel-Primary-School Eloy Intermediate School 1101 N. Sunshine Blvd., Eloy 520.466.2130 www.eloyesd.org/Eloy-Intermediate-School Anthem K-8 Elementary School 2700 N. Anthem Way, Florence 520.723.6400 www.fusdaz.com/Domain/8 Florence K-8 Elementary School 460 S. Park St., Florence 520.866.3540 www.fusdaz.com/fk8 Magma Ranch Elementary School 10980 E. Desert Mountain Blvd., Florence 520.868.7300 www.fusdaz.com/mr Butterfield Elementary School 43800 Honeycutt Rd., Maricopa 520.568.5100 www.musd20.org/bes Maricopa Elementary School 18150 N. Alterra Pkwy., Maricopa 520.568.5160 www.musd20.org/mes Pima Butte Elementary School 42202 Rancho El Dorado Pkwy., Maricopa 520.568.5100 www.musd20.org/pbes Saddleback Elementary School 18600 N. Porter Rd., Maricopa 520.568.6110 www.musd20.org/ses Santa Cruz Elementary School 19845 N. Costa Del Sol Blvd., Maricopa 520.568.5170 www.musd20.org/sces Santa Rosa Elementary School 21400 N. Santa Rosa Dr., Maricopa 520.568.5100 www.musd20.org/sres Circle Cross Ranch K-8 Elementary School 35900 N. Charbray., San Tan Valley 480.987.7600 www.fusdaz.com/cc Copper Basin K-8 Elementary School 28682 N. Main St., San Tan Valley 480.888.7500 www.fusdaz.com/cb Mountain Vista Academy Elementary School 33622 N. Mountain Vista Blvd., San Tan Valley 480.474.6172 www.fusdaz.com/mva

San Tan Heights Elementary School 2500 W. San Tan Heights Blvd., San Tan Valley 480.888.7555 www.fusdaz.com/sth

Coolidge Alternative Program & Virtual Academy 800 9th St., Coolidge 520.723.2115 www.coolidgeschools.org/Domain/10

Skyline Ranch Elementary School 1084 W. San Tan Hills Dr., San Tan Valley 480.888.7520 www.fusdaz.com/sr

Coolidge High School 684 W. Northern Ave., Coolidge 520.723.2304 www.coolidgeschools.org/Domain/8

Walker Butte Elementary School 29697 N. Desert Willow Blvd., San Tan Valley 480.987.5360 www.fusdaz.com/wb

Coolidge Junior High 684 W. Northern Ave., Coolidge 520.723.2304 www.coolidgeschools.org/Domain/9

JFK Elementary School Elementary School 1500 Panther Dr., Superior 520.689.3000 www.superiorusd.org/JFK_Elementary

Eloy Junior High School 404 E. Phoenix Ave., Eloy 520.466.2140 www.eloyesd.org/Eloy-Junior-High-School

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Santa Cruz Center for Success 900 N. Main St., Eloy 520.466.2220 www.scvuhs.org/Santa-Cruz-Center-for-Success

Cactus Middle School 1220 E. Kortsen Rd., Casa Grande 520.421.3330 www.cgesd.org/Domain/8 Casa Grande Middle School 260 W. McMurray Blvd., Casa Grande 520.836.7310 www.cgesd.org/Domain/9 Villago Middle School 574 E. Lakeside Pkwy., Casa Grande 520.423.0176 www.cgesd.org/Domain/20 Toltec Middle School 3315 N. Toltec Rd., Eloy 520.466.2360 www.toltecsd.org

Santa Cruz Valley Union High School 900 N. Main St., Eloy 520.466.2220 www.scvuhs.org/SCVUHS Florence High School 1000 S. Main St., Florence 520.866.3560 www.fusdaz.com/fhs Desert Sunrise High School 16200 N. Murphy Rd., Maricopa 520.509.0400 www.musd20.org/dshs Maricopa High School 45012 W. Honeycutt Ave., Maricopa 520.568.8100 www.musd20.org/mhs

Desert Wind Middle School 35565 Honeycutt Rd., Maricopa 520.568.7110 www.musd20.org/dwms Maricopa Wells Middle School 45725 W. Honeycutt Ave., Maricopa 520.568.7100 www.musd20.org/mwms

HIGH SCHOOLS Casa Grande Union High School 2730 N. Trekell Rd., Casa Grande 520.836.8500 www.cguhsd.org/casagrandeunionhighschool_ home.aspx

Florence Virtual Academy 33622 N. Mountain Vista Blvd., San Tan Valley 480.474.6188 www.fusdaz.com/fva Poston Butte High School - Florence 32375 N. Gantzel Rd., San Tan Valley 480.474.6100 www.fusdaz.com/pbhs San Tan Foothills High School 1255 W. Silverdale Rd., San Tan Valley 480.474.6240 www.fusdaz.com/foothills

CGUHSD Online Academy 1362 N. Casa Grande Ave., Casa Grande 520.836.3434 www.cguhsd.org/CGUHSDOnlineAcademy.aspx

Superior Junior High & High School 1500 Panther Dr., Superior 520.689.3000, ext 3102 www.superiorusd.org/Superior_JrSr_High

Vista Grande High School 1556 N. Arizola Rd., Casa Grande 520.876.9400 www.cguhsd.org/vistagrandehighschool_home.aspx

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

CAVIT - Central Arizona Valley Institute Of Technology 1789 W. Coolidge Ave., Coolidge 520.423.1944 www.cavitschools.com

Logos Christian Academy 9745 N. Trekell Rd., Casa Grande 520.421.1220 www.logosclassical.org

Continued on page 34

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 33

Education Directory St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School 501 E. 2nd St., Maricopa 520.836.7247 www.stanthonycgschool.org

“Prepare t o

” S ucceed!

CHARTER SCHOOLS

ASU Prep 12684 W. Gila Bend Hwy., Casa Grande 520.374.4200 www.asuprep.asu.edu/casa-grande-high-school Grande Innovation Academy 950 N. Peart Rd., Casa Grande 520.381.2360 Enrollwww.grandeinnovationacademy.com today online at mhprep.com/enroll or stop by for a tour!

“Prepare

“Prepare t o

“Prepare t o

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ee -HighCasa cPreparatory cSchool S uHeights Legacy Traditional Grande Mission School is a tuition-free public college prep school with a family atmosphere featuring: 1274 E. O’Neil Dr., Casa Grande 520.421.2323 www.casagrande.legacytraditional.org

94% graduation rate to university, community colleges and military

to

S ucceed!

”

• • • • •

Highly Qualified Teachers Top AzMerit Scores in the county Dual Enrollment and Early College Options on MHP's campus Digital Arts programs including cutting edge competitive Esports program and Photoshop Competitive sports including football, volleyball, cheerleading, wrestling, men and women's soccer, baseball, softball and track • Music and Drama programs Enroll today online at mhprep.com/enroll or stop by for a tour!

• Youth Entrepreneurs program and community internships that teaches students business and encourages marketing of their own skills 94% graduation rate to university, community colleges and military Performance on AZMerit Exams • A Travel Club that experiences 20 daysHigh in Europe • CAVIT program Grades 9-12 • A wide variety of clubs & extracurricular activities 1376 E. Cottonwood Ln. • AVID Program Casa Grande, AZ 85122 Graded a B school by ADE Accredited by •AdvanceED

Mission Heights Preparatory High School Grades 1376 E. Cottonwood Ln., www.mhprep.com | 520.836.9383 9-12 Casa Enroll today onlineGrande at mhprep.com/enroll or stop by for a tour!

520.836.9383 Enrollwww.mhprep.com today online at mhprep.com/enroll or stop by for a tour!

1376 E. Cottonwood Ln., Casa Grande, AZ 85122 www.mhprep.com • 520.836.9383 • Amanda Mace, school leader Amanda Mace, school leader

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Grades 9-12 1376 E. Cottonwood Ln. Casa Grande, AZ 85122 www.mhprep.com | 520.836.9383

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Grades 9-12 1376 E. Cottonwood Ln. Casa Grande, AZ 85122 www.mhprep.com | 520.836.9383 Amanda Mace, school leader

High Performance on AZMerit Exams Imagine Coolidge Elementary Grades 9-12 1376 E. Cottonwood Ln. 1290 W. Vah Ki Inn Rd., Coolidge Casa Grande, AZ 85122 www.mhprep.com | 520.836.9383 520.723.5391 www.imaginecoolidge.org

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Heritage Academy 41000 W. Heroes Way, Maricopa 520.367.3800 www.hamaricopa.com

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Leading Edge Academy - Maricopa 18700 N. Porter Rd., Maricopa 480.633.0414 www.leadingedgeacademy.com Legacy Traditional School - Maricopa 17760 Regent Dr., Maricopa 520.423.9999 www.maricopa.legacytraditional.org Sequoia Pathway Academy - Elementary 19265 N. Porter Rd., Maricopa 520.568.9333 www.sequoiapathway.org/# Sequoia Pathway Academy - Secondary 19265 N. Porter Rd., Maricopa 520.568.2112 www.sequoiapathway.org

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©2022 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Offices Is Independently Owned And Operated. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

YOU Education

Join in Saturday Family Fun

at Vista Grande Public Library Looking for something fun to do with the family on the weekend? Look no further.

There is always something fun happening on Saturdays at the Vista Grande Public Library, 1556 N. Arizola Road. Mrs. Shannon encourages families to unplug together by offering craft and board game days all year long.

If your kids are interested in being creative or playing fun and educational games with other kids, add 10 a.m. Saturdays with Mrs. Shannon to your calendars.

This drop-in program runs for 2 hours, so you have plenty of time to swing by and join the fun.

We hope to see you all on Saturdays this summer and all year long at the Vista Grande Public Library. See you soon!

For more information call 520.421.8652.

Main Library

Vista Grande Library

Mon – Fri 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mon – Fri 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 35

YOU Education

Getting Kids Ready for School without Them Realizing It

by Blake Herzog

1.

Encourage kids to read at least one book about Arizona before the school year begins.

9.

2.

Give them water bottles to carry around and fill during the day so they’ll keep up the habit when school starts.

10. Keep them in a daily routine roughly following their school-year schedule, with their input.

3.

Steer them toward a new language through games, apps and library books and resources.

11. Find volunteering opportunities — almost anything they try will have educational value.

4.

Give them a garden plot in your yard to plant and grow.

12. Let them “catch” you watching documentaries about science, nature and history.

5.

Encourage them to create a budget for spending and saving their allowance.

6.

Try out a new sport with them at their favorite park.

7.

Pick out a packed lunch they enjoy; teach them how to prepare it.

8.

Tell them to go climb a tree if they’re bored — keep one eye on them!

Teach them how to play chess — on a lifesized board drawn in your yard.

13. Let them tell a story about your neighborhood with words and pictures in sidewalk chalk.

14. Send them to the nearest Little Free Library or help them set up a new one.

Pinal County School Schedules 2022-2023 School Year CASA GRANDE

CLASSES BEGIN

WEBSITE

ELOY & ARIZONA CITY

CLASSES BEGIN

WEBSITE

Casa Grande Elementary School District #4

July 25

www.cgesd.org

Toltec School District #22



www.toltecsd.org

Casa Grande Union High School District #82

July 25

www.cguhsd.org/ vistagrandehighschool_home. aspx

FLORENCE

CLASSES BEGIN

WEBSITE

Florence Unified School District

Grande Innovation Academy

August 1

www.grandeinnovationacademy. com

July 20

www.fusdaz.com

Legacy Traditional School

July 20

www.casagrande. legacytraditional.org

MARICOPA

CLASSES BEGIN

WEBSITE

Logos Christian

July 25

www.logosclassical.org

Maricopa Unified School District

July 22

www.musd20.org

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School



www.stanthonycgschool.org

A+ Charter Schools

July 25

www.aplusaz.org/schoolcalendar

Heritage Academy

July 20

www.heritageacademyaz.com

Holsteiner Agricultural



Leading Edge

July 25

www.leadingedgeacademy.com/ maricopa

Legacy Traditional School

July 20

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1 ftYAT3zuprOyGcp57NgZXj8CtN3jT KQ9/view

COOLIDGE

CLASSES BEGIN

WEBSITE

Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology (CAVIT)

7/21/2022

www.cavitschools.com/Home

Coolidge Unified School District

July 25

www.coolidgeschools.org

Imagine



www.imaginecoolidge.org

Sequoia Pathway



www.sequoiapathway.org/##

ELOY

CLASSES BEGIN

WEBSITE

SUPERIOR

CLASSES BEGIN

WEBSITE

Eloy Elementary School District

July 18

www.eloyesd.org

Superior Unified School District



www.superiorusd.org

Santa Cruz Valley Union High School District #840

August 2

www.scvuhs.org

 Start date not yet available at time of publication

All dates are subject to change. Please check your school's website for the most up-to-date information.

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 37

YOU Education

Train your Mind to

Think Better

by Sara Hamilton, Casa Grande Alliance

When we talk about education, we are talking about how students of all ages can learn effectively.

Albert Einstein said, “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”

It’s never too late to train your mind, and it’s never too late to learn. Kendra Cherry of Verywell Mind offers 10 suggestions on how to train your mind to learn more effectively for efficiency in the present moment and longevity of knowledge in years to come.

1. Focus on improving your memory: Structure study time, and find a quiet place to learn where you can read the information aloud. Physical and social wellness practices also fosters better memory!

2. Keep learning new things: The brain can continue to produce new cells, but these cells can die when unengaged. “Use-it-or-lose-it” actually describes this phenomenon in our brains called “pruning.”

3. Lean multiple ways: Auditory, verbal and visual learning can all be used to understand one topic. Listen to a podcast, take notes, and then describe what you learned to a friend.

4. Teach what you are learning: Write a blog post, create a podcast or participate in a group discussion.

Think back to times you have taught others — how well do you remember that content?

5. Build on previous learning: Relational learning means relating new information to what you already know — this is a great way to learn more effectively!

6. Gain practical experience: Put your new knowledge/skills into practice. When learning a new language, practice speaking with others, and watch films in that language.

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G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

7. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: A great way to foster critical thinking and make you more adaptable, making mistakes followed by corrective feedback is a beneficial way to learn!

8. Practiced distributed learning: Try multiple short, focused sessions with breaks as opposed to a few long study sessions.

9. Take tests: The testing effect suggests that spending time retrieving information from memory improves the long-term memory of that information.

10. Stop multitasking: Multitasking can make learning less effective by decreasing productivity, impairing attention and reducing comprehension.

John Holt said, “Learning is not the product of teaching.

Learning is the product of the activity of learners.”

We hope you are encouraged to practice some of these tips and form habits that help you to learn more effectively.

Education Directory

Highlight your school to the community with an ad in our Education Section.

The education section in every issue is sponsored by a local company that puts a high value on education.

RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW! Call 520.426.2074 or email laurie@roxco.com

YOU Education

CAC: Fall Enrollment Underway

Photo courtesy of Greg Mastorakos

by Angela Askey, Executive Director, Public Relations and Marketing

Since fall 1969, Central Arizona College has been serving and educating the diverse communities of Pinal County by providing accessible, educational, economic, cultural and personal growth opportunities for all ages.

CAC provides a world-class learner experience and empowers its students and staff to succeed by providing a true learning community.

It is the college’s goal to be transparent about what is needed for each program of study or transfer pathway while providing inspiring and relevant courses. CAC’s guided pathways provide a clear road map of sequenced courses that lead to a specific degree or certificate.

With nine areas of interest, students can find the pathway they want to a great career. For a listing of the nine areas of interest and related guided 40

pathways maps visit: www.centralaz. edu/academics/areas-of-interest.

the student’s account (this excludes student loans).

Community members are provided multiple learning opportunities through career training, personal enrichment classes, online and university transfer courses, and continuing education classes.

In-state tuition for the 2022-2023 academic year is $50 per credit.

To be eligible for Pinal Promise, students must participate in 20 hours of community service that can be completed in high school or while attending CAC and complete the CAC Scholarship application. For a complete listing of requirements and additional information visit www. centralaz.edu/pinalpromise.

All students who live in Pinal County and graduate from a Pinal County high school are eligible to receive two years of in-state tuition (fall/ spring, fall/spring) funded by CAC and the CAC Foundation through Pinal Promise.

Classes begin Monday, Aug. 22.

Advising appointments are available face-to-face on campus, virtually through Microsoft TEAMS, or by phone. To schedule an appointment with an adviser visit www.centralaz. edu/advising.

Pinal Promise provides funding for any tuition need that has not been met, meaning that Pinal Promise funds will be applied after all other financial aid has been applied to

CAC business hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For additional assistance call 520.494.5111 or email centralhelpdesk@centralaz.edu.

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

YOU Education

GET THE MOST

Out of Studying

by Christia Gibbons

Learning how to study not only will help you score better in school, but the organization, time management, prioritization, analyzing, problemsolving and self-discipline involved in studying effectively paves the road for your life’s journey.

In the simplest of terms: • Eat well and get plenty of rest.

• Schedule study time; set goals for each session.

• Find a good place to study.

• Minimize distraction (turn off that phone).

• Study regularly.

• Write important things down.

• Interview people or participate in discussions.

• Have test questions or directions read aloud or put on tape.

KINESTHETIC LEARNERS These are hands-on learners who can assemble parts without directions. They learn better when physical activity is involve and likely are well coordinated. Their study habits should incorporate: • Making models, doing lab work, maybe role playing.

• Taking frequent breaks while studying.

• Quiz yourself.

• Using a computer to reinforce learning through a sense of touch.

• Use memory tricks.

• Memorizing while walking or exercising.

• Space out study sessions.

• Study with a group; express ideas on your own words.

• Ask for help.

But also know what kind of learner you are so you can mesh good habits with your personal style.

VISUAL LEARNER As a visual learner, you may have difficulty with spoken directions, overreact to sounds, have trouble following lectures, and you may misinterpret words. So you learn by: • Using graphics, films, slides, llustrations and diagrams.

• Color coding your notes.

• Using flow charts and diagrams for notetaking.

• Visualizing the spelling of word of facts to be memorized.

AUDITORY LEARNERS This type of learner needs to hear something to know it and can have difficulty with written direction. An auditory learner may have difficulty reading and may not interpret body language and facial expressions well. To learn, they should: 42

• Use tapes for reading, class and lecture notes.

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

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LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 43

YOU Education

New High School

Opens in East Maricopa

by Quinn Konold, Digital Communications Manager, City of Maricopa

Education is a catalyst for opportunity, and in Maricopa it’s also paving the way for economic development. The city’s newest campus, Desert Sunrise High School, opens in July and begins to welcome the first wave of students!

The 165,000-square-foot campus includes cutting-edge design, innovative technologies and flexible classroom spaces and furnishings. Career academies and college preparatory courses also set the curriculum at Desert Sunrise apart, preparing students there to meet economic needs of the future.

“We are growing, and being able to relieve the overcrowding at Maricopa High School and expand on the great programming that we already have for 9th -12th graders is really exhilarating.” — Dr. Tracy Lopeman, Superintendent at Maricopa Unified School District

44

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

The addition of this campus also signifies a landmark moment for the growth of the city as a whole. The east side of Maricopa is expanding quickly, with thousands of new homes either under construction or just around the corner. The high school and the businesses that follow will support this growth and help alleviate congestion on the west side of the city.

“If folks in Maricopa haven’t been out here, it won’t be long before they have a reason to be! This will be a very vibrant locale in the City of Maricopa, and we’re very excited to be in on the ground floor.”

— Dr. Tracy Lopeman You’re invited to come build a city with us! Discover all that’s happening in Maricopa and how you can become of a part of it by visiting www.maricopa-az.gov.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” —Benjamin Franklin

Education is the basis for the growth and progress of society, allowing people to contribute more in their areas of expertise and create better communities. Education on every level develops problem-solving skills and provides the opportunity for empowerment through hard work.

Welcome to our newest, regular section in Golden Corridor LIVING Magazine, the Education Section! The section appears in every bi-monthlyissue including a complete directory, local articles and messages from local schools to help you decide what best suits your personal or family needs.

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 45

The Pinal County Press

Stories by Blake Herzog

team, I would say 99% of them have come through my youth organization,” Luna said.

Luna has been CGUHS’s freshman football coach since 2015 and assistant varsity coach since 2019. Since 2006 he has been involved with the AZ Krush, a youth tackle football program.

Born and raised in Casa Grande, Luna graduated from the school he works for now in 2000 as a two-time AllState football offensive guard center and defensive lineman.

Originally committed to play for Arizona State University, he missed deadlines for scholarships there and at the University of Arizona, eventually

playing for a year each at Norfolk State University in Virginia and Mesa Community College.

“I didn’t have anybody to help me go through that whole process, so that was one of the biggest reasons I got into coaching, to make sure it didn’t happen to other kids in small communities and make sure they always had someone looking out for them who can help them get to the next level,” he said.

After playing a few years for the Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers, he came back full time to Casa Grande and youth coaching in 2012, feeding his players into the high school and joining the staff three years later.

His freshman teams have never lost more than two games in a season, while he’s continued to coach youth teams and coach the offensive line for the varsity. He said he delivers the same message about personal responsibility and focus to each player.

This fall will be full of transitions, as the CGUHS team moves up to a competitive Division 5A statewide without Barro and longtime athletic director Randy Robbins, who was Luna’s high school coach and has retired.

Luna says he’s ready with a positive, realistic outlook.

“Our goal doesn’t change. Our goal will be to win the title, but from the realistic end, we’re trying to get our feet wet in this new conference, make the playoffs, and hopefully we can build off of this first season, I can learn. It’s going to be a big learning experience for me, too,” he said.

County Manager Leo Lew said the additional land will “essentially build out the vision of what an (original equipment manufacturer) automotive manufacturer campus would look like.”

Lucid’s estimates project a total economic impact from the expanded acreage of 6,000 direct jobs, 30,000 indirect jobs and output worth $256 billion.

Lucid State and Local Policy Lead Daniel Witt said the company has more than 2,000 Arizona employees and expects to top 3,000 by the end of 2022.

In May, Lucid also released details about plans to build its second factory, AMP-2, in Saudi Arabia. During a formal signing ceremony, Lucid said the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia and other Saudi entities have pledged up to $3.4 billion in financing and incentives over the next 15 years to build and operate a manufacturing facility able to produce up to 156,000 vehicles a year.

When both AMPs (which stands for “advanced manufacturing plant”) are at full capacity they could be producing a combined 500,000 units a year, Lucid said.

Photo courtesy Coach Luna

Coach Luna Takes Over CGUHS Football The Cougars varsity football team at Casa Grande Union High School had a phenomenal season last year under longtime coach Jake Barro, clinching in December its first-ever state championship.

Now Barro is headed to Corona Del Sol High School in Tempe, but his successor has even deeper roots with the students who make up the backbone of the program.

Mark Luna has been coaching youth football 16 years and began working with this academic year’s graduating seniors when they were 8 years old.

Same goes for the teens who’ll make up the team this fall.

“I’ve been coaching them since they were babies, too. Every kid that’s on that

Lucid Continued from page 17 4-1 by the Board of Supervisors on June 27, on 1,366 acres surrounding its factory, valued at approximately $115 million.

The board also approved 4-1 the sale of approximately $125 million in obligation bonds to finance the purchase of the property, which had been assembled from numerous parcels.

The deal is similar to the initial land purchase of 500 acres made by the county for Lucid’s factory in December 2018, giving the company an option to buy after four years. Lucid has confirmed it intends to buy the original site this year.

46

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

Stories by Blake Herzog

The Pinal County Press

Commission Denies SRP Plant Expansion 2nd Time Salt River Project’s (SRP) application to expand its Coolidge Generating Station was denied an application rehearing by a 3-2 vote of the Arizona Corporation Commission June 6, following an April 4-1 decision against the plan.

SRP’s permit application sought to add 16 85-foot natural gas turbines, able to generate up to 820 megawatts of power, to the 12 in place at the site on Randolph Road, which is within the Coolidge city limits. It is closest to homes in the

small, unincorporated, historically Black community of Randolph.

Opposition came from residents based on current and future health concerns and a history of unequal treatment, as well as from the Sierra Club and other environmental groups.

The commission said SRP did not provide adequate documentation to support its request, didn’t give enough consideration to alternative fuel sources such as solar, and offered inadequate

mitigation measures for Randolph residents.

It said the expansion would “have significant negative impacts on residents in Randolph from noise levels during construction and operation of the project, increased lighting, emissions of greenhouse gases, worsened air quality, degraded views, and lower property values.”

SRP then applied for a rehearing of the application. The utility said it would

Continued on page 76

Coolidge Generating Station

Photo by Blake Herzog

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 47

BIZ Economy, Finance & Business

CG Resident Earns

Volunteer of Year Award

by Blake Herzog Desert Financial Credit Union, with more than 1,000 employees across Arizona, has named Casa Grande’s Diane Berdych its 2021 Volunteer of the Year.

She spent 229 hours — or almost six weeks’ worth of full-time work — over the course of the year and enjoyed every minute of it.

“We just try and do what we can, and I just love it,” Berdych says.

“The more I can do, I’m happy to see the kids from Free Arts, and if I get a smile or a hug, that’s just so well worth it, just to see them.”

Free Arts for Abused Children in Arizona is one of her favorite nonprofits to work with and one of the recipients she chose for the $1,500 donation her employer made as part of her prize, along with Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center.

Last year Berdych supported almost all of Desert Financial’s “virtual volunteer” initiatives, worked blood drives, made no-sew blankets for kids and, with her two grandsons, decorated lunch bags for Meals on Wheels and painted Kindness Rocks.

As her job and volunteering went “virtual” over the last two years, she wrote cards of encouragement for seniors at Native American Connections centers and for girls who’d been victimized through human trafficking.

“It’s all such heartfelt things we can do that literally take only a few minutes. You can do 20 in 48

Diane Berdych

Photography by Desert Financial Credit Union

a half hour, and you might be touching 20 girls or 20 seniors,” Berdych says. “It’s huge, it’s huge.”

Diane Berdych with her husband Gerard and grandsons Brayden and Brendyn at the Feed My Starving Children nonprofit in Mesa.

Berdych and her husband moved from Michigan to Casa Grande in 2008 and she began working for Desert Financial shortly after.

She is a quality data analyst.

She says she volunteered before, but not as often as she’s been able to do with the credit union, which offers paid volunteer time and coordinated opportunities.

“Desert Financial will send us a box of supplies, and we do a Zoom. We may have 30 people on the meeting, and then we’re all putting these kits together for kids or the veterans, things like that,” she said. In-person volunteering is being reintroduced, too.

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

Diane Berdych holds a no-sew blanket she made with one of her grandsons, Brendyn.

Congratulations to all of the 2022 Best of Pinal County Winners!

Thank you for your contribution to our community!

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LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 49

BIZ Economy, Finance & Business

New to Arizona?

Community Property Laws May Affect your Estate Plan

By Denis Fitzgibbons, Attorney, Fitzgibbons Law

Here is why: In Arizona, assets acquired by a married couple — cash, investments, personal property, real estate, business interests, retirement accounts, etc. — or by either spouse during the marriage, are considered community property, with each spouse owning an undivided half interest in each asset.

There are exceptions. Examples of “sole and separate” property include assets acquired before marriage, a business started before marriage, a retirement or pension account that originated before marriage, or a gift or inheritance received at any time.

If you have recently moved to Arizona, it is a good idea to have your will or trust reviewed by a local estate planning attorney, regardless of the state from which you relocated.

However, such a review takes on much greater importance if you moved here from a state other than the eight other “community property” states (California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin).

50

Those exceptions are not absolute.

For example, if the value of one spouse’s separate asset increases during the marriage, that increase may be considered community property. Also, if separate-property cash becomes commingled by placing it in a joint bank account, it, too, will likely be treated as community property.

If those provisions seem confusing, the confusion can reach new

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

heights when a married couple moves to Arizona from a noncommunity property state.

That is why an estate plan review becomes important.

Under Arizona law, assets acquired by a married couple, or by either spouse, while they lived in a noncommunity property state, and that accompanied the couple to Arizona, are generally considered not as community property but as “quasi-community” property.

If, after moving to Arizona, one spouse dies or the couple divorces, how the courts treat the couple’s quasi-community property is very fact-specific and can result in unintended consequences for the couple. The spouses’ estate plans should expressly address the ownership of the assets that they brought to Arizona.

To help ensure that your wishes are honored regarding the ownership of your pre-move assets, and any assets you acquired after moving here, schedule a review of your will, trust and ownership documents by an experienced Arizona estate planning attorney.

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BIZ Economy, Finance & Business

SHOULD I ADD CHILDREN TO MY HOUSE TITLE?

by Patricia Glover, Advanced Certified Paralegal, Notary Signing Agent, Certified Legal Document Preparer

Many people think it is a good idea to put their child’s name on the house deed to avoid inheritance/estate taxes and probate or to prevent the property from being seized to pay for nursing home expenses.

Creditors, outsiders: A person’s primary homestead typically protected is from creditors, but when you add another person onto the deed, it might not be exempt from collection efforts.

To the contrary, co-owning real estate with your children may create more problems than it solves.

Depending on how the deed is worded (e.g., “tenants in common”), your deceased child’s heirs could make a legal claim to your home.

No “take backs”: When you add someone to your deed, the person acquires equal rights to the property. If you have a falling out, they have no legal obligation to release the title back to you.

Taxes: When you add another person to your deed, your home becomes a “gift” and you may be required to file a gift tax return if the gift exceeds the annual exclusion amount ($16,000 as of 2022).

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The

Interview

Continued from page 21

Q

Paula Leslie: And then even holidays, we’ll get together but just for a couple of hours. “Come to my house; let’s eat.” We’ll talk a little bit.

Then it’s time for you to go. Because we see each other all the time.

Golden Corridor LIVING: But it does seem like you have great roles. Eddie’s the license holder, and Paula does the office accounting, everything.

So it seems like it’s a great partnership.

Paula Leslie: And it is. He knows nothing about the money at all. He has to ask. But it is nice. He started letting me do, several years ago, what we call our trim take-offs. It’s the final phase of construction with all the faucets and stuff like that.

And so I was able to get involved in that construction part and reading plans and looking at plans

and getting better acquainted with the products that we actually install. And so it’s kind of neat to be involved with that.

Golden Corridor LIVING: It’s really critical because you have retention, too, with having it in the family. If you were having to hire that office manager position and turn it over, nowadays it’s hard to fill those positions. And how did the business grow to the size it is now? Was that just natural growth in the community?

Eddie Mankel: Well, this past two years, we’ve been busy here in town, but most of our work was up in the Valley. It just progressed, just word of mouth and knowing contractors and referring us. We’ve done work for several big contractors up in the Valley. We do mainly commercial and industrial work, very little residential.

“

“WE DECIDED TO OPEN UP TWO BROTHERS PLUMBING FOUR YEARS AGO, AND VAUGHN IS BASICALLY RUNNING THAT. AND EVENTUALLY, SHEA WILL TAKE OVER MANKEL. IT’S WORKED OUT PERFECT. EACH ONE OF OUR SONS DOES WELL AT THEIR OWN DEPARTMENT.” —EDDIE MANKEL

Golden Corridor LIVING: OK. Which leads to a natural progression of your sons having Two Brothers Plumbing. Do they then focus more on residential on their calls?

Eddie Mankel: We decided to finally get into service work because we decided we were leaving opportunity to make more money there. Our oldest son Shea helps with Mankel. Like I said, he has the aptitude for new construction work.

And then our youngest son Vaughn, he had more of the aptitude to do service work. We decided to open up Two Brothers Plumbing four years ago, and Vaughn is basically running that. And eventually, Shea will take over Mankel. It’s worked out perfect.

Each one of our sons does well at their own department.

Paula Leslie: And I do the books and paperwork for them. For right now, it’s Mankel Mechanical DBA (Doing Business As) Two Brothers Plumbing. It just kind of rolls together so the paperwork is easy.

I still do keep it separate to see who’s making money and who’s not.

So the books are separate in that aspect. But it’s all one tax return.

Two Brother’s Plumbing

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G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

Eddie Mankel at the Board of Appeals

Eddie Mankel: They have a total of three employees.

Paula Leslie: Right now, they run two full-time vans, and looking to get a third one going here pretty quick.

Golden Corridor LIVING: And are they going outside of Casa Grande at all?

Paula Leslie: They go outside Casa Grande, definitely. They service a lot of Pinal County. And then we have a few customers that we’ll go the Valley for, but it’s usually just not worth it when you’re doing just service.

Golden Corridor LIVING: Mankel has done some impressive commercial projects. Tell us about a few.

Eddie Mankel: Recently here in town, everyone knows we did the Texas Roadhouse. We’ve done several large projects like up in the Valley, we did Cardinal Glass plant.

We did a big bio-methane plant in Stanfield. We did several jobs all over the state.

Vaughn Mankel and Shea Leslie at a worksite

Paula Leslie: We’ve done several charter schools, some of them here.

But mainly in the Valley.

Eddie Mankel: Like I say, most of our work’s been up in the Valley.

We’ve done several fire stations.

Paula Leslie: Oh, fire stations. I forgot about the fire stations.

Eddie Mankel: We’ve done several hotels.

Golden Corridor LIVING: What are some of your big projects coming up?

Eddie Mankel: Oh, the American Gypsum, the sheet rock factory in Eloy. We’ve got the new public defender attorney’s office in Florence.

Golden Corridor LIVING: About how many people do you have working for you right now?

Eddie Mankel: Right now, it’s 12.

Golden Corridor LIVING: That’s amazing that you’re doing that scale of project with only 12 people.

Eddie Mankel: We’ll hire more people as we go.

Golden Corridor LIVING: Has it been hard finding labor? Or do you have some people who have been with you for a long time?

Eddie Mankel: We were pretty lucky with retention. We lost two Continued on page 108

Q

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YOU Health, Happiness & Education

2022 PHOTO CONTEST

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

Winners of the People’s Choice award from our 2022 photography contest received the highest number of votes in our Facebook album.

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G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

WINNER April Tarangom Fighting for the buckle!

Pinal County Fair 2022

#2

#3

Trini McAnulty

Trini McAnulty Farm fields with rainbow.

Skydive Arizona in Eloy at dusk.

Jimmie Kerr Blvd. Casa Grande, AZ

#4

#5

Trini McAnulty Casa Grande

Ronnie Rodriguez

#7

#8

Mountain. Spring 2022

#6

Ronnie Rodriguez

Eloy, AZ

Eloy, AZ

#10

Ronnie Rodriguez Eloy, AZ

#9

Kim La Vone Exploring the snow.

Superior, AZ

Kim La Vone Beautiful Sunset.

Florence, AZ

Rebekah Mathews Flowers.

Maricopa, AZ

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 57

YOU Health, Happiness & Education

Out & About

We hope you enjoy these additional photos submitted to our 2022 Photo Contest!

Submit your photos to our Facebook page or email to: photos@roxco.com Nancy McFarland

Brianna Stone

Kimberly Diedrich

Stephanie Cave

Karen Morphew

Shelly Rae

Donna McBride

Rosanne Hardy

Brian Spearbeck

Kevin Wead

Ginny Miller

YOU Health & Happiness

Volunteers Giving Back, ONE CHILD AT A TIME

by Donna McBride, Supervisor, Court Appointed Special Advocate Unit

Speaking of the Best of Pinal County — the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program has an average of 75 volunteers appointed by the presiding juvenile judge to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children.

Volunteers stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and require no special degrees because we offer 30 hours of training, mentoring and guidance.

More information on CASA volunteering is available by calling 520.866.7076 or visiting www.casaofpinalcounty.org.

Meet a few of our volunteers:

Advocate Suchela Benitez has been a CASA volunteer for almost 1 1/2 years.

She is described as: “dedicated,” “positive,” “compassionate.”

Suchela has given over 450 hours on one case of two siblings.

She is a relentless advocate and does not shy away from asking a question or proposing solutions.

Suchela did not waiver when she had to drive more than an hour to visit or that she had to visit two separate placements. She recently has taken on an additional case that involves a sibling group of two.

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Advocate Danielle Lee was assigned her first case in November 2020.

Her little guy was placed with his oldest sibling, who was in college. He experienced developmental delays in speech and his behaviors at day care were so disruptive he was suspended at one point.

Danielle was not only a great support for her CASA child, but she was equally supportive of his sibling who took on the huge responsibility.

She was a voice for the services that this child needed and helping the sibling get licensed as a foster home. This resulted in additional financial resources so the sibling could continue her education.

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

Advocate Julia Halvacs has been with CASA for over a year and a half, joining in the middle of the pandemic.

Her first case was quite challenging with several different issues, medically and behaviorally, along with mental health challenges and distrust.

She built a trusting relationship with initial kinship placement — the grandfather, then father and mother, allowing her the ability to work closely with them to benefit the child.

Julia’s contributions were invaluable to this case, resulting in a positive outcome of reunification for this CASA child and family.

Industrial | Commercial | Retail | Sales & Leasing

Matt Herrington

has joined ROX Commercial M. 520.730.2200 | O. 520.421.9000 Matt@roxcommercial.com

ROX Commercial 1919 N. Trekell Rd., Suite B Casa Grande, AZ 85122

roxcommercial.com

YOU Best of Pinal County

Best of Pinal County 2022

Are you new to Pinal County?

Welcome to your new home!

This guide is for you.

and drink, covering most all the facets of your life here in this red-hot — on so many levels — slice of the desert.

Have you been here long enough to pick a side in the eternal debate on how to pronounce “Casa Grande?” Newcomers and long timers, alike, are mixed in their use of the Spanish pronunciation versus the Anglo one in which the “e” is dropped from “grande.”

We’re blessed with Phoenix’s dynamism, Tucson’s desert charm and a history of independence and resilience older than the Casa Grande Ruins.

No matter, this guide is for everyone!

Golden Corridor LIVING’s annual Best of Pinal County results are a detailed guide to the best providers of goods and services as selected by our readers. These are the people and places who really give the Golden Corridor its shine, making it shimmer for residents and visitors.

Our numerous categories are broken down into sections about people, pets, services, lifestyle, shopping and food 62

This is where you can learn about the county’s stalwarts and upstarts and discover new favorites that might be one or several towns over from your own. Whether you’re looking for a bountiful burrito, a razorsharp barber or an unbreakable bank, we’ve got a pick for you!

We love to celebrate excellence in our growing community, and it’s getting even easier to do as a rising tide and spirited competition raises all of our boats! So while our summer gets us dreaming about the beach, let’s ride the wave and support our best local businesses.

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

CATEGORY Services ........................63 People ..........................68 Lifestyle ......................69 Shopping ................... 74 Food & Drink ............ 75 Pets ...............................81

The Best Of Services Acupuncture Dr. Yolanda Rodriguez, Maricopa

Electrician Rent A Vet Services, LLC™, Maricopa

Medical Practice Sun Life Health, Casa Grande

Recovery Center Hope Women's Center, Maricopa

Appliance Repair Felix Appliance Heating & Air, Maricopa

Financial Services Rudy Benitez AnnieMac Home Mortgage, Casa Grande

Medical Spa Maricopa Wellness Center, Maricopa

Retirement Community Cypress Point Retirement Community, Casa Grande

Attorney Angel Raymond, Maricopa Auto Dealership Jerry Seiner Dealerships, Casa Grande Auto Repair Lugnut Auto Repair, Maricopa Bank | Credit Union AnnieMac Home Mortgage, Casa Grande

Florist Cotton Blossom Flower Shop, Maricopa Funeral Home J. Warren Funeral Services, Casa Grande

Orthodontist Walton Orthodontics: Grant Walton, DMD, MS, Casa Grande

General Contractor JMC'S Remodeling, Casa Grande

Painting ACP Painting, LLC., Maricopa

Heating & Cooling 911 Air Repair, Maricopa

Pest Control Gorilla Joe's Pest Control, Maricopa

Barber Sports and Cuts Barber Shop, Maricopa

Housekeeping A & P House Cleaning LLC, Maricopa

Car Wash | Detailing Pro X Detailing & Auto Glass, Maricopa

Home Repair | Remodeling Rent A Vet Services, LLC™, Maricopa

Caterer Helen’s Kitchen, Maricopa Chiropractic Center Happy Clam Chiropractic, Maricopa Day Care | Preschool Trinity Lutheran Church & TLC Preschool, Casa Grande Dentist Yang & Horsley Dentistry, Casa Grande

Optometrist Professional Eye Care Associates, Casa Grande

Landscaping Superior Environmental, Inc., Superior Legal Services (non-attorney) Glover Court Solutions and Estate Planning, Maricopa Legal Services A. A. Raymond Law, Maricopa

Photographer Victor Moreno Photography, Maricopa Plumber AZ Quality Plumbing LLC, Maricopa Physician Kristina Donnay, Maricopa Wellness Center, Maricopa

Salon/Spa - Hair | Skin | Nails (TIE) TREND Salon and Spa, Maricopa Hello Gorgeous, Maricopa Signage (TIE) N & D Designs LLC, Casa Grande Spellibrate Yard Cards, Maricopa School Coolidge Unified School District, Coolidge Tattoo Studio (TIE) Aces & Eights, Casa Grande Outlaw Ink, Casa Grande Wedding Venue Elements Event Center, Maricopa

Real Estate Agent Kelly Herrington, Coldwell Banker ROX Realty, Casa Grande Real Estate Brokerage Coldwell Banker ROX Realty, Casa Grande

Massage Hands of Silk, Maricopa LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 63

YOU Health & Happiness

Helping Educators FIND TIME FOR EXERCISE

by Tiffanie Grady-Gillespie, Certified Physical Trainer, Certified Corporate Wellness Coach, WickedFiTT

It’s true, teachers are busy. They work long hours during the school year, they are up early every day, and many of them have families of their own.

Between teaching, grading, lesson planning and life outside of school, there isn’t always time left over for working out.

It’s tough. We get it. Here is where we jump in with some tips for our teachers and anyone else struggling to make time for exercise. Whether you’re an early bird or night owl, here is some advice for teacher workouts.

Morning people — Hello, 4 a.m. alarm clock. Working out now gives you

increased energy levels to power you through the day. Plus, there are fewer distractions in the wee early hours to disturb your workout.

How about you night owls? I suggest you bring your workout clothes with you and go straight to work out after school. Do not go home (your couch is a cruel and evil being that will hold you captive).

If exercising during the week is just not in the cards for you, it happens.

No worries, you can always go extra big on Saturday and Sunday with extended workouts. Maybe include the family. Make it a game. Go crazy.

Now just a few quick tips that may keep you on track.

1. Commit to minutes not hours.

2. Routine is the key.

3. Buddy up — It helps with accountability. Invite other teachers to train with you.

Remember, every little bit counts!

There may be days you just can’t make time for the gym in the morning — OK. And if you’re way too exhausted to go after a crazy day in the classroom — don’t fall apart. Do what works best for you!

Photo Brie Taylor

From left to right starting at the bottom in the sunglasses. Brie Taylor- Elementary School Math Coach at Palo Verde and Mesquite Schools she has been in Education 13 years. Mica Jimenez- 1st Grade Ironwood Elem in Education 15 years. Lolo Jimenez- AP of Academics at Vista Grande HS in Education 19 years. Thelma Whaling- Kindergarten teacher at Cholla and has been in education for 13 years 64

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

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LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 65

YOU Health & Happiness

REGULAR DENTAL CARE

Catches Problems Early Submitted by Sun Life Health

It is important for everyone to see the dentist at least twice a year.

Many dental problems will only become detectable to you once the issue is in advanced stages and causing pain or infection.

Visiting the dentist can help catch problems early on so that simpler, and often less costly, treatments can be done to avoid more serious problems in the future.

Additionally, regular dental care helps in the detection of oral cancer.

Aging populations and patients with complex medical conditions are especially at risk for these types of issues. Even patients without teeth need to be checked for oral cancer at least once a year, and several studies have linked poor oral health to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Poor oral health can inhibit a person’s ability to eat or speak and may also have psychological effects.

Dental disease can often lead to infections that may have serious consequences if left untreated.

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MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT ONLINE SUNLIFEHEALTH.ORG

YOU Best of Pinal County

The Best Of

People

Artist | Artisan

Cindy Patterson - Casa Grande

Artist | Artisan

Palmer Miller - Casa Grande

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Author/Writer

Donna McBride

Bartender

Jennifer Korsten

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

Chef

Chris Spear - Roots Eatery

Elected Official

Council Member Andrew Rodriguez, Eloy City Council

The Best Of

Lifestyle

All photos Blushing Cactus Photography

Casino Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino, Maricopa

Hiking Trail Legends of Superior Trails, Superior

Place to Watch a Game Native Grill & Wings, San Tan Valley

City Park Pacana Park, Maricopa

Museum JWJ Cycles Motorcycle Museum, San Manuel

Staycation Resort Harrah's Ak-Chin Hotel & Casino, Maricopa

Festival Copa Glow Night Market & Hot Air Balloon Festival, Maricopa Fitness Studio | Gym Copper Sky, Maricopa Golf Course The Duke At Rancho El Dorado, Maricopa

Nonprofit Eloy Chamber of Commerce, Eloy Place to Take Kids Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, Picacho Place to Take Visitors (TIE) Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior Sunland Visitor Center, Eloy

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YOU Beauty & Style

Let your Hair Frame

Bold Cosmetic Choices

by Blake Herzog

Our makeup choices are getting broader and bolder as we step into summer.

Tiny crystals, big contouring and even foil accents on eyelids are dazzling people from fashion runways as well as TikTok and other social media showcases.

Many of the hair trends are built to put fancy faces in the spotlight while your tresses shimmer above.

MAKEUP • Blush boom — This dusty accessory began to blow away postmillennium, but has staged a big comeback as we learned how to integrate it into more natural looks. Now it’s being used in more dramatic fashion, visibly sweeping along the cheekbone and up past eyebrows over to the temples.

• Neon signs — Multi-toned schemes have been getting extra traction from runways and influencers like the cast of HBO’s “Euphoria.”

• Sheeny lips — Lip gloss is riding the crest of Y2K nostalgia, washing away a lot of matte lipstick in favor of a moist sheen that catches the eye whether you’re poolside, downtown or hitting the trail. Bright red lips, glossy or not, are getting extra love this year.

• We like big brows — Fluffy, natural eyebrows are gaining more favor over plucked or blocked-off styles, but their color can be as electric as you want because they’re directly in the path of the bold blush and florescent eye shadow juggernauts.

HAIR • Topping it off — Elegant buns balanced on the crown of the head are the classic way to keep your hair off your neck for a cool look in summer or any time.

• Pony up! — Ponytails are the rapid-response sisters to the topknots, simpler to pull together and a way to show off your hair without it getting in the way of your bold, trendy makeup designs. If you don’t have enough hair to pull one off, you can try a clip-in extension.

• Pixie dreams — When piling or pulling long up seems like too much trouble, try a short pixie cut that will put volume around your face to frame your lovely, glammed-up visage.

• Bi-level beauty — Mullets, shags and wolf cuts have all taught us the utility of putting our business look up front and throwing the party in the back, all of which have led to looks like the “bi-bob,” which frames your eyes and upper cheekbones before a blunt chop separates it from longer hair in the back. The “mob,” or mullet bob, is another variation.

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YOU Health Home &&Garden Happiness

Beauty & Style Your Guide to the Golden Corridor’s Beauty & Style Stores and Services

CASA GRANDE Amy’s Jewelry - Jewelry

1649 E. Florence Blvd., No. 3 Casa Grande 520.836.2780 www.amysjewelrycasagrande.com

Above & Beyond Nails & Spa By Nail Salon 20987 N. John Wayne Pkwy.

Maricopa 520.568.5838

Alberto’s Beauty Salon Beauty Salon

1348 E. Florence Blvd., No. 4 Casa Grande 520.426.9767

Always Sitting Pretty Beauty Salon - Beauty Salon 312 W. 10th St., Suite No. 4 Casa Grande 520.705.4767 alwayssittingpretty.square.site

Bay of Islands Massage & Spa Massage Spa

Casa De Bling - Western Apparel

My Beauty Salon - Beauty Salon

Chatty Shack Salon - Medical Spa

Oceano Beauty Salon Beauty Salon

655 W. Cottonwood Lane, No. 1 Casa Grande 520.840.5205 casa-de-bling.myshopify.com

119 E. 4th St. Casa Grande 520.836.6576 www.casagrandemedspa.com

Cloud 9 Medspa - Medical Spa 917 N. Promenade Pkwy., No. 104 Casa Grande 520.876.5996 www.cloud9medspaaz.com

D Hair Lounge - Hair Salon

110 E. Florence Blvd.

Casa Grande 520.424.4101 www.facebook.com/dhairloungesalon

Dub Hair Studio - Hair Salon 318 E Cottonwood Ln., Suite C Casa Grande 520.560.2068

992 E. Cottonwood Lane, Suite No. 106 Casa Grande 520.836.7000 www.bayofislandsspa.com

Essence of Nails - Nail Salon

Blend Salon - Beauty Salon

Gemz Nails and Aesthetics Nail Salon

414 N. Marshall St., Suite B Casa Grande 520.836.7051

Bloom Hair Artist Collective Hair Salon

1269 N. Promenade Pkwy., Suite No. 117 Casa Grande 520.836.7832

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917 N. Promenade Pkwy., Suite No. 103 Casa Grande 520.836.0019

111 W. Florence Blvd., Suite No. 6 Casa Grande 520.510.3513 gemznailsaesthetics.setmore.com

Love My Cut - Hair Salon

110 E. Florence Blvd., Suite No. 1 Casa Grande 520.836.5508 www.lovemycut.com

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

1150 E. Florence Blvd., Unit 2 Casa Grande 520.836.7253 mvs-beauty-salon.business.site

615 E. Florence Blvd.

Casa Grande 520.759.7375

Salon Organic Nails Beauty & Spa - Hair Salon 1133 E. Florence Blvd.

Casa Grande 520.421.9620 www.facebook.com/salonorganicaz

Sassie Hair Salon - Hair Salon 705 N. Walnut Ave. Casa Grande 520.876.4247 www.sassiehairsalon.com

Shear Gossip by Sabrina Day Spa - Day Spa 119 E. 4th St. Casa Grande 520.836.6576 www.sheargossipdayspa.com

Sommer’s Jewelry

503 E. Florence Blvd, Casa Grande 520. 836.1847 www.facebook.com/SommersJewelers

Tangles Salon - Beauty Salon

1420 N. Trekell Rd. Casa Grande 520.233.6277 www.facebook.com/people/TanglesBeauty-Salon/100063509183672

Vilago Nails & Spa - Nail Salon

2820 N. Pinal Ave., No. 13 Casa Grande 520.836.9899 www.onnody.com/list/vilago-nails-spa

MARICOPA Country Stylin Hair’ Salon & Spa Hair Salon 19756 N. John Wayne Pkwy., No. 105 Maricopa 520.568.4700

Hello Gorgeous - Hair Salon

41640 W. Smith Enke Rd., Suite No. 125 Maricopa 480.742.3275

KBella Spa, Wellness and Salon Day Spa

20800 N. John Wayne Pkwy., No. 116 Maricopa 520.233.8576 www.facebook.com/KBellaSalonDaySpa

Maricopa Wellness Center Medical Spa

41600 W. Smith Enke Rd., Bldg 14, Suite No. 3 Maricopa 520.464.6193 www.maricopawellnesscenter.com

The Spa at Harrah’s Ak-Chin -

Day Spa 15406 N. Maricopa Rd. Maricopa 480.802.3340 www.caesars.com/harrahs-ak-chin/ things-to-do/thespa

TREND Salon & Spa - Beauty Salon

41607 W. Smith Enke Rd., Suite No. 110 Maricopa 520.759.2177 www.trendsalonandspamaricopa.com

ELOY Essential Cuts - Barber Shop 103 E. 6th St. Eloy

Get Nailed - Nail Salon

4020 N. Valley Rd. Eloy 831.224.0287 getnailed5.godaddysites.com

Hair by Karen - Hair Salon North Scottsdale Rd. Eloy

Skin Oasis - Skin Care Cilnic 5141 N. Blythe Ct. Eloy 520.906.0425

113 S. Main St. Coolidge 520.723.3160 www.facebook.com/DandJTrends

Dora’s Mane Attractions Beauty Salon

FLORENCE Amber’s Houses of Beauty Beauty Salon 5674 W. Valor Way Florence 480.695.5978

157 W. Central Ave. Coolidge 520.723.4613

Genesis Hair Artistry Beauty Salon

Florence Nails & Spa - Nail Salon 495 N. Pinal Pkwy. Ave., No. 104 Florence 520.868.1288

Jason at Curley Moe’s Barber Shop Salon - Barber Shop 31 W. 20th St. Florence 520.582.8246

627 N. Arizona Blvd.

Coolidge 520.723-5133

Moiselles Hair Spa - Hair Salon 1447 N. Arizona Blvd.

Coolidge 520.582.8528

SUPERIOR Random Boutique Women’s Clothing

151 Main St. Superior 520.689.0166 www.facebook.com/RandomBoutiqueAZ

Kathy’s Beauty Salon Beauty Salon 401 Willow St. Florence 520.868.4844

ARIZONA CITY

Ownership Is God Hair Braiding Hair Salon 6135 E. Oasis Blvd.

Florence 623.500.8799 ownership-is-god-hair-braiding. business.site

The Chop Shop Barber Shop Barber Shop 214 N. Main St. Florence 520.840.9154 onnody.com/list/the-chop-shopbarber-shop

Total Concept - Beauty Salon 289 N. Main St. Florence 520.868.9544

COOLIDGE Coolidge Beauty Salon Beauty Salon 787 N. Arizona Blvd.

Coolidge 520.723.1993

D & J Trends Salon - Beauty Salon

Epic Barber and Beauty Beauty Salon

13350 S. Sunland Gin Rd. Arizona City 520. 466.5142 www.facebook.com/epicbarbernbeauty

New Image Hair & Nail Salon Beauty Salon 13590 S. Sunland Gin Rd. Arizona City 520.494.9000

SAN TAN VALLEY Serenity Hair Design Beauty Salon

270 E. Hunt Hwy., No. 17 San Tan Valley 480.888.0443 www.serenityhairdesign.net

The Beauty Suites - Beauty Salon 2510 E. Hunt Hwy., No. 8 San Tan Valley beauty-suites.business.site

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YOU Best of Pinal County

The Best Of

Shopping Butcher Shop Save Money Market, Superior

Jewelry Random Boutique, Superior

Outdoor Decor Rolling Rock Gallery, Superior

Custom Apparel M6 Printz, Superior

Nursery | Plants (TIE) Distincive Earthscapes at The Avocado Nursery, Casa Grande

Place to Buy Gifts Random Boutique, Superior

Farmers Market Superior Farm-to-Fantastic Market, Superior

Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior

Second-Hand Clothing BowWow Meow Thrift Shop, Casa Grande

The Best Of

Food & Drink Bar | Tavern Airport Tavern, Casa Grande BBQ Silver King Smokehouse & Saloon, Superior Breakfast | Brunch Roots Eatery, Maricopa Burger Porter’s Cafe, Superior

Dessert | Bakery | Cookie | Donut | Ice Cream Sweet Cravings by Karla Wear, Maricopa

New Restaurant (TIE) Texas Roadhouse, Casa Grande

Dive Bar Airport Tavern, Casa Grande

Sandwich Bella’s Marketplace & Cafe, Superior

Food Truck Deadlift Coffee Trailer, Casa Grande

Seafood Say Sushi, Maricopa

Burrito Jalapeno’s Restaurant, Superior

Fine Dining | Special Occasion BeDillon’s Restaurant, Casa Grande

Chinese Lucky Sushi & Chinese, Casa Grande

Happy Hour Dell’s Pizza & Sports Bar, Casa Grande

Coffee Shop (TIE) Deadlift Coffee Shop, Casa Grande

Margarita Anaya’s Fresh Mexican Restaurant, Casa Grande

Honeycutt Coffee Cafe & Wine Bar, Maricopa

Mexican Eva’s Fine Mexican Foods, Casa Grande

Comfort Food Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Casa Grande

Flavor of India, Eloy

Steakhouse Hideout Steakhouse, Casa Grande Sushi Lucky Chinese & Sushi, Casa Grande Tacos Sonoran Hotdogs, Maricopa Wine Bar | Winery Bruzzi Vineyard, Superior

Patio Honeycutt Coffee Cafe & Wine Bar, Maricopa

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 75

The Pinal County Press

Stories by Blake Herzog

I-10 Widening Gets Traction from State Funding The long-awaited widening of Interstate 10 between Casa Grande and Chandler is finally within view after an infusion of state funding, with construction now scheduled to begin with the replacement of the bridges over the Gila River next year and finish sometime in 2026.

The state Legislature approved a $400 million appropriation for the project included in Gov. Doug Ducey’s budget proposal, almost unanimously supporting a bill sponsored by state Rep. T.J. Shope 76

of Coolidge and signed into law by Ducey May 4.

This gave the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) just enough time to apply for a $300 million federal grant through the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act, the landmark $1.2 trillion infrastructure package approved by Congress last fall.

The state’s funding commitment is expected to make the project a strong contender for the federal money, but it is expected to move forward even if the

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

application doesn’t succeed. ADOT spokesman Doug Nick said: “The project isn’t contingent solely on that $300 million-plus of federal dollars, but it certainly would be a welcome addition to that.”

Without it, construction on the widening could begin a year later and some of the anticipated improvements to that section of I-10 might not be included, Nick said.

“The same team that prepared that grant, the engineers, are working on

Stories by Blake Herzog

The Pinal County Press SRP Continued from page 47

contingencies in the event that money does not come through, that we would still be able to maximize our resources so we could do as much of the project as we could,” Nick said.

“Really, the most important part is the lane expansion, getting a third travel lane in each direction. So contingencies would be developed so at least that much of it happens.”

The recently approved state funding comes on top of about $290 million in local funding for the Maricopa County portion of the 26-mile segment and the bridge widening.

Segments of I-10 between Casa Grande and Tucson have been widened over the last decade until the 26 miles traversing the Gila River Indian Community were the last stretch with just two lanes traveling in each direction, until more recent negotiations with the Community produced a breakthrough.

Rapid growth in central Pinal County has added to the traffic between Arizona’s two largest cities, and backups and serious and fatal crashes on the freeway are all too frequent.

Casa Grande mayor Craig McFarland, who had been advocating for the project for the last six years, said he’s “optimistic” about ADOT’s application succeeding at the federal level after speaking to officials in Washington, D.C. during a recent trip.

“I’ve had some good conversations with the Commerce Department in D.C. I also have had good conversations with Sen. (Kyrsten) Sinema and Sen. (Mark) Kelly; they’re both very keenly aware of the need in what we’re doing and pledged to help us wherever they can,” he said.

He added, “I’m not sure that a lot of people are shovel-ready or have matching funds to request, so we’re hoping we’ll be one of the first.” McFarland said residents will need to be patient once construction starts, and should contact ADOT with any suggestions they have for helping it go more smoothly.

There still are a few more steps to complete this year, Nick said, including completion of the required environmental assessment reports and a related public hearing expected to be held in September.

be willing to reduce the number of new turbines to 12 and offered additional reparations for Randolph residents, including a new community center, home repairs and additional paved roads.

Earlier mitigations included road paving, beautification projects and funding for job skills training and scholarships.

SRP also contested several of the findings made by the commission before the first vote, saying the application was complete, and commission members had no legal authority to deny the request on some of the grounds they cited.

Albert Acken, an attorney representing SRP, said the project would have little to no negative impact on the surrounding area. He said not being able to expand the generating station “will impair the reliability of SRP’s system, dramatically increase costs and risks for SR’s customers, and result in no material environmental benefits.”

SRP said increasing demand from its customers in the Phoenix metro area and others throughout the Southwest is straining the regional electrical grid, creating a projected need for it to produce 700 more megawatts by 2023 to avoid shortfalls by the summer of 2024. SRP representative said alternative sources such as solar panels and battery storage could not generate power with the same reliability and cost within that timeline.

Randolph residents continued opposing the resubmitted application, saying the added mitigation measures would not make up for past and future harms and they did not want to continue to suffer a lower quality of life when they would not see any benefit from it.

Randolph native Darnell Sells said in a written comment dated May 31: “This is a case of structural and environmental racism with the big payoff for stakeholders at the expense of the vulnerable and marginalized.”

Randolph and Coolidge are not within SRP’s service area.

After the June 6 meeting, SRP said in a statement it will consider other options to meet customer demand and could seek “ judicial review.”

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 77

YOU Pets

Patience Required

when Adding a Pet to the Pack

by Blake Herzog

Pet people being who they are, when they bring a new one home there’s a pretty good chance of there being another animal in the household already.

Here are some tips for making the transition as easy as possible for everyone, though variables like species, age and size of the animals also will be factors.

INTRODUCING A DOG •S et realistic goals for the first introduction based on what you know about each animal’s background and how they’re likely to process the interaction.

Keep the first meeting short.

INTRODUCING A CAT • Bring the new cat home to a small “safe room” with all necessary items — food, water, bed, litter box, scratching posts or boards and toys.

• Allow your resident pets and new pet to get acquainted by coming up to the closed door to sniff at and hopefully play together, though some hissing or growling at first can be expected. Once they are used to each other start having them play with each other’s toys.

•S tay in control of the introduction, and if possible hold it in a neutral location unfamiliar to both animals.

When introducing two dogs, keep them leashed and use reliable barriers such as doors or solidly installed baby gates to keep the animals apart between meetings.

•G radual introductions help to prevent bad behaviors from becoming entrenched and difficult to root out.

• Never leave two new-to-each-other pets together unattended. The mood or interaction between the two of them can shift with no warning.

• Once the pets are used to each other’s scent and don’t respond negatively to it, allow them to see each other through a baby gate, screened door or door propped open a couple of inches. Place their food dishes close to each other so they can get used to eating together.

• When the pets are relatively calm around each other, let the new cat out of the safe room and allow the pets to get to know each other. Keep dogs leashed for the first meeting.

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YOU Pets

BONE APPETIT!

by Gigi McWhirter

Just like humans, your pet’s caloric intake matters.

And just like us, even snacks need to be considered in their daily calorie intake. Royal Canin, the pet food manufacturer, had a clever presentation comparing how many chocolate covered doughnuts with sprinkles equal the amount of the snack you are giving your dog and cat.

Royal Canin created the comparison using the “equivalent number of 200 calorie doughnuts for a person on a 2,000 calorie diet and the percent of daily energy intake recommended for a 44-pound dog and an 8.8-pound cat.”

Obesity can be the result of not calculating treats as a part of your pet’s daily caloric intake.

Prescription diets created to help treat specific ailments often offer treats, too, and their calories should also be considered as part of the daily food intake.

According to board certified veterinary dieticians at Royal Canin, “Treats should be limited to no more than 10% of the recommended daily calorie intake.” Small treats given to your dog or cat at the table or throughout the day, can easily total that of a sizable meal.

Discuss your pet’s dietary concerns with your veterinarian, not Dr. Google.

Bone Appetit and Happy Tails to you!

DOGS Food

CATS

Excess Quantity Calories Calories

Equals Doughnuts for Humans

Cheese

1 oz

120

18%

2

Bread

1.7 oz

130

20%

2

Hot Dog

2 oz

170

26%

3

Bacon Strip Treats

3 oz

297

45%

4

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80

664

100%

10

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

Food

Quantity

Calories

Excess Calories

Equals Doughnuts for Humans

Mixed Kitty Treats

10 Pieces

7.9

6%

1

Milk

3 oz

49

35%

3

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80

56%

6

Sardines

2 oz

100

70%

7

Cheese

1 oz

120

85%

8

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Valley Humane Society, Casa Grande

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LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 81

YOU Home & Garden

You Can Survive a

Home Renovation

by Blake Herzog

Are you getting ready for a major home renovation this summer, looking forward to the result but worried about all the mess and disruption doing a number on your sanity?

Or maybe your home has needed an extreme makeover for years, but you’ve been putting it off for precisely this reason.

Moving out entirely for the reno is an option that allows the work to be completed faster, but it would break many a budget and add another layer of chaos while making it harder to track progress. u

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 83

The good news is it’s entirely possible to continue living your daily life throughout the arduous process with a little patience and creativity.

CHOOSE YOUR CONTRACTOR CAREFULLY The general contracting company you choose clearly should be licensed, bonded and have good references, but you should be comfortable that you will have good communication with the lead reps you will be working with. You will want to be able to coordinate your calendars, work around delays and cooperate when conflicts arise.

DECLUTTER AFFECTED SPACES This often includes most or all of your house, given the repercussions of having to set up a makeshift kitchen in the living room or shifting from one bathroom or bedroom to another. It’s a great time to take stock of your stuff and sell or donate things that won’t serve a purpose in your like-new post-project home!

KEEP LIVING AREAS WELL-DEFINED Don’t let construction work seep into the rooms you’re scrunching your life into, and take whatever measures you can to keep dust from work areas from drifting into your living areas, like taping sheets of plastic across open areas and using HEPA filters and vacuums.

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G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

HAVE A BATHROOM STRATEGY Keep one bathroom available at all times (or temporarily relocate if you can’t), and if more than two or three people will be sharing one work up a schedule for congested times in the morning and evening. Keep only the essentials out to create more room and creatively use space in adjacent rooms for additional storage.

EMBRACE OUTDOOR LIVING If there’s no work going on in your yard, move as much of your life out there as you can. The possibility of doing this is part of why summer is the most popular season for these projects, so consider moving your meals and your microwave outside.

HAVE AS MUCH FUN WITH IT AS YOU CAN Make it feel like an adventure, which is especially easy with kids. Have a family (and friends, if you’re up for it) slumber party while they’re sleeping in the living room, or let them camp in a tent or build forts out back. Let them know you appreciate how they’re handling all the disruption to their lives.

ACCOMMODATE THE WORKERS ANY WAY YOU CAN Having bottles of water and snacks available and ordering the occasional pizza can go a long way in keeping subcontractors’ morale up, while fostering communication about how the project is progressing and staying out of each other’s way.

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YOU Home & Garden

MAKING HOME ECO-FRIENDLY IS EASY

by Blake Herzog

With energy costs soaring and concern about greenhouse gasses rising, many homeowners are looking to integrate “green,” energy-efficient features into new and existing homes.

You may be spending more time at home than you’re used to, but you don’t have to guzzle nonrenewable energy while you’re there.

It takes just a few adjustments to shave at least a few toes off your existing carbon footprint.

Smart devices — If your home isn’t already smart, it’s time to connect it to as many readers and sensors as you possibly can. They can monitor and conserve your energy and water use for you, as well as let you check data and conditions when you aren’t there.

88

Open floor plan — Some trend lists say this ubiquitous design is going out of fashion and there are reasons for that, but it does have several advantages where energy use is concerned. A relative lack of walls and barriers means better air circulation and ventilation and a reduced need for lighting sources, in part, because of better access to natural light during the day.

Window materials and placement — Proper installation of windows and using Energy Star-certified products puts a huge dent in energy leakage.

When you’re designing a new home or major remodel, making sure they’re well-placed to take advantage of where the sun is shining during the course of the day will reduce your energy needs further.

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

Plant your yard well — Using beautiful, drought-tolerant landscaping that fits the surrounding environment benefits the Earth in multiple ways by reducing water use, being a haven for wildlife from the surrounding habitat and setting an example for how it can be done.

Growing your own vegetables and fruit is the ultimate form of local sourcing — no need to transport or preserve anything!

Solar power — Some homes are better positioned for this than others, but most can get at least some of their power from panels. Install your system in 2022 to get a 26% federal income tax credit; that amount drops to 22% next year, and the credit currently is set to expire in 2024.

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LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 89

YOU Home & Garden

GET CREATIVE

with your Guest Bedroom

by Blake Herzog

If you have guests staying at your home in the coming weeks or months, it could be a good time for you to revisit the bedroom they’ll be staying in.

It’s tempting to put your oldest or blandest pieces of furniture, linens and décor into the guest room because you likely don’t sleep there very often, but putting in a little more effort and taking a couple more chances can transform it from a pit stop to a restful, memorable part of your guests’ visit.

It can even be a laboratory for designs you’d like to try in your master bedroom that you or the person you share it with aren’t 100% sure about.

90

Here are some experimentationworthy ideas to consider, or try some of your own!

KEEP THEM IN THE DARK — Moody hues aren’t typical for a guest room, but they have been trending for bedrooms over the last couple of years and can lend a cave-like, sleep-inducing vibe your visitors will appreciate as they try to slumber in unfamiliar surroundings.

Let creamy white or rich gold furniture provide some contrast.

FIND ROOM FOR DISTINCTIVE TOUCHES — This is easy to do when you look at the walls or ceiling around the bed or beds. Choose a large piece of art, chalkboard, pegboard, mirror, vintage sign or another distinctive object to use in place of a headboard.

Drape fabric from the ceiling to mimic

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

a canopy bed or install a chandelier to elevate the room and tie it together.

ALLOW ROOM TO BREATHE — It’s ideal to provide your guests a fullsized dresser, one or two chairs, at least one nightstand and a luggage rack along with a large, comfortable bed, but don’t try to jam everything in if you just don’t have the space.

Consider what your guests might find the most convenient; consider the personal preferences of anyone you’re expecting to stay there.

USE COMMON THREADS — Even if you’re testing out some wildly different colors and themes, incorporate a few patterns or materials found elsewhere in the house so your visitors don’t feel like they’re staying on a different planet!

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LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 93

YOU Home & Garden

Get Every Room

SCHOOL-READY at Home

by Blake Herzog

We’ve all love our lazy summer days at home with the kids, but it’s already time to think about getting organized for the next academic year to avoid that last-minute push before the first school bell rings!

BUILD A BACKPACK STATION — Add shelves to the entryway, mudroom or wherever else make sense so backpacks, jackets and other daily supplies will have a place to go when kids get home and before bedtime.

ADD BOOKSHELVES — If you don’t already have enough, now’s the time to ensure there’s easily accessible storage for textbooks, old favorites and new discoveries that will help to nurture a lifetime love of reading and learning.

STOCK UP ON AND ORGANIZE SUPPLIES — Get out those lists and check them off early, ahead of other families and possible supply-chain hiccups. Then find some divided drawers, baskets and cups and other containers to set them up for the year.

ESTABLISH STUDY AREAS — This can be as simple as a kitchen table or as detailed as a separate desk with a laptop, depending on your space and needs. What’s most important is for there to be few distractions but still be close to parents for feedback.

CREATE A FAMILY CALENDAR — Hang one large calendar on a wall everyone can easily see for reminders, homework deadlines, sports practices and games and other scheduling. You can also add message boards, folders for homework assignments and more.

ORGANIZE CLOSETS — Have the kids help you decide where to put school uniforms, underwear, socks and shoes and other gear so they will be easy to grab and go.

GET BATHROOMS IN ORDER — Sort soap, shampoo and other toiletries for each child into separate bins to eliminate confusion and turf wars in the mornings and evenings.

SET UP A SNACK STATION — Put healthy grab-and-go snacks in separate bins in the pantry or on the kitchen table, and add more in the fridge if your kids are old enough to make their breakfasts and lunches.

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FUN Travel

Trim Castle, Ireland

Return to

Wanderlust

by Tori Ward, ROX Travel, Cruise and Resort Specialist

Early last year we thought we had seen the worst of the virus that would change the way we travel. New strains have developed so we have had to adjust to those changes. Since that time, I have been on a few domestic and international flights, train journeys here and abroad and a cruise to Mexico. There were challenges and a different set of protocols associated with each one. Was it worth it?

Absolutely! If you think you are ready to travel again I’d like to offer some suggestions to help you navigate the global changes of air, sea and rail travel with as little stress as possible.

First, if you haven’t traveled for the last couple of years dust off your passport. Passport maintenance might be in order so check the expiration date. Most international destinations require that the passport presented be valid for at least six months following the date of your anticipated return.

You should also have at least two unstamped visa pages remaining.

If you need extra pages or your passport has expired or will soon, don’t wait until the last minute to update. Passport offices are having the same problem as other businesses with staffing, and the desire to travel again is strong so delays are the rule rather than the exception.

Secondly, keep current on the latest COVID testing or vaccinations requirements for each destination

on your itinerary. Know if and what kind of test will be accepted and make arrangements for those tests in advance. While many countries no longer require a test for entry, as of this writing the United States does.

Ask the testing facility to provide you with both written and electronic results. Take a picture of the written results and your vaccination card.

Be prepared with more than one fresh mask. Carry hand-cleaner towelettes in your pocket and use them often.

Currently masks are no longer required on domestic flights, but many airlines flying internationally do. The mask mandates in each destination seem to be changing constantly. One Sunday my train journey from Paris to Dijon required a mask. If I had traveled the following day, however, I would not have had to wear one.

Pack patience and expect delays and/or slow and reduced services.

Scan technology, in use for everything from ordering food to checking in to your hotel, reduces the need for staff, but also increases frustration if you don’t know how it works. Airport self-service kiosks for passengers are meant to decrease wait time at counters, but if you are traveling internationally you may still have to present travel documents to airline personnel. Arrive early. If you believe that you will be traveling frequently, the investment in the

Global Entry Program, TSA Pre-Check or CLEAR is highly recommended.

Finally, read the fine print regarding refunds associated with cancellations, delays or rebooking. Travel insurance is a good investment, but because of the losses experienced during the past two years, it can be confusing to understand when and what justifies a claim.

TORI’S TIPS:

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

■

Plan early and know the cancellation, change or delay clause of each component of your trip.

Stay up to date on restrictions and requirements of each destination. Conditions continue to be fluid.

Use or learn travel-related technology to reduce reliance on reduced staff.

Invest in CLEAR, Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check if you are a frequent traveler.

Food and beverage service is starting to slowly return on planes and trains, and electronic payments through the airline you are traveling on is the only form of payment accepted.

Take advantage of travel deals as vendors attempt to recapture our love of travel.

LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 97

FUN History

Prehistoric

‘Casa Grande’ Laid Coolidge’s Foundation An ancient four-story earthen structure stands at the northern edge of modern-day Coolidge — so impressive it was the first site to be designated an archeological reserve by the federal government, in 1892.

It’s sheltered by a steel roof erected 90 years ago, that in itself considered historic by modern society.

The building beneath it is believed to have been constructed around 1300, a marvel of human ingenuity and tenacity built without some of the innovations found in that era such as wheels or horses and other livestock.

Caliche from surrounding soils was poured in continuous layers to raise the walls of the compound, a technique accomplished today by sophisticated machinery.

The Great House or Casa Grande, as it was dubbed by Spanish explorer Father Eusebio Kino after he was led there by indigenous O’odham in the 17th century, was made possible by another such innovation, a network of canals diverting water from the river about a mile to the north.

supported settlement known to archaeologists as the Grewe community, and next to a ball court which also preceded it.

It could have been built to oversee the canals that irrigated nearly 20,000 acres of agricultural land in the immediate area, to hold spiritual ceremonies, to trace celestial patterns through strategically placed windows, to house a chief and family or to serve multiple purposes.

Analysis of the pine logs and dried caliche used indicates it was designed and constructed at its full size. It must have served a critical purpose.

These were dug throughout the Sonoran Desert along the Gila and Salt rivers by the ancestral Sonoran Desert tribes, known in archaeology as the Hohokam.

“What that importance was, that’s up for interpretation, the things that it was used for, but the one thing that comes out of it is that it was important. You don’t build a four-story structure, with all those labor hours, unless it has an extreme importance to you,” says Dave Carney, chief of interpretation and education at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.

The grand edifice and the community that surrounded it was just west of an earlier canal-

Archaeologists have documented a pattern of the rooms found within the Great House, with five each

on the bottom two floors and a single room on the top level — the first floor was filled with dirt.

Burn marks indicated there were hearths in several of these rooms, hinting that people lived within them. Recovered artifacts point to processing corn, beans and other crops grown nearby.

Intricate pottery and woven baskets point to an artisan culture, with some of these products traded to tribes near and far.

Evidence suggests the ancient culture that built this and similar structures along the Gila and Salt rivers ended around 1450 for reasons potentially related to climate, conflict or overpopulation. Survivors likely dispersed and, through their descendants, seeded cultures that live on in the Gila River Indian Community and other Arizona tribes.

The ancient canals provided a roadmap for many of those dug to serve white settlers’ farms around Coolidge under the San Carlos Irrigation Project, beginning in the 1920s.

Sources: www.archaeologysouthwest. org, www.nps.gov/cagr, www.loc.gov

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FUN Outdoor Adventure

Dive into the Desert for

Summer

by Blake Herzog

We need to get outside.

That may not sound very appealing right now with our afternoon temperatures stuck well over 100 degrees for the foreseeable future, but we are not meant to be cooped up for long periods of time.

We have faced this dilemma in Pinal County since time immemorial, and our cure for cabin fever is more pools. Communities large and small maintain public pools for residents and visitors to cool off in during our oven season, most with water slides and some with splash pads.

We need to inhale fresh air and catch a few rays (cautiously, with sunscreen) to lift our fitness and our spirits.

So even if you don’t have a lagoon of your own, there’s no reason not to get your kicks in the wavelength of a perfect pool!

Here is a comprehensive list of public pools that can be found throughout the county; but do call ahead to verify hours and admission fees, especially if it’s going to be kind of a haul to get where you’re going.

In many cases pools operate with reduced hours starting mid-July, which are reflected in this listing.

PALM ISLAND FAMILY AQUATIC PARK (Casa Grande) 1115 N. Brown Ave. 520.421.8677 www.casagrandeaz.gov/aquatics

KEARNY COMMUNITY SWIMMING POOL 912-D Tilbury Drive 520.363.7625 ww1.kearnyaz.gov/departments.html

Saturday & Sunday only: noon-5 p.m.

Open daily for $3.75 per person:

Fees: • Open swim — $1 for children ages 3-17; $2 for adults • Family swim — $3 per family of four, $0.75 for each additional person • Lap swim — Community Recreation Center Member, free; Nonmember: $2 COOLIDGE AQUATIC CENTER 860 W. Northern Ave. 520.723.4551 www.coolidgeaz.com/index.asp?SEC=CBDD33EE-46AB4E78-BF87-6D2DA4113E8D Tuesday-Sunday: 1:15-5:15 p.m.

Fees: • Open swim — $2 for children ages 3-17; $4 for adults ELOY AQUATIC CENTER 420 E. 1st St. 520.466.7351, Ext. 3 www.eloyaz.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Eloy-AquaticCenter-8 Friday-Sunday: noon-5 p.m.

Fees: • $1 for children under 18 • $1.50 for adults FLORENCE AQUATIC CENTER 174 W. 1st St. 520.868.7589 www.florenceaz.gov/aquatic-center/ Open swim hours Saturday & Sunday only: 1-5 p.m.

Fees: • $2 for children 6 months-17 years • $4 for adults

• Adult swim, 7-9 a.m.

• Kids’ swim, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Adult swim, 5-6:30 p.m.

• Night swim, 7-9 p.m.

COPPER SKY AQUATIC CENTER (Maricopa) 44345 W. Martin Luther King Blvd. 520.316.4600 www.maricopa-az.gov/departments/communityservices/copper-sky Lap swim Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.; Saturday: 7 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, closed Day passes for Copper Sky Multigenerational Center • $5 for youth/student residents; $6 nonresident • $10 for adult resident, $13 nonresidents • $8 for senior resident, $10 nonresident TOWN OF SUPERIOR COMMUNITY POOL AND AQUATIC CENTER 234 Golf Course Road 520.689.5348 www.facebook.com/people/Parks-Recreation-Town-ofSuperior/100064704515222 Monday: noon-7 p.m.

Tuesday: noon-5 p.m.; adult swim 5-6:30 p.m.

Wednesday: noon-7 p.m.

Thursday: noon-5 p.m.; adult swim 5-6:30 p.m.

Friday: noon-7 p.m.

Saturday/Sunday: noon-5 p.m.

Fees: • $1 for children • $3 for adults • $2 for seniors

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50

UNDER 50

Golden Corridor Living Magazine is seeking nominations for 50 Under 50 who are making a difference in their field and/or community.

CRITERIA FOR NOMINEES

Pinal County can boast of a talented pool of professionals who make significant contributions in their careers and their communities.

You have the chance to honor these young people and share their stories.

The deadline for nominations is July 31.

Must be under 50 years of age by press time, September 1, 2022. Successful in their business and community service. Public, private and government sector employees are acceptable. Feel free to nominate yourself, too! One nomination per person, please. Resumes or letters are welcome.

• Your Name • Email/Phone # • Your Nominee’s Information • Name • Birthday • Title • Company

• • • • •

Phone Email Business history Achievements Community Service

• Other information

• Town E-mail support materials to: laurie@roxco.com Questions? Call 520.426.2074

* For information on advertising and/or sponsorship opportunities, please contact laurie@roxco.com or 928.350.8006

Submit nominations online at www.goldencorridorliving.com/nominate

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LATE SUMMER 2022 | G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G 103

The Pinal County Press

Stories by Blake Herzog

Florence General Plan Heads to Ballot Residents of the Town of Florence will get to vote on a General Plan this fall that will be used as a guide for development in the crucial decades to come.

Town planners worked with consultants and the public to put together a map and report about current conditions and future visions for Florence. The town currently has a population of about 26,000 that is projected to grow to almost 102,000 by 2055, according to state and regional sources.

The proposed plan will be up for voter approval on the Nov. 8 ballot.

According to charts included in the plan, growth won’t really take off until after 2030, but planning for its effects on roads, housing, employment and water supplies has been taking place for decades. The plan can be seen at www. florencegpupdate.com.

All Arizona municipalities are required by state law to adopt a General Plan every 10 years that sets out the intended course of development within its borders, along with a “planning area” surrounding them that could eventually be annexed.

Florence has pulled back the borders of its planning area in both the north and south to address overlapping boundaries with surrounding communities.

In the proposed update, the Town is being less specific in its General Plan than in past versions, which detailed where different types of housing, commercial uses and industrial facilities should be built. This time officials are using “area types” to indicate the characteristics different parts of the community already have or are expected to take on as they’re built out.

Land uses that have been deemed appropriate within each area type are listed, but they’re not assigned to specific intersections or land parcels, which the plan says will be set exclusively by zoning regulations.

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The General Plan was approved by the Town Council May 16 for placement on the general election ballot. Among its 11 area types are: Suburban neighborhood — By far the largest category at almost 62,000 acres, these are areas already built or expected to develop along the same pattern as San Tan Valley to the north, with low- to mediumdensity housing, civic facilities like schools and parks and limited retail and office space.

Rural living — Covering 26,000 acres primarily on the eastern edge of the planning area, these areas will encompass agrarian uses and large-lot homes to support its existing rural character, along with open space. Regulations, transportation and infrastructure services are minimal.

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Innovation district — 7,600 acres are delineated for offices and light industry in business park settings with limited areas for workforce housing.

Industry district — 2,200 acres identified for heavy industrial uses including assembly, production, warehousing and utilities near major highways and railroads with room for plenty of truck traffic.

The other area types include Town Center (the historic downtown), neighborhood and highway mixed-use with emphasis on commercial and retail uses, and sports-oriented mixed-use for local and regional athletic facilities.

Open space, correctional facilities and the Florence Military Reservation also are incorporated into the map.

Stories by Blake Herzog

The Pinal County Press

CG, Maricopa Make Top 10 for Growth In case you needed more evidence of Pinal County’s population boom, the U.S. Census Bureau reported in May that Casa Grande, Maricopa and Queen Creek were all among the nation’s fastest-growing cities in 2021.

The City of Casa Grande’s growth rate of 6.2% just outpaced the City of Maricopa’s of 6.1%, according to the bureau’s calculations based on administrative records, geographic boundaries and other data.

They came in at No. 7 and No. 8 on the list of fastest-growing cities and towns with populations more than 50,000. The Town of Queen Creek, of which a small

populated portion is in Pinal County, sat at No. 3 with an 8.9% increase.

Unincorporated San Tan Valley just south of Queen Creek, the county’s largest population center in 2020 at almost 100,000, was not included in this listing.

Casa Grande now has an estimated population of 57,699, while Maricopa’s is 62,720. In the 2010 census, Casa Grande’s recorded population was 48,571 and Maricopa’s was 43,482.

More Arizona cities figured prominently in these latest bureau lists, with Buckeye and Goodyear also making the top 15 in terms of percentage gain and Phoenix and Buckeye in the top 10 for

numerical population growth.

These figures are something of a reversal of fortune for Casa Grande, where some officials felt the 2020 census total of 55,658 was an undercount.

It appears to be headed for more growth as Lucid Motors expands and companies like Kohler and Chang Chun Petrochemical Group commit to building plants here.

Decennial Census counts such as 2020’s are used to determine populationbased funding for most federal programs, while estimates for other years play a lesser role in funding allocation, conducting surveys and other research.

The 15 Fastest-Growing Large Cities Between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021 With Populations of 50,000 or More on July 1, 2020 Rank Area State

% Increase

2021 Total Population

1

Georgetown

Texas

10.5

75,420

2

Leander

Texas

10.1

67,124

3

Queen Creek

Arizona

8.9

66,346

4

Buckeye

Arizona

8.6

101,315

5

New Braunfels

Texas

8.3

98,857

6

Fort Myers

Florida

6.8

92,245

7

Casa Grande

Arizona

6.2

57,699

8

Maricopa

Arizona

6.1

62,720

9

North Port

Florida

5.5

80,021

10

Spring Hill

Tennessee

5.4

53,339

11

Goodyear

Arizona

5.4

101,733

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FUN Arts & Culture

Gypsy

Setting the Stage for

Maricopa

by Blake Herzog

Western Pinal County’s largest theater company was born 12 years ago from Carrie Vargas’ “show must go on” ethos.

An arts-focused academy she had been teaching folded just before its first production, The Importance of Being Earnest, was scheduled to debut. “In like two days’ time, I partnered up with the City and it went from being this School for the Arts show that it was going to be, and that’s when I founded Maricopa Community Theatre and we had our first show,” she says.

The all-volunteer nonprofit has staged numerous musicals and plays, from The Music Man to Sweeney Todd, supported by ticket sales, sponsorships and a few donors.

Current and former Maricopa residents, performers from the Phoenix and Casa Grande theater scenes, Central Arizona College students and others bring 106

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

their talents to the stage. Vargas and three more members of the board of directors trade off directorial duties with a handful of others in the community.

The season typically consists of two musicals, one play, one kid-oriented show under the Maricopa Community Youth Theatre banner and one spun out of its summer youth camp program done in partnership with the City of Maricopa.

The next show will be Aladdin Jr., featuring the summer program’s students, July 14 to July 17 at the Maricopa Community Center.

Vargas says smaller productions are now staged in the recently opened community center, housed in the City’s former library, and larger musicals are hosted by Leading Edge Academy’s auditorium.

Maricopa Community Center shows eventually will move to the current police station between City Hall and the new library, which is scheduled to be converted into a theater and art gallery after a new police headquarters is built.

Shows on deck for the upcoming season include Seussical in the fall, Shakespeare’s Henry V for the winter, Never Eat a Talking Lobster by the Maricopa Community Youth Theatre for spring and LinManuel Miranda’s In the Heights in the summer.

Henry V has been reimagined by one of the company’s directors, Christopher Goodrum, who took on Vargas’ challenge to set the 16th century battlefield drama in the modern day and make the cast predominantly female, addressing a pitfall Vargas says she frequently encounters — “Gentlemen are hard to come by in theater, sometimes.”

“He’s set it to this whole idea of a large-city mayoral race,” she says. “The gist, the vibe, the essence of what that story is trying to convey is still there in the script.”

She says a few Maricopa Community Theatre performers have pursued bigger careers, but the theater’s main goal is to make live performance accessible and affordable to locals — ticket prices are generally around $10 to $15.

Mamma Mia

“We want them to enjoy live theater, it’s so different from any other art form in that you really get to assume and feel what people are feeling,” Vargas says. “With movies, you feel, on the TV screen, you feel, but it’s deeper and more magical when you’re in the theater and surrounded by collectively feeling all of that together.

“Having an opportunity to provide that to Maricopa and Pinal County, that’s very humbling to be able to do that.”

Learn more: www.maricopacommunitytheatre.org

Rent Photos Courtesy of Maricopa Community Theather

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The

Interview

Continued from page 55

Q

foremen here over the past year and a half that kind of affected us. But they were with us for 15 and 18 years, so they felt it was time for them to move on. And good for them.

Golden Corridor LIVING: What do you think of Casa Grande with all the growth, Eddie?

You were born and raised here when it was probably very small.

Eddie Mankel: I graduated in 1980, and I think there were 14,000 people here.

Golden Corridor LIVING: Where do you see the future of Casa Grande? Do you think it’ll finally become what we

108

The Mankel family

thought it would with the freeways and the rail and everything?

Eddie Mankel: Well, I like the growth, but I don’t know, I’m also concerned in some areas. I don’t like some of the growth, but I guess that’s more of a personal preference.

I think the city’s doing good so far where we’re growing. I like all the industry and stuff like that.

Paula Leslie: It does bring more traffic.

Eddie Mankel: I think we’re better off than Maricopa because Maricopa’s a bedroom community of Phoenix. Where we have our industry, we can support our community, for sure.

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

Paula Leslie: We have a sense of community here where there are people who live here, work here, and we don’t have as many commuters as Maricopa has. But it has definitely changed. When you mention Mi Amigo Ricardo’s, there used to be, in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, you could walk in there and you wouldn’t get to your table before you said “Hi” to 20 people.

And now you can walk in there, and I ... We know Robert, the owner, but that’s about it.

Golden Corridor LIVING: And it’s strange to drive around in May when it’s 100 degrees and see there’s people around. And it’s not just a snowbird community anymore. You’re wondering, “Where did all these people come from?”

Eddie Mankel: I’m always amazed.

The change that I get a kick out of is on Sundays; when I was a kid, everyone stayed home and everything was closed. Now I go down Florence Boulevard, it’s like any other day now, except a few places are closed.

Golden Corridor LIVING: And you guys spoke to this, but where do you see the future of Mankel? You mentioned that Shea will take one arm and Vaughn will take the other arm. Is that the direction that you see this going the next 10, 20, 30 years?

Eddie Mankel: They definitely want to grow it. It will definitely happen.

The logistics will definitely grow.

Vaughn’s dream is to get up to 50 employees, which is attainable.

Golden Corridor LIVING: OK. What do you like to do in your free, fun time? Paula likes to travel.

Paula Leslie: Yes, yes, yes. I’m planning a trip to Georgia and the Carolinas; I talked Lex into going with me. And we also went to Alaska in February. My granddaughter had her choice of Alaska or Hawaii, and she chose Alaska! I can’t remember the coldest temperature we saw, but I took a picture of it. Was it negative 3?

Eddie Mankel: Ride my motorcycle or go camping. I like to cook.

Nothing too exciting. She’s the world traveler; I’m not.

Paula Leslie: I like to sit on my porch and write.

Golden Corridor LIVING: Paula writes as one of our Voices in the magazine, too. What would you say has been the best thing about the journey and probably the worst thing about the journey?

Paula Leslie: When we first went into business, I still worked for Dr. Yang for several years. And then when I decided to become completely self-employed, it gives you so much more flexibility in your life. Vaughn was the only one in school at the time, but I was able to pick him up from school. It was more of a bonding thing with him, and then being able to help raise my grandkids has been the greatest.

Yeah. Just the freedom, and I think a sense of accomplishment. I’m really proud of what we built and what we’ve maintained through the market crashing and us thinking we’re going to have to close our doors.

We were one of the survivors of the construction industry. There were several big plumbing companies in town that closed shop. But the downside is the financial stuff. You’ve got to pay your employees first, and sometimes you get paid last. It’s the stress of owning a business.

Eddie Mankel: It is a sense of accomplishment, going through the struggles and surviving that, and also after ... like I tell everyone, I’ve paid my doctorate in business many times over. All the things I’ve learned, the money we’ve lost. Or the money we’ve been cheated out of, the lessons that we’ve learned.

But keep fighting, and you’ll survive.

And try to be honest, and it always comes back through rewards.

Paula and her granddaughter ice fishing in Alaska

My mother recently passed away, and Hawaii and Alaska were the two states she’d never been to, that’s why I picked them. And so we took her ashes with us to Alaska and spread them out. We were ice fishing, and the Northern Lights were coming up over. And that’s when we spread her ashes ... that was cool.

Golden Corridor LIVING: Eddie, what do you like to do in your free time?

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QA

Q&A

&

ERIC SNIDER

Sales Executive, Title Security Agency Q: What brought you to Pinal County?

A: My parents have lived here for 25 years, specifically in Arizona City where my father has a real estate office, so I’ve spent many holidays and vacations here. In 2019, I decided to make the move to Casa Grande.

Q: How did you become interested in your career field?

A: With a background in hotel management, I knew I wanted to work with customers, just not in that industry. My father has been a Realtor® since the day I was born, so it was a natural fit to accept a position at Title Security Agency.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge of your job?

A: I started with the company in March 2020. The greatest challenge, due to the timing of the pandemic, is not only learning the

110

specifics of the title and escrow side of real estate, but connecting with agents from a virtual platform while confined to a home office.

With only a few days of training and a handful of introductions to agents, our office shut the doors and the real challenge began.

Although it was not considered cold calling on agents, the fact that they did not know me, and I could not meet with them in person, proved to be a giant obstacle.

Q: What has been the greatest reward of your job?

A: This, however, has also become one of the greatest rewards and personal accomplishments. Our sales manager and southern operations manager told me: “You were put into a very unique situation when you first started.”

It is one thing to make a “virtual” call when you know the agent, and more importantly when the agent

G O L D E N C O R R I D O R L I V I N G | L AT E SU M MER 2022

knows you, it is an entirely different experience when both parties do not know one another.

Adding that all the resources and services we offer I had to learn remotely without any training is why I say this was a great personal accomplishment. I was awarded the 2020 affiliate of the year award from the Pinal County Chapter WeServ association for Realtors®, an award voted on by the local Realtors® and brokers.

Q: Where would you like to vacation next; why?

A: My next big vacation would be to Bora Bora and stay in the overwater bungalows for some true rest and relaxation, and a day or two of snorkeling and scuba diving.

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