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This Week
NEWS .............. 4 Avondale breaks ground on fifth fire station
NEWS ........... 10 Buckeye’s Sundance Park enters second phase
SPORTS ........ 17 Desert Edge grad a success with Air Force Academy
OPINION ...............11 BUSINESS.............. 14 SPORTS ..................17 FEATURES ..............18 YOUTH ..................21 OBITUARIES ...........22 CLASSIFIEDS ..........23 NORTH
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April 28, 2021
The Voice of the West Valley for 36 years
WV NAACP: The real work is just beginning BY SARA EDWARDS
West Valley View Contributing Writer
T
he world was watching with bated breath as Judge Peter Cahill read the verdict during the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd last May by kneeling on his neck for 9 minutes. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on April 20. He will be sentenced June 16. Around the country, activists and protesters collectively sighed and celebrated accountability, while knowing the real work
toward justice has just begun. Former police officer Larnell Farmer, a West Valley NAACP member, said the verdict was astounding because it took the jury only 11 hours to reach a decision. “I was shocked that the verdict came back as quickly as it did and that he was found guilty,” Farmer said. “But, I don’t think it’s going to really change anything.” Farmer said this isn’t a new narrative, referring to the cases of Mohamed Noor, a Black police officer who fatally shot 33-year-old Justine Damond in 2017. Noor was convicted of third-degree manslaughter and murder but was acquitted on the charge
of intentional second-degree murder. Farmer said Chauvin had the backing and support of the police and Noor did not. It was the same narrative, though, that “a large Black man was out of control.” “I think the problem is in the system and the police system when it comes to qualified immunity,” Farmer said. “Until we start addressing that until police officers see Black and brown people as human beings, that’s when I think things will actually change.” Farmer said it’s troubling to wake up every morning to see another police shooting inci-
NAACP...continued on page 3
Goodyear breaks ground for civic square BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI West Valley View Executive Editor
T
he city of Goodyear celebrated the groundbreaking of Goodyear Civic Square at GSQ on April 23, signaling another milestone in the state-of-theart project. The spot will serve as the community’s first gathering spot for festivals, concerts and parades. “The features of this project were truly created by our community, and I am very proud that the voices of our residents really drove this project,” said Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord. “This is the fulfillment of a long-held dream, and I couldn’t be more excited to see it finally become a reality.” The city of Goodyear has sought to
create a project like this for nearly 40 years. In 2019, Goodyear and Globe Corp. created a partnership that allowed the project to move forward. Globe owns 47 acres where the new Civic Square will be built, at the northwest corner of McDowell Road and 150th Drive. Globe is donating some of the land to Goodyear for this project. The project is part of a larger 47-acre parcel owned by Globe that will include
Civic...continued on page 3
The Goodyear Civic Park stage area will host community events and arts features. (Rendering courtesy of the city of Goodyear)
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