Glendale’s Community Newspaper
Vol. 78 No. 33
INSIDE
This Week Career & Education Opportunities In This Issue
BUSINESS ........ 12 Local tech entrepreneur launches auto parts app
www.glendalestar.com
August 18, 2022
Downtown reinvestment project discussed BY JORDAN ROGERS
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Glendale Star Staff Writer
lendale City Manager Kevin Phelps updated city council on the Downtown campus reinvestment project at the Aug. 9 City Council Workshop. The update, which was done by way of a PowerPoint presentation, discussed all aspects of the project. Throughout the course of the project, city council will receive monthly updates from Phelps as part of his city manager report. “Our vision statement, and our mission statement is to be a community of choice for our residents, businesses and employees,” Phelps said. “We (want to) improve the lives of the people we serve every day. This project, we want to make sure we are aligned with our strategic plan.”
The PowerPoint showed some “aspirational drivers” behind the reinvestment project. Those are: reimagining a Downtown campus that reflects the community, reinvesting to ensure facilities and amenities are accessible and usable for future generations, enhancing and expanding the amphitheater to become a destination for a true public yet private performance venue, consolidating the services of the community in a one-stop shop, creating a stateof-the-art workplace environment, and becoming a catalyst for private investment Downtown. Phelps said that during the time that city hall is getting its facelift, six places will “house all of what is currently taking place in Downtown at city hall.” Those places are the Glendale Municipal Airport, the Glendale Adult Center, the
Glendale Civic Center, the Sine Building, GRPSTC and the Glendale Media Center. He envisions those facilities being ready to house Downtown’s functions by no later than June 2023, after they have each have completed their new design elements. “Everything we are doing is with an eye toward some level of making sure we protect the investment of the public,” Phelps said. “We’re not going to just kind of do it and get by for two years.” The most controversial topic of the project has been the potential changes to Murphy Park. “As a staff, we understand the importance of Murphy Park as an asset,” Phelps said. “All of our 70-plus parks that we have are important to the community, but as one of our oldest assets in terms of a park, we
sending them to movies, dinners, sporting events, bingo, crafts and more. Friendships are made at every event. “I can’t tell you how many bucket lists we’ve made for the cancer patients,” said Larry Atkinson, HOPE Team volunteer program manager. For Atkinson, the award from Lesko is a huge deal. For all of the work that he and his team do, the recognition is appreciated. “They discovered the hole in my office where I fell through the floor when Debbie Lesko’s office called to say that we were getting the Congressional Recognition Award,” Atkinson joked.
“It just means a lot to me,” he added. “It’s a pat on the back. It’s knowing that a member of the House of Representatives wanted to thank the HOPE Team and went through the paperwork to have that recognition certified and presented.” Atkinson said that there is no other organization in Maricopa County that does what the HOPE Team does. In fact, nationwide, patients “west of the Mississippi” travel to the Valley to receive what the nonprofit offers. This year so far, the HOPE Team has raised more than $50,000 for its patients
SEE PROJECT PAGE 6
HOPE Team recognized by Rep. Debbie Lesko BY JORDAN ROGERS
FEATURES ........ 16 Johnny Marr to support the Killers at Gila River Arena
OPINION.......................... 10 BUSINESS.......................12 SPORTS ...........................14 CALENDAR .....................15 FEATURES.......................16 RELIGION ........................18 YOUTH.............................20 CLASSIFIEDS ..................25
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Glendale Star Staff Writer
he HOPE Team, a nonprofit organization that serves cancer patients, has received the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Rep. Debbie Lesko. Operating out of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Phoenix, the HOPE Team was established as a 501(c)(3) in 2009. The team’s mission is to take care of patients by taking cancer off of their minds, even if for a short while. Over the last five years, the HOPE Team has spent over $500,000 on patients by
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SEE HOPE PAGE 6