NEWS
WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | SEPTEMBER 26, 2018
The West Valley View is a controlled-circulation weekly. It is published every Wednesday, and distributed free-of-charge to homes and in high-traffic locations throughout Avondale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Buckeye and Tolleson.
PUBLISHER
Steve T. Strickbine VICE PRESIDENT
Michael Hiatt
EDITORIAL HOTLINE
623-777-1492
Executive Editor Niki D’Andrea, ndandrea@westvalleyview.com Managing Editor Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, christina@westvalleyview.com Assistant Editor Connor Dziawura, cdziawura@westvalleyview.com Designers Shannon Mead, smead@westvalleyview.com Tonya Mildenberg, tmildenberg@westvalleyview.com Production Manager Courtney Oldham, production@westvalleyview.com ADVERTISING
623-535-8439
advertising@westvalleyview.com Customer Service Representative Deeanna Acosta, 623-535-8439 dacosta@westvalleyview.com Sales Supervisor Laura Meehan, 623-777-1042 lmehhan@westvalleyview.com Advertising Representatives Dick Walters, 623-777-1791 dwalters@westvalleyview.com National Advertising Director Zac Reynolds, zac@timespublications.com Classified and Obituaries Elaine Cota, ecota@westvalleyview.com Classifieds, class@timespublications.com CIRCULATION
623-535-8439
Circulation Director Aaron Kolodny, customercare@westvalleyview.com
DELIVERY
Home delivery of the West Valley View is complimentary and offered to residents in the southwest region of the Valley of the Sun, saturating parts of Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Tolleson & Waddell. The West Valley View can also be found free-of-charge at nearly 600 local business in the area.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Requested mail subscriptions within Maricopa County: $75 annually or $40 for six months. Out of Maricopa County: $88 annually or $45 for six months. (c) 2018 Strickbine Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. West Valley View is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, and for subscription information, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegatedmedia.com.
3
West Point High School under construction in Avondale By Connor Dziawura
The arrival of the Dragons is one step closer, as West Point High School held its groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 19. The Tolleson Union High School District’s seventh high school is on track to open in July at the northwest corner of Avondale and Encanto boulevards, according to Superintendent Nora Gutierrez. “We have over 12,000 students (at the district), and therefore it was absolutely necessary to build this amazing high school as the West Valley continues to grow,” Gutierrez said at the ceremony. Split into two phases, the 2019-20 school year will enroll freshmen and sophomores. After phase two of construction is complete the following summer, the 2020-21 school year will add juniors and seniors into the fold. The district estimates 1,200 students will enroll in the first year, though the design can accommodate 3,000 students. “Phase one of the new high school will include building the instructional space, the athletic and common areas for our freshmen and sophomores only, and then phase two, expected to be completed by the summer of 2020, will build out the rest of the campus,” Gutierrez detailed. “That will include the space for all our juniors and seniors and allowing for the completion of varsity fields for athletics.” Ben Barcon, principal at ADM Group, elaborated that the campus is 310,000 square feet and sits on 69 acres of land. It will have 11 major buildings, he said. ADM Group is architect for the project, while Chasse Building Team is the contractor. “We are just honored to be a part of this project. We do schools all over the state, but there is something special about the West Valley,” said Chasse Building Team President Barry Chase about community support. Curriculum, of course, is important with any school. Among the district’s partners in this new endeavor, Gutierrez explained, is the nearby Luke Air Force Base. “The design includes a wing pattern throughout the campus,” she expanded. “We have partnered with Luke Air Force Base, and we’ll provide an academy with rigorous and challenging curriculum and an emphasis on STEAM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math. And the academy will also focus on leadership, community service, critical thinking skills and the maximization of our students’ potential. “West Point High School will have an Innovation Center that is open and flexible to meet the needs of our students and the flexible needs of the curriculum of all students, which is ever changing,” she added. Growth in the West Valley was ultimately a factor for the construction of the new school.
“When I started on the board almost four years ago, we were providing information that talked about the growth in our community and the fact that we would need a new high school eventually. To see it actually come to fruition is so exciting,” said governing board President Corina Madruga. “I want to thank the voters because without them we would not have the funding for this school,” she added after thanking guests in attendance, and the district’s partners. “So, thank you to the voters who believe in public education, who believe in our students, who have made the investment to our students and to our district.” Barcon also thanked the state for additional funding because nearly $48 million of the project’s funding comes from the Arizona School Facilities Board. Another nearly $7 million is coming from adjacent ways. The voter-approved bond authorized over $53 million. The full project has a guaran-
teed maximum price of over $108 million. “I for one can hardly wait until this school is built,” Barcon said. “It’s going to be state of the art, it’s going to be gorgeous, and I think our friends over here at Luke are going to enjoy our wings and everything else that we’ve incorporated into the design.” Aside from publicly discussing the school’s name and mascot, the school’s colors – black and red – were also mentioned. “The process for naming the school and determining the mascot and colors was one that included the entire community,” Gutierrez said. “Students, parents, community members, staff members and even students from our partner districts had a chance to weigh in on the name of the school, the colors and the mascot.” Boundaries have yet to be determined. West Point’s principal is expected to be named by January.
Faith, Ledyard & Faith, PLC AT TO R N E Y S
S E R V IN G A R IZ O N A FOR OVER 35 YEARS!
AT
L AW
A Full Service Law Firm with the Highest National Rating for Ethics & Ability
Business Law Personal Injury Real Estate Wills & Trusts Estate Planning Probate DUI Criminal Defense Employment Law Bankruptcy Foreclosure
Christine M. Faith, Jason S. Treguboff, Edwin R. Ashton, David E. Ledyard, Paul J. Faith, Michael P. Faith, Jason R. Eastman, Barry M. Aylstock
623-932-0430 www.Faithlaw.com
919 N. Dysart Road Suite F Avondale, AZ 85323