West Valley View: West October 25, 2017

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THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON

Centennial Way honors 100th milestone

Avondale’s Flavors of Louisiana: A Cajun gem PAGE

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westvalleyview.com

INSIDE

This Week

NEWS ........... 10 Buckeye’s Miranda Gomez named Young Parks Professional

SPORTS ........ 18 Jomari Santos’ small stature, big heart

9 DAYS ......... 20 Looking for something to do? Check out the 9 Days a Week calendar

LETTERS ........................12 BUSINESS..................... 14 SPORTS ..........................17 FEATURES .....................23 SCHOOLS .....................27 OBITUARIES .................31 CLASSIFIEDS................32

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The Voice of the West Valley for 32 years

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October 25, 2017

Conservancy vows to maintain the White Tanks By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

The White Tank Mountains have a special place in the heart of Buckeye Mayor Jackie Meck. “I have many memories of my parents, brothers and neighbors hiking and enjoying these beautiful mountains,” Meck said. “As the metro area grew, more and more people learned about the White Tanks, but not everyone appreciated the natural and iconic resource of this area.” Meck was one of the cofounders and vice chairman of the White Tank Mountains Conservancy, which was introduced in October 2014, with the help of the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. The White Tank Mountains Conservancy vows to protect the mountains by seeking pragmatic solutions that enhance the West Valley’s economy, while ensuring the sustainability of the natural and cultural resources. Through partnerships and collaborations, the conservancy will ensure the mountains thrive despite growth and remain a sanctuary that retains the enduring character and beauty of the Sonoran Desert. “It’s a delicate balance to preserve the area while attracting more visitors to the White Tanks,” Meck said. To do this, there are several goals: • Develop a regional partnership for planning

Mayor Jackie Meck speaks at the grand opening of the 8,700-acre Skyline Regional Park in the southern White Tank Mountains. (Photo courtesy City of Buckeye)

purposes. Connecting the White Tanks to the regional trail network will provide recreational activities for residents, while preserving the wildlife, cultural resources and landscape. To date, private companies and neighboring cities have committed to be a partner. This includes Surprise, Peoria, Goodyear, Youngtown and Buckeye, all of which donated $25,000. The private companies who gave $50,000 each are

APS, DMB, DR Horton and Epcor Water. The conservancy hopes to raise $500,000 more to meet the $1 million goal. APS and the Arizona Community Foundation gave the organization additional monies as part of a $137,000 grant to Arizona nonprofits. • Create education and stewardship. Teaching visitors to leave the area cleaner

Conservancy...continued on page 2

Maracay unveils energy-efficient homes in Goodyear By Connor Dziawura

A new community is coming to Goodyear and its developer has big goals in mind. The Phoenix- and Tucson-based Maracay Homes, one of TRI Pointe Group’s six U.S. brands, is bringing the Cottages at Rio Paseo, an all-new neighborhood with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The first families are projected to move in to the energy-efficient homes come January. Although the residence is finally approaching with the community having

hosted its grand opening ceremony on October 7, development on the new 93-home neighborhood was started by another developer, Engle Homes, prior to the recession. It sat vacant for years – until now. Maracay Homes stepped in to revive the community, bringing along new floor plans and other improvements and features. “Maracay has made significant investments and efforts to freshen up and to revitalize this community,” said Elise Goodell, Maracay Homes’ marketing manager.

“We didn’t do the same plans as the previous builder,” added Linda Clements, Maracay Homes’ sales manager. “We were able to add a lot more value, energy efficiency (and) space layout of the floor plans to really maximize the footprints of the home.” Arguably one of Maracay’s biggest selling points is the goal of receiving LEED certification. To achieve this esteemed designation, the community

Maracay...continued on page 8


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