THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON
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This Week
NEWS .............. 8 Goodyear Branch Library celebrates plaza improvements
SPORTS ........ 19 Wolves hopeful for strong season
9 DAYS ......... 22 Looking for something to do? Check out the 9 Days a Week calendar
LETTERS ..........................9 BUSINESS..................... 12 SPORTS ..........................17 FEATURES .....................24 NEIGHBORHOOD......27 SCHOOLS .....................28 OBITUARIES .................31 CLASSIFIEDS................32 WEST
The Voice of the West Valley for 32 years
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November 15, 2017
Avondale food bank needs help this holiday season By Carson Mlnarik With the typical hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to forget about the 2 million Arizonans who face food insecurity each year. Fortunately, Avondale’s Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank works year-round to make sure these families have food on their plates. “We are blessed to be able to help those in need in the Southwest Valley,” said executive director Leanne Leonard. “Our primary services are providing emergency food and clothing assistance once a month.” Established by a Presbyterian church in 1981, the food bank moved to Avondale in 1996. Over time, it grew to serve roughly 2,000 people annually, and opened a second location in Tonopah Valley. During the holidays, Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank gets hit hard. It serves approximately 1,300 families with its holiday food boxes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Leonard said the food bank is always looking for food and monetary donations. For the holiday food boxes, holiday
Agua Fria Food Bank Executive Director Leanne Leonard and food bank volunteer Glenda Schneiderman stock food on the food bank shelves. (West Valley View photo by Jordan Christopher)
food items like stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, instant potatoes, canned fruit and vegetables and frozen turkeys are especially needed. Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank is
an Arizona-approved charitable tax credit organization, so individuals and couples can receive a tax credit for monetary
Food...continued on page 2
Unofficial West Valley election results arrive By Connor Dziawura Unofficial election results show voters decided in favor of nearly all local bond and maintenance and operations (M&O) overrides November 7. “I can’t recall a time where every question in Maricopa County was approved (except the Gila Bend bond) and so many of them approved by more than 60 percent of the voters,” said Jeremy Calles, CFO of business services for Tolleson Union High School District. “People are finally saying enough is enough and we need to take care of education and provide for our kids. I think that was a pretty clear message, just looking at the results across the county.”
This was the first year Maricopa County held an election with an all-mail format. Here are the unofficial election results from the Maricopa County Elections Department:
Fire districts Buckeye Valley Fire District Bond approved The $14.185 million bond will be put toward additional ambulances, replacement and addition of equipment, land acquisition, renovations and construction, debt, and bond issuance and sale costs.
High school districts Agua Fria Union High School District No. 216
Override approved The $6.4 million M&O override funds will be used to maintain class sizes, as well as to continue funding fine arts and career and technical education programs, the Coldwater Academy, specialty electives and summer school transportation. Tolleson Union High School District No. 214 Bond approved Voters OK’d a $125 million bond, the bulk of which will be used to build a new school and improve existing school
Results...continued on page 3