June 2016
Relentlessly local coverage of Gilbert and our neighboring communities
Horsing around
Kendall Maxwell, Reese Shain, Shelby Reed, Stella Opfel and Ivy Hasoel help Mercy at Rusty Ranch. Photos, page 16.
California Mercedes-Benz dealership Nonprofit calls town to move headquarters to Gilbert family-friendly again BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Gilbert’s new $20 million Mercedes-Benz facility, slated to open late summer, is expected to generate the largest sales volume for the brand in the Phoenix metro area in a few years. “We expect very rapid growth of revenue. We expect our sales well into the hundreds of vehicles per year,” said Charlie Alfano, owner and operator of Mercedes-Benz of Gilbert, speaking from his current location of San Luis Obispo, California. Alfano owns Alfano Motorcars, a Mercedes-Benz, Chevrolet and Sprinter dealership that serves Gilbert’s new Mercedes-Benz facility, expected to open late summer, will be the central coast of California, see MERCEDES-BENZ page 7
a 70,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art complex on Gilbert Road and will be part of the town’s emerging mixed-use project, Rivulon.
BY JARED MCDONALD
Gilbert remains at the top of the list for family-friendly municipalities dedicated to expanding ways kids can play in their communities. The town was named a KaBOOM! 2016 Playful City USA for the 10th consecutive year on Wednesday, May 18. “We’re proud that Gilbert is a founding Playful City USA community,” said Mayor John Lewis. “Gilbert’s play opportunities are endless from our beautiful parks to our active recreations centers; there’s a playful opportunity perfect for every resident.” This year, KaBOOM! honored 257, 15 of which are in Arizona. Gilbert has earned the award every year since KaBOOM! started the recognition program in 2007, an achievement shared by just 12 other cities around the country including
2 Community 14 Neighbors 24 Business 28 Neighborhood Map
see PLAYFUL CITY page 7
36 Youth 46 Spirituality 47 Arts 52 Opinion
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