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Volunteers help count homeless BY ERIC NEWMAN
Peoria Times Staff Writer
NEWS..............5
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Starting before dawn, volunteers, city staff and police counted as many of Peoria’s unsheltered people as possible last week. Some of the volunteers have been affected by drug abuse by friends and family. Bruce Allen of Scottsdale, who volunteers for various homeless outreach groups since retiring four years ago, said some of his family dealt with addiction in years past. Waking up at 5 a.m. or doing other related activities is not always fun, but he said the chance of making a change for somebody going through a tough time is what makes the time worth it.
“You realize there’s a forgotten segment of society and there’s a better way of life. You take a few minutes to talk about what we can do as a society and try to encourage them to turn their lives around,” Allen said. “As a volunteer, you’re putting yourself in uncomfortable positions because you care.” The “point in time” count took place around Maricopa County Tuesday, Jan. 28. Cities, agencies and municipalities receiving federal funding to help homeless or sheltered populations are required to do an annual count. The 2019 count found 78 homeless people in Peoria, double the previous year. SEE HOMELESS PAGE 2
Peoria Deputy City Manager Erik Strunk hit the streets early in the dark morning of Jan. 29. City staff and volunteers looked for unsheltered people for the “point in time” count. (Photo by Eric Newman)
P83 shops excited for expansion BY OCTAVIO SERRANO Peoria Times Staff Writer
SPORTS......... 17 Budding basketball star at Centennial High
OPINION.................12 BUSINESS...............13 SPORTS...................16 CALENDAR.............18 FEATURES...............20 RELIGION................24 YOUTH....................26 CLASSIFIEDS...........32
Tommy Irvin, general manager of Go AZ Motorcycles, said he is looking forward to P83 expansion. (Photo by Octavio Serrano)
As the city of Peoria plans to expand the P83 area, some retailers and restaurants say they welcome the new project with open arms. The proposed Stadium Point would include a hotel, homes, retail and dining at P83 Entertainment District. The city requested proposals from master developers, and received four. “By Monday, Feb. 10, we hope to have our review of written proposals complete,” said Christine Finney, Peoria’s materials manager. The planned development is adjacent to Peoria Sports Complex, the Spring Training home of the Seattle Mariners and San
Diego Padres While Stadium Point is still a long way from being a reality, how do the current P83 tenants feel about it? Some doing business at P83 said they look forward to the expansion. Tommy Irvin, general manager of Go AZ Motorcycles, said the company has been in the Valley for 12 years. He has been with the company six years, three at the Peoria location. “We started way back with just a few lines,” Irvin said. “Over the better part of the decade, we’ve grown to almost every major brand, from one dealership in Scottsdale to five in Arizona and one in Mississippi.” SEE EXPANSION PAGE 7
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