ATTORNEYS PROCLAIM MERRITT’S INNOCENCE, PAGE 3
westvalleyview.com — the newspaper of Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear, Litchfield Park & Tolleson, AZ 50¢ Wednesday, May 4, 2016 (623) 535-8439
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View photo by Ray Thomas
ON THE CAT WALK Former Goodyear woman living life of fashion model — Page 10.
CRASH COURSE Spring Demolition Derby returning to Buckeye — Page 26.
FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE Buckeye man in hospital after lightning strike — Page 3.
FATAL ROLLOVER Surprise man dies in I-10 crash in Tonopah — Page 8.
DAILY UPDATES! News Updates and fresh Classified ads posted Monday - Friday at 4:30 p.m. online at www.westvalleyview.com Volume 31, No. 4 32 Pages 1 Section Circulation: 73,391 INDEX Classifieds .................... 27 Editorials & Letters .......... 6 Obituaries ...................... 25 Sports ........................... 13 Briefcase ......................... 9 9 Days a Week............... 23 Recycle this paper
ANDRE BORSCHBERG exits the Solar Impulse 2 Monday night after landing at the Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Goodyear. Borschberg is one of two pilots flying the solarpowered experimental plane around the world.
Solar-powered plane lands in Goodyear
View photo by Jordan Christopher
BUCKEYE MAYOR Jackie Meck speaks at the Buckeye State of the City address April 18 at the Palo Verde Education Center in Buckeye.
Buckeye mayor touts recovery Volunteers make connections Experimental aircraft promotes clean technology in around-the-world flight by Glenn Gullickson staff writer
When an airplane making an around-theworld flight stopped in Goodyear this week, it wasn’t to refuel. That’s because the aircraft known as Solar
Impulse 2 is being powered by the sun for a journey that promotes renewable energy and innovation. The experimental aircraft landed Monday night at Phoenix Goodyear Airport after a 720-mile, 16-hour flight from Moffett Airfield in Mountain View, Calif., near San Francisco. Ironically, pilot Andre Borschberg stepped off the solar-powered craft in darkness to be greeted by a crowd of several hundred people after completing the latest leg of a 22,000-
(See Plane on Page 5)
State of the City address details city’s emergence from recession
with food bank clients by Glenn Gullickson staff writer
Being a link in the chain of volunteers helping to provide food D BY SORE SPON to those in need means turning on the compassion and turning off the judgment. “You try to help out whenever you can,” said Cherie Dubrow, a volunteer with the Goodyear food bank operated by All Faith Community Services. The nonprofit is among those benefiting from the 11th annual West Valley View summer food drive being conducted through May 31. As a food room coordinator, it’s Dubrow’s job to make sure the food donated is usable. She then stores it or sends it off to be distributed. Folks may need assistance because of homelessness, a job loss, illness, divorce, death or other circumstances, she said. “Something has changed for them, and we don’t know what it is,” Dubrow said.
by Emily Toepfer assistant editor
lley
West Va caring And the community business
View photo by Jordan Christopher
APRIL LEFEVER, a driver for All Faith Community Services, organizes donated food April 27 at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Goodyear. She said some clients are embarrassed about their situation, but food bank volunteers make it a policy not to judge. Volunteers see some of the same people week after week at the food bank, while others might reappear after not seeking food for months, Dubrow said. (See Volunteers on Page 4)
Buckeye mayor and native Jackie Meck got a little emotional last week during his State of the City address as he talked about how far the city has come. About 150 people gathered April 28 at the Palo Verde Energy Education Center in Buckeye for the annual event, which outlined the city’s past, present and future. When Meck was growing up, Buckeye had about 3,000 people and was known for agriculture, dove hunting and gas stations, he said. “It seemed that years ago, all everyone knew about Buckeye was that it was the western gateway to the Valley of the Sun,” he said. Now, the city has more than 60,000 residents. “Buckeye today has evolved into an exciting community filled with thriving neighborhoods and a positive business attitude,” Meck said. In the last eight years, the city has worked its way out of the economic downturn, which shook Buckeye’s financial foundation to its core, he said. “It has taken challenges faced by our city councilmen, our staff that took pay cuts and (See Recovery on Page 5)