west valley
Volume 28 Issue 35 Avondale, AZ
June 7, 2017
Avondale finalist for All-America City honors Award focuses on helping children toward reading success byGlennGullickson
IN THE BIZ
For the second consecutive year, Avondale is among the cities that are finalists for the All-America City Award. Avondale is one of 27 cities up for the award, which will be presented June 16 during the National Civic League convention in Denver. The award has a theme each year, and this year the League is working with the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading for an honor that recognizes communities that have made measurable progress for low-income children toward early reading success. Avondale’s application for the award was submitted by the Valley of the Sun United Way based on the Read On – Avondale program. Read On – Avondale was formed in 2014 by a coalition of the United Way, the Avondale Elementary School District and the city to target third-grade reading proficiency. The program places a priority on reaching children in public housing and other vulnerable children with a resource center and summer reading program. The collaboration that created the program will be the focus of a three-minute presentation at the Denver convention, according to Dawn Gerundo, Valley of
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the Sun United Way’s community impact director of Education and Children, who coordinated the All America City application. “This was a true collaborative,” Gerundo said. “It’s one of the biggest high points of the story. No one can do this alone.” Wendy Kobasko, assistant superintendent of the Avondale Elementary School District, will deliver the presentation, which was written by the United Way marketing team. “We put together what we felt was a compelling story,” Gerundo said. The six-member delegation representing the city also includes City Councilman Lorenzo Sierra. Gerundo, who has been a resident of Avondale for 10 years, said the city has “strong competition” for the award, but she said the effort is supported by the city’s collaborative “power and might.” When Avondale was an All-America City finalist last year, the city missed out on being one of 10 cities to receive the award, which was based on programs for children and families. The honor gives a city bragging rights for an award that was created 67 years ago by an organization that works to advance good governance and civic engagement. (USPS 004-616) is published weekly by West Valley View Inc. Mailing Address: 1050 E. Riley Dr.,
Avondale, AZ 85323 (623) 535-VIEW • 535-8439 Elliott Freireich, publisher Cary Hines, editor
The award was won by Goodyear in 2008. Phoenix is a five-time winner, most recently in 2009. Tempe, Mesa and Chandler have also won in the past. Avondale is the only Arizona city competing for the award this year. Among the other cities up for the 2017 award that also competed last year are New Britain, Conn., and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Large cities among the finalists are Dallas, San Antonio, Kansas City, Mo., and Salt Lake City. Other finalists are Springdale, Ark., Stockton-San Joaquin County, Calif., Tahoe Truckee, Calif., Delray Beach, Fla., Suncoast, Fla., Ames, Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, Dubuque, Iowa, Quad Cities, Iowa and Illinois, Springfield, Mass., Worcester, Mass., Gulfport, Miss., Lafayette County, Miss., Wake County, N.C., Rochester, N.Y., Syracuse, N.Y., Montgomery County, Ore., Lane County, Ore., Newport, R.I., and Roanoke, Va.
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