Pacana Park in the heart of Maricopa Tony Vicich

Transcription

Pacana Park in the heart of Maricopa Tony Vicich
THE MAGAZINE
Fall 2015
PEOPLE
Tony Vicich
coaches comics
ENTERTAINMENT
Pacana
Park in the
heart of
Maricopa
BUSINESS
Shipping is all
about logistics
HOMETOWN
WEDDING
+
GOVERNMENT
Meet Maricopa’s
‘mini secretary
of state’
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Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
1
Contents
Fall 2015
Jeff Price is one of a handful of Maricopa
weather hobbyists who participate in the
Weather Underground.
8
14
Raquel Hendrickson
PEOPLE
BUSINESS
HOME
6
PHOTO GALLERY
24
PROFILE: SHIPFR8
PROFILE: Miss City of Maricopa
26
TIPS: Preventing prescription
34
REAL ESTATE: Most & least 8
10
FEATURE: Tony Vicich
drug overdoses
34
DIRECTORY
28
DIRECTORY
10VETERAN: Lorraine Morrison
14
VOLUNTEERS: The Weather Guys
16
LOOKING BACK: John Wayne
FAMILY
20
WEDDINGS: Maricopa Venues
22
WEDDINGS: Maricopa Vendors
expensive homes
ENTERTAINMENT
GOVERNMENT
35
TRENDING: Maricopa fashion
36
EVENT: Pecan Pride Celebration
30
ELECTED OFFICIAL: Bret Roberts
31
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Former 37
PLACES: Pacana Park
Councilman Kelly Haddad
38
DIRECTORY
32
PROFILE: Paul Jepson
39
POLL: Best taco
33
HOW THEY VOTED
40
FOOD: Recipe
ON THE COVER: Ellen and Daniel Phegley pose for all-important wedding photographs at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. Anna Marisol Photography
2
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
THE MAGAZINE
Publisher
SCOTT BARTLE
Editor
RAQUEL HENDRICKSON
Writers
MICHELLE CHANCE
RAQUEL HENDRICKSON
KATIE MAYER
MISTY NEWMAN
MICHAEL K. RICH
ADAM WOLFE
Be
formed
Photographers
MICHELLE CHANCE
MERRY GRACE
RAQUEL HENDRICKSON
ANNA MARISOL
MISTY NEWMAN
ADAM WOLFE
Designer
CARL BEZUIDENHOUT
Operations
DICK BARKLEY
DONNA JOHN
CELINA SHEPHERD
Advertising
DONNA ATKINS
TRACY KLEIN
CELINA SHEPHERD
Volume 10, Issue 3
InMaricopa The Magazine
P.O. Box 1018
Maricopa, AZ 85139
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InMaricopa. Copyright 2015.
Fall 2015
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FROM THE EDITOR
A
s Maricopa grows again, residents can name all of the businesses or services
still needed to make their lives here complete. Our Fall Edition is a reminder
of the lesser-known offerings and talents quietly already in place.
Maricopa is not the wedding haven some vacation spots are, but the
wedding business is alive and well when temperatures cool down. With two beautiful
golf courses, a new events center and more convention space
on the way at the casino, options are broadening for couples
who want to get married close to home or in a unique setting.
Inside, you’ll see what they have to offer. Businesses that
specialize in weddings or adjust their services for the Big Day
are all over town, if you know where to look. We’ll introduce
you to a few.
Good weather plays a big role on any wedding day, and
Maricopa has its own band of amateur meteorologists whose
home weather stations help the pros get a read on the changing
forces in the skies. The Weather Underground unites the
hobbyists under one umbrella, and you can read about what else they have in common.
Not underground but keeping more of a low profile when he’s home in Maricopa is
stand-up comedian Tony Vicich. We follow him to work in the Valley, where he teaches
up-and-coming comics and keeps his own act fresh. At City Hall, Paul Jepson also likes to
think he has a low profile, but he does too much and knows far too many people for that as
Maricopa’s “mini Secretary of State.”
Leaving the limelight is Miss City of Maricopa Jaime Buchholz, and we catch up with
her as she prepares to put aside the crown and reminisces about her year as a “princess”
in nurse’s scrubs. Another remarkable woman who has put in a different kind of service,
Lorraine Morrison, is our veteran spotlight.
This issue is also an opportunity to find out what Constable Bret Roberts does, catch up
with former City Councilman Kelly Haddad, who was on the first Maricopa council after
incorporation, and see what Loren Aragon took to New York Fashion Week.
Revisit Maricopa’s agricultural past as the city prepares for Stagecoach Days by
launching a Pecan Pride Celebration. Did you know there were once hundreds of acres of
pecan groves here? And if you missed it the first time, here’s another chance to learn about
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InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
RAQUEL HENDRICKSON
Editor
Raquel@InMaricopa.com
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Fall 2015
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PEOPLE
Gallery
1. Maricopa High School
quarterback Aaron Owens
gained recognition from the
Arizona Cardinals.
William Lange
2. August was back to school for
most Maricopa schools, including
Butterfield Elementary.
Adam Wolfe
3. Maricopans held a vigil
for servicemen killed in
Chattanooga, Tennessee July 23.
Raquel Hendrickson
4. Friends of Eric “Petey” Kunins
held a White T exercise fundraiser in his memory Aug. 7.
Raquel Hendrickson
2
4
1
6
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
3
Gallery
5. Maricopa Community Theatre
presented “Annie Jr.” July 24-25.
Raquel Hendrickson
6. Maricopa High School football
players gathered to support the
family of Nate Ford Aug. 26. Ford
was a teammate who died in a
traffic accident. Raquel Hendrickson
7. Maricopa City Clean Up, a
new volunteer group, including
Anthony Vallejo, picked up trash
July 16. Adam Wolfe
8. Collide, a combination of
youth ministries, hosted a Back
to School Splash at Copper Sky
Aug. 15. Adam Wolfe
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Fall 2015
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7
PEOPLE
Miss Maricopa
Miss City of Maricopa
Jaime Buchholz and Miss
Pinal County Outstanding
Teen Shyann Dugan were
frequently seen at Maricopa
events throughout the year.
Buchholz looks back on year
as Miss City of Maricopa
By Adam Wolfe
M
Adam Wolfe
As part of her reign as Miss City of Maricopa, Buchholz rallied the crowd at the Battle
of the Burb’s Lifehouseconcert at Copper Sky.
8
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
Raquel Hendrickson
iss City of Maricopa Jaime
Buchholz was only eligible to
compete for one year, but that
didn’t stop her from making her
dreams come true during her reign.
Buchholz, who entered the Miss City of
Maricopa competition at 24, will “age out”
in November and be ineligible to compete in
future Miss Arizona events. Despite the brief
tenure, Buchholz seized the opportunity to
make a childhood dream come true.
“I got involved because my friend Christina
(Tetreault) won Miss Maricopa County, and I
thought, ‘I could do that,’” Buchholz said. “She
inspired me to get involved, and since I wanted
to be a princess since I was little, I figured I
would go for it. The worst case scenario was I
lost.”
Buchholz, who lives in Phoenix, attributes
her desire to compete for the City of Maricopa
MissCityOfMaricopa.org
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to her upbringing in Gilbert. When she was
young, Gilbert was largely a farming community
outside the city, as Maricopa once was.
“I couldn’t ask for a better city to represent
than Maricopa,” Buchholz says. “The community
embraced me right away. Even though I wasn’t
from here, they have been so accepting and
welcoming to me.”
Carrie Vargas, the Miss City of Maricopa
program’s new executive director, says Buchholz
and Miss Pinal County Outstanding Teen
Shyann Dugan have been great representatives
for the scholarship program and the city. The
next pageant is Nov. 21.
Over the last year, Buchholz has leveraged
her job as a nurse to expand her initiative to help
veterans. Her platform of bringing awareness
and education of post-traumatic stress disorder
brought her into the contest in the first place.
The demands of her job nursing veterans also
provided an extra challenge as she trained for
Miss Arizona. Buchholz had to start eating
healthy and begin a workout routine in her tight
schedule.
The result was losing 35 pounds and
developing healthy habits, but the stress of work
added an obstacle most contestants did not
have to deal with. Despite not winning the Miss
Arizona crown in the only opportunity she will
have, Buchholz loved being part of the program.
“The best part about being Miss City of
Maricopa was working with all of the kids,”
Buchholz says. “They saw me as a real princess,
so I was able to make their dream of meeting
a princess come true. I always wanted to be a
Disney princess, and the kids made me feel like
one every time I saw them.”
As she moves forward, Buchholz will stay
involved with the Miss City of Maricopa
program.
Vargas has added a third crown, so Buchholz
will mentor Miss City of Maricopa, Miss Pinal
County and the newly created Miss Estrella
Mountain after her reign ends.
“I think it’s great they added another
crown,” Buchholz says. “It gives another girl an
opportunity to earn a scholarship and be part of
the program.”
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Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
9
PEOPLE
Comedy
Hollywood comedy
pro laughing all the
way to the Meadows
By Katie Mayer
A
sk Maricopa Meadows resident Tony Vicich a question
and you’ll likely get a joke in return.
His words may surprise you, or perhaps make you
think, but they’ll almost always make you laugh.
That’s because Vicich is a seasoned comedian who excelled at his craft
for decades as a touring comic. He is now a key player in cultivating the
next generation of Arizona comics. With his jokes appearing on “The
Tonight Show” and “Late Show with David Letterman” and he himself
performing on Showtime and Comedy Central, Vicich has made his
mark on Hollywood as much as Arizona.
Today, the 60-year-old St. Louis native
owns and operates ComedySchools.com and
is gearing up to launch his own radio show.
He appears regularly at Tempe Center for the
Arts and at restaurants, bars and clubs around
the Valley.
“Comedy is in the way you think,” Vicich
says. “Finally what you think doesn’t sound
insane, get you in trouble or make people cry
or punch you – it makes them laugh.”
Surprisingly, Vicich didn’t start as a comic.
Instead, he pursued acting when he first
moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s – studying
Method Acting under world-renowned
instructor Lee Strasberg, who once taught
Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe.
“I wanted to be a dramatic actor,” Vicich
says while making a sweeping gesture with his
hand.
Like other comics, Vicich talks fast
with a raspy voice. A look beyond his gray
ponytail and goatee reveals a shockingly wellinformed mind brimming with random facts
on everything from history to literature to
current events.
“The good comics are very serious people
and, oddly enough, very good people,” he says.
“We have a heightened sense of injustice.”
But the good side of Vicich, which so
many know today, was once masked by his
demons. Bartending to support himself
10
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
Submitted
Tony Vicich appears regularly at Tempe Center for
the Arts and area bars and clubs.
during the freewheeling 1970s in Hollywood,
Vicich tumbled down a path of heavy drug and
alcohol use and eventually into what he calls a
career in “unlicensed pharmaceutical sales.”
“I was living in Hollywood and was 23 at
the time,” Vicich says. “It led to an epicurean
lifestyle – sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.”
His first time performing stand-up was in
1978 at The Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard,
where “it went so horribly that I never went onto
another stage until I sobered up,” Vicich says.
Still, he saw many of the great comics of the
day such as Jimmie “J.J.” Walker and Jay Leno
and rubbed shoulders with Robin Williams.
Comedy is in the
way you think.”
– Tony Vicich
By the 1980s Vicich became sober, and from
there his career skyrocketed.
“I had a white-light moment,” Vicich says of
his sobriety.
The moment came after Vicich was arrested
for DUI and found himself out of jail, inebriated
again and yelling at a 7-Eleven employee to sell
him booze.
“When I got home I was so drunk and I
looked up and said, ‘God, I know I said you
don’t exist, but now I do … please help me stop
drinking and doing drugs,’” Vicich says.
He called a sober friend, started attending
12-step meetings and has now been sober more
than 30 years.
Vicich then hooked up with frequent late
show comedian and prominent sitcom writer
Ritch Shydner after meeting him at the Laugh
Factory in Hollywood. Together, the two
performed around the country, including their
first gig in Phoenix in 1985.
“He’s as funny as anyone I’ve ever met,”
says Shydner, who lives in Los Angeles. “As
a comedian, he wrote lines that I used on my
appearances on ‘The Tonight Show’ and the
‘Late Show with David Letterman.’”
Vicich also married and adopted a daughter,
Alishia. His comedy work allowed him to make
a good living and support his family.
“There is no better father in the world than
that guy,” Shydner says.
But just when life seemed to be on a steady
track for the comedian, Vicich experienced
what he calls “an implosion of events.”
His marriage fell apart, a comedy club he
owned in Oklahoma City went under and he
found himself jobless. Just when he was about to
start work at the post office, his lucked changed.
“Sometimes what you think is the worst part
of your life becomes the best,” Vicich says.
He was asked by comedian Craig Shoemaker
to help with a one-man show in San Francisco.
There he learned the art and business of operating
comedy workshops from San Francisco Comedy
College owner Kurtis Matthews.
“I told Tony ‘You are great with people and
a good comedian, let me help you get into the
business,” Matthews recalls. “I gave him the
structure for his school, but he truly made it his
own, and people just kept coming.”
Today, Matthews credits Vicich as one of the
reasons the Valley has such a large volume of
comedy clubs.
“When you have so many comedians, they
need a place to go,” Matthews says.
One of those comedians is Valerie Roberts,
of Gilbert, who started Vicich’s classes last year
and is now preparing to headline her own show
at Tempe Center for the Arts.
“Tony taught me that even when you think
your writing is great, you can always go back and
make it better,” Roberts says.
Today, what Vicich loves most about teaching
comedy is “seeing the fog lift from a student’s
eyes and then watching them say something
funny on their own.”
His other loves are his wife of two years
Shirley Vicich and living in Maricopa – although
he does perform a bit mocking the city on
Originally
from St. Louis,
Maricopan
Tony Vicich
leads a comedy
workshop in
Tempe. He
got his start
in stand-up
comedy in 1978.
Katie Mayer
everything from how much home values dipped
to how far away Maricopa is to the smell of cows.
“It’s home here,” Vicich says.
In fact, he’s the last remaining original
homeowner on his street, he says. As so many
others gave up their homes, he kept his.
“It’s like being a frontier guy and when
everyone else left, we stayed,” Vicich says
proudly.
• Wisdom Teeth
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His old mentor Matthews chuckles at the
stark contrast Vicich is today to the man he was
in the past.
“Who knew under this hard living
Hollywood guy is a cowboy wanting to live out
there?” Matthews says.
“I’m happy he is thriving … he’s a natural
teacher; he loves standup and he loves the
industry.”
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Fall 2015
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11
PEOPLE
Veteran Q&A
Lorraine
Morrison
Age: 57
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Maricopa residence: Tortosa
Pets: One cat and one dog
Hobbies: Plinking
Greatest talent: The ability to juggle
cotton balls in a haboob *laughing*! The
only great talent I may possess is that I say
what I mean, and I mean what I say. I am not
concerned with what people feel, only with
what they believe. I don’t care what people
think, I’m interested in what they know.
Age of enlistment: Can’t remember;
some time in my 20s.
Years in military: 30 years, 1 month, 23
days
Branch of service: USAF, USAF/R,
USMC, USMC/R, MDARNG, CAARNG,
OHARNG & AZARNG
Highest rank: Chief Warrant Officer
Lorraine Morrison, a
retired chief warrant
officer, relaxes at Bead
& Berry Coffee House.
She served in the U.S.
military for more than
30 years.
Raquel Hendrickson
Why did you join the military? Fiftytwo Americans had been taken hostage in
Iran, so it was my duty to serve my country
just as so many members of my family before
me had done.
officer, relaxes at Bead & Berry Coffee
House. She served in the U.S. military for
more than 30 years.
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Where did you serve? Primarily in the
United States and Asia.
What brought you to Maricopa? Its
geographical location (between Phoenix and
Tucson).
What military experience had the
biggest impact on your life? Burying my
fiancé at West Point in the autumn of 2010.
What was the most notable act of
heroism you witnessed? There are
numerous incidents I have witnessed
throughout my 30 years of combined military
service, but on a more personal note, it was my
having saved a fellow service member from
bleeding out.
What were some challenges you faced
entering civilian life? Upon retiring I lost
my support group of brothers and sisters, which
seemed like taking point without my platoon
behind me. Another challenge was attempting
to effectively communicate with civilians.
What was the best advice you received
during your time in the military? Back
in 1979 my granddaddy advised me to, “Keep
your eyes and ears open, your mouth shut,
your nose clean, your head down and your butt
covered.” His words have proven to be great
advice in several types of environments.
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What is your proudest moment? On a
global scale there are so many incidents, but on
a personal scale it would have been earning my
commission at more than 50 years of age.
What is the one thing you would
like civilians to know about the U.S.
military? The military (and first responders)
are not some strange entity created to frighten
civilians. No, quite the contrary. We are just
like every other American. The military is a
cross-section, microcosm of American society;
we are your first and last resort, but what sets
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Fall 2015
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13
PEOPLE
Weather Guys
David Durst has a weather
station beside his pool and a
flight simulator in his office in
the Villages at Rancho El Dorado.
Middle: Jeff Price loves
communication gadgets. Besides
having a weather station at his
Homestead home, he is also a
member of a HAM radio club.
Far right: Bryan Snider is a
freelance photographer and
storm-chaser, as evidenced by
his footage at BryanSnider.com.
His weather station is attached to
his roof in Cobblestone Farms.
Maricopans eye the sky for
Weather Underground
Story and photos by Raquel Hendrickson
A
rizona thunderstorms won’t sneak up on you, but they can be surprising in their
beauty and shocking in their intensity.
The unexpectedly fascinating character of Arizona skies unites a motley crew of
amateur meteorologists under the Weather Underground umbrella.
“What’s cool about Weather Underground is the network, so even though one station may
not be properly calibrated, the network will give you the feel of the overall weather,” says Bryan
Snider, who has been contributing data to the system for three years.
Not to be confused with the radical group
from the 1960s, Weather Underground is a
collection of data from more than 100,000
official weather sites and home-based
weather stations run by weather enthusiasts
or hobbyists. WU takes readings every three
seconds from these private stations and
airports like Sky Harbor and Ak-Chin Regional
to create summaries and forecasts.
There are eight private stations in the
Maricopa area.
The “hobbyists” come from all walks of life,
but at some point each became so interested in
the weather he wanted to be part of gauging it.
“It’s fascinating to be able to know that
3rdpeople
Placecan use the data to see what’s
other
happening,” says Eric Summerville, who has a
station at his Hidden Valley home.
Summerville has been a weather hobbyist
since junior high school. He became involved
with Weather Underground after seeing how
a friend was using that weather data as a
private pilot.
He set himself up with a weather station and
14
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
broadband at the same time in 2005.
“The monsoon season is kind of interesting,”
he says. “There will be no rain, and suddenly
the weather pattern will flip. Arizona tends to
be more constant; where we have monsoons
and it’s hot and humid with occasional
surprises, that’s the winters back East. They’re
unrelenting.”
A retired pharmacist, Summerville has
been working as a science and tech writer for
computers and high-tech gadgetry, including a
job with Microchip.
“I like to see how things work and explain it
to other people,” he says.
That includes the Davis Instruments
ProVantage equipment he uses for weather data.
“It’s a semi-pro piece of equipment,” he says.
“It’s reliable and long-lasting, and I got it cheap.”
In particular, he enjoys Weather
Underground’s WunderMap that maps weather
through local terrain, “so you can see in real
time if it’s going to skip you or hit you head on.”
Summerville is a self-described “technigeek” who has been part of a local amateur radio
club. Bryan Snider, who lives in Cobblestone
Farms, is a professional photographer and a
storm-chaser.
His fascination with the weather started
when he was a videographer at Hillcrest High
School in Springfield, Missouri. He knew
being a meteorologist would involve studying
“weather theory” and other fields “beyond
what I wanted to do.” But shooting weather
events for television was right up his alley.
As a freelancer, he shoots weather landscapes
and storm calendars. He also does time-lapse
videography. His recent footage of a storm
over Tucson went viral when weather pros
and buffs realized it included a rare recording
of a microburst. He is receiving requests for
copies or permission to use the footage in an
educational setting.
“It was cool to have captured something that
made a difference,” he says.
Born in New Mexico, Snider likes the open
skies of the Southwest, where storms can be
seen coming from miles away instead of being
hidden by trees. “If you want to have an idea of
the forecast, just look out the window,” he says.
While some weather station owners set up
their equipment in their backyard, Snider has
his attached to his roof to get the most accurate
readings for his location.
Where equipment is placed depends on the
micro-environment of the neighborhood, the
best place to capture wind speeds and avoid
the misleading temperatures of direct sunlight.
Snider likes to see the “ground truth” versus
what the radar may be saying.
When he and his wife moved to Maricopa
from the Midwest, “literally, it was love at first
sight,” he says.
His in-laws gave him a weather station three
Christmases ago.
Snider wanted to be a pilot, but health issues
sidelined that. David Durst earned his private
pilot’s license in 1988. Today, he has flight
simulation software on his computer in his
Villages home.
Durst can tap into weather patterns anywhere
in the world and fly through storm systems in
the safety of his home office. His wife suggested
he take over a room of their house with a full
flight simulator.
As much as he likes flying, weather was a
first love.
“Ever since sixth-grade camp up in the
mountains, I wanted to be a weatherperson,”
Durst says.
He and his wife moved to Maricopa from
Chandler in 2004. He is a Level 3 support at a
global communications company.
He says his brother has a Wunderground
station in Las Vegas. Durst found it to be one of
the easiest sites to hook up to and communicate.
He uses his own data for his own edification, but
he will occasionally check the readings from the
other Maricopa stations.
“You can see the wind sort of blowing in a
circle sometimes from their readings,” Durst
says.
Jeff Price, whose weather station is in his
Homestead yard, got involved in weather data
by necessity. After retired in 1991 at the age of
51, he hit the road in an RV.
“Traveling around the West, the weather was
very concerning to me all the time,” Price says.
He moved to Maricopa in 2009 and bought
a Davis off Amazon in 2013. He got involved
with the Citizen Weather Observer Program
(CWOP) to distribute the data.
Weather Underground is just one of hundreds
of organizations that use CWOP information.
In August, WU started its own live show
weekdays on The Weather Channel, using data
from personal weather stations to “appeal to
everyone’s inner weather geek.”
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As another gizmo guy, Price is also part
of the HAM radio crowd. His Davis setup is
hard-wired at the house, and he does keep an
eye on the data from other Maricopa Weather
Underground members.
“If people are using my data,” he says, “it
makes it worthwhile, I guess.”
above all else, providing the
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you and your family.”
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Scottsdale, AZ 85260
(480) 993-3331
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Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
15
PEOPLE
Profile
Hollywood legend
John Wayne made
mark on Maricopa
By Michael K. Rich
J
ohn Smith, a Maricopa resident since 1951, sits in an old reclining chair by his living
room window, looking out at the sea of rooftops that were once farms. He describes
an event that helped transform Maricopa.
“Mike Ingram used to sneak out every night and hang that sign.”
The sign he refers to transforms state Route 347 into John Wayne Parkway as it
LOOKING
BACK
A peek into
InMaricopa archives
runs through town, and many were opposed to
that change, according to Smith. “The Indian
communities didn’t want the change because
John Wayne was known for killing Indians,
and the old timers just wanted it to remain
Maricopa Road.”
Ingram, the developer behind much of
modern day Maricopa, insists the county was
putting up the signs, and people taking them
down were trying to have Duke memorabilia
to hang on their walls.
Although he was able to get the sign
approved, Ingram said he could understand
the feelings of the early residents who didn’t
want to change the road’s name. Although
some of the Indian communities had issues
with Wayne, the Ak-Chin did not, according
to Ingram. “They worked and drank with the
man.”
“I changed the name to honor a great
man who made an incredible contribution to
western Pinal County,” Ingram explained.
“He (Ingram) loved John Wayne and
thought it would be a great marketing ploy,”
Smith said.
However, Wayne, a.k.a. The Duke, is more
than just a marketing tool for the city. He has a
history with the area that stretches back to the
late ’50s when the Hollywood legend purchased
4,000 acres of farmland between Maricopa
and Stanfield. He paid $4 million in borrowed
money for the acreage because his tax attorney
thought it would be a good investment.
Cotton farmer
Wayne financed a cotton crop through
Anderson Clayton Company of Phoenix, one
of the largest cotton brokers in the world.
Then, due to a lack of time and farming
experience, Wayne paid the brokerage to
farm the land for him.
It soon became clear to Wayne that the
Anderson Clayton Company didn’t know how
to farm cotton either.
During Wayne’s many visits to his farm
he noticed the farm of his neighbor, Louis
Johnson, was doing considerably better than
his own, according to Johnson’s widow, Alice.
“The Duke’s farm was struggling, so he
John Wayne and
his partner Louis
Johnson survey
their more than
50,000-acre
cattle-breeding
operation.
Submitted
16
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
called his brokerage people and asked who
the best cotton farmer in the area was. They
told him Louis Johnson,” Alice said. “When
everyone else was getting two and a half bales
to the acre, Louie was getting four.”
Convinced that Johnson was the farmer
Wayne needed to make his floundering property
a success, he called him. Explaining he couldn’t
come to Arizona because he was making a film,
he offered to cover all expenses if Johnson would
fly to California to talk with him.
Johnson agreed to meet Wayne, and the
outcome of their discussion was that Johnson
would manage Wayne’s crop for one year for
$14,000. If the farm produced three bales per
acre, he would receive an additional $50,000,
and, if he produced four bales per acre, he
would get an additional $100,000.
Johnson produced 4.22 bales to the acre that
year, earning Wayne in excess of $1 million, but
the success was not obstacle free.
During the harvest, agents from the bank
showed up in the field to repossess 10 Clari
cotton pickers. “Louie marched over to the
bank and signed a nearly $800,000 note so that
they wouldn’t take the equipment,” Alice said.
Partners for life
Wayne was impressed by the success of his
newfound manager, and the two decided to
merge Wayne’s 4,000-acre farm with Johnson’s
6,000-acre farm and become partners.
“They had a running bet that if Louie was
able to produce more than four bales per acre
a year, he (Wayne) would buy him a Cadillac,”
Alice said. “Every year but one Duke bought
Louie a new car.”
Johnson renovated a room for Wayne to
stay in when he and his family made trips to
the Johnson residence. Often Wayne would
come to the house to have Alice help him shave
weight for an upcoming movie role.
“I would follow a diet plan from a book
called the Diet Watchers Guide,” Alice said.
“It was a sort of an old-time Weight Watchers
program.” According to Alice, the real key
to his weight loss was a specially designed
bathroom in which every surface was mirrored
except the ceilings and floors. “He always said
being able to see his body from every angle
helped him to drop the weight.”
While the cotton business treated the
two men well, federal government cutbacks
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on water allocations in the 1960s, aimed at
preventing Southwestern cotton farmers from
putting others in the nation out of business,
pushed the partners toward cattle.
Johnson and Wayne built an 18,000-head
feedlot and soon expanded into cattle breeding
with an operation in Springerville, Ariz., that
covered more than 50,000 acres.
At the Springerville location the two focused
on raising the highest quality bulls and then
auctioning them off at the 26 Bar Ranch near
Maricopa. These annual auctions attracted
hundreds of potential buyers to the area from
across the nation.
“They were a big event back in the day,”
Alice recalled.
In addition to the Springerville ranch, the
feedlot near Maricopa expanded to 85,000
head, becoming the largest privately owned
feedlot in the United States.
However, in 1974 housewives across the
nation, enraged by skyrocketing beef prices,
staged a brief but powerful boycott, sending the
duo’s operation into the red.
“We lost millions,” Alice lamented. “It
was amazing that Louie could just come to
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Fall 2015
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17
Profile
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When Wayne died, Johnson decided it
would be best for him to exit the business also.
“The Wayne children were going to sell
Duke’s portion, so we decided it would be a
good time to get out rather than getting stuck
with a partner we didn’t know,” Alice said.
When the children were auctioning off
items from Wayne’s estate, they surprised the
Johnsons by calling them out to their father’s
California residence. Alice had first visited
there many years before, falling in love with an
extravagant chandelier Wayne had purchased
in Europe. “It was so weird seeing such a
beautiful chandelier in his home; it just didn’t
fit his personality,” Alice said.
When they arrived for the estate sale, the
children said they were going to vote on gifting
the imported chandelier to Alice, and all seven
voted in favor. “I was so happy I did a dance
on the kitchen floor,” Alice said. Louie died
of cancer in 2001, and Alice, now in her 70s,
remarried a few years later. To this day she
and her new husband live on the property that
hosted John Wayne in Maricopa.
bed every night, close the door and not worry
about a thing.”
To counteract the failing industry, Wayne
and Johnson reduced the number of cattle on
their feedlot to 8,500, but the bankers were not
going to let Johnson give up on the business.
“They insisted he begin buying cattle
despite being low on credit,” Alice said. “They
told him to keep buying until they told him
to stop.” Johnson began buying in January
1975 and by June had expanded the operation
tenfold from 8,500 to almost 85,000 head of
cattle.
Death of a legend
The partnership between the two men ended
later that year when Wayne died of cancer,
but early residents like Smith still have fond
memories of him.
During his many trips to the farm Wayne
would often drive through Maricopa, stopping
at local businesses. “No one rushed him for
autographs when he stopped,” Smith said. “He
loved the kids and would stand all day signing
things for them.” Wayne would also often head
out to his favorite drinking location, the Table
Top Tavern in Stanfield, and spend time with
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InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
Fall 2015
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19
FAMILY
Wedding Venues
Options growing for
wedding venues in Maricopa
F
inding the perfect venue is often the biggest decision for
couples planning a wedding and reception. For some, the
easiest choice is their home church, but there are other options
for those who want to keep their nuptials in Maricopa.
Ellen and Daniel Phegley decided to forego larger cities nearby for
Maricopa when they married. They traveled all the way from Indiana
because Ellen’s parents live in Province.
“We love coming out there, so this was a good excuse,” Daniel Phegley
said. “And for an April wedding it was the place we felt guaranteed to
have perfect weather. We love Maricopa.”
Between them, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes and The Duke at Rancho
El Dorado host up to 30 weddings a year. The golf courses offer both
space for many guests and scenic backgrounds for those all-important
wedding photos.
The newest venue in Maricopa is Elements Event Center at Ak-Chin
Circle, which has unique offerings to help the big day run smoothly.
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes hosts 10 to 15 weddings annually, the
majority of those are local couples looking to keep things close to home.
Hemapda Ki (Ak-Chin for The Gathering Place) is the indoor venue,
which can hold about 110 for plated meal service.
The Arroyo Patio, which overlooks the golf course and Estrella
Mountains, provides a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony and can also
be set up for a reception that can seat 160. When the weather is nice, the
sliding doors of the Arroyo Grille open up to the patio to provide space
for a DJ, dance floor, buffet and cake table.
Southern Dunes recently built an event lawn for a larger, outdoor
tent reception, or lawn ceremony. This also overlooks the golf course.
The special events team works with brides and grooms to make their
experiences unique and within budget. The innovative chef designs
20
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
Anna Marisol Photography
Ellen and Daniel Phegley came to Maricopa for their
wedding at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes to keep the big event
close to her parents.
Raquel Hendrickson
Elements Event Center at Ak-Chin Circle is set up for weddings
and receptions, including a bridal room for brides to prepare.
Talia Davis and Andrew Morrison and guests
celebrate their wedding at the Dunes.
plated meals or buffet menus to suit any palate. Appetizer and bar packages
are customized to each bride and groom.
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes partners with Harrah’s Ak-Chin and offers
special pricing on hotel packages for the wedding party and guests. It also
offers Groom’s Golf Packages and discounted rates for the groom’s party.
“It ended up being pretty easy,” Phegley said. “We were able to get
everything we needed, even though some things weren’t local like the DJ
and bartender, they were all willing to come to Maricopa.”
The Duke at Rancho El Dorado typically hosts 12 and 15 weddings each
year. The space in the Silver Spur restaurant and surrounding patio can
hold up to 300 people and provides plenty of space to socialize and dance.
“We offer good food and a great location,” Food and Beverage Director
Susan Miller says. “We are also affordable. We can work with any budget.”
The restaurant and patio is bordered by stone walls and surrounded by
grassy common areas. The venue also overlooks the water by the 18th hole,
providing wedding parties with a lake and waterfall for the background of
the ceremony and pictures.
The Duke also lets wedding parties use both indoor and outdoor
fireplaces and the chance to “dance under the stars” on the patio for
receptions.
The newest venue in the city, Elements Event Center at Ak-Chin Circle
can accommodate up 300 guests. Its 11,000 square feet includes an outdoor
garden reception area and a fire-pit patio. The Earth Room is a bridal suite
with bathroom and shower to help the bride prepare for the event.
Next door is a large lawn that can be set up for any wedding demands.
Elements is adjacent to UltraStar Multi-tainment Center, which offers
distractions for the kids while the adults party at the reception.
UltraStar COO Adam Saks said the company is also creating packages
that place weddings in one of the movie theaters with an exotic background
— everything from Maui to the moon — with plenty of excellent seating
for guests.
Adam Wolfe contributed to this story.
AK-CHIN SOUTHERN DUNES
GolfSouthernDunes.com/wedding-package
THE DUKE
TheDukeGolf.com/weddings-banquets
ELEMENTS EVENT CENTER
ElementsAkChin.com
Anna Marisol Photography
Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
21
FAMILY
Wedding Vendors
Will Dunn, owner of the Cotton
Blossom Flower Shoppe, has built
the business into a full weddingplanning company.
Married a year ago and
now living in Rancho
El Dorado, Brad and Tom
King say Maricopans
have been very accepting.
A dessert bar of sweet treats is an
event specialty of Helen’s Kitchen.
Michelle Chance
Maricopa wedding vendors
help couples keep it local
Michelle Chance
By Michelle Chance
M
any Maricopa brides-to-be leave the community
and make the journey up State Route 347 to
peruse catering, florist and event-planning
services the Valley has to offer.
However, there are professional wedding vendors in
Maricopa, both established and new, encouraging couples to
stay local when shopping for their special day.
Cotton Blossom Flower Shoppe has been designing custom
bridal arrangements since 2003.
“We really try to focus local and whether they are doing a
wedding in the Valley, at The Duke or at the Southern Baptist
Church, we are going to help them make it the best wedding
we can as far as our end of it goes with the flowers,” says owner
Will Dunn.
The floral team stays busy with two to three weddings per month.
However, floral designing is only a portion of what they offer bridal
parties.
Cotton Blossom Flower Shoppe, located at Stagestop Marketplace on
Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway, is also an event-planning company.
“So we can help design the whole wedding, all the way up to the
karaoke machine or the photograph booth that they want,” Dunn says.
The responsibilities of both the floral and event-planning sides of his
business begin with the initial meeting, in which brides are encouraged
to bring photos and even create and share their bridal Pinterest board
with the Cotton Blossom staff.
22
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
Michelle Chance
The floral catalogue offered at Cotton Blossom Flower Shoppe is
the first step in creating a bridal arrangement.
A new catering business in Maricopa, Manhattan Catering LLC,
offers a unique and cosmopolitan wedding experience.
Chef Cody James and his wife Linda have co-owned the business for
21 years and had their local grand opening at the Maricopa Center for
Entrepreneurship this summer.
“We really do cater to the client. We’re not going to hand you a
menu and say, ‘OK, choose something.’ We really want people to feel
comfortable getting what they want,” Cody James says.
Wedding Vendors
So we can help design the
whole wedding, all the way up
to the karaoke machine or the
photograph booth that they want.”
– Will Dunn
Offering full-service catering, James says he likes to give his clients an
experience with food from around the world: “I can provide anything and
everything needed. With me it’s all about the specialty items, it’s all about
getting what they want and that could be special diets for older couples,
for example.”
Helen Ford, owner of Helen’s Kitchen & Catering on John Wayne
Parkway near Honeycutt Avenue, provides dietary consciousness for her
bridal clients.
“Since the restaurant is big on gluten-free and trying to accommodate
everybody’s dietary needs, I’m like that with the weddings, too,” Ford says.
“It’s not as hard as people think it is to do.”
Ford doesn’t supply a catering menu, choosing instead to tailor it to her
clients’ specific requests while keeping it within their budget.
“I’m a very old fashioned, hand-shake kind of person. We will talk
one-on-one together and decide what it is they are looking for and then I
customize the menu to them,” Ford says.
One of Ford’s specialties is the dessert bar, which consists of individual
sweets like fudge brownies and cream puffs, among other decadent sweets.
“I also do chocolate dipped strawberries and because I use a nice
quality chocolate, it’s considered gluten free.”
Submitted
Helen’s Kitchen
does not have a
catering menu
per se but tailors
its menu to fit
the wishes of the
wedding party,
including cheeseand-fruit trays.
COTTON BLOSSOM FLOWER SHOPPE
520-568-4600
CottonBlossomFlowers.com
HELEN’S KITCHEN & CATERING
520-431-9990
HelensKitchenMaricopa.com
MANHATTAN CATERING
608-201-2960
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Fall 2015
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23
BUSINESS
Profile
caption
Peter Cockle of
Maricopa started
SHIPFR8 five years
ago as a third-party
logistics provider.
PETER COCKLE
Raquel Hendrickson
SHIPFR8 brings
customer service
to logistics
By Raquel Hendrickson
G
etting from one place to
another is not always easy.
Peter Cockle should
know. He’s from London
and now calls Maricopa home.
Moving freight from one place
to another can be a real headache,
especially for those who are not in the
shipping business but need to send a
truckload or even less to a customer.
He launched his company SHIPFR8
five years ago to help businesses with
their shipping logistics.
SHIPFR8 is a third-party logistics
provider (3PL).
“The simplest definition of a 3PL
is a company that works with shippers
to manage their logistics operations,”
Cockle says.
As a transportation supply chain
manager, SHIPFR8 works with
national carriers and service providers
to move goods across the country.
Cockle has seven employees and calls
24
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
Maricopa a “great place to live and
work.”
His own career started with FedEx
as a truck loader, and he later worked
for DHL. He’s been working in the
industry for 29 years.
“I’ve had the good fortune to
experience working for small, medium
and large companies,” he says. “At
each company I have picked up good
practices, knowledge and experience.”
This summer, he moved SHIPFR8
into offices at The Suites, 44400 W.
Honeycutt Road, Suite 102.
“I wanted a business that would be
independent, which would allow me
flexibility in serving my customers,
each customer is different, so I can
tailor-make a solution to ensure their
needs are met,” he said.
Cockle’s plan over the next five
years is to “grow in the right ways” by
continuing to develop service offerings
and SHIPFR8’s own call center.
Owner
SHIPFR8
PERSONAL
Age: 47
Hometown: London,
England
Now live in: Rancho
El Dorado
Education: Schooled
in England
Family: Married to
Diana, Mum (Susan)
Pets: Stallone (Belgium
Malinois), Scooter
AKA Rat Dog (Corgi)
Pet Peeves: People with
no morals or values
Car: Dodge Ram 1500
Hobbies/Interests:
Soccer, Dutch Hunter
(Lost Dutchman Mine),
camping, fishing
I wish I was …: With my
wife, Diana, sipping a cold
beer watching the sunset
Currently Reading:
“Jacob’s Trail – The
Legend of Jacob
Waltz’s Lost Dutchman
Gold Mine” by Jesse
James Feldman
BUSINESS:
First job: Loaded
trucks for FedEx
Favorite job: Delivery
driver for FedEx; I loved
getting out and meeting
people, seeing smiles
on people faces when
they got a package!
Why this business:
I suck at singing!
Why Maricopa: I love this
city, have volunteered for
the police deptartment
and Emergency Response
and want to continue to
give back to the city.
Greatest challenge:
Lack of commercial
property in Maricopa
Greatest opportunity:
As we grow we can reinvest in people and keep
the jobs here in town.
What was the best
business advice you ever
received: People, Service,
Profit (PSP) – Frederick
W. Smith, Founder, FedEx
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first because it is right
to do so and because
it is good business as
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Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
BUSINESS
Health
Advice for
preventing
prescription
overdose
By Matt Bertsch
4
Sun Life Family Health Center
Pharmacy Director
I
n the United States, overdose deaths have steadily increased over the last 12 years. According
to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there was a 2.5-fold increase in the total number of
deaths for men and women related to drug overdoses from 2001 to 2013. Over 16,000 people
died due to drug overdose in 2013. That’s nearly 44 people a day. Here are five tips to keep your medicinal
intake safe:
1
Always keep your prescription
pills in the same bottle they came
in. Some people will put all their pills in
one bottle, thinking that they will be able to
tell the difference between them. This is not
always the case.
If you want to put your pills into one place
that is easy to remember, get a pill box divided
by day or morning/afternoon. This will ensure
you are taking the right pills at the right times
each day, no matter what the pills look like.
2
Don’t switch pills from one
bottle to another. While this may
seem harmless on the surface, putting
“like” pills together may be hazardous.
This is especially dangerous when you
have two or more pills of the same relative
size, shape and color. It could also be a
problem if the pharmacy you use changes pill
manufacturers, and suddenly your pills look a
little different.
This practice could be harmful especially
if dosage amounts have changed, which also
26
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
the case. So if you do not have the labels on your
bottles, you may not be able to accurately tell a
new doctor or specialist the drugs prescribed
to you. Wrong dosages or types of drugs could
be filled for you, or new ones prescribed that
could have potential bad interactions with ones
you are already taking.
could alter your instructions for taking them. If
you aren’t paying attention, you could be taking
much more than you need if you continue to
take your medication according to instructions
for a lower dose.
Additionally, if the number of refills is
listed on your bottle labels, switching bottles
could confuse you about how many refills you
actually have. If you think you still have one left
and the doctor is asking you to come in for a
visit to allow him to write another prescription,
you may be without your prescription a lot
longer than anticipated.
3
Don’t take the labels off your
prescription
bottles.
Your
prescription label is your source
for important information such as dosage,
instructions for taking your medication, your
prescribing doctor, the name and number
of your pharmacy, and other assorted data
related to the drug manufacturer. Without it,
you, your family or your medical providers
don’t have this vital information should an
emergency happen.
Many people believe their medical files are
open to any doctor they may see, and this is not
Keep drugs out of reach of
children. One easy way to prevent
accidental overdoses is to keep your
medications out of reach and out of the
sightline of children. This not only includes
over-the-counter and pharmaceutical pill
bottles, but medications that come in patchform as well. Bertsch says some children have
found medicinal patches and started using
them like stickers. Be sure even when disposing
of patches to fold the sticky parts together
before tossing them in the trash.
“Another thing that parents should be
cognizant of is to never tell kids that medicine
tastes like candy,” Bertsch says. “It can cause an
unfortunate association. Because, for example,
iron tablets can look like M&M candy without
the logo.”
And never allow children to play with or
use your old pill bottles.
“Because even if you wash it out, even the
slightest residue inside of it can cause harm to a
child,” Bertsch adds.
5
Keep the contact number for
Poison Control on hand at all
times. If you suspect either you or
someone in your household has accidentally
overdosed on medication, call Poison Control
at 1-800-222-1222.
“But everyone should have that phone
number memorized,” Bertsch says. “It helps
save many lives.”
The pharmacy at Sun Life Family Health
Center in Maricopa is open Monday-Friday, 8
a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
For information, call 520-381-0379.
CDC.gov/DrugOverdose
Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
27
BUSINESS
Directory
ACCOUNTING
James A. Chaston CPA, PLC
18955 N. Falcon Lane
520-568-3303
ChastonCPA.com
Premier Orthodontics
21083 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite C-105
520-568-5600
PremierOrthoAZ.com
HARDWARE
Ace Hardware
21542 N. John Wayne Parkway
520-494-7805
MaricopaAce.com
ADVERTISING
InMaricopa
P.O. Box 1018
520-568-0040
InMaricopa.com/Advertising
San Tan Oral Surgery
21300 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 112
480-659-9820
SanTanOralSurgery.com
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Longevity Athletics
44480 W. Honeycutt Road, Suite 108
520-261-4661
LongevityAthletics.com
AIR CONDITIONING
Alternative Air Heating & Cooling
P.O. Box 1095
520-483-0364
AlternativeAirHVAC.com
Treasured Smiles Children’s Dentistry
21300 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 117
520-316-6111
TreasuredSmilesChildrensDentistry.
com
HOME CARE
Comfort Keepers
19428 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite F
520-233-2848
ComfortKeepers.com
EMERGENCY SERVICES
Maricopa Fire Department
520-568-3333
HOME WATCH SERVICES
See page 34
McLaughlin Air Conditioning and
Heating
520-213-5021
ANIMALS & PETS
Pinal County Animal Control
764 S. Eleven Mile Corner Road
Casa Grande
520-509-3555
APPLIANCE REPAIR/SALES
Maricopa Appliance Repair
520-424-8435
BANKS/CREDIT UNIONS
Pinal County Federal Credit Union
44600 W. Smith Enke Road
Suite 105
520-381-3100
BEAUTY SALONS
Hair by Sunny
44400 W. Honeycutt Road, Suite 111
520-858-6086
SunnySayarath.com
K’Bella Salon and Day Spa
20800 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 116
520-233-8576
KBellaSalonAndDaySpa.com
‘Mo’ Hair Wig and Extensions Bar
19395 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 13
951-712-1097
mohair_indianhair.com
CHURCHES
Calvary Chapel
44301 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Hwy.
Suite 105
520-568-5400
CalvaryMaricopa.org
Hybrid Christian Ministries
HybridCM.org
COMPUTERS
Data Doctors
21116 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite B1
520-868-6161
DataDoctors.com
DENTISTS / ORTHODONTISTS
Cobblestone Dental Center
44600 W. Smith-Enke Road
Suite 103
520-494-7333
CobblestoneDental.com
Maricopa Fiesta Dental
21116 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite B-7
520-568-1551
MaricopaDentist.com
28
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
Maricopa Police Department
520-316-6800
Poison Control
800-222-1222
ENTERTAINMENT
See page 36
HOSPITALS
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center
1800 E. Florence Blvd., Casa Grande
520-381-6300
BannerHealth.com
Chandler Regional Medical Center
1955 W. Frye Road, Chandler
480-728-3000
DignityHealth.org/ChandlerRegional
EQUIPMENT RENTAL
Tiller’s Equipment and Tool Rental
12501 N. Murphy Road, Suite B
520-568-2009 TillersToolRentals.com
INSURANCE
Insurance Consulting Services
520-568-6750
GloriaSmithEnterprises.com
EYE CARE
Maricopa Eye Care
21300 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 119
520-568-7538
MaricopaEyeCare.com
State Farm Insurance
Lance Lane
20800 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 110
520-568-8400
LanceLaneInsurance.com
GLASS
Lizard Heights
520-868-6180
LizardHG.com
LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE
Anyone Home?
602-574-7006
AnyoneHomeAZ.com
GOLF
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club
48456 W. Highway 238
520-568-2000
GolfSouthernDunes.com
MD’s Landscaping and Maintenance
480-295-2279
GOVERNMENT
Ak-Chin Indian Community
42507 W. Peters & Nall Road
520-568-1000
City of Maricopa
39700 W. Civic Center Plaza
520-568-9098
Gila River Indian Community
525 W. Gu U Ki, Sacaton
520-562-6055
Pinal County
31 N. Pinal St., Florence
520-866-6000
Druwest Landscape
623-330-0010
DruwestLandscape.com
LANDSCAPING INSTALLATION
AZ-RYS Landscaping and Yard
Maintenance
602-359-6203
AZRysYard.com
LOCKSMITH
JT’s Keys and Locks
602-369-1553
JTsKeysAndLocks.com
MOTOR VEHICLE
Maricopa Auto Outlet
19828 N. John Wayne Parkway
520-350-2717
MaricopaAutoOutlet.com
United States Post Office
44920 W. Hathaway Road
520-568-2641
Step Into The Music
520-568-8560
HANDYMAN
SPR Contractor
520-350-2929
SPRContractor.com
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Family, Friend & Neighbor COAP
402 E. 10th St., Casa Grande
520-836-0736
UnitedWayofPC.org
The Friends of the Maricopa
Public Library
520-568-8094
Maricopa Little League
602-885-5031
MaricopaLittleLeague.com
Maricopa Veterans Center
44240 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Hwy.
520-404-6672
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Tracy P. MacPherson Post 12043
44240 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Hwy.
602-920-3933
PAINT SUPPLIES
Ace Hardware
21542 N. John Wayne Parkway
520-494-7805
MaricopaAce.com
PAINTERS
ACP Contracting
20987 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite B-104 #320
520-568-0026
ArizonaContractPainting.com
Maricopa Drywall and Painting
GGCS, LLC
505-507-3909
PEST CONTROL
Pest’R Us
480-598-9898
PestRUs.net
Maricopa Bug Busters
520-423-9542
PHYSICAL THERAPY
Spooner Physical Therapy
16611 S. 40th St., Suite 130, Phoenix
480-706-1199
SpoonerPhysicalTherapy.com
PHYSICIANS
Banner Health Center
17900 N. Porter Road
520-233-2500
BannerHealth.com/
HealthCenterMaricopa
Cancer Treatment Services Arizona
1876 E. Sabin Drive, Casa Grande
520-836-9800
CancerTreatmentServices.com
Casa Grande Surgery Specialists
1281 E. Cottonwood Lane
Casa Grande
520-876-0416
Health Matters
9180 E. Desert Cove, Suite 103
Scottsdale
480-993-3331
HealthMattersAZ.com
Maricopa Foot & Ankle
21300 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 126
520-494-1090
MFAAC.com
Sun Life Family Health Center
44572 W. Bowlin Road
520-568-2245
SunLifeFamilyHealth.org
POOL CONSTRUCTION,
SERVICE, SUPPLY
See page 34
PRINT AND COPY
The UPS Store
20987 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite B104
520-568-5712
TheUPSStoreLocal.com/5140
PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS
Outside the Box Marketing, Inc.
P.O. Box 1018
520-568-0040
Market247365.com
REALTORS
See page 34
RESTAURANTS (SEE
ENTERTAINMENT)
See page 36
SCHOOLS
Butterfield Elementary School
43800 W. Honeycutt Road
520-568-6100
BES.MaricopaUSD.org
Camino Montessori
44301 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande
Highway
480-295-2806
CaminoMontessori.org
Central Arizona College
17945 N. Regent Drive
520-494-6400
CentralAZ.org
Desert Wind Middle School
35565 W. Honeycutt Road
520-568-7110
DWMS.MaricopaUSD.org
Graysmark Academy
44400 W. Honeycutt Road, Suite 105
520-568-5750
Leading Edge Academy
18700 N. Porter Road
520-568-7800
LeadingEdgeAcademy.org
Maricopa Elementary School
18150 N. Alterra Parkway
520-568-5160
MES.MaricopaUSD.org
Maricopa High School
45012 W. Honeycutt Ave.
520-568-8102
MHS.MaricopaUSD.org
Southwest Gas Corporation
800-428-7324
JDP Financial Services
Jack Pipala
520-568-2225
Maricopa Unified School District #20
44150 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Hwy.
520-568-5100
MaricopaUSD.org
Maricopa Wells Middle School
45725 W. Honeycutt Ave.
520-568-7100
MWMS.MaricopaUSD.org
Pima Butte Elementary School
42202 W. Rancho El Dorado Parkway
520-568-7150
PBES.MaricopaUSD.org
Saddleback Elementary School
18600 N. Porter Road
520-568-6110
SES.MaricopaUSD.org
Santa Cruz Elementary School
19845 N. Costa del Sol
520-568-5170
SCES.MaricopaUSD.org
Santa Rosa Elementary School
21400 N. Santa Rosa Drive
520-568-6150
SRES.MaricopaUSD.org
WEDDINGS
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club
48456 W. Highway 238
520-568-2000
GolfSouthernDunes.com
Path Financial Strategies
480-558-6499
mcstax.com
TRAVEL AGENCIES
Suz’s Cruises
520-233-1850
SuzsCruises.com
UTILITIES
Electrical District No. 3
19756 N. John Wayne Parkway
520-424-9021
ED3Online.org
Global Water Resources
22590 N. Powers Parkway
520-568-4452
WINDOW COVERINGS
Selections Shutters & Blinds
20046 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 103
520-568-6677
SelectionsMaricopa.com
Budget Blinds
602-243-1983
BudgetBlinds.com
8
Maricopa Domestic Water
Improvement District
19756 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 109
520-568-2239
Want to have your business featured
in the next edition?
Contact InMaricopa
at Advertising@InMaricopa.com or
520-568-0040
To find landscaping, painting, pest control, window coverings and
other services, see page 36 and InMaricopa.com.
SHIPPING AND PACKAGING
The UPS Store
20987 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite B104
520-568-5712
TheUPSStoreLocal.com/5140
Find local businesses
24/7 in Maricopa’s
‘yellow pages’
SOLAR
Streamline Solar
520-568-8682
StreamlineSolar.com
SPA
K’Bella Salon and Day Spa
20800 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 116
520-233-8576
KBellaSalonAndDaySpa.com
TAX SERVICES
James A. Chaston CPA, PLC
18955 N. Falcon Lane
520-568-3303
ChastonCPA.com
InMaricopa.com/Business-Directory
Professional Packing Solutions
Certified
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44600 W. Smith-Enke Rd., Suite 103
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Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
29
GOVERNMENT
Elected Official Q&A
For Maricopa constable,
satisfaction in the small victories
Maricopa Constable Bret Roberts
hands paperwork to Breeanna Siler at
the Maricopa/Stanfield Justice Court.
He was elected in 2014.
Bret Roberts
ELECTED OFFICE: Constable
MARICOPAN SINCE: 2009
AGE: 42
FAMILY: Wife and six kids
(three of which are the
four-legged variety)
EDUCATION: Rio Salado College
HOBBIES: Motorcycle riding
Raquel Hendrickson
Since taking office as constable in 2015, Bret
Roberts has made himself a visible part of
the Maricopa city government as a frequent
attendee at meetings and other gatherings.
A former loan processor, restaurateur and
Maricopa County Sheriff ’s Office detention
officer, he has held jobs that largely involved
working with the public. Maricopans will find
him executing his duties at the Justice Court
and around town.
Why did you want to be Maricopa’s
constable? Several years ago I first learned
about constables and their responsibilities from
a co-worker who shared how they had helped
someone on their campaign. Considering
the training I received from the Maricopa
County Sheriff ’s Office and my professional
background, the position seemed like it would
be a perfect fit. As an added bonus I had not
thought about, I’ve had the opportunity to
meet a lot of people and make new friends
establishing professional relationships as well
as during the campaign process.
Has your background benefitted you
on the job? Yes, definitely my background
working with the public has been beneficial, but
I would have to say the time spent and training
30
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
received working with the Sheriff ’s Office has
been the most essential. Both of these have
helped tremendously in communicating with
the public.
What have been your unexpected
challenges since taking office? As far as
the performance of the daily duties, I would
say even though I was aware of what was
expected, the reality of certain aspects can be
a little difficult. Depending on how a Writ of
Restitution or eviction is handled, it can be
difficult, to say the least. Sometimes bad things
happen to good people, and I have found that
if you treat people the way you would like to
be treated in these circumstances things tend
to work out the best for all parties.
Another challenge is finding abandoned
animals. As an animal owner I can’t understand
how someone can leave what I consider to be a
member of the family behind and in situations
where they are unable to fend for themselves.
Recently I found two approximately 6-monthold pups in the back yard of a home without
food or water in 110+ degree weather. When I
found them they were happy to see just about
anyone. After leaving them plenty of food and
water, luckily I was able to get them taken care
of the following day.
Raquel Hendrickson
What are your favorite aspects of the
job? I have to say one of the things I truly enjoy
about being the constable is when you finally
get someone served that has been evading
service. For some reason, when you actually
catch the person there is a sense of satisfaction
there that I haven’t found in any other aspect
of the office.
Do you have further political
ambitions?At this time I have not considered
running for any other elected office.
Who are your biggest influences in
how you approach your work?
I would have to say meeting and talking with
other constables has been my biggest influence
mainly by attending the Arizona Constable
Associations training. Constables Kevin Jones
from Maricopa County and Ben Crow from
Casa Grande have been a tremendous help and
resource as well.
Then and Now
Where are
they now?
Founding council member
living busy life in Chandler
By Raquel Hendrickson
Kelly Haddad was one of Maricopa’s original
city council members, selected by the Pinal
County Board of Supervisors after the city
was incorporated. He then ran for the seat and
became one of the first elected council members.
In total he served four and half years before
losing the subsequent election, but those years
were precedent-setting.
“I was proud of pretty much everything we
did,” Haddad says. “We had a lot on our plate.
We were under intense development. We were
able to kind of come together – a bunch of guys
who had never really done anything politically
before – and get control of the growth and steer
it in the direction that we thought was best for
the city.”
He became involved in community service
when Edward Farrell asked him to join the
incorporation committee. That led to his initial
interest in the council.
“I wanted to stay involved and make sure
the city wasn’t taken advantage of by the
development companies and make sure things
grew right. I wanted to do the things necessary
to make a community a community.”
After losing his re-election bid in 2008,
Haddad and his family remained in Maricopa for
a couple of years before moving to Ahwatukee.
Kelly and wife Jennifer have now been settled in
Chandler for the past year.
They have three children: Brooke, 22, Ethan,
11, and Mia, 7.
Submitted
Former City Councilman Kelly Haddad
is living a busy life in Chandler with his
family: (from left) daughter Brooke, wife
Jenny, daughter Mia and son Ethan.
Haddad maintains his own bookkeeping
company, something he has done for 15 years,
and handles the day-to-day accounts for dairies
and farms, a total of 12 companies.
Since Ethan was 3, Haddad has coached him
in various sports. For the past four years, his
son has played club baseball with the Misfits,
and Kelly is assistant coach. Haddad is also
helping coach Ethan’s football team.
“Between doing books for 12 different
companies and coaching, we pretty much run
seven days a week,” Haddad says.
“
I love InMaricopa! It’s
great! I received over 20
new clients in just my first
month doing business
with InMaricopa.
”
– Margo Grant, ‘Mo’ Hair Wigs
and Extensions Bar
(520) 568-0040
www.InMaricopa.com/Advertise
Maricopa. Delivered.
Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
31
GOVERNMENT
Profile
Rarely in the spotlight, Paul
Jepson quietly keeps the
city of Maricopa running
as smoothly as possible by
building relationships.
Adam Wolfe
Paul Jepson
is Maricopa’s
man behind
the curtain
By Adam Wolfe
Paul Jepson is Maricopa’s intergovernmental
affairs director, but it is just one of many
titles he has held over the decade he has been
working for the city.
Jepson came to Maricopa on 2005, after
working as a teacher and administrator at Mesa
Public Schools. Jepson, who received a master’s
degree in public administration from Arizona
State University, was brought in to help the
city with issues in education, but his expertise
in technology allowed him to handle multiple
jobs simultaneously.
“I applied for a management assistant job
through the college, and I was hired as employee
No. 13,” Jepson says. “Initially, it was ‘Hey, we’re
brand new and working out of trailers. You
have a master’s degree and are a teacher so
32
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
you know about education.’ I also happen to
be [knowledgeable] in educational technology,
so I was able to help with the webpage as well.
That’s probably why I was hired. I was able to
fill three hats, and I was willing to do it.”
On a daily basis, Jepson works alongside
City Manager Gregory Rose and oversees
special projects and the city’s relationships with
other governmental agencies, public utilities
and educational institutions. He serves as the
city liaison with local, state, tribal and federal
government entities and works closely with
Maricopa’s City Council.
He also serves as a lobbyist for the city,
especially in funding and obtaining grants.
“I see Paul as a mini Secretary of State,”
Rose says. “He works to ensure that we keep
open lines of communication and are aware of
issues of concern at all levels of jurisdiction. He
has a wealth of knowledge about Arizona and
institutional information about what has gone
on in Maricopa, and he has done a wonderful
job for us.”
Over the last decade, Jepson has played an
integral part in planning and securing funding
for the State Route 347 grade separation.
Though he diminishes his own role saying he
was just a coordinator, he still sees the project
as his most proud piece of work.
“In 2007 Janet Napolitano said Maricopa
needs a grade separation,” Jepson says. “We
have fought tooth and nail since to make that
project happen. We aren’t quite there yet, but
what we have been able to pull off in a down
economy by getting the attention of the feds
and the state has been amazing.”
Jepson may not believe he played a large
role in the project, but his colleagues disagree.
Rose was quick to offer praise for the role
Jepson played in the process, and says the
project would not be where it is without him.
“He has been very involved with the
(overpass) project and has been working with
the [Maricopa Mayor Christian Price] and
former Mayor Kelly (Anderson) and with [the
Arizona Department of Transportation] to
make sure we can get funding for that project,”
Rose says. “I think through making sure we
were aware of the people we needed to talk
with and presentations that needed to be made,
that is just one example of a project that he has
been involved with that he has demonstrated
how capable he is.”
When you watch Jepson at a City Council
meeting or at an event, it becomes clear how
hard he works. He is constantly moving,
providing documents to officials and ensuring
mutually beneficial parties come into contact.
However, he still manages to control the chaos
with a smile on his face.
How they voted
“For what Paul does, he is very
overlooked,” Mayor Price says. “He
helps us negotiate the mine field that is
intergovernmental relations. He does
amazing work that no one ever knows about.
He does a lot of political smoothing over to
make sure our lives are easier.”
Jepson has taken the time to get to know
each member of the ever-changing City
Council over the last 10 years. He then finds a
way to work with each one to ensure the city
runs smoothly and its residents are happy.
“I have always worked very closely with
the council to make sure they have what
they need,” Jepson says. “You always have
different personalities, so you get to learn
the style and needs of each council member.
You find out what they like and what their
priorities are. Doing the government
relations means that we utilize, at times, the
council’s relationships, so I facilitate that.”
Jepson’s dedication to the city of Maricopa
is unquestioned. For the last 10 years, Jepson
has commuted from North Phoenix to
Maricopa each day. He doesn’t do it because
he can’t find work elsewhere; he does it
because he simply loves the city and the
people he works with.
“I have never been afraid to drive to get to
what I want to do,” Jepson says. “I have family,
I have five grandkids, and I have my mom. So
I didn’t want to relocate. I made the decision
that I would drive down here, and they could
stay put.”
Co-workers say this is just the kind of man
Paul Jepson is. He doesn’t seek personal glory
or recognition. He simply comes to work,
does his job and ensures the city develops the
relationships it needs to be successful.
“Paul knows everybody,” Assistant City
Manager Jennifer Brown says. “Everywhere
I’ve gone he knows every person. It’s a great
thing, and they all like him. People always
run over to him to say hi or to chit-chat.”
Jepson’s approach is all about the
relationships he built personally and for
the city. He loves his work, but he knows it
wouldn’t be as enjoyable without the people
he works with. He enjoys the challenge of
working with other cities, and he says he even
enjoys working with the federal government.
He hopes, when the time comes, he will leave
the city of Maricopa better than when he
arrived 10 years ago.
“It’s always good to look back on what
you’ve done in your life and say, ‘I made
something different,’” Jepson says. “I want to
look back and see that the city has done better
since I came.”
Torri Anderson
Pete Rios
Maricopa Unified
School District
Pinal County Board
of Supervisors
Aug. 12, 2015
Aug. 12, 2015
BACKGROUND: After a teacher broke contract
BACKGROUND: The supervisors debated
raising the county property tax rate all through
the budget process and also faced its annual
responsibility of approving the proposed rates
and levies of every taxing district in the county.
MOTION: Approve the fiscal year 2015-16
property tax levies and rates for all governmental
entities of Pinal County.
VOTE: 4-1 approval
AYES: Cheryl Chase, Pete Rios,
Todd House, Steve Miller
NAYS: Anthony Smith
RATIONALE OF AYE VOTES: Rios said the
county had to raise its tax rate to absorb cost
shifting by the state while still providing basic
services to Pinal County residents. The approval
of all rates in the county was called perfunctory
by the majority.
RATIONALE OF NAY VOTE: Smith said there
were other options available to the supervisors
before raising the tax rate, and he also disagreed
with rates set by other entities.
GET ENGAGED: Pinal County Board of
Supervisors meets at 9:30 a.m. on select
Wednesdays in Florence. Meetings are broadcast
live on the county website.
with the school district, he was required to
repay MUSD $2,500. The Human Resources
Department
recommended
decreasing
that amount to $625 “due to extenuating
circumstances.” With one board member absent,
the panel was evenly divided on its first vote. On
a re-vote the majority denied the recommended
decrease and required the full $2,500 from the
former employee.
MOTION: Approve line item 55 by not modifying
the liquidated damages and keeping it at $2,500.
VOTE: 3-1 approved
AYES: Patti Coutre, Torri
Anderson and Rhonda Melvin
NAYS: Gary Miller
ABSENT: AnnaMarie Knorr
RATIONALE OF AYE VOTES: Anderson said
teachers who sign a contract with the district
are making a commitment to the students and
should fulfill that contract.
RATIONALE OF NAY VOTES: Miller said the
board needed to respect the recommendation
from Human Resources. Because other people
on the personnel schedule were waived from
their contract cancelation fees, he wanted to
maintain consistency.
GET ENGAGED: Maricopa Unified School
District Governing Board meetings are
generally on the second and fourth Wednesdays
of the month at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are streamed
live on the district’s YouTube channel.
PinalCountyAZ.gov
MaricopaUSD.org
Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
33
HOME
Real Estate
MOST EXPENSIVE HOME SOLD
LEAST EXPENSIVE HOME SOLD
43661 W. COLBY DRIVE
The least expensive home sold in Maricopa
over the summer was a 989-square-foot
house on a 5,227-square-foot lot in one of the
longest-established neighborhoods of Rancho
El Dorado. It sold in a little over a month for
$6,850 less than the list price.
20454 N. WISHING WELL LANE
The most expensive home sold in Maricopa during the summer was on a
corner lot in the adult community of Province. The 8,700-square-foot lot
with its own swimming pool was on the market for just under three months
and sold for $9,500 under its list price.
Sold price: $347,500
Square feet: 2,836
Price per s.f.: $122.53
Days on market: 86
Builder: Engle Homes
Built: 2004
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2.5
Community: Province
Sold price: $83,400
Square feet: 989
Price per s.f.: $84.33
Days on market: 49
Built: 2002
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Community: Rancho El
Dorado
Features: Large family
Features: Courtyard, patio, private
heated pool, formal dining room, formal
living room, wood shutters, three-car
garage and a master bedroom with all
the amenities.
Seller’s agent: Rick Metcalf, Canam
Realty Group
Buyer’s agent: Loretta Milkey, The
Maricopa Real Estate Co.
Star Cabinets & Refacing LLC
StarCabinetsRefacing.com.
Tired of your old, dated cabinets
with no style?
We can make your plain builder-grade cabinets look custom
without the cost of new cabinets.
REAL ESTATE &
HOME SERVICES
CLEANING-CARPET/FLOORS
Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning
520-329-4027
HOME IMPROVEMENT
Star Cabinets & Refacing
480-282-2205
StarCabinetsRefacing.com
HOME INSPECTION
Ross’ Home Inspections
480-241-6756
RossInspects.com
BEFORE
HOME WATCH SERVICES
Anyone Home?
602-574-7006
AnyoneHomeAZ.com
CUSTOM
DESIGNS TO FIT
YOUR STYLE
IN 3-5 DAYS
AFTER
Refacing is not the same as refinishing
We can change:
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Door Style
Moldings
Hardware
Upgrade Drawer
Boxes
(480) 282-2205
Maricopa resident • 20+ Years Experience • Fully Bonded • Insured
ROC#253455
34
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
room, maple cabinets,
covered patio, extra
storage space, two-car
garage.
Seller’s agent: Colleen
Bechtel, Keller Williams
Legacy One
Buyer’s agent: Dayv
Morgan, HomeSmart
Success
Sentinel
520-252-5238
AZSentinel.com
POOL DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Keywize Pool Professionals
602-368-7256
KeywizePools.com
Maricopa Pools
20924 N. John Wayne Parkway
480-658-5544
MaricopaPools.com
POOL SERVICE
Hidden Valley Pool Service
P.O. Box 1348
520-233-7528
Directory
POOL SUPPLIES
Ace Hardware
21542 N. John Wayne Parkway
520-494-7805
MaricopaAce.com
REALTORS
Ahwatukee Realty &
Property Management
21300 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 120
520-568-3572
AhwatukeeRealty.com
Coldwell Banker
Residential Brokerage
Terry Sperry
1045 W. Queen Creek Road,
Suite 1, Chandler
509-869-8161
AZMoves.com/Terry.Sperry
HomeSmart Success
Dayv Morgan
19756 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 100
480-251-4231
MaricopaHomeSmart.com
8
Want to have your business
featured in the next edition?
Contact InMaricopa at
Advertising@InMaricopa.com
or 520-568-0040 ext. 2
ENTERTAINMENT
Trending
The Style-Maker
Photos courtesy Loren Aragon
Maricopa designer Loren Aragon
(shown right with wife Valentina) took
his fashions, inspired by his Acoma
Pueblo culture, to New York Fashion
Week Sept. 12 to show his vision on
the world stage. See more from his
NYC experience at InMaricopa.com.
Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
35
ENTERTAINMENT
Pecan pride
Maricopa
goes nuts
for pecans
T
By Raquel Hendrickson
“There used to be hundreds and hundreds and
hundreds of acres of pecan groves in Maricopa,”
Maricopa recreation specialist Karie Karpes says.
That is the inspiration for a new event for
Stagecoach Days in October.
The Pecan Pride Celebration will run Oct.
10-25. Karpes is inviting all eateries in town to
offer a pecan-based item on their menus during
the event.
A devoted foodie, Karpes says she’s looking
forward to the ingenuity of local restaurants and
not just a lot of pecan pie for this limited-timeonly opportunity.
Raquel Hendrickson
Honeycutt Coffee is offering its
pumpkin pecan bread among
other items for Maricopa’s
Pecan Pride Celebration
during Stagecoach Days.
The vast groves of pecan trees
that once stood in Maricopa
will be celebrated during
Pecan Pride, a new event for
Stagecoach Days.
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The Best in Custom Blinds and Window Coverings
“Let’s be creative,” she says. “Let’s step it up.”
Karpes says almost all locally owned food establishments have
agreed to participate.
Don’t be surprised to see pecan pesto and pecan pico on the menu.
“There is so much you can do with pecans,” she says.
As Stagecoach Days has evolved over time from one big event to
scattered events, Karpes says the Pecan Pride Celebration is a way to
still connect to Maricopa’s agricultural history.
“We have a lot of food artisans in Maricopa,” she says.
Ideas already in the air are pumpkin pecan bread, pecan feta salad,
pecan pepper jelly, caramel pecan shakes, butter pecan frappuccino,
brown sugar pecan scones and, of course, pecan pie.
The special pecan items must be available for the run of the event
during regular business hours.
Karpes says it is not only an epicurean fest but also a way to
motivate Maricopans to shop local.
Stagecoach Days celebrates the founding of the community with a
series of activities over two weeks.
Karpes says she would also like to see the restaurants participate
in the city’s Shutter Shots competition Oct. 15 by taking a photo of
people enjoying their special pecan-based menu item.
The digital photo contest is an effort to capture a day in the life of
Maricopa. Residents are asked to hit the streets and take photos all
over town to capture what Maricopa looks like in a 24-hour period
in 2015.
Proudly serving Maricopa!
602-243-1983 BudgetBlinds.com
36
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
Maricopa-az.gov/web/shutter-shots
Recreation
Misty Newman
The Park was so nice,
and the families were all very
excited. We love the lake
the most and, of course, the
playground. My kids grew up
in Pacana playing soccer and
flag football. They did a lot
there throughout the years,
and all our memories are
here.”
Constructed along Porter Road, Pacana is within walking distance of several schools.
– Maricopa resident Gabby Potter
Pacana Park remains
in the heart of Maricopa
Pacana is home for
us. It’s not the same at
Copper Sky because it’s so
spread out. Pacana is more
intimate and more of a family
community. I have taught my
son how to give back to the
community through helping
me get the fields ready. Every
day we go to Pacana, my son
helps to set up. When my
son is at the park with me
I can trust when he’s at the
playground. I don’t worry.”
P
Pacana Park is beloved in
Maricopa. In a growing city
desperate for a public park, it
was already in use before it was
completed in 2009. The park
has many amenities including
baseball and soccer fields,
basketball and tennis courts, a
covered playground, a covered
ramada and a fishing pond.
Read Misty Newman’s stories
about the outdoors in our Things
to Do section at InMaricopa.com.
– Maricopa Little League Vice President
Misty Newman
Michael Hayes
We are so appreciative
of these fields. They are in
a central location, and it’s
so close our kids will walk.
The park is well lit at night
and you can walk around the
lake. The fishing is awesome,
and it works perfectly for
our location. I loved the
fireworks there. Everyone
could sit and watch because
Pacana is centrally located.”
Michael Hayes
Maricopa Little League has been part of Pacana Park before it was even completed.
– Legacy Traditional School Principal
Nicole Mangum
Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
37
ENTERTAINMENT
h
$25 OFF
Any tree trimming or
irrigation services.
Expires 12/21/15.
Certified Horticulturist
It’s time to schedule
Winter Lawn seeding
• Full monthly maintenance
• Tree trimming & removal
• Irrigation systems
Discounts for Military,
Seniors & Teachers
HEALTH INSPECTION RESULTS
EXCELLENT
[No violations found]
• Arby’s
• Butterfield Elementary School
• Chipotle Mexican Grill
• Fry’s Marketplace - deli
• Fry’s Marketplace - bakery
• Fry’s Marketplace - sushi
• Jack in the Box
• McDonald’s - Walmart
• Santa Cruz Elementary School
• Starbuck’s - Maricopa Station
• Walgreens
• Walmart
• Walmart - deli
• Zoyo
ENTERTAINMENT
UltraStar Multi-tainment Center
16000 N. Maricopa Road
520-568-3456
UltraStarAkChin.com
ARCADE
Play ‘n Win
UltraStar Multi-tainment Center
16000 N. Maricopa Road
520-568-3456
UltraStarAkChin.com
Native Grill & Wings
21164 N. John Wayne Parkway
520-568-6077
NativeGrillAndWings.com
BOWLING
Ten Pins Down
UltraStar Multi-tainment Center
16000 N. Maricopa Road
520-233-2425
UltraStarAkChin.com
Maricopa Resident
Quality Work based on
Experience & Integrity
WE SHOW UP OR IT’S FREE!
(520) 233-1127
www.DruwestLandscape.com
38
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
[Critical item noted during
inspection cannot be corrected
immediately, requiring follow-up
inspection]
None
UNACCEPTABLE
[Gross, unsanitary conditions
necessitating the discontinuation
of operations]
None
Entertainment & Restaurants
BARS
Luxe Lounge
UltraStar Multi-tainment Center
16000 N. Maricopa Road
520-233-2440
UltraStarAkChin.com
Owner Michael Drunasky
SATISFACTORY
[Violations corrected during
inspection]
• Saddleback Elementary School
• Tacos ‘N’ More
DANCE
Desert Sun Performing Arts
19756 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite 107
520-483-8915
DesertSunPerformingArts.com
HOTEL & RESORT
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino and Hotel
15406 N. Maricopa Road
480-802-5000
HarrahsAkChin.com
LASER TAG
Urban Arena Laser Tag
UltraStar Multi-tainment Center
16000 N. Maricopa Road
520-568-3456
UltraStarAkChin.com
MOVIES
UltraStar Cinemas
16000 N. Maricopa Road
520-568-3456
UltraStarAkChin.com
MUSIC
Punch Music Media
818-261-2782
PunchMusicMedia.com
RESTAURANTS
347 Grill
UltraStar Multi-tainment Center
16000 N. Maricopa Road
520-568-3456
UltraStarAkChin.com
Agave’s Restaurant
Harrah’s Ak-Chin
15406 N. Maricopa Road
480-802-5000
HarrahsAkChin.com
Arroyo Grille
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club
48456 W. Highway 238
520-568-2000
GolfSouthernDunes.com
Luxe Lounge
UltraStar Multi-tainment Center
16000 N. Maricopa Road
520-568-3456
UltraStarAkChin.com
Barro’s Pizza
44600 W. Smith-Enke Road, Suite 101
520-494-7777
BarrosPizza.com
Native Grill & Wings
21164 N. John Wayne Parkway
520-568-6077
NativeGrillAndWings.com
The Range Steakhouse
Harrah’s Ak-Chin
15406 N. Maricopa Road
480-802-5000
HarrahsAkChin.com
Pizza Hut/ Wing Street Maricopa
21101 N. John Wayne Parkway
520-316-6116
PizzaHut.com
Yogurt Jungle
21101 N. John Wayne Parkway
Suite E-105
480-677-8222
YogurtJungle.com
8
Want to have your business
featured in the next edition?
Contact InMaricopa at
Advertising@InMaricopa.com or
520-568-0040.
Poll
D
WINNER
A three-taco plate offers a
variety of flavors at Cilantro’s
Mexican Cocina
CILANTRO’S
MEXICAN COCINA
Best Taco in Town
Donna Atkins
In an online poll at inMaricopa.com, readers were divided on who serves the best taco among
the city’s food establishments. After a heated battle among several contenders, Cilantro’s edged
out Tacos ‘N’ More by just three votes.
BY THE NUMBERS
Other
UltraStar
2% 7%
4%
7%
Penasco’s Mexican
Restaurant
Plazza Bonita
Aliberto’s
Mexican Food
Cilantro’s Mexican
Cocina
20%
7%
Tacos ‘N’ More
19%
Headquarters
8%
Taco Bell
11%
Chipotle
Mexican Grill
14%
Our tacos are good
quality and homemade.
Our cilantro sauce
is very popular. We
have tomatillo and,
my favorite, spicy red
sauce. The carne asada
is gourmet with flour soft
tortillas. And that’s why
we have the best tacos in
the city of Maricopa.”
– Cilantro’s Mexican Cocina owner and
Source: InMaricopa.com
chef Juan Quezada
reader poll; 261 total votes
Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
39
ENTERTAINMENT
Recipe
ADVERTISER INDEX
Rasberry Oat Bars
Alternative Air............................................18
Banner Health Center................................... 1
Ingredients
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 ½ cups rolled oats
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking power
1 jar (10 ounces) raspberry preserves
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream
butter and brown sugar
until smooth. Combine
oats, flour, salt and
baking powder; stir into
the creamed mixture.
Press half of the mixture
into the bottom of the
prepared pan. Spread
the preserves over
the crust. Crumble the
remaining crust mixture
over the raspberry layer.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes
or until light brown.
Cool completely before
cutting into bars.
Budget Blinds................................................36
Camino Montessori.....................................23
Cancer Treatment Services...................... 18
City of Maricopa...........................................27
Cobblestone Dental................................... 29
Comfort Keepers........................................IBC
Druwest Landscaping............................ 38
Electrical District No. 3................................. 4
Health Matters.............................................. 15
HomeSmart —Dayv Morgan.................... 18
InMaricopa.com.............................................. 3
InMaricopa.com Business Directory..... 29
InMaricopa App...........................................BC
K’Bella Salon and Day Spa........................17
Leading Edge Accademy.......................... 12
Lizard Heights Glass..................................9
Maricopa Auto Outlet................................... 6
Maricopa Eye Care........................................ 6
Maricopa Loves Our Cops........................ 13
Maricopa Unified School District..........IBC
Mo Hair.........................................................13
Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning......................... 4
Pest R Us......................................................12
Pinal County Federal Credit Union........ 13
Punch Music Media..................................... 13
San Tan Oral Surgery...............................11
Southern Dunes........................................21
Spooner Physical Therapy....................... 13
Star Cabinets & Refacing...................... 34
ABOUT THE BAKER
Karen Stratman
Occupation: Owner of J.A.M.E.S.
Home Baked Good
Hometown: Wickliffe, Ohio
Family: Spouse Joe; children
Ashley, Joey, Michelle, Eddie
Why this recipe: It’s healthy and dairyfree, and I receive lots of request for it.
Favorite chef: Gordon Ramsey
Cooking background: Self-taught
from cookbooks, trial-and-error of
new recipes and family recipes
Raquel Hendrickson
40
InMaricopa.com | Fall 2015
Step Into the Music.....................................9
Streamline Solar..........................................4
Sun Life Family Health Center........... 5, 25
Suz’s Cruises................................................9
UltraStar Multi-tainment Center ..........19
UPS Store................................................... 29
Help fund extracurricular
activities including:
· Academic Field Trips
· Arts (Band, Drama, Choir,
Visual Arts, School Plays)
· Athletics “Pay to Play” Fee
(you can designate a specific
student or team)
· Athletic Teams
GET UP TO
$400 CREDIT
ON YOUR
TAXES AND
HELP OUR KIDS
All MUSD schools qualify:
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Butterfield Elementary School
Maricopa Elementary School
Pima Butte Elementary School
Saddleback Elementary School
Santa Cruz Elementary School
Santa Rosa Elementary School
Desert Wind Middle School
Maricopa Wells Middle School
Maricopa High School
“It’s a win, win, win! A great way to help the
schools, your kids, and yourself by taking
advantage of the School Tax Credit.”
– James A Chaston, CPA
Contribute online at www.MaricopaUSD.org
(click “Parent Information” link ) or make check
payable to school of your choice and mail to:
Maricopa Unified School District
44150 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway
Maricopa, AZ 85138
Questions? Contact Lisa Baker:
(520) 568-5100 ext. 1027, or LBaker@musd20.org
Fall 2015
| InMaricopa.com
41
P.O. Box 1018
Maricopa, AZ 85139
ECRWSS
Postal Customer
Local
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Maricopa, AZ
Permit No. 13